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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After	By : ElizabethStump Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 90306 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 102
- 103
- 104
"And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After”

Chapter One Hundred Two
"A Promise"

Disclaimer:
Sung to "Jingle Bells"

Disclaimers, disclaimers,
Disclaiming all the way
Oh, what fun it is to say
Rowling owns Potter, okay?

Disclaiming through this bit
In a one-hack written fic
Copyright, we know
I'm not infringing it
Warner Bros. and
Scholastic have some rights
To a billion-dollar franchise
The lawyers sleep tonight

A/N: Disclaimer a parody of "Jingle Bells."

============

"Marry me, Hermione," Severus said.

A laugh bubbled up from Hermione's throat. She didn't mean to laugh, but suddenly she felt quite overwhelmed.

Severus didn't know if she was laughing from relief that he'd finally asked her, laughing from joy that he'd asked her, or – the least likely of possibilities but still one – laughing at him.

"Oh, Severus! There is still so much we didn't talk about before you left. Things I wanted to talk with you about, but we didn't since you were going and I originally planned not to come with you," she said, her voice still punctuated with the occasional tension-filled titter.

Severus was relieved, but he sensed there was something else.

"One day, I would love to marry you, Severus, but right now I have an apprenticeship to finish up, and then I have to get the new operations here up and running. and get everything going here with work." The pitch in her voice was rising as if she was going to go into a full panic. "I don't know if I can deal with the pressure of an engagement on top of all that I have to do."

Now fully agitated, Hermione stood up out of the water and started pacing about the pool. All her feelings of euphoric relaxation were gone, now replaced with a building tension in her neck.

"I mean, I have just begun learning Japanese, and I hear that it can easily take six months to be barely proficient enough to pass just the written exam, not even passing the highly contextual Potions texts using subtle cultural clues as to the meaning of true ingredients hidden within the pseudonyms used for ingredients or directions," she railed on in a ceaseless patter, becoming more hysterical. "And then I have to move on to Chinese, and all this before Lavender hopes to start operations by summer? I'll never do it all in time." She was close to bursting into tears.

"Shh." Severus attempted to calm her, which only made her more vexed and aggravated.

"I don't know how I'm going to do it all," she wailed as she broke down into tears.

Severus understood the pressure she was under. He had heard from Ginny and Lavender about how Hermione had pushed herself nearly over the edge the summer before. Hermione was prone to over-exhausting herself by trying to do everything and then some.

"I'm sure we can work something out," he assured her, his voice becoming more business-like. With a firm tone to bring her back down from her near-hysterics, he asked, "How close are you to mastering your Code of Ethics?"

"I should be ready to have Albert test me on that by March."

"And you've taken you Anatomy and Potions Ingredients tests and passed those as well, correct?" he asked, to mentally check them off in his head.

"Yes," she replied, still feeling there was no solution in sight.

"And on this trip, you're testing your original potion that you developed yourself for your apprenticeship?"

"Yes, but that still doesn't include the Japanese and Chinese languages I have to master, which may mean another year or more!"

"True, true, but wait. You're almost done with your Herbology internship?" Severus asked.

Hermione turned her head away remembering that it was Neville with whom she had been serving her year-long Herbology internship, a flicker of shame flaring in her gut. "Yes, one more month and then I'm done." Her internship, which should have ended by New Year's Day, had been extended one month due to her taking a whole month in summer to recover from her attack and prepare for her trial in front of the Wizengamot to clear Severus and Draco's names.

"Then once you're done with taking your Code of Ethics test and Japanese test as well, you can study your Chinese language here. We have a lot of Chinese immigrants and bi-lingual descendants here on the island, and I'm already fluent in Chinese, so I can help you." Severus smiled, pleased with himself that he'd found a solution to help Hermione with her time conflict and bring her back to him faster.

"But what about my inability to change masters during my apprenticeship?" she asked, not wanting to ruin her standing in the community after putting in all that hard work.

"Some masters – not all, but some – will send their apprentices away for anywhere from two months to six months to the country in which they are to learn a language. During that time, they continue learning their Code of Ethics, broaden their exposure to Potions ingredients from other countries, get Herbology experience in a different climate, and continue studying anatomy. But considering you were already an ingredients expert before you even started your apprenticeship, and you had already been working on your anatomy studies for months as well, you are ahead of the game. Most apprenticeships take three years. Because of your previous experience, you are whittling it down to around two years," Severus explained, trying to calm Hermione down. He was feeling that he was succeeding since she was no longer pacing about, but sitting down back in the warm waters to consider his second proposal of the night.

He continued his explanation. "You'll be doing your language immersive studies at the end of your apprenticeship, which makes it no less valid. You have already done all the theory work and other academic studies that require direct tutelage from your master, except for your Code of Ethics, which is still mostly learning from a book rather than oral instructions." Severus moved behind Hermione and began massaging her shoulders, trying to make the tension in her neck that he knew was growing there dissipate. "And often, a master will pass the apprentice into the hands of another master for supervision during some of his or her language studies."

"Is that more common when a master is unfamiliar with a language an apprentice is learning?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, so technically, you are not switching masters, which is what our fellow masters and mistresses frown upon. You are merely seeking the resource of another master to help you complete your studies, in an area which your current master is unable to do. And if I remember correctly, Albert's grasp of Chinese is not as good as mine, so I'm doing you a service. Plus, given that you have a full-time job that will be making full use of your Potions skills, in addition to running a Potions-based business, that also qualifies as work experience during your apprenticeship in the eyes of the qualification board."

"Of course, I will have to clear this with Albert," Hermione said, knowing her master would have the final word on the matter, but she had a feeling he would be very open to the idea. "No doubt, Lavender will be thrilled she can get me here sooner." Hermione was feeling a bit more relaxed, both mentally and physically, now that Severus had given her a solution to her problem and was still rubbing her shoulders.

"I still don't want to deal with the pressure of an engagement right now. When things have settled down, but not know," she clarified.

"Fine, it is not an engagement," Severus conceded, knowing now that Hermione did want to marry him, but wanted one less thing on her schedule to face. "It is a promise that at some point in the future, when things have quieted down, we'll eventually get engaged and then married."

"Ugh. I hate engagements. All that planning. Mothers-in-law," she groaned in disgust.

"You'll have no in-laws from my side of the family. There are none," he said flatly.

"You're the last one?" she asked. She knew Severus had never talked about his parents. "No cousins even?"

Severus shook his head. He had one or two distant cousins, but they were not even family in his mind. He was alone.

Hermione stroked his leg, then held his hand. The thought then brought up another topic she had eventually wanted to discuss with him, besides the marriage question which was now settled.

"We never even talked about if you wanted children or not," Hermione said, saying it aloud more to herself than to prompt Severus into a discussion.

Severus supposed that was a topic that was going to eventually come up, if not now, then over the years. It was better to settle the matter and know where each stood. Hermione had said on many occasions that the idea of children with Ron frightened her, but now that Weasley would no longer be the father, how would she react to him – the wizard who'd killed his own wife who had been pregnant with their child – as the father of their children?

For once, Severus was without some intelligent or thoughtful response. He stammered briefly then shut his mouth in order to avoid further embarrassing himself.

She could tell he was uncomfortable with the subject, and assumed he was trying to find some way to let her know he wasn't interested in children. "One day, I suppose, it would be nice to have children with you. That is, if you want kids. But if you don't–"

Severus shut her mouth with a kiss, thrilled Hermione was willing to have children with him despite his past; it was a sign that she did want to spend the rest of her days with him. Children would bind them together forever, until death parted them.

"Yes, some day," he said, feeling his chest glow warmly at the thought of having a family together with her, creating the life he should have had, but didn't. A wife of his own choice, a life of his own free will, children brought into this world out of love and not familial obligation.

Severus' sudden kiss and breathy eager response to her set her heart aflutter. There was an odd and pleasant twisting sensation in her stomach from knowing that one day she would be going off of contraceptive potions and not dread getting pregnant, but some day would welcome the news. The stroking of Severus' hand along her abdomen made her realize this was something very real. One day she would be a mother and a wife, and Severus her husband and father to their children.

Something had changed between them. Just as something had changed when Severus finally removed his gigolo mask, when they first declared their love for one another, and when Severus asked her to come with him originally when he planned to flee England, their relationship had changed yet again. Their future was now certain, and all doubt about their feelings for one another was long gone, their uncertainty about their future was erased and replaced with a joy that one day they would have their own 'happily ever after' ending.

Feeling inspired by the moment, they made love once more, this time with slow and purposeful movements. There was no rush or fervent hunger to satiate. It was the sealing of a contract between their souls.

The old Gypsy woman's interpretation, based on face value of her statement, had come true finally. Even after Severus left her for Malu Palekaiko, Hermione did see him again. Maybe the old fortuneteller could not tell if Hermione's journey would eventually lead to marriage one day, but she was able to see this far enough into the future to this day. It was this day that sealed Hermione's and Severus' fate together.

Finally relaxed after soaking a bit longer after making love, they finally dragged their very limp and tired bodies out of the water, their strength sapped by the hot water and love-making. They helped each other dress, and Severus held Hermione's hand as they descended down to the Apparition platform.

Back at the house, Hermione beckoned Severus to snuggle with her on the couch. With a swish of her wand, she set the lights on the Christmas tree aglow.

They sat on the couch together staring at the festively colored lights on the tree, and the sparkling and glimmer of glass and glitter-covered ornaments; Ginny had decorated the tree well. Under the tree lay presents waiting to be unwrapped and treasured in the years to come.

"Our first Christmas tree together," Severus said, suddenly willing to let sentiment overtake him. It would be the first of many Christmases together to come, and that pleased him to know.

Hermione clasped his hand tighter and craned her neck up to kiss his jaw, feeling that his beard was still a bit damp. She was feeling quite sentimental as well, awash in the euphoria of love, and restful in the happy seasonal scene in their home together.

In the quiet that they enjoyed together, it wasn't long before it was disturbed by a familiar sound – well, familiar to Severus.

"Mrowr!"

"Damn, the cat."

"You have a cat?" Hermione asked.

"More like it has me." Severus patted Hermione's leg to indicate he wanted to stand up.

Together they walked into the kitchen. Hermione waved her wand to light some candles around the place while Severus went to open the back door.

"Well?" Severus said expectantly, as he opened the door and looked down at the animal that sauntered in.

"What's its name?" Hermione asked, as she squatted down and held out her hand in offer of some affection.

"Cat."

Hermione looked up at Severus with a look that he must be joking.

"It is a male or female?"

"You'll have to ask the cat. I don't pry into its business, and it doesn't pry into mine," Severus said, indicating his emotional detachment to the animal, though Hermione sensed he was more attached to the beast than he was willing to admit. She guessed the cat made a fine companion for Severus, as it was not needy and fairly independent, just like him.

Hermione gave him a slight look of impatience.

"No doubt it is looking forward to its evening meal," Severus informed her as he pulled out a shallow bowl for milk and a plate. Reaching into the icebox, he pulled out some raw fish and minced it finely before placing it on a plate.

The cat went from greedily lapping at the milk to wolfing down the raw fish in no time flat.

Hermione knelt down and pet the cat.

"I fear I am feeding it too much. The cat is getting fat," Severus remarked.

Hermione knew cats well enough. She pet the cat along its sides, noting the frame around its shoulders. She lifted the cat's tail to confirm her suspicion.

Rising up and walking over to Severus, she placed her arms around his waist and looked up at him sweetly. Smiling, she announced, "Well, I was hoping to wait at least a few years before saying this, but you're going to be a father, Severus. Your cat is a female, and she's pregnant."

"What?" Severus' face fell as if Hermione had just told him she herself was pregnant. It certainly was unexpected.

"Your cat isn't fat, it's hungry because it has kittens on the way. Make sure you give her plenty to eat. She's probably going to have them in about a month or less, since gestation is about nine weeks and I can feel the swelling."

Well, if this was a test to see if he was ready for parenthood eventually, taking care of a cat and its kittens was certainly a start, Severus thought. "It seems like pregnancy is a communicable disease on this island, as it appears half of the married witches around here are pregnant," Severus said, remembering that Ginny, Halulu, and Akela's former best friend, Kiki, were among the dozen or more witches waddling around town.

"Maybe it's good I'm leaving at the end of the week then. One year, but not now," Hermione said as they watched the cat finish the last of the milk and then come to rub against Hermione's legs. Hermione guessed the cat was sensing the witch was going to be an important ally for her.

"What shall we name her?" he asked.

"Can't name her Calleo, as that's my owl's name. I do hope they get along," Hermione realized, suddenly thinking of compatibility between the two beasts.

"You named your owl Calleo?" Severus asked.

"Yes, and she's a very nice owl."

"Calleo is a boy's name," Severus reminded her.

"She doesn't mind, so why should I? Besides, I wanted to name her after someone I was fond of and 'Severus' was already taken." Hermione reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek, but she was too slow and Severus caught her mouth in a quick playful kiss.

Suddenly, Hermione yawned.

"Nice to know my kisses excite you so." He amusedly arched one brow.

Glancing at the clock, she said, "Oh good, my potion kept me awake, and it's about this time I go to bed. So I'm feeling tired at about the right time. If the other half of the potion works as well as this half, then that's one more thing I've completed towards my..." She stopped talking to finish a yawn that suddenly stole over her. "... apprenticeship."

Severus let the cat out before escorting Hermione to bed, the cannoli forgotten for now.

As they undressed, they didn't even bother with anything to wear. When sleeping together back in London, they had become accustomed to sleeping nude. They now readily embraced their old habit.

Had they not exhausted themselves earlier in the day, they would have stayed up half the night talking some more, but as it was, both dropped off quickly, unable to stay awake any longer.

For the first time in a long while, Hermione did not feel overwhelmed by loneliness or the need to cry before going to sleep. Severus was there in bed with her, and she could now reach out and feel his comforting presence there once more. As she drifted off to sleep, she heard his deep and even breaths. There would be no nightmares in the dark, and even if they did come, Severus would be there for her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus could not remember sleeping so well in his life. So it was distressing that some of the best slumbering in the enthralling arms of Morpheus was disrupted by the murderous grumblings of Hermione.

"Why the hell is that cat mewling before the sun is even up?"

Cracking an eye open, he looked at the lovely sight of Hermione and her tangle of mussed hair in the bed next to him as the predawn light colored her hair with highlights of coral and peach. Her own eyes were still shut and a small stain on her pillow showed she had drooled during the night. If Severus was to have his sleep interrupted, seeing this vision he’d longed for in his bed for over a year was worth it.

"This is when I usually get up for a morning swim and she gets fed before I head out." Severus groaned slightly, feeling his thigh, abdominal and back muscles a little sore from yesterday's strenuous activities. "I'll feed her and come back to bed," he announced, indicating that Hermione should not get up, yet.

Throwing on a pair of cotton twill shorts, without underpants, he padded out to the kitchen barefoot and shirtless. Seeing the bag of chicken giblets in the ice box, thanks to Ginny and Draco's planning, Severus gave his cat an extra large helping with an extra deep dish of milk. Normally, he would wait until the cat finished to clean up the dishes before the animal would follow him down to the beach and "guard" his belongings while he swam, but he chose instead to go back to bed as promised. There would be no need for a swim to work off excess tension and sexual frustration, at least during the week while Hermione was there.

Shucking off his shorts, he crawled back into bed and snuggled up behind Hermione who had rolled over during his absence.

"Happy Christmas," he murmured sweetly into her hair.

Hermione's eyes popped open, suddenly awake. She rolled over, now excited with the realization it was Christmas and they were finally together for the holiday. Giving him a quick buss on the lips, she then threw a leg over his hip. "Happy Christmas, Severus."

"We need not bother getting out of bed to unwrap presents. I already got what I wanted for Christmas," Severus said playfully and pulled her body closer.

His intentions were made clear by the fact that they both slept the night before without any clothes on. Hermione could feel him rub his stiffening length along her thigh, then along her stomach as he became harder.

It amused her to see Severus in such a lighthearted mood, as it was a rarity that he cast off his threadbare yet sturdy cloak of somber pragmatism. But even she noted that since moving to Hawaii Severus was by far more happy and at peace with himself then he was back in England, seeing it for herself in person.

Eventually, the soft kisses turned into a leisurely roll in the hay. Finding the laziest possible position that required the least amount of effort for maximum friction, they made love. Low groans of pleasure and soft sighs of satisfaction punctuated their gentle climax.

As they lay in bed, limbs still entwined where they were still joined, Severus asked, "How did you sleep last night? Did your potion work as you expected?"

Smiling up at the ceiling, Hermione said, "I slept like the dead, but given how busy we were yesterday, that's to be expected. But as for feeling time lag this morning? None at all. But we'll see how I fare the rest of the week as it can take a few days for the full effects of Portkey lag to kick in."

Reluctantly, Hermione rose from the bed and went to take care of her bodily needs. Severus decided he might as well get up and got dressed for the morning.

Walking into the kitchen together, Hermione asked as she reached for a skillet, "What do you want for breakfast? Sausage? Eggs? Traditional fry-up for Christmas morning?"

Severus reached for the coffee, since he was out of tea. "You'll find in this warmer climate, you'll adjust better if you keep the morning meals light. A hearty breakfast will weigh you down and make you sweat more heavily, especially if you're not accustomed to the heat," he said, recalling his first breakfast in Malu Palekaiko of eggs, sausage and toast. "A pastry, fruit and coffee will suit you much better."

Hermione cut up some fruit while Severus made coffee. Hermione decided to go with some Portuguese sweet bread to go with their shared plate of fresh papaya, starfruit and orange segments.

"Hmm," Hermione groaned as she sipped her cup of Kona coffee. "I wish Ginny and Draco brought some of this back to England in addition to all those pineapples." Hermione had read about Kona coffee in her guide books, but it was much smoother than she anticipated.

"Had I known you were coming, I would have asked Albert to pack me some tea in your trunk," Severus thought aloud.

"What, don't you have any tea here in Hawaii? Only coffee?"

"We do, procuring a fine Chinese black tea, Japanese green tea, or a delicate jasmine tea is easy, there is no lack of good Asian teas around here. But trying to find some good English tea is nigh on impossible, except at one of the imported European specialty food stores on one of the other islands. Our local buyer for custom goods, Naomi, said she'll be doing a run to Los Angeles soon, as there is supposedly a sizable British ex-pat population there, both Muggle and wizarding." Severus went to go pour himself a second cup of coffee and poured one for his lover as well.

"Now that you're no longer wanted by the British Ministry of Magic, you could go yourself," Hermione reminded him.

"True, but I have a business to run, a sizable garden to take care of. My time is limited. I pay for an elf-cleaning service to clean my house and do laundry for me, after trying to do it myself for a time. How you found time to keep house, shop, cook, do laundry, put in the hours you did at the Department of S&R, and attend those Quidditch games, I wonder how you made time to see me in your schedule and still get any sleep." He could certainly empathize with her exhaustion when she would turn up at his flat some times.

"I could say the same about you. Teaching Potions, running Slytherin House, supervising detentions, and then your work as a spy for Dumbledore? I remember those memories you loaned me." Hermione reached out and grasped his hand. "You looked so drawn and thin, and exhausted."

"You looked equally worn out in Lavender's memory of you in front of the Wizengamot. And she said you were looking better in that memory than a month before," he said with equal seriousness.

Hermione withdrew her hand from his and folded her arms across her chest protectively, her hand covering the part of her breast that sported her scar. It was a month prior to the trial she had been attacked, and near the point of over-exhaustion.

Severus reached across the space between them and pulled her hands down, then held them in his hands trying to get her to look in his eyes. "As much as I long to have you here as soon as possible, I do not want you to push yourself beyond your capabilities. It does not serve you well to overwork yourself."

"You did it and survived," she noted petulantly.

"I did it out of many reasons which we've already discussed once before that I do not wish to speak of again," he said quietly. The specter of his dead wife, Gabrielle, rose up between them once more.

"I'm sorry." Hermione wiped away a few tears. "I just miss you so much sometimes. The loneliness. I miss our conversations so much. Just to even hold your hand, sit next to you as we read in silence."

"I know. I've felt it too." He rubbed his thumb along the backs of her hands as he remembered the conversations he used to have with an imaginary Hermione to fill the void of her gone from his life when he first adjusted to his new life here.

She could sense he also had his own difficulty in being parted from her. "This is Christmas. This is not a time for us to be maudlin and remember sad times," she announced, wanting to brighten the mood for both of them. "Come. It's time to open presents,"

After letting the cat out, Severus let himself be willingly dragged to the couch for presents. Growing up he had learned to manage his expectation of what he would receive as presents from his parents and even more so as an adult. Dumbledore always gave him something to unwrap, and occasionally Flitwick and Minerva would give him something as well, usually some book they thought he might find of interest or a bottle of distilled spirits, but as for expecting anything to unwrap, it was a rare treat. His best present in many, many years was the photo of Hermione in a sterling silver frame. Ginny gave it to him; it was waiting for him back in his hotel room after their wedding and reception a year ago. It was the same one sitting on his bedside table, but this year's present of Hermione showing up on his doorstep unannounced was by far the best present ever. No photo could compare to the real thing.

Hermione was giddy, anxious to watch Severus' reaction to her present for him. She had put a lot of thought, and a lot of Galleons, into picking this present just for him. It was even better, as she was going to be there when he unwrapped it.

"Who shall go first?" she asked.

"Since it seems that all but one is for you–"

"Oh, no," she corrected him. "I saw a few packed in my trunk marked for you, but they didn't seem to say who they were from."

"All right. You pick then."

Hermione squirmed with excitement, cuddled up next to Severus, as she waved her wand to make the large beautifully-wrapped box float out from under the lit Christmas tree. She sat it on the floor in front of Severus. The tag listed clearly who it was from.

He began lifting his wand until Hermione said, "Ah, you have to unwrap it by hand."

"What's the point of being a wizard if you can't do it the easy way," he muttered under his breath as he began to pull at the bow and wrapping paper.

"Says the man who made his students scrub cauldrons and floors by hand, with no magic," she reminded him.

He turned his head to give her an evil grin, not refuting her claim at all.

Beneath the wrappings and trappings sat a new music box. He stared at it, suddenly realizing he had missed the sound of music in his home, but that music would have only reminded him of Hermione's absence.

"It can be used as a table-top music box or as a stand-alone piece," she said as she waved her wand and legs popped up underneath. The music box rose up, similar in movement to a horse getting up from the ground, as the legs unfolded and straightened.

The inlay on the top of the lid was exquisite with a small orchestra playing and a conductor waving his baton. The conductor and musicians were all made of several small pieces of inlaid wood stained various shades or gold, brown and black, and slivers of ivory for their powdered wigs. The little inlaid wooden conductor turned and bowed to Severus in recognition of its new owner. Severus could tell that Hermione paid very good money for a fine music box for their home, just for him.

"I noticed in your Pensieve tour of the house that you didn't have one," Hermione said a bit nervously. When she toured the house yesterday, she was relieved that Severus had not gone off and bought one of his own, but for the fact that Severus had said nothing in regards to his present was making her wonder if he liked it at all.

Severus sat there and looked at his new music box. Draco and Ginny's present of delivering Hermione to him was by far the best Christmas present ever, but as for something to unwrap from under the tree, this was by far the most thoughtful and exquisite present he could ever recall receiving. Turning his head, he could see her chewing on the corner of her mouth, and he knew she was wondering if he liked it.

"It's magnificent," he said and pulled her into his arms to kiss her.

Hermione was so relieved. When she was married to Ron, she always let him pick out the Quidditch gear he wanted. Having to come up with an idea, other than a book Severus might like, had been a rather daunting task for her. Upon her stroll down Diagon Alley for ideas, she'd spotted the music box in the window and felt certain it was the right gift. It was nice to know she'd picked just the right thing to make Severus smile.

"Shall we?" Severus asked with his hand outstretched towards the living room floor, wanting to try out his new present.

Hermione bolted up off the couch, practically bouncing on the balls of her bare feet.

Severus rose and placed his arm at her waist. Waving his wand at his music box, he said, "Foxtrot, slow."

As the soft strains of music rose into the air, Severus took Hermione's hand in his as they began dancing across the living room, next to the Christmas tree aglow with twinkling lights.

They were both in their bare feet, Hermione in her cool summery cotton nightgown and Severus in a plain short-sleeved button-front shirt and cotton shorts.

The chanteuse was warbling an older wizarding tune about waiting for her wizard lover and the anticipation of him Apparating to their secret rendezvous spot. They had danced to that song once or twice before back in London, but now that song seemed to hold a little more meaning for them. As the song ended, Severus dipped her. Hermione laughed gaily, feeling so happy in the moment.

Severus set the box to play some appropriate Christmas music quietly in the background as they continued to open presents.

Now it was Severus' turn to be nervous.

'I hope she doesn't think it's too ostentatious. I hope it fits. What if she doesn't like it?'

There were advantages over not having someone special in one's life, and that was that Severus didn't have to fret over picking out a present. But that was the only perk to being alone, that he could recall at the moment. The benefits of Hermione in his life were certainly worth putting up with a little nervousness Christmas morning. Besides, Draco had helped him select it, so if she didn't like it, Severus could always blame him.

Severus swished his wand to make his present to Hermione sail gracefully through the air until it alighted upon her lap.

She gave him a shy but eager look before she began to pull at the intricate bow, made of silvery netting and white silken ribbons. Tearing at the red foil paper, she paused when she saw the velvet covering the box. There was only one type of present she knew that came in velvet-covered boxes, and this box was far bigger than the very few velvet boxes she had opened before.

Latching her thumb along the lid, she slowly pried it open and felt her breath stop in her chest.

All those times Hermione had taken Harry shopping for jewelry for Ginny, she had always secretly envied Ginny. He had bought her lots of beautiful jewelry over the few years they were married, but never in all her shopping trips did she ever see anything quite as magnificent as the necklace that was in the box before her now.

It reminded her of the necklace that Lavender had rented for her in India, but this was more subdued and tasteful. The one she wore in India was a bit too large or flamboyant for her tastes, but this one was elegant, and literally breathtaking.

"It's..." Hermione choked up. "It's perfect."

Severus let out a silent breath of relief. Considering what he paid, he was thrilled she loved it, though the jeweler assured him if she didn't like it, he would gladly help her trade it in for something more to her style.

Hermione hastily wiped away her tears and set the jewelry box down before throwing herself at Severus. She cried a little, overwhelmed by Severus' gift to her. It was a very, very expensive gift. She had helped Harry shop for jewelry, and didn't even want to fathom what Severus had spent. It was also lovely and romantic.

"Let me see it on you," Severus said, once Hermione stopped peppering his face with kisses.

He lifted it from the box and undid the clasp. Hermione lifted her hair, grinning madly.

Once clasped around her neck, she turned so that Severus could admire it upon her. Yes, it was proportioned perfectly for her.

Hermione cast a quick reflection charm to see it on herself without having to leave Severus or the couch.

"This will go perfectly with your blue dress for the New Year's Eve party," he noted

Turning her head from side to side, Hermione admired the white-gold necklace set with dozens of sapphires, offset with small diamonds as highlights. The sapphires ranged in color from small, pale-clear watery-blue stones close to the shoulder and collarbone down to larger, deeper and richer-blue stones, culminating with a large, deepest of blue sapphires resting just above her cleavage. The pattern of the setting gave a hint of a floral motif without it being obvious.

"I don't know what to say," Hermione stammered.

"Say you love it."

"I do! I do. I'm just... This is just so..."

Severus loved the fact he had rendered Hermione speechless. Given Hermione's reluctance to get engaged at the present time, he was glad he went with the necklace upon Draco's recommendation. Perhaps once they were eventually engaged, he could buy her a ring to match the necklace and the earrings she had just received from her parents.

Once Hermione found her voice again, she said, "I have no idea what's in that big box from the twins."

After unwrapping it, she peered into the top of the large box that was almost as tall as her.

"Oh, no. They didn't," she said with disbelief. She sat down and gave a great huff of exasperation mixed with disgust.

"What is it?" Severus asked.

"You don't want to know." She folded her arms and looked cross.

Severus noticed the small card that fell from the box that Hermione had missed. He snatched it up before she could do or say anything in protest.

-------------

"Dear Hermione,

Since this was your idea, we'd thought we'd give you one of your very own. It's been a top seller, so the Galleons have been rolling in on both versions we offered: the stand-alone and table-top version.

We figured you'd appreciate a near-life-sized version of your own. This ought to spruce up Snape's dungeon love nest with something festive, while you're there for Christmas.

Of course, your royalties will be automatically deposited into your Gringotts vault.

Happy Christmas,

Fred & George"

-------------

Severus stood up and peered into the box. "It looks just like an ordinary Santa," he remarked with cool detachment, knowing the twins never did anything ordinary.

"It's not," she growled, embarrassed by her inspirational outburst during her brainstorming luncheon with the twins.

"Really? Then do tell."

She told him.

Severus could understand why Hermione would not want to be associated with a Santa that pulled down its pants and pissed drinks, then "tossed cookies" out of its mouth onto a tray, making use of the euphemism for vomiting.

"And you came up with this idea?" Severus asked, bemused and slightly horrified that something so crass was Hermione's idea.

"I said it more as a way of proposing something so outrageous, so tacky and vulgar, even they wouldn't dare to make it. I was proved wrong." The color of Hermione's cheeks was now nearly as red as the bits of wrapping paper scattered about the floor. She was tempted to say part of the inspiration was a Muggle novelty she once saw in a window of a Muggle joke and "magic" shop as a small child, but decided that the less said, the better.

Severus then had a thought. "Help me wrap this back up," he said, and they both began waving their wands about the box the Santa was still sitting in. They made sure to leave the bottles of alcohol mix and cookies that came with it in the box, along with the instructions that Severus briefly thumbed through.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked.

"I know just who would appreciate a gift such as this," Severus said as they moved it towards his fireplace. Severus scribbled hastily on a conjured gift tag.

"Who?"

Severus debated telling her, but merely said, "You'll be meeting him later."

With a shove and a bit of Floo powder, the present was delivered and gone from their sight, much to both of their relief.

Sitting back down on the couch, they both hoped nothing else would be quite as off-putting as that last present. There was also a box of 'special' Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans the twins had included from their joke shop. The joke was that every bean was an awful-tasting one, with not a decent-tasting one in the entire lot. It was meant to trick people into thinking they had the bad luck to only select the vile-tasting ones when in fact every bean tasted horrible.

"Let's open this one up. It's from Ginny, so it must be safe," Hermione said with a sigh.

Inside were some outfits consisting of mostly muumuus fitting close to her torso, but were cool and loose about the legs and hips, along with several pareos in cotton and silk, most of them with Hawaiian floral patterns. There were also a couple bikinis and rubber flip-flop sandals in there as well, so this gift had everything she would need to wear for a week in paradise.

"Put this on," Severus said, pulling out a silk pareo printed in a palate of blues, silently thanking Ginny for reading his mind.

Hermione pulled off her nightgown, leaving her underpants on. Looking at the moving diagram showing the dozen ways the pareo could be worn, she twisted and tied it off around her neck, wearing it as a halter-style dress.

Severus smiled. This is what he had wanted to see that first day in Malu Palekaiko back in Justina's hotel room: Hermione standing there in a pareo.

It was partially covering her necklace, but that was about to be remedied.

"Come here," he said, his voice thick with intention.

Hermione turned around, staying out of reach for a bit longer while she modeled it for Severus. "Do you like it?" she asked coyly. Of course she knew Severus liked it. She could see the way his eyes raked over her body and up her legs.

He nodded slowly, sitting on the edge of the couch. His hands reach out and snatched a corner of her pareo, drawing her closer to him as he pulled on her fabric to bring her close. Severus' hands snaked up her legs and under her dress. Latching his thumbs along her underpants, he casually mentioned, "We won't be needing these for now."

Now that she was wearing nothing but her jewelry and a pareo, Severus looked up at her as his hands roamed underneath the silken fabric. Hermione gazed down, suddenly feeling quite empowered, sensing Severus was lost in the moment.

She moved forward to straddle him on the couch, her dress bunching up. As Hermione seated herself upon Severus' lap, she could feel his erection straining up through his shorts. His hands moved along her thighs, gliding up them and around to caress her buttocks. She sighed and tilted her head back.

Hermione caressed his cheek with the back of her hand tenderly, and loved the way he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. Her fingers began to slowly unbutton his shirt, which caused Severus to stop caressing her in order to shuck his other clothes.

Shorts and underpants hastily tossed aside, Severus felt her hands guide him into her entrance. As she impaled herself on him, he momentarily closed his eyes. Rocking himself in time with her movements, he finally looked up and watched as Hermione's eyes dreamily slipped shut. Her hands reached up and slowly undid the knot around her neck. So many times Severus had masturbated to a fantasy of Hermione dressed in a pareo, untying it for him so he could see her nude body, and here she was, riding him, doing this very same act.

As the knot came undone, he gazed at her form, noting how the silk slid against her body, caressing it with the same delicate touch as his own hands that now skated across her body. Her breasts swayed and jiggled with each movement as she rose and fell astride him.

Severus pushed up from underneath, wanting to drive himself into her deeper, enthralled with the vision of Hermione atop of him wearing nothing now but his necklace adorning her delicate neck. She was his.

Hermione reveled in this coupling with Severus. There was something quietly intense in the way he was gazing at her, and she felt truly treasured. Even the way he moved, as if he was possessed by the moment, lost in some lovely dream come true. Hermione could relate, since making love with Severus the night before in the hot springs had made her feel the same overwhelming lost sensation of being caught in a waking dream.

Leaning forward, she let her breasts graze against Severus' face as she rocked back and forth.

"I read somewhere once," Hermione said with a sigh, trying to sound conversational while making love, "that the courtesans of India would make love to kings and princes wearing nothing but ropes of pearls or gold necklaces, and lots of bangles and anklets."

"You are no courtesan. You are a queen, my queen," he groaned as his hands moved up from her hips to her breasts, then guiding one nipple into his mouth as he increased the pace. Just imagining Hermione with ropes of pearls about her neck, grazing her breasts and rolling across her skin as she moved, spurred him on. The idea and sight of Hermione wearing nothing but jewelry suddenly held an erotic appeal to him.

Feeling the slow building of heat in her abdomen, Hermione reached forward and grabbed the back of the couch for support, and she rode Severus harder.

"Oh God, how I love you, Severus," she sighed into his hair. This was yet the umpteenth time she had said that simple phrase since she arrived yesterday, and she would not stop herself from saying it when she felt inspired by the moment. Severus never tired of hearing it from her lips.

Her declaration inspired Severus to grab her quickly and spin her around, throwing her back down on the couch to drive deeper into her. Hermione hitched her legs as high and wide as possible, resting her ankles upon his shoulders while letting Severus enter her as deeply as he could.

Severus' hand reached down and stroked her clit, desperate to make her climax soon as he was trying to hold out long enough. He wanted to hear her cry his name once more. She had screamed it so many times the day before, but today was a new day and he needed to hear it again.

Hermione felt the bows and crinkled wrapping paper press into her back, but she didn't care. She was focused only on the sweet sensation of Severus slamming himself into her with abandon and his fingers hastening her building climax.

Severus listened for the way Hermione's breath would hitch and her spoken words would stop short, unfinished, an indication she was close to climax. Severus loved to make Hermione come; the way she would lose herself in the moment and scream his name, the way he would feel her flesh quiver around him, squeezing him. He would lose himself entirely in her, while he poured his heart into this seemingly violent act that brought them closer in the end.

A scream let loose from Hermione's throat, drowning out the low tinkling of Christmas tunes still playing in the background. Hermione's cue let Severus know he could also let himself fall over that edge and join her in that free fall of bliss.

Hermione could barely keep her eyes open, and mostly succeeded. She watched as Severus' face went from teeth gritted to surrender and relief. His grunts were prolonged and almost like some primitive language.

Letting a sigh of satisfaction punctuate the end of the moment, Severus withdrew to study the tableau of Hermione still laying on the couch. Legs parted with their mixed essence dribbling out from between her lips, her pareo undone and partially caught under her back, her necklace askew, hair looking wilder than ever, cheeks flush with color, eyes drowsy and looking at him with adoration and lingering lust – he wished he could have a photograph of this moment. Hermione looked like a woman thoroughly fucked, and he was the one who'd fucked her good and proper.

Hermione enjoyed her own vision of Severus sitting nude on the couch, an open and lazy smile about his lips as he gazed at her, his cock still glistening from the joining. Her eyes were drawn to the tan line between his torso and the paleness of his hips where he still was as pale as her. It was such a stark contrast. Tanned, the blackness of his hair on his head and body did not stand out against his skin anymore. She could now more easily see the Spanish side in him.

Eventually, they went back to unwrapping the rest of the presents under the tree, after Hermione tied the pareo back on, This time she tied the pareo cloth as a sarong, leaving her breasts uncovered, which proved to be a constant cause for Severus to glance at them, if not periodically touch them.

Albert gave Severus several tins of good tea. No doubt, it was a suggestion from Draco, since he and Albert did conspire together for Hermione's trip.

"Bless you, you beautiful bastard," Severus praised Albert under his breath. At least he would have tea available for tomorrow's breakfast.

There was another present from the twins addressed to Severus. Hermione recognized the size and shape of it, but said nothing. There was another note inside, which confirmed the twins must have been in on the secret that Hermione was going to Hawaii, as intoned in the other note.

-------------

"Snape,

Thanks for your suggestion for the tropical get-away. You've made us a dragon-dung-heap-high pile of Galleons from your suggestion. So when we heard from Lavender and Albert about Hermione's trip, we figured you deserved to have one of your very own, in case Hermione didn't pack hers.

Inside the 'get-away,' you'll find a box with the Galleons for your royalties at five percent. If you want auto-deposit, you'll have to set that up with your local Gringotts, if they have a Gringotts in that far flung place at the far corner of the globe.

Your former chaos-causing students and now business partners,

Fred & George Weasley

P.S. Don't shag Hermione too senseless and satisfactorily. She comes up with the best ideas when she's sexually frustrated and tense."

-------------

'Too late on that post-script,' Severus wryly thought with some self-satisfaction, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked, since he knew better than to read whatever the twins might write aloud.

"Nothing of consequence, and something very inappropriate you'll wish you didn't read."

Hermione took Severus' advice over satisfying her curiosity this once.

Lastly, there were several gold boxes from Lavender. There were matching midnight-blue silk dressing gowns for them both, in addition to a silk floor-length nightgown in Slytherin green, edged with silver-gray lace, and a pair of silk boxers for Severus in Gryffindor colors.

"No doubt Lavender's 'subtle' commentary about two Houses now joined together. This Romeo-and-Juliet theme would have struck a better chord with Draco and Ginny," Severus noted dryly.

"Actually, Lavender was merely copying Ginny. When we all went out to lunch back in August, we went over to Madam Mandel's for a bit of shopping. Ginny got herself something in green silk and lace, and on a lark, got something in red and gold for Draco." Hermione didn't want to think too much on that day, as that was the day she'd had the panic attack in the fitting room.

There was one last box in the signature gold paper, addressed to Severus.

Lifting the lid, he noticed how Hermione gasped in fear, recoiling back with her eyes held wide in near terror. It held a purple silk corset with black lace. The same corset that had sent Hermione into a panic in the fitting room that day, that caused her to finally seek out help from that Muggle psychologist, James Hoover.

Hermione sat silently as Severus read the small note enclosed aloud.

-------------

"Dear Severus,

Upon consulting with James Hoover about my suggestion of the corset enclosed, he recommended as part of Hermione's therapy to face her fears and desensitize herself to certain triggers. You, the person she trusts most in the world, can help her with wearing this corset during her stay with you. While Mr. Hoover could not discuss many aspects of Hermione's treatments and conversations with him, upon asking, he did say that you might help her overcome some lingering long-term issues.

With kindest care,

Lavender"

-------------

Severus had already heard, in great detail from Ginny, what happened in the fitting room that day. He said nothing and let Hermione speak first.

"Did Ginny tell you?"

"Yes."

Hermione turned her head away and willed herself not to cry. "Some Gryffindor I am; afraid of a few scraps of fabric."

There were a few moments the other day when Severus had her pinned to the bed, his body weight fully atop of her as he slowly slid in and out of her, that she could feel the fear bubbling up inside of her. Using some techniques she'd learned from James and remembering that she was with Severus, and that no harm would come to her safe in his arms, the fear quickly subsided. Severus seemed to not notice the change, or if he did, had said nothing to avoid drawing attention to it. James did recommend to her that she should try on a corset again at some point in the future, but she had been delaying crossing that bridge in her treatment.

"Being brave does not mean you are without fear. Being brave is facing those fears," Severus reminded her. He remembered Minerva using that line many times on her own charges in her House when a Gryffindor would periodically question if they were truly worthy of that House.

Severus closed the box up and set it aside. "We can deal with this later, if and when you're ready."

Hermione curled up against Severus, seeking the shelter of his arms for warmth and protection. As he gave a gentle squeeze of comfort, she relaxed into his embrace, feeling her fears ebbing away, even with his arm snugly wrapped around her rib cage.

The living room was now strewn with scattered bits of wrapping paper, bows, tags, tissue paper, and boxes with unwrapped gifts lying about. It was a mess, but for once Severus welcomed it. It reminded him of the Finaus' living room Christmas morning a year ago; a happy household with remnants of the morning's Christmas cheer cast about the floor. It made Severus realize he was capable of having his own happy home life as well, and this was just one of the first moments of one with Hermione.

============

A/N: A round of applause to my tireless betas, JuneW and Hope, and all the hard work they do to clean up these chapters.

Los Angeles, most notably the city of Santa Monica that is located in the Greater Los Angeles Area, has one of the largest British ex-pat communities in the United States. Having grown up in L.A., it was easy for me to find many British pubs and British goods stores around L.A., especially around Santa Monica.

Yes, I have pulled the horrible Bertie Bott's Beans prank once. I yanked out every good-tasting one from the box and left only the vile-tasting ones. My friend, who was Executive Assistant to a very high-level executive, then thought, on a lark, to put them out on her desk as a joke for the rest of the office, for us regular schlubs, as a joke (inspired by my idea). One guy came along, a board-level mucky-muck of the company who was visiting that day, and he grabbed a handful and started popping them into his mouth. Before my friend could warn him, since this was a high-level guy, she kept her mouth shut instead since he'd already began eating them. The guy never made a face nor said anything. And yes, they were the nasty-tasting ones in the candy dish. We still shudder to this day to think about how he ate them without noticing how vile they tasted.
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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After