Severus had been amazed at the quick support of Harry's friends and extended family, although he was quite sure that Granger and Weasley had had something to do with it. Ron and Hermione, he chided himself, as they had both told him to call them that once the engagement was announced to the pair of them. The fact that he was Draco's godfather and surrogate uncle, as well as former Head of House, had also assisted in the process of smoothing things over, as Ginny was head over heels for the former Slytherin prince, leading Severus to be quite confident that the pair of them would do well together.

Severus had also expected various individuals throughout the Wizarding World turning to him once Kingsley's announcement was made, in an effort to procreate once certain ages, or other afflictions, traditionally prevented them from doing so. The article in The Quibbler was very helpful as well, and, quite soon, Severus had enough orders to last at least until Easter. It shouldn't have been surprising to Severus when he received an urgent owl from the Minister of Magic himself, just one night before he and Harry were due to be bonded, and had agreed to meet him at an inconspicuous Muggle pub called The White Swan.

When Severus found the Apparition coordinates already logged for the area, he wondered why that was, until he arrived there, the snow falling around him. He quickly deduced that Hermione and Ron had established it, due to the fact that they lived so nearby. The ache within him at the prospect of his fiancé being so close practically beckoned him, but he wouldn't stand for a breaking of tradition, no matter how much he wanted to see Harry. Shaking his head and pulling his long winter coat around him, he made his way out of the alleyway and towards the pub. It was an appealing building constructed from white stone, and seemed to have been there for quite a while.

Stepping inside, Severus immediately knew that it was warm and welcoming, with the bar to the right of the entryway, and warm colored wood accenting the establishment. Looking around, he quickly spotted Kingsley, ensconced in a booth towards the back yet still beside a window, before he nodded to the proprietor and went to join the minister. Hanging up his coat on the hood provided, he was pleased that his Transfiguration spell had worked a little too well in turning his cloak into a coat for a Muggle establishment.

"Minister," Severus greeted him.

"Severus, come now. We are old friends, you know, and have been on the same side for nearly thirty years now," Kingsley responded. "First name basis and all."

Severus inclined his head. "Very well. How are you, Kingsley? Harry and I seem to be in agreement that this law was not something you wanted to come to pass."

Kingsley sighed, his broad shoulders slumping at Severus's pronouncement. "No, you're right, Severus, and I did my best to put a stop to it, I swear it," he said gravely.

"And your unexpected romance with Andromeda Tonks?" Severus asked.

The minister sighed, looking a great deal older than his near fifty years. "I was betrothed to Emmeline Vance before her murder for a great many years," Kingsley informed him, and Severus raised his eyebrows. "Nothing was sordid about it; our families were friends and comrades in arms, so they believed it was a good match. Although we neither of us were in love, we agreed to make a relationship work, but then..."

Severus nodded. "Yes," he responded, "but then. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Kingsley responded. "Emmeline knew that I'd always harbored an attraction for men as well, and when she discovered that Alastor and I were meeting secretly, she told me that she didn't mind in the slightest. The marriage would be in name only, after all, and we would have children, as was expected of us, but it wouldn't be anything more than that."

Severus blinked. "She seems to have been a terribly tolerable young woman."

Kingsley gave Severus a rare, secret smile. "She was, yes. In actuality, as Emmeline later told Alastor and I, she never harbored an attraction for, well, anyone."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Asexuality, then?"

"Precisely," Kingsley confirmed.

"And after both Emmeline and Alastor died?" Severus wanted to know.

"I resolved to survive the war," Kingsley told him, "but Andromeda Tonks needed protection once Ted was killed. I agreed, as I was an Auror and a member of the Order, and Dora herself was so busy in the department, while Remus was attempting to gain leverage with the werewolves... We grew close because of this, closer than I'd been to any woman, and Dora walked in on us on the night of the battle, which influenced her to fight alongside Remus. I was there with them during the attacks, holding off other Death Eaters... Before that, Dora gave me her blessing, telling me that she was pleased her mother had found me, and that she hoped we would be very happy."

Severus fisted his hands, propping his chin up against them. "That is beautiful, in a way, that she would go out of her way to tell you that. Stubborn woman, if I recall correctly..."

"As stubborn as anyone in Hufflepuff could be," Kingsley replied with a laugh. "I, of course, was a Ravenclaw, so it was as if we had a full set, for a while there, at least..."

Severus permitted the silence to linger around them for a moment; the radio was playing Christmas carols of the Muggle variety, and, inevitably, one of the servers came by and took their drink order. Severus ordered a stout, while Kingsley appeared a bit more adventurous and ordered something called a Sugarplum Spritz. It was a fizzy, bubbling-looking drink that looked more like a potion than anything else, Severus mused to himself as he watched the Minister of Magic sipping at it.

"The real purpose for our meeting this evening, Severus, is because... Well," Kingsley said, his attitude immediately turning sheepish, "Andromeda and I, we neither of us are as young as we used to be and, with this law now put in place for the purpose of adding to the wizarding population at large..."

Severus promptly pulled out three substantial-looking vials from his pocket, each holding a shimmering orange liquid; they could easily pass for Muggle orange juice shots, if one didn't look very closely. He passed these over to Kingsley covertly, and the man stared up at him, weighing them all in his hands. "Have Andromeda take one a week before your wedding," the potions master explained, "then again on the wedding night, and another a week later. If you're not pregnant within three months, come see me."

Kingsley slowly pocketed them all carefully, feeling the Anti-Breaking Charm placed precisely upon all three vials. "And what is the success rate of these potions?" he asked.

"Ninety-percent, I've found, in my studies," Severus told him, "up from the sixty-five that St. Mungo's gives to their own fertility potions."

Kingsley immediately grinned at Severus and immediately got to his feet, embracing the man and pressing a quick kiss onto his cheek. "Merlin, Severus, thank you!" he crowed.

Severus permitted the embrace, but was more than a bit shocked by the kiss; nevertheless, he patted the man upon the shoulder, nodding over at him once Kingsley returned to the seat opposite. "I am quite sure that you and Andromeda will be very happy. When is the big day, then?"

"New Year's Eve," Kingsley responded. "Very quiet at the ministry, no crowds. We've asked the registrar to be our bonder, and Teddy will be there, of course..."

Severus nodded, relieved, as Ron and Hermione were due to be wed that night at the annual Weasley New Year's Eve celebration, which he and Harry would be attending. Severus sensed something to his right as Kingsley sang his praises, and turned to stare outside. There appeared to be footprints in the snow, just outside the window, but no one stood there, no one at all.

~*~

"I..."

Severus stared across at his fiancé, his hands still clasped in his, and wondered why he was so hesitant to pledge his life to him. The lingering doubts erupted within Severus's mind, and he wondered if he had somehow done something wrong to make Harry so hesitant. There was also the matter of this mysterious other wizard, this other Alpha, that Harry had previously been so hung up about, and Severus felt insecure for the first time in a great many years.

"I..."

"Minerva, excuse me," called Kingsley, getting to his feet in the crowd, and making his way over from his seat beside Andromeda and little Teddy. "But we've forgotten a crucial element of any wizarding bonding ceremony..."

Severus noticed that Harry's expression immediately seemed to darken as the Minister of Magic stepped closer, and Severus couldn't for the life of him think of why that was.

"Oh, of course, Kingsley, my apologies," Minerva said, tutting to herself. "The official blessing of the Minister of Magic for a union. How could I forget?"

"All will be well, Minerva," Kingsley assured her gently, and temporarily took her place between the couple, smiling at Harry and Severus. "Blessings to both the bonded, Alpha and Omega, both wizards, and very talented ones, in their own right," he began. "Harry, we wouldn't be the world we are today if you hadn't sacrificed your life, time and time again, for us all. And Severus, I will never be able to thank you enough for your potions expertise, for Andromeda and I would be unable to comply with this law otherwise. Thank you both, and may everlasting love, and beautiful, healthy, and talented children, come forth from this union." Kingsley bowed over their joined hands, tapped his wand against them, leading to a swirling golden light enveloping them for a moment, before he returned to his assigned seat.

"Now, then," Minerva said primly, returning to her previous spot, "do you Harry James Potter take Severus Snape to be your lawfully bound magical partner, as well as your Alpha? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Harry confirmed, his cheeks flushing.

"Then, by the power vested into me by Merlin, Circe, the Founders, and the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce the two of you to be bound. Alpha, you may kiss your Omega."

Severus cautiously stepped forward, internally questioning the change of pace between himself and his now-husband, before he leaned down and brushed his lips with his.

"I now present to you, for the very first time, Severus Snape and Harry Potter-Snape!" Minerva declared proudly. "Would the witnesses please sign after the grooms?"

Severus moved forward, signing his name on the bonding certificate, before handing over the quill to Harry; the official seal of the Minister of Magic was already stamped at the bottom. Once completed, Harry handed the quill to Hermione, his selected witness, who, in turn, handed it to Filius once she'd signed it. Minerva signed it as well, as the official bonder, before it rolled itself up into a scroll, a silver ribbon appearing out of nowhere to keep it closed, and it popped away in a sea of sparks.

"We only have the tearoom for two hours," Hermione whispered. "Best get a move on."

Trooping through the snowy gardens, Harry and Severus leading the way, the wedding party following, and the guests bringing up the rear, saw their arrival on schedule at the tearoom. It was with a blast of warm air that greeted them upon their entering, along with the sound of a crackling fireplace, and the telltale scent of delicious food. Their wedding cake, made by Harry himself, alongside some assistance from Luna, was stationed at a round table covered by a white tablecloth at the center of the room, while two tables bracketed it on each side, and one other was closer to the back wall, where Harry and Severus would sit.

Hermione had secured a wizarding catering service, which would work reminiscent to the house-elves at Hogwarts. Each wedding guest had received a detailed menu prior to the day in question, and had been instructed to check mark which food, beverages, and other accoutrements they wanted on the day. Once they were finished with each aspect of the meal, they were instructed to tap the stem of their glasses very gently, or the sides of their plates, with their wands. The food or drink would then vanish and make way for the next course.

Harry and Severus made their way over to their table directly, while the rest of the wedding guests hurried to find their seats and to get out of the cold. Severus kept a close eye upon his young husband, watching and waiting for anything untoward to happen between them. Once they sat down, however, and everyone else had settled into their seats, the meal was officially due to begin. After the meal would come dancing, and then the exchanging of gifts, before he and Harry Floo'd to their new home in Berkshire for the first time.

"Harry," Severus said gently, once his husband had been served pumpkin juice and himself a glass of Gillywater, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Severus," Harry assured him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Severus momentarily gritted his teeth, knowing entirely well just how patient he had to be with Harry, now that they were married. "You seemed a bit angered that Kingsley interrupted our ceremony earlier," he said gently. "Care to explain why that was?"

Harry sighed softly as he tapped the edge of his plate, which filled with his chosen appetizer—Scotch eggs. "I saw you, you know."

Severus blinked, temporarily forgetting to tap the side of his own plate; once he did, his appetizer of fig and brie en croûte arrived. "Saw me? What are you talking about?"

"Last night," Harry clarified, cutting into his appetizer. "Ron and Hermione didn't want me to help them doing the dishes; they said that I was a guest, that I got enough fuckery from Vernon and Petunia growing up, and they especially didn't want me to exhaust myself the night before my wedding."

"I've been told that is a customary practice, not permitting your guests to clean up, even if it is after themselves," Severus responded, picking up his knife and fork. "I take it that you took a walk, then?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"And I take it that this walk took you by way of The White Swan?"

Harry's shoulders hunched ever so slightly then. "Yes," he said again.

Severus sighed, forcing himself to eat his appetizer; they were, after all, on a schedule, and the venue had been provided to them at half its value, courtesy of Hermione Granger's parents' close friend. "When we wrote our bonding contract," said Severus, once their appetizers had been eaten and cleared away, "we put down a law of fidelity."

Harry sighed; he tapped the side of his plate again, and his bowl of soup, a roasted tomato bisque, officially arrived. "I know that," he said softly, no confrontation in his tone whatsoever, given that he'd been beaten down so much over the years by individuals meant to love him. "I also know that your meeting with Kingsley took place the night before the wedding."

Severus did his very best not to cause a scene; after all, one false move and he would have every wand in the place pointed at him. "That may be the case, but, I assure you, Harry, I am no more interested in Kingsley than he is in me," he assured him, tapping his own place, and his bowl of French onion soup arrived.

Harry dragged his soup spoon along the surface of the bisque. "We heard that he was sleeping with Mad-Eye Moody," he said quietly.

"Those rumors are indeed true," Severus confirmed, knowing that Harry would more than likely inform Ron and Hermione about them, but knew by now that they could be trusted. "It would be a bit hypocritical of you to judge them, wouldn't it?"

"I knew about his betrothal to Emmeline Vance; Sirius mentioned it. Purebloods like to talk to each other, apparently," Harry went on. "Sirius was betrothed to Hestia Jones for a while there as well, although he wanted to remain a bachelor for as long as possible. And, before you say it, no, a stint in Azkaban wouldn't have helped, even though he was innocent."

"Which is why Kingsley pardoned him," Severus put in.

"Too little, too late," Harry murmured. "My point being that Kingsley doesn't seem to have respect for prior arrangements, or relationships, for that matter..."

Severus wanted very much to scream at Harry, to demand to know what the hell he was talking about, but instead he said, "Eat your soup, Harry."

Harry did as he was told, with Severus copying him, and they finished their respective soups in record time. Tapping the edges of their plates, their entrées arrived—steak frites with glazed carrots for Harry, and rosemary lamb shoulder, Dauphinoise potatoes, and buttered peas for Severus. "Do you like him?"

"Who? Kingsley?"

Harry nodded, his movements jerky. "Yes."

Severus cut into his lamb. "I like his policies, and I am pleased that he believes this entire Marriage Law in nonsense. I am also pleased that he did not contest my acquittal from the crimes I committed over the years. He is a friend, Harry, and, more importantly, a client."

Harry very nearly dropped his knife and fork. "A... A client?" he squeaked.

Severus smirked; it really was quite endearing to see Harry squirm. "He is indeed," he confirmed, sipping at his glass of Grenache, which paired quite nicely with his lamb. "He asked me to brew him a fertility potion for this godforsaken law, but, little did he know I brought some to our meeting already."

Harry, who had by this time picked up his own class of Cabernet Sauvignon, swirled it, looking a fair bit uncomfortable. "But why would you just give it to him?" he asked. "Why would you have already brewed it in the first place?"

Severus reached downwards and squeezed Harry's leg. "Think of it as my thanking the Minister of Magic for ensuring that I suffered no consequences once the still-living Death Eaters were rounded up," he said softly.

"You hardly did anything wrong," Harry sputtered. "You were punished after the First Wizarding War..."

"Which, I regret, Albus got me out of," Severus replied, "and, inadvertently, did so once the Second War came to an end."

Harry sighed. "So, there really isn't anything go on between you and Kingsley?"

"Certainly not," Severus replied. "I much prefer a shorter stature, leaner frame, dark hair, spectacles, and, not to mention, green eyes. Besides, Kingsley is an Alpha, which automatically makes him hardly my type."

Harry flushed, which Severus took notice of, yet did not comment on. "Oh..."

"You didn't consider that little tidbit initially, did you, Harry?" Severus asked.

Harry shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I suppose... I mean, I know my parents loved me, but I don't remember any of it, other than Riddle murdering my mother. I mostly remember Vernon and Petunia, and all their cruelty..."

"The entirety of it has scarred you, I know that, Harry," Severus told him gently. "But you have the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Draco... And, more to the point, me."

Harry kept his eyes glued to the tablecloth, and said, his voice barely above a whisper, "You aren't the only one keeping secrets, you know..."

Severus chuckled. "I hardly think a casual meeting with the Minister of Magic attains the status of 'secret', Harry, but I apologize for the clear distress it has caused you."

"It did," Harry admitted, "but..."

"But what, Harry?"

Harry sighed. "It drove me mad," he admitted. "It drove me so mad because I couldn't take him touching you like that, kissing you..."

Severus shook his head. "It was only on the cheek, Harry, and it was done with professional gratitude, I assure you..."

Harry shook his head. "No, Severus, I don't think you understand..."

"What's there to understand?"

"You need to understand that it's always been you."

Severus blinked, straining a bit to hear his husband. "I'm sorry?"

Harry turned and looked up at his husband, his dinner forgotten. "It was you, Severus. The Alpha I wanted, the wizard I wanted... The one who I'd convinced even myself that would never want someone like me..."

Severus's eyes widened comically then. "Harry, are you saying what I think you are?" he breathed, doing his best impression of a flounder.

"If you think I'm telling you that I've been in love with you from the time I was sixteen or so, yes," Harry admitted, "I am."

Severus moved his hand, still clutched at Harry's thigh, and cupped at Harry's face. "I find that my own feelings are beginning to mirror yours," he breathed.

Harry's eyes filled with tears. "You love me?" he whispered.

Severus nodded. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you, too, Severus!" Harry cried out, launching from his seat and throwing his arms around his husband, quite forgetting that they had an audience as he snogged him silly.

There were quite a few throat clears from the company at large.

"Get a room!" George shouted, only to be shushed by Angelina.

Severus, meanwhile, gently pulled himself away from his husband's eager and questing lips, and effortlessly stared down at their guests. "Hermione, might we finish our meals and cut the cake? I believe my husband and I have a prior engagement."

Hermione smiled. "Of course, Severus. You leave the dancing to us, and get Harry home as soon as we've had the cake."

Severus couldn't get through his dinner fast enough, but somehow managed to pace himself, not at all wanting to become ill and delay taking Harry for the first time. Once their plates were clean and cleared, he took Harry by the hand and led him towards the cake. It was a beauty, six tiers of white icing, with a champagne-vanilla cake inside. Red roses adorned the cake, and miniature figurines of himself and Harry stood atop the cake. These miniature figurines, however, were of the magical variety, and were enchanted to waltz atop the cake.

Severus picked up the silver cake knife, and, with Harry at his side guiding it, the two of them cut into the proper layer effortlessly, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. They each took up their respective oversized forks and fed each other, and Severus was quite relieved that there had been an agreement between them not to rub it in their faces or throw it at one another. After this, Severus was assured by Hermione that they would owl a significant portion of the cake to them, and then Severus took Harry by the hand and they Apparated away.

They landed smack-dab in the middle of their new parlor, a fire roaring merrily in the hearth, and snow falling outside the massive bay windows. The carpet beneath their feet was of the Parisian variety, and there was beautiful, yet comfortable-looking, Victorian furniture around them. It was then that Harry dropped Severus's hand and dashed away, only to be caught and ceremoniously slammed up against the wall, as well as snogged quite passionately.

Harry pulled back for air momentarily, grinning enthusiastically up at his husband, arms wrapped around his neck, and legs around his waist. "I've never been so happy," he declared.

Severus chuckled. "Careful, Harry," he warned him, "people will start to think you've fallen in love with your husband."

"You are my husband, and my Alpha," Harry replied. "But I've always loved you, from the time I knew what it was like to fall in love with someone."

Severus leaned down and kissed Harry again. "And you are my husband, and my Omega, but I love you as well, Harry."

"Forever?" Harry whispered.

Severus leaned down to kiss Harry again. "Always," he confirmed.