Harry had had to keep his head on straight the moment Severus had proposed; he couldn't let the man realize that it was he he'd wanted since his discovery of the Half-Blood Prince's book! It was a welcome distraction indeed to go to his weekly supper at Ron and Hermione's, and he was mightily pleased to see Severus debate potions ingredients with Hermione, tactics that Ron could use for Auror Academy, as well as permitting Crookshanks into his lap. It was a lovely evening, with Severus staying for dinner, pudding, and a snifter of brandy, before he Floo'd home to a cottage he'd inherited from Dumbledore in the wake of his pardon.

Harry agreed with Hermione that the whole Marriage Law business was terrible, although he wasn't a bit surprised to see an elegant ruby engagement ring upon her finger. Harry had known that Ron had wanted to propose, but not until they'd both finished training as an Auror and as an Unspeakable respectively. As soon as the ring was on Hermione's finger, they'd sent out their engagement paperwork to the Ministry of Magic, and were looking into their weekend schedules to book a time for their bonding in the registry office.

"No, it's not what I wanted, Harry," Hermione said wistfully, stroking Crookshanks in an effort to calm her nerves, "but my hands, like Kingsley's, are tied."

"Mine too, mate," Ron put in, shifting in his seat, his beer bottle hanging in his hand. "Who do you suppose Kingsley getting bonded to, anyway?"

Harry leaned back further in one of the armchairs; Ron sat opposite him in the other, while Hermione and Crookshanks took the couch between them, the lovely fire crackling directly beside Harry and Ron. "He's been hanging around Tonks Cottage for a while," he admitted, and both Ron and Hermione stared at him, gobsmacked. "Dromeda says he comes over quite frequently, whenever I go over to see Teddy on Sunday afternoons."

Hermione looked unsure. "They were both members of the Order, and Kingsley was friends with both Ted and Andromeda," she said softly.

"I've seen them snogging," Harry said.

Ron's jaw dropped. "Mate, you kidding?" he demanded.

Harry shook his head. "I assure you, I'm not."

Hermione grimaced. "She was so distraught after losing Ted, according to Dora," she said, and winced, for the mention of either Remus or Dora was still raw. "Well, I for one think that they're old enough and intelligent enough to know what they both want..."

"But what about the growing of the population?" Ron asked. "Surely, Dromeda's at least in her late-forties..."

"Witches and wizards, especially if they're Omega's, have a slightly longer childbearing age than that of a Squib or Muggle woman," Hermione answered primly. "Plus, Kingsley mentioned that anyone is permitted to consult a healer or a potions master. Maybe he was alluding to the fact that he and Dromeda were to be bonded..."

"I know that Severus likely will have a plethora of orders to fill," Harry said, altogether beaming at the prospect of such a powerful Alpha wanting to bond with him.

"Did you tell him, mate?" Ron asked, looking concerned.

"No," Harry responded, shaking his head.

Hermione looked more than a little concerned at Harry's attitude towards the entire situation. "You know as well as I do that he's very intelligent, Harry. He's bound to find out..."

Harry sighed. "I know," he answered, lifting up his own bottle of beer and sipping it.

Harry and Severus met with the official Potter goblin at Gringotts the following afternoon, and took a look at the properties left to Harry in the aftermath of James and Lily's deaths. The two of them ultimately decided upon a lovely country house in the village of Winterbourne, which was located in Berkshire. It had a lovely basement area for Severus's thriving potions business, a stunning kitchen for Harry to create all kinds of bistro delights and sweet treats, and plenty of bedrooms for a growing family.

They took lunch in Diagon Alley together afterwards, and Harry mentioned that he took lunch with Teddy and Andromeda on Sundays, and then dinners at the Burrow. Harry explained that Severus was invited to both, as he'd sent an owl to Andromeda the night before, and had a Floo call with Arthur and Molly after leaving Ron and Hermione's. Harry, although quick to inform Severus that he didn't have to go, was pleased that Severus accepted both invitations, stating that he would grow used to having such a full social calendar.

After lunch, the pair registered their engagement with the owl posting office, to be sent directly to the Ministry of Magic, and Severus escorted Harry back to his flat. Harry hesitated for just a brief moment before standing on his toes and kissing Severus on the cheek, before bidding him farewell for the day. Severus had previously agreed to meet Harry at his flat the following day, and the pair would leave for Tonks Cottage together.

Harry spoke with Draco via Floo, and learned that Draco had proposed to Ginny, who had accepted, and the pair of them would be moving in to the manor together. They'd booked an appointment at the ministry for their bonding the following Saturday, and Draco asked Harry personally to be one of his Best Men, which Harry accepted. Harry was also relieved that Draco had spoken to Anthony Goldstein, who had a pretty savvy business sense, as well as Susan Bones, who knew quite a bit about politics. The pair were now engaged themselves, due to the law, and had agreed to be taken on as the dual managers for Sorcerer's Sweets. Harry told Draco he would definitely be out of the flat by the end of the year, and that both Anthony and Susan would be more than welcome to move in then.

Sunday was a complete whirlwind, with questions being asked on all sides, especially about the proposal and the coming wedding itself. Harry was relieved that Severus got along so well with little Teddy, and his suspicions about Kingsley and Andromeda were quickly confirmed. At the Burrow that evening, there was quite a bit of discussion about the Marriage Law, and Arthur expressed quite a bit of disappointment towards Kingsley, although he later stated that he understood the minister's reasoning, he just didn't agree with it.

Harry and Severus heard back from the ministry on Monday, giving them dates and time slots for their wedding. As their home wasn't due to be fitted out with the latest wards, or checked for dark magic, until the end of the week, they selected the eighteenth of December as their official wedding date. For the rest of the day, Harry showed Anthony and Susan the ins-and-outs around the shop, and heard from Severus that he would be offering Blaise Zabini some work so that he and Harry could focus more on their upcoming wedding, honeymoon, and future children.

Harry was relieved when Luna offered to sit down with him and Severus for an exclusive in The Quibbler about their engagement. Once Severus caught wind of this, he requested that his potions business be brought up, and Luna was quick to agree. In Harry's flat on Wednesday evening, Luna, her blue moonstone engagement ring from Neville glittering on her finger, asked sensible and not-very-probing questions towards Harry and Severus, even making them smile and laugh several times.

"Will this be a Crup or a Kneazle household?" Luna asked.

"Kneazle," Severus said, wrapping an arm around Harry.

Harry found himself flushing at the sensation of the Alpha touching him. "I've always liked Hermione's half-Kneazle, Crookshanks," he responded.

"And when will the lovely day in question be?" Luna wanted to know; she herself already knew, due to being a guest, but Harry knew that the Wizarding World would definitely be interested in that tidbit of information.

"December the eighteenth, but we are keeping the location and time secret until afterwards," said Severus with a grin.

"And are we pleased about your upcoming nuptials?" Luna asked, and Harry looked up at her, knowing that, by her tone of voice, that it was the final interview question.

"Yes, although I'm quite positive we would have wished to have come together in an entirely different manner," Severus said.

Harry nodded. "Although I'm sure we'll make a wonderful go of it."

Harry thanked Luna for the interview, and Severus thanked her for mentioning his potions business within the piece. Once Luna had gone, Harry asked if Severus would like to stay for dinner at the flat, and he agreed. Harry prepared stuffed pork chops with baked apples, roasted potatoes, and green beans, along with palmiers for pudding. Harry found a bottle of Bordeaux to serve alongside the meal, all of which Severus praised, and Harry was quite pleased that he could make his fiancé so happy.

At the end of the evening, Harry walked Severus to the Floo, and was surprised when the Alpha drew him closer, which quickly resulted in their first kiss. The kiss itself made Harry flush and his toes curl, but something in the pit of his stomach dropped when he noticed that Severus did not seem affected by their kiss. Nevertheless, Harry plastered a smile onto his face, and Severus told him he would meet him early on Friday evening for dinner at Ron and Hermione's.

Friday night was spent doing some wedding planning, and when Hermione heard that Harry and Severus planned to bond in the registry office at the ministry, she knew it would never do. With their permission, she called in a favor with her parents, who had some friends who worked with the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Harlow Carr. Harry and Severus would be bonded in one of the gardens on the Yorkshire landscape, followed by an intimate reception in one of their tea rooms.

"But what about you?" Harry asked later. "Don't you and Ron want to go all out for your own wedding?"

Ron scratched at the back of his neck. "Mum's letting us get bonded at the Burrow on New Year's Eve," he replied. "You'll be my Best Man, won't you?"

Harry blinked; he supposed everyone's weddings would be last-minute now, given that Neville and Luna were due to be bonded at Hogwarts that weekend, in the Forbidden Forest, with only his gran, her father, Headmistress McGonagall, Deputy Headmaster Flitwick, Hagrid as their witnesses, alongside the Minister of Records. "Of course, Ron," he replied.

"I've barely had time to go to fittings for my gown, plus my Maid of Honor dress for Ginny and Draco's wedding on Christmas Eve, at the manor," Hermione said softly.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Are you all right with going there?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, of course I am. Draco's been remodeling all summer. He's wanted to propose to Ginny for a while, and got the ring back in September, before all this nonsense happened. Even Arthur and Molly gave him permission to propose at Christmas. It's just happening a bit more ahead of schedule..."

"Like a lot of things these days," Ron muttered darkly. "Did you know that Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini, plus Pansy Parkinson and Theo Nott, all got bonded in a double ceremony last weekend, a day after the news broke?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I didn't know."

"It makes sense, doesn't it? Given that Parkinson and Nott's parents were active in Voldemort's circle," Hermione put in, and Harry was more than a little relieved that Severus had already called it a night, having already returned to his cottage.

"But the Greengrass family was against Voldemort, and the Zabini's were neutral," Harry was quick to put in.

"Even so, mate, there'll always be suspicions," Ron said softly. "Skeeter's been going on and on about you being under the Imperius ever since Luna's article came out yesterday."

Harry rolled his eyes. "She's awful," he muttered.

"Honestly," Hermione huffed. "Harry's been able to throw it off for years..."

Harry remained at Ron and Hermione's place for another hour before returning home and going to bed. It was a bit surreal, he reasoned as he lay there in the darkness, to think that he and Severus would be bonded in precisely eight days' time. Harry spent a quiet day on Saturday cleaning up his flat, packing his belongings into boxes, but leaving several pieces of furniture, including his bed, behind, knowing entirely well that he promised Anthony and Susan a partially-furnished space. With the arrival of Sunday, Harry and Severus met at the flat, and left to go to lunch with Andromeda, Teddy, and Kingsley. That evening, they had supper at the Burrow, and discussed further wedding plans at both meals.

Harry got a quick owl from Hermione on Monday, letting him know that the wedding invitations had officially gone out, and that all the important ones had accepted, leaving him a list at the end of the letter. She and Ron, Draco and Ginny, Neville and Luna, Arthur and Molly, Bill and Fleur along with their baby daughter Victoire, Charlie, Percy, George and Angelina, Lee and Alicia, Headmistress McGonagall and Deputy Headmaster Flitwick, Professor Slughorn, and Hagrid had all accepted the invitation. Harry was pleased, knowing that several acceptances or polite refusals would filter in throughout the week, and was quite all right with Hermione taking over as official wedding planner.

For the rest of the week, Harry continued teaching Anthony and Susan the ropes of the business, and learned that Susan and Anthony were permitted to get bonded after the deadline, due to Susan's aunt, Amelia's, services for the ministry. They planned to bond on Valentine's Day, and asked Harry to attend, which he immediately accepted. They also assured him that if someone expressed an interest in working there, they, plus Draco, would vet their credentials to ensure that nothing would sully the business. Harry thanked them, taking them up to the flat for the first time on Tuesday, and allowing them to store some of their belongings up there ahead of the big move that weekend.

Harry and Severus met on Wednesday night to take inventory of the house in Berkshire, once it was deemed safe to do so, and put a rush order on several period pieces of furniture, as some of the pieces were in quite poor condition. They ordered takeaway from a nearby Chinese restaurant and discussed the possibility of a honeymoon. Severus suggested that they merely retreat to their new home after the reception, and spend time planning for a wonderful vacation, perhaps during the summer, where it wouldn't be a rush job. Harry thought that Severus's idea sounded very sensible to him, and, as he ate his fortune cookie, was temporarily distracted.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"Look at me, please," the potions master said gently.

Harry looked up, and his eyes widened when he noticed that Severus was knelt just in front of the couch he was currently sat upon. "Severus..."

Slowly, Severus opened the ring box he held, and, for the first time, permitted Harry to see the rather beautiful engagement ring which lay there. It was an emerald in a silver setting, with a lion on one side and a snake on the other, cradling the precious stone between them. "Harry, would you do me the honor of bonding with me this Saturday?" he asked.

Harry felt his eyes momentarily shimmer with tears, before he got ahold of himself and nodded his head, fortune cookie forgotten. "Yes, Severus, I'll bond with you," he whispered, and, with a shaking hand, provided Severus with said hand, and permitted him to slip the ring onto it.

The following day, Harry left Anthony and Susan in charge of the shop for the whole of the afternoon, and hurried to the jeweler's in Diagon Alley. He'd put in an order for an engagement ring for Severus, and was pleased to have finally gotten the owl that it was ready. Stepping into the shop, the proprietor greeted Harry warmly, and wished him congratulations on his upcoming nuptials in just two days' time. Harry thanked the man and took the box, having already paid for the order, and wished the man a good weekend before leaving the shop, and retreating to his flat, where he would sleep for the last time that night.

The plan was for him to sleep in the spare bedroom at Ron and Hermione's home the night before the wedding, now that all his furniture and other belongings were packed up. He would be sleeping on a borrowed camp bed from the Burrow in the living room that night, working a half-day that Friday just like today, and Floo over to Ron and Hermione's for teatime. Fingering the box and staring at the platinum band with a beautiful onyx stone in its center, Harry hoped beyond hope that the man would like it, when he presented it to him the following morning, as it would be the last time they would see one another before the wedding.

Harry needn't have worried, for Severus kissed him with such passion the following morning when he was presented with the ring that Harry realized he was nervous for nothing. After Severus left and Harry opened the shop, he listened to many heartfelt congratulations from many customers, although a fair few Alpha's looked bitterly disappointed at their failure of sweeping the Boy Who Lived Twice off his feet. Once his shift was completed, Harry officially handed over the keys to the flat, and a spare one to the shop, over to Anthony and Susan, wished them luck, and went through the Floo to Ron and Hermione's.

Harry relaxed with Crookshanks for the afternoon, eating the sandwiches for tea that Hermione had left him, and waited for his two best friends to return for dinner. When they did, he was very surprised when Hermione informed him that she would be making pizza, and Harry and Ron, although skeptical, left her to her work. Two hours later, after lingering delicious smells filtered through the house, they sat around the table with three pizzas between them. A Margarita pizza, a spinach and mushroom pie, and a pepperoni pizza. Harry couldn't have envisioned a better night before his wedding, and thanked Ron and Hermione profusely for permitting him to keep the entirety of the evening low-key.

Harry stepped out of the house once Ron and Hermione shooed him away from doing the dishes, the snow falling making the entire neighborhood silent. Smiling to himself, he cast a Warming Charm and wandered aimlessly down the snow-covered street. Snowflakes embedded themselves into his hair, which Harry found to be quite amusing, and he passed a pub which the black letters on the stone-white building proclaimed as The White Swan. The windows were illuminated by candlelight, despite it being a pub of the Muggle variety, and Harry couldn't help but look inside as he passed by.

It was then that a knot formed into the pit of his stomach as he watched two patrons at one of the tables, easily recognizing them as Kingsley Shacklebolt, sitting with none other than his fiancé, Severus Snape. Severus appeared to be saying something to Kingsley, who appeared overjoyed, and launched to his feet, rounded the table, and kissed Severus. It was on the cheek, but still, it unsettled something deep within Harry. When Severus had accompanied him to Andromeda's to spend time with Teddy, he and Kingsley hadn't seemed at all familiar with one another, and Harry wondered if Severus had lied about their relationship, or if he was keeping further secrets from him as well.

Shaking his head as he made his way back to Ron and Hermione's place, Harry attempted, more than once, to reason with himself. It wasn't as if he and Severus were a love match, despite his feelings for the older man. No, the older man in question had never let on to Harry that he was more than physically attracted to him, and it was likely there would never be more than friendship, with mandatory sex and producing offspring, between them. Of course, it could have been worse, given that many Alpha's were so traditional that they required their Omega's to give up their very identity once the ink was dry on the bonding certificate.

The following morning, Harry awoke, pleased for the Dreamless Sleep from Severus, despite everything, and got ready without informing Ron and Hermione of what he had seen. He was to wear comfortable clothing to the venue, and change there, alongside his wedding party. Ron, Draco, and Neville would be Best Men, and would be escorting Hermione, Ginny, and Luna respectively down the aisle. Harry knew that Severus had requested Deputy Headmaster Flitwick, Professor Slughorn, and Blaise Zabini to stand up for him, while Headmistress McGonagall had accepted the invitation to perform the ceremony. Teddy would be the ring bearer, with Andromeda holding onto him to go down the aisle, and Bill and Fleur had graciously permitted Victoire to be the flower girl, although Fleur would be holding onto her down the aisle as well.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived at the venue two hours before the wedding, and went to the wizarding section of the gardens, where Muggles wouldn't bother them. While Harry knew that public opinion on gay couples were changing in the Muggle World, gay marriage wasn't something that was permitted just yet, so this ensured that they would be left alone from anyone who believed what he and Severus were doing was wrong. Harry went into the groom's suite booked for him, knowing that Severus was likely in his own suite already, as the man was definitely a planner, and would have showed up before Harry had.

Harry, Ron, Draco, and Neville put on their suits (yet another rush order from Madam Malkin, as she was doing quite a bit of business these days) and spoke candidly about their Hogwarts days as the minutes ticked by. Draco, meanwhile, was the elected messenger, and would frequently pop in and out of the room to see that things were running smoothly and on schedule. Once the order was given, the Best Men trickled out of the room, one by one, and went down the aisle to wait for Harry, Ron remaining there last.

"Good luck, mate," Ron said, embracing Harry fervently, and Harry was more than a little relieved for the Anti-Wrinkle Charms he'd sprung for on all their suits, per Draco's hasty recommendation.

"Ron?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

Harry swallowed, trepidation filling him completely. "What made you realize that Hermione was the one?" he whispered.

Ron chuckled, pulling back. "I suppose because I couldn't see myself going on without her. I also am completely mad for her, if you hadn't noticed."

Harry forced himself to smile. "I'd noticed, yes."

"But it's not just about those things, mate," Ron said gently. "It's also about the fact that we're honest with one another, you know? If one of us has a bad day, we tell each other, so that we don't say something in anger and then let it fester."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "That's...actually really smart, Ron."

Ron chuckled warmly, patting himself on the shoulder. "Well, it had to happen sometime, didn't it, mate? Me growing up. Who would've thought?"

Harry stepped out of the suite a few moments after Ron and Hermione had left, making his way out of the building and into the snow-covered gardens, thanking Merlin for Warming Charms, which were officially the order of the day. Harry soon came into view of the wedding guests, the wedding party, Headmistress McGonagall, and Severus, leading to his cheeks to flush at how wonderful his fiancé looked. Stepping down the aisle slowly, in time to the music, Harry finally arrived at the man's side, and they turned to Headmistress McGonagall, who appeared as if she was struggling to keep her emotions in check.

Finally, the headmistress cleared her throat, shuffled a little, and nodded. "Join hands, please, gentlemen," she ordered gently, and Harry and Severus did so. "We are gathered here today in the sight of Merlin, Circe, and the Founders, to bring together this Alpha wizard, and this Omega wizard, in the purest of bonds." She turned to Severus, as the elder and the Alpha, he would be required to answer first. "Do you, Severus Snape, take Harry, to be your lawfully bound magical partner, as well as your Omega? 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?"

Severus gave a solemn nod, and squeezed Harry's hand, before the plain silver band was summoned, which Severus reverently slipped onto his finger. "I will," he replied.

Headmistress McGonagall promptly turned to Harry. "And do you, Harry James Potter, take Severus 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?"

Harry trembled, gazing up at Severus, and opened his mouth, knowing that whatever he said now would make the front page of The Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, and Witch Weekly, not to mention every other wizarding publication in the world. "I..."