Epilogue

Every good fairytale has a happy ending. The winter thaws and spring blooms, evil is defeated, and love conquers all.

Ron and Hermione were the first couple to marry. On the first official day of spring, they vacationed to the village of Bloom where they had first met, and were married on the same dock that they were forced to part on – a promise to reunite finally fulfilled. It was a big day for Severus and Harry as well, because it was the first time Severus had attended a social event as a king, and the other nobles were all present to scrutinize his every move. Of course, he did a fine job. The gossip mill was churning on overtime to see Prince Harry so besotted with the new king. All in all, it was an enormous wedding, and everyone had a delightful time.

Remus and Sirius tied the knot not long after, in the courtyard Sirius had proposed in. Unlike Ron and Hermione's wedding, it was small and intimate. Remus cried in happiness when they finally kissed as husbands for the first time. Of course, though the guest list had been small, it was mainly composed of Sirius's old gang of thieves, included Fred and George Weasley, and his adopted family from Methos. Needless to say, things took a long time to settle down again after that lot cleared out, and Severus had to work extra hard to keep Harry from being exposed to anything he shouldn't be seeing. Severus was only slightly irked when he realized the guests had helped themselves to the best wine in his cellar, pick pocketed quite a bit of valuable china, and left three rooms in the castle completely trashed. Then again, they were Sirius's friends, so what could you honestly expect?

And so that left only one couple to be married in the large chapel of Slytherin Kingdom, on a sultry, early summer morning.

-

The elderly veela woman that had prepared Severus for the ball on the Isle of the Veela had been hired to dress Severus for his wedding. She circled around his form, assessing her work from every view point.

His hair (which he'd been trying to take better care of) was gathered at the base of his neck and held in place by a black satin tie. The Madam had worked her special brand of magic to give his skin a healthy glow and his teeth a white, pearly shine. He was dressed in a tight fitting, velvet green vest with a silky white dress tunic underneath. The arms of the tunic were full, and the tunic was embroidered with an elegant silver trim. His hair was once again tied back, this time with a green satin tie. As the Madam had said, one shouldn't wear black to a wedding – it was a celebration, not a funeral. His pants were form fitting and made of soft deerskin, and his boots were a dark brown leather. He wore an ornamental sword on one hip, it's hilt embedded with darkly glittering emeralds. His cape was made of crushed green velvet. He looked better than he ever had before, but even his stunning makeover paled in comparison to the beauty that was Harry – at least Severus thought so.

Standing at the front of the chapel, he gave little attention to all the high profile guests in attendance. There were the veela royals, the kings and nobles of the other three kingdoms, and wizards and witches almost as legendary as Albus Dumbledore, who was conducting the ceremony. No, when the back doors of the church opened, and Harry finally appeared, Severus only had eyes for him. His outfit, though similar in design to Severus's, was entirely white. His cape was long, and it fluttered out behind him almost magically as he walked. He didn't carry a bouquet, but he walked behind a small troupe of flower girls that saturated his path with white rose petals. He came to stand beside Severus, his eyes glowing with love and adoration. Ron smiled from his spot behind Harry, as did Remus from his position behind Severus. The flower girls took their places, and Lily was noticeably sniffling.

Albus made a beautiful speech, though to be honest Severus didn't really hear any of it. Finally, it came time for him to make his vow.

"Harry, over the time I have gotten to know you, there is one story about my journey I have never told you," Severus smiled tenderly at his future husband, drinking in the love shining in his eyes. "In one of the villages we visited, I came to the aid of a very young girl with pretty green eyes like yours. To thank me for saving her father, she gave me a very special gift. Her mother had died, and one of the few things she had to remember her by was a simple woven ring that her mother had made for her. Upon her insistence, she gave this treasure to me, with the instructions to give it to someone I loved. Today, I want to give this ring to you." Severus took the small ring from the box Remus handed him. Tears were running down Harry's cheeks as Severus took the rough hewn little ring, it's little green stone glittering, and slid it onto Harry's delicate hand. Unsurprisingly, it was a perfect fit. "I love you, Harry. I will protect you, shelter you, and cherish you to the end of my days."

Harry wiped the tears off his cheeks before he offered his vow.

"I knew I loved you even before I met you, Severus. I have carried you in my heart since the day I was told about the prophecy. You are my hero and my soul mate. Nothing will ever tear me from your side. From this day forward, I entrust you with my soul, mind, heart, and body. I love you, Severus, more than life itself." With a shaky smile, he took the ring Ron handed him, an thick silver band, and slid it onto Severus's hand.

"I now pronounce you married. You may now share your first kiss as husbands," Albus announced happily, his eyes twinkling full force. Harry wasted no time in throwing his arms around Severus's neck, passionately pressing his lips against those of his husband. They broke apart laughing, turning to their guests with their hands joined. Albus stepped down beside Severus, leaning in close to him so that he would be heard. "Well, my boy, do you believe in fate now?"

Severus only smiled.

-

"You want to do what?" Harry blinked owlishly at Severus, squirming a bit in his arms. He felt very silly without his clothes on – it was not how he usually slept at all. Severus, however, had insisted he knew what he was doing. Harry could only trust him, even though it sounded very strange.

"You'll enjoy it, I promise," Severus assured, already a bit frustrated with Harry's naivety. As much as he enjoyed the almost sinful delight of having his boy naked in his bed, he was ready to show Harry all that he'd been so carefully sheltered from. "We'll just start with kissing. You've kissed me plenty of times."

Deciding he simply had to trust his new husband, Harry tilted his head back and let Severus ravish his mouth. It did feel amazingly good to kiss with all their skin touching, nothing getting in their way, lavishly comfortable in the massive bed. Severus began to run his hands up and down Harry's sides as the kiss intensified. His excitement began to show, and Harry responded by pulling away from the kiss.

"Why are you stopping?" Severus asked, not in the mood for Harry to play the tease. Harry only cocked his head to the side in puzzlement.

"You always stop kissing me when…you know." He glanced pointedly at Severus's lower half.

Severus blushed, realizing what Harry said was true. In the past, when he'd become aroused, he'd practically fled from the enchanting prince. He'd thought he'd hid it better, however.

"Er…well that might have been the case before we were married, but you're my husband now. We can go further," Severus explained as he reached for Harry again, resuming their kiss. This time Severus was more forceful in massaging Harry, finally dropping his hand to cup Harry's limp member. It twitched in his hand, and Harry's eyes shot open wide in surprise. Severus began to stroke him sensuously, kissing Harry along his jaw and chest because the boy's mouth seemed to be permanently trapped in a surprised little 'O' shape. Even as the boy began to sweat, his excitement growing, he turned apprehensive eyes to Severus.

"Isn't this wrong, Severus? I feel…strange," Harry confessed, surprising himself by arching into Severus's hand when he slowed down.

"It's not wrong, Harry. This is part of sex. I know you don't know anything about it, and I'm glad because that means your pure, but nothing is 'wrong' in this bed. We can share our bodies with each other however we like. I want to bring you pleasure tonight. May I do that, Harry?" Severus asked, trying valiantly to be patient with him. Harry nodded, his eyes finally showing more lust than apprehension. Severus picked up his speed again, kissing Harry's mouth and using his other hand to tease one of Harry's nipples. The lithe boy quickly lost his inhibitions under such a sensory overload. When Severus finally brought him to completion, moaning and crying Severus's name, he came seeing stars. After it was over, he lay completely still, his labored breathing the only sign that he was even in the same realm as Severus.

Severus smirked at his state and the complete look of surprise and satisfaction on his face. Severus tended to his own needs, and Harry only watched sleepily. Once Severus was done, he pulled Harry into his arms and pressed loving kisses onto his temple. Harry, feeling completely relaxed, could no longer fight off the exhaustion he felt. Just before he was lost to the realm of dreams, he tilted his head up and kissed Severus's chin.

"I think I like sex," he said innocently. Severus only shook his head in mock exasperation, not bothering to correct him. He'd figure it out soon enough. After all, tonight was only their first night together. Severus still had the rest of his life to teach his young husband everything he would need to know. He stayed awake that night, just watching Harry sleep on his chest, his wild black hair flopping every which way. He listened to the little sounds Harry made as he slept – little snorts and breathy whispers. He drooled on Severus's chest, but even that was adorable. With a snort of amusement, Severus wondered how long that particular feeling would last. At the moment, every little thing Harry did captivated him completely. Eventually, exhaustion won out. Just as the sun was rising, Severus fell deep asleep, Harry happily ensconced in his arms.

THE END!

A/N: First of all, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! This is my V-day gift to you all. I thought the timing worked out quite nicely that I could post this on the day of love. Man…what do I say? I guess all I can say is how much I enjoyed writing this, and how much I appreciated every comment and review I received. You were all wonderfully supportive, amusing, and touching. God, I'm going to get teary eyed! I hope you all live out your own happy fairy tales, and thanks again for being such an integral part of this story.