Disclaimer: Except for an OC, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling.

The woman sat on the beach every day for a week. Every day it was the same. She came as soon as it was light and left as it became dark. She always wore a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Her hair was in a ponytail and she hid her face behind big sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. She gently rebuffed the locals who tried to speak with her, but they were able to report that she had a British accent and held a funny little gold and silver ball in one of her hands. Occasional tears could be seen creeping below the edge of the glasses. Those who watched her from a beach-side bar conferred. They decided that she had suffered some tragic loss. Perhaps the ball belonged to her son or daughter who had recently died of a dreadful illness. They decided to leave her alone.

The man showed up after about a week. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt as well, but it was all in unrelieved black, as was the curtain of hair that covered much of his face. He scanned the beach until he saw the woman and then walked toward her. The watchers could tell that he was used to long strides, but the sand impeded his normal gait. Even so, he managed to get to her quickly and with an impressive dignity.

The man reached into his pocket, making one of the watchers stand in an effort to prevent harm to the woman. They had no idea who she was or why she was there, but after a week she belonged to them. The watcher sat back down when they saw the man remove a handkerchief and hand it to her. She took it without looking at him, but then she did look at him. She stood and started beating at his chest with her fists. Snatches of her voice yelling could be heard on the breeze. The watchers all stood, now, prepared to defend the woman. Some even took a step or two toward the pair, but the man had his arms around the woman and was kissing her. Slowly she relaxed and put her arms around him, clinging in a way the watchers all recognized. They knew they were fairly simple folk and prided themselves upon it. Perhaps because of that simplicity, they understood that this was a scene of great delicacy and that they should stay back.

"Where were you?" asked Katherine, once they were seated. "I went to the Shrieking Shack and all I found was that puddle of blood. Yaxley got the drop on me and then I had to listen to him explain that since the Dark Lord wanted you dead, Yaxley was going to make sure you were dead. He would finish the job if necessary. I didn't know where you were, and then he gleefully told me your body must have been carried off by the werewolves. That's all I've been able to think about."

"Yaxley is in Azkaban, now."

"Where were you?"

He put his arm around her. "Would you like me to tell you everything?"

She pressed herself against his chest. "Perhaps that would be best."

"I've spoken with Kingsley. He told me how much you had figured out, my bright girl." He squeezed her close and kissed her again.

"To start with, you were absolutely right. Dumbledore was cursed. He was cursed in a big way. He put on a ring that we now know was a Horcrux."

"You're kidding. Whose soul was in it?"

"I kid you not. It was the Dark Lord's Horcrux and he made six of them on purpose and a seventh without realizing it. It took two doses of the Elixir of Life to revive the Headmaster, and everything I know about the Dark Arts and Healing to push the curse back down into that hand. Right then and there he asked me how long I could keep him alive. Given the amount of Elixir it had taken to revive him then and how much I had on hand, I estimated a year at the most. He had realized after a recent battle with Voldemort that the Dark Lord would want to kill him, and even guessed that the Dark Lord would pick Draco Malfoy to fail at the deed, before forcing me to do it.

"Dumbledore chose to defeat that gambit by forcing me to kill him, himself. We argued long and hard over it for the entire school year. To Dumbledore it seemed an obvious choice, while I thought it was absolutely ghastly. We ran low on the Elixir before I could find a good alternative, and so I found myself at the top of the Astronomy Tower on the fateful night."

"So that's how it was."

"Yes, and then you entered my life. I couldn't understand you at all, yet I knew your drive and ambition, because they match something in me. The heavens know you've lived the worst parts of my life and my mother's life. We both know what we've each been through and we understand each other because of it. You have been a worthy adversary, my bright girl, and it was worse once your guesses started getting close to the truth. I lived in constant fear that you would tell the wrong person what you had discovered. Yet at the same time it was a joy to have someone so interested in me that she was asking the questions you asked. You were brighter still than I had thought, and only gave one person hints."

"I told Kingsley early on that I wouldn't risk your safety if I could help it. For all I knew, all of Dumbledore's plans hinged on you remaining as you were for as long as possible."

"Yes... Well to come to the present, after that wretched snake bit me, who should show up but Potter and his friends. I'm not sure what the boy expected, but I gave him some of my memories. Dumbledore had told me that many of his private lessons with the boy involved looking into a Pensieve, and I could only hope he would find the opportunity to discover my darkest secrets an irresistible opportunity. Apparently he did, because he and his friends left me for dead and ran off."

"What memories did you give him?"

"The sorts of things you were able to figure out. I might have given him an eye opener of you in your bikini on my beach, or standing in my office as your dress was sliding down your body, but there were several reasons against it and time was short, so I decided not to share. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Well, to continue, those kids left and there I was, bleeding profusely, when I felt something tickle my hand. It was that Snitch you gave me. Somehow I opened it and retrieved this." He handed her a small vial with a few drops inside. "That's all that remains of the Elixir of Life I made using Flamel's Philosopher's Stone. It didn't cure me, but with that and some Blood-replenishing potion I was able to get to St. Mungo's. A friend was able to filch a bit of the potion used to cure Arthur Weasley when he was bitten by the same snake a few years ago. After a day or two of regaining my strength and waiting for the right moment, I went to beard the lion in his den."

"Kingsley?"

"Got it in one. Did you know he's been named Minister?" At Katherine's blank stare, he chuckled. "You've been a naughty girl, running off without telling anyone where you were going. Of course you are unaware of what has been happening. I went to see Minister Shacklebolt and we had quite the conversation.

"I started off by telling him that I was there to make a full statement. He replied that he was sorry to see me. I asked him why he would be sorry, and he responded that a certain investigator had sworn to die rather than let me turn myself in, and that if I were there it must mean that investigator was not in full health.

"I was a bit of a loss at that point, because I had not seen you since the day we were last here and told him so. That made him more worried yet, and it occurred to him that you might have been kidnapped or killed by an uncaptured Death Eater. I suspected that you might have come here, and told him I thought you were safe. I contacted Bonaparte and Josephine, and they were able to discover what you've been doing all week and where you were staying. I must say it's sloppy work for an Auror to be as obvious as you have been, sitting on this beach all week."

Katherine roused herself at that. "I've been busy mourning your loss, and all you can say is how sloppy it was?"

"It's also quite sweet, although you might have hung around England long enough to make sure I was really gone. At any rate, once we ascertained that you were reasonably safe, Kingsley has had what's left of the Aurors questioning me night and day. We finished yesterday and the Minister expects to be able to issue me a full pardon."

"That's wonderful news!"

"Indeed. All that is left now is for you to prepare for our wedding. Then we can honeymoon for as long as you like in just about any location you desire."

"Back up a minute. You want me to prepare for what?"

"Our wedding. Josephine is waiting in your hotel room, and all the arrangements are made."

"I can't marry you! I don't remember how to be a wife, it's so long since Cyrus died."

"Do you honestly think I would want you to be that sort of wife? Do you think I want to be that sort of husband?" He pulled away to look into her eyes, anger showing. "I could never treat you the way that man did. I love you the way I met you with your independence, boldness and cleverness."

"I'm not sure I can be that woman, either. Did you hear what I said? Yaxley got the drop on me. I've lost my edge and I'm not sure if I'll ever get it back."

"I don't care about that, but let's make this easy. Can you be the woman who crashed the New Years party and didn't allow me any sleep that night? Can you be the woman who shared her story with me and then let me make love to her as no woman ever did before? Can you be the woman whose heart was in her eyes when she told me without using so many words that she wanted me to survive this war?"

Katherine's heart was in her eyes again as she answered, "I am that woman."

"Katherine, nothing else matters. Neither of us really fit into the world that just ended and we might not fit into the world that's beginning. If we're together I know at least one piece of my life will fit."

She buried her face in his shirt. "I can't give you children."

He snorted. "I've had hundreds of children pass through my life over the last twenty years. I don't need any more. I do think you should get checked at St. Mungo's, in case there's something that the Healers can do. If they can't help you and it's important to you, there are quite a few orphaned children who can use a good home. Don't let this stop us."

She finally took off the sun glasses and looked at him, almost convinced. "Did you have something better to do?" he asked sarcastically.

She looked out over the water. "My plan was to sit here and look at your island until I couldn't see it any more."

He laughed at her. "That isn't going to happen. I started the paperwork to deed it over to you the day I returned to Hogwarts. You may recall enough of the theory behind the Fidelius charm to know that if I had died, you would have become the Secret-Keeper?"

"It seems a rather moot point in any case, but why would you give your island to me?"

"It was part of some other paperwork I began the same day. The full marriage license and contract only require your signature. I have a wizard here who will marry us tonight, but his schedule is pretty tight. He's quite eager to see for himself that you are safe, and I think there's also some excitement about officiating his first marriage. Let's not make him wait."

"He's here? With all the other things he probably has to attend to?"

"Just for a few hours. As I say, he has a tight schedule."

She sighed and smiled. "Well, the only problem I see now is that if I say yes, I'll be giving in to you."

He stood and pulled her up, laughing. "There are some who would say that I've already given in to you by asking."

"I don't recall hearing any of this discussed in a question format, actually." She flashed her knowing smile at him and he knew he had succeeded.

"Fine, then," he pretended to growl. "Katherine, will you marry me?" He removed an object from his pocket and slid it onto her finger.

She never bothered to look at the ring. Instead, she reached up to kiss him. "Oh yes, Severus, yes."

As far as the locals could tell, watching the couple leave the beach, the woman had accepted the man's ring. They sighed contentedly over the romance of it, and filled in the other parts of the story to their hearts' content. Over time the details became more extravagant. Years later Severus and Katherine had dinner at a restaurant near the beach, where they were told the story and didn't recognize themselves. In essentials, the locals had the story correct. They saw a couple very much in love, and in that they were not wrong.

A/N: This ends the story. I've had some requests to go farther with it, so this pair may return. In fact, if you would be so kind as to vote in the poll about Severus and Katherine, the plot bunnies may do their thing more quickly.

Thanks to all who have read this and reviewed. Thank you, especially, Trickie Woo, for beta reading.