His Muggle Wife (A Severus Snape Love Tale)

Chapter 17: Her Assurance, His Goodbye

"Happy first anniversary in advance to you too."

"I wonder what kind of party they're going to throw for us this Friday?" Meredith asked, as if forgetting that she might lose her Severus sooner than their first anniversary.

"Bruce wouldn't let me in on it. Tried to get him drunk last week when we went out, still he was alert enough not to tell me anything. He asked me to just wait and be surprised."

"The girls would just leave me whenever I tried to ask for a little detail about that surprise party. They would just walk away and ignore me. Hmmm... knowing Soledad and Katalina..."

"They'd turn the café into a disco, yes," he interrupted and they both laughed at his assumption.

"The last time we went dancing with them, my legs hurt for a week."

"Mine too! And don't talk about the hangovers," he winced at the memory. "When was that? A month ago?"

"Almost two, actually," she answered.

"That long, huh? This can't be good for my legs. Be ready for another week of hurting legs and horrible hangovers. We should close the café the whole week next week starting this coming Saturday."

"We should indeed!" she seconded and they both laughed. "I love spending moments like this with you. No matter how bad it is, with you around, I feel safe. You're my safe heaven, Sev."

"You did not just steal my line, Meredith Snape. I've copyrighted 'you're my safe heaven', no stealing."

"Shut up, Snape!" she protested playfully and laughed again.

"You know, I used to really hate my last name because of my father. Neither would I love to have my mother's last name because I hated her as well. But then we got married and you took my last name. The first time Bruce announced your name as Meredith Snape during the reception, I swear I had never loved that name more since that day. I'm proud to call you mine."

"Thank you for giving me a last name; I never had one, you know being an orphan. I was named after the nun who found me at the doorstep of the convent."

"Sister Meredith, love that woman, I bet she's older than Minerva."

"She is. I like my name. I was not given her last name, though. I was always only Meredith. I like the sound of Meredith Snape on my lips and when people call me with that name. I'll carry that name with pride, Mr Snape. Don't worry, we'll make more Snapes in the future you'll love the name even more," she said. Though she sounded merry, a tear escaped her eye once again, as she thought of one future Snape he would not see if he was killed tonight.

"Meredith Snape, I love you," he said lovingly.

"I know. Now can we get up, please, because my legs are cramped." Slowly, they got up.

"Severus Snape," she said, as she rubbed her thumb on his wedding finger, caressing his wedding band, "never doubt that I love you too. Always."

Then, with all her strength, she forcefully changed her position to her husband's, and a blinding light, much like lightening, coming from the wand of a man she had asked her husband to forgive, struck her heart. The light died instantly upon contact with her, and she closed her eyes as everything faded to black; the last image she saw in her head was the face of the smiling man she loved standing at the altar as she walked down the aisle towards him, her Severus.