Say You Love Me

{27}

"She's gorgeous," Hermione spoke to her husband in a whisper. He was looming over her shoulder, watching as the little one slept in her mother's arms. 

"Yes, in an infantile sort of way. You are the real beauty."

Hermione glared at him over the child, nearly breaking her neck to do so.

"I am fat, Severus. Hold your tongue."

"You barely put on any weight, and even if you had put on more than your fair share, I wouldn't love you any less."

The sappy side of him that came with the offspring was alien. Hermione wasn't used to his blunt comments of adoration or stringed words of love. 

"You never used to be like this."

"Like what?" He wondered, circling the couch and sitting beside her. 

The flowers she coughed up now were basically ignored considering most of their attention lay elsewhere. They were a few days home from St. Mungo's, and their spirits were up despite Hermione's time being so dwindled down. She only had a year left. 

"You have become bluntly sweet instead of bluntly... blunt."

His quirked eyebrow was the only point of amusement she could find on his face. 

"Are you complaining?"

Hermione looked down at the girl in her arms, Severus's fingers stroking her wisps of hair. 

"Not really. I just find the sentiments foreign is all."

"Ah, well, then I beg your forgiveness. Any wife should be told they are loved and cherished."

"Yes, but with you... I knew no matter what. Even if you don't say it, I know when you spend hours on end in the basement attempting, still, to find me a cure. I knew when you left me that night I told you about our girl and you came back out to kiss me. And I knew most assuredly when you finally lit up with excitement upon the idea of her."

Hermione gently lifted Matilda into view. 

"Or that time I asked you to marry me after the Potter wedding."

"Yes... then too," she added in protest, not liking his cockiness. 

"Well, I love you, Hermione. And Matilda Elora Snape as well."

"Do you think she'll hyphenate like I wanted to?"

"Like bloody hell she will, if I ever let her get married-" Hermione shook her head in disbelief, "Besides, I convinced you, didn't I?"

"Under duress."

"Duress my arse."

Hermione humphed, feeling slightly perturbed. Not that her daughter might one day change her name, but because Hermione wouldn't ever know. Well, she was sure she would know, Harry talking to his parents from the dead and all that jazz, but Matilda wouldn't ever know her mother was there watching over her. Most of the time she was able to accept what was coming her way. That's just the cards she was dealt, but with such a beautiful beginning in her arms, it was harder to only have a year to cherish it. 

"Severus, I don't want to go."

Their happy moment turned sad, and strong arms snaked about her, holding her and the baby close. 

"Shh," he said, his hands gently rubbing her worries away best he could. "Matilda will know, without a doubt, that she was loved and cared for more than ever by her mother. Whether you are here to tell the tale or not."

"I just... wished there were no variables. That there wasn't a sure end to my time coming forward. Everyone dies, but not everyone dies so young."

"Let me love you while we have the time. And love Matilda while you have the time, too. But do not forget that your husband has an entire year to figure something out to make sure you live beyond her first steps... her Hogwarts letter, and everything in between and beyond."

Severus kissed her head, and they went forward with the infant, attempting to think little as possible with a future so uncertain for one of the members of the family. Not that they'd told anyone... and they probably never would anyways. Ron had been dense enough to not think anything of his conversation with either Luna or Hermione and Severus that day, but still... it was better kept a secret anyways, a funeral would be even more sad if it was expected. 

-

With three months left, and Hermione's lungs uncomfortably filled with flowers most of the time, Matilda had been a main source of her parent's happiness. Sure, they found love together, but Matilda was always good for a smile and contagious laughter, one of the happiest babies that anyone had every encountered. 

Said baby was in Hermione's arms, asleep, as she watched the waves on the shore, and since the sun had long since set that early April night, Hermione decided to go back inside. 

She was nearly run over by Severus. 

"I think I've figured it out."

If she was any less of a mother, Hermione would have dropped her sweet little bundle in excitement, but she held fast and nearly burst into tears. 

"You reckon so?" 

"Are you willing to try?" He asked seriously, holding both of her arms in his hands, peering at her with wonder. 

There was so much risk, but it was either she try this or she dies in a few months anyways. He explained everything on the way down to his lab, and the unconventional, not even potions-related answer, was shocking. 

Cast the spell again, but this time he would perform it to indicate towards him. Something taking place in her chest that would root out the lilies and bring in some strange, black flower which would go away in a short time when he would tell her he loved her. And he did. 

"This seems very risky, Severus... and what if you get in trouble for it?"

"I won't, I already owled Luna, she's going to talk to the Minister for me and everything will stay settled. All I need now is your consent. And for you to put Matilda down, of course."

Hermione nodded quickly, unsure if she was ready or not for this to be the moment. And the disappointment if it didn't work... Merlin, this could be happy or tragic, one way or the other her nerves were on high. 

Matilda found her way into a pram that stayed in Severus' lab while Hermione worked. 

She watched on with indifference as her father pointed his wand at her mother. 

Hermione told them both she loved them, then kissed Matilda on the head and Severus on the lips, backing up to let him finally point his wand at her again. 

Severus' wand arm shook for the first time in his entire life besides when he'd held it up to Dumbledore, and with eyes that could only say love, he muttered, "Hanahaki."

The End. 

A/N

I ended it like this on purpose. If you don't want to know what happens to her, don't read the epilogue. If you do... that's on you. I figured with my very long hiatus I might as well just put this out there before I forget about it again and lose all motivation. Hope you all enjoyed!