the final chapter.
-

You never expected for Remus to turn up on your doorstep. In fact, you did not expect anyone to come and see you after what happened. You left Hogwarts abruptly, without stating the reason and saying goodbye to your colleagues, so you felt a little bit guilty for it when you saw Remus, even if you knew he would understand why did you leave at the first place.

"Why don't we go get some coffee?"

He started, just as you were about to think he was there to lecture you about leaving the school so carelessly. It felt nice to see a friend, and you knew you needed some distraction from your dejection, so you just nodded, agreed to have a cup of coffee with him.

But deep within your heart, you just wanted to know about Severus. You hoped Remus would tell you about your soulmate, if Severus was doing alright without you, or if he was actually much happier by himself.

"Are you going to kidnap me?"

You asked playfully, as both of you were walking towards a place which Remus suggested. You never really knew the about the shops around your place, since it had only been a week, and you just locked yourself in your home instead of going out for some fresh air.

"Perhaps, yes."

He joked, receiving a laugh from you. Remus could not hold back a smile that was growing on his face, hearing your laughter after quite some time was so refreshing to him.

"I miss you, Y/N. We all miss you and it would be great to have you back in Hogwarts."

He tried, only to wince internally when your smile turned into a frown which he wished he did not cause. You let out a wistful sigh, forcing a smile back on your face but Remus knew you too well to know that it was not genuine.

"I don't think I can."

You murmured, and Remus nodded weakly. But then he nudged you with his elbow, a playful smirk was plastered on his face.

"You don't feel guilty for leaving me alone there? I mean, you are my best friend."

Remus reasoned, a chuckle was escaping his lips. You rolled your eyes and shook your head at him.

"We can always see each other outside of the school. We are doing it now, aren't we?"

You gave him a warm smile, and Remus could only mirror it with his own. You were truly breathtaking, but unfortunately, you would never be his, and he had accepted it by now. To have you as a best friend was a blessing enough for him.

"I think I can change your mind about going back to Hogwarts."

He challenged, and you raised your eyebrows, smirking at him. You did not know what he had under his sleeves, but you knew it was never something bad.

"I would like to see you try, Lupin."

He chuckled heartily and nodded, as both of you arrived at a coffee shop. It was a small and cozy coffee shop, and when you walked in, there was not many customers at the time. The atmosphere was calming, but the silence was not so inviting.

Suddenly, your heart thud rapidly against your chest, and it felt like something was wrong, but you did not know what it was. You trusted Remus, but when you were in the coffee shop, you felt uneasy.

"I hope you're not mad at me for doing this, Y/N."

Remus said, causing you to question what he was implying. But then your eyes landed on a person who was close to your heart, the one who owned your heart and soul. Severus Snape.

It tugged on your heartstrings to see him again, and your heart dropped when you saw a woman was sitting next to him. You recognised the woman right away, as her face in the Daily Prophet was still fresh in your mind. You could never take the image of her kissing your soulmate out of your head.

"You tricked me into meeting Severus?"

You asked Remus in disbelief, watching as guilt flashed over his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a smile.

"You need to hear his explanation, Y/N."

Remus stated sternly. You knew Remus and Severus had never been on good term with each other, and it was impossible for any of them to pick each other's side but now as Remus was siding on with your soulmate, you realised it must have been salient for you to sit down and talk to him.

You bit the inside of your cheeks when Severus saw you, and he stood up almost immediately, a smile was painted on his face. You would never know the pain he was going through, and how relieved he was to see you again, knowing that you were safe and sound, his worry was diminishing.

"Come on, Y/N. I'll be right by your side. If you want to leave, then we will."

Remus assured you, and you nodded, could not ignore your heart any longer. You yearned to see Severus, to hear his voice once again, and most of all, you wanted to know what really happened.

"Y/N, I'm glad you're here."

Severus' voice was shaky, as he could not believe that you were there, and that you were willing to listen to his explanation. He knew if he show up in front of your doorstep, you would slam the door on his face immediately, hence, he was grateful that Remus was helping him.

You just gave him a nod, taking a seat across him and the woman, who never once did she look you in the eyes. Remus saw your murderous glare on her, so he patted your back softly, making you look at him who was giving you an assuring smile.

"I'm here now, and I'm listening."

You said, not wanting to sit there and stare at the man who crushed your heart, and it bugged you when you the other woman was also there with him. It did not help when you felt like killing her with your bare hands, when you were supposed to listen to their explanation.

"I love you, Y/N and I would never cheat on you. The news was false."

Severus began, seeing how unperturbed you were at his words. He sighed, knowing it would not be as easy as that, and it was why he spent so much time looking for the woman to clear his name.

"I did lie to you when I said I was meeting Lucius, and I did go to see Reina. But I went to see her because she sent me a letter, saying she knew more about your biological parents. I knew how much it would mean to you if you get to know more about your parents, so I decided to go. I lied to you because I didn't want to disappoint you if I didn't get much information about your parents from her."

Severus explained, his heart was aching to see tears pricked in the corner of your eyes. You swallowed his words, wanting to believe him, so you could go back to him, and love him like you were meant to. But doubts were still hanging over your head.

"What about the news?"

You asked, your voice was small and unsure, as if you felt vulnerable sitting in front of your soulmate and the other woman, Reina. Severus nodded, already prepared to reveal the truth to you. He would do anything to gain your trust again, as he did not want to lose you, not because of some lies that were told by others.

Severus took out a small bottle from his pocket and he handed it to Reina, who had remorse swimming in her eyes. She looked at you, and your gaze immediately hardened on her, unable to hide how much you hated to be in her presence right now.

"She will take the veritaserum."

You watched, as she emptied the small bottle, a little bit hesitant but she knew she could not escape now. You glanced at Remus, who seemed to be waiting for the truth as well. After she drank the veritaserum, you knew you could get the truth out of her.

"I want the truth."

You demanded, your eyes never leaving her as her lips trembled, intimidated by you, and guilt was eating her alive. Reina sucked in a deep breath, realising there was no way of hiding the truth when veritaserum was in her system, and the secret would be out.

"I promised to tell Severus about your biological parents and I know he would come because he loves you. But actually, I deceived him to meet me so that I could frame him of having an affair."

She spilled the truth, her eyes widening as she realised the veritaserum was affecting her. You curled your hands in fists, anger started to rise in your chest but you held it back, wanting to hear more from her.

"Why did you want to frame Severus?"

You frowned, seeing as colours drained from her face. You could not think of his enemies who would want to bring shame upon him, but you did not realise the whole affair news was actually to bring shame upon you, not Severus.

"I was paid by your adoptive parents. And so was the reporter who wrote the story on Daily Prophet."

She revealed, and your heart shattered. You knew they had something against you, but you never thought they would do something like that to destroy what you had with Severus. It was safe to say you did not feel guilty anymore for despising your parents now. You used to love them, but not after everything they have done to ruin you.

"I kissed him when the reporter came. Severus did not kiss me back, and he pushed me away immediately. I was the one who tricked him. He never cheated on you."

She continued, and you could only shake your head, not believing how notorious your parents were. They would do anything in their power to get what they wanted, including forsaking your feelings.

"It was to break you apart from Severus, so that you will come home to them. They wanted you to be under their control once again, and they could only do that if you think that you could not live without them."

Your shoulders slumped, realising how foolish you were to believe the news blindly when Severus loved you with all of his heart. It was a good thing you did not go back to your parents, as it was what they desired in their caustic plan.

"I'm sorry for doing this to you, but they offered me good money and I couldn't refuse."

She apologised, stating her excuse right after and it made you want to slap her face so bad. But you took a deep breath, flushing away your rage and faked a smile.

"My parents were wrong, and what you did was wrong too. You have no idea how many hearts were broken because of your action."

You said, and the effect of veritaserum was still on her, making her to be honest with what she was feeling.

"Your parents offered me a lot of money. It was impossible for me not to take this job."

And her words were enough to send anger flaring in you. Before you could punch her in the face, Remus was quick to act, knowing you were beyond furious at the woman.

"That's enough, Reina. You don't want to mess with Y/N."

Your friend said, dragging her out of the coffee shop. She did not fight him, as she could see rage in your eyes, and it was a lie if she say she was not scared of you. After what she did, she should be more than scared with what you were capable of doing to her.

When Remus took her out of the shop, you were left with Severus, who was still wondering if you were upset with him. But when you gave him a smile, his heart fluttered, missing your beautiful smile so much.

"It was imprudent of me to believe the news, but it was hard for me not to. I mean, we started off with you hating me while I had been in love with you for so long. I was glad when we finally get to be together. But when they said you cheated on me, and I saw the news as the proof, it destroyed me. I couldn't think straight because I couldn't lose you."

It was time for you to explain what you did, and Severus understood your feelings. He never blamed you for leaving, when he had no proof to show you that he was not guilty. It was something that anyone would do if they were in your shoes.

"I'm sorry for leaving you. I thought it was the right thing to do."

You apologised, feeling a lump in your throat. Severus shook his head, taking your hand in his, a smile found its way on his face when you did not pull your hand away from his grasp.

"I'm sorry for not finding you earlier. I just want to bring you the truth."

He apologised too, realising it was something he had grown accustomed to, since he fell in love with you. He could never let you apologise without him doing the same, because he believed the flaws in your relationship with him came from both ways, not just from one of you. And if he wanted to fix it, he would do it together with you.

"I've missed you so much."

He said, earning a chuckle from you. Tears welled up in the corner of your eyes when he kissed your knuckles softly. It felt like your soul was healed when you got to be with him again, and the pain to be apart from him was unbearable.

"I thought you were moving on from me."

You said, and Severus smirked, shaking his head at you.

"Moving on from the woman who has my heart in her hands? I could never."

Severus breathed out, only to receive a huge smile from you. You squeezed his hand, grinning at him.

"I would love to murder my parents. Are you with me?"

You teased him, and Severus let out a laugh, surprising you with how open he was with his emotions, considering that both of you were in a public place. But Severus did not even mind about anyone else, as you were the only person he had his eyes on at the moment.

"Of course, I'm with you. Until the end of the time."

Your heart melted, and you found yourself forgetting about everything else but him. He loved you, and your world revolved around him. No matter what was happening to challenge your relationship with him, you knew you would be able to endure, because your love would always win.

"Come home, darling."

He spoke softly, that you almost tear up at his words. You nodded vigorously, wiping a tear that was falling from your eye, smiling at him.

"I'll never leave you again."

- - - -

"Are you ready, Y/N?"

You took a deep breath and looked at yourself on the mirror for the last time before you walked out of the room, meeting Remus who was waiting for you. His jaw dropped as soon as his eyes landed on you, but then a smile was cracked on his lips.

"You're so beautiful today."

He blurted out, and you smiled, trying to distract yourself from your nerves.

"Only today?"

You joked, and Remus quickly shook his head, a grin was plastered on his face.

"Every day. But you look magnificent on your wedding day."

He rephrased his words, still could not get over how gorgeous you were in your wedding dress. A part of him was wishing how lucky he would be if you were his bride, but another part of him was happy for you, and he knew it was only right for him to let you find your own happiness with Severus.

"Severus is going to fall in love with you all over again today."

He added, and heat rushed towards your face. Remus could not help but smiled, seeing the joy sparkling in your eyes. When you asked him to walk you down the aisle, he was surprised, not knowing he meant so much in your life. But now he was glad he accepted it, as no words could describe how happy he was to get the honour to walk you to your future husband.

Remus would do anything to see a smile on your face.

"You have to calm down, Remus."

The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor looked at the headmaster, unimpressed with his attempt to calm him down when his emotions were all over the place.

"I cannot calm down. Y/N is my soulmate, and the worst part is she already found hers who clearly isn't me."

Remus scoffed, feeling as if the world was fooling with him for giving him a perfect soulmate, who was not even his to begin with.

"This isn't supposed to happen."

He muttered, sorrow was crawling over his chest, gripping him until it was hard for him to breathe. Albus looked at him, feeling sorry for his fate but there was nothing he could do to fix it, as your bond with Severus was true, and Remus' connection with you was only one sided.

"It is uncommon, but it is not impossible to happen."

Albus reminded him, putting a hand on the younger wizard's shoulder. Remus shook his head, his heart was weighing with a kaleidoscope of feelings that he could not fathom.

"Out of all people in the world, I just happened to be the one with such unfortunate fate."

Remus felt his heart was torn out of his chest upon discovering your love for Severus, and that your soul was bounded with the Potions Master's. It was hurtful for him to accept, but he knew he had to.

"Severus is her soulmate, Remus. You cannot change that."

"I know. She is my soulmate, but I am not hers."

His voice was strained, feeling enraged that Albus could not seem to understand how tortured he was feeling to see love in your eyes, which he could only wish was for him.

"Do you love her?"

Remus shuddered at the question, tears boiled in his eyes. He knew he could never tell you the truth, and it pained him so much. He never wanted you to choose between him and Severus, because he knew you loved Severus, and if he ever tell you, it would only make you feel guilty about everything even if it was not your fault.

"I do, with all of my heart."

Dumbledore felt his heart clenched, feeling sympathy for Remus because he knew you were in love with Severus, no matter how tough it was for you to make your way into his cold heart.

"What are you going to do now?"

He asked, waiting for Remus to answer him. The werewolf shrugged his shoulders, not knowing if he was doing the right thing by hiding his bond with you, masking his feelings with a name of friendship.

"I just want her to be happy, Albus."

He whispered, as his heart was at ease, realising it was the only thing he wished for you. But he knew in order for him to let you have it, he needed to be selfless with his own needs, just to have you reaching for your happily ever after.

"She is happy with Severus."

Remus sent you a smile, as he could see how nervous you were to walk down the aisle. You held on his arm tighter, smiling at him. It was the biggest smile he had ever seen on your face, and it was no doubt was true, and it warmed his heart to see you being over the moon on your wedding day.

"Severus is waiting for you."

He said, as the music started to play, reminding him that he was going to be the one who walk you to the love of your life. You nodded, excitement was bubbling in your chest, replacing your nerves with exhilaration.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Your smile widen when you saw Severus waiting for you, and suddenly everyone around you disappeared and the only thought in your mind was marrying your soulmate. Severus was truly enchanted by your beauty, and he felt tears of joy pooled in his eyes, not believing that he was finally living his dream with you.

He was going to spend the rest of his life with his beautiful soulmate, the woman he loved, the angel of his dreams.

It felt surreal as you exchanged your vows with him, your smile never dropped from your face. Severus almost cried in front of his guests when he shared the first kiss with you as husband and wife, feeling eternally grateful to be holding you in his arms.

You were walking into a new chapter of life with him, and Severus swore that you would live your happily ever after with him.

"I can call you my husband now."

You chuckled, as you were dancing with him. Severus nodded, smiling broadly like anyone else had never seen before. He knew everyone was watching you and him, but it was his wedding day, and he could not care less about them. His reputation as a professor was not salient that day, as he just wanted you to know how happy he was to have you as his wife.

"And I can call you my wife now."

You smiled until your cheeks hurt, letting him lead the dance as your heart was beating for him. Severus looked at you in adoration, feeling himself falling in love with you again, and it felt so amazing because you were always there to catch him.

"I love you, darling."

He said sweetly, claiming your lips with his in a passionate kiss, ignoring the cheers coming from the guests who were undoubtedly his colleagues. You kissed him back almost immediately, letting him wrap his arms tighter around you. As you pulled away from him, you could only smile against his lips.

"I love you too."

The teachers were the most excited guests during your wedding. They had seen you met Severus for the first time, witnessing his harshness towards you and your patience, they also had seen him trying to win your heart back in so many ways. It was elating to see you and Severus as husband and wife, and they felt like proud parents, especially Minerva.

"They look so perfect together."

She gushed, and the other teachers only nodded, agreeing with her. Her heart swelled with joy, realising now Severus could finally build his own happiness with you, and you would always be there for him. They cheered and whistled when Severus kissed you on the dance floor, not that the professor was minding them at all.

"Yes, they're perfect for each other."

Remus smiled, watching as you danced with your husband. He thought he was going to be devastated, but apparently, he was the happiest he had ever been. To see his soulmate smiling and laughing was something that brought happiness to him, even if you were doing those things with someone else.

He was looking for you for too long, but he was not the one you were looking for.

But soulmates were not always meant to be together, and Remus was delighted to find a best friend like you, when he was lost, learning to see how worthy he was of what he had.

As he saw your smile again, he knew it was the right thing to do. He would only love you from afar, as he knew your love for Severus was far too big for him to compare. Severus was meant for you, and you were meant for Severus.

Because Remus knew— His soul was intertwined with yours, but your heart would always belong to Severus.

You noticed the teachers were looking at you and Severus, warming their hearts at how in love you were with each other. You returned their smiles with your own, and waved at them, before moving your eyes towards your husband.

"You're so enchanting, darling."

He suddenly said, smiling when you tried to hide your face into his chest. Severus only pulled you closer to him, vowing to never let you go, no matter what was going to happen in the future. He was going to face them with you, loving you and protecting you like a soulmate, a lover and a husband should.

"Stop flattering me. I married you already."

"That doesn't mean I have to stop flattering my ravishing wife, does it?"

Severus' chest rumbled with his deep chuckle as you looked up at him, a timid smile was emblazoned on your pretty face.

"You're too much, Professor Snape."

"Only when I'm with you, Professor Snape."

He retorted, seeing you broke into a grin, realising how true his words were. The reality of being his wife was electrifying, and you loved every second of it.

"I think the students would prefer if they can continue calling me Professor L/N to avoid the confusion."

Severus nodded, his heart swirled in love for you, and just as he was going to kiss you once again, he saw your parents walking in. You noticed the shock on his face and you turned around, eyes widening upon seeing them on your wedding day.

"I can't believe our daughter didn't tell us about her wedding."

Your mother said, walking over to you with your father who seemed to be not so delightful to be there. Severus wrapped his arm around you and gave them a smile, which surprised you.

"I'm sorry but you're not invited."

He said flatly, and both of them gasped, as if Severus just slapped them right on their faces. You had to clench your jaw to stop yourself from laughing. It was funny to think that they were flabbergasted, when they knew what they were doing to you, and they still expected you to appreciate them.

"Today is our wedding day, and we wish not to be disturbed."

Your husband added, glancing at his friends. You grinned when Albus and Minerva literally dragged your parents out of the room, as the teachers knew what truly happened behind the awful news which was planned by your nefarious parents. It seemed like Severus had told the professors to keep them out of the wedding.

You looked at Severus, who was still smiling from ear to ear.

"Did you know this would happen?"

"I was prepared if they ever show up and they did."

Both of you burst into laughter, and the thought of your parents vanished from your head. You and Severus had some bumps in the roads of your relationship with him, but the journey would never end, as it was only starting, and you were ready for anything that was coming your way, as long as you had him.

"I love you, Severus."

"Until the end of the time?"

"Until the end of the time."

- - - -

You walked into his private office in your shared home, your eyes were wandering around to find the book he wanted. You squinted your eyes when you saw books scattering on his table, making it hard for you to recognise it.

"Which book do you need, love?"

You said loudly, so that your husband who was in the living room could hear you. You knitted your eyebrows in confusion when he replied with "The brown one", when most of his books were either black or brown. That man was complicated, but nevertheless, you loved him.

You were looking for the book when suddenly something caught your eye. It was a small notebook, which you had never noticed Severus had in his possession before. It was quite new, and out of curiosity, you decided to open it.

You smiled, and your heart cried, when you realised he had been writing about his days with you. You could not help but squealed internally when you came across your wedding picture with him, and his writing on the next page was heart-warming.

"Everyone told me my wedding day would be the best day of my life. And I always thought them as petty, but then when I decided to marry Y/N, I know their words were true. But I don't think it was memorable because it was my wedding day, but it was meaningful because I got to say my vows to her, I got to kiss her, I got to dance with her and I got to spend my whole life with her.

It was the best day of my life because of Y/N.

The day was extremely majestic to me. I could still remember seeing birds singing on my window that morning. It was a usual sight which I would usually shrug off and leave, they were just birds. But on that particular day, I was noticing them in a different way, suddenly the birds meant a lot more to me. That day, they were not just birds. It felt as if they were reminding me that my soul was singing for Y/N, and she was the melody of my heart.

And I could still remember the smiles on my friends' faces. If it was any other day, I would just look away from them. But on that particular day, their smiles made me feel so happy, and nervous at the same time. I could still see pride in Minerva's eyes, and as if it was not enough, she said she was proud of me for coming so far with Y/N. I could still hear the laughter from Hagrid, glad to know that his best friend was getting married, even if she was getting married to me, the person who never acknowledged him much.

But the things from that day that I would remember for the rest of my life were: the way my heart skipped a beat when I first saw her walking down the aisle, the way I almost cried when I kissed her, and the way I finally cried after the wedding, when it hit me hard that I was the luckiest man alive because Y/N married me.

Most of all, I remember smiling at her, when she declared her love for me for the thousandth time, and yet, every time she said it, it felt like the first time. Everything was going to be different starting from that day, but somehow I was not afraid of changes. It seems like I am not afraid of anything when I am with her.

That particular day, my wedding day, made me realise that it was special because of Y/N. And how grateful I was to get to live with her for the rest of my life. I vow to make her feel special for the rest of her life too, and I will love her, cherish her, until the end of the time.

- S.S "

You were broken from your thoughts when you heard your husband's footsteps coming closer to the room, realising how much time you had taken to find his book. You did not even care to hide the fact that you were reading his secret notebook when he walked into his office, immediately noticing it in your hands.

"I bet you didn't find the book I wanted?"

He guessed, a smirk was dancing on his lips. You shook your head, smiling when he walked closer towards you, trapping you against the wall.

"I didn't. But I found something better than that."

You announced, and Severus snatched his notebook from you, unable to hide his smile. You really loved him, and to know that you meant the world to him was only making you fall for him even harder. You realised Severus knew which page of the book you were reading, so you decided to give him your own wedding reflection.

"I remember the way my heart skipped a beat when I first saw you waiting for me at the end of the aisle, the way I cried when you said your vows, the way I cried again after the wedding for two reasons, the first one was I cried because you were crying. And the second reason was, it hit me hard that I was the luckiest woman alive because you married me."

You said, caressing his face gently in your hands. Severus sighed in content, shutting his eyes as he savour your soft touch on him. He wrapped his arms around your waist, letting you rest your head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

"I will love you, cherish you, until the end of the time, Severus Snape."