Mary pulled back, tears stinging her eyes as she grinned at him. Those words were the most precious to her - just as precious as the first time he'd told her he loved her. And she couldn't stop herself, she brushed his cheeks with her fingers and pressed a tender kiss to his lips.
"I'll always treat you that way, Severus," she whispered. "Even if you hadn't come back changed, I would have still reached out to you. And what matters most to me right now is that you're doing the same for me. Loving me when I feel like my world is broken and when I don't feel at home in my own skin."