Written January 9, 2006 for the birthday of Severus Snape.
Happy Birthday, Severus!
Snape was one of the few who'd walk through the Forbidden Forest without fear. Many thought that was because he was more frightening than any monsters within it. His friends, the few who'd call themselves that, believed that given the horrors of the war nothing could frighten him now.
They were wrong.
He was forty today and he feared his life would continue unchanged.
He was wrong.
"I believe you told me to look you up when I was no longer a teenager who couldn't tell the difference between love and a silly crush?"
"Miss Granger?"
"Hermione... Happy Birthday, Severus."