Letter to Me
A/N - Part three!
I'm not sure if everyone will like this one because of the odd pairing but oh well I hope it doesn't put you off reading the rest of the letters!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
Hermione Granger didn't forget things, ever, she was efficient in almost everything that she did, it was what had landed her the job she had. Being a teacher meant you had to be organised and prepared for anything, she liked that, she was good at that.
She hadn't forgotten about her letter, she knew it was some time this year she would receive it, although she wasn't entirely sure of the things she had written in said letter, after all it had been 20 years ago.
When Hermione walked into the great hall and took her seat at the head table she sat down just as the post arrived. Thinking nothing of it Hermione tucked into some breakfast, perfectly content until a letter was dropped onto her plate of eggs.
Hermione smiled as she ripped open the letter, she was so anxious to read it.
Dear Me,
In 20 years time I hope you have learned to loosen up a little Hermione. Knowing Harry and Ron has made me realise that life isn't all about books and cleverness, sure I'm smart and I can probably do whatever job I want too, but there are more important things, like courage and strength and love.
I hope this letter reaches you, and by that I mean I hope you survive the war. I hope Harry and Ron and Ginny and Luna and Neville survive it too, hell in a perfect world I hope everyone survives, and that Voldemort is defeated, for good this time.
I know that won't happen, I'm not naïve. If it comes down to it I will fight with Harry, so will Ron, we discussed it over the summer. He's our best friend and if he chooses to fight Voldemort we will be with him every step of the way.
I hope you don't regret that decision 37 year-old me, because if the situation was reversed, we both know Harry would do the same for us, or for Ron.
I hope you are luckier in love now than I am. Ron was a complete disaster after all that went down between him and Lavender Brown. I hope you don't develop stupid crushes on people you know you can't have, people who are damaged or emotionally unavailable, people twice your age for crying out loud.
Since you are me I believe I know you very well so I think when you look back on this letter you will think about this phase of your life and feel very stupid, unless you have changed a lot in the 20 years from now. I think you will look back to your 6th year and the man who you fell in love with and wonder why you ever fooled yourself into believing it was something more than a convenient relationship.
Everyone thinks I'm perfect, that I'm perfect Hermione Granger and that when I'm not in the common room I'm in the library. Everyone judges me on the marks I get, they think because I ace my tests I'm a good girl, but oh God if they knew what I'd been doing this year they would think otherwise for sure. I wonder, future Hermione, if you ever told anyone about this? Anyone other than Ginny who screamed at you when you told her. I doubt you ever told Harry and Ron, they'd kill him.
As I stated you are me, so you will remember how it all began, but in case you have ever blocked this memory from your head I'll refresh your memory. I spent the summer at Grimmauld place, but Ron was never around, he was always off helping with the cleaning or sneaking out. I was left alone and took to hiding out in a little balconied area I found, but he found it too, and we sat in silence, both of us reading on countless occasions before we actually exchanged words.
I said I wondered if he had a book I could borrow, he said he did, I finished the book in an hour and we talked about it, I had been surprised that he had read it because it was a muggle book, it is my favourite, is it still your favourite? "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte. I told him that he reminded me of Heathcliff, he stood up and walked closer to me and asked me if I thought he was mysterious and passionate underneath his dark, closed off shell. I wasn't exactly sure what was happening but I said yes, the next thing I knew he had kissed me, and it was in a way that no one had ever kissed me before. Oh future Hermione, do you still get weak at the knees when you think of that kiss? Does anyone compare to it?
I'm sure you will remember vividly how we avoided each other all summer after that, then on the last day before our return to school Dumbledore assigned me to a task, I was to work with him at Hogwarts, help him pass the information, help with a potion to make the operation easier. I agreed of course because it would look suspicious if I didn't. In that potions classroom the tension filled the air for 2 hours before eventually I succumbed to it and kissed him, and well, do I have to remind you how that night finished? I'm sure that is a memory that you will never forget.
There was a thrill of it all, he was a teacher and I was his pupil, it was against dozens of rules and regulations, not to mention both wizarding and muggle law, but we kept meeting up in secret, I borrowed Harry's cloak and snuck into my dorm late at night more nights than I can remember. If anyone who thought of me as such a good girl knew about this…well it would be a scandal that would make Rita Skeeter drool.
The thing is future Hermione, I've fallen for him, I've totally fallen for him, and he doesn't know, it's not exactly something I want him to find out about either.
So I hope you are happy, I hope you have no regrets, I hope you became a healer, or maybe a charms professor, and I hope you stopped sleeping with your Potions professor because I think we both knew/know that something like that can only end in tears. I hope you remember that searing kiss, and I hope you remember that first night, that amazing unforgettable night, but I hope you found someone good for you, something steady, and for the love of Merlin something legal!
Love from your sincerely silly love-struck 17 year old self!
Hermione grinned as she looked down at her familiar handwriting, laughing to herself about its contents.
"I didn't realise you enjoyed it that much." A smooth voice said from next to her, Hermione jumped, turning to her husband, who was smirking at her, looking like he was trying very hard to not burst out with a full out smug grin.
The colour rose in Hermione's cheeks, "Oh hush Severus, I was 17 years old." She said quietly.
Severus chuckled, "I'm glad you found me thrilling and searing." He said, and although she knew he was joking she detected a little genuine meaning in his voice and in his words.
Hermione smiled down at the letter, "I guess I was wrong, about a silly little affair like that only ending in tears." She said, happy that she had been wrong.
"I believe you were very wrong indeed." Severus agreed, his hand brushing over hers as he smiled at her, the gesture wasn't much but she understood its meaning, he was happy that she had been wrong.
"Professor Snape."
"Yes?" Both Severus and Hermione said at once.
Minerva McGonagall rolled her eyes, "Hermione." She corrected, having two Snapes was so confusing.
"Yes?" Hermione said, chuckling at her husbands annoyed look.
"Is that your letter from your 17 year old self?" The older woman asked.
Hermione nodded, "Yes it is." She said, chuckling.
McGonagall asked, "May I read it?"
Severus's eyes widened, no one had known about their affair, he grabbed the letter, muttered a spell and burnt it, looking up to see Hermione trying very hard not to laugh and McGonagall looking shocked beyond belief.
"Severus!" Hermione scolded, but they both knew that her heart wasn't in it.
McGonagall just smirked, the corners of her lips twitching upwards, "Oh don't worry, we all knew about your affair anyway." She said, turning to a conversation with Professor Sprout as if what she had said had just been a casual good morning.
Severus's jaw dropped and Hermione burst out laughing, no one had ever left him speechless before, it had to be a record!
