Disclaimer: Characters and events are the property of J.K. Rowling.
12 June 1992
Severus,
I must first say that I am performing this task against my will and without regard to my own self-interest. I do it at the behest of your father whom I am loathe to upset right now. I am to tell you he would like his copy of Sunshine & Daffodils back. I ask you spare me your charming protests that your possession of it was purely accidental. By whatever means you came by it matters not. Of course, you have had it nearly ten years now, and some might wonder why you would continue to hold on to a book of such dubitable social value. I make no judgements mind you, but very few outside the population of seventh year female Hufflepuffs truly enjoy such twaddle. Well, them and your father that is.
While I am thinking of it, I was attempting to brew a #wa# certain potion day before last and had the rather unfortunate experience of the entire concoction exploding with a smell I can only describe as godawful. Any idea as to what might have gone wrong? Or were your years as an apprentice wasted? It seems to me that…
Oh dear, your father is repeating his insistence that you return that horrible book. I don't know what has got him in such a mood, one would think he had only recently discovered its absence when in fact hardly a day goes by when he doesn't make some mention of its loss. It occurs to me that it is from him that you must get this stubborn streak of yours to hold grudges well past their expiry date. You certainly never received such a horrible flaw from me.
Please do refrain from using one of the school owls for your reply this time around. The last one made rather a mess on the sitting room sofa. Deplorable, really, I don't know who is training these animals. And he seemed so… forthright about it all. One might almost think he'd been doing it deliberately.
#Regards# Happy Birthday Severus
Mother