Well well well. Prompt # 10! Only ninety one more to go. Sorry if this one is a bit sappy.
Note: italics is thought and bold is the letter's contents
Prompt #10: Letter
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own. And I also do not own any poems used. The author is listed at the end of the poem.
Seven Rare Gifts
Severus was not in a good mood when he stalked into his private rooms. He stormed over to his wine cabinet and poured himself a glass of wine. He collapsed onto his couch with a sigh. He propped his feet on the coffee table but immediately took them off when he saw what was on the table. He leaned forward and stared at the green present on top of a letter. He picked it up slowly and waved his wand over it. Its contents seemed to be safe so he opened it. He held up the container of Horntail dragon scales with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. These form of dragon scales were not particularly rare, but were expensive. He set them to the side and picked up the letter. He read it with a sense of more confusion and disdain.
That you were once unkind befriends me now
That you were once unkind befriends me now,
And for that sorrow, which I then did feel,
Needs must I under my transgression bow,
Unless my nerves were brass or hammered steel.
For if you were by my unkindness shaken
As I by yours, y'have passed a hell of time,
And I, a tyrant, have no leisure taken
To weigh how once I suffered in your crime.
O, that our night of woe might have remembered
My deepest sense how hard true sorrow hits,
And soon to you, as you to me then, tendered
The humble salve which wounded bosoms fits!
But that your trespass now becomes a fee;
Mine ransoms yours, and yours must ransom me.
-William Shakespeare-
Severus snorted and threw the letter back onto the coffee table. A Shakespeare love sonnet. It was probably some student's idea of a trick. But no student knows where you live. He pushed away that thought but another came unbidden. And this gift seems a bit expensive for a prank. His eyes darted between the present and the letter. With a sigh he took the scales and put them in his private supplies. He reread the letter, and tucked it into the book he had been reading that morning. He then chuckled quietly to himself. Someone had sent him a love letter. Prank or not, it was still amusing.
XXX XXX XXX
Two days passed without a word from his "admirer" as Severus sarcastically called him or her. Severus sat next to Harry at the teacher's table, attempting to ignore the cheerful DADA professor.
"How are you today Severus?" Severus grunted and sipped his coffee.
"That good huh? I'm great myself. Yesterday I-"
"Potter?" Harry stopped short.
"Yes?"
"Shut up." Harry laughed but did as he was told. A few moments later the owls swooped in. Much to Severus' surprise, his brown owl delivered more than just the normal newspaper. Severus noticed Harry looking on as he fingered the small red package. He set the letter to the side and his nimble fingers unwrapped the package. There was a clear sphere and suspended in it was a yellow tear-shaped gem. Severus was a little shocked by this gift. King's Tear was a rare gem that when crushed was a key ingredient to the Draught of Living Death. He set it down carefully and picked up the letter. He read it with a mocking smirk.
Nothing is sweeter than Love; and every other joy
is second to it: even the honey I spit out of my mouth.
Thus Nossis says: and who didn't love Kypris,
doesn't know what sort of roses her flowers are.
-Nossis-
But at least this wasn't Shakespeare. This showed that at least his "admirer" had some brains. Obscure ancient geek poets were not for the light hearted. He felt eyes on him and turned to a curious Harry.
"What did it say?" Severus raised an eyebrow and tucked the letter into his robes. He picked up the sphere and stood.
"I believe that is none of your business Potter." As he left he heard an exasperated sigh.
"How many times will have to tell him to call me Harry?"
XXX XXX XXX
A week later, in the middle of his third year Slytherin class there was a tap at his door. Severus attempted to ignore it but the noise was very persistent. With a growl he flung the door open and a grey owl flew in. It deposited a letter and a purple package before it flew out his door again. He returned to the lesson but realized all his students were focused on the package and not him. With a sigh he dismissed the students early and sat at his desk. Without hesitating this time he opened the package and pulled out a clear flask. Green scaly skin floated in a yellowish liquid. Severus took out the cork and sniffed the contents lightly. His eyes grew wide as he put the stopper back in. If he was correct, that was Basilisk skin soaked in Basilisk venom. Any part of the Basilisk was rare and hard to find. He quickly put it in his private supply closet and turned to the letter. He read the letter and his sense of shock grew.
Beauty Beyond Memory
When memories cry
When memories fade and die
I'm going to grow old
My passion
My fiery passion
My flaming lust is going to grow cold
But my heart will always flow with a molten, love lava
In your name this lava flows through my veins
My heart beats for you
My heart will never cease to beat your name
When I lose my charm and my glamour
When I lose my physique and my game
When I'm old and wrinkly
When I cannot look myself in the mirror
I'll still stare at you
When memories fade
When I forget the days of the week
And the months of the year
When I mix names
And faces
The memory of you
Will always shine bright and clear
Your image
Has been burnt to my memory
I will never forget your radiance and beauty
I will die happy
With the image of your sweet smile
On my mind
And love
On my lips and in my heart
-Hamzah Gani-
This was not a poem that hinted at love. This was a love poem through and through. Severus was assaulted with the thought that they might be genuine. He quickly pushed aside that thought and prepared for the next class.
XXX XXX XXX
About four days later, Severus sat down to breakfast. Harry was thankfully quiet this morning. Pensive, even. As the owls swooped in, Severus found himself looking for his owl, half hoping for another letter. He ignored that feeling but continued to look anyway. He felt a familiar nip at his fingers and looked down. His owl sat there with a blue package and a letter. Severus thanked his owl and gently opened the package. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the white powder inside the vial. He studied it closely and stifled a gasp. It was a very rare ingredient, powdered baby unicorn horn. Severus shook his head and banished it to his supply closet. He flicked open the letter and almost laughed when he read it.
Love Me
Love me in the Springtime, when all is green and new,
Love me in the Summer, when the sky is oh so blue,
Love me in the Autumn, when the leaves are turning brown,
Love me in the Winter, when the snow is falling down.
Love me when I'm happy, and even when I'm sad,
Love me when I'm good, or when I'm oh so bad,
Love me when I'm pretty, or if my face is plain,
Love me when I'm feeling good, or when I'm feeling pain.
Love me always darlin', in the rain or shining sun,
Love me always darlin', after all is said and done,
Love me always darlin', until all our life is through,
Love me always darlin', for I'll be lovin' you!
-Amanda Nicole Martinez-
It was so goddamn sappy it amused him. Either the sender didn't know him at all, which he doubted due to the gifts, or he was being teased. Seems it was just a prank. But those gifts. Severus sighed and put the letter into his robes. Harry stood up suddenly and left. Severus looked at the tense man and wondered what was wrong.
XXX XXX XXX
Severus woke up and almost yelped. A large black owl stared at his, a black package at its feet. It took off and flew through the open door. Severus rubbed his eyes and drew the package toward him. He opened it and cursed in suprise. A blood red liquid sloshed around in the flask. Severus shook his head in awe. Someone gave him the Blood of Merlin. While it wasn't actually Merlin's blood, it was extremely rare. This small flask most likely cost around 1,500 galleons. The Blood of Merlin was actually sap from the magical breed of the Litchi Chinensis tree. The sap looked amazingly like blood and had many magical properties. He set the flask aside and picked up the letter. Severus blushed as he read it, certain phrases catching his attention.
A Wish
I lie on the ground,
and stare into space,
the stars start to move,
into the shape of your face.
I see you there now,
looking down at me,
with that cute little smile,
that I like to see.
You say "close your eyes",
"tell me what you see",
I see only two people,
just you and me.
We're walking the shoreline,
with our feet getting wet,
the horizon turns pink,
as the sun starts to set.
We make love through the night,
on that white sandy shore,
then I hold you while thinking,
I could want nothing more.
Oh I wish I could be,
in that one special place,
as I lie on the ground,
and I stare into space...
-Randy Schutte-
Severus reread the letter three times before setting it aside. Severus smiled to himself a little and then frowned. He was not falling in love with this mysterious person. He did not need love. He just liked the gifts.
XXX XXX XXX
Severus sat at breakfast, ignoring Harry once more. He man was fidgeting nervously and blushed at anything that was said to him. Severus' owl dropped off his mail and he couldn't help but feel pleasure at the sight of the teal package and letter. He opened it quickly and pick up the small vial. It seemed empty but Severus was not fooled. He examined it closely and gasped quietly. An almost invisible silver strand was nestled in the vial. The hair of Veela was so rare that only the most renowned potions master had it in stock. Severus tucked it away gently and opened the letter. As he read it his heart started to beat faster.
Regret flows from the depths of my soul
With the strength of a flood
I have held these gates shut for too long
And though tormenting, they should not be stopped.
The thought of your anguish
Even as I write to you now
Stops my heart cold
As well it should
What I see in front of me
Is a painting of our love
Its most thoughtful brushstrokes
Mottled by hurried abstraction and inattention
A person who had not seen this masterpiece created
Might think it to be refuse and pass it by unknowingly
Letting be obscured the deep beauty of its many scenes
By layers of the tarnish of mistreatment
But as the painter
I see beyond the dark smears
To recall the hours that I attended to the details
And wonder how I could let it become so discolored
The painting that took me my life to create
Has lost its divinity in my careless treatment
And even if I were to refine it
I fear you would always see it as it is today
So today I paint a new masterpiece
One inspired by the muse of respect
A work that you can love through our old age
One that you will look to each day for inspiration
This one will take some time
As I want my brushstrokes to be carefully placed
I need to move steadily to ensure that this time,
My art represents my dream
This is my opus
Don't judge me on my past works
As I have never before had so much skill and inspiration
And never before have I wanted to please you as I do today
With you and my children as my muse
I will paint for you a lifetime
A portrait of devotion and friendship
A panorama of passion and admiration
All I ask is that you gaze upon it with an open heart
And you shall unquestionably love me again
-Daryl R. Swensson-
This poem was his favorite so far. He smiled and could no longer deny it. He felt something when he read these. Not love, but something. He folded it away and left. He did not noticed the beaming Harry Potter behind him.
XXX XXX XXX
Severus sat in his rooms, sipping his wine when he heard a pop. A silver package and letter had appeared by his side. He opened the package and peeked inside. The moment he saw the contents he froze. Breath would not come to him. The small vial of silver liquid shone in the light. It was Molten Star, a liquidus metal extracted from the center of a volcano. There were only about three vials in the whole world at any given time. As he gripped the vial in one hand, he read the letter with the other.
Freeze This Moment
We were sitting on your rooftop
Staring at the skies
The sun was dipping lower
I looked into your eyes
You saw what I was feeling
I know you felt it too
We wanted time to just stand still
Then forever there'd be me and you
Why can't we freeze this moment?
Return to it in time
Stay together through the years
Proclaim I'm yours and you are mine
So let us freeze this moment
Store it safely away
Even if we leave this place
We'll return to it someday
-Jenna Todd-
Severus was furious. How dare he? He thought that brat at least respected him. He stormed through the halls. He had never been so angry in his life. He flung open a door and stormed across the room. Harry Potter set his quill down with a sigh.
"Yes Severus?"
"What the fuck Potter?" Harry grimaced.
"Call me Harry."
"What the fuck is this?" Severus slammed the vial on the table and Harry lunged forward to keep it from breaking.
"Careful with that," he hissed, "it cost me a fortune!" Severus glared at Harry.
"Why Harry? Why spend all this time and money on a prank?" Harry looked down at his hands with a blush.
"It's not a prank." Severus snorted.
"Of course its not. The great Harry Potter is in love with his greasy ex-potions professor!" Harry glared at him.
"Its not!" Severus merely glared at him and turned to leave.
"How did you know it was me?" Severus stopped but didn't turn around.
"I remember that night during the Order mission when neither of us could sleep. We sat on the roof and watched the sun set. I felt…" Severus trailed off and Harry stood. He quietly walked over Severus and placed his hands on the taller man's shoulders.
"What did you feel Severus?" Severus turned around and looked into the emerald eyes.
"I felt…happy." Harry smiled softly.
"I did too. It was one of the few times I felt happy. It was when I…" Harry didn't say anything else, but they had both known what he had been going to say. Severus was quiet and just looked at Harry. Harry held out the silver vial, a question in his eyes. Severus slowly took it and put it into his robes. He drew Harry closer and Harry smiled up at him shyly. Severus smiled back and then kissed Harry. It was soft and sweet. Severus pulled back and Harry put his head onto Severus' chest.
"I will." Harry looked up confused.
"You will what?"
"Poem number four. Love you."
Ahhh, this is so sweet. The sappiness of this story kills me. But I really wanted a sickly-sweet story. I apologize if it makes you sick. But I regret nothing. By the way, do you know how hard it is to find seven poems Severus would not immediately reject? Very hard. And four was pushing it. Well I am done rambling for now.