Disclaimer; Unfortunately, I only own Ophelia, Claude and Tegan.

Note; I am so sorry! Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. :[

The Life-Changing Letter

Minerva McGonagall was a very old and wise woman, but she still couldn't fully understand the Slytherin Professor. She had seen that there was some inner turmoil, and that he was acting extremely unlike himself, but she had no idea of a way to brooch the subject with him and have a civil discussion. The solution finally came to her one evening, when she was having a light hearted conversation with the portrait of a particular former headmaster. He listened intently while she explained what she could to him, but his eyes began to twinkle as best as they could when she was finished.

Leaning back into his chair, his voice was surprisingly strong and alive, "It seems that you may need to suggest to our dear Defense Against the Darks Arts teacher the perfect way of apologizing to a woman."

"How exactly would I tell him, if he'll only glare at me and storm off to his dungeon?" McGonagall was skeptical, but not against the idea. Glancing at the clock, she realized that Severus would be leaving soon and they needed to hurry.

"What have been the best apologies from a man that has scorned you?" Albus, as always, was trying to lead her to an answer instead of out right telling her. She realized this and was immediately irked; however, she knew that it would just be faster to humor him. He continued without an answer, "Then perhaps that is how he should handle the situation."

Severus was still packing all of his daughter's things when the knock came to his door. He bid whoever it was to enter without even looking up, but he had an idea as to who it was. Headmaster McGonagall merely strolled several steps into his office and stood patiently, "I was just coming to visit your daughter before she was off again."

"I will be leaving in fifteen minutes, but it would help if you could entertain her while I pack," he had long given in to the idea of McGonagall acting as a grandparent to the child.

"Hello there, Tegan," the older woman cooed. She allowed Tegan to latch onto her finger and she wiggled it around to entertain the baby, "How's your mommy doing?"

Severus, having overheard the question, was aware that the question was really directed at him. He wasn't going to answer, but he wasn't quite control of his tongue lately. "She's doing fine. She started working in a bookshop in London."

"Maybe you could suggest that she write to me and explain her actions, or rather her inaction, and I just may forgive her," McGonagall's were practically twinkling. Severus couldn't help but think that the woman was taking lessons from that old codger Dumbledore.

Severus seemed to have everything ready in no time flat, and he contemplated everything that the headmaster had said. She seemed to have suggested that he compose a letter that would explain how he felt and why he reacted the way he did, and that may be apology enough. Of course he wouldn't write the letter with McGonagall in the room, and it would take longer than fifteen minutes to explain himself. However, the idea had some merit: he would have to try it.

Ophelia was behind the counter and ringing up an older lady when Severus walked in, and she immediately grinned at him and her child. The woman smiled at Tegan and tried to make her smile before sharing her thoughts, "You guys are one cute family!" Hearing this, Severus' insides immediately began flutter and he had to remind himself that he was in public. He wanted to correct the kind old woman, but he noticed that Ophelia just smiled and bid her farewell.

When the door had shut once more, he placed the wriggling baby in her mothers arms. She immediately began asking all sorts of cute questions, "What did you do with daddy this weekend? Did you have lots of fun?"

"She was a bit fussy Friday evening after you left, but I can't blame her for missing you," Severus nearly slapped himself for not reigning in his tongue. He couldn't take the comment back, so he continued speaking as if it hadn't happened, "On Saturday we played with Hagrid's new puppy and today was just another lazy day."

"Wow!" Ophelia tactfully ignored his blunder, and focused on the rest, "You had a fun weekend with Daddy, didn't you? But now we get to read until mummy is off of work!"

Severus waited patiently for a moment, but he couldn't remain there forever. Even though he enjoyed watching her play with their daughter, he knew that he had to get started on his plan. His voice was still soft, "I will be taking my leave, then."

Ophelia glanced up, surprised, and turned back towards him, "Tegan, say 'goodbye'!"

The babble that ensued was taken as a farewell, and Severus placed a tender kiss on her forehead before swiftly exiting the small book shop. Ophelia stared after him, wondering what he was thinking about, but quickly turned back to her daughter. Propping open the large pop up book, she began to read to Tegan.

Severus had been sitting in front of his desk for what had felt like forever, and he didn't seem to be getting anywhere. In reality, it had been the two free hours he had after each work day, and it was only Wednesday. He had started to write the letter, and he would always find something wrong with what he had written and crumple it up and throw in the waste bin. It was when he had thrown away his fourth attempt did he make a decision; it didn't have to be perfect, and in fact the imperfections would make it more real, but it did have to accurately describe his feelings. He managed to finish the letter several hours later, but then he had to figure out how he was going to deliver it.

If he sent it now, that meant that they would discuss it when she dropped Tegan off and he didn't know if that's quite what he wanted. He could always send it with her after she left, and she could have the weekend to think about the contents of the letter. It only took him a moment to decide that that was the best idea, and that he should slip it in her pocket to find later.

The next two days of classes passed by so slowly, that Severus contemplated letting them out early Friday afternoon. However, he knew that that would cause suspicion, and he'd have to pay for it later. So it was at the normal time that he met Ophelia down by the gates of Hogwarts. As he carefully took the wriggling baby from her arms, he slipped the rolled up parchment into her pocket. He quietly bade her farewell and watched her disapperate back home.

Ophelia was taking her cloak off to begin working at the book shop when she felt the letter. It was a Friday, so she was unable to read it until Claude forced her into the back room for a break. She had noticed that her Professor seemed to be in a peculiar mood, and Ophelia had learned to expect the worst. With her cup of tea, she sat down in Claude's comfiest chair and began reading the surprisingly long letter.

Ophelia,

I cannot begin to explain how deeply sorry I am. I told you a little of my past, but I left out the most important chapters; Lily Evans. I fell in love with Lily from the first moment I laid eyes on her, but the love only grew as we grew up together. When we finally hit the age to attend Hogwarts, she was sorted into Gryffindor and I was sorted into Slytherin. Although our houses were enemies, we remained as close as we could: until the day that James Potter began to fancy her.

At first, she rejected him with such a fury that I hoped it was because her feelings were elsewhere. However, she began to fall for his charms and befriend him and his cohorts. They were cruel to me, Ophelia, and it was their cruelty that pushed me to do something that I'm not proud of. I made what some muggles might call a Freudian slip and called her the most horrid name that anyone could call a muggle born: mudblood. From the moment that the word passed my lips, she had shunned me and turned to that prat Potter. Lily broke my heart, because she chose that 'golden boy' Potter or me, and I had never found it in my heart to love anyone else.

To say that I lack self esteem would be accurate, but it is more that I would rather hurt you before you can hurt me. I have built up so many walls so that no one can inflict that much pain on me again, but you have managed to slip through each one without me even realizing it. So seeing you with younger, handsome boys was a surprising sting. Without thinking in the logical manner I usually use, I lashed out and assumed that you were upgrading. I only pushed you away because I didn't want you to leave of your own free will.

At first, I felt that I was justified in my anger and that you had actually intended to hurt me. However, after only a few days did I realize that I was absolutely out of my mind. I had inadvertently locked you up like a caged bird, and I shouldn't have been so shocked that you would want to see your friends. So I've been rotting in my dungeon with guilt, and I have been trying to figure out a way to make you see how sorry I am. This is the only way that I know how, and I'm sorry that it's not more grandiose than you deserve.

I want you to know that you are quite like Lily, but a million times better. You are just as intelligent, funny and patient, but you are far more beautiful, far more kind and far more loyal. You have provided me with a beautiful daughter, and it gives me no greater joy than to see you two together. Well it would make me so much happier if you would come back home, with me. I love you, Ophelia, and I miss you. I know that I don't deserve you, but I have to try. Please consider coming back home while you have the free time, and we can discuss it further when I bring Tegan back to you.

Sincerely,

Severus Tobias Snape

Ophelia set the letter down and took a very deep breath; what exactly was she supposed to think about that? This was the moment that Claude chose to poke his head back in and asked her to come back out. So she did exactly what Severus asked her to do: she thought about everything that he had said in the letter.