Chapter 20
It was the ninth of January and Severus' birthday. A day he neither hated nor celebrated – he just ignored it. He had never had real friends who would remember his birthday and then even congratulate him or give him presents. Except for Lily maybe but that was over twenty years ago…
The only person in Hogwarts who knew of his birthday was Dumbledore because the date stood in his file. But the headmaster had finally understood that it was better not to mention it to the Potions Master, for his first attempt of congratulating him had ended in a shouting Severus and a sulking Dumbledore…
Therefore, this day normally was like every other of the year. But today would prove to be the exception. For as Severus sat in the teachers' room after dinner reading the Evening Prophet, an owl knocked on the window.
Minerva opened it and let the bird inside who then directly flew to Severus delivering a small letter to him.
Severus looked up surprised. He identified the owl as one of the school owls, so the letter had to be by someone from Hogwarts. Maybe one of his Slytherins needed help – or just attention? But when he laid the newspaper aside and took the letter in his hands, he recognised the handwriting at once. It was Hermione's. With a fast beating heart, he opened the piece of parchment and read the rather short letter.
.
Dear Professor Snape,
Happy Birthday. Let your next year in life be full of joy and brilliant ideas.
Yours sincerely,
Hermione Granger
.
Severus smiled despite her formal address. She had congratulated him, she thought of him, obviously still liked him. He was always glad for every glance she secretly gave him, every word she said in class, every single letter she wrote him. Anything to feel near her although he couldn't…
Sunk in thoughts and grinning broadly while reading the letter again and again, he didn't notice Minerva leaving the teachers' room – and someone else entering it.
"Good news, Severus?" Albus chuckled.
Severus looked at him shocked and probably guilty, for the headmaster raised his eyebrows questioning. And without a word but with full comprehension he held out his hand and Severus reluctantly handed over the letter. He could have resisted, of course, but since his job meant his life and Dumbledore was the person who decided over his further employment or not, he didn't really have a choice, did he?
The headmaster read the letter and sighed. "Is this the first letter by Miss Granger?"
Severus gulped involuntarily. "The second…"
"I'm going to write her to stop this," Albus announced.
"Why?" Severus shouted surprised. "You saw for yourself how innocent her words are!"
"Are they? Are they indeed?"
Severus looked away.
"I can see what these words do to you and thus, this also falls under the prohibitions of this school. I cannot and will not control the letter correspondence of Hogwarts. Therefore, I unfortunately have to forbid it."
"Why are you of all people so against love?" Severus asked accusingly, standing up straight. The Headmaster was known for his utter faith in love and often meddled with the people around him to achieve more love in the world. But now?
"Because, simply, it is against the rules."
"And what about Potter?!" shouted Severus getting irritated. "He has violated the rules many times over the last years and never has been punished for that. On the contrary, he even got Special Awards for Services to the School!"
"I can understand your anger, Severus. But I know that you can also understand the importance of rules. Especially this one."
The Potions Master sighed. "I don't deny that I can understand the forbidding of a teacher-student-relationship and I perhaps should apologise for my previous actions. I know I should be ashamed of almost kissing her. But I can absolutely not understand what you have against simple letters?! How else can we… we… survive?!"
Albus looked at him over his half-moon glasses sceptically. "You don't really love her, do you?"
Severus narrowed his eyes, then snorted disapproving, snatched the letter out of the headmaster's hand and stormed out of the teachers' room.
How did he dare to impute this to him?!
HGSS
The next morning Hermione received an owl at breakfast. She glanced at the teachers' table at once but Severus wasn't there, yet. Maybe this letter was his response? But the content differed extremely from what she had expected.
.
Dear Miss Granger,
please feel informed that it is also prohibited to be in a letter correspondence with Professor Snape.
Yours faithfully,
Albus Dumbledore
.
Silent tears started to roll over her cheeks and onto her plate. Now she had no possibility of communicating with him at all…