Yours, Severus Snape.

Chapter 2 - Yours Regrettably,

While dining in The Great Hall that evening, Severus was unable to keep Miss Granger's little note out of his mind. Her presumptuousness had managed to enthrall him, as her missive had promised. It was getting increasingly tempting to reply to the witch, however the last thing he wanted was to give her that satisfaction of beating him. He should take house points for her impudence.

Severus speared a potato onto his fork in defeat. There was a particular line that was bothering him. "These are the questions that keep me awake at night."  What on Earth did the inane girl have to worry about so much that sleep eluded her? Were her existential ramblings really that important to her? 

Personally, Severus had spent many a insomnia riddled night wondering what the meaning of his existence was. Years ago, he had simply jumped to the conclusion that he was not meant to be his own man. His role in this life was to a be pawn to much more powerful forces. Severus had given up any sort of dreams, decision-making, hobbies or creature comforts since his confounded epiphany. 

He was an eternal servant. 

Severus was determined to discover what exactly 16 year old Miss Granger was so concerned about. "Is suffering necessary for existence?"  How many teenagers dared ask such a question? What kind of suffering was she talking about, exactly? He doubted he would be able to relax until he replied. It was settled then. Severus was going to return to his office after dinner and write a reply. 

____

Miss Granger,

I will elect to ignore your assumption that we are intellectual equals. 

They say that the most valuable life lesson is learning from your mistakes, which will not occur if you live so carefully as to make none. I have made plenty of mistakes during my life, and I have suffered the consequences. Do I feel like the suffering was necessary? 

On the one hand, if we do not suffer then how do we know happiness? On the other hand, do I truly feel happy? No. Do I feel like I have learnt from those mistakes? yes.

I do feel like there is cause for concern, Miss Granger, that such a complex question plagues such a young and seemingly unaffected mind. Perhaps you could try thinking of something else?

If you are as smart as you claim, you will kindly stop writing me.

Yours regrettably, 

SS 

Sending the letter via owl, Severus was quite happy to have seen the last of his correspondence with Miss Granger. Feeling the metaphorical weight lift off of his shoulders, Severus felt better able to focus and relaxed back into his chair. He had a pile of marking on his desk that he had been ignoring for the past couple of days. It was so large that it was beginning to look rather precarious. It was unlike him to leave his work, but Severus had been summoned each night for the past 4 days. Life as a double agent was exhausting. 

Severus estimated that he had spent more time laying in an infirmary cot than he had in his own bed. over the last couple of months. Since the second-coming of the Dark Lord, there had been an increase in orders to weedle out all of the rats in the Death Eater ranks. Those who had openly sold out the Dark Lord after the first war had been killed. Many had been tortured on the floor of Malfoy manor (The Dark Lords preferred meeting place), until they either confessed or perished. Severus had not been left out. 

The Dark Lord, however, seemed satisfied with Severus's loyalty. The same could not be said for the Malfoy family, who were only kept around for their riches and their connections. 

The clock chimed 12, causing the Professor to look up from his papers. Time had run away with him, but Severus was satisfied that his pile of marking was adequately smaller than it had when he had first looked at it. He retired to his chambers, sparing a brief thought for Miss Granger. Hopefully she was satisfied and would leave him alone. 

Unfortunately, he was not so lucky. 

The young witch thought it appropriate to continue writing him, sometimes filling her letters with menial details about her day, or her friends or her other classes. Other times, she would ask him deep questions that required him to sit and ponder the matter for half an hour with a cup of tea, before replying. After a month or so, Severus was beginning to enjoy his letters from Miss Granger. He would never admit it. He felt like he was beginning to understand the girl on a deeper level. Indeed, they were very similar. Although he would not consider her a friend, she was merely an acquaintance. It would be impossible for him to think of any of his students as friends. He liked his personal and his private life to be very much separate. 

They had never acknowledged their new found connection in person until Miss Granger lingered after class one Thursday afternoon. Severus was parched, and was debating whether to ask a house elf to bring him a pot of tea to his office, or to retreat to his quarters in search of something more potent. He had a bottle of 10 year matured Ogdens for such days as these.

The damned witch cleared her throat to get his attention, the silence suddenly becoming very pronounced in the empty classroom. 

"Miss Granger, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He sneered, unable to help himself. It was automatic at this point. 

"I'm sure you've heard from Professor Dumbledore and Professor Slughorn that Harry has been excelling in potions recently." Miss Granger said, looking rather timid under his gaze. 

"If you've come to request extra tutoring so that you can return to your status as class know-it-all, then I shall remove house points for wasting my time, girl." Severus replied sharply. 

Miss Granger seemed to summon some courage from somewhere. "No. Of course not! I wanted you to know that Harry has a book. Actually, I think it's your Potions textbook from when you were a pupil, Sir." She asserted. 

Severus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. His textbook had been his pride and joy when he was in school. His notes would probably rival Miss Granger's. "How can you be sure?"

"I recognized your handwriting. You called yourself the Half-blood prince." 

"Do not tell Potter that the book belongs to me. He may continue to use it, providing he doesn't use any of the spells I created. You must tell me if he does, Miss Granger." Professor Snape warned. "Some of those spells are dangerous."

"Of course, sir." Miss Granger swung her bag over her shoulder and turned to leave before Severus stopped her. 

"You will continue to write over Christmas break?" Snape hadn't initially intended the question to be voiced out loud, but the words can escaped his lips involuntarily.

"I would be delighted." Miss Granger smiled. 

Snape avoided looking her in the eye. "I will look for your owl." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.