Dear Harry Potter

Chapter Nine

Dear Harry Potter,

I left today. You tried to stop me with the imperious curse, which was obviously a severe lack in judgement on your part. No one has ever tried to cast the imperious curse on me before, not even the Dark Lord. I'm still debating on whether it was bravery or idiocy that drove you to make your decision. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.

You sent me a letter after I left, not that I'm surprised. What is it with you and your fixation on letters? It may have worked out for the best though, because I'm actually writing on the back of the letter now.

You asked me to come home. Since when has Grimmauld Place become "home"? It doesn't matter, I suppose, because I can't go back, even if I would like to. And I don't want to, in case you were wondering. I can't return, because you want nothing more than to control me.

And I killed someone. There, I said it. How do you feel about that, hm?

Perhaps I'll see you again during visitation hours when they place me in a cell in Azkaban.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

******

Dear Harry Potter,

You tried to kill me today. Well, it wasn't you, obviously. It was most likely some kind of potion or curse. Either way, I fully regret my decision to return home.

Merlin, I keep telling myself that, that I regret coming home. But somehow I don't, because I ended up saving you. And when you were under the influence of a dark curse or potion, you came to me. That's an odd thing to be flattered by, isn't it? The fact that you tried to kill me and not someone else.

I felt your true power today, when you attacked me. If I hadn't been able to convince you to let me go, you would have killed me. You're much stronger then I am. I wonder why you keep such power bottled up inside you. Are you afraid of it? I can't help but think that you are.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

*******

Dear Harry,

Yes, its just Harry now. Why? Because you asked me to call you that, earlier this morning. And that was the moment that I knew I made the right decision in getting you a gift for Irenic's Day.

When you had a nightmare, I came and sat next to your bed for awhile. You were still wearing the bracelet I got you.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

******

Dear Harry,

You received several pictures from Miss Parkinson today. You insisted on showing me the pictures, though Merlin knows why. I couldn't help but notice how close you and Mr. Malfoy have become. It makes me wonder just how close you two truly are.

I finally gathered the courage to ask you about your boggart. I will admit, it hurt to hear that I represent the war for you, that it hurts to look at me. I couldn't find it in me to be mad, though. Because when I look in the mirror, I see the war too.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

*****

Dear Harry,

You said that I looked like my father today, and that I'm probably exactly like him.

I hope I'm not. I hope you never look at me and see the man that my father is. That's why I dropped the Snape title. I never want to hear you call me "Snape" ever again.

It's only Severus now. I thought that it might bother me at first, you calling me by my first name. But it doesn't. Maybe its the way that you say it, but I could listen to you say it as often as you wished.

Sincerely,

Severus