CHAPTER THREE - Feelings from the past

Dumbledore shook his head after listening to Snape's story of how he came upon the letters and their contents.

"Poor dear... she seems lonely and unhappy!"

"Do you have any idea of how these letters could have ended up in my fireplace, Albus?" asked Snape.

"If there is any connection from this fireplace to another outside Hogwarts, and apparently in the muggle world, it's news to me as well," Dumbledore answered. "I'm not aware of anything of the sort, but you know that even after all these years, Hogwarts never ceases to surprise me!"

"Is there a way we could find out, perhaps the Ministry has it listed on the floo network?" Snape asked.

"Perhaps, but why don't you first find out the date the letter was written? That will give us a different perspective," reminded Dumbledore pointing to the spell book Snape was still holding.

Snape looked down at it and quickly opened on the page he had found the unveiling spell. He read it for a few seconds and pointing his wand said, "Reperire!'
The ink started to emerge on the paper, first light and then getting darker and visible.

The top of the first letter read. "March 21st 1963"

Snape couldn't help but feeling disappointed. He truly hoped, even if in an unconscious level, that he could if not talk to her, at least help her. But whatever was happening in her life then, it was gone now. If she was alive, she would be probably around McGonagall's age.

"Well, Severus, it seems like there's nothing else you can do for her..." Dumbledore stood up and proceeded to the door.

"Do not dwell on it, my boy," Dumbledore said gazing at him from the door, before turning to leave.

Snape was still staring into space, visibly disappointed. Why was he reacting like that, he couldn't explain, but he still had the urge to do something about it. He looked down at the letter, holding the envelope in his hand, rubbing his thumb on it absentmindedly, while thoughts raced back and forth in his mind. He stopped, straightened in his chair and reached for his wand.

Repeating the same spell, he pointed at the envelope. Slowly words started to emerge on it.


2272 Main St.
Houston Texas 77052
USA


He looked amazed at the address. "United States?" Who in Hogwarts could possibly have had any connection to someone over there?

He stood up with a start, talking to himself. "Of course, why didn't I think of it before?" With that he ran out the door, going to Dumbledore's office, when he thought better.

"I am acting like a bloody teenager, I can't ask Dumbledore again!" he thought for a moment and then headed back to his office, grabbing some floo powder and trowing it in the fireplace. The green flames raised noisily and he bent down saying, "Minerva McGonagall."

He looked into a little room with two flowery patterned chairs facing the fireplace where his head was floating amid the flames. He gazed past the chairs and saw a wall with several paintings on it.

McGonagall was nowhere to be seen, so he called out her name. There was a little noise, like the ruffling of clothes, in the back where his vision couldn't reach, and he heard footsteps approaching fast.

"Severus? Is there something wrong?" McGonagall asked alarmed.

"No, nothing wrong, I was just... er... I need to ask you a question," he said already regretting doing it.

She sat on one of the chairs looking curious. "Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt your holidays, how are you?" he asked trying to sound casual and not as desperate as he really was.

"I'm fine, Severus, what is it you want to ask? She frowned. "You look a little anxious, are you Ok?

"Yes, I am perfectly alright, Minerva, I just wanted to ask you about the time you started teaching here at Hogwarts," he started impatiently. "You were already a Professor back in the 60's, weren't you?"

She looked back at him frowning even harder, "Yes I was, but why suddenly the interest?"

"Who was the Potions Master back then? I understand he used to occupy the chambers I'm in now, right?" he asked.

"Yes, he was an american but a few years after I started teaching at Hogwarts, he retired and went back to America. He used to go on and on about his daughter who was his only family left and how he missed everything there." She stopped and gazed forward smiling at her thoughts. "I remember he used to floo her constantly and when she got married and moved to a bigger house, he decided to go live with her."

Snape looked down taking in all the information. He had some clues there already, the man was american.

"What year exactly his daughter moved and he left Hogwarts?" he asked.

"It was about... the end of 1962, November to be more exact!" she answered with a triumphant expression, amazed at her own good memory.

"Thank you for your help, Minerva," he said nodding lightly and was about to leave the fireplace when McGonagall stopped him.

"Wait, you are going to tell me what's this all about. It looks as though you had some urgency to find this out!" she said with a stern look she always used to intimidate her students.

"Just curiosity," he said shortly.

"Plain curiosity wouldn't make you floo me in the middle of summer," she crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow.

"It's really not a big deal, Minerva. I'll tell you all about it when you come back to Hogwarts. Have a good day!" he quickly retreated from the fireplace breaking the connection.

He was angry at himself for ever bringing it up with McGonagall, but at the same time he felt a certain excitement with the new information. Being an intelligent man, made him extremely curious and he wasn't about to let something like this be dismissed so fast. He needed to know.

He got some parchment and started writing a short letter. He sealed it with some wax and went to the owlery to send it. He had friends in the Ministry of Magic in America, who could give him some information about the address and maybe the house's history.

With that he decided to end his research for the day. It was dinner time and the events of the day made him hungry.

.................................................................


He had a pleasant evening and went to bed early that night. He fell asleep right away, only to wake up in the middle of the night with absolutely no sleep. He tossed and turned in bed until he gave up sleeping and got up.

Looking a the clock, he saw it was 3:30 AM and sighed. He needed to find something to occupy his mind. As he was going to his private library to find a book to read, he gazed at his office and changed his mind. He decided to sit at his desk and read the letters once more. There was something about them that kept pulling him back.

He was fascinated by her words, she was so much like him in some ways. He scowled at the thought and brushed it off, trying to be rational about it. This was a person who had lived over thirty years ago and he didn't even know if she was still alive. Besides, by the looks of it, she was a muggle. She probably had no idea of this world of his.

Suddenly he felt compelled to write her a reply. It was silly, but he did it anyway. He stared at the parchment and slowly his lips twisted up in a little smile and he began writing.It was so compelling and he was stunned at the flowing of his words when he read the finished results.


~ Dear Lady,

I've just found your secret letters in my fireplace. I'm sorry if I seem to be meddling in your private affairs. It wasn't my intention. I couldn't help wondering about the things you've said, and if you allow my intrusion, I would like to express my opinion.

I believe you should always follow your heart. In no way you can call yourself impulsive. I envy one who can act upon their feelings. Even though I'm never admitting it and I try to be as practical as I can, I wish I could be as light hearted as you, to go for what your heart desires.

It's not your fault that the one you idealized as your heart's desire didn't turn out to be who you thought he was. But it's always better to risk it than to wonder what would have been.

There is always a solution to every problem, even if it seems impossible at times. Maybe the one you seek might be out there in the mist, right now, just a heartbeat away.

Perhaps I am the one you seek...

A Friend. ~


He smirked and reread the letter once more. He was a little surprised that he was capable to write anything that "sentimental". He didn't think he had it in him.

"Why am I doing this anyway?" he asked and looked at the metal box with the letters, he kept looking from one to the other and scowled, shaking his head "No, I don't think so..."

He was debating for a moment and thought, "What have I got to lose? What if I get a reply?"

So, Snape got the metal box and removed all the letters from it, leaving only his reply inside, along with the fountain pen he had found in it. He closed it carefully and went to his fireplace. Leaning backwards into the fireplace, he tried to put the box back where he had found it. After successfully reaching the right entrance between the bricks, he stood up brushing the dust off his pajamas and stood there for a moment.

"To the funny farm here I go!"

With a sigh, he decided try and get some sleep..



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A/N : I've chosen Houston Texas, because it's a place I know, so it would be easier for me to describe it. Also it's a complete different world from Hogwarts or even England, which makes the whole opposite effect I want.