HP: Embrace the Darkness

This bath is quite long.

Aces seized the time to go back, keeping the bathroom door closed, silently informing others that the owner inside still hadn't come out.

The foot that was about to step down retracted again.

He stood outside the door distressedly and listened cautiously to the sounds inside.

There was no sound, not even the sound of water.

Is this the end?

Can he get in?

Aces' always smart brain wavered between the two simple options of entering and exiting.

The swing didn't last long - the bathroom door opened.

Hot, moist water vapor came out first, and along with the refreshing smell after bathing, it occupied the small bedroom. Asseth couldn't help but rub his nose, quietly sniffing the familiar smell.

"Sev, I guess you can tell that I just came back and chose to leave after finding you didn't come out, right?"

Snape glanced at Artes quickly and walked to the bed silently.

Perhaps due to being fumigated by hot water for too long, his exposed neck and chin had an unnatural blush. His semi-dried hair hung down on the side of his face, and water droplets gathered at the ends of his hair, dripping down his neck and scratching into his clothes.

Aces hated that his eyesight was as good as ever. He did not miss where the drop of water went. He could even clearly see the raised particles where the bones and skin were closely attached when passing by.

What is the difference between this and adding fuel to the fire?

After silently reciting the potion formula to quell the fire several times, he persisted and asked, "Sev, you know that, right?"

Snape finally laid his eyes on the man standing at the door, and said in a short and smooth voice: "Obviously."

Aces curled his lips slightly. His Potions Master was as smart as ever, just like his eyesight.

"Then let me help you dry your hair?"

Snape put the towel on his hands.

Asses walked to the bed with relief, took the towel, wiped off a drop of water with his fingertips, and rubbed the sensitive side of the double agent's neck from a distance.

As he wished, he felt the warm blood vessels beating continuously. Working hard, he gently unfolded the solid-color towel and concentrated on tying up the hair of the Potions Professor.

The towel that has absorbed enough moisture becomes soft, constantly changing direction in the man's hands, grazing across the gaps in the hair, catching water droplets that cannot be avoided one by one.

Snape straightened his back, feeling the warmth of his fingers running through his hair, and his thoughts drifted away.

He has always been good at observation and getting the information he wants to know from the subtle changes in other people's expressions.

The few failures were those of Dumbledore and Voldemort, but even so, he was able to figure out their thoughts.

But just now, he had carefully observed Assis's expression. There was no curiosity, no sizing, and no special emotion. It was as if what he was doing in the bathroom just now was an ordinary thing.

This man's thoughtfulness is always just right.

If there is no penalty for standing at the door.

Snape relaxed his tense lips and smiled briefly as Artes changed positions.

After drying his hair, Asseth put away the books, lay back in his place, raised his hand, and shot out the magic arrow blade to extinguish the flickering dim lights in the room.

Darkness and silence came at the same time.

Two breathing sounds intertwined in the silence.

Aces turned over to face Snape, his fiery eyes penetrated the darkness and landed precisely on Snape's back, "Sev, what do you think of tonight's events?"

"...I thought it was time to go to sleep?"

Snape's very soft voice came from the other side of the bed, and Artes raised his eyebrows slightly, "Maybe I need a bedtime story?"

Snape curled his lips silently, but his words were still cold and ruthless, "You don't need it."

Aces didn't care about his tone and emphasized again, "I need it."

"Mr. Cavendish, maybe what you need is not a bedtime story." Snape also turned over and came face to face with Asseth. He said calmly, "but the irrigation of potion knowledge, what do you think? ?”

"I don't think I need it."

Asseth quickly changed his mind, lifted up his own quilt, skillfully pulled open another quilt and lay in it.

"But there's no reason why my treatment should be reduced. I'm applying for this quilt. I won't accept any objection unless you are willing to make my quilt with me."

Snape clearly felt an arm that nimbly avoided his nightgown without rubbing it off. It touched all the way to the back of his waist and gently put it on him.

Rebellion with a strange cleverness.

It makes people feel soft for no reason.

"……I see."

A brief silence brings clarity.

Aces took advantage of him and moved his whole body close to him, intertwining his breath with Snape's.

He carefully touched forward and kissed the soft lips accurately, then stepped back a little and said softly: "Then...good night?"

Snape leaned forward slightly, the two of them were next to each other, breathing equally, "Good night."

The bedroom fell into calm.

The sounds of breathing one after another overlapped and repeated at some unknown moment. From then on, the two sounds of breathing truly blended together.

……

In the early morning, Artes woke up from his dream, and his brain quickly recovered from the nightmare of Joel taking a gun to catch him at work, driving him to pick up the silent alchemy pocket watch.

The hotness of the watch body has not faded away.

Asseth's eyes, which had not yet been fully opened, suddenly opened as wide as possible - he was awakened by the burn.

He hurriedly stood up and put on the wizard's robe. His eyes touched Snape who was sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed next to him. Artes moved a little softer and cautiously left the bedroom.

The cold morning air drove away the last bit of sleepiness, and Asseth walked to the most soundproof potion room.

As he walked, countless possibilities for Joel to find him popped up in his mind.

Opening his pocket watch and preparing to contact him, the pocket watch suddenly burst out with a faint light and became hot to the touch. Asseth quickly placed a soundproof spell around it.

The next second, the tall phantoms of Joel and others appeared in front of Artes. After looking at Artes for a while, he was relieved and showed a standard smile.

"Master Cavendish, good morning, I'm glad that you can appear in such a full of energy, and I'm glad to see that your face is so rosy, not as pale as a vampire, even if they are in the Muggle world. ,very handsome."

After Asseth arranged his clothes so that he would not be rude, he imitated Joel and showed a standard smile.

"Grandpa Joel, I think your adjective should be changed. Vampires are not popular in the wizarding world, and they are probably not handsome either."

"It's not advisable to judge a book by its appearance." Joel said with a smile, "I thought you wouldn't... After all, Mr. Snape is not handsome."