HP: Wormwood and Lightning Wood

On the morning of Halloween Eve, Ron received a gift from Sirius Black—a small, chubby owl—as compensation for killing Scabbers.

Ron was overjoyed. This was his first owl, and he named it Piglet.

The third-year students were unusually excited because tomorrow was their first Hogsmeade Week, a day they could enjoy in Hogsmeade Village before returning to Hogwarts for the Halloween feast.

"Severus, will you go to Hogsmeade?" West asked.

He was helping Snape grade senior students' papers and writing short comments in Snape's tone.

"What am I supposed to do?" Snape asked, as he was leisurely reading his notes while holding a cup of black coffee.

He had now grown accustomed to West's erratic thinking and was no longer as flustered as before—unaware that he was sinking deeper and deeper into West's web, until one day he was completely used to having a venomous spider watching him intently.

"Keep me company," West sighed. "Hogwarts is so boring."

"If you're so bored, don't go to school. Go back and manage Somerset," Snape sneered. "I can't believe the Master is so bored."

"Then I'll have fewer opportunities to see you, Severus. I'll miss you." West finished revising the paper, snuggled up to Snape, and sat down on the sofa.

The sofa isn't big; it's spacious enough for one person, but a bit cramped for two.

"What are you doing!" Snape was startled, nearly spilling his coffee.

He tried to get up in a fit of rage, but West held him by the waist and he couldn't move an inch.

"Severus, has anyone ever told you that this part of you is sensitive?" West pressed his head against Snape's neck, his hand pressing on Snape's lower back. Snape jerked violently, and West's eyes darkened. "Hmm... If someone has said that, I'll kill him."

"What's wrong with you?" Snape, already somewhat used to West's unpredictable moods, asked with a livid face.

"Come with me." Seeing that Snape no longer resisted, West boldly planted a kiss on the back of Snape's white neck, only to be elbowed hard by Snape.

"Hiss—" West loosened his grip, and Snape took the opportunity to stand up and straighten his collar.

"Severus, are you trying to murder your boyfriend?!"

"When did I agree to that?" Snape asked impatiently.

It has to be said that West's face at thirteen was so innocent and deceptive; the sight of tears welling in his eyes could evoke pity in many.

If I remember correctly, West had quite a few suitors, both men and women. Snape thought expressionlessly. Did they know that West was like this in private...? He was practically a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"...I can go with you." Snape's expression shifted in the dim candlelight of the cellar.

West laughed, his eyes, which seemed to gaze at a dog with such affection, sparkling, "Severus~"

"...But you must be back before noon," Snape said calmly.

He was simply fulfilling Dumbledore's mission: to monitor West and accompany him to Hogsmeade. It was all perfectly reasonable. Everything was for the greater good, without a doubt.

"No problem," West replied with a smile.

On Halloween, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the front hall, they looked around but couldn't find West.

Of course they couldn't find him, because West had already set off with his beloved Potions Professor and arrived at Hogsmeade Village ahead of time.

"Shall we go check out the Banshee Magical Equipment Shop first?" West, now back in his youthful form, asked Snape with his head bowed.

Snape hesitated, but was clearly tempted.

Weiss took his hand and led him into the store, then took off his own gloves and put them on Severus. "Severus, are you cold?"

"...It's alright." Snape answered awkwardly, then his attention was quickly drawn to the newly added rare potion ingredients.

West picked out a pair of warm dragonskin gloves for Snape. Snape couldn't help but ask, "If Mr. Somerset remembers we're wizards, a Warming Charm would be enough to keep us warm, wouldn't it?"

"My dear Mr. Severus, I've never seen you use a warming spell," West sighed, feigning helplessness. "I call it being prepared."

After buying what they wanted, the two left the store and passed by Honey Duke's candy shop.

West saw Harry and Draco picking out candy inside. Draco shoved a sour lollipop into Harry's mouth, and seeing Harry's face contort in pain, he burst out laughing.

West looked at Snape with an expectant expression.

Snape frowned and scoffed, "A childish sugar rush." ​​But he still followed West inside.

"West?" Harry's face lit up when he saw West, but then he glanced at the Potions professor beside him and gave an awkward smile. "Professor Snape."

"The Dean!?" Draco stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that Snape had actually entered Honeydukes.

He wasn't surprised by West's youthful appearance, after all, Harry had already told him about it.

Snape's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth. "What? Haven't you seen your old professor before?"

Harry and Draco had finished buying candy and hurriedly made their way away, saying, "Goodbye, Professor!"

As Draco passed West, he secretly mouthed, "You're something else."

West chuckled. Draco was quite the character.

"Would you like to try some honey-filled gummies, Professor?" West winked playfully.

"I don't like desserts," Snape said.

"Open your mouth."

Snape instinctively opened his mouth slightly, and before he could react, a gummy candy was stuffed into his mouth.

"You have to try it first to know if you like it, Severus." West smiled, his voice gentle yet firm. "Desserts are... and so are people."

"..."

A sweet taste slowly spread across his tongue, and Snape's expression became complicated.

Since Lily's passing, he had been trapped in an abyss of pain and self-blame, making it impossible for him to taste the dessert that symbolized sweetness, relaxation, and pleasure. This was undoubtedly a form of self-punishment.

"Buy some to try," West said, and bought a bag of different flavored filled gummies.

After leaving Honeydukes, West and Snape avoided the noise of the crowd and sat down in a corner of the Three Broomsticks pub.

West ordered two hot butterbeers. In fact, they had plenty to talk about if West wanted, from dark magic to alchemy to improvements on the Wolfsbane potion. Snape's eyes grew brighter.

Only when talking about things that interest him does a blush of excitement appear on his pale face.

West was one of the very few people who could fully understand his thinking and had enough knowledge to answer and discuss it, which undoubtedly pleased Snape.

After chatting for a long time, and with the butterbeer almost empty, Snape suddenly stood up. "I've got it..." His obsidian eyes flashed with an astonishing light, "I've got the last ingredient missing from the wolfsbane potion..."

He turned and hurried back to Hogwarts. West remained seated, waiting until Snape was completely out of sight before a man approached West, bowed, and said, "Master."

"What's got you in such a hurry, Caspard?" West asked coldly, his voice completely different from the gentleness he showed to Severus.

"The Death Eaters have indeed escaped, Master," Caspard said respectfully. "Fudge sent out a large number of Dementors, which weakened the defenses of Azkaban, allowing several Death Eaters, led by Bellatrix Lestrange, to successfully break out."

"Clink—" West's knuckles tapped lightly on the wine glass, producing a crisp and pleasant sound.

After a long silence, he chuckled softly, his voice seeming to come from a distant place, "Hopefully they'll behave themselves..."

Do not disturb his and Severus's peaceful life now.

The sound was like a gentle breeze, lightly brushing past Caspard's ear, sending a chill down his spine.