HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

"I..." Severus swallowed his words as Ian moved with perfect ease, a faint blush creeping up his ears involuntarily. "Thank you..."

Ian's fingers paused on the button for half a second before he withdrew them.

Those eyes, which always held a hint of lazy amusement, gave Severus a serious look, then quickly turned away, picked up her unopened cloak, and her tone returned to its usual casualness:

"Don't mention it, let's go. If we stand here any longer, the staff will think we're trying to see right through the shop window."

He turned around and pushed open the shop door first, with Severus following behind him.

The wind howled through Hogsmeade, but Severus felt no chill at all.

"Should we go to Joko's Joke Shop or the Literary House next?" Ian asked.

Severus shook his head. "Let's go back. I still have papers to check."

"Another paper." Ian sighed insincerely, but then nudged Severus's arm lightly with his shoulder. "Come on, my Potions Master, I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa, since you... well, accepted the investment today."

……

Severus suddenly stopped when he reached the dormitory door.

"Ian."

"Um?"

Severus kept his head down, not looking at him. "I'll pay you back the money..."

Ian smiled, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He looked at Severus, a softer look in his eyes. "Fine, when your royalties are enough to buy the entire Fengya brand store, remember to pay me back with interest."

His smile widened. "But before that, wear it first, so you don't catch a cold."

Severus didn't say anything more, nodded, and pushed open the dormitory door.

As soon as Kevin returned, he saw Severus and Ian's new cloaks hanging by the bed and commented casually, "New cloaks? Not bad, Severus. You should have gotten a new one a long time ago. Your old one is practically seeping through."

"A blend of dragon hide and woven fabric is indeed a good choice, but Ian, I remember you just said last week that your old cloak 'can still be used for another three years'?" Aris said "seriously".

Ian, who was leaning against the headboard reading a herbalism magazine, didn't even look up when he heard this: "Suddenly, I feel like three years is too long. Is that not good enough?"

Aris's gaze swept over the two cloaks, which were clearly the same style but different colors. He said nothing, yet it seemed as if he had said everything.

……

In December, a rumor began to circulate at Hogwarts: the esteemed figure who had recently risen to fame in the wizarding world was going to visit Hogwarts.

On their way back to their dorm from the library, Ian and Severus "bumped into" Prefect Everett Travers for the third time.

This time, the other party didn't beat around the bush.

"The list of those staying on campus has been submitted, Burke, Snape." He wore a smile that was somewhere between friendly and pressure. "This year is special; there will be many group activities at the college, and I'm sure you won't miss them."

This is not an inquiry, it is a notification.

Back in his dorm room, Kevin was irritably grabbing his red hair.

"My parents wrote to me saying that the Christmas party at home has been canceled, and told me to 'stay at school and interact more with my classmates.'"

He threw the parchment onto the bed. "Damn communication! They used to be eager for me to come home every day!"

Aris's expression was unusually grave. "My family had a similar tone. My father mentioned that the atmosphere in certain departments of the Ministry of Magic has been delicate lately, and suggested that I reduce unnecessary trips back and forth."

He looked at Ian and Severus. "It seems we have no choice."

Choosing to escape is undoubtedly a sign of betrayal.

Ian leaned against his bedpost, his gaze sweeping over his three roommates. "Then stay," he said casually, as if deciding what to have for breakfast the next day. "More people, more fun."

Kevin mumbled something and slumped back onto the bed. Aris silently began to replan his holiday reading list.

On Christmas Eve, almost all the Slytherins were in the ballroom, dressed in various dark or silver-green formal gowns, talking in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing toward the entrance.

Ian wore a dark green robe, sharply tailored. Severus, dressed entirely in black, stood in the shadows like a silent statue.

Kevin awkwardly tugged at his collar, while Aris kept adjusting his cufflinks, his gaze calmly sweeping over the surroundings.

Regulus Black was surrounded by several seventh-graders, and he was dressed in a dark green suit with silver embroidery, behaving perfectly.

Professor Slughorn's voice rang out from the doorway, his face beaming.

"Ah! They're all here! What an excellent lineup! Come on, kids, we have some special guests who can't wait to meet the pride of our academy!"

The conversation quieted down, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for them.

Professor Slughorn walked to the middle of the crowd. Next to him stood a tall, thin man in an elegant black robe. His face was almost inhumanly handsome, with pale skin and black hair neatly combed back.

It is the Dark Duke.

Several older Slytherins stared at him with eager eyes.

With a polite smile on his face, he shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with several older guests, his gaze sweeping over the young faces in the room.

Those he saw involuntarily straightened their backs.

Slughorn led him and quietly introduced some of the "particularly outstanding" students.

The student whose name was called stepped forward, bowed slightly, and exchanged a few words briefly.

The atmosphere grew increasingly heated, yet also increasingly quiet.

Then, Slughorn's chubby hand landed on Severus's shoulder in the shadows.

"Oh, Tom, allow me to introduce you to a truly brilliant new star of our school! Mr. Severus Snape!"

All eyes turned to this corner instantly, and even Ian, who was standing next to Severus, felt like he was being pricked by needles.

Voldemort looked at this "ordinary" Slytherin and smiled slightly. "Professor Slughorn is never stingy with praise, but this time, I am sure of his judgment."

He mentioned Severus's improved potion and several published papers.

Severus raised his eyes and met those red eyes. His face remained expressionless, and he simply nodded slightly. "You flatter me, sir. It's just... some experimentation."

"A rare quality." He seemed more interested in Severus, but he had no intention of discussing it further and turned his gaze to Ian beside him.

"So, who is this?"

Slughorn quickly chimed in, "Ah, this is Ian Burke, another outstanding young man in my club, the son of John and Leah. As you may know, Mr. Burke currently works in the Department of Legal Enforcement, and Mrs. Burke is a highly respected therapist in St. Mungo's."

"Bock..." he repeated slowly, "an ancient surname, with some connection to Knockturn Alley, isn't it? But the Enforcement Division and St. Mungo's... have chosen a more conventional path."

Ian smiled politely, bowed slightly, and said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant: "There are many branches in the family, and the choices are naturally different. My father and mother simply chose the path they felt was suitable."

Voldemort seemed to chuckle softly. "A wise choice often requires careful consideration of the situation."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Ian, beckoned Regulus who had been waiting a few steps away, and together they left the castle.

The tense atmosphere in the ballroom only began to dissipate after the two figures disappeared into the night outside the door.

Immediately afterwards, the conversation resumed, even more enthusiastic than before, and filled with a kind of suppressed excitement and restlessness.

Ian breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that his palms were a little damp.

He turned his head to look at Severus.

Severus remained standing there, his face expressionless, but Ian noticed that his hand, hanging by his side, unconsciously curled its fingers slightly before slowly relaxing.

Professor Slughorn was surrounded by several excited upperclassmen, his face flushed as he spoke, his gaze occasionally glancing proudly in Severus's direction.

"Want to go out for some fresh air?" Ian said in a low voice, his voice drowning out the surrounding noise.

Severus looked up at him and nodded.

They quietly left the dance hall and walked towards a side window in the corridor.

The two stood side by side by the window, neither of them speaking first.

Ian looked out the window and suddenly said, "He's very interested in you."

Severus followed Ian's gaze and after a long while, he gave a low "hmm".

"It's not just about talent," Ian said without turning around, his voice softer than usual, "it's more like assessing the value of a tool."

"Professor Slughorn has been boasting too much." He spoke calmly, as if he were the one being targeted. "And what about you? His tone was different when he mentioned you."

"Mr. Bokin... his connections are enough to pique this gentleman's interest, while my family is a distant relative who is not particularly prominent, the kind of family we can observe from the sidelines or exert pressure on."

He looked at Severus. "His last words were a reminder to me, and also to you."

"Assess the situation carefully," Severus repeated.

"Yes." Ian nodded. "He's telling you that getting close to me might not get you full acceptance from certain circles, and he's also telling me that getting close to you means you have to understand that you've been labeled as a potential star, and who put that label on you."

"I won't join any... tea parties," Severus said seriously, looking at Ian as well.

"I know." Ian smiled, but the smile didn't fully reach his eyes. "But refusing requires skill, and even more so, it requires resources. Your resources are your brain, and those things you haven't done yet."

He straightened his clothes. "Let's go, they're about to cut the cake inside. If we're absent for too long, Professor Slughorn will be searching the whole castle for his brilliant new star."

……

Back in his dorm late at night, Kevin collapsed onto his bed, groaning, "Merlin's socks! My face was frozen from laughing! Why do they keep asking my dad what he thinks of the new rules for the Department of Magical Sports? My dad's just an office worker!"

Aris was unbuttoning his collar. "They're gathering information, assessing each family's attitudes. Prefect Travers has asked me no less than three times whether some of the ancient contracts my grandfather handled when he worked at the Fairy Liaison Office still have any real relevance."

He looked at Severus and Ian, "It's not so easy for you guys either."

"I'm used to it." Severus had already taken off his outer robe and was tidying his desk, his back to them.

Ian slumped back in the armchair, his long legs dangling on the footstool. "At least there's plenty of pumpkin juice."

Kevin rolled over and lay face down on the bed, lowering his voice: "Honestly, that adult, the way he looked at people was like he was appraising an antique. Severus, when he talked to you, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end."

Severus paused for a moment as he straightened the book spines. "He knows a lot about potions,"

He said only that one sentence and then said no more.

In the following days, the atmosphere in the Slytherin common room became even more subtle. The upperclassmen, especially the graduating seventh graders, often talked at length about the deeds of that great man, which aroused the envy of some of the lowerclassmen.

On the night before the holiday ended, Ian received a letter from home.

Leah's handwriting was fluent. She asked how Christmas was, reminded him to keep warm, and added a slightly heavier note at the end: "John Slee has been very busy lately, involving the reinterpretation of some old regulations. You at school should focus on your studies and not be distracted by other trivial matters. The New Year's gifts sent by distant relatives in Knockturn Lane have been properly handled."

Ian finished reading the letter and crumpled it in his palm. His mother's words couldn't be clearer: the Ministry of Magic was making moves, and their dealings with Borgin-Bock were being noticed; they needed to be careful.

He handed the letter to Severus, who had come closer.

Severus quickly scanned the letter, his gaze lingering on the last sentence for a moment before handing it back: "Your parents are very cautious."

"They have to be careful." Ian tossed the letter into the fireplace and watched the flames engulf it. "With my dad's position, a slight misstep could mean more than just losing his job."

Severus looked at the leaping flames and suddenly asked, "If... I mean, if the pressure were greater, would they advise you... to keep your distance?"

He didn't specify who he was keeping his distance from, but both of them understood.

Ian turned his head and stared at him.

The firelight from the fireplace cast flickering shadows on Severus's pale face, making his expression somewhat indistinct, but his dark eyes shone brightly, something tense within them, awaiting an answer.

"No," Ian answered crisply, even with his usual lazy smile. "My parents like you very much, and..."

He paused, his smile fading, his voice turning somber. "They know what I'm doing and who I'm with. Our family... has always had a good eye for investment."

Severus looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, but he said nothing.

But the slight tension I felt earlier seemed to have dissipated a bit.

……

After the holiday, Ian noticed that some of the Slytherins who used to greet him were now just nodding and hurrying past.

When Everett Travers met him, his smile was still the same, but he no longer tried to pull him into those "small circles" of conversation.

Once in the hallway, Ian even overheard two Slytherin girls of the same year whispering, "...The Burke family doesn't seem that clear... It's a pity, Ian is actually a nice person... but he's getting too close to that half-blood..."

Kevin and Aris also sensed the invisible threads.

"They want to separate you from us." One evening in the Room of Requirement, Kevin sullenly poked at a piece of parchment, "and also separate the three of us."