HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

Hogsmeade was bustling with people on Saturday.

At the literary residence, Ian picked out a quill pen with an ebony handle and simple runes carved on it, and when paying, he naturally took two bottles of the waterproof ink that Severus was used to.

At Honey Duke, Kevin was captivated by the shelves full of candy, and Aris, while saying that "excessive sugar intake can affect brain reaction speed," still bought him a bag of Spicy Honey Candy.

Smoke billowed from the three brooms, creating a lively scene.

They had just found an empty table in the corner when they heard a familiar commotion coming from the doorway.

Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pediru walked in. James was gesturing as he talked about Quidditch training, while Sirius laughed and patted him on the back.

The two groups' gazes briefly met in the air. Sirius raised an eyebrow, his usual arrogant expression unchanged, but said nothing, and followed James toward the bar.

Lupin nodded slightly in the direction of Ian and Lily, who were sitting on the other side with Mary McDonald and another Gryffindor girl.

"Should we go over and say hello?" Ian asked Severus calmly.

"No need." Severus picked up his glass, took a sip of butterbeer, and the foam left a faint mark on his lips.

Ian looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly reached out and lightly brushed his upper lip with the pad of his thumb. "You got some."

The movement was quick and natural; as he withdrew his fingers, they seemed to brush against Severus's chin unintentionally.

Severus froze for a moment, his ears turning red at a visible speed. He glared at Ian, his dark eyes filled with shock and anger that seemed to say, "Are you crazy?"

Ian withdrew his hand and turned to Aris, who had just sat down, with a normal expression: "You mean the catalyst for that new type of memory potion..."

Aris was immediately diverted from his train of thought and began to explain, "What do you think, Severus?"

It took Severus a full two seconds to pull his attention away from his burning ears and Ian's nonchalant profile. He took a deep breath, forced himself into academic mode, and joined the discussion.

The conversation then turned to the complex process of making potions, until Kevin returned with a drink that glowed with an eerie blue light, claiming it was a "futuristic flavor".

As the three brooms were removed, the setting sun bathed the streets in a warm golden hue.

Ian and Severus tucked a few steps behind, distancing themselves from Aris and Kevin, and turned into the secluded path leading to the Screaming Shack.

The path was overgrown with weeds, and the dilapidated shacks in the distance looked eerie in the twilight.

But there was no one here, only the rustling of the wind through the withered grass.

"You just now," Severus began, his voice somewhat harsh, "in the shop..."

"What?" Ian stopped and turned to face him, feigning ignorance.

Severus pursed his lips and stared at him, the setting sun casting a fuzzy golden edge on his pale cheeks and reddened ears.

That look in his eyes was less like anger and more like a mixture of shame and helplessness.

Ian looked at him, then suddenly smiled, reached out and took his wrist, gently pulling him behind a gnarled old tree to block the view that might come from the direction of the path.

"There's no one here," Ian said, his voice lowering, tinged with amusement, but also with something else entirely.

Then he kissed him.

A gentle, sweet kiss, still carrying the lingering scent of butterbeer.

Severus's fingers gripped Ian's sleeve tightly, his body tensed, but he didn't push him away. His long eyelashes trembled, and he closed them.

It was just a brief kiss; when they parted, both of them were a little unsteady on their feet.

Ian pressed his forehead against his, his grey eyes shining brightly, and whispered, "I'll be more careful next time in public."

Severus turned his face away, the redness spreading from his ears to his neck. "...There won't be a next time."

"No, no." Ian readily agreed, but his fingers gently stroked Ian's wrist bone in a soothing manner.

On their way back, they walked out of the path one after the other, their expressions having returned to normal.

However, Ian's lips always had a slight, unsuppressed smile, while Severus walked half a step behind him, his eyes fixed on the ground, occasionally glancing up at Ian's back before quickly looking away.

When we returned to the cellar, the fire in the common room was still burning brightly, and the warmth wafted over us, dispelling the chill from outside.

Kevin, sprawled on the sofa with traces of Honeydukes icing on his face, immediately exclaimed upon seeing them enter, "Why are you so late? Aris and I almost thought Filch had dragged you off to polish trophies!"

Severus paused for a moment as he took off his robe, then walked straight toward them without saying a word.

Ian followed along calmly, casually saying, "We wandered around the village, taking a slightly roundabout route."

"A detour?" Kevin blinked, his gaze sweeping over Severus's profile, which seemed paler than usual and deliberately avoided eye contact. Then, glancing at Ian's obviously cheerful demeanor, his sluggish senses finally picked up a little. "Where are you going to take the detour—"

Before he could finish speaking, Aris reached out and precisely covered his mouth.

"Huh!?"

"Kevin," Aris said calmly, "I remember you said this afternoon that you didn't understand the part about the cumulative effect of protective spells in that 'Advanced Spell Breaking Guide.' I have some time now, do you want to listen?"

"Ugh!" Kevin struggled for a moment, glanced at Aris, then stole a look at Severus, who had already sat down and was pretending to study the texture of his cuffs, and Ian, who was sitting leisurely beside him. Finally, he belatedly let out an "Oh," drawing out the tone, his eyes shifting between the two of them, and he revealed a mischievous smile that said, "I understand."

He pried Aris's hands off and lowered his voice, "Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore... But Severus, your ears are so red, is it that windy outside?"

Severus suddenly looked up and glared at Kevin, the faint redness on his earlobe threatening to spread to his cheeks.

Ian chuckled softly, reached for the cold teapot on the table, poured half a cup for Severus, and his fingertips "accidentally" brushed against the back of Severus's hand.

"Drink something hot, Kevin, and watch your eyes and mouth, unless you want to keep blowing up cauldrons in Potions class tomorrow."

"I'm just concerned about my classmate!" Kevin muttered, but under Aris's disapproving gaze and Severus's increasingly cold stare, he shrank back, grabbed the book from Aris's hand, and pretended to read it seriously.

The corner finally quieted down completely, although Kevin's shoulders were still suspiciously twitching.

Aris glanced at him and began explaining the stacking principle of protective spells in a flat tone, quickly dragging Kevin into a quagmire of knowledge.

Ian leaned back on the sofa, watching the faint blush that hadn't completely faded from Severus's face, which appeared softer in the flickering light of the fireplace.

He tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, then did nothing more, naturally steer the conversation toward the possible quiz questions in Potions class the next day.