HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

Severus gave a brief reply, his face gradually returning to its usual paleness in the warm light, though the redness at the base of his ears lingered.

Kevin was dragged away by Aris to study protective spells, but soon he became dizzy and begged for mercy.

As night deepened, people gradually left the common room.

Back in the dormitory, the curtains fell, and darkness divided the four beds into separate spaces. Severus lay on his side facing the wall, hearing Ian on the opposite bed quietly get out of bed.

The footsteps were barely audible on the carpet, and stopped by the bed.

The curtain was carefully lifted a corner, and a cool body came closer. An arm naturally wrapped around his waist, pulling him back a little, his back pressed against a warm chest.

Severus stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed and leaned back.

Ian nuzzled his chin against the back of his head, his breath brushing against the nape of his neck. "Did I wake you?"

"……without."

"Go to sleep."

The warmth and heartbeat behind him felt reassuring. Severus closed his eyes and quickly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

He woke up to familiar scents and embrace in the morning. It was still dark inside the dormitory, before full light.

Ian's arm was still across his waist, his breathing even. Severus didn't move, lying quietly for a while, listening to Kevin's faint snoring and the flow of the lake outside the window.

Then Ian woke up too, his fingers unconsciously twitching at Ian's waist, his voice hoarse from just waking up: "Good morning."

"……morning."

Ian hugged him for a few more seconds before letting go, sitting up, and tiptoeing out of bed back to his own. The whole process was as practiced as if he had rehearsed it many times.

A week before Halloween, the decorations in the castle were hung up again, Peeves was more mischievous than ever before, and Filch's face was even darker.

On Halloween Eve, there was a dinner party in the auditorium, but Ian told Severus in advance, "Don't go to the auditorium, it's too crowded."

Severus looked up from a book titled "The Principles of Advanced Potions": "Hmm."

"I'll come find you after patrol," Ian said, pinning his prefectural badge to his robe. "Eight o'clock, the usual place?"

Severus knew he was referring to that quiet corner by the Black Lake, behind a large rock jutting out from the shore, where the reflection of the castle on the opposite bank could be seen. He pursed his lips and nodded.

During the dinner party, the main castle was filled with noise, and bursts of laughter erupted around the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.

When Ian and Lily patrolled to the third floor, they could still faintly hear music and cheers coming from the auditorium.

"You can go get something to eat first," Lily said, her wand glowing as it illuminated a stretch of empty corridor ahead. "I'll handle things here."

"It's alright, let's hurry up." Ian checked a niche, which was empty except for dust.

He figured Severus had probably already left the castle and headed to the lake; it was cold, and the guy probably wasn't wearing enough layers.

The patrol ended earlier than expected.

Ian returned to the cellar, put his things down, took a small paper packet from the bedside drawer, stuffed it into his pocket, wrapped his robe tightly around himself, and slipped out of the castle silently.

The night was dark, there was no moon, only the scattered lights shining from the castle windows illuminated the lawn and part of the dark lake.

Ian followed the familiar path down to the lake, past a few clumps of withering reeds, and saw the corner.

Severus is already here.

He leaned against the smooth boulder, gazing at the bright, warm reflection of the castle swaying in the black lake.

The light from the jack-o'-lantern was stretched into long, thin, golden ribbons.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around. His black figure almost blended into the night, with only his face appearing clear and pale against the light in the distance.

"Have you been waiting long?" Ian walked over.

"Just arrived," Severus said, but his hands looked pale in the dim light, and his fingertips were probably a little stiff from the cold.

Ian pulled the small paper packet from his pocket and handed it over. "Honey Duke's new stuff, they say it's flaming whiskey flavored gummies, want to try one?"

Severus took it, opened it, picked up a piece of dark amber candy, put it in his mouth, and after a moment, frowned. "...Too sweet."

"What about the spicy version?"

"A little."

Ian smiled and popped a piece into his mouth. The intense sweetness and a hint of heat melted on his tongue, followed by the characteristic warmth of whiskey.

"It's alright, suitable for cold weather."

They leaned against the big rock, sharing the bag of candy.

The clamor of the castle on the opposite shore of the lake was muffled by the sound of the wind blowing across the lake's surface, as if it were another world separated by a wide expanse of dark water.

Occasionally, students attending the banquet would run and laugh across the distant lawn, their sounds drifting intermittently before being quickly absorbed by the lake.

"Slughorn hinted again today that I should attend his tea party in a few days," Ian said, looking at the bright windows of the castle across the river. "He said that some distinguished figures from various fields are coming to visit, and he specifically mentioned the Potions Society and the Herbalists' Society."

"You want to go?"

"Not really, but I might have to show my face." Ian turned to look at him. "What about you? He definitely invited you too."

Severus chewed his candy in silence for a long time before finally saying, "We'll see."

This meant he wasn't planning to go. Ian didn't ask any more questions. He knew that Severus had always lacked patience for Slughorn's social tricks, and that it was best not to socialize too much at times like this.

The wind on the lake was chilly and damp, much colder than inside the castle, and Severus instinctively hunched his shoulders.

Ian naturally moved closer, his arm pressed against Severus's, their body heat seeping through the two layers of robes. "Cold?"

"……fine."

"Lying," Ian said in a low voice, then he cast a warming spell, reached out and grasped Severus's hand hanging by his side. Sure enough, his fingertips were icy cold.

Severus froze for a moment, but did not pull away.

Ian's hands were warm, with thin calluses on his palms from years of holding pens and handling tools, rough and real, enveloping his cold fingers.

They stood there, holding hands, looking at the opposite bank.

The commotion in the castle seemed to reach its climax. A huge cheer could be faintly heard, followed by the sound of Pippi Leigh laughing and throwing magical ribbons everywhere. Even on this side of the lake, one could see the colorful lights exploding in the windows, reflected in the dark lake water, shattering into a shower of shimmering points of light.

"Another year has passed," Ian suddenly said.

"Um."

"Sometimes time seems to drag on, and sometimes it seems to fly by." Ian's fingers gently rubbed against his palm. "OWLs seem like they were just yesterday, and now NEWTs are looming over us again."

Severus didn't say anything, but he squeezed Ian's hand back lightly, but Ian felt it.

"After graduation," Ian's voice was steady in the lake breeze, "wherever we go, we'll go together."