HP solves the mystery

Penny felt that she should be more tactful and ask about the weather and mood first, and then get to the topic step by step, but she was anxious.

"What's the matter with you, Petunia?" Severus' eyes fell on her red hands and moved to the melting snow on the ground, guessing that she had been waiting here for some time.

From time to time there were sounds of children playing around, and a skinny old cat passing by was lucky enough to encounter a frozen mouse.

Penny's heart beat like a drum. She couldn't ask, but she had to ask.

"Are you willing... willing... willing to go to the dance... to be my dance partner?" Petunia's voice became softer as she spoke, and her head lowered again. It was really embarrassing to hear this from a girl.

Severus heard a vague word and blinked in confusion.

"What kind of dance? Petunia?" he asked aloud. Although he had said in a letter that he would be back at Christmas, he was several days late, so meeting her at this intersection was definitely not a coincidence.

"Nothing - I mean, how was your Christmas?" Petunia turned her face away in shock, with a blush on her face. She took a deep breath and told the whole story, "Okay, okay, It's like this, my classmate is holding a dance for her coming-of-age ceremony, and those invited must bring a dance partner..." She looked at Severus out of the corner of her eye, and scratched her cheek.

Severus refused without thinking. When he was at Hogwarts school, he always avoided the dance, let alone the Muggle dance.

"Petunia, but I'm not very good at dancing, and the dances in the wizarding world are different from those outside..." Severus declined politely. In fact, he just wanted to sit in the furry blanket and warm himself by the fire and read a book.

"Did you refuse like this when you were invited to dance at school?" Petunia blurted out, looking at him suspiciously, as if she thought he was joking, "Won't your dance partner dance with you? I heard Lily say that you The dance was held very normally."

"Dance partner?" Severus thought for a rare moment, recalling his lonely campus life, "I don't dance." He felt a little blushing, and he was not the only one who ran to the library to take refuge every time.

"And you know so many people at school, there's no need to invite me."

"But...but...I..." Petunia struggled for a long time and still couldn't find a suitable reason. Could it be that she had insulted countless people in school, so no boys dared to invite her? Or was it that the girl who held the dance was rejected by her because she had a crush on her, so If she announces that she is invited to school, will she retaliate?

Petunia became more and more irritable and kicked the snow on the weeds beside her, looking extremely depressed. She was going to be laughed at again because she was alone at the dance.

"Oh, okay, Severus, please excuse me..." she said dully, her eyes misted with mist, and she waved her hand towards Severus, "I'm going back first, it's really cold outside. !”

Severus looked at Petunia's red nose and little face that was about to cry, thinking whether he was too unkind. After all, he had known him for so long, and if Petunia hadn't really found someone, she would have decided to I won't invite this 'freak wizard' myself.

"Penny, I don't know how to dance your school's ballroom dance, can you teach me?" Severus sighed and stopped Petunia who turned to leave. He could imagine his clumsy dancing posture.

"Really? Severus, thank you so much!" Petunia turned around in surprise, walked back to Severus in three steps and then looked at him with bright eyes.

Severus nodded with difficulty, as the tragic scenes when he was learning hip-hop emerged in his memory.

But once the words have been spoken, there is no room for regret.

"You are so beautiful, Miss Evans." Severus carried the suitcase and made a nondescript gentleman's invitation. "Will you let me be your dance partner?" He spoke slowly, obviously wanting to It is rude for a lady to offer an invitation.

Penny looked at his awkward movements and burst into laughter, feeling much relieved.

"Of course I do, handsome Mr. Snape," Petunia said in a weird tone, pulling on her non-existent skirt and returning the gesture, and giggled again.

Severus looked at Petunia and thought that ballroom dancing should be similar, right? Just take three steps, one step, five steps, and turn back!

But soon, he knew that idea was unrealistic.

"Severus - well, the ball will be held in three days, so -" Petunia said after seeing that the matter was done, and touched her nose in embarrassment under Severus's blank gaze, "You have to do it in three days." I'll learn to dance ballroom within a day, don't worry, it's very simple..." The temperature on her face rose again, and she didn't dare to look at someone's dark face.

"Go to that park to practice. If it snows, you can still hide..." The place she was talking about was where Lily played on the swing when she was a child. It was also the place where the three of them met for the first time. There was a large green space next to it.

Penny didn't dare to take people home to practice, and the surrounding dance halls and skating rinks were a bit far away, so she had to choose a closer place.

Severus nodded without refuting. It was even more impossible for him to invite Petunia to practice at his home in Spider End Lane. She was a beautiful single woman, and it was not safe there.

"Then, see you at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon!" Penny's frown relaxed. Half of the problem was gone, and she felt much more relaxed. After agreeing on the time, she hurried home.

Petunia spent too much time waiting for Severus these days, and her mother was very unhappy about this. All because without Petunia's help, she had to cook for the family when she came back from the textile factory, and Petunia was unavoidable. She was scolded for a while.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Severus replied concisely and watched her walk for a while before carrying the box and heading towards her home in Spider End Lane.

Perhaps the economy has improved a lot this year, more people are working and making more money, and there are fewer dark eyes in the corners, but there are still many people peeking through the windows at passers-by.

Severus touched the dagger and electric shock device in his pocket, thinking about asking Zhang Mingyuan to get a weapon or bring a spare wand to Hogwarts next time, otherwise he would be frightened every time he came back.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful and Severus entered the room safely.

He dug out a spare second-hand wand and cast the Protection Charm and the Muggle-Repelling Charm on the house again. The previous spells had dissipated over time.

Maybe when his magic becomes stronger, he can cast spells that last for a long time, Severus thought.

But when he comes back next Easter, he will move to the newly bought villa, so he won't have to live in Spider End Lane. He will seal up and protect the houses here.

Severus hadn't been back for several months, and there was no food at home. Fortunately, when he was in the city center, he bought items and put them in a suitcase that had been casted by the Invisible Stretching Charm, so he didn't have to run out to replenish supplies.

After he cleaned the house with a magic wand, he could finally wrap himself up in a blanket and read a book on the sofa. The thermostatic spell worked so well that he didn't need to worry about the cold.

The next day soon came, and after Severus finished breakfast, he started doing homework, writing papers and sketching.

It wasn't until his stomach started growling that he looked up from his heavy homework and found that it was already 1:15 in the afternoon.

Severus finished his lunch in two or two, put on his coat, put on his wand, and walked to the appointed park.

It was one-thirty-five at this time, and although there was no sun in the sky, it was not raining. The snow on the road was blackened by trampling, and the sanitation workers were lazily taking a nap in a pavilion nearby.

There are not many people in the park, and the old equipment cannot attract young people. There are only old people sitting and chatting.

Severus walked across the corridor to the green space.

Petunia had obviously been here for a while, and she was stretching her body to the music playing on the radio. She looked like a light and beautiful butterfly in her lavender coat. The relaxed smile on her face was Severus' memory. never seen before.

Severus didn't disturb her, he just leaned against the big tree and watched quietly.