HP: Embrace the Darkness

Snape walked into the bedroom with caution.

The bedroom was empty, with only the faint sound of running water coming from the bathroom.

The Potions Master was relieved.

The time was too short and he hadn't figured out how to make indirect comments.

Two minutes later, the sound of water returned to calm.

Half a minute later, the bathroom door opened.

The mist rushed out, and the bedroom was instantly filled with white fog. Snape squinted his eyes and saw Athis's naked upper body in the white.

Ases was only wearing a bath towel.

Snape's heartbeat quickened as he realized this.

Aces obviously didn't expect Snape to come so early, and he paused on his way out, "Sev? Have you finished correcting the Potions textbook?"

Snape was particularly unhappy to hear another Snape appear in Aces' mouth, and his tone was unconsciously tainted with displeasure.

"You really want me to waste our time alone to correct his Potions textbook?"

"……of course not."

As Ases spoke, he brought out a bathrobe to replace the towel, blocking Snape's sight, which was passed by intentionally or unintentionally.

They still have some serious business to talk about, so this fire can't be started too early.

At least until they finish talking.

Hmm...but we can't talk for too long.

They can't hold it in.

Ases calculated silently in his mind and set aside ten minutes.

However, in Snape's eyes, this action had a different meaning.

Looking at the bathrobe that was neatly tied, his face darkened. He suddenly stood up, walked over to Ases in his puzzled eyes, and untied the straps he had just tied.

"Didn't you say so? Continue tonight."

After saying that, he kissed her directly.

Ases was surprised by the Potion Master's initiative and had no time to cooperate. Their lips and teeth collided, and they both hissed in pain, but neither of them was willing to break the kiss.

The meat was right in front of him, so there was no reason not to eat it. Aces skillfully put his arm around Snape's waist and moved towards the bed.

Snape hadn't taken a shower yet and didn't want to dirty the bed, so he pointed in the opposite direction towards the bathroom and uttered a few indistinct syllables.

Ases understood immediately and changed direction.

The two exchanged breaths and stumbled into the bathroom.

The bathroom door was closed by a pair of hands.

The sound of dripping water sounded again.

The misty water vapor once again filled the entire bathroom and did not dissipate until midnight.

The night was as dark as ink. The bedroom was dim without lights on, but the starry sky could be seen through the half-open window.

The moonlight shines on the big bed in the bedroom, bringing a little light to the dim room.

This little light was not what Snape wanted. He closed his eyes, drowsily wavering between being asleep and not being awake. When the light shone on him, most of his sleepiness disappeared immediately.

Just at this moment, he felt the heat source around him suddenly leave. He opened his eyes without much struggle and asked in a hoarse voice: "Where are you going?"

Aces stopped in the shadows, his voice sounding strangely dull.

"I'm going to get something and I'll be back soon. Don't go to sleep yet. I have something to tell you."

Snape responded vaguely.

There was a rustling sound in the room, which soon stopped.

The bed beside him suddenly sank. Snape lifted the quilt and covered Ases who had just laid down. "What do you want to say?"

Aces was silent for a while, groped to find Snape's hand, and stuffed something into it. Snape took it and looked at it in the moonlight, and immediately became alert.

This was the note that he had been curious about all night but had not received an answer to.

"what is this?"

He asked, unfolding the note.

A warm kiss fell on his forehead. In the moonlight, he saw a line of familiar handwriting and his movements froze.

"Go see her tomorrow."

In his ears, Ases' voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, yet so heavy, as if it came from an extremely faraway place, across thousands of mountains and rivers, and it took all its strength for him to hear it.

Snape suddenly felt that the note in his hand had become a hot potato.

It’s not right to throw it away, and it’s not right not to throw it away.

"I……"

He wanted to explain, but felt that any explanation would be a little pale, because he really intended to go see Lily, and was even prepared to go secretly if Aces disagreed.

"It's not what you think."

After holding it in for a long time, he could only squeeze out a weak excuse.

Asis turned a deaf ear to this unconvincing remark and continued, "I've asked little Severus, she's going to stay at her aunt's house for a while during the holidays, here's the address."

"Also, one of us has to stay behind to teach Severus. I'm tied up and can't go with you. If you can't find the way, I'll find someone to take you there tomorrow."

"That's enough, stop talking!"

Snape had never felt so uncomfortable being spoken to by Athis.

Neither the orderly arrangement nor the Christian name that belonged to him but symbolized another person should have appeared in Arces's mouth.

"I'm not going."

Snape tried his best to ignore the regret in his heart, crumpled up the note and threw it out of the window.

Ases raised his hand and the note flew back into his hand, and he forced it into Snape's hand.

"Sif, I don't want you to regret it in the future, and I don't want this matter to become a thorn between us that cannot be removed."

"Go ahead, I'll wait here for you to come back."

Snape held the ball of paper in his hand, unable to make a decision, and fell into a long silence.

Ases knew what he was hesitating about, and he chuckled, holding his face, slowly approaching, and stopped when his nose touched.

At this moment, their eyes met, with a distance that was more frank than any other time before.

Snape saw the love in Athis's eyes, a strong emotion that he had seen countless times and still made his heart tremble.

"I'll wait for you to come back."

With just these words, the heart that was pounding against the chest stopped for a moment.

Then it changed into a more gentle leap.

Plop, plop...

Once, twice, three times...

An endless supply of love gushed out from his chest, flowing into every nerve and every blood vessel, bringing him into a dizzying fantasy. His soul seemed to be split into two, one part voluntarily dissolved into love, and the other part devoutly gave love. But no matter which part it was, it made him realize a fact very clearly - he deeply loved someone, and that person was right in front of him.

"Aces." In the darkness, Snape's eyelashes trembled slightly. The surging emotions almost overwhelmed him, and his voice trembled, "I love you, only you."

Aces kissed his eyes tenderly, "I know, I've always known."

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Snape was puzzled. He saw clearly today that Athis was afraid.

"It's different. Death and memory are the best painters in the world. Every stroke they make is to beautify the original, so the living must always bow their heads."

Ases laughed at himself, "Sometimes I wonder, if I died in——"