[HP] Astringent

"Vanessa! Your hair!"

"Auntie, you are so cool!"

"Mom, can I have the same haircut as my aunt?"

Before Vanessa came to Blake's old house, she had guessed that everyone would be surprised by her new hairstyle, but she didn't expect everyone's response to be so strong.Molly gave her a 5-minute long hug without hesitation, and said distressedly: "You just can't take care of yourself by yourself, and you've lost weight."

She was a little ashamed, because her own affairs worried the people around her, and she felt a little warm again.

"Molly, you don't understand, I'm just losing weight." She laughed, and quickly changed the subject, "Harry, your new clothes are nice."

Blake is still very tasteful, and Harry put on well-fitting clothes and brand-new round-frame glasses, and his whole person has become more energetic, but the messy hair that can't be helped by hairspray is still the same as before, full of vitality growing.

"Harry doesn't have to wear his cousin's old clothes anymore, and I still have to wear Fred's old shirt." Ron came over, put his hand on Harry's shoulder, and said helplessly.

"That's George's shirt, Ronnie." Fred ran down, greeted Vanessa briskly, teased their little brother, and ran away again.

George also ran down: "Haha, that's not our shirt, it's Percy's. The two of us picked up Bill's shirt and left Percy's for little Ronnie."

"I told you not to call me Ronnie!" Ron hated being called Ronnie the most, and angrily went after the pair of naughty ghosts.Before catching up, the twins fell into Molly's hands, and Molly's angry roar could be heard from the entrance: "Have you two finished cleaning the living room? Don't even think about eating at night if you don't clean!"

Vanessa shook her head and said to Harry, "These damned boys, I don't even remember Gryffindor Tower being so noisy."

Harry scratched his head with a smile: "At the birthday party yesterday, they buried a capsule bomb in Mrs. Weasley's cake..."

Without his description, Vanessa could think of the spectacular scene: "It's a good thing I wasn't there. If anyone dared to get the cream on me, I would definitely throw them out of the house." She winked at Harry, "Listen honey, I'm really sorry I didn't come to your birthday party."

"It's okay." Harry shook his head, he always estimated other people's feelings, "It's good that you can come today. Sirius originally planned to hold a party for a week in a row, if Mrs. Weasley didn't stop you, would you still Can catch up with the remaining six games."

"Only he can come up with this idea." Vanessa took out the gift, "Take it apart and see if you like it?"

"Looking at the size of the box, it shouldn't be a cupcake, right?"

"Of course not, otherwise I would have broken it when I brought it from New York."

Harry said happily, "I have received four cakes, and I think I can eat them until school starts." He complained, but his eyes were full of satisfied smiles.

Vanessa ruffled his tangled hair; he had grown taller again, almost at her eye level.

"A bow tie?" said Harry. "Thank you, how did you know I was going to that goddamn dinner party tomorrow?"

"What dinner?"

They were talking when Black came out, followed by Lupine.Black stopped not far away, a little embarrassed, Lupine was as calm as ever: "Long time no see, Vanessa."

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Harry dragged Black to Vanessa, urging in a low voice.Vanessa looked at the two people who were chattering puzzledly. After a while, Blake said, "Hi, Vanessa... would you like to go to the dinner with us?" Blake's voice was no longer hoarse. Be graceful and gentle when speaking slowly.

Snape's voice was like clear spring water, pleasant but distant, while Black's voice was like the warm April sun, close at hand.

Fanny was distressed that she always thought of that person anytime and anywhere, so she quickly adjusted her mood and asked, "You mean the one run by Malfoy?"

"Have you received the invitation too?" Harry seemed much happier, "I really don't want to go, but I can't leave Sirius alone in that kind of place, it's too cruel."

"Unfortunately, Malfoy won't invite me. But I have an appointment, and I don't think my relationship with Mr. Black is suitable for such an event. This banquet is to celebrate the return of the new heir of the Black family, and I don't want to be Misunderstanding." Vanessa smiled apologetically.

"Don't be so alien, we have lived together for so long after all..."

"Stop it, I thought you were a dog at that time." Vanessa shrugged helplessly, "Besides, you have no shortage of female companions, just choose one from the fan letters you receive."

Black wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Ron who just walked over.He had just finished wrestling with the twins, and with a thin layer of sweat on his brow, he said breathlessly, "Don't lose heart, Sirius. I was worried when you sent me piggy yet another Animagus. This The psychological shadow needs to be gradually eliminated."

"Then give the piggy as a birthday present for Ginny." Sirius looked arrogant and looked as if he was the same age as Ron.

Ron took a step back and shook his head violently: "No, that's my owl!"

Vanessa couldn't help laughing watching them slapstick.She looked around, wondering why she hadn't seen Hermione.Harry explained: "She stayed up late yesterday doing her potions homework and is now catching up on sleep. We left four papers this holiday, each no less than fifteen inches."

Vanessa was at a loss for words for a while, and she squeezed out two words: "Really."

Harry gave her a quizzical look, which wasn't the reaction he'd imagined.Rather, from the first time he saw Vanessa this time, he thought she was a little strange.He tried to think back to what Vanessa did when he was down.

"Why don't you come in for tea?"

"Not Harry. I've got to go home and pack up. You know, that house hasn't been lived in for a term, it's all dust."

"Harry, Ron, Molly asked you to help in the kitchen." Lupine looked at Vanessa again, and continued, "If you haven't tidied up, why don't you stay here first, there are still a lot of vacant rooms here. ’ he said, elbowing Black’s lower back.Black hurriedly answered: "Yes, yes, the most important thing here is the room."

Everyone else is gone, only Vanessa and Blake are left, and there is a slight awkwardness in the air.

Vanessa smiled politely: "Thank you, but I think I'll visit again in a while, I think you still have a lot to clean up here." She looked at the old curtains and the spiders The corner of the net.

"Let Kreacher help you?" Black suggested persistently.

"Hey, I appreciate your help, but I can handle it myself." Vanessa paused, "You don't have to do this, Blake, although I'm very angry that you lied to me, you don't owe me anything. I know that in that situation at the time, you had no better way."

Vanessa no longer cares about others' bad treatment for her.She hardly cares about anything, because she has never had the spirit of perseverance, and she may have lost too much so that she is used to the feeling of constant loss.She is willing to forgive others, and hopes that one day she will be able to forgive herself in the same way.

Blake looked at her, pondered for a long time, raised and lowered his arms, and finally shook Vanessa's hand solemnly: "I really appreciate your help for me in the past year, without you everything would not be so smooth. Me and Harry, Lily, James and Remus are very grateful to you."

"I just did what I can do, and I can't be thanked by so many people." Vanessa thought for a while, and added, "Someone has done more than me."

Black obviously didn't understand what he meant, nodded and said: "Professor Dumbledore really helped a lot."

Vanessa just smiled and didn't explain.

Vanessa put on delicate makeup, with slightly raised eyebrows, elongated eyeliner, silver eyeshadow with shimmer in the corners of her lower eyes, red lipstick that made her complexion fairer, and her thinned cheeks were portrayed sharp and capable.A pair of slightly exaggerated bud-shaped earrings hang down to the neck, half covered by the short hair.She put on a brand new dress and turned around in front of the mirror.The brand-new tattoo on the back became the best embellishment, the scars turned into thorny branches, and clumps of roses bloomed one after another, just passing half a circle along the edge of the dress's backless back. If you look closely, some flowers are just about to bloom, and some are blooming. Withered and withered.This is like the various states of life, all of which cannot escape from life to death and return to emptiness.

It doesn't hurt when I get the tattoo, but it's numb and itchy like countless ants crawling and biting on my back.She wondered if Snape felt the same way back then.

Strange to say, she made these changes in the hope that she could make a clean break with the past as soon as possible, but she always longed to experience all his experiences and feel all his feelings.

She was conflicted and entangled like this, day after day, day after day.

Finally, Vanessa put on black stiletto high heels, put on a wizard robe with the same floor-sweeping buttonless design, and went out with a silver handbag.

Greengrass and his two daughters were already there when she arrived at the entrance of Malfoy Manor. He kissed his hands in a gentlemanly manner and said, "You are beautiful today."

"Thanks, I'm not late, am I?"

"Just right."

Greengrass took the little daughter with one hand and stretched out his arm. Vanessa naturally took it, and they got into the carriage at the gate of the manor together.She opened the curtains and looked out of the window curiously. White roses were planted on both sides of a tree-lined road, and the manor in the distance could be glimpsed through the dense bushes.

"The Malfoy family is really rich." Vanessa couldn't help but sighed.

After the carriage stopped, Greengrass first carried the two daughters down, and then helped her down in a gentlemanly manner.The four of them walked up the long stairs, and the three members of the Malfoy family were standing at the gate of the manor.

Greengrass stepped forward to meet them face-to-face, and Vanessa followed, shaking their hands reluctantly.

With a hypocritical smirk on Malfoy's face, he sarcastically said in a voice that only two people could hear: "Unexpectedly, there will be someone from the Weasley family who will be qualified to attend my family's banquet one day. The pure-blood family who climbed into Slytherin is not Same, you have worn such an exquisite dress all your life, right?"

"It's not too expensive, and I don't need to bother Auston, I just can afford it. Although I don't have as much money as the Malfoy family, at least we are on the right team, and we don't need to spend money to eliminate disasters like some people." She said with a face The smile on his face was very friendly, his lips barely moved as he spoke, and he looked at Malfoy defiantly.

"People can't always choose the right one. Be careful not to get anything."

"I'll repeat the original words. Both boats want to pedal, but they can't pedal so steadily."

Sure enough, Malfoy's face became ugly, and Vanessa smiled even more happily.

"We won't bother you any more. There are still many people waiting to meet you." Greenglass interrupted the two of them in a timely manner, and Malfoy also instantly recovered his reserved and noble appearance, and raised his chin.Narcissa smiled and made a gesture of invitation.

As soon as they turned around and walked in, they heard the Malfoys' eager voice: "I didn't expect you to come this time, Severus."

Vanessa paused.