HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 120 Extra: Two Professors

(Bonus time! I have a bunch of weird and wonderful ideas, hehehe. Let's say Ellie becomes a professor at Hogwarts when she's 20.)

The moment Emeric met Severus at the opening banquet, he fell instantly in love and wanted to bring him home. So every day he dressed up like a peacock with its tail feathers spread, every detail meticulously designed.

Her long, flaxen hair was adorned with several strands of silver, and was braided into a long plait with a dark green hairband. A cat hair clip was tucked into the end of her hair, and she wore a black diamond stud earring on her left earlobe and a butterfly earring on her right.

Emeric practically had "I'm seducing you" written all over his face. He spent an hour meticulously getting ready, only to find that Severus hadn't even noticed.

He thought he was too far away, so he deliberately switched places with McGonagall and sat next to Severus, intentionally or unintentionally pretending to accidentally touch the other's hand.

From then on, no matter the topic, as long as Severus was involved, he would subtly take over the conversation, kicking everyone else out one by one, until finally only he and Severus were left talking about the topic.

Sometimes Severus even felt that Emeric had ill intentions and wanted to do something to him; otherwise, why would anyone follow him around for no reason?

Therefore, Severus specifically sought out Dumbledore, suspecting Emeric's motives and suggesting he might be planning something against the students, as his flamboyant daily attire distracted some students from their studies.

"Dumbledore, when are you going to get rid of Thaddeus? If you want to see peacocks, why don't you call Lucius back? Why do you have to hire a German?" Severus got even angrier as he spoke, and he slammed his fist on the table.

"Now many students, regardless of gender, are clinging to him. Aren't you afraid something will happen to them?" He gets angry just thinking about it. Even if he sees students swooning over him every day, he can't deduct points from Emeric's score.

Dumbledore, having been scolded, silently lowered his head and fiddled with his hands. He cautiously looked up at Severus's expression, not daring to utter a word in reply. Only when Severus had finished scolding him and sat back down in his chair did he dare to speak up and explain.

"I can assure you that Emeric is a good man. He has absolutely no ill intentions towards students. He's the grandson of a friend of mine; he won't do anything wrong."

"Then tell me, what exactly is his purpose? Don't expect me to coexist peacefully with him until you explain it clearly."

Dumbledore looked conflicted. He couldn't very well say that Emeric had initially come to have some fun, but had now taken a liking to the Potions Professor, which was why he dressed up so extravagantly every day to attract attention.

"I really can't say that. I can only tell you that he's not in danger; he's just here on vacation."

After much persuasion, Dumbledore finally managed to coax Severus away. Feeling he had suffered greatly, he prepared to demand compensation.

If it weren't for Gellert's recommendation, he wouldn't have let Emeric teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the Potions professor wouldn't be getting this scolding now. It's all Gellert's fault.

Severus quickly discovered Americh's true intentions: he was pursuing him. Severus was stunned by this answer; he felt that he, an old man, had absolutely nothing attractive about him, so why would Americh be interested in him?

He rejected her harshly, even declaring that he wouldn't be with a troll even if he liked him. But Emeric continued to dress impeccably every day, convinced he would one day catch Severus's eye. Humans are visual creatures; looking good never hurts.

Today I wear a black robe, tomorrow a blazer, and the day after an overcoat—I'll do whatever looks good, striving to be the most beautiful one in the crowd.

In some ways, Emeric did succeed. Because during the days he was away on leave, Severus felt a slight discomfort in his eyes.

Gradually, Severus got used to having this person around, who confessed his love to him every day, praised him for his abilities, and even found gifts every morning when he woke up. In the end, he got used to Emeric's presence.

Seeing Severus's attitude soften day by day, Emeric followed suit, serving him tea and water every day, making all sorts of snacks for him, and then finding an excuse to stay overnight in the cellar, even if he slept in the second bedroom, he was happy.

Even the hardest stone can be eroded by flowing water, let alone a passionate heart. The daily companionship and warmth are not fake.

After Emeric's persistent efforts, Severus finally gave in and accepted Emeric's confession. However, they agreed not to let the students find out and to keep their relationship a secret at school.

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There was some breaking news at the school that day: Professor Thaddeus and Professor Snape were dating.

Hufflepuff discovered this during Potions class when a badger noticed that Severus's clothes had changed. He had gone from a plain black robe to one with subtle patterns, and the last time this robe appeared was yesterday, worn by Emeric; anyone with a poor eye would have missed it.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the campus. Even the Ravenclaws, who were usually engrossed in their research, stopped what they were doing and frantically searched for clues, trying to figure out when they got together.

"I told you not to leave your clothes lying around, and now the whole school knows." Severus was a little annoyed. He didn't like his affairs being discussed by others, especially such private matters.

"I was wrong, but things are already like this, Severus. Why don't we just go public? If we don't tell them, these little brats will be even more curious," Emeric said softly, his arm around his lover's waist.

Behind Severus, Emeric couldn't stop smiling. He was finally going to have a legitimate status, and now he could rightfully drive away those ill-intentioned people without feeling jealous anymore.

"That's the only way," Severus reluctantly agreed, though he didn't like it, but things had come to this, and he couldn't very well cast a forgetting spell on everyone.

Now that Emeric had a legitimate claim to their relationship, he went straight to the Potions classroom to wait for Severus as soon as get out of class ended, making no attempt to hide it. Even their clothes and accessories were matching, as if they were afraid no one would know they were a couple.

The young wizards soon discovered that as long as they were on good terms with Emeric Quaseflerus, or rather, with them, they could lose far fewer points and even receive cookies made by Emericus himself.

This became a clever trick for them to get extra points at the end of the semester, and it worked very well. However, sometimes it would turn into a deduction when they encountered Severus, so there was a slight risk.