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

Chapter 100 Side Story: Other Worldlines

(It's time for me to let my imagination run wild again. I'm thinking of writing about something like a spiritual entity, where cats rub against each other, though it might be a little weird.)

"You're back! Go wash your hands, I'll serve the soup and we can eat right away."

Emeric stroked the little black cat beside him and pushed it next to his spiritual form, letting them stay together. Meanwhile, Severus, the true form of the little black cat Smi, had just entered the house and was still changing his shoes at the door.

After Severus washed his hands and sat down at the table, Emeric's dinner was ready. The two of them ate a simple meal of three dishes and a soup, plus a dessert for each of them. Every morning before leaving for work, Severus would order a dish he wanted to eat, or something with a certain flavor, and Emeric would cook it after get off work and add some other dishes.

"Hmm... Yeah..."

"Did Severus eat candy before he went home? Otherwise, why does his mouth taste so sweet?" Emeric cupped his lover's face and playfully kissed him several times.

"You're taking advantage of me and talking nonsense?" Severus pinched Emeric's ear, his face flushed with affection.

"I was wrong, I was wrong, let's eat."

"That's more like it."

The two spirit beings beside them weren't as conflicted as their two masters. They had already rolled into a big ball of fur, licking each other's fur and expressing their longing for each other after a day apart.

Especially when Amy curled up under her belly, taking advantage of her larger size, she completely enveloped the little black cat and frantically licked its ears. Smi, curled up like a ball, didn't get angry, lying lazily and enjoying Amy's grooming service, occasionally licking back as a reward.

"Severus, let's go see a movie after dinner. There seems to be a movie with good ratings lately."

"Um."

Today is their third wedding anniversary, so they really should go shopping for a date.

"I'll go wash the dishes. Can you go change your clothes? You should dress casually for a date."

"Okay, what time does the movie start?"

"Let me see, it's 7:30. If we go at 6:30, we'll make it in time."

Saying it's washing dishes is really just about throwing away leftovers; everything else is left to the dishwasher. Emeric secretly took out the ring he'd hidden in the kitchen. Every year on their wedding anniversary, he'd give her two gifts: one was a pair of wedding rings, and the other depended on the circumstances.

The second gift this year was a bracelet he made from their hair. He spent every day crawling on the ground collecting Severus's hair to gather a small tuft to mix with his own.

"Let's go."

Severus wore a black trench coat over a light gray sweatshirt and dark jeans, looking much more lively.

Emeric became just like Amy, a huge creature that pounced on Severus and kissed him on the lips, their tongues intertwining and refusing to let go.

But Severus didn't have Smi's good temper. After kissing for a while, he slapped Emeric on the head and pushed him away to catch his breath, unable to help but despise his lover's self-control.

"Alright, if you keep dawdling, the movie will start soon."

The two tidied their disheveled clothes before heading out. Seeing their owners leave, the two kittens obediently returned to their inner world.

Their house was in a good location, a 15-minute walk from the largest shopping mall in the vicinity, and also very close to Hogwarts. Severus could drive there to work in 15 minutes every day. It was only a little far from Emeric's company, a half-hour drive, but since he was the boss, being a few minutes late for work didn't matter.

"I'm going to buy tickets. Do you want some Severus Coke and popcorn? I feel like something's missing if I buy a small ticket and don't eat anything while watching the movie."

"Can."

Severus didn't care whether he ate it or not; if it wasn't good, he'd just give it to Emeric to solve—it would never be a waste of food. He was guessing what this year's gift would be.

The ring he's wearing now is an anniversary gift from last year; the rings he's received over the years have filled an entire jewelry box.

Emeric would always find all sorts of reasons to give him things, such as buying him a new outfit because he was in a good mood, or buying him a pair of shoes because the weather was nice. As a result, two-thirds of their walk-in closet was filled with his clothes.

Of course, Severus enjoyed these little surprises from time to time, so he would indulge Emeric's quirks about dressing up, often wearing different clothes for each of the seven days of the week.

"Hey, have a sip of Coke. Drinking ice-cold Coke is the most refreshing thing on a day like this."

Severus naturally took the straw cup and took the first sip. Over the years, whether it was a drink or a meal, he had always been the first to take the first bite. He held his lover's hand with his other hand.

Not far behind him, three students were watching him furtively.

"Professor Snape???"

"tutor?"

"Wow, if the professor dressed like that at the university, the doorstep of our lab would be worn down by all the footsteps."

"Who do you think he's holding hands with? They look like a good match."

"Tsk, junior brother, you're new here, of course you wouldn't know. This is our lab's big spender, show him some respect."

"??? Second Senior Sister, you mean the professor sacrificed himself for funding, and I promise I won't waste materials anymore!!"

"Don't lie to the child. He's not very bright to begin with. She's the professor's serious girlfriend, the kind who's married and registered. But it's true that a large portion of our lab's funding comes from this Mr. Thaddeus."

"Let me teach you a trick. You submit your test results every Friday. Even if the professor scolds you, it won't last long. That's because our sugar daddy comes to pick up his wife every Friday. As long as you don't go too far, Mr. Thaddeus will put in a good word for you."

"Come on, your senior brother is treating you to a movie. Let's go see what's going on."

"Long live the eldest brother!" x2

Just as Severus and Emeric sat down, the theater lights went out, creating a perfect dark environment for a surprise.

Emeric put the bracelet on Severus's wrist and the ring on his right ring finger as well.

At this moment, Severus gave his gift for the year: an earring set with diamonds made from both of their hair. He turned to the side, took Emeric's old earring, and put his gift on him.

Two rows behind them, the three of them almost choked on their PDA. This kind of real couple is the best to ship; their tacit exchange of gifts is just too sweet.

Tomorrow there will be even more gossip in the lab behind the professor's back. They even have a group chat that doesn't include the professor, just a bunch of people who are obsessed with fairytale romances.

After watching the movie, they went straight home. As soon as they locked the door, they couldn't help but embrace. Their spirit bodies also embraced, licking each other's lips.

The clothes that had fallen to the floor stretched all the way into the room. Smi trembled as she lay on top of Amy; the stimulation from their spiritual connection was almost too much for the kitten to handle.

The noise in the room didn't stop until late at night. Amy, who was standing at the door, licked the unconscious Smi in her arms, tidied up all the messy fur, and then fell asleep while holding her beloved kitten.