By the time November of 1991 came, Severus Snape felt that his patience had reached the limit. And all this is of course because the arrogant Potter's son, an equally arrogant Potter, —— enrolled at Hogwarts, and he was assigned by Headmaster Dumbledore to watch over him secretly!!

He was about to go on a night patrol that day, but Dumbledore's face suddenly appeared in the fireplace of his Potions office, and he smiled and told him to go to the eighth floor, where he was said to have finally found a suitable successor to take up the position of Muggle Studies professor, who had been vacant for months, and the new Muggle Studies professor had his office directly on the eighth floor.

Snape had a bad feeling - he thought that the new Muggle Studies professor must be a Gryffindor to have such a soft spot for the Eighth Floor.

Although the Ravenclaw common room is also located on the tower, there are times when Snape prefers to trust a little of his instincts.

And this terrible instinct was even stronger as he panted up to the eighth floor and walked outside the office door of the new Muggle Studies professor.

He stood outside the door, staring at the painting hanging above the door frame in a daze for a few seconds, hesitating to go in.

He had never cared before about the décor of a Muggle Studies professor's office, let alone what the magical portrait in charge of the gatekeeper looked like. But now he was a little surprised by the portrait of the janitor that his new colleague had chosen—

In the portrait, a little girl with blond hair in a blue dress is standing there with a cramped face, watching a rabbit dressed like a gentleman take out a pocket watch to check the time. On the big tree behind them, among the lush branches and leaves, there seemed to be a grinning cat's face looming.

At this time, as if sensing that someone was visiting the door, they all stopped their movements, and all six eyes looked at Snape, who was in black robes and black hair in front of the door—the cat's face disappeared immediately, and only the smile remained in the treetops.

Snape frowned. It seems to be a scene from some Muggle fairy tale. He couldn't figure out why his new colleague had chosen such a lively scene as his portrait of the gatekeeper - oh, not at all the majesty of being a professor! Not to mention that even if the visitor knew the password, he should tell which person or animal in the painting would work! And what about the cat with no face and only a smile?!

His face was so ugly that the person and the rabbit in the painting involuntarily shrank back. Then the rabbit actually got ahead of the little girl, and said to him with a serious face, "Password, sir." ”

He pursed his lips in disgust, thinking that he was a big living person after all, and there was no need to be angry with a portrait, so he said coldly, "Mad Hatter." ”

The rabbit nodded solemnly, glanced at the pocket watch in his hand, and said, "Sir, you are very punctual." Come in. ”

Snape raised an eyebrow. In fact, he didn't even make an appointment with the owner of the office. The little girl seemed to see this, and said to him behind the rabbit, "Oh, sir, don't mind. This Mr. Rabbit has always been like this—"

The door opened. Snape glanced at the painting again before entering, and saw the cat crouching in the treetops, its big face reappearing, grinning at him.

Snape snorted coldly and walked into the room.

The room was neatly furnished, so it was even more obvious that the pile of scraps of paper in the middle of the large desk looked so messy and obtrusive. The owner of the room didn't seem to have any intention of cleaning up the debris.

She was sitting behind a desk with a book spread out in front of her, seemingly becoming

And the moment Snape saw her face clearly, he was so shocked that he froze a little dazed.

It's been months since I heard from you - that impostor!

Since he struggled out of the trial and came to Hogwarts as a Potions professor, he hasn't had much to do with the impostor. However, at a time when the core members of the Order of the Phoenix had died in the previous battle with the Death Eaters, and most of the serious injuries were being lost, he had also heard that Dumbledore had decisively discarded his suspicions and often trusted her to send her out on secret missions. In addition, she still has the position of an Auror, so for so many years, she has been busier than him, often so busy that she can't see anyone.

Of course, it was precisely because she was an Auror that he had no idea that the new Muggle Studies professor that Dumbledore had hired would be her.

Unlike his old impression of her, she put down the book in her hand and slowly stood up from behind the desk, looking at him in the face of shock, then frowning. After a moment, the corners of her lips twitched slightly, revealing a strange smile.

"It's worth the ticket price to see your shocked face, Severus. There was a faint smile in her voice, "Didn't Albus tell you the news in advance?"

Snape was a rare little choking on her. As if dissatisfied with his disadvantaged situation, he exasperated and exhaled from his big nose.

“…… I thought you still had an official position in the Ministry of Magic. He said coldly.

"Ah, that position. She smiled, walked around the desk, and walked straight across the room to him, standing a few paces away from him, "Quit." Because I find it more appealing to stay at Hogwarts. ”

…… It must be a pretext! His face was even more ugly.

“…… I thought you and Dumbledore's greatest purpose was to embarrass me," he hissed, "just like that...... That ......"

"That Potter?, Harry Potter?" she reminded him with a smile, as if kindly she had.

Snape: "......"

He was now uttered by Dumbledore's bad taste and the impostor's willfulness.

Some people are really going to get more and more arrogant! Age is completely useless to them! It doesn't help them mature at all! Like these Gryffindors!!

"Tell me the truth! What the hell are you doing here!, and Dumbledore has given you some terrible tasks!" he said angrily, his voice almost like it was coming out of his teeth.

Under the anger and hatred that he unreservedly revealed, her emerald green eyes, which belonged to Lily, widened slightly—and then, those beautiful eyes bent slightly, and a smile appeared as if ignoring his anger.

"Help Harry," she replied crisply, "as with your mission—Harry's importance, we are all well aware. ”

This objective description triggered Snape's anger in an instant.

"Clear?!" he took a step closer to her, leaning down as if threatening, glaring at her angrily. The corners of his mouth were downturned, and his lips were pursed tightly.

"Do you know how he survived?!Sacrifice his mother in exchange for this...... A mediocre and arrogant Potter kid like his father, who loves to break discipline, like to show off, attract attention, and be presumptuous!!

His long remarks were made in one go, from low to high, and the last sentence was literally roaring at her face. However, with his cello-like smooth voice, his roar seems to be a little less threatening, and a little more appreciative to the voice control.

…… But she has her own voice-activated attributes.

Liu Quan sighed and softened his voice.

"Don't let her die in vain - Severus, Albus has not given up investigating the whereabouts of the Dark Lord all these years, he does not believe that the Dark Lord is dead...... I don't believe it either. And when the Dark Lord returns, who do you think will be the person he will grudge the most?"

Snape Stop.

"The people who fight him, the people who can help you...... One more person is never too much. Severus, this is not the time for emotion. In her tone, the smile disappeared and she became calm and rational.

She paused, as if sensing that the time had come, and added softly but firmly.

"To that end, Severus, I need your cooperation with me. ”

For some reason, the portrait outside her office door popped up in his mind, the cat crouching high in the treetops, always smiling mysteriously and disappearing.

He jerked his face back.

“…… It's the same sentence again. His deep voice echoed through the untidy office.

"Working with you? I don't know who will be happy with the results of working with you. The silky satin voice had an uncharacteristically sharp mockery, "I believed you, but—"

"You can only trust me now, Severus. The imposter unexpectedly cut off his ridicule. "Because I swore to myself, I-"

Compared with their youth, she now looks like she hasn't changed at all, but her aura has been faintly enhanced, and it is hidden under a layer of gentleness.

This kind of person is something he rarely sees. She is the only woman he's met so far with this tricky type of woman. He felt that he was not at all good at dealing with such people, especially women.

It would be even worse if you added in the bonus to the appearance she was wearing—that skin.

So he turned his head away indifferently, and at the same time interrupted her simply and rudely.

"I don't want to know what false vows you've made to yourself - I'm assuming you know that I'm not interested in your confession. He said coldly, pausing, his tone suddenly becoming a little harsh.

"But...... I ask you to live longer, because if you die...... It also means - Lily...... Completely non-existent. For a moment, his voice seemed to have some gloom and sadness in it, but he quickly controlled these emotions that should not be revealed, and continued to say the following words with a straight face and a stiff tone.

"You deserve to know you...... There is an important responsibility to take good care of her body. You can't shirk your responsibility. He said, his gaze darkening a little, staring blankly at the ground in the distance.

"For me, it's just that. ”