Since Barty Jr. left, Cynthia has become a bit of a smoker.

The original sweet smell of her body was replaced by the smell of tobacco, and her eyes were not as bright as before. Although she can smile now, it is also the kind of forced smile that does not reach the bottom of her eyes.

One day, Severus needed Cynthia's help fixing the Potions Room's formation, so he got up and went to his office on the sixth floor.

He knocked on the door for a long time, but no one opened it. And he didn't know the password of Cynthia's office, so he had to start guessing.

Although Severus didn't want to admit Barty Jr.'s place in Cynthia's heart, he still whispered, "Barty." ”

The door opened, and he walked in but didn't find Cynthia. The room is still the same furnishings, except for an extra photo on the desk.

It was a photo of Barty Jr. and Cynthia, on which Cynthia was holding a green marshmallow, taking a bite lightly, and then smiling and looking at Barty Jr., who kept looking at Cynthia dotingly. (This scene is from the previous 520 Oh, let's assume that Siris secretly took a photo)

Severus looked at Cynthia, who was smiling like a flower in the photo, but he couldn't express the sourness in his heart.

Since he didn't find Cynthia in the office, he went to another place where Cynthia was most likely to be found, the Astronomy Tower.

Sure enough, Severus found Cynthia, who was smoking a cigarette in the Astronomy Tower.

Before he could get past it, he saw Cynthia leaning against the wall, looking up at the starry sky, a cigarette in her finger, and the smoke drifting away in the breeze.

Severus sank his face and strode over to snatch the cigarette from the woman's hand, only then did he notice a dozen cigarette butts at the woman's feet.

"Are you crazy?" He snorted angrily and looked at the woman frowning as she had been snatched her cigarette.

"What are you doing here? You don't have to worry about my business! Cynthia didn't look at Severus, but pulled out a cigarette case from her pocket and pulled out a new cigarette.

Severus snatched the cigarette case, looked at Cynthia, who was full of displeasure, and said, "How long are you going to do this?" Do you think you'll forget your pain like this? ”

"Barty saved you because he wanted you to live well, not to let you spoil your body day by day!"

"Even if you don't take care of your health, what about children? Don't you think about you and Barty's children? ”

"What else do you want from me? …… I knew I had to face it, I had to move on, I tried to smile every day, but this happened......"

"Do you want me to act like nobody? I can't...... I...... I can't do it......" Cynthia finally couldn't help crying as she listened to Severus's accusation.

"He died because of me...... I dream of that scene every night...... I watched him die in my arms, but I couldn't do anything......"

"Thea......" Severus looked at the woman with desperate eyes in distress.

Severus ...... You should know my feelings best...... Why, why do you even accuse me......"

"But Thea, do you know how uncomfortable it is for me to look at you like this?" Severus finally spoke his mind.

"Huh?? Are you uncomfortable? How could you be upset? You said you hated me, and you couldn't be happier with me the way I looked......" Cynthia seemed to hear a big joke.

"All these years...... Don't you feel a little bit? Severus's pupils narrowed, and he didn't expect that Cynthia had always felt that she hated her.

"Feel what? What do you say I should feel? Cynthia sneered.

“…… I...... Thea...... I, I love you......" Severus gritted his teeth and said what he really thought in his heart.

“…… You said...... You love me? Cynthia was stunned for a second, but then laughed.

"Hahaha...... You, you say you love me? Hahahaha......" she laughed and cried.

"Don't you think...... Barty is gone, so I'm pathetic? You say you love me? It turns out that the way you love someone is to give her a shadow? Cynthia ruffled her long hair, revealing the hideous scar on the left side of her neck.

"If that's what you call love...... I feel it, but thank you, I don't need to ......" Cynthia wiped her tears and turned to leave.

"Thea!" Severus turned to take her hand, but he grabbed it and only touched a strand of her blonde hair that was flying in the wind.

Back in the office, Cynthia sat at her desk and picked up the photo of her and Barty Jr.

The tip of her right finger swiped lightly across Barty's face and whispered, "Barty...... I miss you...... I just met Severus, guess what he said? He said he loved me...... Hahaha"

"But...... I said I was going to let him go...... But why does my heart still throb a little when I hear those words......"

"That'...... That must be a delusion, right? Talk...... Buddy...... Why don't you ignore me......"

"Can you sort me out...... I'm useless, am I? I know how many formations ...... But I can't find a formation that can save you...... You said...... When the child is born, will it be a boy or a girl? ”

"The child will be a little more like you...... Or is it a little more like me? If you're still ...... What kind of name would you give your child? ”

"............" Cynthia took the photo and began to talk to herself, crying for a while, laughing for a while, and finally falling asleep on the desk, still clutching the photo tightly in her hand.

Perhaps because he spoke his heart, Severus began to appear frequently in front of Cynthia's eyes since that night.

She went to the Astronomy Tower to smoke, and he would follow, and she would light one, and he would grab one.

Even if Cynthia would get angry and hit him because of it, he would still do it.

Until one day, Siris mysteriously brought a large picture frame and handed it to Cynthia.

Cynthia curiously uncovered the flannel covering the frame, and tears flowed out in the next second.

"Ba ...... Buddy?!! Cynthia looked at little Barty, who was winking at her in the frame, and covered her mouth.

"Long time no see, Thea. This portrait was originally painted by my father in order to hand over the position of patriarch to me, but I did not expect it to become my posthumous portrait. But thanks to this portrait, I can see your beloved again. ”

"Thea, Mr. Crouch Sr. gave me the portrait today, saying that you need it more than the other couple, so I brought it to you." Siris beckoned to Barty Jr. in the portrait, then looked at Cynthia and said.

Cynthia has never smoked in the tower since she got her portrait of Barty Jr., and she talks to Barty Jr. every day.

When Cynthia returns home on the weekend, she also carries a portrait, and Gruss and Jemini and Orion and Harry will pester Barty Jr. to talk incessantly to show how much they miss him.