piratefiction Chapter 139 Drinking Tea and Chatting
Chapter 139 Drinking Tea and Chatting
Chapter 139 Drinking Tea and Chatting
The air in Snape's potions office was stagnant and cold, with only a small flame in the fireplace providing a negligible warmth, but unable to dispel the bone-chilling dampness of the basement.
Two high-backed chairs were placed opposite each other in front of the fireplace, and a small table in the middle, which seemed to have been found somewhere, held a tea set.
Snape sat motionless in one of the chairs, like a statue on the outer wall of Hogwarts Castle.
His long, slender fingers rested on his knees, but he didn't touch the dark-colored tea on the table beside him.
His gaze fell on the flickering flames, but his eyes were vacant, clearly indicating that his mind was elsewhere.
Lynch sat opposite him, much more relaxed.
He was slowly sipping his tea, savoring the intense bitterness on his tongue as if he were tasting some rare and exquisite wine, rather than the ordinary tea leaves offered in Snape's cellar.
The silence in the room was occasionally broken by the soft crackling of the firewood in the fireplace and the subtle crisp sound of Lynch setting down his teacup as it touched the porcelain plate.
Finally, Lynch placed the teacup back on the tray and let out a barely audible sigh.
"Your tea stock needs an improvement, Severus. It might feel refreshing to taste this bitterness once in a while, but it won't do every time you come. I'll have Totz bring you a few bags tomorrow." His voice was calm and clear in the quiet cellar, carrying a hint of casual conversation, as if he were genuinely just chatting with a friend over tea.
Snape's jawline tightened for a moment.
His gaze slowly shifted away from the flames, and his dark eyes finally turned to Lynch, devoid of any warmth.
"If you're here to discuss tea with me, I'm afraid I have nothing to say." He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word carrying a distinct sense of distance. "I have more, more effective liquids to keep me alert."
Lin Qi seemed oblivious to the stiffness in his words, and a faint, almost non-smiling smile curved his lips.
His gaze swept over Snape's untouched cup of tea. "Won't you try some? The temperature should be just right."
Snape lowered his gaze, glancing warily at the cup of tea as if it were some suspicious potion ingredient. He then looked back at Lynch, his annoyance almost overflowing, but he suppressed it with his strong self-control, turning it into a deeper indifference.
"I'll drink when I'm thirsty," he said simply.
Another silence followed.
Lynch tapped his fingertips lightly on the wooden armrest of the chair, making a barely audible tapping sound.
The subtle sound was amplified in the silence of the room, making Snape feel somewhat annoyed.
"The castle will be bustling soon; the students should be arriving tomorrow," Lin Qi said again, the topic shifting abruptly yet naturally as if it were just a casual remark. "Time flies; it feels like the second school year has already begun. What happened last year seems like just yesterday."
He turned his head, his dark eyes questioning, "Speaking of last school year, you won't blame me for not telling you, will you?"
Snape's fingers, resting on the armrest, tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment.
A fleeting, intense emotion flashed across his eyes, as if those words had precisely pierced an old wound that had never healed—the darkest part of his complex feelings toward Dumbledore: resentment at not being fully trusted and a clear awareness of being used.
But he quickly suppressed the emotion in his eyes, so quickly that it was almost an illusion.
He sat up straight, picked up his cup of tea from the small table, and took a sip of the still warm, bitter liquid.
"Such important information should be kept secret." Snape put down his teacup, his voice calm and cold. "Headmaster Dumbledore has his own decisions, and you have no obligation to inform me."
He paused, then continued, "It's just a pity that even with you and Dumbledore working together, you couldn't stop the Dark Lord, who was barely clinging to life."
Lynch smiled. "It's great that you understand. To be honest, although I feel bad about it, there are some things that are better left unsaid."
Some things?
Snape's gaze flickered slightly, like a tiny pebble thrown into a calm lake.
Was there something else he didn't know? The thought surfaced uncontrollably, and although he immediately tried to suppress it, his fingers unconsciously rubbed the warm rim of the teacup. Lynch, seemingly oblivious to Snape's momentary lapse in attention, continued naturally, his tone as relaxed as if discussing the weather: "Just like when I hunted those dark wizards, no one knew my target except myself, thus ensuring no one would warn him." He shrugged slightly, giving a knowing look. "Besides, your situation is special; protecting you from Voldemort was a necessary measure."
Snape picked up his teacup, took another sip, and tried to use the bitterness of the tea to suppress the discomfort that had been stirred up in his heart again. He put the cup down, and the bottom of the cup made a very slight clinking sound against the tray.
"Professional judgment should be left to professionals." Snape's voice was even lower than before, carrying a deliberate calmness. "I have no objection to that."
But he didn't look into Lynch's eyes again; his gaze was fixed on the small cluster of flames dancing in the fireplace, his pupils unfocused.
Lynch observed Snape's subtle changes and knew that he couldn't rush things now.
He stopped talking about it and turned to look at the flames, and the two fell silent again.
This silence was thicker than before.
After a long while, Lin Qi slowly stood up.
"I've almost finished my tea," he said, his tone returning to its usual calm. "I should head back now, revise the teaching plan for the new academic year, and then resubmit it. The plan I submitted a few days ago didn't pass Dumbledore's review."
Snape didn't get up, only slightly raising his chin in response. Lynch walked towards the door, and as he placed his hand on the doorknob, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turning his head to say, "By the way, I heard you improved the recipe for the Living Hell Soup, reducing the side effects of Sleeping Beans? That's truly remarkable. I'd really like to ask you about it sometime."
This is a purely safe topic about potions, like a casual chat between old friends.
Snape was silent for a moment before replying curtly, "It's just an improved mixing method. It's nothing serious."
"In my opinion, any improvement that enhances the stability of potions is of great significance." Lynch smiled, this time with less probing and more sincerity. "We'll talk later, Severus."