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

Chapter 149 Birthday

The two of them were so busy that they forgot the time, and it was already two o'clock when Severus came out of the studio.

He felt like he was about to collapse. His head was spinning and his stomach was upset. He picked up the cup next to Emerick and took a sip of chrysanthemum tea to relieve the nausea.

"Is it not finished yet?"

"Severus, you go to sleep first. I'm almost done finishing up. I'll go to class tomorrow," Emeric said, looking up at the weary-looking man beside him. These were all urgent documents that had been delivered; they needed to be reviewed and sent out by tomorrow.

"Give me a little of what I can see, let's finish it together and go to sleep early." Severus sighed and pulled out the chair next to him. He couldn't sleep alone in bed, so he might as well help Emeric finish it sooner.

"This stack of documents is all unread yet, feel free to take any," Emeric pointed to the pile of documents on his right. "Or, why don't you go wash up first and come back later? That way I won't have to wait for you to wash up."

"Okay, I'll take over after I shower." Severus did feel a bit uncomfortable; the lingering steam from the potion was sticking to his hair and making his face feel uneasy.

Emeric gripped the quill tightly, feeling its heat. He had no desire to be associated with Voldemort at all, yet his Potions Master was in Voldemort's hands.

I asked Severus if he would like to go to Germany, but unfortunately he refused because he still owed Lily his life, and he couldn't leave until he repaid that debt.

The document in his hand was Voldemort's invitation, asking if he would be willing to let Severus become their full-time potions consultant, in exchange for 2% of their monthly revenue. Emeric gritted his teeth and agreed to the offer; taking money from his pocket was more painful than death, so he was going to bring these two men back later.

"I'm ready, go quickly, okay?"

Severus had barely stood by the table when Emerick grabbed him and kissed him. The little rascal must have been acting strangely; Severus, unusually soft-hearted, let Emerick do as he pleased. But the young man's kiss was rough and forceful; Severus felt his lips were about to bleed. He gently pulled his hand away from Emerick's grasp and placed it on his waist, warning him to stop while he was ahead, or he'd be in for a world of hurt.

"Tell me, what's making you so angry?" Severus was used to it and didn't know why Emeric would stick to him whenever he was unhappy, even if it was just touching his hand.

"This is it..." Emeric said, handing the document to Severus. Voldemort's calculations were already in full swing.

"Tsk, alright," Severus knew from the beginning why Emeric had been kissing for so long; he definitely wanted to get his money's worth. "Go take a shower, and go to sleep right after you're done watching."

"Okay~"

Severus sat in his chair and sorted the documents he hadn't finished reading, making it easier to read them later—a habit ingrained in his very being.

By the time they finished everything, it was past three o'clock, and the two of them fell asleep almost as soon as they lay down on the bed. Before falling asleep, Severus sent Dumbledore a note asking him to take his class the next day so that he and Emeric could sleep for a very long time.

It was already ten o'clock when Severus finally woke up. He had slept until now. He reached out and touched the sheets, which were still warm. It seemed that Emeric had not been gone for long.

After washing up and walking out of the bedroom, I was a little surprised to see Emeric still there. I thought he had left after getting up, so it was unusual for him to still be in the cellar at this hour.

He originally planned to go out and see if he could find something as a birthday present for Emeric. He couldn't possibly give him Felix Felicis for his coming-of-age ceremony; that would really be a disaster.

"Aren't you going out today?"

"Well, I still have some things to finish up here. What's up? How about we go together after I'm done?" Emeric turned slightly to look at Severus. He had some documents on hand, which looked like they wouldn't be ready in less than half a day.

"No need, I'll go to Hogsmeade myself to buy some things." He then tried to list the things he needed to buy in case Emerick became suspicious, but he couldn't think of anything he needed for the time being, so he could only say, "You stay here by yourself and you're not allowed to go out until you finish your work."

Severus hadn't been out alone for a long time, and he felt a little uneasy. All these years, Emeric had always been by his side; even after arguments, Emeric would turn into a kitten and hide in his pocket. He suddenly had a strong urge to buy a cat necklace and hang it around Emeric's neck. Of course, this thought only lasted a few seconds.

As noon approached and the weather grew increasingly hot, Severus went to a cake shop and sat down, instinctively ordering an iced cocoa and a slice of cheesecake for lunch. But after finishing his lunch, he still couldn't think of anything to give as a gift.

"Hello, I booked a chocolate-making workshop for today yesterday. May I go now?"

"Of course, sir, this way please. There's a sink here where you can wash your hands first..."

Severus's eyes lit up. He knew what to give Emeric. If the little brat dared not like it, he was doomed. To prevent anyone from recognizing him, Severus decided to buy the materials to try it out. It couldn't be more difficult than making a potion.

As it turned out, it really was harder than making potions. This was the umpteenth time he'd burned it; it looked fine on the outside, but it always clumped together on the other side. After using up all the ingredients, he barely managed to make half a box of chocolates. He was so sick of eating the defective products these past few days that he was about to throw up.

Three days before Emeric's birthday, Severus poured a bunch of potions into a box of chocolates, along with a contract for the transfer of ownership. This was the contract Emeric had given him for Prince Manor, and now he was transferring half of the rights to Emeric. It was the most valuable thing he had besides his potion-making talent.

Happy birthday, Ellie!!!

"Thank you, Harry."

Someone was already waiting for him early in the morning. Emerick accepted the flower basket that Draco had woven by hand, which was filled with all sorts of fruit and bread. Draco hadn't expected these simple snacks to be so delicious; Emerick actually ate three of them. He thought he could try making them for Harry later.

When Emeric returned from his stroll, he was carrying a pile of things. He picked out the food and put it aside, leaving the rest on the table, piled up haphazardly.