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

Chapter 141 Ladies' Tea Party

"Ahem, let's test the sound." Evelyn stood by the Black Lake with a microphone in hand, wanting to see if the speakers she had worked so hard to install could cover the entire school.

This was something that took a long time to persuade the alchemists in her family to agree to. When she first arrived, she felt that Hogwarts relied on people to relay messages, which was far too slow.

"I can hear you." Loina, whose assigned spot was the closest, was the first to return. She took the drink Evelyn offered and slowly sat down. She had overexerted herself today, climbing the Astronomical Tower and back within an hour, which was really exhausting for her.

McGonagall was the second closest. She returned with a small basket. "I can hear you." She took out a small cake and handed it to Loina, then picked up her teacup to drink. Once the other two returned, their experiment for the day would be completely finished.

The third to return was Sprout, who was also recruited. She took out a plate of washed fruit and placed it in the center, then said to Evelyn, "I'm fine there."

Because Sarafina was the most physically fit, she was sent to the furthest corner. But she returned shortly afterward, saying, "Her voice was a little soft, but still audible."

Evelyn nodded. "I declare today's experiment a complete success." She took out a basket of refreshments and placed it on the table. It was time for their tea party.

"You have quite a few in this basket," Sarafina said, picking up a cookie and putting it in her mouth. She immediately realized it was Emeric's handiwork, since he was the only one who didn't like sugar. "What did you trade for these?"

"No, these are all things that the young mistress doesn't like to eat anymore, so the young master gave them to me."

Loina nodded and said, "Not bad, as long as it's not one of those that's just trying to fool outsiders."

McGonagall and Sprout looked at each other, puzzled. They exchanged a glance, both filled with curiosity. "What are you talking about, Young Mistress? Can you share with us?"

Upon hearing this, the three of them suddenly fell silent. They had completely forgotten that there were other people at the table who didn't know about this, and had let the cat out of the bag.

Just as Sprout was about to change the subject, Sarafina spoke up, "Let me say it. I'm the master's subordinate, the young master won't do anything to me."

She looked at McGonagall and Sprout, "You two promise not to tell anyone, then swallow what's in your mouths and put down your cups." Her voice was very serious.

McGonagall looked confused but did as she was told. She was now really curious about who this young mistress they were talking about was. Sprout, who was next to her, also put down his cup and listened quietly.

After taking a deep breath, Salafina said, "Mr. Snape is the sweetheart of our young master, and the future mistress of Thaddeus and Aldrickson."

These words were like a bomb dropped on the two witches' heads, leaving them dizzy. They knew that Emeric was kind to Severus, but they thought it was just a teacher-student relationship, wondering when they would have such an obedient student. They had never imagined there was such a relationship between them.

"When did they get together? Does anyone else know?" McGonagall asked, pressing the issue to the core.

Since she had already brought it up, Loina decided to join the conversation. She started gossiping, "It's said that Mr. Snape hasn't agreed to our young master's request yet, but it should be soon. No one can escape his clinginess."

Evelyn was especially excited, as she knew more: "Young Master had liked Mr. Snape for a long time. He had a one-sided crush on him for a while, and back then, in order to have a reason to stay by his side, he even went to learn to cook with his father."

Sprout ate cookies while listening to the gossip. Today's tea party was really worth it. He no longer had to worry about Severus being bullied. It was better that Emeric cared about him.

"How can you be so sure that Severus will agree to Allie's request?" McGonagall felt that Severus would definitely not agree. Her students were stubborn from a young age and would not complain to them even if they were bullied.

Loina ate her fruit at a leisurely pace and slowly explained, "He will definitely agree. You can observe it. Every time they appear together, they unconsciously look at each other, and when they stand together, their bodies unconsciously lean against each other."

Seeing the question in McGonagall's eyes, she put it more bluntly: "This is how people show they like someone. Their bodies unconsciously turn towards the person they like; it's the most primal indicator of human interest."

"Also, the main reason I was called here to restore discipline was because of Mr. Snape. The young master couldn't stand these people talking behind his back," Sarafina added, as she picked up the teapot to refill McGonagall and Sprout's tea.

"Alright, don't tell anyone, okay? This is a secret of our ladies' tea party. Want to hear more gossip?" Evelyn winked and pleaded. She had plenty of juicy gossip to share. "It's a little secret of the Aldrickson family. They can smell the scent of their crushes, even if they're oblivious to it. Our young master has this ability too. I bet he'll start out like a little weirdo, following Mr. Snape around and sniffing him."

Evelyn then dropped another little secret, one that neither Salafina nor Loyna had heard of. "I have a little scoop too? The young master's ring is a pair with Mr. Snape's." Hearing this, McGonagall decided to take a closer look tomorrow. She nudged Sprout, and the two of them observed together.

The five of them ate, drank, and gossiped about Severus and Emeric's relationship; the afternoon flew by. After McGonagall transformed the tables and chairs back into small wooden blocks, the five of them walked together toward the auditorium. They all felt they had had a wonderful day and hoped there would be more gatherings like this in the future.

"Please don't tell the young master, or I'll lose my salary this month." Evelyn looked pitifully at McGonagall and Sprout; she didn't want to lose her wages.

"Isn't your salary paid by the school?"

"The school pays me a fraction of what the young master gives me. Putting aside everything else, our young master is very generous when it comes to paying salaries. There's a 500 Galleon bonus for every extra task I take on, which is the lowest and easiest tier," Evelyn exclaimed. If the pay wasn't so good, she wouldn't be doing two jobs.

"That's true, the young master is particularly generous with money in this regard," Salafina confirmed. She continued, "At other times, the young master is very frugal, no, except for buying gifts for Mr. Snape."

"Which island are you talking about?" Loina asked Sarafina curiously. After seeing her nod, she silently thought, "No wonder she said she wanted to buy an island and asked me where to find good seafood."

The remaining four understood the unspoken meaning, and McGonagall sighed that Severus had finally met someone who cared about him.