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

Chapter 116 "You Reap What You Sow"

Unsurprisingly, Emeric returned home with Severus this year. In the years before he had any official status, he had tried every means to sneak in, let alone now that Severus had given his consent.

"Just like yesterday, I'll only let you up here if you turn into a cat." Severus lay on the bed, looking at Emeric.

"Severus, you can't be biased! You can't just like cats and not people!!"

"Then you can sleep on the floor." After saying this, Severus closed his eyes and ignored Emeric.

"Mimi..."

After a series of meows, a huge, purring cat was pressed against Severus's back, his entire body enveloped in soft fur. The purring, combined with the low temperature in the room, made him feel incredibly sleepy, and he fell asleep within minutes.

The two slept soundly until dawn, and remained exactly as they were before they fell asleep. Emeric was still the size of a big cat, holding Severus close to his chest.

"Meow~"

Having just woken up, Emeric forgot to tone his voice and let out a loud bark, instantly waking Severus. The man's actions were faster than his thoughts, and he immediately pressed his wand against the cat's head.

Fortunately, Severus reacted in the next second, looking at Emeric with a complicated expression. It was the first time he had ever heard a cat meow so awfully.

"Do you...want to take some medicine?" Severus hesitated a bit. Could it be that he had given the cat a cold?

If I hear that sound again tonight, I'd better kick Emeric out to sleep, otherwise it would be really scary to be woken up by it first thing in the morning.

"Meow~"

"real?"

"Meow~~"

Seeing the doubt in Severus's eyes, Emeric transformed into a human and whispered in his ear in a sticky, murmuring manner to prove that he was not sick.

"Severus, I'm not sick, so I don't need medicine~"

"Get up if you're not sick."

Severus slapped the head next to him away, got up and washed up. His ears were already desensitized, but he still had to be punished, otherwise Emeric might go even further.

"Severus, can I not deal with the slugs? They're so slimy and disgusting."

"No." The man refused him outright, without even stopping his fork. Severus enjoyed the meal immensely, but could see Emeric serving him with a pained expression whenever he looked up.

"Glug, glug..."

"Why is it still not right?"

Severus rested his chin on his hand in deep thought, then waved his wand to retrieve a mutated two-colored hibiscus. He was prepared to risk it and give it a try. He had previously tested a mutated single-colored hibiscus, which accelerated potion reactions; he wondered if the two-colored one would be even more effective.

He crushed all the flower petals in the grinding bowl and carefully sprinkled them into the pot. The potion, which had been boiling, instantly quieted down, but this was not the effect he wanted.

Looking up at the cabinet next to him, he saw rows of bottles filled with nothing he wanted; even the rarest herbs on the top shelf were useless for this potion.

Severus's interest grew stronger; the formula was a spur-of-the-moment idea. He initially just wanted to make a bottle of cat repellent for fun, but Emeric hadn't felt anything special about it until now.

"Knock knock".

"Severus, could you come with me to Malfoy Manor later? Mr. Malfoy has invited me to his house for lunch."

"No, the experiment isn't finished yet."

The man refused without even turning his head. His potion was more important, and Malfoy Manor wasn't a dangerous place. Emeric could go alone without any problem.

"Okay, okay, I'll prepare your lunch in advance and put it in an insulated container. Remember to eat it later."

"understood."

If that didn't work, he'd use the most primitive method: orange peel oil, which felines rarely liked. Seeing that the potion on the table remained perfectly still, he left the workbench and stood in front of the innermost cabinet.

This cabinet is full of rarely used medicinal herbs; I wonder if they'll have the effect he's looking for. Behind him, the pot of things suddenly boils over, bubbling violently.

Upon hearing the sound, Severus rushed over, trying to stop the boiling to prevent an explosion, but unfortunately it was too late.

"peng"

"Damn it."

He added too much stuff to it, and he didn't even know what caused the explosion. He was soaked in the liquid, but thankfully it wasn't scalding.

After a strange wave of dizziness, the world seemed unusually large. Severus stiffened, looked at his hands, and was horrified to find that he had shrunk; he looked no larger than ten years old.

"Severus!"

"Huh???"

"Severus?"

Emeric crouched down to look at little Siever, whose face was flushed and glowing with cuteness. He carefully reached out and poked the chubby cheeks; how could such a cute little thing exist?

"Don't move! Take your hand away."

"Hehe, so cute~~"

"Emerick! Don't poke me!"

"Mmm~~"

"Emeric Thaddeus, get your dirty hands off me!!!"

The intimidating power of calling someone by their full name was still there. Emeric withdrew his hand with a regretful look; his brain had finally come back to work. After shrinking Severus's clothes with a wave of his wand, he led him out of the potions workshop.

He held little Severus in his arms, his face beaming. Because it was a shrinking process, not an anti-aging potion, Severus's face was chubby, completely different from his childhood photos.

The child in the photo was very thin, with sunken cheeks and yellowish hair. Anyone who saw it would feel sorry for him, let alone Emeric.

He was heartbroken when he first saw that photo, and tried every day to cook for Severus so he could gain some weight. Now, seeing little Severus all chubby, he felt incredibly accomplished.

"Severus, what did you brew?"

When this was mentioned, a hint of unease flashed in Severus's eyes. In a way, this was his own fault; if it weren't for his perverse sense of humor, this wouldn't have happened.

"Go and tidy up the room. Follow my instructions to brew the antidote later. Don't do anything malicious on purpose, understand?" He changed the subject, instructing Emeric to tidy up the worktable, as it would be embarrassing if they found out.

"Okay, but we need to eat first, it's lunchtime now."

Emeric sat down with Severus in his arms. He was glad that he had only made dumplings for lunch, which Severus could eat with a small fork; otherwise, he would have gone hungry if he had made them again.

Little Severus ate dumplings with a small fork, his chubby cheeks looking incredibly cute. Emeric held his face in his hands, staring at Severus with a smug expression.

Emerick felt an urge to pinch his cheek, but thankfully he remained rational and didn't dare to actually do it, instead focusing on watching Severus eat.

Children can't handle such a lot of exertion; they become drowsy after being held for a while after eating.

"yawn..."

"I'm going to sleep for a bit, no..."

Before he could finish speaking, Severus had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep, his little face flushed as he nestled in his arms. Emeric's heart melted.