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

Chapter 90 Extra: The Trip

(Reward time is up!)

After three years of being in love, Emeric had a lingering concern: Severus was unwilling to make their relationship public, even though everyone at school assumed they were together.

"Severus, let's go on vacation! Summer vacation is for traveling! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

"Alright, go away, stay away from me, it's too hot."

Severus turned his head away, dodging Emeric's kiss, not knowing where this dog-like behavior came from. Except when he was working, as long as there was no one else in the room, this person would stick to him, kissing his ear or neck until he was scolded before letting go, and then sticking back up again in no time.

Severus felt a secret joy amidst the annoyance, delighted by his lover's infatuation. Of course, he completely forgot that he also liked to cling to Emerick and bite him, sometimes biting so hard that Emerick would even go to class with teeth marks.

"Get lost, or sleep in the spare room tonight. You might not mind the heat, but I do."

"Then let me kiss you, or I won't leave."

Unable to resist the entanglement any longer, Severus loosened his teeth to let him in, allowing Emeric's tongue to wreak havoc in his mouth. When he felt his lips were about to break, he pinched Emeric's cheek fiercely, at which point Emeric released his grip on the back of his neck and lightly pecked at his swollen lips twice.

"roll."

"I'll go pack my luggage. Shall we go to Vienna? Is there anything you'd like to bring?"

"Okay, no, get out."

"Okay~"

Emeric, thoroughly satisfied with the scolding, hummed a little tune in a rather pleasant mood. Actually, there wasn't much to pack; they had a special storage ring containing travel clothes and, more importantly, food supplies.

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Where should we go first?

"Let's eat first."

Severus was a bit tired. After nearly three hours on the plane and eating terrible airplane food, he wanted to find a place to have a proper meal and rest for a while.

"Then let's go to the hotel first."

Emeric took the small box from Severus's hand, put his arm around the man's waist, and went to find their car. In a foreign country, there was no need to worry about running into acquaintances, so Severus accepted Emeric's little gesture.

After a simple meal, the two fell asleep on the bed, with Emeric holding Severus in his arms. His back was pressed tightly against his chest, giving him a sense of security.

Before long, only the sound of their breathing remained in the room; they had both fallen asleep.

When they woke up, it was almost dinnertime. The long sleep had left them both a little dazed. They lay face to face on the bed, staring at each other for a long time, their lips unconsciously touching.

"Mmm..."

"How about we eat first, then we can kiss later, okay?"

"Um."

Emeric called to order food, telling Severus to go check if there were any places he wanted to visit. This was their usual travel plan: they'd decide where to go once they arrived at the destination.

"Have you made your choice? Where do you want to go?"

The two sat close together on the sofa. Emeric had his arms around Severus's waist, and as he spoke, his breath hit Severus's ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Let's go visit the churches here. This one is the most famous, according to the brochure. We'll go to the concert hall tomorrow."

"Okay~"

A cool breeze blew in at dusk. Emeric held Severus's hand, their fingers intertwined, and the two strolled slowly through the streets of this foreign land.

Occasionally, when they see an interesting shop, they'll go in for a stroll, buy some souvenirs for their family, or purchase some local specialty snacks. The rare leisure time makes them both very happy.

"The church closes at seven o'clock, and it's six o'clock now, so we need to hurry. Luckily, we don't live far away, so we can make it in time."

Upon entering, Severus's eyes were immediately drawn to the reliefs on the Roman columns, a typical Baroque style; this church is a real-life embodiment of maximalism.

The man unconsciously walked forward, admiring every scene in the church, whether it was the murals, the reliefs on the walls, or the patterns on the floor, everything was attracting his attention.

Emeric followed behind, a little smug. He had read Severus's riddle poems before and guessed that he would like art. This year, he finally had time to bring him here.

"Hello, do you have a partner? Am I fortunate enough to play this role?"

A cute and playful little girl jumped onto his lap. She looked to be under ten years old. Her parents were walking over from a distance, probably having discovered that their daughter had run off.

"Of course! Look at that man over there, he's my partner. Isn't he handsome?"

"Then you must love him very much."

"Of course, he is my lifelong pursuit."

"Wishing you happiness!"

"Thank you, ma'am, we will."

Emeric played with the child beside him, glancing at Severus as if afraid he would get lost. Perhaps the decorations in front were really nice, because the man lingered until he caught up with him.

Why were you saying these things to that child?

"Because these are all facts. What if someone tries to take you away from me? Of course, I want to nip the rival in the bud. I really want to hang on to you, so that no one will dare to take you away from me."

Emeric looked extremely aggrieved. He was actually very insecure, but he usually hid it well. He only dared to say it now that he was abroad. If he were in England, Severus would have silenced him as soon as he said that.

"Then why didn't you dare say that at Hogwarts?"

Severus asked the question as if it were casual, knowing the answer but wanting to hear Emeric say it, to express his love for him.

"Because you don't like it, I won't do things you don't like."

Even if it means you have to suffer?

"I'm not wronged. I'm not wronged because you like me."

A surge of warmth coursed through Severus's heart. He felt a little pathetic, always moved by Emeric's words. Perhaps the church had captivated him, or perhaps he was truly ill, or perhaps it was the little girl's blessing.

"Say what you want to say."

The man, who rarely spoke his mind directly, was a little shy. He walked away from his partner, who was standing there dumbfounded. He suddenly felt that there was nothing to hide. Emeric's love had always been presentable.

"Severus! You mean!!!"

"Shut up, you're too noisy. If you didn't hear me, fine."

"No! Turn around!"

Severus turned and saw Emeric holding a jewelry box containing two rings: one made of a small snake formed from a large jade stone, and the other set with a smoky purple gemstone.

"I've kept these close to my body for a long time and never dared to take them out. Today I couldn't resist anymore and wanted to kneel down and propose, but you don't like to be ostentatious, so this is the only way."

Emeric's hands trembled slightly as he gently lifted Severus's left hand and put the ring on his finger, then picked up another ring, intending to put it on his own finger.

"Who brings their own?"

Severus took the ring and placed it on Emeric's finger; this was their second pair of rings, their second exchange. The cunning merchant was particularly adept at seizing opportunities, always making his demands when Emeric was in a weak mood.