Chapter 45 Visit
The next morning, a sound at the window pulled Della back from her book. She opened the window and looked out, and an unexpected figure appeared at the door of the cottage.
"Oh, Professor Snape! Please wait a moment." Meeting the dean's cold and reluctant eyes, Della waved to him through the second-floor window, then turned around quickly, opened the door and went downstairs. She ran all the way to the door and opened it while panting.
Snape looked down at Della, who was wearing a black and white dress. His tall hooked nose cast a bigger shadow due to the backlight, making him look even gloomier than usual.
The hair still looks greasy like in Hogwarts, but the professor's hair is quite black, so it's not that offensive.
"It's been half a month, Miss Riddle. There has been no news at all. I almost thought you had starved to death outside."
"Uh..." Della tried hard to recall her previous conversation with Dumbledore. After making sure that he did not say anything about contacting Professor Snape at the time, she tentatively met Snape's equally dark pupils.
"Headmaster Dumbledore did tell me that I could come to you if I had nowhere to go, but I also heard that you didn't seem happy about it. I thought... I really worried you, Professor."
"Hmph, it looks like you're doing pretty well."
Snape snorted coldly. His eyes swept across the inky flowers blooming on Della's expensive dress and then looked behind her. The carefully decorated living room and the landscape paintings hanging on the stairs were reflected in his dark pupils through the door. "No wonder there is no news at all. It's really hard for you, poor professor. Since you are doing well, I will leave first..."
"Who is this man wrapped in a black robe, Della? Is he harassing you??"
Mrs. Mason interrupted Snape's words with an anxious and angry voice. She rushed to the two of them angrily and almost pointed her finger at Snape.
"No, no, no, aunt. This is Professor Snape from my school. He takes good care of me." The face of her own dean became visibly gloomier. Della hurriedly pressed Mrs. Mason's hand.
"Really?" Mrs. Mason glanced at the strange man wrapped in a black robe with disbelief. Because of Della, she still forced a smile to deal with it. "I'm so sorry, I think I just overreacted. Thank you very much for taking care of Della. Please come in and have a cup of tea."
Snape's black hair rose slightly with his movement, and Della swore that he had definitely gritted his teeth just now.
After a brief silence, Snape nodded and followed Mrs. Mason into the small house. Della followed after closing the door.
The table was a mess as usual because of Leray, and Mrs. Mason looked unhappy. Snape was understanding at this time and spoke in a low voice.
"Perhaps I could go to Della's room and help her with her summer homework, and you could bring the refreshments over afterwards, ma'am."
"That's great." Mrs. Mason didn't take her eyes off Snape. She stared at her disobedient son and gritted her teeth as she responded to Snape's words.
Snape clasped his hands in front of him and looked at Della. Della politely made a gesture of invitation and led him upstairs very naturally.
"I hope you have done your Potions homework well, Miss Riddle."
"Of course, Professor, in fact I have already finished all the papers you assigned."
"Diligence is a good quality, Miss Riddle, but I also hope that your diligence will be used in the right direction."
"......" Della's body paused for a moment. She didn't say anything more. She just smiled and opened the door in front of her, and made a gesture of invitation again, "You can check my homework with, diligence, Professor Snape."
Snape glanced at Della and then walked into the room with few decorations, shaking his cloak. There was an ordinary single bed and a small wardrobe that matched the style of the room. The only thing that caught his eye was the desk with a bookshelf that was stuffed full. There were even a few piles of books on the floor. Snape walked straight to the desk with a book on it, and picked up the book that had just been read with his bony hands, checking the contents on it.
"Runes? This is a third-grade course, Miss Riddle." After turning a few pages of the book in his hand, Snape frowned and looked at Della.
"Also Alchemy, Professor. I saw these books in Diagon Alley. They were really interesting, so I couldn't help but want to study them more."
Della closed the door. She scanned the spines of the countless books, both named and unnamed, on the bookshelf behind Snape. Her face was as well-behaved as usual. "This may not be correct, but I don't think it's the wrong path, Professor."
Snape snorted coldly. He looked at Della with a scrutinizing look and then took a few books from the bookshelf and started flipping through them quickly. When he saw the fifth book, he returned to his normal demeanor.
"I remember your final grades were all O's, right? Not bad. Now bring me your Potions homework so I can see if you are really at that level."
"Of course, Professor." Della was about to walk to the desk to get her homework, but the door opened at this moment, and Mrs. Mason's slightly plump figure appeared in front of the two people looking at the door, followed by two figures, one big and one small.
"Della, this Mr. Malfoy said he wanted to thank you for the gift, so he brought his son to see you."
Mrs. Mason came in with tea and snacks. She glanced at Snape and walked to Della, with a look of admiration and excitement on her face. "This gentleman looks like a real gentleman, Della."
Mrs. Mason muttered softly, thinking that everyone present could hear her. Lucius followed her words and led Draco into Della's small room. His head and blue eyes raised slightly, with an undisguised arrogance on his face.
This kind of arrogance is probably just right for someone like Mrs. Mason who curries favor with the powerful, but Lucius still smiled when he saw Della.
"Lucius, what are you doing here?"
Snape's long-frown brows twisted even tighter. His eyes moved between Della and Lucius, and finally fell on the only Muggle present. "Madam, I have something to discuss with Mr. Malfoy. If you don't mind, could you please go downstairs and wait for a while?"
Mrs. Mason frowned at Snape's impolite words, but when she saw Lucius, who was dressed appropriately, nodding his head with dignity, she suppressed her dissatisfaction, walked out of the room in panic and excitement, and closed the door gently.
There were four people standing in this small room at once, which not only seemed crowded but also dull. Della even had the urge to open the window, while the eye contact between the two adults continued.
Draco behind Lucius just dodged his gaze, leaving Della at a loss as to what to do. Fortunately, the cause of everything, at least that's what Della guessed, was that Lucius stopped his eye contact with Snape.
"Della Riddle, I just found out your full name yesterday. You know, Draco always calls you Della Della, whether in letters or at home. Don't be so shy, Draco -"
Lucius gently slapped away Draco's hand that was tugging at the corner of his clothes. "It was the gift you brought yesterday. Unfortunately, my wife opened it first, but she liked the little snake very much. I heard that your grades are all A's. You are really a very talented little witch, Miss Riddle."
"..." Della opened her lips slightly, a look of surprise flashed across her face. She controlled her emotions and politely responded to Lucius' words, "Thank you for your compliment. It's just a small token of my appreciation. I'm glad that your wife likes it."
"The Malfoy family, who always prides themselves on their bloodline, actually visits ordinary Muggle families?"
Snape was always relentless. He interrupted Lucius's intention to speak, picked up a book, and walked to Della in a black robe. "You dare come to an orphan in person?"
As Snape spoke, he slapped the book in his hand on Della's shoulder. Lucius had narrowed his gray-blue eyes, and the friendliness he had tried his best to show to Della froze.
"Don't say that, Severus. The Malfoy family is very willing to invest in young wizards. Besides, Miss Riddle's current adoptive family, if I may be frank, does not look that satisfactory. My wife and I have always wanted to have another child. I think Draco also wants a sister, right, Draco?"
Della saw Draco, who had been hiding behind his father, clenched his hands tightly, and then loosened them. He never raised his head, but hummed as if nodding and shaking his head.
Several guesses flashed through Della's mind. She glanced sideways at Snape's wrist, which was still on her shoulder, and then met Lucius's gaze with a hint of strength.
"You may have misunderstood, sir. It was Professor Snape who adopted me, but the professor was very considerate and gave me time to spend with my aunt. Today the professor came to see how I am doing."
Under Lucius's increasingly deep gaze, Della pulled on Snape's black robe and looked at the dean, who lowered his head, with admiration.
Snape's face was still gloomy. He didn't speak, nor did he pull out his robe. After his eyes met Della's for a few seconds, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Lucius with an attitude of non-denial.
"That's surprising, Severus. I didn't know you had the desire to raise a child." Lucius completely removed the mask of kindness on his face. "It seems that this is a really popular child. Will you make her Miss Snape?"
"It would be my honor if the professor is willing," Della continued Lucius' words, with a look of yearning and shyness, "After all, a surname chosen from a tombstone has no meaning."
Lucius's face showed the most abrupt change in expression since he entered the room. There was a noticeable bulge between his brows due to frowning, and his head was unconsciously raised higher, which made his gaze on Della seem even more arrogant.
"This is a tradition of the Lamp family. They often choose surnames that are no longer used in the town. For example, my Riddle is probably from 50 or 60 years ago."
When Della said this, her eyes slightly turned upwards, avoiding eye contact with Lucius and making her reply seem more genuine.
"So that's how it is..." Lucius looked at Della's black hair and black eyes, then turned his gaze to the expressionless Snape beside her. He seemed to be pondering something, and his eyes moved downward to Della's still somewhat shy face countless times, and finally fell back on Snape's face.
"Congratulations on having such a smart daughter, Severus. I think you won't be so lonely in the future—"
Meeting Snape's gaze, Lucius smiled softly. He patted Draco and took a step back. "Then I won't disturb you from improving your relationship. I welcome you to visit Malfoy Manor."
Lucius nodded, opened the door and walked out with Draco. The small wooden door opened automatically as he moved, and Draco's figure was completely blocked by him within a few steps. After Lucius's long light golden hair fell into the shadow, the door closed with a swipe. Della even felt that he would just disappear from here.
"Perhaps Miss Riddle could explain this to me?"
Professor Snape's unique low voice echoed in her ears. Della was dazed for a moment, and the conversation with Dumbledore in the Shrieking Shack that night also came to her mind.
'Perhaps you are a Riddle like your father.'
Della turned her head and met Snape's dark eyes. The smile on her face had disappeared, revealing the same coldness as Snape.
"Perhaps in some places I don't know, there is a strange resemblance to my so-called father, but I'm not sure, Professor, but I probably won't send letters to the Malfoy family again. Today is indeed not a pleasant day."