Chapter 194: Waiting (2)

Orli had no idea when Severus Snape would suddenly show up at the Waters Family House. Back in Hogsmeade, she hadn't clearly caught what he said, and before boarding the train, she hadn't managed to see him again.

So, on her first day back home, she sent Dobby away, tidied up the guest room, and made all the arrangements, waiting for his arrival. Of course, the front door of the Waters Family House remained utterly silent that day.

On the second day, Orli woke up early, groomed herself meticulously, put on a proper robe, and prepared three kinds of tea and five types of snacks. She waited anxiously the entire day. Yet, the door remained unknocked—not even the faintest rustle of wind against it.

On the third day, Orli racked her brains again, dressing herself up to look pretty but not overly ostentatious. She deliberately spread a few potion books across the table, set up a cauldron, and pretended she wasn't waiting for anyone. But as the evening deepened, the house was so quiet that she could hear nothing but her own breathing.

By the fourth day, Orli began to suspect it had all been a figment of her imagination. She barely managed to dress herself properly and collapsed onto the newly replaced tablecloth on the first floor, sighing deeply. Just then, the door of the Waters Family House suddenly resounded with a loud "bang bang." Orli felt her heartbeat spike to over 200 beats per minute. She hurried to the door and flung it open, only to find a snowy white owl pecking at the doorframe with its beak.

"Hedwig, it's you."

Orli said with deep disappointment as she untied the letter from the owl's leg. It was Harry asking for help.

In the letter, Harry explained that Dudley had grown so fat that he could no longer fit into the largest trousers available at his Muggle school. The school had sent a warning to the Dursleys, insisting they make Dudley lose weight. As a result, the Dursleys had been forcing Harry to eat the same diet as Dudley: alternating between carrots, grapefruits, and broccoli every day. Harry felt his stomach was constantly churning with acid and hoped Orli could send him some food. He couldn't tell Sirius about this—Harry still hadn't spent enough time at the Dursleys' house for some reason and couldn't leave yet. If Sirius found out, he'd surely fly into a rage.

"For some reason? Isn't it just bloodline protection?"

Orli muttered as she read the last few lines, feeling a bit irritated. Although Dumbledore and Harry didn't need to tell her everything, being kept in the dark like this was always unpleasant. As a small act of revenge, Orli packed up all the fresh and not-so-fresh snacks she had prepared over the past four days into a large parcel and sent it back with Hedwig, along with an extra pizza the size of a millstone made by Dobby.

On the fifth day of summer vacation, Orli nearly overslept. It wasn't entirely her fault; although the clock showed it was nearly nine, the sky outside was still oppressively dark. Thick clouds had gathered over Surrey, making it hard to distinguish day from night.

Orli sat at home as she had for the past few days, waiting until evening. The air outside was eerily still, stiflingly hot, with not a breath of wind. Even the usual chirping of birds and insects in the garden had fallen silent. A summer storm seemed imminent, with faint thunder rumbling in the distance.

She couldn't wait any longer. Glancing at the sky outside and then anxiously at the garden, Orli realized Snape likely wouldn't come today either. She had to harvest all the sunlit orchids before the rain fell, or they would lose all their potency once wet.

Throwing on a faded old dress and hastily tying up her hair, Orli grabbed a wicker basket and rushed into the garden. She had started with gloves, but in her hurry, she ended up using her bare hands to dig out the roots.

The thunder grew louder and more frequent as her hands moved faster and faster. Finally, as the first few raindrops landed on her cheeks, all the sunlit orchids had been harvested and covered with waterproof tarps.

Standing up from the ground, Orli stretched her arms wide and turned to head back to the house. But as she turned her head, she saw a familiar dark figure standing outside the garden fence.

It was Snape. He had actually come at this moment!

Orli hurriedly hid her mud-streaked hands behind her back. But when she looked down, she saw her already faded and unattractive dress was now covered in dirt, and her shoes were filthy as well. A few drops of sweat trickled down her cheeks, dampening the messy hair on her forehead. Orli felt she was on the verge of tears from frustration. Why now of all times, when she looked so dirty and unkempt?

A blinding flash of lightning split the dark clouds, followed by a deafening roll of thunder that exploded in their ears. Almost instantly, torrential rain poured down like a waterfall, drenching them both halfway in mere moments.

"Professor… please come in."

Orli, no longer caring about her appearance, hurriedly opened the door to the old house.

Snape didn't spare her a single glance. Carrying a simple black box, he stepped into the Waters Family House one deliberate step at a time.

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