Petunia's face was twisted into an expression as unpleasant as half-lted butter.
But the Dursleys did not outright refuse Severus entry.
This wasn't because they were particularly polite, but rather because the neighbors next door, who were mowing the lawn at this ti, had already witnessed the scene unfolding in the yard.
Neither Petunia nor Vernon wanted to embarrass themselves in front of the neighbors.
Moreover, upon learning that their visitor was one of those... freaks, they were both afraid that if they turned Severus away too harshly, he might do sothing horrifying right there in public.
Petunia was the first to relent, her face stiff with discomfort as she wordlessly took her son Dudley's hand and turned back toward the house.
anwhile, Vernon pushed Harry, who had been staring at Severus, and Harry, with a curious look on his face, finally took a step forward.
They hadn't exactly invited Severus inside, but Severus still happily put the teacup on the chair and followed the followed the family inside.
"It's been a long ti, Petunia."
Petunia sat on the sofa holding Dudley tightly without saying a word. Of course she knew who Severus was, and that was precisely why all her focus was now on protecting Dudley!
Severus didn't seem bothered by Petunia's coldness. He didn't even appear the slightest bit uncomfortable as the atmosphere grew tense and silent.
Instead, he turned to Vernon with a smile and extended his hand.
"Mr. Vernon Dursley, I presu? A pleasure to et you. I'm Severus Snape."
His polished appearance, friendly deanor, impeccable manners, and that radiant smile left Vernon a little overwheld.
This was completely different from the freaks he had in mind.
He subconsciously stretched out his hand and shook Severus' hand.
"Your wife and I have known each other since childhood. Our families were neighbors in Cokeworth, though... well, as you can see, Petunia never much liked ."
Inside Severus's body, Ghost Snape's expression was as cold and rigid as a rperson lurking in the depths of the Black Lake.
Hearing such words from Severus made it sound as though Petunia had been the one who'd looked down on him from the start.
But in reality, unlike Lily, Snape and Petunia had despised each other from the mont they'd t as children.
The loathing had been mutual!
If Ghost Snape could wield a wand right now, the first spell he'd cast would undoubtedly be a Sectumsempra straight at Severus' lying mouth!
Yet, Severus' words only made Vernon even more at loss.
"Petunia, well... Petunia can be a bit, er..."
As if sensing his discomfort, Severus smoothly changed the subject.
"I hear you work at a drilling company?"
Vernon blinked in surprise at the ntion of drilling, but once the conversation turned to his profession, his words flowed more easily.
"That's right, a drilling company specializing in offshore drilling equipnt. Um... do you know much about offshore operations?"
Severus feigned astonishnt.
"Could it be Grunnings? It's the largest offshore drilling manufacturer in Britain!"
Vernon couldn't help but laugh, his chest swelling with pride. He even moved to clap Severus on the shoulder, though his height forced him to settle for an awkward pat on the back instead.
"Our drills are quite renowned, and custors who need offshore rigs have high standards, and we're their only real choice."
"You're in sales?"
"No, I'm the director of the sales division."
"To rise to managent in a company like that… it speaks volus about your talent, Mr. Dursley!"
'Silver-tongued serpent!'
Ghost Snape cursed in his heart and watched coldly as the impostor, who had only cramd in so last-minute research and learned that Grunnings was the only drilling company in Surrey, spun his web of flattery, ensnaring the pig-like Muggle in his lies.
However, Vernon didn't suspect a thing. On the contrary, after just a few exchanges, he was convinced that Severus was a refined, well-mannered gentleman!
"Where do you work, Mr. Snape?"
"Please, call Severus. I wasted a few years in my youth, but now I'm just a professor and headteacher at a vocational school."
Vernon couldn't help but exclaim.
"My God! You look far too young for that!"
"Alas! can't compare to you, my good man… flourishing career, loving family!"
They continued trading complints as if they'd forged a deep friendship in re minutes.
Vernon even kept shooting glances at Petunia, jerking his head toward the liquor cabinet in the kitchen, clearly eager to share a drink and discuss the bright future of the drilling industry with Severus.
But Petunia wasn't paying attention to her husband's hints. She was too busy staring in shock at how effortlessly Severus navigated social interactions, just like a real Muggle!
It made it impossible for her to reconcile the man before her with the sharp-tongued, sneering, coldly arrogant Severus Snape from her distant mories!
anwhile, Dudley was still sulking. He was furious that today's plans, whether they went out or stayed in the house, ant no computer gas for him.
As for Harry, he was just staring out the window, lost in thought.
Because he was astonished to discover that the chair the man who called himself Severus had been sitting on outside the Dursley's house had mysteriously vanished!
All that remained on the ground was a teacup with traces of black tea leaves and a small pebble.
Harry swore he had specifically observed the intricate patterns on the chair's backrest just before entering the house, but less than a minute after stepping inside, the chair had disappeared without a trace!
'Had soone sneaked into the Dursleys' yard and stolen it?'
'Should I tell Mr. Snape about this?'
Harry was in a dilemma.
At this ti, Vernon and Severus, who had beco close friends and were having a great conversation, had settled at the dining table.
After Vernon tried to signal Petunia several tis with his eyes, asking her to get so drinks for his 'good friend Severus' but to no avail, he had no choice but to get up and pour two cups of tea himself.
"So this must be your son… he looks exactly like you, strong as a little bull."
'That's clearly a piglet! Only by eating pig food every day could you fatten him up like this!'
Listening to Severus speaking hypocritical flattery to the Muggles while pretending to be him, Ghost Snape couldn't help but want to ridicule him.
But in the end, only Severus could hear his words.
When Dudley, who was already angry, heard Severus talking about him, he turned his head with a glare.
Vernon couldn't help but show a proud expression when his son was ntioned.
"Dudley's always been healthy, he is our pride and joy!"
"Ah, speaking of which," Severus seed to suddenly think of sothing, and then said with a smile, "I brought gifts for the children."
As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand towards Dudley, but it was completely empty.
Dudley felt that he was being teased.
"There's nothing in your hand!" He shouted.
Severus smiled.
"Sotis, seeing isn't always believing, is it?"
After hearing what he said, Petunia and Vernon were confused for two seconds, and then panic appeared on their faces!
They knew exactly what Severus really was. They craved normalcy and despised anything abnormal.
Severus' earlier, perfectly ordinary behavior had nearly made them forget his abnormal identity-
'But what does he want to do now?'
'Demonstrating that kind of witchcraft in front of two ignorant children, especially Harry?'
However, just as the atmosphere in the Dursley household turned deathly silent, with Petunia and Vernon holding their breaths, Severus suddenly stretched out his left hand, which he had inserted into his robe pocket at so point.
There were two boxes of candy in that hand.
"Ha! But this ti, your eyes do tell the truth. The gifts were in this hand all along!"
With a grin, he handed Dudley a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, which he had taken from a certain Headmaster's desk, which made Petunia and Vernon, whose hearts was in their throats, breathe a sigh of relief.
As for the other box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Severus stuffed it into Harry's arms, who had been sitting quietly like an outsider the entire ti.
"And one for you, Harry Potter."
He spoke Harry's na deliberately, making the boy blink in surprise. It hadn't occurred to Harry that since Severus had known Petunia since childhood, he must have known his mother too.
But Harry hadn't forgotten about the chair.
"Th-thank you for the gift, Mr. Snape. But your chair outside..."
"Chair? What chair?" Severus blinked at him, "Rember what I just said? Seeing isn't always believing."
Harry didn't know what a riddler was. He just felt that Severus seed to be talking about sothing very profound, so he nodded, only half-understanding.
As Severus finally engaged Harry in conversation for the first ti, Ghost Snape inside him also stared at the boy with indescribable complexity.
He stared at the pair of erald green eyes, which were exactly the sa as the ones in his mory, for a long ti.
The boy's appearance was almost the sa as in his mory, which made him clench his teeth unconsciously.
And the faint lightning-shaped scar under the ssy black hair made him purse his lips subconsciously.
Seeing that Severus had genuinely prepared gifts, Vernon, who felt sincerely respected, was now beaming, his face flushed a deep, purplish red.
"So, Severus, did you co today specifically to visit Petunia?"
Severus still smiled, but his answer made the originally harmonious and relaxed atmosphere beco frozen again.
"No. I ca here specifically for your nephew, Harry Potter."
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