Reborn as Petunia Evans with a System-Chapter 42 - 40

After my talk with Sirius, I caught up with Severus and the rest of our group near the entrance , where students were beginning to gather with trunks in tow. The corridor was filled with noise laughter, shouts of farewell, the clatter of luggage, and the occasional hoot from a cage tucked under someone's arm.

Severus immediately glanced at me, his dark eyes sharp. "What did he want?"

I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and tried to sound casual. "He just asked me something."

Severus tilted his head, clearly not convinced. Emmeline and Pandora were both eyeing me too, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and something much more mischievous.

I quickly added, "If I say anything else, you two will never let it go. So don't even try."

Pandora gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "We're wounded by your lack of trust!"

Emmeline just snorted. "That means it was something juicy."

"It really wasn't," I said, rolling my eyes. "Now come on. We should head back to the dorms and grab our bags before the train leaves without us."

With that, we all split up sharing quick hugs and promises to write during the break. The common room was half-empty when I arrived, but my trunk was already packed, thank Merlin. I grabbed the last of my gift parcels and double checked everything before dragging the heavy thing out into the corridor, my scarf tucked around my neck and my wand secure in my sleeve.

Severus and I regrouped near the Entrance Hall and slipped away to find Lily, navigating around knots of students still saying goodbyes. We spotted her outside on the castle steps, surrounded by misty breath and floating suitcases.

"Lily!" I called.

She turned, face lighting up, and jogged over with her trunk gliding behind her. "I was wondering where you two were!"

"Just tying up loose ends," I said.

Together, the three of us made our way down the winding path to the Hogwarts Express. The snow had started falling again fine, powdery flakes that caught in our eyelashes and melted on our cloaks. The train let out a high, echoing whistle as we boarded, and students rushed to find compartments before they all filled up.

We eventually found an empty one near the middle of the train, tucked away between a group of noisy fourth-years and a trio of quietly reading Ravenclaws. We hauled our trunks inside, settled onto the warm, cushioned seats, and heaved a collective sigh of relief.

I sat by the window, watching as the castle grew smaller in the distance. Hogwarts, for all its ancient majesty, looked especially beautiful in the snow like something out of an enchanted postcard. The lake glittered in the morning light, half-frozen and peaceful.

The trolley came by not long after, and Lily leapt up to buy a ridiculous amount of sweets. Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, peppermint toads, sugar quills she returned to our compartment with her arms full and a triumphant grin on her face.

"Some of this is for Mum and Dad," she said, setting a few boxes aside. "And maybe one of the chocolate frogs is for you, Sev, if you're nice."

Severus smirked. "I'm always nice."

Lily raised a skeptical brow. "Debatable."

We unwrapped a few sweets and passed them around, the warm, sugary smell filling the compartment. As the train rocked gently beneath us, the conversation turned to holiday plans.

"So," Lily said between bites of treacle fudge, "what's everyone doing for Yule?"

Severus leaned back in his seat. "We're going to Germany. My Grandma side of the family is from there. We haven't visited in years, so she's insisting we stay for at least a week."

"Wow," Lily said. "That sounds amazing. I've never been in Germany ."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"You're not missing much," he replied with a shrug. "Lots of old people and long dinners."

Lily laughed. "Well, my parents are dragging us to Switzerland. It's for 'family bonding.' Mostly it means a lot of skiing, which I'm terrible at."

"I think it sounds fun," I said with a smile. " but I asked Mum and Dad if I could return a bit early before our trip."

Severus turned to me. "So you got permission?"

I nodded. "Yes. They agreed. I'll be home in time to start."

"Perfect," he said with a small smile. "Same here."

Lily blinked, clearly catching on to something. "Start what?"

We glanced at each other before I answered. "We've been working on something. A potion."

Severus added, "It's meant to help with lycanthropy. The idea is to stabilize the mind during transformation."

Lily's mouth dropped open. "That's... incredible. You're trying to help werewolves?"

I nodded, feeling a bit shy under her wide-eyed gaze. "It's still early stages, but we've been testing different combinations. This break will be the first time we'll actually try brewing a full draft."

Severus added, "We're going to set up in an potion lab in our house. It's quiet, and the ingredients won't be disturbed."

Lily's face lit up. "That's brilliant. Really, truly brilliant. Can I come?"

"Of course," I said immediately.

Severus nodded. "You might be helpful. You're good at spotting inconsistencies."

Lily beamed. "I'd love to. Just let me know when."

We spent the rest of the train ride talking about ingredients, theorizing magical stabilizers, and scribbling notes on scraps of parchment. Every so often we'd drift into lighter conversation family quirks, holiday traditions, how Felix once set his robe on fire lighting a Christmas pudding last year.

Outside the window, the landscape changed from snow-dusted hills to crowded rows of chimney pots and brick buildings. Eventually, the loud whistle signaled our arrival at King's Cross.

The train pulled into the station with a shudder and hiss of steam. Students began spilling into the corridor, calling goodbyes to their friends and dragging trunks behind them.

We followed suit, wrestling our bags down from the luggage racks and stepping into the crowd. I clutched the handle of my trunk tightly as we filed off the train, the cold air of the station rushing to greet us.

I spotted them almost immediately Mum waving excitedly, Dad standing beside her with a broad smile.

"There they are!" Mum called, and I dropped my trunk and ran straight into her arms. "You're back! We missed you!"

"We missed you too," I said, kissing the top of my head.

Dad grinned. "Did you bring chocolate frogs?"

"Possibly," Iily said with a wink.

Severus stepped up behind me, nodding politely. "Mr. Evans. Mrs. Evans."

"Oh, Severus!" Mum said warmly. "It's lovely to see you again. Did you have a good term?"

"Very," he replied. "Thank you."

"We hope you'll visit our Home sometime," Dad said, shaking his hand.

"I'd like that," Severus said, glancing at me with a soft smile.

Severus gave us a quick farewell and ran toward them when he notice his mother and grandparents , his trunk floating behind him. His mother and grandmother gave him a hug, while the older man clapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, let's get home," Dad said, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we gathered our things. "The house has been far too quiet without you."

"And I'm going to need help decorating the tree," Mum added. "It leans to the left no matter what I do."

I couldn't help but smile as we made our way through the barrier and into the Muggle world. The station was full of Christmas music, bustling travelers, and the distant scent of cinnamon and roasted chestnuts.

I looked back just once, catching a final glimpse of the Hogwarts Express as it billowed steam into the sky.

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