aircannonsinc Chapter 407 Cat and Mouse Game
Chapter 407 Cat and Mouse Game
Julius wore a neat school uniform and stood tall and straight like a pine tree.
In this sweltering and dirty greenhouse, most students looked disheveled, but he seemed to be in an elegant afternoon tea party.
He wore a pair of very close-fitting thin black gloves, his slender fingers gently supporting a seedling, while his other hand held a small shovel, his movements precise and fluid.
His short, jet-black hair lay flat against his ears, revealing a pale yet sharply defined jawline.
Seemingly sensing the undisguised gaze, Julius stopped what he was doing.
He slowly turned his head.
Even from half a greenhouse away, those dark, deep eyes pinpointed Amanta's location precisely.
Neither panicked nor dodged.
Julius looked at her, a very slow smile curving his lips.
It was a standard, impeccable smile, with a touch of Slytherin elegance, and a hint of something enigmatic... ambiguity and provocation.
He even slightly raised the shovel in his hand, making a gesture that resembled a greeting to her.
It's as if it's saying: I know you're watching me.
Amanta felt a chill run down her spine. That smile reminded her of those notes with similar handwriting.
Is it him?
If it were him, what exactly would he want to do? Is it for that so-called "glory," or for...?
Amanta did not respond to his greeting. Her gaze gradually turned cold, as if covered with a layer of frost.
She turned her gaze away expressionlessly, focusing instead on the plant in her hands. Her movements were gentle yet resolute as she firmly pressed the restless tuber into the soil.
“Hey, Amanta, you’re really good at this.” Harry looked enviously at her plant that had settled down. “I just can’t do it. This thing doesn’t seem to get along with me.”
“That’s because you’re using too much force, Harry.” Draco snorted from the other side, still mocking, but with a hint of guidance in his tone. “To deal with something like this, you have to gently press down on it from the base, not grab it randomly like you’re catching the Golden Snitch.”
However, Draco had clearly also noticed the brief exchange of glances between Amanta and Julius.
He raised his head, his gaze first sweeping gloomily over Julius, who was still smiling in the distance, before returning to Amanta's face.
Complex emotions surged within those grey-blue eyes. There was jealousy, anger, and a deep sense of hurt from being excluded.
“If you care so much about that transfer student,” Draco suddenly spoke, his voice low and tinged with awkward sarcasm, “maybe after class you should ask him how to handle this pile of garbage gracefully, instead of taking your anger out on the tubers here.”
Amanta paused in her movements.
She looked up at Draco.
Looking at him, who clearly cared deeply but insisted on pushing her away with his words, she thought that in the past, she might have forgiven or tolerated his awkwardness.
But now, the thorn called family interests is still stuck in her heart.
“That’s none of your concern, Draco,” Amanta replied curtly. “After all, Julius is indeed… very talented in many ways. And he doesn’t seem to mind breaking the rules for certain goals.”
Draco's face paled instantly. He bit his lower lip, the light in his eyes dimmed, and finally lowered his head without saying a word.
Harry looked left and right, not daring to swallow the half-chewed toffee. He felt like a helpless little boat caught between two icebergs about to collide.
“Um… well,” Harry tried to ease the tension, “how about we go to the kitchen after class? Dobby said they have some freshly baked raspberry jam tarts today…”
"I dont go."
"I have no appetite."
The two spoke at the same time, and then fell silent at the same time.
Harry: "..."
Okay, Luna is right, people in love probably have brains full of hooks.
……
The long and tedious herbalism class finally ended with Professor Sprout announcing the end of get out of class.
The students poured out of the greenhouse with a sigh of relief, eager to breathe in the fresh air.
"Amanta, are you really not coming with us?" Harry stood hesitantly at the door, carrying his bag.
Draco had already stepped out of the greenhouse, but he walked slowly, his back looking somewhat stiff and lonely, as if he were waiting for someone, yet too ashamed to turn around.
“You guys go ahead.” Amanta slowly took off her gloves and threw them into the recycling bin. “I still have a few questions I want to confirm.”
“Alright, we’ll wait for you in the Great Hall.” Harry sighed, but still patted Amanta on the shoulder as a gesture of loyalty. “Don’t overwork yourself.”
As Harry caught up with Draco and disappeared around the corner, Amanta's expression turned completely somber.
She stood there, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cool surface of the Philosopher's Ring, her gaze fixed on the tall, slender figure who was leisurely packing his things.
Tracking? Surveillance?
No, those are conservative choices that Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw would make.
Slytherin's style is to face the abyss head-on.
Since Julius has already shown her his fangs and even openly brought out his crown during the match, it means he is not afraid of being suspected by her at all.
He even enjoys this cat-and-mouse game.
Amanta took a deep breath, straightened her slightly disheveled robe, and strode towards Julius.
Most of the people in the greenhouse have already left.
Julius seemed to have anticipated her arrival.
As Amanta walked up to him, he closed the black-covered notebook, turned around, and looked down at her.
“I’m still wondering how long you’ll hold out before you come,” Julius said in a deep, pleasant voice. “Amanta.”
The way he called her name was so familiar, as if there was no barrier between them.
“Your handwriting is very special, Julius.” Amanta didn’t beat around the bush. She raised her chin slightly, her light blue eyes devoid of any warmth, staring directly into his dark eyes. “It’s so special that… even in a pile of charred scrap paper, I can recognize it at a glance.”
Julius raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening.
He leaned forward slightly, and that familiar, oppressive, and chilling aura instantly enveloped Amanta.
"Oh?" he asked softly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Have you ever considered that perhaps I left it there on purpose?"
"Deliberately?" Amanta narrowed her eyes.
“To see just how perceptive Merlin’s descendants truly are…” Julius leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her neck, sending a shiver down her spine, but his words were as cold as a snake’s tongue, “or perhaps, to see which side you will choose to stand on.”
Amanta abruptly took half a step back, her hand instinctively reaching for her wand hidden in her sleeve.
“I will always stand on the side of honor,” she said coldly. “And honor does not belong to rats hiding in the gutter.”
Julius wasn't angry. He straightened up, straightened his cuffs, and a greedy glint flashed in his dark eyes.
"I hope so." He chuckled softly, turning to walk towards the door. "Oh, and don't be late for the team meeting tonight. After all, we still need to discuss how to win this game, don't we?"