The Edge of Rumors

Hogwarts in autumn was shrouded in damp, cold mist. The torches on the corridor walls seemed to burn less brightly than in summer. The academic pressure for second-year students quietly increased, but for some, studies were not their only worry.

The "material exchange" initiated unilaterally by Snape and silently accepted by Lin Yanqing was like an undercurrent, occasionally occurring in unknown corners. Sometimes, Lin Yanqing would find a small roll of rare magical tape in his usual spot in the library; other times, Snape would find several high-quality Glow-worms in a corner of the Potions classroom. There were no words, no eye contact, only the disappearance and appearance of items, confirming that the "logistics function" of their bond was operating normally.

However, the castle was never short of keen eyes. Especially when the owners of these two pairs of eyes already held great "interest" in Severus Snape.

The atmosphere on the eve of Halloween grew thicker, and the castle began to be decorated with pumpkins and bat ornaments. During a Charms class one afternoon, Professor Flitwick was guiding everyone in practicing a prank spell that could temporarily change the color of objects. The classroom was filled with various attempts and laughter.

Lin Yanqing successfully turned a feather in front of him into a striking bright blue, earning quiet praise from a few Ravenclaw classmates beside him. Habitually, his gaze swept across the other side of the classroom.

Snape had also succeeded; his feather had turned a somber dark purple, but there was no hint of pride on his face. The moment he noticed Lin Yanqing's gaze, his eyes instantly turned cold, and he quickly looked away.

Just then, a voice, lowered but loud enough for those nearby to hear, rang out with undisguised mockery:

"See that? 'Flirting with their eyes' again." It was James Potter. He nudged Sirius Black beside him with his elbow, his gaze darting between Lin Yanqing and Snape, a malicious smile on his face. "I knew there was something going on between them. A Ravenclaw bookworm and a Slytherin sewer rat, they really are... a perfect match."

Sirius didn't immediately agree. His grey eyes narrowed slightly, with a deeper scrutiny, as if analyzing a complex spell. But the playful curve of his lips indicated he was equally amused.

Lily Evans sat not far away. She had clearly heard James's words, and a flicker of disapproval and worry crossed her emerald eyes. She looked at Snape, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just sighed softly.

Snape's back instantly stiffened. Through their bond, Lin Yanqing could clearly feel a surging emotion, a mixture of immense humiliation and rage, churning within him like an earthquake before a volcanic eruption. His knuckles turned white from gripping his wand tightly, and his lips were pressed into a thin, knife-like line.

But he didn't turn around, didn't retort. He merely suppressed all his anger beneath that gloomy mask, like a volcano about to erupt but forcibly sealed.

Lin Yanqing's heart sank. The rumors had finally begun. And they were spread by the Marauders, the group Snape detested the most. This was more unbearable than any direct prank.

In the following days, these malicious speculations and gazes, like the damp mist in the castle, were everywhere. Not only among the Marauders but also quietly circulating among students from some other houses. Lin Yanqing could feel Snape's aura growing colder day by day, a storm brewing within his icy silence.

Finally, on the evening before Halloween, the conflict erupted.

The location was a secluded staircase leading to the underground classrooms. Lin Yanqing happened to be returning from the library and was about to go upstairs when he heard familiar, gunpowder-tinged voices from below.

"Move aside, Potter." It was Snape's extremely cold voice.

"What? In a hurry to see your Ravenclaw boyfriend?" James Potter blocked the staircase, his voice loud and provocative. Beside him stood Sirius and a somewhat uneasy Remus Lupin, while Peter Pettigrew cowered behind them.

"I said, move aside." Snape's voice carried a venomous chill.

"What if I don't?" James drew his wand, his face showing arrogant confidence. "What are you going to do, Snape? Use your dirty little tricks?"

The moment James finished speaking, something unexpected happened!

It wasn't Snape who acted, but through their bond, Lin Yanqing suddenly felt a sharp sense of danger coming from Snape's direction! At the same time, his peripheral vision caught sight of two other unfriendly figures in the shadows below the stairs—it was Slytherins Crabbe and Goyle! They had clearly heard the rumors and were now looking at Snape with a mixture of contempt and schadenfreude, as if watching a traitor who had tarnished the house's reputation.

Caught between a rock and a hard place. Snape was surrounded, and the insulting rumors were the fuse for it all.

Lin Yanqing saw a fleeting, almost desperate fierceness flash in Snape's dark eyes. He gripped his wand, seemingly ready to act recklessly.

He can't let him act! Facing multiple opponents, he would definitely be at a disadvantage! And it would only solidify the rumors, putting him in an even more terrible situation!

At this critical moment, Lin Yanqing didn't think twice. He lunged forward, not towards Snape, but seemingly inadvertently, he stepped heavily on the stairs, making a dull "thud."

The sound was exceptionally abrupt in the silent stairwell, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Lin Yanqing's face showed perfectly timed surprise, as if he had just noticed the scene below. His gaze quickly swept over James and the others, then over Crabbe and Goyle in the shadows, finally landing on Snape. His tone carried a Ravenclaw-like, inquisitive curiosity: "Potter? Black? Are you guys here... discussing Charms homework? I thought I heard a loud noise."

His appearance, and this seemingly harmless question, was like a stone thrown into a powder keg about to explode, instantly breaking the tense standoff.

James and Sirius were clearly caught off guard by his sudden appearance, a flicker of surprise flashing across their faces. Crabbe and Goyle, seeing this, spat and muttered something under their breath before turning away disgruntledly.

Snape glared fiercely at Lin Yanqing, his gaze extremely complex—there was embarrassment at being seen in his most vulnerable state, resistance to the "help," but also... a faint hint of relief as the situation was unexpectedly broken?

He didn't speak. Seizing the moment when James and the others were distracted by Lin Yanqing, he shoved Peter Pettigrew aside and, like a black whirlwind, rushed down the stairs without looking back, disappearing into the darkness leading to the Slytherin common room.

James recovered and cursed in the direction Snape had disappeared, then turned his dissatisfied gaze back to Lin Yanqing: "Meddler, Ravenclaw!"

Lin Yanqing ignored his accusation and calmly looked at them: "It's almost time for dinner, and Mr. Filch is probably on patrol." he reminded them.

James and Sirius exchanged glances, clearly not wanting any trouble. They snorted and left with the others.

The stairwell returned to silence.

Lin Yanqing stood alone, able to feel the violent gasps and unquenchable, cold rage from the other end of their soul bond, like the aftermath of a tsunami. But this time, within that rage, there seemed to be less of a desire to destroy everything, and more of a sharp edge directed at the rumors themselves, rather than at him, Lin Yanqing.

He knew that his actions just now hadn't solved the problem; they had merely temporarily dispersed the circling hyenas and delayed the explosion. The rumors wouldn't stop, and Snape's situation wouldn't improve because of it.

But perhaps, in Snape's heart, wrapped in layers of isolation and hostility, a tiny imprint would remain—when everyone else looked at him with prejudice or indifference, only this Ravenclaw, whom he disliked and was bound to by contract, had, in a way he couldn't understand or accept... stood by his side?

Even if only for a fleeting moment.

The Halloween feast was still lively, but Lin Yanqing could sense that for some, this night was destined to be filled with cold bitterness and silent confrontation.