Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Do you understand what it means to kiss under the mistletoe? (Edited)
That's why it's said that Fleur got it partly right because, in fact, when she appeared, she drew all the attention in the room.
The edges of Fleur's robe floated gracefully with every step she took, lifting a subtle scent into the air. Her casual gestures exposed her fair skin and caught the boys' gazes. As for the girls, they looked at her enviously towards her silver hair: did such smooth and shiny hair really exist? This couldn't be magic!
Of course, Fleur knew she had become the center of attention. She didn't feel uncomfortable with all those burning or envious glances because she was used to being the center of attention. On the contrary, she enjoyed that feeling very much.
This is how it should be! Fleur was content, even without Tom as her partner; her own charm made her the most dazzling girl at the ball.
That little boy? Let him play house with his little girlfriend!
After being ruthlessly rejected by Tom, Fleur intended to invite Cedric, but he already had someone in mind. In the end, she could only settle for Roger Davies from Ravenclaw. He became the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team after Richie retired and Tom withdrew from public life.
But this captain was a bit shy: since taking on the role, he hadn't taken the team to play a single match, not one!
As for the other champion, Krum, Fleur never considered inviting that rude guy. She felt that being with him would make her look like a cheap cheerleader.
And when she saw Luna, Krum's date, Fleur stood firm in her belief.
What kind of taste does Krum have? If I become his date, then... thinking like this, Fleur couldn't help but shudder.
Roger could hardly believe he had managed to invite Fleur as his date, but the pleasant aroma around her reminded him that it was all real. He was extremely happy and couldn't take his eyes off Fleur. At that moment, when he saw Fleur shivering, he thought it was because she felt cold in the winter night.
So he kindly asked, "Are you cold? You can wear my robe."
Fleur wanted to roll her eyes, but thinking of her image, she had to restrain herself. She said seriously, "It's not necessary; I'm not cold."
"Really? Don't worry..."
"Listen, thank you, but it's really not necessary." Fleur felt her smile must be very forced. She thought Roger must be crazy to offer her his robe. If she wore it, what would he wear? And besides, what an ugly piece of clothing, she would never wear something like that.
When most people arrived in the entrance hall, Professor McGonagall also made her appearance, wearing a long robe with red checks and a thistle crown on her hat.
"Champions, please come over here!" Professor McGonagall planned to lead the students to the reception hall as planned, so that the regular students could sit down before the champions arrived.
The Christmas Ball was still held in the Great Hall, but the area was not limited to just the Great Hall. A lawn in front of the castle was also decorated. Since it was already December, that lawn turned into a cave, glowing with fairy lights, which meant there were hundreds of live fairies there. Some were sitting amidst magical roses, while others were fluttering their wings on statues of Santa Claus and his reindeer. This gave the cave a strongly fantastical feeling.
Just as the champions and their dates stood next to Professor McGonagall, the Great Hall, which had quieted down in her presence, erupted into commotion again.
The source of the commotion was the marble staircase in the entrance hall: Hermione and Tom had arrived!
The two arrived a little late, but they gave the impression of being the main course. The girl wore a white robe, like a pure nymph in the forest, while the boy wore a dark blue wizard's robe, like a sage from a magic book.
Seeing the couple, everyone in the hall was stunned for a moment and then began to realize: That handsome and charming girl was Hermione!
Hermione was never known for her beauty, even though Tom found her beautiful, her classmates knew her more for her talent and high-quality work. When talking about the beauties of Hogwarts, some would mention Cho Chang, others Parvati, Padma, and even Ginny. No one thought of Hermione as a beauty.
If someone had said before that Hermione was as beautiful as Fleur, it would surely have been considered a joke.
Now, if someone asks the young wizards of Hogwarts who the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts is, they will all say Hermione's name in unison.
Observing Tom and Hermione slowly descend the stairs hand in hand, Cedric showed a hint of envy in his expression, while Krum stared intently at Hermione. As for Fleur, her face almost twisted.
She was going crazy! Why could these two be so handsome? She was the half-Veela! Many looked at Hermione with disbelief, still finding it hard to believe. But Tom and Hermione ignored those looks and entered the Great Hall together.
The Great Hall had also changed a lot. Under a night sky filled with bright stars, there were about a hundred small tables with lit lanterns. Some tables were large and could accommodate more than ten people, while others only had space for two. In addition, there were countless decorations like glowing mistletoe twigs on the walls and ivy garlands hanging from the ceiling.
"Dumbledore has really outdone himself," Hermione sighed when she saw all the meticulously created decorations in the hall.
Tom simply smiled, feeling that this place probably wasn't designed by Dumbledore.
Because lanterns were the only source of light in the Great Hall, it seemed a bit dark, but this was perfect for Tom and Hermione as a couple. They sat at a two-person table in a corner, with a sprig of mistletoe hanging right between them.
"Hermione, do you know what a kiss under the mistletoe means?" Tom toyed with the mistletoe twig above their heads, looking at Hermione with an ambiguous smile.
Hermione's face turned red immediately, nodding her head. After a few seconds, the blush on her cheeks spread to her ears, and she stammered, "But... please, not here in the Great Hall..."
In Christmas customs, there's a wonderful legend: if two people stand under a sprig of mistletoe and embrace or kiss, they will be blessed with happiness.
Of course, there's also a somewhat authoritative rumor: if the woman under the mistletoe rejects the man's kiss, it will bring bad luck.
Tom preferred the first version. The second always made him feel like he would be a great villain forcing the woman.
Once seated, they both silently awaited the start of the dance. Due to their discretion, everyone's attention gradually shifted towards the dance about to begin.
After all the students were seated, the champions walked in a line into the Great Hall, hand in hand. They headed to the front seats, where the judges of the Triwizard Tournament were seated. Karkaroff was still absent, but no one seemed to care.
Tom noticed that Fleur seemed a bit distracted as she entered, obviously impressed by Hermione's appearance. This made it hard for her to concentrate on the party before her eyes.
With enthusiastic applause, the dance began.
Before the dance started, everyone could eat something to fill their stomachs. Under Dumbledore's guidance, everyone noticed a significant change in the way food was served at Hogwarts. Before, a large amount of food magically appeared on the plates, and students served themselves. Now, menu orders were taken, and the requested dishes automatically appeared on each student's plate.
Tom only heard the noisy voices around him and knew how stressful it would be for the house-elves in the kitchen. This complicated ordering method meant more work, as if the buffet had turned into a conventional restaurant.
However, house-elves never disappointed wizards. They delivered the requested dishes to the right tables with precision, even placing each dish in the proper spot.
Tom looked at Hermione and asked, "What would you like to eat?"
"Um... something simple, how about a pizza?" Hermione tilted her head.
Eating pizza on Christmas Eve might seem a bit casual, but neither Tom nor Hermione felt it was inappropriate.
"For the main course, we'll have a grilled beef and mushroom pizza. For appetizers, I'll choose vanilla shrimp and fried calamari. For dessert, we'll order a molten heart tiramisu. Do you need anything else?" Tom ordered.
Hermione added a chicken and mushroom soup and two cups of lemon tea, and suddenly, the table was filled with delicious treats.
Before the party started, Tom and Hermione enjoyed their meal while chatting casually.
"The Durmstrang castle doesn't seem to have much record. We don't even know how many floors it has. Do you think it could be that ship you're talking about?" Hermione picked up a grilled shrimp with a fork as she talked about the famous magic schools in the world.
"If we ask a Durmstrang student, we'll know. I have a feeling that Karkaroff hasn't imposed a vow of silence on his students, at least not as strict as to control all that," Tom said, taking a slice of pizza and offering it to Hermione, inviting her to try it.
"Mmm... thank you! It's not certain, though. I mean, there's magic that can make someone unable to reveal secrets..." Hermione took a bite of the pizza, speaking a bit vaguely. "This pizza is delicious."
"Of course." Tom retrieved the slice of pizza that Hermione had bitten into and enjoyed it with delight.
In front of the main stage, Luna was telling Krum a story about Wrackspurts, and he was thoroughly enjoying it.
Luna becoming his partner was completely unexpected.
That day, after a grand fireworks show organized by Tom, Krum realized he had no chance to invite Hermione as his partner. The boy named Yodel had beaten him to it. Krum didn't feel much envy towards Tom; he just regretted not meeting Hermione earlier.
Such an incredible girl, it would be strange if no one pursued her. He already had that feeling.
But as a champion, he needed a partner; that was a rule. So he entered the castle, looking for the first girl he came across. His habit led him to the library, and that's where he met Luna, who was looking for a magical creature.
At first, Krum only wanted to find a decorative partner, but it turned out that what Luna was saying was quite interesting. Although it sounded absurd at first, upon closer examination, it made logical sense. So both of them started chatting animatedly, getting more and more excited about what they were saying.
Fleur gradually emerged from the shadow that Hermione had cast over her. She looked disdainfully at Hogwarts' decorations, clearly expressing that they paled in comparison to Beauxbatons' Christmas decorations.
Given Beauxbatons' considerable economic power, what Fleur said was very likely to be true. The difficulty of outdoing someone with a lot of money!
In the face of Fleur's actions of belittling others and praising herself, Roger, of course... agreed. At this moment, she had Roger completely under her control and was manipulating him at will.
But when he saw the mistletoe above their heads, Roger suddenly remembered the legend, and his heart began to beat rapidly.
Would he dare to invite Fleur to a kiss? Or would she reject him?
"So, is that mistletoe?" Roger pointed to the decoration above their heads.
Fleur instantly understood his intention. She scratched her hair and said, "Who knows? It could be basil... or maybe mistletoe."
Roger's mood was like a rollercoaster, constantly going up and down.
Despite it being winter, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was filled with a spring-like feeling. The teachers were also in high spirits, Hagrid and Madame Maxime were chatting cheerfully, with the opal ornaments on Madame Maxime's clothing gleaming under the candlelight.
Once everyone finished eating, Dumbledore stood up and moved the tables to the corner, leaving a large empty space. He then conjured a stage and finally called 'The Weird Sisters' to perform on the stage.
The lanterns above the tables suddenly dimmed, leaving only hundreds of candles lit around the stage. The champions had their first dance of the night to a slow and gentle melody.
"Please." Tom bowed and extended a hand, formally inviting Hermione to dance.
Hermione smiled and accepted the invitation. The two floated onto the dance floor together.
Hermione's hand had never felt so soft, and she had never looked so beautiful. Tom was completely captivated, feeling that she alone was the center of the world.
Tom's dancing skills were really bad, but luckily, Hermione knew what she was doing and took control, leading Tom in the dance.
The organ trembled as it played the final note, and everyone stopped, applauding 'The Weird Sisters' for their excellent performance.
Tom breathed a sigh of relief, and just as he was about to sit back down, a new and livelier melody began to play.
"This song sounds great!" Hermione gazed at Tom.
No one could refuse her, so Tom once again embraced Hermione and joined the increasingly energetic dance floor.
This time, they were even closer, almost pressed against each other.
Chapter 660: Chapter 660: Hermione's High Heels (Edited)
Tom and Hermione moved on the dance floor, exuding energy to the beat of the lively and fast music.
Both holding hands, they were close to each other, feeling each other's warmth, scent, and heartbeats.
Tom felt the young girl's body in his arms was as soft as a feather, emanating a fresh and elegant aroma. In the dim candlelight, Hermione's eyes sparkled.
Hermione also examined Tom closely. She could feel the boy's inexperience in his movements; he obviously didn't have much experience dancing. Beginners in such situations were prone to getting nervous, but Hermione noticed that Tom's handsome face showed no signs of panic. His deep black eyes were full of heart-accelerating emotions, as if, in his world, there was nothing but Hermione. She couldn't help but get lost in his deep eyes, captivated by them.
At this moment, their souls had merged.
The song was exceptionally long, as if it wanted to give all the dancers a chance to fall in love with their partners. But even the longest song has an ending. After a quick drum solo, the music finally ended.
Tom and Hermione were a little tired, so Tom grabbed some butterbeers and, holding Hermione's hand, they left the Great Hall together. It was a wise decision because the next song was even more frenetic. If we personified the songs, the first would be the calm Ariana, the second the mischievous Luna, and the third, just released from Azkaban, Bellatrix.
This song had the power to make young wizards find true happiness and enter a frenzy of dancing. Fred and his partner, Angelina, loved this type of music. The two of them danced extremely energetically, and even though they were on the dance floor, it looked like they were in the middle of a battle.
Once outside the dance floor, Tom took two cups of butterbeer and walked with Hermione out of the hall.
"Let's go outside for a walk. I just saw that the exterior of the castle has been decorated." Obviously, Hermione had enjoyed dancing a lot and now wanted to rest a bit.
A stroll under the Milky Way with the boy she liked could be a good idea. As for the mistletoe and such, they could kiss if they wanted to; it had nothing to do with the mistletoe!
Like many other couples, they exited the Great Hall from the edge and entered the vestibule. At that moment, the castle's main door was open, and outside there was no familiar lawn but a cave full of blooming flowers.
Upon entering the garden, Tom noticed that everything was surrounded by low bushes, and the intricate marble path under their feet led to nowhere in particular. Unlike the bustling dance hall, here was peace and only the sound of murmuring water, as if there was a spring in the garden. At the same time, it was even darker than the Great Hall, with only the marble fairy statues occasionally glimmering.
The dim and tranquil atmosphere made this a popular spot for couples' dates. One after another, couples entered the garden and then disappeared without a trace.
After walking a few steps, Hermione frowned. Tom quickly caught her expression and looked around, finding a stone that looked comfortable.
Then he asked cautiously, "Would you like to sit for a while?"
Hermione nodded.
They both sat together on the clean stone and sighed in unison. Watching the small beads of sweat on Hermione's forehead, Tom felt a little worried. "Are you tired? I told you that you don't need to overdo it, forcing yourself to dance in those high heels to these fast-paced songs."
Many times, beautiful and expensive things are not necessarily comfortable. Although high heels can make the boyfriend madly in love and accelerate his heartbeat, wearing them to dance is not a pleasant experience.
At this moment, Hermione felt her feet were sore and aching.
"Mmm~" She leaned into Tom's arms, pouting and showing her tender side.
"Help me with a massage~"
This sound, so cute and coquettish, softened Tom's bones. First, his hand landed on Hermione's soft shoulder, then descended, passing her slender waist, and finally landed on her beautiful legs covered by the white dress.
Those white stockings with an oily sheen looked so tempting, but Tom couldn't resist, and his fingers stopped at Hermione's delicate feet, clad in Valentino high heels, gently caressing them back and forth. From the hidden toes in the high heels to the pale arch of the foot, and then to the partially exposed heel...
Hermione shivered. With Tom's movements, the sensation of pain in her body slowly faded away, transforming into warm currents that sped up her heart.
She turned Tom's face and kissed him first, maintaining the kiss for a long while before parting.
"The kiss you wanted." After parting their lips, Hermione had flushed cheeks and was a bit shy, but above all, her gaze was filled with sincere affection.
Both of them looked at each other without saying a word.
With one hand, Tom held the pink shoe heel, gently playing with it, while his other hand ascended Hermione's ankle, tied with a thin pink ribbon. Hermione was only blushing and allowed Tom to do as he pleased.
"If you like it so much... Then, I'll allow you to massage for three minutes," Hermione said softly.
The flames burned fiercely within Tom as he held Hermione's high-heeled feet. He inclined his head and smelled them, a fragrance mixing leather and the young woman's aroma entering his nose. Tom felt as if he had just consumed two cocktails and was slightly intoxicated.
He undid the thin ankle ribbons a couple of times, easily releasing the shoes from her feet. He gazed at the flesh-colored leather lining and relished it while Hermione looked at him with a look that was a mixture of a smile and flirtation.
Hermione shifted slightly and took Tom's shoes while, as a trade, she placed her legs over Tom's.
Having the shoes in her hands, Hermione curiously smelled them and then blushed a bit, squeezing the shoes a bit tighter. "Don't do this again next time!"
After Tom removed the shoes, Hermione's delicate and perfect feet were exposed before him, causing his heart to race.
He wanted to take this work of art in his hands, delicately caress it, then suck and nibble on it as if savoring candy. But this was not the right place for that. Tom could only massage Hermione's feet over and over again.
They were such perfect feet; the gently elevated smooth curve, the flawless skin, the tiny and charming toe tips, and the faint sheen on the nails through the sheer stockings, all left Tom fascinated.
...
Distant voices broke their world, and Hermione snapped back to reality. Quickly, they hid among the nearby bushes together, taking advantage of the shrubbery's cover. After a while of whispering, she put her shoes back on.
The voices gradually drew near, growing louder, and it was Snape's voice. He sounded very impatient.
"Igor, don't you understand something so simple?"
Snape mentioned the name of Durmstrang's headmaster, Karkaroff.
The headmaster Karkaroff, who was absent from the ball, appeared here, walking with Snape! Moreover, considering that both were single, this fueled the imagination of the secretly eavesdropping couples.
Could it be that the reason Professor Snape has always been single is...?
Of course, if Snape were to find out about these thoughts, it would surely not end with just detention.
However, Karkaroff had no such thoughts. His voice was filled with fear and anxiety. "Severus, you should understand! They nearly killed me! They found me!"
When he mentioned "they," Karkaroff shivered, as if Voldemort were behind him.
"And what of it?" Snape's voice was already full of impatience.
Karkaroff wanted to say more, but Snape raised his hand to stop him. He quickly drew his wand and waved it forcefully, clearing all the surrounding bushes. Several figures emerged from them.
Fortunately, Tom and Hermione were far enough away not to be affected by Snape's spell.
Once they had cleared out the eavesdroppers, Snape looked at Karkaroff. "If you're afraid, stay in Hogwarts. Anyway, Dumbledore is here; he won't come."
"But I can't..."
Snape paid him no further attention and left, swirling his cloak. Karkaroff's expression changed several times until he finally seemed determined. He ran in the direction Snape had gone.
"All right, all right, I'll resign from the position of headmaster. I guess there are still vacant teaching positions at Hogwarts..." His voice gradually faded away.
It was then that Hermione rose from among the bushes with Tom. She frowned and said, "I won't attend his classes, no way!"
"Relax," Tom reassured her. "He might end up doing cleaning duty!"
Hermione chuckled.
"Shall we go back to the dance floor?" he asked again, leaning closer to Tom's ear. "If you move like that again there, it might... though it seems you like it."
This time it was Tom who blushed, and like a puppet, Hermione led him back to the dance floor.
A night of dancing and fun.
On the second day of Christmas, everyone slept in late, including Tom and Hermione, who were in the Room of Requirement.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to afford this clothing even if I sell you." Hermione rolled her eyes as she picked up the dress from the floor.
"You have a mending spell, don't you?" Tom lay on the bed, speaking weakly. He felt exhausted.
"Yes, you're right," Hermione found the pair of high-heeled shoes she had worn the night before under the bed, but she realized she had only found one shoe...
Hermione pulled the umbrella bag from the shoe, threw it in the trash bin, and also discarded the used umbrellas on the floor.
Tom simply lay on the bed, watching her silently as she tidied everything up.
"I didn't expect you to wear..." Tom swallowed the rest of his words upon seeing Hermione's threatening look.
Hermione took the umbrella box, shook it, and realized it was empty, so she threw it away along with the packaging.
In addition to the umbrellas, umbrella boxes, and umbrella packaging on the floor, there was also a photo: it was the snapshot Tom had taken with the magical camera Hermione had given him.
In the photo, the girl was laughing happily while tying a knot with a small wet umbrella in her hand.
Seeing the photo, Hermione blushed.
"I'll keep this photo; you can pretend it doesn't exist!" She stored the photo away.
In the blink of an eye, the long Christmas had come to an end. During the first week of the holidays, nobody studied, but once the first week had passed, everyone should start considering assignments and duties, including Tom and Hermione.
Although Tom had a girlfriend who was the top student at Hogwarts, after one night, Hermione imposed a "homework embargo" on him as a punishment.
Christmas disappeared in the blink of an eye, taking with it the magical singers, castle decorations, and the garden's roses. The only trace left of the Christmas party was the couples walking hand in hand through the castle hallways. A single dance party had made many hearts race, and in the castle, there was an aura of hormones. Tom was sure Dumbledore had given the order for them to openly display their affection.
This dance, undoubtedly, contributed to the increase in the wizarding population.
After the holidays, school is about to begin. Christmas has gone, but it hasn't taken the snow with it. From the windows of Hogwarts Castle, the outside is still a vast white landscape.
In this weather, going outdoors for classes is clearly a challenge. If it weren't for the fact that there are so few students per class, there would surely be some who would opt to skip classes. Perhaps Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts could provide some warmth, but many students would rather endure the outdoor cold.
Just at this moment, something happened that was neither big nor small: Rita Skeeter, a reporter from the Daily Prophet, published a shocking article with the title "Dumbledore's Grave Mistake."
In this article, she revealed Hagrid's identity as a half-giant.
This matter cannot be considered a major problem; the real problem would be related to Voldemort, but it is also not a small, insignificant gossip news.
Half-giants are not a good label in wizarding society. The brutality and bloodthirstiness of giants are well-known facts among wizards. In a magical society like this, even pure-blood wizards who have a single Muggle parent are discriminated against, so what more can be said if one parent is a giant!
Half-giants, like werewolves, basically find themselves at the bottom of the magical community's disdain chain. Veela hybrids have a relatively higher status due to their appearance, which is also appreciated by wizards' hormonal tendencies. Almost everyone knows that Fleur has Veela blood, but no one cares; she remains a highly sought-after companion. What if it were a werewolf or a half-giant?
Now, the fact that Hagrid, this half-giant, is a teacher at Hogwarts has attracted many people's attention and become the hot topic of conversation.
Before this, no one had questioned Hagrid's lineage, which seemed a bit abnormal, but in the wizarding world, it could also be understood.
The wizarding world has countless strange spells and potions, which has led to the emergence of countless strange diseases. Hagrid only has a slightly tall stature, which is quite normal in the magical world. It's very possible that he took a growth potion with an incorrect concentration as a child or attempted a failed transformation spell on himself, but the idea that he's a half-giant is something mentioned for the first time.
As for the consequences, Hagrid was temporarily suspended.
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