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.
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