บท 73: Chapter 70: Back to Hogwarts (Christmas-First Year)
"We're going to miss you so much" Ginny hugged me together with Luna.
"I already told you that I will come back often to train"
"And play" Luna said.
"Yes, and play" I told them.
After saying goodbye to the three of them, I used my [Travel] skill to appear at the Leaky Cauldron. From there I went outside where my private driver was waiting for me, I really think I should hire him.
"Mr. Red" He opened the car door for me.
"Alfred" I nodded.
It was kind of a game between us. During the trip we talked about the holidays, a little about my adventures with my family and the terrible Christmas party at the Alfred. Looks like one of his wife's relatives almost burned down the house. I also found out that he has a 5-year-old daughter, and when he talked about her, he was filled with pride, almost as if he was showing her off.
I arrived at the station and when I entered platform 9 3/4 I could see someone who was excited to see me, it was a Ravenclaw girl but I didn't know much. She called me and took me to a compartment inside the train. When I walked in, it surprised me because it was so much bigger than I remembered.
"Red!" Exclaimed Penelope who jumped up to greet me when she saw me "What do you think? I arrived early and asked some elders for help to enlarge the compartment, the other time you had to come and go throughout the trip but not anymore... we should also thank the cart lady, she gave us permission to do it"
"Thank you, Penelope" I smiled at her, it's nice to have someone as thoughtful as her.
I sat on the seat and stayed talking to Penelope, the girl who called me left with her friends outside her again, she only came to bring me to Penelope's request. Soon more people arrived who seemed to be looking for a particular place, and when they saw me they seemed to find it.
The first to arrive were Parvati and Padma, who came in and started talking to us. The next ones were Hannah and Susan, then Lavender who had a big bag on her back where it had a huge book, then Cho and Hermione...
The expanded compartment was now quite noisy, everyone came in here and once they saw me they thanked me very much for the gifts. They started talking to each other and about how their Christmases were.
"Hermione, where did you get those earrings? They are beautiful" Susan asked.
"... They were... they were a gift from Red" she said somewhat embarrassed.
They all looked at me with that, Hermione was embarrassed, but at the same time she felt happy to be able to show them off.
"They are beautiful... Red's gifts are the best" Cho said receiving the keepsake from all the girls present.
"Did she also give you earrings?" Asked Hermione somewhat confused, not that she was bothered that it was so... but she felt that if Red had done it that way she should be angry.
"No, he gave us that" Parvati said extending her hand next to her sister, showing her bracelets.
"Wow"
"They are beautiful"
"And they match very well with you"
Several girls praised them. Hermione was also amazed, she was glad that they weren't earrings, but also surprised that they had received jewelry from her friend.
"He gave me this," Susan said, showing her locket, which despite not having a gemstone in it, was still very luxurious looking.
At that moment the compartment door opened and the Slytherin girls, Millicent, Tracey, Daphne and Pansy were seen, only that Pansy once saw through the compartment door ran by ignoring us... or rather escaping.
The other three girls only sighed at the attitude of her friend, but they still went to say hello before going to look for her.
"Red! You're having a party and you didn't invite us?!" Tracey exclaimed.
"You can always come if you want" I answered.
"I'd love to, but we need to find our runaway partner" Tracey complained.
"I don't know why she can't act normal?" Millicent said.
"Thank you for your gifts, my sister and I really liked them" Daphne said "this from her" and handed me a box of chocolates before turning to go find Pansy.
"Do you also get jewelry?" Hermione asked, a little annoyed, but she wasn't quite sure why. Even if she wasn't good friends with the Slytherin girls she didn't have any particular hatred towards them, at this point she was just a little annoyed with Red seeing that she gave jewels to various girls.
Daphne turned around and put her hand on her chest, showing on her finger a beautiful ring with a large emerald and other smaller ones around it, giving a strange smile that was rare to see in her. After that, she left.
Millicent also took out of her pocket a tiara that some could see, but then she was embarrassed and hid it to run after Daphne.
"Are you going to give jewelry to any girl, fucking Playboy?" Hermione grumbled.
"You're wrong Hermione, he gave me something more valuable than a jewel" said Lavander.
"What thing?" She was actually a little upset, but at this point she knew there was no reason for it, she felt bad that he was mad at his friend for not being... special... but then she remembered that, among all the jewelry he gave, she was the only one with a red gem like him. Now, not so angry, I pay attention to what Lavander said. What could be more valuable?
"He handed me this." She heaved the bag up and pulled a large book out of it, fascinated.
Seeing it, Hermione felt foolish. Lavander was right, jewels are just stones, but books are the most valuable. She felt bad about her earlier thoughts, and for a moment she was angry again for not getting a book from her friend, but she let it go. She rubbed her ear with the earring and think, 'The jewels are not so bad, especially if they come from a friend'.
"That's a very big book, what is it about?" Padma asked.
"It's my new life, this book has the most wonderful story that has ever existed... I stayed up all these days receiving scolding from my mother, at least until she confiscated it at night, but I think it was just for she can read it"
"It must be very good, would you lend it to me to read later?" Penelope asked, interested in the cover and how little she saw, plus Lavander's comments.
"I can give you a copy because I don't think I'll finish it soon. I'm just going through the second chapter and it's not even 10%"
"Yeah, it's big, it's thicker than my arm." Parvati placed her skinny arm next to the book to show that it was true.
'Maybe I overdid the size, I should have divided it into several books' I thought.
"He didn't give me jewelry either, but he also gave me something very beautiful" Penelope took out the musical box that she carried in her bag.
"The dancers look great" commented the girls when they saw our figures on the box.
"And it has two songs, although Red told me that I could add more to it"
"It gave me something great too, but I couldn't bring it to Hogwarts, it's a very funny muggle device but a bit annoying at first. My mom can't stop scolding me for my scraped knees" Tracey commented as she made drawings of the bicycle in the air with her hands.
Tracey went on to tell how her parents forbade it at first, but after begging, they let him use it until they saw that she fell a lot. She ended up getting hurt a bit but she didn't give up and managed to drive it quite well, although her parents didn't like it very much. But she was sure that while she's not home, her parents would surely try to use it, she just hopes they won't break it or throw it away if they don't like it.
Tracey, after telling us about it and thanking me once again, she also left with her classmates, saying that we would see each other at Hogwarts.
"He gave me these garters" Hannah said, since everyone was counting her gifts from Red, she didn't want to be left behind.
"I wanted to talk about that, when I saw you I didn't know if they were real vines"
"They are very cute, I tried their effects on my mother. These vines not only serve as rubber bands, but can also be combining if you put them together. They can be stretched until you can use it as a jump rope and they give off a very rich vegetable smell, especially when blooms" Hannah counted and with a few spells made her garters change and give off a strong smell of wet grass and flowers.
'I didn't know about that feature, but I won't say anything, act like you've known all this time' I was talking to myself.
"What did give you? Cho "
"I can't show it here either, but when we get to Hogwarts I'll show it to you, it was something for the broom that was great. I think now you can call me 'Tornado Chang'"
"I like Tornado Cho better" I said.
The girls kept talking to each other about various topics, among them was the 'me dressed as a Santa and my chubby look' which they laughed at. Hermione also commented as I entered through the chimney, and then she gave me anguished looks as she remembered what she had to go through the next few days being called 'Mrs Claus'.
It got to a point where they completely ignored me, but I didn't mind, I thought it was nice that they got along, especially when I plan to open my club soon.
During the trip we bought treats and I heard about most of each other's Christmas adventures, only Susan and I don't talk about our adventures because we keep it a secret.
I also received questions about how it went, and I told them about how my family was not really there and that is why my brothers did not come with me. They also had doubts about that, but they had not asked very thoroughly before, I told them that I stayed with my sister at our friend's house. With that said, they started talking about my sister getting in next year...
It was quite noisy, at least until we bought something to eat. Time passed and we arrived at Hogwarts. Once the train stopped, we got off and we seemed like a kind of little gang. Penelope and Cho went with their partners, while the rest of the girls went in the same group.
Along the way, I also received thanks from others at Hogwarts who received my gifts. Just personally send the gifts dressed as 'Red Claus' to those closest to me, but don't forget others. They were simple things and mostly chocolates, but they were made by the merchant so they were amazing.
This Christmas I almost ran out of money and I'm grateful that Lupin agreed to work for me because if he hadn't, I probably wouldn't have made it, even with the discount.
When we arrived at Hogwarts, everything was more crowded than before Christmas. My brothers heard that I came on the train and they asked me about it, to which I told them to send a clone to see how Luna and Ginny were. They got a little jealous, but they knew I was the only person who could do that, thanks to my clone.
Harry and Ron were also surprised that I left without noticing, especially considering that we ate together several times, but for them, I was the weird kid in the school... and saying that in a magical world is already something.
Once Hermione and that pair met, she told them that I knew who Flamel was, which made them insist that I tell them who he is, but I refused to do so. The funny thing is that Ron in an act of stupidity said something like "Just seduce him or something" to Hermione, which earned him a punch to the face from her and Hermione stormed off.
For my part, I went to continue with mine. Luckily the headmaster removed the posters before today because if not... I would have done something very ugly in retaliation.
I went to the fifth floor to work, but on the way I met Hermione who came towards me with a somewhat complicated face, as if she was uncomfortable or embarrassed, while hiding something behind her back.
"Red, can we talk in a secluded place?" She asked somewhat nervously, which surprised me.
"Sure" I said, leading her to a nearby uncrowded corner.
"Red?" she asked me.
"Yes?"
"You are a pervert...?"
"..." I didn't expect this question, it's that typical trick question where you don't know what the correct answer is, if it has one "Yes... I'm not going to deny it, I think you know it well..."
"..." She frowned, she knew the answer but still had a hard time processing it correctly "Take" she handed me a gift box that she had behind her.
"Thank you?" I took the box and opened it slowly, since Hermione's expression was not correct, and when I did, I saw that inside it there were girl's underwear "Is this...?!"
"Shut up" Hermione placed her hands on my mouth "Your gift was very valuable and I didn't feel like mine reciprocated it... when I thought about what to give you I just remembered the weird things you do and took the courage to bring you this" She seemed to want cry of shame
"That means you're not wearing anything right now…?" I asked in complete amazement.
"No, obviously I'm wearing...! That's my underwear from a few years ago, I washed it several times before bringing it to you" she explained between nervous and angry.
"..." I looked at her and the box, then handed it to her "Here, I don't accept it"
"Why?"
"First, Hermione, do you know what this would be used for?"
"No... and I don't want to know"
"Well, I won't tell you, but I'll make it clear that the fact that it's from many years ago and that you've washed it a lot makes it lose a lot of value. If it were the underwear you're wearing, maybe it would make more sense, but that's, just it only works as a souvenir"
"But I thought..."
"It doesn't matter, technically you're not bad in theory, but you need to polish details. And the reason I don't accept it is really what... Would you still treat me the same way if I did? Be honest"
"I do not believe it" It was true. If Red came to accept it, possibly she would no longer look at him the same way. One thing is to act like a pervert, and the other is for her to know that he keeps her underwear for... who knows what.
"Am I a pervert? Yes... but also a decent one... I thank you a lot for having the courage to do something like that, and if you had told me that nothing would have changed between us even more... but I understand why you can not do it"
"Okay" she took the box again somewhat relieved "I'll buy you another gift when I can"
"No need, you're my friend... what if you better withdraw your prohibition of 'never fly brooms with me again'"
"..." She was very resistant at first inside her, but then gave in, since if she wanted to return the favor "Okay, but only when absolutely necessary"
"hahaha…" I laughed at the serious expression with which she said it "You know, when I saw the contents of the box I was about to take out my wand and attack you"
"Why would you do that?!" she asked, confused.
"I thought someone had replaced you and wanted answers as to where the real Hermione was, I mean, you were acting like a pervert, but it just looks like you're not as innocent as I thought."
"I'm not a pervert" she yelled at me.
"No? And how come you thought of giving me the underwear? I know you didn't know everything you needed to know, but you can't deny that it was your idea to give me your used underwear..." I smiled at her as I approached her.
"No... that... I... You're a fool!" She pushed me and ran away between embarrassed and annoyed, sometimes she didn't understand how she always ended up in situations like this.
I could only smile and lament that I corrupted Hermione to the point that she would consider giving me her underwear... I'm a monster.
I went on my way and went to the clubs, I would inaugurate them shortly.
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