Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Christmas was approaching. The promise of a long holiday left the entire population of Hogwarts Castle restless.
Suer marked an X on the holiday residence form brought by prefect Gabriel Truman and handed it to Justin.
“By the way, Suer, a Gryffindor girl has been asking us about you lately.” Justin took the quill and marked an X as well. “She’s asked where you are several times.”
“You have been returning to the dormitory rather late,” Morn said. He was next to fill out the form and placed a tick beside his name.
“I’ve had a few things to do.” Suer laughed vaguely and brushed aside their questions. “Aren’t you going home for the holiday, Morn?”
At that, Morn gave them a deeply resentful look and explained in a hollow voice.
“My beloved parents have taken my little brother to spend the winter in Hawaii.”
What followed was an extended passage of filial blessings for his parents. The general idea was that he hoped they would travel safely and avoid attracting the attention of the local Ministry of Magic.
The resentment came quickly and passed just as fast.
After finishing his complaints, Morn produced a brand-new wizard-chess set.
“My parents sent my Christmas present early. A new chess set. Want to try it?”
“Me! I’ll play.” Justin raised his hand immediately.
At times, Suer had to admire his determination to fight on despite repeated defeat.
The two launched enthusiastically into battle, and the pieces began shouting abuse across the board.
Oh?
This new set had added quite a few fresh insults.
Suer offered the beleaguered Justin several suggestions and helped him escape danger. Then he stretched and spoke to the two absorbed players.
“I’m going to the library.”
“Go, go.” Morn waved without looking up.
He desperately wanted Suer gone. The advice Suer had given Justin caught him completely unprepared.
He had been moments away from cutting down the opposing king.
A true gentleman watched chess in silence, you bastard!
The library was only an excuse. Suer’s real destination was naturally the eighth floor.
“Something is wrong.”
Suer walked past the tapestry three times, but no doorway appeared in the blank wall.
That meant someone else was using the room.
“Aha! Caught you!”
A small pale hand suddenly landed on Suer’s shoulder.
His face went white. He thought Voldemort had caught him. A thousand different deaths flashed through his mind in a single instant.
Wait.
The voice sounded familiar.
Suer turned around, trembling.
Whew.
“You frightened me to death, Hermione.”
“No, wait. How did you know I was here?”
Suer took several deep breaths, calming his pounding heart as he looked at the pretty young girl.
“Hmph.” Hermione puffed out her cheeks. “You have the nerve to ask?”
Er…
Lately, Suer had spent nearly all his waking hours outside class inside the Room of Requirement.
He might have neglected certain things.
“I’m sorry, Hermione.” Suer apologised at once with complete sincerity. “I’ve truly been busy these past few days.”
“Hmph.”
Hermione turned her head away and lifted her chin, refusing to look at him.
The proud little pose made Suer want to laugh.
Having grown up with Hermione, he knew her personality resembled a cat’s in certain respects. One only had to let her vent her small emotions.
Suer pretended to ignore her and studied the tapestry instead, secretly watching from the corner of his eye.
As expected, Hermione was the first to lose patience. When she glanced back, her mouth was pursed far enough to hang an oil bottle from it.
Suer laughed inwardly.
“Hey,” Hermione finally said. “What are you looking at?”
“Hm?” Suer gave her a deliberately blank look.
“What is special about this tapestry? Did you discover something? Hogwarts: A History says there are many secret rooms in the castle. I saw you suddenly disappear here last time, but this corridor is a dead end.”
Hermione fired the questions in one continuous burst.
Heh.
Exactly as planned.
Suer’s little devil tail emerged.
He looked both ways and beckoned.
Hermione did not understand, but she leaned closer.
She smelled the faint scent of sunlight on Suer. His breath touched her sensitive ear, and her face reddened.
“You want to know?” Suer whispered beside her ear. “But it’s a secret.”
The moment he finished, he darted away and ran.
The entire practised sequence took only seconds.
“SUER!”
Hermione stood frozen. Her face changed from red to green and then to blazing crimson.
Her shrill cry echoed through the quiet eighth floor.
Many students soon saw a figure running and leaping down the stairs, followed closely by a furious girl whose bushy hair seemed to have exploded outward and whose eyes were red with rage.
Silence returned to the eighth-floor corridor.
A doorway appeared in the blank wall.
A figure wearing a scarf stepped out.
He watched the place where Suer and Hermione had disappeared.
Silver flecks clung to the corners of his mouth, and a smile curved across his pale face.
…
On the fourth floor, a breathless Hermione lunged forward and wrapped herself around the hateful Suer like a koala.
“Hah… You… hah…” She gasped several times. “Run! Go on, run again! Why have you stopped?”
Silence answered her.
Hermione looked up.
Professor McGonagall was watching with a peculiar expression, while Suer fought desperately not to laugh.
“Ah!”
Hermione screamed, scrambled off Suer, and stood obediently before Professor McGonagall with her head lowered.
The tips of her ears glowed red through her bushy hair.
Professor McGonagall’s expression was extraordinary. In all her years of teaching, she had never seen a first-year girl bold enough to hang bodily from a boy in front of her.
The slight upward curve of her mouth spoiled the severity of her face.
“Ahem.”
She raised a fist to her lips and coughed.
“Miss Granger, I believe you are familiar with the rule forbidding students from running and fighting in the corridors.”
“I’m sorry, Professor McGonagall,” Hermione whispered.
“And you, Mr. Bones.” Professor McGonagall looked at Suer.
“I’m sorry, Professor.”
“Hm. Since this is your first offence, I will not deduct points. You may go.”
Suer and Hermione hurried away.
Professor McGonagall watched the two young wizards leave, a smile touching her mouth.
“Youth,” she murmured.
Memory flickered in her eyes.