Chapter 219 Christmas Carnival In Diagon Alley
"It was another date!"
Hermione's face flushed as she recalled the last time she was alone with Evan. They had both visited Hogsmeade on the final day of the last semester, spending the entire day there and even going to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.
Hermione's heart began to beat faster as her thoughts drifted back to the Lover's Tea Shop, bathed in pink hues and filled with delightful scents.
She pondered what Evan might do under the grand Christmas tree, on the brink of kissing her and nearly succeeding.
When it came to Evan's actions, Hermione couldn't tell if she was surprised, expecting them, or...
Nevertheless, her heart kept pounding louder, and her face grew redder.
In truth, she hadn't anticipated Evan to be so bold at that moment as to kiss her, and if he did, she didn't know how to react.
Fortunately, he didn't succeed at that moment, and Hermione's mind told her it was the right thing.
Undeniably, Hermione truly liked Evan. But she wasn't sure if Evan liked her, or if he was simply influenced by the setting at the Tea Shop.
She felt overwhelmed at that moment, amidst numerous couples doing the same.
In that ambiance, one couldn't help but do something foolish.
According to Hermione's perspective, Evan was so fine, so magical, always the center of attention, with many girls at school fancying him.
For instance, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw, who was far more beautiful than she was.
Hermione felt a bit frustrated. She was merely a bookworm who excelled in reading. Not particularly temperamental or good-looking.
She was nothing like Cho, the kind of girl boys should like.
Every time Cho passed by them, Evan, Harry, and Ron, the three of them would gaze at her.
Hence, Hermione had always been unsure if Evan truly liked her.
But after that, they had gone through this string of events together.
Be it the horrendous werewolf attack, or when Ron accused Professor Lupin, the Peter Pettigrew plot, Sirius' rescue, the search for Regulus in a treacherous cave, and so forth. The recent occurrences seemed to drag on for ages for Hermione.
Many times they were on the brink of death.
Amidst high mental stress, Hermione and Evan grew more intimate.
At all times, Evan continued to shield her, regardless of his own life.
While moved, Hermione trusted Evan deep in her heart, and other vague emotions grew stronger.
Suddenly, she regretted not seizing the chance to clarify their relationship in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop the last time; perhaps she should have been more outgoing...
It was truly a shame to miss that opportunity, and one thing was certain, she had absolutely no intention of returning there again with Evan.
But she still had the opportunity to have a Christmas party tonight.
Everyone was in the festive Diagon Alley, where the atmosphere was even more enchanting than in Hogsmeade, without disturbances from creatures like werewolves and Inferi.
Hermione was increasingly hopeful that tonight would indeed be a real date with Evan.
She kept an eye on Evan, and if there was a chance like last time at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, she would seize it.
The atmosphere in the narrow little courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron was peculiar.
Neither of them knew how it had started, but Evan and Hermione suddenly fell silent. They had been discussing Regulus, and then neither spoke.
Evan scratched his head, his heart beating strongly.
Through the neon lights of the bar, he saw Hermione's face looking an alluring shade of pink, like a ripe apple ready to be bitten.
Almost unconsciously, he took half a step forward and moved closer and closer to Hermione.
Their palms were sweaty, and the strange atmosphere grew increasingly intense.
Evan absentmindedly looked into Hermione's eyes and discovered that the girl's captivating gaze had a touch of fanaticism that was particularly attractive.
They gazed at each other, both quickly looking away.
Evan couldn't explain why he felt Hermione's special beauty that night.
Just as he gathered courage and was about to say something, the stone wall in front of them suddenly began to move, startling them.
Evan and Hermione quickly turned their heads. Before them, a small hole appeared in the middle of the stone wall leading to Diagon Alley. The hole grew larger and in no time, a wide arch appeared before them, large enough for them to pass through, leading them into a winding invisible cobblestone street.
"Merry Christmas, young ones!" A group of wizards dressed in festive red and green outfits emerged and cheerfully greeted Evan and Hermione.
They hurriedly passed between them, ready to enjoy themselves in Diagon Alley.
Evan and Hermione glanced at each other, slightly embarrassed, and Evan was so clumsy he didn't know what to do with his hands.
Seeing his nervous appearance, Hermione suddenly smiled. The corners of her lips raised slightly, her smiling eyes curved in a beautiful crescent shape.
She bit her lip, took Evan's right hand, and led the way towards Diagon Alley.
That night, Diagon Alley had a special charm, with almost all the shops beautifully illuminated.
The streets were brimming with cheerful Christmas songs. There were rows of Christmas trees on both sides, decorated with various ornaments and Christmas gifts. Some had small icicles with bright crystals, and other trees were filled with hundreds of candles. Through the Christmas trees, one could see that behind the brick wall there was also a special magic, adorned with holly branches and color-changing mistletoe ribbons.
There were also grotesque pets, each looking extraordinarily strange, some dressed as wizards and others transformed by Transfiguration.
The scent of sweet foods perfumed the streets, and the whole street was filled with revelers, dancing and celebrating the arrival of Christmas.
"Look over there, Evan!" Hermione exclaimed happily, with a sweet smile on her face and a lively demeanor.
Following her pointing finger, Evan saw a small square at Gringotts in front, with a red Christmas hat, a paper dragon over 20 inches flying above the crowd, on which a goblin continued to toss Christmas gifts to the people below.
Those gifts were shiny golden Galleons; many wizards were collecting those golden coins below, bursting into laughter every now and then.
Evan knew those gold coins must be fake, otherwise the goblins wouldn't have done such a thing with their greed and avarice.
Instead of joining the carnival-like crowd, they wandered aimlessly through the lively streets and chatted happily.
Every shop had Christmas celebrations and free gifts.
The sound of magical fireworks occasionally resounded above their heads, not fading like regular fireworks, but bursting like artillery bombardments, enveloping the crowd in smoke of various colors.
Within the smoke of the fireworks, one could see various types of gifts shaped like eggs.
Evan picked up an admiral's hat and placed it on his head, finding it particularly amusing.
Hermione desired a straw hat that looked especially charming in pink, and they ran through Diagon Alley with other wizards.
They followed the direction of the falling fireworks and gathered gifts spread all over the ground.
At the entrance of Gambol and Japes' Joke Shop, a gift box exploded loudly, releasing a burst of green smoke. Evan spotted the pink hat falling in the alley not far away, quickly took Hermione's hand, and ran towards it.
Before them stretched a quiet and deserted alley, with no one walking in it. Just like outside, an imposing Christmas tree adorned the alley with mistletoe and dozens of hanging candles, casting a soft, romantic glow.