Chapter 220 Sweetness Under The Mistletoe
The mistletoe, as its name suggests, is a parasitic plant that grows on other trees.
It is evergreen, symbolizing hope and fertility.
There is a popular saying in the United Kingdom that goes: No mistletoe, no joy!
Even in the magical world, it is considered a traditional ward against evil, with great magical power, often hung by wizards at entrances to ward off misfortune or the invasion of malevolent dark magic. Additionally, it had many other uses.
For instance, in divination, the green branches of mistletoe are used for fortune-telling.
The juice of white or red berries it produces in winter is one of the essential ingredients for making the Felix Felicis potion, which can bring good luck to the user.
The mistletoe is also known as the "Golden Bough of Life" in muggle traditional history and culture.
It is said that on Christmas Day, as long as a girl passes or stands where the mistletoe hangs, the man next to her can approach and kiss her.
Looking at the shiny Christmas tree in front of her eyes, and the mistletoe hanging from it, Hermione suddenly recalled this ancient custom.
She looked at Evan cunningly, her eyes both hopeful and slightly apprehensive.
She seemed to want Evan to take the initiative. But if Evan were to really approach her, he had no idea what to do.
"Let's find it, Hermione, I saw that hat fall around here..." Evan panted, unaware of Hermione's strange reaction.
He raised his wand and murmured the Lumos spell, starting to search the dark alley. There was nothing on the ground. Evan thought for a moment that when the hat fell, it might be hanging on the huge Christmas tree in front of him.
He looked up and scrutinized the branches of the Christmas tree from top to bottom.
"Evan," Hermione called softly, her heart pounding hard.
She remembered the determination she had just made in the courtyard that she must take the initiative that night and seize the opportunity. It was an excellent opportunity.
"Did you find that hat?" Hermione called, and Evan hurriedly lowered his head and stopped abruptly when she spoke.
Hermione was very close to him, and they locked eyes.
When their gazes met instantly, he even stopped breathing.
At that moment, Evan was completely captivated by Hermione's beauty.
His heart was filled with strange sensations. Perhaps this was what they called love. He made the decision that the girl in front of him was the one he liked, and he was willing to give everything to protect her, even his life.
Hermione's face was rosy, and her bright eyes gazed at Evan.
"Don't worry about that hat, do you know about that custom?"
"What custom?" Evan tried to focus.
"Yes, it's about the mistletoe. You know, on Christmas Day, if a girl stands under it, the mistletoe, then..." Hermione couldn't say it, her face flushed to the extreme, she gently bit her lip, her face filled with shyness.
She felt very warm all over her body.
She could hardly believe what she had just said.
In this way, it seemed like she was asking Evan to do the same with her.
The Christmas tree candles shimmered, and the atmosphere became beautiful.
Along with Hermione's gaze, Evan saw the large mistletoe above their heads. Instantly, he thought of the custom Hermione had mentioned: on Christmas Day, as long as the boy and girl were under the mistletoe, the boy could kiss her, and the girl had no right to refuse.
Hermione had just talked about this custom; did she want him to...
Evan found himself lost in various fantasies under the dim candlelight on the Christmas tree; he felt that Hermione was particularly beautiful, much more so than usual.
Deep in his heart, he felt a sudden urge to kiss Hermione.
An invisible force field drew Evan in. He took a deep breath and couldn't help but reach out and try to take Hermione's hand.
A sensation like a gentle electric shock traveled from their fingertips. Hermione trembled and offered no resistance.
Evan detected her breath, the peculiar and sweet scent of the girl.
His brain ceased to function, and all his thoughts turned into blank spaces.
He swallowed hard and inclined his head forward.
The distance between them seemed like an insurmountable abyss. He felt so tense that even his breathing stopped.
Evan's right hand firmly encircled Hermione from bottom to top.
In his arms, Hermione pushed away as much as she could, looking a bit scared, and then, as if recalling something, she abruptly halted and shut her eyes tightly.
The long lashes on her eyelids quivered in the winter night breeze, and the joyful Christmas melody slowly drifted from afar. Hermione's heart pounded strongly as he drew closer.
Her body was taut and brimming with anticipation and nervousness.
The distance between them dwindled. Gazing at Hermione in his embrace, Evan commanded his heart, made a decision, closed his eyes, and his lips gently brushed against Hermione's.
The girl's body shuddered again, and in panic, she forcefully pushed him away.
This time, Evan didn't retreat. He felt like he had kissed Hermione, a sweet and chilly sensation, very gentle, like tasting sugar.
Her lips were pure and refreshingly cold.
Soon, he was immersed in this charming sensation.
For a moment, after pushing Evan away, Hermione also experienced the strange sensation between her lips, closed her eyes tightly, and dared not to open them. She felt the coolness coming from his mouth and the taste of Evan's lips.
The two stood still and did not move.
It was just for a second, but for both, it seemed like an eternity.
Yes, in the eyes of others, their movement was not so much a kiss as a gentle brush between their lips, yet for Evan and Hermione, it was already an extremely challenging feat.
Evan could sense Hermione's tension. She was gritting her teeth and not relaxing.
He knew that at that moment, the boy had to take the lead, and Evan was ready to take one step further, but in that instant, Hermione abruptly pushed him away.
She was panting, avoiding Evan's gaze, bowing her head, her face flushed...
"No, no, Evan, we can't do this..." Hermione gasped, her eyes involuntarily shifting elsewhere, panicked, she said, "I just saw the hat fall, I... I'll go fetch it."
As she finished, she turned her head and ran deeply into the alley.
Evan paused, Hermione must be nervous right now, and he was too. He didn't know whether to follow her or what to say.
He began to ponder again. Since this had begun, it had to proceed correctly.
This kind of half-hearted behavior, lacking better words, could only be described as truly uncomfortable.