Waiting inside the Willow Tree, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching my strange behavior. Taking a deep breath of the cool morning air, I let the mist of my breath drift upward toward the sky. It was still relatively early, and most students would be sleeping in on a weekend. Confident that the chances of being seen were low, I finally pressed the knot in the tree and slipped away toward my house.
"Pureblood," I muttered as I approached the door. It swung open, revealing the familiar lounge. Only a few older students sat in silence, engrossed in their books, too absorbed in their studies to even notice me. I quietly made my way to my room, only to find Pansy fast asleep on my bed. She was still fully dressed in her robes, lying on top of the sheets.
"You're back! Finally!!" Val hissed excitedly, slithering out of his tank. "I'm starving!!"
I scoffed at him before grabbing a few pieces of food. The sight of his eager feeding reminded me that I needed to prepare more. As he scarfed down the morsels, I began pulling out my magical burner.
"Why is Pansy here?" I asked.
Val finished the last piece in record time, then slithered back into his tank to soak.
"After classes, we had dinner, and then she brought me here. She read some books until she fell asleep."
I glanced at her and, sure enough, spotted a potions book lying open beside her, turned to the Cure for Boils chapter. A twinge of guilt flickered through me—I hadn't meant to make her wait so long. With a sigh, I pulled out my cauldron and began preparing supplies. The clattering of metal and glass stirred Pansy from her slumber. She groaned softly as she sat up, her eyes still clouded with sleep.
Her hazy expression quickly cleared, and the moment she fully registered me, her face flushed crimson.
"Wh-What took you so long!?" she blurted, clearly flustered, though she avoided mentioning the fact that she had fallen asleep in my room.
I smirked as I filled the cauldron with water.
"Sorry. Got caught up with something." I shrugged casually, intentionally dodging the topic of where I had slept. "If I teach you some potion-making, will you forgive me?"
She crossed her arms, pouting slightly.
"F-Fine! But you're doing all the work!" she huffed, trying to sound stern.
I chuckled and nodded, grabbing my mortar and pestle.
"Deal."
Pansy slipped off my bed and handed me the potions book. Though she claimed I would be doing all the work, she immediately jumped in, eager to take over the first step: crushing snake fangs.
Working together, we managed to brew the potion perfectly on our first try.
"Well, it was a beginner potion," Pansy teased, though her satisfied grin showed she was proud of our success. She carefully filled a vial with the finished potion. The recipe had produced enough for several weeks' worth of doses.
"Cheers." I smirked, holding my own uncorked vial.
Pansy scoffed at the gesture but clinked her vial against mine before we both drank our medicine. The potion tasted slightly bitter—no surprise, given the snake fangs—but I was already familiar with the flavor. The same faint tingling sensation I'd experienced before confirmed it was the same type of potion I had consumed before school.
I glanced at Pansy and was struck by the transformation. Her skin was flawless—smooth and porcelain-like. Any blemishes or imperfections were completely gone.
Pansy's eyes widened as she touched her face in disbelief. Without a word, she dashed to the mirror, running her fingers over her now-perfect complexion.
"Saving this recipe…" she muttered, admiring her reflection. She turned back to me with a triumphant grin.
"I guess I'll let you off the hook this time."
I chuckled, glancing at my own reflection. My skin was equally smooth and clear.
"Thank you," I replied with a matching grin.
Pansy stretched, then glanced at the clock.
"I'm going to freshen up in my room. Will you be free at…" She squinted at the time.
"9:00?"
I nodded.
"Sure. See you then."
At 9 o'clock, I met Pansy in the lobby.
"Breakfast?" I asked, feeling a wave of hunger hit me.
'Strange… I normally eat as soon as I wake up, but I didn't feel hungry until now.'
Pansy nodded, and we headed to the Great Hall together. We ate mostly in silence, apart from the occasional conversation about magic and potion-making. The Slytherin girls, however, were far from quiet. They flocked around Pansy, fawning over her radiant skin.
"Oh my god! You look amazing!"
"Really!"
"How did you get skin like that?!"
I ignored their fawning and focused on eating. My stomach felt bottomless, still recovering from the magical release the night before.
'Strange… this place must be affecting me somehow…' I thought, glancing up at the enchanted ceiling and the floating candles.
Once breakfast was over, and we finally managed to peel the girls away from Pansy and their relentless potion requests, we headed for the library.
I inhaled deeply, savoring the familiar scent of parchment and the faint tickle of glue. A smile tugged at my lips as I admired the towering shelves filled with countless books.
"Anything in mind?" Pansy asked, walking beside me.
I shrugged, my eyes roaming the sections, searching for something interesting. At first, I had intended to look into magical beasts or potions. However, my gaze unexpectedly locked onto something else entirely.
In the Divination section, I spotted a silver-haired girl running her fingers over the spines of the books, playfully tapping them as she read the labels. Her hair was short, barely reaching her shoulders, but it sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight streaming through the tall windows.
A strange sensation stirred within me—a sudden, inexplicable connection. I didn't know her. I had never spoken to her. Yet somehow, I felt a deep, unshakable familiarity. I stared at her in silent confusion, struck by the inexplicable feeling of kinship.
Then, as if sensing my gaze, she looked up. Our eyes met. She lowered her book slightly, revealing the front of her robes—a proud badger surrounded by a golden yellow shield. A Hufflepuff.
Her eyes briefly scanned the emblem on my chest, and her expression twisted with confusion and disbelief. She stared at me, her lips parting slightly as if she were about to speak, but she only whispered under her breath.
"How…? How are you… Slytherin?"
Her voice was so faint, I barely heard her.
"Have we met?" I asked, stepping closer so I wouldn't have to raise my voice.
She didn't answer. She just kept staring, studying me with growing confusion. Finally, she shook her head slightly, blinking as though to clear her thoughts.
"No, we haven't…" she murmured. Then, after a brief pause, she asked, "When is your birthday?"
I followed her gaze to the astrology section and realized she was about to attempt a reading. Intrigued by her unusual aura and curious about her intentions, I answered without hesitation.
"September 18th."
Her expression didn't change. She remained frozen, staring at me as though she had seen a ghost. Then, to my surprise, her legs buckled slightly, and she nearly stumbled.
I lunged forward and caught her arm before she could fall.
"Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.
She shook her head weakly, straightening herself as she regained her footing.
"No… No, I… I have to go. I'm so sorry," she muttered hastily, avoiding my eyes.
Without another word, she fled toward the front desk to check out her books. She glanced back at me a few times as she waited, but once she was finished, she left without looking back.
Pansy, having witnessed the entire exchange, arched a brow.
"What was that about?" she asked.
I shook my head slowly, still baffled.
"I don't know… That girl is certainly strange, to say the least."
Meanwhile, Hermione, who had been quietly studying in the library, watched the silver-haired girl flee. She immediately recognized Peterson—the Slytherin she had grown suspicious of—and the girl's fear only deepened her concerns.
Curious, Hermione stealthily followed the girl toward the Hufflepuff dorms, determined to find out what had shaken her so deeply.
"Excuse me!" Hermione called out, causing the girl to flinch.
Turning around, the girl's face softened slightly, relieved it wasn't Peterson.
"Y-Yes?" she stammered, still clutching her books.