HP Nocturne and Evening Bell

Chapter 27

White snowflakes swirled gently into the spiers of the towers and the mottled window sills of the windows, and the calm lake was covered with thick snow without any flaws.The lawn of Hogwarts is already a vast expanse of whiteness, and the quiet surrounding fields only have the soft noise caused by the snow.Hermione walked towards the snow-covered beech trees by the lake with one foot deep, and the white mist she exhaled blurred her vision from time to time.The figure under the tree stood upright, with a few strands of curly hair blowing in the wind, blowing the light snowflakes, and also brushing against the beautiful cheeks.He was wearing a silver and green scarf, and the uneven tassels spread over the dark lines on the buttons, elongating the image in the snow curtain.Those slender hands were straightening the collar that didn't fit well, and familiar patterns were exposed in the black windbreaker - he was actually still wearing the sweater that Hermione gave him two years ago.

"I made it bigger," Tom explained, noticing Hermione's gaze.

"I'll knit you another sweater this Christmas. Fortunately, with the help of magic, otherwise so many clothes can't bear your rapid growth. You're almost as tall as me."

"You don't need to knit a sweater, I can wear it."

"A sweater every year, it's my Hermione Granger tradition." Seeing Tom's helpless expression, she added, "Start this year."

"Okay." Tom looked at Hermione's frozen red nose. "Have all the professors left?"

"Yes, they all went home, even Professor Dumbledore went home. I didn't expect him to have a place to go back to at Christmas."

"Is that weird?"

"No, I'm just curious. Where are your classmates? Where's the silver-haired kid? He probably came home in a golden carriage with eight horses." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hermione, do you really not know Malfoy? You know how he came home."

"Cough, cough!" Hermione almost choked, "Did Malfoy go home in a golden carriage with eight horses? Has their family really never read Muggle fairy tales?"

"It's not drawn by eight horses, but it is indeed a golden carriage." Tom shook his head, not knowing whether his first reaction to seeing that scene was to laugh or to be shocked.

"Malfoy is indeed Malfoy." Imagining Abraxas in a Muggle princess dress can make Hermione laugh so hard that she can't straighten up.

Tom looked at Hermione's trembling shoulders for some unknown reason. The snowflakes kept falling on Hermione's hair and slowly melted into crystal water spots. His brown eyes curved into smiles, but also showed frustration.Tom said aloud: "It's getting darker and darker, let's go back."

Hermione stopped laughing exaggeratedly, and walked out of the Hogwarts gate side by side with Tom. She looked back at the spiers of the Astronomy Tower in the snowstorm and the faint shadows in the sky, took out the door key, and held it. Tom's cold hand: "Take hold of my hand, Tom."

After a twist, they left Hogwarts.

Apparating to an alley near their home, they straightened out a bit, and they walked home slowly along the orange-lit street.Christmas is coming, and the roads are lined with colorful beaded lights and Christmas trees lying on their backs in the snow.Curls of white smoke floated from the houses, and Schubert's nocturnes and crisp bells could be heard from the windows facing the street from time to time.

Gently brushing off the snow from her body, Hermione took out the key and opened the door.An exquisite Christmas tree stands under the orange light, and two boxes lie quietly beside the Christmas tree.

"It's a gift from them." Hermione picked up the box in surprise. "This is yours, Tom."

Tom took the box and looked up around the living room.The furnishings here have not changed in any way, but every piece of furniture is clean and spotless.After returning from the noisy school, he also felt the tranquility of returning home that wanderers love and praise.

Slytherins are cunning animals. From the first day of school, they secretly spy on each other, measuring each other's family and origin.As for him, he was always an invisible fog, and no one dared to act rashly towards him, but looking at him with ill intentions always kept him vigilant all the time.He couldn't approach Hermione or show any unusual interest or concern, he couldn't let his gaze give away anything.

closed, silent.He could only bury his head in the small world of the library and the dormitory, and it was his great comfort to occasionally see Hermione going in and out of the restricted area of ​​the library.The clues to find eternal life are completely hidden in the dark, but in the corner of the legend, he found clues about the secrets of the Gaunt family, but he can't tell Hermione, he can't tell anyone.

Tom didn't go with Hermione to visit the Watsons, he just leaned on the back of the soft sofa by the fireplace, relaxed himself, and had a good night's sleep without any stress.

When Hermione came back, Tom was resting on the sofa, his black eyes were hidden under the long eyelashes, restraining all emotions and contents.His grade this year is the first in the whole grade. He is excellent and leaves No.2 far behind, but he is low-key and restrained and never publicizes.Even though she didn't have much contact with others, she could always hear all kinds of praise from the professor. Horace praised him as the most proud student he had ever taught, and he had even considered making needles for Tom's future work.Perhaps this is the origin of the "Slug Club", who is always good at wooing the best students so that he can get all kinds of benefits in the future.

old fox!Hermione sighed.She looked down at the sleeping Tom.He looked tired, his thin lips were tightly pressed, and the shadow cast by the firelight danced on his face. Hermione knew that he must have had a hard time in the past six months.At this time, he was just a traveler who had just entered the temple. The majesty of the temple pleased him and also confused him.As for the ever-bright candlelight, he is just a drop in the ocean.

"Hermione, do you have to sing?" Tom was looking helplessly at his new birthday present - a pure white sweater.

"This is the birthday song, and it must be sung every birthday." Hermione blushed, and there was an empty wine bottle lying on the table in front of her.

"You didn't sing that song last year. When did you drink so much?"

"You must look good in white." Hermione looked drunkenly at the sweater in Tom's hand.

"Do you think I am still suitable for this holy color? Can I hold a candlestick and pretend to be an angel?"

"It fits perfectly. Did you forget? This white is the same as your conch."

Tom was taken aback for a moment, as if he had forgotten those small, pure and beautiful moments.He knew that Hermione's sanity was not clear at this time, so he put down his sweater and asked the question that had been lingering in his heart for a long time; "I never visited you at school, are you angry?"

"Of course I'm angry, I'm very uncomfortable, but my reason tells me that what you did is right. I have too many things to do in the past six months. Do you know? Diagon Alley's business has failed, and that one asked me to practice The medicine man disappeared suddenly, and he didn’t even want the medicine I prepared. Dumbledore invited me to drink tea, and asked me about your life experience. He even asked me how my life in France was. I wonder if he really doesn't know anything? Tom, when I arrived at Hogwarts, I still felt that there was no one around me, and my surroundings were empty. I could learn to escape this huge emptiness before, but now, I'm just a superfluous person wandering on the fringes, and damn Seslak can't be found anywhere!"

Hermione rubbed her hair in frustration, and what was even more frustrating was that she felt like she was going to cry, the alcohol was burning in her head, and she felt that she probably said a lot of things that she shouldn't have said.But she can't control that much anymore, just like the night when Ron in the first grade laughed at her for having a problem with her brain, she was just a little girl who broke into a strange world at the beginning of 11 years old, trying to hide in the dilapidated women's bathroom and have a good cry , regardless of whether there will be any annoying trolls appearing later.She really worked very hard, but everything was clueless, and everything was hidden inexplicably and obscurely. Dumbledore was full of doubts and speculations about her, and even thought she was related to the French dark wizard.

She knew that Dumbledore was always watching her secretly, with hidden waves in his blue eyes; she knew that Horace always cleverly bypassed some knowable questions she asked repeatedly; she knew that the tattoos on his body occasionally She guessed it might have something to do with Tom's emotions; she knew that Abraxas Malfoy was asking around about her background, and he probably had already concluded that she was a Muggle; she knew that McGonagall would occasionally She will look at herself suspiciously, she doesn't understand why she always goes in and out of the restricted area, and walks in a hurry; she knows that when Professor Catherine passes by, she will always look at her dress with disapproval and show a disgusted expression, she may even become a home economics class Bad example of activity.

Loneliness and frustration tormented her, and life was like a net, which made her unable to breathe.The conspiracy that cannot be seen clearly, the suspicion of those she trusts, and the distance of those close to her, she knows that she must go on, but today, she just wants to let go of everything and not think about it.The tense strings also had moments of slackening. Hermione laughed at herself and drank another large glass of wine. She smiled at Tom, then closed her eyes heavily.

"Hermione?" Tom called her tentatively.

Seeing that Hermione didn't answer, Tom put down the sweater in his hand and walked to Hermione's side.He pushed back Hermione's long disheveled hair, gently parted the collar, and carefully looked at the tattoo on Hermione's neck. The S-shaped pattern seemed to be swimming, like a slender snake.Tom's fingers touched slowly, and he really felt a wave of magic power.

This tattoo is really related to me, maybe it is caused by myself.Tom was overwhelmed by this realization, and he couldn't figure out the relationship anyway.He had never met Hermione before, and he was completely ignorant of the existence of magic. Now he is not capable of mastering such advanced and complex spells. Maybe this tattoo is related to Malfoy's family?It is entirely possible that this tattoo is the result of the work of multiple people.

Thinking of Malfoy, Tom pressed his fingers harder on Hermione's neck.That arrogant pureblood always displayed his innate advantages and wealth.He instigated others without hesitation, and played the role of leader aloofly.His nasty eyes kept lingering on Hermione, unable to see the meaning clearly.And he always gathers together with a few stupid followers to whisper, and when he passes by, he keeps silent, like a silent hint, reminding him of his identity.

Tom smiled. At this time, he didn't bother to compete with him for something. Low-key learning and exploration is his most important task at this time, but if one day he takes away what belongs to him, he will not be polite.

After fetching the robe from the chair, Tom gently put it on Hermione's body. He wiped away the tears from the corners of Hermione's eyes, his heart trembled slightly, and he let out a long sigh.