33. A New Shadow.

Ryan sighed as he walked down the corridor, Hermione practically glued to his side, bombarding him with questions about spell theory and advanced magical applications. Despite the amused glances Yue and Rachel exchanged behind him, he couldn't exactly tell Hermione to leave. After all, he had saved her life—twice, technically, if you counted preventing her from being crushed by butterfly effects.

"…So how exactly did you know the troll would be there?" Hermione asked, eyes filled with sharp curiosity.

Ryan gave her a vague shrug. "Just a feeling."

Hermione pursed her lips. "A feeling?" She clearly didn't believe him but was too fascinated to push further—for now.

As they stepped into the Ravenclaw common room, Hermione came to a sudden halt, her eyes widening in awe.

The entire space was lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, crammed with tomes of every kind. The high-arched windows bathed the room in soft morning light, while enchanted lanterns floated near reading nooks, illuminating open books left behind by students. Statues of famous Ravenclaws stood proudly among the shelves, and the enchanted ceiling mimicked the sky above.

Hermione gasped, rushing to the nearest wall of books. She ran her fingers over the spines with something close to reverence. "This is… this is incredible," she breathed. "Your common room is basically a library!"

Yue gracefully took a seat beside Rachel on a couch, sipping her tea, while Rachel remained engrossed in her book.

Hermione finally tore her gaze away from the shelves, her brows furrowing slightly. "Wait… how am I even in here? Aren't common rooms supposed to be locked to outsiders?"

Ryan casually took a seat. "Most people think that."

Hermione blinked. "But… but that's Hogwarts: A History! It clearly states—"

Yue smirked, crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ryan, I didn't know you picked up a pet."

Rachel, without even looking up from her book, added in a deadpan tone, "I hope she doesn't expect him to carry her around."

Hermione stiffened. "I am not a pet!" she said indignantly.

Yue let out a soft, amused hum. "That's good, because I already have that position."

Hermione blinked in confusion. "…What?"

Rachel's grip on her book tightened slightly, and for the first time, a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "She means—"

"She means nothing!" Ryan interrupted, already seeing where this was going. "She's just being difficult."

Hermione looked back and forth between them before sighing. "You all talk like you're in on some big secret."

Yue smiled. "Oh, we are."

Before Hermione could press further, Yue leaned against Ryan's arm with a smirk. "It's not just a secret, either. Rachel and I are both dating him."

Hermione froze. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "W-What?"

Rachel, still reading, simply nodded. "It's true."

Hermione gawked at them, looking between Ryan, Yue, and Rachel as if they had just told her they were secretly dragons. "But… but that's… you can't—he—both of you?"

Yue chuckled, clearly enjoying Hermione's reaction. "Why not?"

Hermione turned to Ryan, scandalized. "You can't just date two people!"

Ryan, already sensing the headache this conversation was going to bring, sighed. "Apparently, I can."

Hermione spluttered, her brain short-circuiting. "That's… that's not normal!"

Yue tilted her head playfully. "Whoever said the magical world was normal?"

Hermione had no argument for that, but she still crossed her arms, looking incredibly flustered. "This is ridiculous."

Rachel finally glanced up from her book, her face still slightly pink. "Are you jealous?" she asked bluntly.

Hermione recoiled as if struck. "W-What?! No! I just—It's just strange, that's all!"

Rachel gave her a knowing look before returning to her book. "Uh-huh."

Hermione's face turned red, but she quickly cleared her throat, looking away. "Anyway! We have classes soon. I should go back to Gryffindor Tower before lunch and prepare."

As soon as she was gone, Ryan let out a breath of relief. At least Hermione hadn't figured out everything. If she was scandalized over him dating two girls, he didn't even want to imagine her reaction if she found out about Serenity.

Yue, still lounging beside him, looked up with a knowing smirk. "You're thinking about your third secret girlfriend, aren't you?"

Rachel turned another page, muttering, "He was definitely thinking about it."

Ryan sighed, but before he could respond, he suddenly felt a cool hand caress his cheek, and before he could react, warm lips pressed firmly against his.

His eyes widened slightly before relaxing, already recognizing the sensation. Serenity.

The kiss was deep and slow, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine as the assassin expertly stole his breath away. Yue and Rachel merely watched, neither surprised nor jealous—just mildly amused at Serenity's sudden boldness.

Then, just as quickly as she had appeared, Serenity pulled back, her violet eyes shimmering with mischief. A delighted giggle escaped her lips before she vanished into thin air, leaving only the faintest trace of her presence behind.

Ryan exhaled, his mind catching up with what had just happened.

"…You know, for someone who's supposed to be an assassin, she's getting really good at making dramatic entrances," he muttered.

Yue smirked. "I think she's just making sure you don't forget about her."

Rachel turned another page of her book. "As if that were possible."

Ryan groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You three are going to make my life very complicated, aren't you?"

Yue just smiled sweetly. "Oh, you love us."

Ryan sighed, already dreading Hermione's inevitable return. "Keep it up, and you'll earn yourself a spanking."

Yue purred, "Promise?"