199: A Trip to Hogsmeade · Part Two

"Damn it, I'm finished."

On the day of the Hogsmeade trip, Miles wore a look of pure misery.

Alicia frowned at Monta and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Montague let out a helpless chuckle. "Just now, Clearwater came looking for Nolan, but she couldn't find him, so she asked Miles to pass on a message. Guess what Miles said?"

"I think I can guess… but I really hope I'm wrong," Camille muttered under her breath.

"He said, 'Hey, Penelope, forget about Nolan. I'm going to Hogsmeade too—why don't you hang out with me instead?'"

"Oh, Merlin's beard, what does he think he is?" Camille gasped in horror. "The most handsome wizard in all of Britain? Miles, did you seriously believe that Penelope Clearwater would go with you? She's the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts!"

"Not for long..." Alicia murmured, staring off into the distance. "Just look at Eve—she's getting more and more gorgeous by the day."

At that moment, Eve had just finished getting ready and stepped into the common room.

She had grown a little, and her beauty had only become more striking, setting the male Slytherins into a quiet uproar.

"By the time that happens, Clearwater will have graduated," Montague said matter-of-factly.

"Damn it, I'm finished. What will people think of me now? A foolish idiot who doesn't know his place? How could I ever think that Penelope would want to spend time with me?" Miles groaned, wallowing in his own despair.

Nolan was the last to emerge. He still wore his signature hooded cloak, his left eye covered by an eyepatch. "Everyone ready? Let's go."

He and Eve walked ahead of the group, whispering to each other in hushed tones.

When they reached the entrance of Hogwarts, the four houses gathered together under Professor McGonagall's supervision before setting off toward Hogsmeade.

"What do you think Nolan and Eve talk about all the time?" Camille asked curiously.

Laura Cook answered coolly, "I've overheard their conversations before… Honestly, it's nothing special. You all know how dull Nolan's topics can be—he just keeps going on and on about ancient magical texts."

"I refuse to believe Eve understands any of that!" Camille hopped excitedly, her energy always high. "I heard Nolan's grades in Ancient Runes are so good that even the professor is impressed!"

"Eve probably doesn't understand much, but does it matter?" Alicia sighed dreamily. "That silly girl is happy just hearing him talk."

Finally snapping out of his self-pity, Miles asked, "So… who did Nolan end up choosing to go with?"

"Oh, you idiot, do you even need to ask?" Alicia rolled her eyes. "Obviously, he's going with Eve. They're a couple! Haven't I told you before? I ran into them at Diagon Alley over the holidays. They were there together. That means they spent the break together too!"

"But I saw Nolan agree to go with Cho," Laura suddenly chimed in.

The Slytherins fell silent, glancing at one another.

Alicia frowned. "That's annoying. Why won't that Ravenclaw give up?"

"If it were me, I wouldn't give up either," Camille said dreamily. "If Nolan were willing to accept me, I wouldn't mind if he had two girlfriends!"

"Who would mind?" Miles muttered bitterly. "Nolan can get all the girls he wants, while I can't even give my services away for free."

"Hey, nobody said that, Miles!" Monta patted him on the shoulder. "Trust me, you'll find a great girlfriend—you just need to be a little more selective. Not every girl likes a flirt."

"Nolan is a flirt, yet every girl likes him…" Miles mumbled in frustration.

—

Most Hogwarts students had seen Hogsmeade from a distance before.

After all, the Hogwarts Express stopped at Hogsmeade Station, and from there, it was only a five-minute walk into the village.

Hogsmeade itself wasn't large—it had only two main streets that formed a T-shape.

Nolan and Eve separated from the rest of the Slytherins and waited outside the Three Broomsticks. Before long, Cho arrived.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Marietta kept clinging to me," Cho apologized as soon as she arrived.

"It's fine," Nolan said indifferently. "Let's go. It's my first time in Hogsmeade."

"Mine too," Eve said as she naturally took Nolan's left hand.

Cho pursed her lips, hesitation flickering in her eyes for a moment. Then, she took a quick step forward and grabbed Nolan's right hand. "Where should we go first?"

"Any suggestions, Cho?"

"I heard Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop is nice…" Cho murmured, her cheeks flushing pink. "Upper-year couples spend their whole afternoons there. They order a drink, sit together… and kiss."

"Why are you so shy?" Nolan gave her a puzzled look. "It's not like I haven't kissed you before."

"…I want to die," Cho muttered in embarrassment.

Miss Cho Chang considered herself to have lived an extraordinary life.

Though her mother was a Muggle, her father was a wizard, and she possessed remarkable magical talent. At the age of ten, she received her Hogwarts acceptance letter!

Her destiny as a witch was set to be different from the ordinary.

But in all her dreams, she never imagined her first date with the boy she liked would turn out like this.

"I've heard of double dates and regular dates, but a three-person date? That's unheard of…"

"A four-person date?" Nolan tilted his head. "You mean with three girls?"

"I meant two couples…" Cho sighed. "I guess our common knowledge is different. Is this a wizard-versus-Muggle thing?"

Eve pouted.

… 

Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop was indeed cozy. The space was small and tightly packed, but it was incredibly warm.

Unlike the messy aesthetic of typical wizarding shops, each table here was adorned with frilly tablecloths—perhaps a bit tacky, but undeniably charming in its own way.

Nolan, Eve, and Cho settled into a corner table and ordered the owner's special honeyed mead.

"Here you go, darlings," cooed the shop's owner, a plump witch who swayed her hips as she approached. She wore garish makeup, matching the overly frilly decor. "Third-years, are you? I don't think I've seen you here before."

"Uh, yes, ma'am," Cho said awkwardly. "I heard this place is mostly for couples…"

"Oh, yes, yes!" the owner beamed. "I'm delighted that my shop has become a haven for young wizarding love. Ever since I was a little girl, I adored sweet and romantic atmospheres! If you're a couple, I have something special for you!"

With that, she pulled out a single straw—a Muggle drinking straw.

Why was it a Muggle item? Well…