By the next morning, the snow that had been falling all night turned into a Blizzard and in turn, all end-of-term Herbology and Care of Magical Creature classes were cancelled.
Meanwhile, Hermione, Susan, and Hannah Abbott whispered together, still dissecting the previous night's dueling lesson in Hufflepuff's common room.
With her as a guest, she was flattered.
Hermione had been unstoppable, trouncing Gryffindor girls one after another until a fifth-year prefect finally ended her streak. And though she wasn't bragging, there was frustration in her voice.
"I don't understand 'them," She sighed. "They lose to me, and instead of working harder, they blame me for winning---as if succeeding is some kind of 'crime'. This morning, half of them acted like I didn't even exist."
"They're just jealous," Hannah said bluntly, "My mother always told me---most Gryffindors are 'small-minded.' They hate those who have what they lack, and laugh at those who don't. They're self-satisfied fools... who think they're the best. The moment someone outshines them, they feel threatened."
Hermione found herself nodding despite herself. That description was too 'accurate'. She'd once warned to hex these two for getting close to Lucifer, not just that she also tried to help, pointing out mistakes to classmates.
But instead of gratitude, she got resentment. Ron was the perfect example. At least, to his credit, Harry had apologized whenever he realised he was in the wrong.... Compared to the rest, that made him one of the better Gryffindors.
Still, Hermione 'regretted her' Sorting.
When the Hat had given her the choice, she had picked Gryffindor because her books had convinced her that Dumbledore's House was the noblest of 'them all!'
Now, it was far too late.
"Ugh..." she sighed once more, "Forget it. I don't even want to be their friend. I'm just tired of the nonsense. More importantly, I need to make 'Lucifer happy."
"Then don't think about it." Susan smiled and handed her a slice of Basque cheesecake, "I just ordered this from Diagon Alley."
.....
Lucifer meanwhile spent the entire day in full slacker mode, he napped till late until it was afternoon, then went to walk his pets in the Castle.
He strolled through Professor Sprout's greenhouse, casually probing for any news about Whomping Willow seeds.
'No luck.'
Sprout had never paid attention to such things. The Whomping Willow was valuable, yes, but also dangerously aggressive. Ordinary wizards could neither manage nor cultivate it.
If it were simple, there would be more than 'one tree' in all of Britain.
Disheartened, he came back to Gryffindor' tower. While thinking of better options, an eureka moment happened. 'Of course, Lady Greengrass could handle it as well.!'
That woman sounded far too eager in her past few letters, inconspicuously trying to utter the enquiry question of his Residence, getting access to his 'Fireplace's Floo network' so she could visit during the holidays, specifically whenever her body felt cravings.
......
Making contact through 'Spatial magic', he opened a small portal to exchange words using a 'Charmed parchment'. If Lucifer went there himself, that vixen would cause him to take a few days off from school.
[Mommy Evelyn: Leave it to me. How many do you need?]
[Hearthrob: At least 'thirteen fully' grown Willows. If they're saplings, we can raise them ourselves. I have a master herbologist and a master potioneer on hand--'it's doable.]
[Mommy Evelyn: Thirteen adults? That won't be easy. I've got some 'friends' in Africa. I'll ask around.]
Lucifer's eyes lit up. He had long coveted Africa's riches. From the wizarding perspective, that land was a treasure chest overflowing with magical 'flora and fauna'. Even goblins had placed Gringotts' headquarters in Egypt.
To him, the way others squandered such resources was nothing short of sacrilege.
[Mommy Evelyn: Oh, and at Christmas, you must send me your body fluids in a bucket sized container.]
[Hearthrob: ?]
[Mommy Evelyn: 'frown emoji' I am talking about "your cock." Salazar, I can't even breathe properly without drinking it every seven minutes!!]
[I miss... you.. 'miss us'.. I need you in the bed and soothe me.]
......
"Hmmph."
Back in an empty locked classroom, Astoria surprised him by showing a rare temper. She gave a little huffy hum, turned her head away in mock anger--but her eyes betrayed her, sneaking constant glances at Lucifer to gauge his reaction.
"Still sulking with me?" The boy chuckled. He gently but firmly turned her small face back toward him, "You know this is all for your own good."
"I know..." Astoria's voice was small, wounded. "But the potions taste so awful. Three different brews every single day. I'm sick of them."
He couldn't help but laugh. "Silly girl. You're not even in your later years yet. Daphne said you used to drink far more medicines before--'stronger, fouler ones.' You should be used to it. How can you resist these?"
Astoria's eyes went hazy.
Yes... once upon a time, she had to drink far more--strange concoctions with tastes so bitter and bizarre her tongue had long since gone numb.
'So when did my taste begin to return? When did I start to dislike the flavor of potions again? Ah--of course. It was from the day he had first given me a 'Strengthening Elixir.'
From that day forward, she only needed a single restorative potion at intervals. Her body not only avoided decline--it grew steadily stronger.'
And now, in front of Lucifer's startled expression, Astoria's wide eyes filled with tears. She suddenly threw herself into his arms.
"I was wrong! I'll listen to you from
now on--I'll drink the potions on time, I 'promise!"
Lucifer stood there utterly baffled, feeling like Louis XVI facing the guillotine--utterly clueless. He hadn't said anything harsh! Why was Astoria crying like this?
Even Daphne froze mid-bite, crumbs still on her lips, staring blankly. What just happened?
One look from Lucifer--sharp, dangerous, a deathly glare-was enough to scatter the older sister's promising tease like a startled bird.
Gently, he patted the silver girl's back. His voice softened, "Astoria is the bravest girl I know. Just a little longer, and I swear one day you'll be free of every foul--tasting potion forever."'
"Mhm..."
Realizing how dramatic her reaction had been, Astoria blushed furiously, keeping her head buried in his chest, refusing to let go. Lucifer had no choice but to scoop both sisters up and hurry out of the room, Astoria still "pink-faced" with embarrassment.
xxxxxxx
The Slytherin Common room was buzzing with excitement. Students clustered in groups, whispering about the 'Chamber of Secrets', ominous words scrawled on the walls, and petrified victims.
Even under Daphne's quiet status dominance, the arrogance of pure-bloods still festered. Many dreamed of Hogwarts "cleansed," if not of Muggle-borns entirely, then at least rid of what they considered the lowest bloodlines.
Deep down, though, most of them knew the truth. Their own family trees weren't as pure as their rhetoric. If they truly were, most of those lines would have already gone extinct. The Gaunts stood as the perfect example: 'pureblood pride carried straight to ruin.'
The chatter about what the Chamber really was and whether it had been opened ceased the moment the Greengrass sisters stepped back into the room.
Every head turned away, eyes dropping, as though guilt had stolen their tongues.
Daphne smiled faintly. "Don't worry--I know 'you're all excited'. I understand the feeling. But if you think a few words on a wall and some crude little magic tricks will drive 'muggleborns' from Hogwarts... then you're being far too naïve."
"Greengrass, this has nothing to do with you."
The voice came from Rosier, who suddenly rose to his feet. He looked around the common room boldly, his voice ringing with conviction.
"Your friend's magical talent, his conduct, his bearing--what part of him resembles a 'Muggle's?"
A murmur rippled through the room.
"Think of the other Muggle-borns," Rosier pressed on, "How many have adapted to the wizarding world as swiftly as Morningstar'? Most skulk about nervously, hiding in their little circles. But that guy? He shines."
"Have you all forgotten what the Sorting Hat said? It called him a born Slytherin! He shouted it two times, in fact! Cursed should be 'Dumbledore."
"The Sorting Hat carries the 'Founders' will. Are you saying its judgment is less accurate than your own?"
Rosier's confidence swelled as he spoke.
"So hear me clearly: Morningstar must be the descendant of some ancient, 'powerfulpure-blood line.' Perhaps his ancestors lost their honor in a bygone generation--but in him, their glory is reborn. He belongs to us. Lucifer is one of us."
The Slytherin common room fell utterly silent. Zabini and Nott stared at Rosier in shock. Bloody hell... he's good. If you didn't know the truth, even they'd believe him.
But what stunned Daphne even more---was that others began to believe it too.'
"Yes!"
The first to speak up was Zabini, his dark eyes gleaming. "If someone as exceptional as Morningstar' isn't pure-blood, then what hope do the rest of us have to stand against the other Houses? We'd be nothing!"
"I agree," Draco Malfoy added lazily, though his words cut sharp. "I may have quarreled with him before, but without his guidance, would I have mastered the 'Shield Charm' so quickly? Would I have humiliated Weasley and toyed with Potter?"
He smirked. "Even the Weasleys, paupers though they are, count among the 'SacredTwenty-Eight'. I'd say they don't deserve it. That spot should go to the Morningstar's instead. Nott, your great-grandfather's book is outdated. Time for a revised edition, don't you think?"
"Shove it," Theodore Nott growled. "My great-grandfather's dead.' You expect him to write from beyond the grave? But fine-if I ever rewrite the book, I'll strike out Longbottom and Weasley, and I'll put Morningstar's name in their place. Didn't Tori also say her mother had taken Morningstar under Greengrass 'family's ward?"
Voices swelled. One after another, the students echoed Rosier, building on his story, weaving a new legend for Lucifer. In mere minutes, they had erased his Muggle heritage and elevated him into their world.
If we can't defeat you, they seemed to say, then we'll claim you. We'll follow you. We'll call you our own.
All for the glory of Slytherin.
If their parents or grandparents could have seen this moment, they would have gasped in astonishment.
History has a way of repeating itself.
Once, long ago, Slytherins had rallied to defend the bloodline superiority of another 'half-blood wizard'--a boy named Tom Riddle.
Now, here they were again, weaving legends around a different, worsened to the point for 'Muggle-born.'
"Say whatever you like," Daphne muttered, pressing her palm to her forehead as she looked at her classmates, who were even more excited than she was. She truly didn't know how to argue with them anymore.
"But let me remind you of one thing."
Her voice dropped to an icy chill. Similarly to why they called her and "Ice Princess" Instantly, the air in the common room grew cold, frost seeming to creep into their bones. The chatter died in a heartbeat.
She raised a finger, pointing upwards--or more precisely, toward 'Gryffindor Tower.'
"Lucifer is my friend, and by distance Granger so. If I hear so much as a whisper of someone getting carried away and saying things they shouldn't..."
Her eyes gleamed dangerously. "Well, I've been taught by Mother over the summer, practicing 'curses and dark magic' lately, and I'd be delighted to use one of you as a test subject."
The little serpents shivered and nodded, cowed into silence.
xxxxx
During their last class supposed to be, that being a canceled Herbology class, Harry was over next to the Fireplace in the Common Room, fretting over the two attacked victims so far, and was worrying about Justin.
Ron decided to challenge Lucifer to a game of "Wizard's Chess" while Hermione watched reading a book at the same time, even seemed to be forgetting her arse was blocked with a plug for a long time.
Lucifer certainly teased her a lot over making a puddle on their shared bench, to which Hermione didn't have a retort, and just removed the evidence before leaving her seat.
He did promise about disciplining her bad habit of ruining the school's furniture.
She hoped he did.
Ron did well at the start of the game, or that's what he thought, because now Lucifer was currently destroying his pieces one after another.
Giving Ron a run for his money, not that he had much anyway.
Hermione sighed exasperatedly, "For heaven's sake, Harry," she got his attention, "if it's so important to you, go and find Justin." So he nodded and did just that, leaving the Common Room.
She settled back into her chair to continue reading, and looked up when Lucifer yelled triumphantly.
"Checkmate, Weasely!" Sure enough, he had put Ron's King in Checkmate.
Ron stared at the board for a solid two minutes, trying to find any way to get around it, but he eventually admitted defeat, "I told you last year, didn't I?"
He just grumbled, "Hermione, you wanna play?" He asked her.
"I suppose a game or two wouldn't hurt," she said and closed her book, Lucifer was ready to stand up, but Hermione's voice interrupted his legs, "No, I will just sit on you...."
It was noticeably warm in Lucifer's lap, Hermione pushed her head back into his chest, getting into a comfortable position, her small fingers now on the board, that stompered arse of hers deliberately grinding against his sleepy dragon.
It took Lucifer's every ounce of will power, to not drape over a blanket, and finger her pussy, while she did so.
'Some othe....'
"Don't even think about doing it"
'What the? Did she just-'
Even with Hermione watching and observing for minutes at a time, she still lost every game to Ron.
She huffed and stood up, not caring about the fact regarding her damp underwear for the moment, and slight dark wet spots on her body "cushion" she might have had left, "Never am I playing 'Wizard's Chess again..." then went back to reading.
It was incredibly late when Harry showed back up, but by the time he did, the news about Nearly Headless Nick and Justin had already spread around the school, and he didn't have anything good for them, especially Lucifer who was gritting his teeth while glaring at Hermione's figure from time to time.
"Everyone suspects you of being dangerous, with the glowing red eyes. The Hufflepuff's are now slightly weary of you, not as much as they are of me, since they think I'm the one attacking people, but still... you're not exactly 'their favorite anymore."
"Eh, I don't live to please them," Lucifer shrugged and closed the book he was reading, besides he wasn't able to make a word out of it and yawned feeling tired of calming himself... down due to heat running through his body.
"It's late, you should probably go to bed, and take the day off in brewing tomorrow...." Hermione said, while looking at her boyfriend's cute face, finding his struggles a bit amusing, "We can talk more in the morning, I heard most, if not everyone but us, the rest of Weasely family, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle are all leaving Hogwarts for the break."
She knew how much he liked his holidays to spend lazing on bed.
"???" For a second, Harry didn't know whom she was talking to, "Brilliant, the use of the Polyjuice Potion just became that much easier," he said with a sigh of relief that something finally went right for them.
xxxxxxx
Later that night, in Slytherin boys dormitory, it was Astoria who had entered, and pointed out Theodore Nott, who was busy playing wizard's chess with Rosier.
"Theo, how close are you to your 'great-grandfather?"
Nott blinked, puzzled. "Which great-grandfather?"
Astoria rolled her eyes.
"Oh--you mean that one. The one who 'wrote the book," Nott said at last.
"That's the one."
"I've never met him." Nott shrugged carelessly, "That side of the family has no one my age. Both of my uncles ended up in Azkaban, anyway. Why do you ask, Tori? Don't tell me you actually want 'Morningstar's name' in the family records?"
Astoria went to their bed, and stared down at the destruction on black and white board, "Please. He's an orphan. What 'bloodyfamily tree' would he even claim? What are you going to do, invent one, if I asked?"
"Pfft!" Rosier snorted with laughter.
But Nott only grew thoughtful. "Why not? I could make one up for you. Plenty of powerful wizards in history came out of nowhere. Add a few clever embellishments, connect the right dots, and it'd look perfectly legitimate..."
Astoria Greengrass glanced at her childhood friend, caught between amusement and disbelief. These boys each had their quirks.
Zabini had a gift for potions, already ahead of many 'fifth-years.' Nott adored wizarding history and dreamed of revising the genealogies of wizarding families. And Rosier... well, Rosier's only talent was being aggressively average, which in a dorm full of prodigies was almost a gift of its own.
Astoria chuckled, "Relax. I've no plans to claim an ancestor just yet. Don't waste brainpower worrying about it. I was just asking..."
"Oh." Nott lowered his gaze, looking oddly disappointed. He'd thought, just maybe, this was a chance to contribute something meaningful.
But she hadn't asked on a whim. The idea had struck her sharply:
The book Pure-Blood Directory had enshrined the "Sacred Twenty-Eight" families for over a century, shaping wizarding culture more deeply than any potion or theory. Its influence eclipsed even alchemical extraction method or theories on magical creatures'.
'If Theo's ancestor could write such a book, why couldn't I? Pure-Blood Directory is our literature--soft power, but no less impactful. And there is money to be made... Let's ask mother.'
xxxxxx
Even though a night had passed, it was obvious Hermione hadn't recovered from what happened yesterday night after she went back to the girl's dormitory.
Of course, it was the result of all the teasing she'd been doing to Lucifer, girl also had her own...uh problems to deal with, and take care of before going to sleep.
However, the moment she imagined his yawning face buried in her loins, stimulation got too much for the poor girl, and pillow she used to muffle her cries weren't exactly subtle.
There was quite an awkward moment when she realised her roommates hadn't gone to sleep like she'd foolishly thought they did.
....You could tell just by watching her at breakfast.
First, there was the fierce glare she shot in Lucifer's direction. Then, the moment he noticed, she immediately looked away. It was clear she hadn't been able to forget that embarrassing moment so easily.
Especially the memory of herself panting and moaning "Lucifer's name" helplessly in front of girls who didn't dare to get past the curtains but stood there watching---it kept flashing through her mind every time she closed her eyes, making her toss and turn all night...
Now, desperate to avoid thinking about that awful memory, Hermione had decided to keep herself busy, she slipped away to secluded spot she'd chosen to brew her Polyjuice Potion.
"Alohomora."
But just as she cast the 'Unlocking Charm', last person she wanted to run into appeared before her eyes-leaving her both stunned and horrified.
Strangely, even though she had every intention of turning and running, Hermione froze the instant she saw Lucifer and Myrtle "alone together" in the room.
In her brown eyes, there was clear judgment-like Lucifer couldn't even leave ghosts alone-and beneath that, a faint irritation she knew all too well welled up...
When Lucifer saw her giving him that kind of "you're disgusting" look, he didn't hesitate, and smacked her lightly on the head.
"Ahh!"
Hermione clutched her head and crouched down, her eyes watering. Looked like the boy hadn't held back.
"What was that for?!"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You took your sweet time eating breakfast... or rather kept glaring."
"..." Seeing the look on Lucifer's face darken, she glanced away awkwardly, unable to admit what she'd just been thinking.
She realized then that she'd probably misunderstood the situation between Lucifer and Myrtle. As she slowly stood up, Hermione quietly stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and stole a glance at his face, "How should I know what the two of you were doing in here..."
"What are you mumbling about? You are not badmouthing me, are you?"
"I... I'm not that childish!"
Lucifer suddenly leaned in to inspect, and Hermione jolted like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on, jumping back and pressing herself against the wall.
That look of alarm, as if she'd just encountered a natural predator, made Lucifer smile-and that smile, annoyingly enough, made Hermione's heart skip a beat.
But he didn't take it any further. Instead, pulled back to give her space.
"As fun as this is, we've got more important things to deal with...."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, but also gave him a puzzled look, curious about what "important thing" he was talking about, shouldn't he be busy stirring the cauldron now, if he did come here early?
There was a faint smell in the air-- lingering scent of 'Polyjuice Potion.'
Still... Lucifer wasn't paying attention to the bubbling ingredients inside the pot which needed to be completed.
Leaving behind the still-curious Hermione, he turned back to Myrtle who was looking at him and at brown haired girl's scrunched up nose cause of the foul odour with a strange expression. Lucifer didn't understand why, but he didn't dwell on it.
He simply explained the real reason he'd come...
"Do you remember how you died?"
"...Bloody hell, was that really important? I thought I told you to stop asking such questions...." Hermione rolled her eyes hard at the blunt question. She wanted to facepalm, was this something worth ignoring Polyjuice....?
Sure, Myrtle was technically "dead," but wasn't that way too direct? She couldn't believe him. 'No matter what, dying couldn't possibly be a pleasant memory, could it?'
"Ahem, what he means is..."
Hermione wasn't sure why she even tried to step in for Lucifer, or maybe she just felt responsible as a girlfriend for him, but just as she opened her mouth to soften the question, Myrtle cut her off with a gasp.
"Ohhh, it was terrible!"
"Eh?"
To their surprise, Myrtle didn't get upset at all. In fact, she looked almost... pleased to be asked.
Hermione blinked, confused, then turned to glance at Lucifer, who stood there looking entirely unfazed-like he'd expected that exact reaction.
She'd thought Myrtle would burst into tears and float off in a dramatic huff. But instead, she found herself getting drawn into the ghost's story...
"It happened right here. I died in this bathroom. I remember it perfectly!"
Maybe it was because she hadn't talked to a living person in so long, but Myrtle didn't just tell the story-she acted it out, her exaggerated expressions making it hard to believe she was even dead.
"At the time, Olive Hornby teased me for wearing glasses, called me a four-eyed dog. I was so angry I came here to hide....Then I locked the stall door and cried by myself. I don't know how long I'd been in there when I suddenly heard someone come in."
Lucifer, who had been silently listening to her story like other ghosts, suddenly looked down---because someone had grabbed onto his arm.
The small hand belonged to Hermione, who was so caught up in the story she hadn't even noticed. Her expression a little nervous was honestly kind of cute...
"But the weird part was, I couldn't understand a single word they were saying.....It must've been some other language, I guess? What really annoyed me was-it was a boy's voice! And this is the girls' bathroom!"
"Mhm!"
Hermione nodded firmly in agreement, shooting a meaningful glance at Lucifer out of the corner of her eye. The look on her face was so smug, he almost reached out and pinched her cheek in retaliation.
"So I opened the door to tell him off, tell him to get out and go to the boys bathroom-and then----"
"And then?"
"I died!"
Hermione blinked, stunned. 'That... was it?' The abrupt ending left her completely bewildered, while Lucifer frowned slightly, clearly wanting more detail.
"How did you die?"
"I don't know. I just remember seeing these enormous, terrifying yellow eyes. Then it felt like something grabbed me---and the next thing I knew, I was floating away..."
"Floating away? As in, becoming a ghost?"
"Yeah. I came back! I was determined to get back at Olive Hornby. Oh, she really regretted teasing me about my glasses..."
From his face, it was like Lucifer was interested in hearing about Myrtle's revenge spree. But he was more focused on piecing together the clues in her story. Hermione, meanwhile, stood quietly beside him, her eyes fixed on his face, not interrupting.
"At the time, I was hiding in the corner, trying to scare---"
That comfortable silence stretched on until he spoke again.
"Myrtle, can you imitate what the boy was saying?"
"The boy? Oh-no, I can't. It was just a bunch of meaningless hissing sounds. I wouldn't even know how to mimic..."
"Hissing?"
"Yeah, I don't know what's going on, but I've been hearing those kinds of noises at night again recently. Maybe someone's trying to prank me."
At that, Hermione's eyes snapped toward Lucifer's profile. 'So... he is trying to find out who had opened the Chamber of Secrets?'
Without realizing it, her tightened her grip on his arm...
Lucifer had gathered quite a bit of useful information during this visit---especially that final slip of tongue from Myrtle, which stuck in his mind more than anything else.
Now, he leaned against the wall deep in thought, completely ignoring Hermione nearby as he stirred couldron in dark circles to get potion ready. Those fumes rising were tingling his nostrils.
His instincts told him... he was getting close to the truth.
Hermione noticed the change in squatting position right away, but being perceptive witch she was, she didn't interrupt. She only glanced at him occasionally, her gaze filled with worry and uncertainty.
She could tell he was chasing something---and it probably wasn't going to be safe. Meanwhile, Myrtle was still chattering away about her revenge on Olive Hornby. 'Heartless as ever... or well, ghosts probably didn't have hearts anyway.'
Watching Lucifer's focused dedication to the investigation, Hermione began unpacking the ingredients, and scattered'em on the floor while quietly piecing situation together in her mind.
Judging from his questions, it was obvious now---Myrtle was being bullied in her school years, and somehow one thing to another, it even led to her very death.
That thought made Hermione glance at Myrtle a few more times, eyes filled with something close to guilt and sympathy. All this time spent around her, and she'd never known this part of her story...
"Myrtle, don't you want to know who killed you?"
"Hm? Why would I? Didn't they already catch the killer? A boy was expelled and a monster killed....Now they say Harr----"
"Harry would never petrify cats, he dotes on Hedwig! Honestly I can't even see him pass exams without our notes, let alone Chamber of Secrets..." Hermione's sharp glare made Myrtle flinch, she let out a whimper and immediately floated behind Lucifer.
"Of course no one likes Myrtle. I'm just a useless, whiny ghost who can't stop crying.."
"..."
And right on cue, she burst into tears.
Hermione froze. That hadn't been her intention at all. And with Lucifer now glancing in their direction, the embarrassment hit even harder.
To anyone watching, it probably looked like she was bullying the poor ghost.
Panicking, Hermione dropped the potion ingredients in her hands and waved both arms toward Lucifer, trying to clear her name.
"I didn't! I didn't mean it like that!"
"I'll just stay in here alone. Not like anyone likes me anyway."
Myrtle drifted straight through a stall wall, ignoring Hermione completely, and vanished into the toilet. Moments later, the faint sound of crying echoed out, leaving the bully to face Lucifer's gaze all alone.
Her expression darkened. For some reason, she was starting to feel like Myrtle was doing this on purpose...
"What happened? Did you actually bully her?"
"Of course not! I just wanted to ask if she knew who the killer was... 'Believe it or not!" Halfway through defending herself, Hermione realized how that sounded, and with a pout, turned her head away. But once out of Lucifer's sight, her face twisted into one of quiet frustration.
He, of course, was well-versed in her tsundere ways by now...
Being in a hurry to complete the potion to earn her dignity, and distract his scolding gaze on her, she next mistakenly dropped the entire glass's worth of lava type Polyjuice on Lucifer's palm, while he was busy stirring.
"Merlin!"
__________
Christmas had dawned, cold and white, and the Polyjuice Potion was now on its last stretch, another couple of hours and it'd be ready for them to test out.
Hermione returned to the Common Room from Myrtle's Bathroom and headed towards the boys dorm.
She walked into their dorm, Lucifer's present in her hands, opening the curtains around the bed.
Her heart felt pained, and utterly guilty for a moment upon seeing his hands.
The burns had almost completely faded, but since that day, she had helped him with simple tasks like eating and drinking, but she knew he had to suffer with using the toilet and bathing.
Hermione couldn't exactly help him with any of that, although 'that' part of her wished she could.
She shook those perverted thoughts from her head and gently shook him awake, "Daddy, time to wake up."
Lucifer groaned and scrunched up his face, opening one eye to look at her, not even caring that she was in the Boy's dorm, "Makima five more minutes...please?"
".....I'm sorry, but we have lots of work to do today regarding the Polyjuice potion, which is almost ready, and the best part is your Christmas Present I got for you," Hermione said gently and set his present down on his table.
'Who is this....Makima person? Is that his mum's name?'
She looked over and saw Rowena sleeping in her cage, while Eve was lying on her couch like usual.
She walked over and quietly put in a bird treat, did the same for Eve's and hoped they enjoyed the breakfast.
Then, sat on the edge of Lucifer's bed, her eyes glancing at the bulge, she wasn't able to take care of today, damn it, he was really making her go insane.
Lucifer himself sat up, running hands through his hair, and grabbed the present Hermione had set on.
He carefully opened the box and was genuinely surprised at what he saw, "This Hermione..."
"Listen, it's the money that my mum gave me for helping around the house over the summer, I'm free to spend it however I want. After my birthday, I Owled her and asked to use my money to get it. It was expensive, all of the good jewelry usually is," Hermione told him as he pulled out a familiar Silver Teardrop Necklace with a thin Silvery thread.
What was different, however, was the Marquise Cut Red gemstone set in the center, "I wasn't sure what your favorite color was, so I went with Red, I hope that's alright?"
"It doesn't matter what my favorite color is, I love this regardless," Lucifer looked up at her with a genuine smile on his face, "thank you, Hermione, truly."
Her cheeks tinged with pink as she looked away from him, "I'm going to wake them up now."
"Good luck," he smirked and put his necklace on, wondering just how much this cost.
She stood up and walked over to the window curtains, pulling them open.
"Wake up!" Girl yelled loudly.
"Hermione - you're not supposed to be in here!" Ron responded in kind, shielding his eyes to the light.
Hermione's own answer was throwing a nearby pillow at his chest, "I am here to give Christmas gift to Lucifer, and I'll have you know, I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the Potion. It's almost ready, by the way, another hour and we'll be good to go."
"What about my present?" Ron asked grumpily.
She looked at him like he was the most stupid person in the world.
"Why would I give you a present?"
"We are not friends, you just always follow us everywhere...." Her retort was pretty harsh, she then looked towards the other boy's bed, "Harry, your present is under the tree..."
Ron mildly glared at her.
Harry shot up, suddenly wide awake, "Thanks....are you sure about the potion?"
"Well, Lucifer's the Potions expert out of the four of us, but I'm Ninety-five percent sure that it'll be ready in an hour, and we can turn into Slytherins to interrogate Malfoy," Hermione said with a smile.
"Who are we all turning into?" Ron asked, finally sitting up, looking around if there really isn't any gift.
"Crabbe and Goyle for you and Harry, doesn't matter which you choose. I'll be turning into Millicent Bulstrode, I'll just say that I came back after getting an Owl from my parents at the station or something. And so the real Crabbe and Goyle don't wake up and ruin our plans, I felt it best for Lucifer to keep them in check since he's able to physically take them on as well as magically," Hermione looked at him, hoping he agreed.
"That's fine with me, I'll make sure they don't ruin things for us if they do wake up before we get what we need, whether it's proof that he is or isn't the Heir... I still don't think he is..." Lucifer was positively unsure about it being Malfoy, especially after his recent change in attitude.
"Yes, yes, so you've said," Ron said in an annoyed tone.
Hermione glared at him, but he didn't see it.
The rest of the Christmas presents were about what everyone expected, but Lucifer this year, received a Molly Weasley approved hand-knit sweater.
He couldn't think of any reason for this, or maybe Weasely's just wanted to leave a good impression, but it won't be polite to just send it back.
Lucifer noticed it may be a bit larger than his frame, but that was okay, because the moment he put it on, he felt a warmth he hadn't felt in a long while, the warmth of a "Mother's Love."
__________
Author's Note
If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon.
Get access to 32+ Advanced Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.
Bonus up to 190 has already been uploaded there.
(Couple Romance + more spicy content just waiting for you to Unlock on Patreon!)
Link - patreon.com/SmutDxddy
__________
Keep voting with your Power Stone's my friends, you can get 1 Bonus Chapter on Sunday. 🎉 😇
1 Extra Chapter - 125 Power Stone's!
For Reading Ahead, pls visit my Patreon.