Since Cassandra was quite cooperative, Harry decided not to force her to dance any longer.
He led Cassandra back to their original seats, and it was only after sitting down that Cassandra let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief.
She really couldn't hold it any longer just now, that little troublemaker really is...
"Care for a dance?"
Vivi's voice sounded from Harry's left side, and it was only then that Harry noticed Vivi and Pabi had already seated themselves at the table behind them.
"When did you two get here?"
Harry looked in astonishment at the two girls, who were also dressed up in extravagant attire, reminiscent of styles from a century ago.
In contrast to Cassandra, Vivi's dress had less of a Slytherin feel and more of an Austrian-Hungarian flair.
On her head, she even wore a Princess Crown from the Austria-Hungary, silver-white and glittering brightly.
"We've been here since you entered the dance floor," Pabi said with a cheeky smile, "We saw everything that just happened. Harry, you're quite naughty!"
"I'm naughty?"
Harry laughed in exasperation, how am I not being straight with you?
If I were truly up to no good, the three of you would have been wrapped around my fingers; there's no need for you to babble on here.
"Yep, we saw it all." Vivi said with a small smile, reaching into Cassandra's arms, "Look, Kathy's been so mischief-mangled by you. To treat a lady like that in public, doesn't your conscience hurt?"
"He doesn't have a conscience!" Cassandra grumbled in frustration, "Just now he even wanted me to call him Master."
"Oh, a slave riding the master?" Vivi bent over, her chin resting on Cassandra's shoulder, "I didn't expect you two to be so adventurous... So, calling him Master now, what about later? Brother? Or..."
"Call him Daddy," Pabi chimed in, "Knowing Harry's twisted nature, he'd probably love that—"
"Why don't you say I should call Vivi Mommy?" Harry rolled his eyes, "You should know, my mom was Vivi's student..."
Vivi said nothing, simply reaching out to pinch Harry's cheeks and pull them apart.
Having had his cheeks stretched, Harry became more compliant.
"Let's dance, Vivi." He rose, rubbing his reddened cheeks, and invited Vivi.
Vivi gracefully stood up, placing her hand around Harry's arm.
"I'll be borrowing your Potter for a bit, temporarily," Vivi said with a sweet smile to Cassandra, then suddenly pretending to recall something, exaggeratedly covering her lips: "Oh oops, I forgot, he's not your Potter, he's your Master now..."
"You wish you were dead! Grindelwald!" Cassandra cursed with embarrassment, picking up the nearest item and throwing it at Vivi.
But Vivi used Ancient Magic to catch the fluffy stuffed toy and smack it against Cassandra's head, knocking her backward; if not for Pabi supporting her, she would have fallen flat on her back.
Harry looked at Vivi in shock, mere sisterly banter and she's using Ancient Magic...
Should I say you're impressive or what?
"Let's go." Vivi held Harry's hand and led him to the center of the dance floor, "Let's dance... Do you remember the waltz we danced back at Nimongard Castle? Back then, Gael was still around..."
When Gael was mentioned, Dumbledore's dance partner suddenly jerked a little.
The two of them paid no attention to this, continuing their dance and chatting about old tales.
"That was quite some time ago," Harry replied with a smile, "We should look forward, Vivi—we've got plenty more time to dance together..."
With that, he leaned in to whisper to Vivi: "You should know, I've absorbed the energy of the Magic Stone, meaning theoretically, I've a long life ahead—and I can even transfer Life Energy to you all..."
"Living like the Leme couple, you mean?" Vivi smirked, "I'd rather die in the Summer of life's flourishing than wither away in the cold of Winter."
Women... always dramatic...
"Oh, it's not quite like that." Harry said softly, "The Life Force, as it's called... can also keep you from aging..."
Vivi seemed to understand the implication in Harry's words, she looked at him with a playful smile and asked, "So what you're saying is, from now on, I'll have to rely on you, huh? Right?"
"Look at what you're saying." Harry pinched Vivi's waist, and whispered near her ear: "What's mine is yours, anytime you need it, I'll be here with no reservations, isn't that right, Vivi?"
"Hmph." Vivi snorted in satisfaction and whispered, "Has Cassandra given you her Christmas gift yet?"
"Not yet," Harry replied, "But she said she's preparing it, I'll get it sooner or later."
Vivi said nothing. She knew what Cassandra's Christmas gift actually meant.
If she hadn't returned to Hogwarts, that Christmas gift plan would certainly have succeeded.
Seems like I returned at quite the inconvenient time...
Thoughts aside, Vivi didn't feel a bit of regret for returning when she did.
"Look at Dumbledore's dance partner." Harry whispered to Vivi, "I'm telling you, it's the first time I've seen a... dance partner, that looks so old and yet can't dance!"
The cross-dressed Gellert nestled in Dumbledore's arms suddenly shivered.
What the hell?
Can you just keep your eyes on the beautiful young lady in front of you? What's with this constant gaze on me—a grumpy old hag?