The Gryffindor tower was the only bulwark in the storm.
In the girls' dormitory, the firelight from the fireplace danced, dyeing the curtains of the four-poster beds a warm orange.
Hermione had changed out of her rain-soaked robes and was using a dry, soft towel to carefully wipe Lia's silvery-white hair, bit by bit.
Lia hadn't turned back into a cat; in her Cat-girl form, she wore Hermione's soft nightgown and huddled on Hermione's bed, wrapped in a thick down duvet.
Those pure white cat ears twitched slightly in the warm light, while the tip of her tail brushed Hermione's wrist every now and then, responding to her gentleness.
Hermione didn't ask anything.
She didn't ask what that golden halo was, nor did she ask why Lia could scare away the Dementors.
After confirming Harry was alright, she had simply brought Lia back here, boiled hot water as quickly as possible, and prepared clean clothes for her to change into.
"Are you feeling better?" Hermione's voice was extremely low, carrying a soothing magic.
Lia didn't answer, only rubbing her cheek against Hermione's warm palm, a soft, satisfied purr escaping her throat. To her, this was more effective than any Potion.
The dormitory door was pushed open softly, and Parvati and Lavender tiptoed in. Their hair was also soaking wet, their faces a mix of relief after the ordeal and excitement.
"Merlin, did you see that? Professor Dumbledore's Patronus! It was a Phoenix!" Lavender squealed in a low voice, afraid of waking others. "Those Dementors ran faster than slugs!"
"How is Harry?" Parvati was more concerned about their friend. She asked while wringing the water out of her hair.
"Madam Pomfrey said he was just frightened and will be fine after a sleep," Hermione replied, her hands never stopping.
Only then did the two girls' gazes fall upon Lia, who was being meticulously cared for by Hermione on the bed. They lightened their steps, afraid to disturb the heartwarming scene.
"Oh, you poor little thing," Parvati's face was full of pity. She walked to the bedside, her voice as soft as cotton candy. "You must have been terrified too; those things are horrible."
Lavender had already leaned in. Looking at Lia's slightly twitching pure white cat ears, her eyes were filled with affection. She carefully reached out and asked tentatively, "Can I... can I pet her? Hermione?"
She had seen Lia naked on Hermione's bed last time! She didn't dare touch her recklessly... Only after receiving a nod of silent permission from Hermione did Lavender dare to gently rest her fingertips on the top of Lia's head. The sensation was even softer than she had imagined.
Lia didn't dodge; instead, she narrowed her eyes comfortably. The purring in her throat grew louder, and she even tilted her head proactively, offering the softest little spot beneath her ear to Lavender's hand.
"She likes me petting her!" The excitement on Lavender's face even surpassed when they were discussing the Patronus earlier.
Parvati laughed at the sight. She didn't touch Lia's head but thoughtfully tucked in the corner of the duvet that had slipped, then gently pinched a small snack to feed her.
Lia glanced at her and obediently opened her mouth to take a bite, her fluffy tail even lightly brushing against Parvati's arm.
"Seriously, it's a good thing all this happened before the Hogsmeade weekend," Lavender mused while enjoying the feeling of petting the cat. "We have to take Lia to try some butterbeer! Oh, wait, she's still small; maybe she can have hot chocolate?"
"I remember butterbeer doesn't have much alcohol, right?"
"That works too, but will Hermione let Lia drink it?"
As they spoke, both turned to look at Hermione.
Hermione was taken aback by the question, her hand stroking Lia pausing. "Why are you asking me?"
"What do you think?"
Under their meaningful gazes, Hermione couldn't help but blush, her usually sharp tongue tripping over its words.
"It's a rare trip; let her try some."
Parvati's eyes lit up. "I'm going to take Lia to Honeydukes! She'll definitely love the chocolate frogs! Or we could buy her a licorice wand; she can lick it and play with it at the same time." As she spoke, she suddenly thought of something, her tone turning regretful. "But... Lia can't go, can she? She doesn't have a signed permission form from a guardian."
Lavender's movements paused, and the smile on her face collapsed. "Oh, that's so sad! Are we going to play in the village all day and leave her alone in the empty Castle? She'll be so lonely."
The two girls went back and forth, sincerely feeling sorry for Lia. Looking at the beautiful and well-behaved little face peeking out from the duvet, their protective instincts instantly surged.
Hermione listened quietly, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
She was happy that Lia was being truly accepted and loved by more people.
She gently combed through Lia's now half-dry long hair before speaking.
"Don't worry," she said confidently. "Lia can just turn back into a cat and hide in my robes; Filch won't even notice."
"Really? That's great!" Lavender and Parvati cheered in unison.
"Then we have to plan this out!" Lavender rubbed her hands in excitement. "First stop, Honeydukes! Second stop, butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks! Then we'll go to Gladrags Wizardwear and pick out a pretty little scarf for Lia, how about that? A white one would look great with her hair and ears!"
Surrounded by the three girls' enthusiasm, Lia wiggled a bit inside the down duvet, her blue eyes sparkling in the firelight. As she listened to the girls planning her "Hogsmeade trip," her ears flicked curiously.
She tilted her head and asked in a clear yet slightly soft, sweet voice:
"Hogsmeade... are there any tasty dried fish?"
The entire dormitory fell silent for a second, then erupted into the unrestrained, doting laughter of the three girls.
Hermione was highly amused. She pinched Lia's soft cheek and replied in a low voice, "There might not be dried fish, but I promise there are things a hundred times tastier than dried fish waiting for you."
The storm outside had stopped at some point; the dark clouds had dispersed, and a ray of moonlight pierced through the glass, spilling into the warm dormitory.
A soul-stirring crisis was thus gently put behind them amidst the girls' anticipation for sweet candies and pretty scarves.
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