"You turned him down, didn't you? So he had to come to me…" Luna explained.
'I didn't say no!'
Hermione looked as if she was about to retort, but she didn't.
This was because he had indeed been deliberately avoiding Ivan because of Legilimency…
Perhaps Ivan saw no difference between this and outright refusal.
Pursing her lips, Hermione looked at Luna with a troubled expression and asked hesitantly, "He read your memories?"
"Yes, it's fun!" Luna nodded happily.
She did not find sharing a memory particularly embarrassing.
"Then why did you give it to me?" Hermione asked, puzzled. If Luna didn't mind having her memory checked, why not continue?
"I think you need it more than I do, don't you?" Luna pointed to the books Hermione was clutching to her chest, one of which had a cover that was sticking out of a book titled "The Power of the Mind—How to Protect Your Brain."
Hermione instinctively clutched the book to her chest and blushed.
Ever since her memories had been accessed by Ivan, she had been teaching herself how to protect her brain, so that she could help Ivan practise Legilimency while retaining key memories.
Unfortunately, Occlumency was very difficult to learn, and after several weeks of no apparent progress, she decided to avoid Ivan.
"If you give it to me, what will you do?" Hermione asked, looking at the notebook again.
She was well aware that this was not just a notebook, but an opportunity for Luna to accompany Ivan in his magical studies.
"Do you know what I saw in his memory?" Luna went on, not responding directly.
Hermione shook her head.
"I see he likes you…" Luna said, revealing the truth.
"Wh-what?" Hermione stammered, looking at Luna with wide eyes. She could hardly believe the words were coming out of her mouth.
Luna did not seem to want to repeat herself. She pointed to the entrance hall and said in her disembodied voice, "He was looking for you in the Great Hall. I think you just missed each other…"
Hermione looked at Luna in surprise for a moment, then whispered, "Thank you…"
She realised that she might have misunderstood Luna's relationship with Ivan, and that if she really liked Ivan, she would never have been so open about letting him access her memories.
With this in mind, Hermione's gaze softened, and her earlier hostility turned into gratitude. She thanked Luna again and hurried back to the Great Hall.
However, when Hermione entered the entrance hall, she was surprised to find Ivan nowhere to be seen, and was wondering if he had left after waiting for too long when she felt a tap on her back.
Hermione was startled and turned around to find Ivan standing behind her.
"Come on, come with me!" Without another word, Ivan grabbed Hermione's hand and, without waiting for a reply, pulled her towards the tower.
The little witch stumbled along with Ivan, her heart pounding at the feel of his fingers on hers. She didn't ask where Ivan was taking her, as she couldn't think straight.
"Okay, this is it!" Yvonne said as she and Hermione stopped in front of a classroom.
Hermione then dared to whisper, "What are we doing here?"
"We'll find out." Ivan smiled, waved his wand, opened the door, and took Hermione by the hand.
The classroom was dark and gloomy, but Hermione was not intimidated, and quietly squeezed Ivan's hand.
The door to the room was quickly closed, and about ten seconds later, there was a sudden sparkle of starlight in the dark space, and then candles were lit and lit.
Hermione then realised that it was nothing like a schoolroom, with large bouquets of flowers decorating the place, warm carpets covering the floor, and red and gold ribbons fluttering in the air.
Ivan, on the other hand, was like the conductor of a music studio. He gently waved his wand, and the melodious sound of the organ began to play, lighting up the Christmas trees around them.
To Hermione's further surprise, hundreds of pointy-eared "flower fairies" the size of half a palm flew out of the Christmas tree and began to dance around them, like young girls with transparent wings.
"Ah, what's this?" Hermione reached out curiously, and a "flower fairy" landed on her palm.
"The Traceless Fairy!" Yvonne laughed.
This non-existent magical creature was naturally created by his Transfiguration Charm, but due to the large number of transformations, it could only last for around half an hour.
"They're beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed as she gently raised her hand, allowing the Vanishing Fairies to soar back into the sky.
"Is that so?" Yvonne said earnestly, turning to Hermione. "I don't think they're nearly as pretty as you!"
Hermione's cheeks turned pink at Ivan's bluntness, and she avoided his gaze, pretending to admire him.
However, when Ivan called her name, the little witch immediately turned her head and their eyes met.
This time Hermione did not avoid Ivan's eyes, which were filled with a mixture of shyness and discomfort, but were surprisingly firm.
Because she felt a strong feeling of affection from Ivan's gaze…
"I'm so sorry, Hermione!"
"I'm so sorry, Ivan!"
As if their minds were connected, two voices sounded in the classroom at the same time.
A slight awkwardness spread between them, but it quickly dissipated.
"It's better if you say it first!" Hermione whispered after a moment of silence.
Ivan nodded and asked, "The last time you asked why I chose to invite you to the ball…I think I can answer that now!"
Realizing how unreasonable her question was, Hermione said quietly, "I don't care about that anymore…"
"So do you still want to hear the answer?" Yvonne asked, smiling.
Hermione stared straight at Ivan to make sure he really didn't mind, then nodded.
(PS: Third chapter complete! Third chapter continue tomorrow, please vote and subscribe!)