"Did Hermione start liking me from that moment?" Evan asked with genuine interest in Gabrielle's story. He hadn't heard Hermione express her feelings in such a way before; she tended to keep such matters close to her heart.
"Yeah, Hermione told me herself. When she threw herself in front of that terrifying werewolf, she made up her mind to stand by your side, even if it meant risking her life. She fell in love with you from that moment and vowed to take care of you for the rest of her life," Gabrielle revealed. "She wouldn't leave you, not even if you were bitten and turned into a werewolf by the creature."
In the darkness, Hermione lay quietly on Evan's chest, listening to these words. She felt a deep sense of shame, embarrassment reaching its peak. She regretted sharing these details with Gabrielle. Now, she was blushing furiously, especially given her current posture, which was extremely suggestive. She hadn't had time to put on any clothes since she had just come out of the bathroom. She was a naked cat now.
Hermione couldn't help but notice that her body was rapidly warming up, possibly due to Evan's body temperature. She was getting hotter and hotter, and Gabrielle's detailed response was not helping the situation. If someone were to enter the room now, they would discover a pink kitten nestled in Evan's arms. It seemed as if the very air around them had turned pink, creating an increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere.
Evan gently stroked the kitten in his arms, all while Gabrielle was right there. He couldn't afford to make any rash moves with her present. Hermione had resigned herself to being a cat for the rest of her life, if it meant avoiding awkward situations like this with Evan. She was even thinking that maybe she should become an Animagus to prevent Evan from engaging in any bold activities. But then again, Evan could also transform into a cat...
"Evan, can you tell me if you liked Hermione back then?" Gabrielle inquired.
"No!" Evan responded.
In the dim light, both girls looked at him in surprise, especially Hermione, who was visibly tense. Did Evan not like her?
"I already liked Hermione from the very beginning, from the moment I laid eyes on her. I felt like she was the one I was meant to meet," Evan confessed softly, his fingers gently stroking Hermione's head. "It's like the words that Queen Nefertari said to Ramesses II, when she passed by me with that gentle smile, she took my heart with her."
Gabrielle remained silent, and Hermione's trembling had stopped. Clearly, she was deeply moved by Evan's words. Ramesses II's words held great power over girls, even after thousands of years had passed.
"So, it's that simple?" Gabrielle said with a hint of disappointment.
"It really is that simple," Evan affirmed. "After we got to know each other, Hermione taught me so much about the magical world. We exchanged book lists and read together often. The more we spent time together, the closer we became. I was even more certain that she was a remarkable person, and no one could replace her in my heart."
"It's heartwarming, but Hermione never told me it was so romantic!" Gabrielle remarked, drawing out her words, seeming a bit disappointed.
"Why does it have to be so romantic?" Evan chuckled. "Love often starts with simple feelings. At that time, I had unrequited love for Hermione."
Gabrielle pouted, clearly unhappy that things weren't as romantic as she had hoped. "I'll help you keep this secret, but you have to promise to tell me where you first liked Hermione."
"Where did I like her..." Evan began, recalling the moment he first saw Hermione's picture. "You see, my parents are Muggles. Before coming to Hogwarts, I had never encountered magic. To be honest, when I received my Hogwarts acceptance letter, I was terrified and had no idea what to expect. When I nervously entered the Leaky Cauldron, I saw Hermione standing there with a smile. That was my first impression of the magical world, and I was drawn to her smile. Whenever I saw that smile, I felt reassured; it was something I needed to protect."
Hermione was also recalling the scene when she and Evan had first met. They had entered the Leaky Cauldron together, and at the time, Evan had been much shorter than he was now. She had thought she would never see him again after the shop closed for the night.
Hermione moved closer to Evan, positioning herself face to face with him, and their eyes met. They didn't need words; their silent communication was enough.
"At that moment, your tears fell onto my lips. They tasted salty, but in my heart, they were sweet. I knew then that you were the one meant for me. We promised to protect each other, never to leave or abandon one another," Evan said, gazing deeply into her eyes.
He leaned down, his lips meeting the kitten's forehead, and he kissed her gently.
Hermione extended her tongue and licked Evan in response, lost in the story he was sharing.
In the warm and pleasant atmosphere, Evan and the cat remained in their close embrace, maintaining this position without moving for quite some time. It wasn't until an hour had passed, and Gabrielle had fallen into a deep sleep, that Evan discreetly sent Hermione back to her room. During this time, she had anxiously changed her clothes, and Evan could clearly hear the sounds of her getting dressed.
Upon hearing these sounds, Evan couldn't help but think back to their intimate moment just moments ago, both in human and Animagus forms. He decided to return to his room to experiment and see if there was any difference in the sensations between being in Animagus form and being in human form.
After Hermione came out of the bathroom, she realized that it might not be the best idea to continue the Animagus experiment. Instead, she decided to simply borrow some of Evan's clothes. Before leaving Egypt, Evan had given Hermione some of his clothes while she was taking a bath.
As a token of gratitude, Hermione had done something she had never done before: she kissed Evan on the cheek. It was a gentle kiss, but it marked a significant step forward for her. However, she quickly pushed him out of the room afterward.
"Goodnight," Hermione whispered before closing the door gently.
"Goodnight," Evan replied softly, and the door closed slowly. He had no idea that Hermione, after closing the door, stood leaning against it for a long time, her face filled with a contented smile.
Despite the late hour, none of the three could sleep. Evan and Hermione had lost sleep due to their nightmares, and Gabrielle was feeling restless as well. It wasn't until after midnight that Bill and Fleur returned, having spent a long evening at a party for Gringotts Curse-Breaker organization.
"Why didn't you take us with you?" Gabrielle asked curiously.
"Because you're not members of the Order of the Phoenix, and for our mission to resist Voldemort, we need to establish contact with foreign wizards," Fleur explained. "Besides, you're all too young to attend such a party."
"Too young? That's quite a convincing reason," Evan muttered sarcastically.
In this mysterious place, they had no choice but to accept Fleur's explanation. Her reasons were valid, as they needed to establish contact with foreign wizards to strengthen their resistance against Voldemort. Bill's primary mission in Egypt was to do just that.
After Hermione shared her insights with Bill about the events of the previous night, they visited Gringotts to meet with the goblin named Zuosey. Zuosey and his team were still in the same chamber they had seen the day before, continuing to unearth ancient artifacts and reorganize them.
"I've reconsidered and have decided to accept your invitation to join your excavation team," Evan announced without hesitation.
"You've made a wise choice, Mr. Mason," Zuosey said solemnly. He was slightly taller than an average ancient Egyptian double-decker bus, and he stood very close, holding a circular magnifying glass in his right hand as he carefully examined a finely detailed pattern. "We will embark on our excavation in three days, which will last for a month and a half. I hope you and your friends will be prepared. I will have someone inform you about the progress and what needs to be done."
With that, Zuosey stopped and placed the magnifying glass back into his uniform coat pocket.
"Laurie, come quickly," Zuosey called out. "Bring the blueprint of Hall Number One."
Laurie, a goblin with dark skin and vibrant vitality, rushed over, holding a large blueprint in her hand.
"Mr. Zuosey?" Laurie questioned, sizing up Evan and his friends with curiosity.
"This is Evan Mason, a skilled alchemist," Zuosey introduced. "He will be joining our Sun Temple excavation team and will be responsible for deciphering the alchemical mechanisms related to the main entrance of the hall."
"Hello," Laurie said with a smile. "Nice to see you again!"
Evan, Bill, Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle quickly greeted Laurie. Then, Zuosey turned back to studying the ancient bus in front of him.
"Mr. Zuosey, regarding my previous request to access the Emerald Tablet," Evan reminded. He furrowed his brow as he looked at the goblin.
Zuosey seemed to be growing impatient with Evan's inquiries, as if they were distracting him from his research. "I believe we can discuss that matter again after the excavation team returns... "
"Wielding the power of the Emerald Tablet to enhance my alchemical abilities would be immensely helpful," Evan pressed. "It could also potentially assist in solving the mechanisms within the temple."
"Naturally, that is something I do not wish to overlook," Zuosey responded impatiently. "However, I will allow you access to it on the condition that you assist us in deciphering the mechanisms within the temple during the excavation."
The exchange between the two was filled with an underlying lack of trust. It was clear that this was a transaction, and both parties hoped that nothing would go wrong during the upcoming excavation.