Cro was in the middle of buying snacks when he suddenly froze, his smile deepening. It seemed like his treasure hunt for a future girl group was looking promising!
"A total of one Galleon, but are you sure you need this much? These snacks... I don't think you can eat them all by yourself," the witch selling the snacks hesitated to ask.
"Of course, they're not just for me. I have two companions. Would you mind delivering these snacks to our compartment?" Cro smiled warmly.
"Of course, you're one of our best customers. Delivery is no problem. Lead the way!" The witch quickly responded.
Cro didn't make a fuss and led the witch back to his compartment. It wasn't that he wanted to stay in the hallway longer—it was the constant sounds of wailing from nearby compartments that were really getting on his nerves!
"You're back? How's it outside? Are those people done crying yet? We're almost at Hogwarts," Cassandra asked, sipping tea while sitting with Hermione, both of them flipping through Cro's books. They had just realized that they both liked reading, which instantly gave them something in common, easing any awkwardness.
Cro didn't answer and simply stepped aside to let the snack witch wheel in the mountain of treats. Cassandra was surprised to see the pile of snacks.
"Why did you buy so many? Are you trying to sample everything? Some of these might be rare, but not worth buying in such bulk, right?" Cassandra said, while Hermione nodded in agreement, though her eyes couldn't help but wander to the heap of snacks. These were things she never would've been able to eat before—so much food that she had only dreamed about!
"Thank you for your help," Cro said to the witch.
"You're welcome. It's my pleasure," she replied before leaving and closing the door behind her.
"If you don't finish, you can always save some for later. Hermione, you've always wanted to try these snacks, right? Well, today's your lucky day. Dig in! You're a young witch now, not a little Muggle," Cro teased as he affectionately pinched Hermione's cheek, causing her to show her slightly larger front teeth.
"Even if you ruin your teeth, I'll find a way to fix them, so eat to your heart's content."
"Really? Then I'll... start eating! But wait... You won't snitch on me, will you?" Hermione asked, her hand hovering over a Chocolate Frog, her suspicion surfacing as she recalled how Cro had tricked many people before.
Cro chuckled and ruffled her hair. "If I wanted to trick you, I would have done it already. Hurry up and eat, or I'll put all these snacks away."
At that, Hermione clung to the snacks protectively, tearing open the Chocolate Frog wrapper while Cro watched, amused. Before she could react, the brown Chocolate Frog leapt straight into her mouth, flooding her senses with a rich, delicious flavor. Overcome with excitement, Hermione grabbed Cro's sleeve, and he patted her hand in reassurance.
Cassandra pursed her lips, watching the scene with a hint of envy.
[Detected intense excitement!]
[Reward: Gold Chest!]
...
[Detected intense envy!]
[Reward: Gold Chest!]
...
Hearing the system's notification, Cro turned to look at Cassandra, who had her head down.
"Not hungry? These snacks were bought to celebrate you joining us as friends, as a part of our brilliant little group," Cro said, pretending to be heartbroken. "It cost me a whole Galleon—very expensive! If you don't eat, then..."
"Delicious! This Chocolate Frog is amazing! And these—I've already tasted grape, watermelon, and strawberry flavors!" Hermione interrupted excitedly, recommending the snacks to Cassandra and handing her a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean, eagerly sharing the flavors she had discovered.
Cro watched the scene, shaking his head with a smile, then picked up a book to continue reading.
"You said... a little group? I-I never agreed to join any little group!" Cassandra said haughtily, tilting her chin up, her voice taking on a peculiar tone. "Besides, you never invited me to join any group. And even if you did, I wouldn't agree."
The moment Cassandra finished speaking, she regretted it. Seeing Cro's calm expression, she became a bit anxious and quickly added, "Of course, if Hermione keeps inviting me, I might reconsider joining your group."
Cassandra held her head high, but her hands clutched a Chocolate Frog tightly, squeezing it so hard that the frog seemed to roll its eyes. If it wasn't made of magic, it might have already turned into a puddle of chocolate goo.
Chocolate Frog: ...
...
"Do we even have a group? I didn't know! When did you form it?" Hermione asked, blinking in confusion.
Cassandra raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she watched Cro, curious to see how he would respond.
"Of course, we have one. Our group is very special," Cro said with a mysterious grin.
---------------------
T/N:
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