Chapter 146: Sand in the Eyes Again

As the four pairs of warriors' dance steps entered their stride, Dumbledore also gentlemanly took Professor McGonagall's hand and stepped into the center of the dance floor.

With Dumbledore's addition, the warriors' lead dance was declared over, and the ball officially kicked off.

The entire room erupted in warm applause, and pairs of students took their partners' hands and stepped onto the dance floor.

The ball suddenly became lively.

Everyone followed the music, stepping to the same beat on the dance floor, yet interpreting their own unique emotions and rhythms.

One dance ended.

Applause rose again, mixed with cheers and laughter, and the atmosphere inside the hall grew even more heated.

Professor Flitwick waved his wand gently, and the music flowed out again, but the rhythm became light and lively.

The steps of the people on the dance floor also became lighter, and as they spun, their hems bloomed like flowers.

John and Hermione, however, quietly exited the dance floor and came to the outer drink area to rest.

"Ahahaha..."

Hermione laughed without regard for her image, leaning on John and patting his shoulder.

"No, why did you start dancing my female steps just now? Do you know how funny it is for us to dance female steps together? Hahaha."

"Good thing I reacted quickly and switched to male steps to match you, otherwise we would have been laughed at by everyone."

John drank the pumpkin juice in his hand with slight embarrassment.

"I was dancing and forgot the beat, so I just followed you..."

Hermione kept laughing non-stop until she laughed to tears, then leaned on John to catch her breath.

She raised her hand to wipe away the laughter from the corners of her eyes, her breathing gradually calming, but her gaze still carried a bit of teasing.

"Dressed so handsomely, only to go up and embarrass yourself. When we go back for summer vacation, I must have a good chat with your aunt and uncle."

Hearing this, John could only shrug helplessly, but then his eyes rolled, and he looked at Hermione and teased.

"Then I'll tell Mom and Dad that I've snatched a daughter-in-law for them~"

"Mm..."

Hermione was caught off guard by these words, and the tips of her ears instantly turned crimson.

She looked down at the pumpkin juice in her hand, and after a long while, she feigned composure and scolded softly.

"Who... who is your daughter-in-law? Don't talk nonsense."

"I didn't say who it was~"

John smiled and winked, and Hermione was instantly choked speechless by his cunning answer, having no choice but to glare at him angrily.

Seeing Hermione like this, John stopped teasing her and instead pointed to Sirius on the dance floor.

He was holding a lifeless Big Orange, spinning in circles on the spot.

Even more absurdly, the caretaker Filch was also holding his cat, Mrs. Norris, spinning along beside him.

Seeing this scene, Hermione was instantly amused and laughed out loud again.

John also found it funny; Sirius must have been drinking fake wine.

Big Orange's fur was almost spun off, and it still had a bewildered "Who am I, where am I" look.

It is worth mentioning that Old Barty also appeared at the ball, but he didn't have a dance partner; instead, he sat alone on a bench in the corner, drinking from his own silver flask.

The ball would last until 12 o'clock at night; it was still early, and the dance floor was overly crowded, so the two decided to go for a walk.

Hermione's gown wasn't cold-resistant at all, and as the night wind blew, she subconsciously shivered.

Seeing this, John gently took off the robe he was wearing over his shoulders and draped it over Hermione's.

Hermione looked up at John, curled her lips, and then leaned against him again.

After staying with John for a long time, she had gradually gotten used to the feeling of being taken care of by him.

Love really makes girls stupid.

In the past, she wouldn't have relied on others like this, let alone crave someone's warmth in the cold wind.

She wouldn't attend balls, wouldn't change into gowns, and certainly wouldn't look forward to spending a long night with anyone.

She would only conjure up a warm blanket for herself and continue to bury her head in books.

But now, she was willing to put the book aside and enjoy the warmth and heartbeat brought by John.

The night was like ink, and the sky was dotted with stars, like scattered crushed diamonds.

The two walked side by side in the castle corridor.

From time to time, other young couples who had come out for a tryst flashed by in the shadows.

However, in the eyes of others, they probably looked just like that.

The two came to a garden, and the moon happened to be covered by clouds, plunging the garden into brief darkness.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Mm..."

Hermione beside him suddenly let out a soft hum.

"What's wrong?"

"Sand in my eye..."

Hermione lowered her head, rubbed the corner of her eye, and said softly.

It seemed like she had heard this sentence somewhere before.

John immediately gently cupped Hermione's cheeks, his fingertips lightly brushed the corner of her eye, and then he helped her blow on it.

The moment the sand was blown away, Hermione blinked gently, looked at John, and felt like she had seen this scene somewhere before.

Oh, right.

Last year, she was cried by Snape's words, discovered by John, and lied to him that it was sand in her eye; back then, John also blew on her eye like this.

But that time it was fake, and this time it was real.

Yet John was still as gentle as he was then, even more natural.

In the dim light, Hermione looked at John's eyes, which were still sparkling with starlight, and her heartbeat began to accelerate.

On a whim, she leaned out and lightly kissed the corner of John's lips.

John was just checking if there was still sand in Hermione's eye, and being kissed suddenly, he was stunned for a moment.

The moon also happened to poke its head out at this moment, shining on the two of them.

When John regained his senses, Hermione had already stepped back half a step.

Under the moonlight, one could clearly see her cheeks flushing as she lowered her eyes, not daring to look into John's eyes.

Obviously, she had also made such a bold move on a whim just now.

"Th... this is a return gift for your help..."

Hermione explained stammeringly, just refusing to generously admit that she wanted to kiss him because her heart was moved.

"Uh... o, oh."

After John regained his senses, he could only respond blankly.

Then the two fell into silence.

As if feeling like an intrusion, the moon quietly hid back into the clouds.

In the darkness, the two's hands secretly intertwined again. ===== CHAPTER 147 =====