With a whirl of dizziness, the green flames of the fireplace spat out Hermione and Lia, who was clutching tightly to the corner of her clothes.
The dizziness from the spinning flames made Hermione stumble.
"Oh! Careful!"
Molly Weasley's warm exclamation and a pair of strong arms caught her just in time.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, patting the soot off herself with lingering fear.
Behind her, Lia, the petite figure with silver hair and cat ears, also followed suit and whispered politely, "Thank you."
"Oh, dear, you're quite welcome."
Molly looked at Lia affectionately, reached out gently, and lightly patted Lia's head.
"Welcome to The Burrow, little Lia."
Lia's body stiffened slightly; she didn't dodge, but she didn't lean in either.
Just like their last meeting, she could smell sunshine, flour, and motherly love from this woman—it was warm and not at all unpleasant.
However, as soon as Molly's hand left, she immediately stuck back to Hermione's side like a piece of sticky rice cake, hooking onto her arm.
"She's just a bit shy," Hermione explained with a doting smile.
"Oh, I understand, I understand," Molly was instantly amused, not minding at all. "What a clingy little sweetheart."
"Hermione! Lia!"
Ron and Ginny rushed downstairs almost at the same time.
Fred and George appeared from some corner, teasing one after the other:
"Look at that, our Gryffindor 'exclusive accessory' has finally arrived!"
"Shut up, George!" Hermione glared at them, but The Twins just winked and laughed, not caring in the least.
The bustle and warmth of The Burrow instantly filled every corner.
Ginny didn't try to touch Lia like her mother had; instead, she approached cautiously.
She fished a honey candy from her pocket that had been warmed by her palm, peeled off the wrapper, and tentatively held it out to Lia's mouth.
Lia looked at Ginny.
In her eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible black crack remained on Ginny's soul.
It was a trace of being eroded by darkness, echoing the brand left by Lord Voldemort deep within her own soul.
This shared aura gave her a subtle sense of closeness.
She hesitated for a moment before leaning forward to gently bite the candy with her teeth.
The sweetness dissolved on the tip of her tongue.
Ginny's eyes instantly lit up, and a sincere smile appeared on her face.
Hermione was also somewhat surprised.
It seemed Lia did indeed feel a special resonance with the youngest Weasley daughter, who had also been harmed by dark forces.
The journey to the World Cup campsite was full of Muggle-style wonders.
When Mr. Arthur drove that magically modified Ford car, taking the whole family to 'fly' along the country roads, Lia experienced 'low-altitude flight' for the first time other than on a broomstick.
She curiously poked her head out the window, feeling the strange sensation of the wind brushing against her cat ears, until Hermione scooped her back and held her in her arms.
The campsite was more spectacular than she could have imagined.
Thousands of tents formed an ocean of colors; the clamor of Wizards, the humming of magical items, and the cries of various magical creatures were all mixed together.
This noise and chaos made Lia feel extremely uncomfortable.
Her [Danger Intuition] sent a sharper sting than ever before to the back of her neck, like being pressed by countless icy needles.
She flicked her tail uneasily and curled up entirely inside Hermione's backpack, trying to shut out the outside world.
"Alright, we're here."
Hermione and Ginny's tent looked pitifully small from the outside, but once inside, it was a spacious and comfortable apartment with everything they needed.
The wonder of magic allowed Lia's tense nerves to relax slightly; she jumped out of the bag, transformed back into human form, and stretched.
"Alright, Lia, this is your bed."
Hermione pointed to a little nest next to her own bed, carefully arranged with the softest cushions and cashmere blankets, and proudly claimed credit.
"See? I prepared this for you. Do you like it?"
Lia walked over and looked down at the 'cat bed' that was clearly intended for a pet.
Then she looked up and gazed at Hermione's bed with those azure eyes.
She didn't speak; she just walked straight to the bedside and pointed at the innermost pillow.
The movement was clear, her intention explicit.
"My nest is there."
"Hey!" Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I prepared this specially for you!"
"I want to sleep with Hermione."
Lia's reason was simple and direct.
Having said that, she climbed onto the bed herself and lay down by Hermione's pillow, her long tail circling out a small, inviolable territory.
Ginny giggled from the side.
"Hermione, you've completely lost your standing."
Hermione sighed helplessly and finally compromised.
She picked up her book and sat on the edge of the bed; Lia immediately shifted her body, naturally resting her small head on Hermione's thigh.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tent, spilling over the two girls.
It was peaceful and cozy.
This tranquility was the final breath before the storm.
The grandeur of the World Cup opening ceremony pushed Lia's senses to the brink of overload.
The deafening cheers, the dazzling magical fireworks, and the smell of sweat and emotions from tens of thousands of people mixed in the air.
All of this made her extremely irritable and uneasy.
Her Feline ears keenly captured every noise, giving her a splitting headache.
"Hermione... it hurts."
She complained in a small voice, shrinking entirely into Hermione's embrace, trying to find a bit of peace.
"If you can't stand it, change back; I'll hold you," Hermione said considerately, immediately understanding her situation.
Having received permission, Lia almost instantly transformed into a petite, pure white Ragdoll Cat in Hermione's arms.
She buried her head deep into the crook of Hermione's neck, using her owner's comforting scent to block out everything else.
Hermione used her palms to cover the furry ears, blocking out most of the noise for her.
Just then, the atmosphere on the field changed abruptly.
The music became enchanting, and a group of breathtakingly beautiful women—the Bulgarian team's mascots, the Veela—danced gracefully.
Their silver hair flew as they danced soul-stirringly, capturing the hearts of the vast majority of men present in an instant.
Ron and Harry both stood up abruptly, their mouths hanging open in obsession, as if their souls had been snatched away.
Even the usually steady Mr. Weasley's eyes became glazed.
However, this powerful magic had no effect on Lia.
Her [Eye of Truth] easily saw through the halo of enchantment to the magical creatures with beaks and scaly wings beneath.
And the [Soul Protection] derived from her fourth death made her completely immune to mental attacks of this level.
She tilted her head curiously, watching the foolish, infatuated looks of the males around her, and let out a disdainful snort from her nose.
A bunch of fools controlled by desire.
She turned her head, no longer paying attention to the 'dummies' on the field, and fixed her gaze on Hermione.
Hermione was holding a cup of butterbeer and watching with interest, completely unaffected.
A bit of white milk foam had accidentally stuck to the corner of her mouth, making her lip color look even more inviting.
Lia's blue eyes lit up instantly.
That was far more attractive than all the false illusions on the field.
Before Hermione could react at all, the cat in her arms suddenly transformed back into human form.
A warm, soft body pressed against her, silver hair brushing her cheek with the fresh scent of body wash.
In the next second, something warm and soft touched her lips.
Lia extended the tip of her pink tongue.
Under Hermione's wide-eyed, shocked gaze, under the stunned stares of Ron and Harry nearby, and under the bewildered looks of Mr. Weasley and The Twins not far away—
She gently and carefully licked away the sweet bit of milk foam.
Then, she narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat.
"Lia!"
Hermione's face turned bright red in a flash, the flush spreading from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears.
She instinctively tried to push her away, but Lia held her even tighter.
"We're outside!" she lowered her voice, her tone full of reproach and embarrassment.
Lia, however, acted as if she had done something extremely proud, nuzzling her snowy cheek against Hermione's burning one.
To her, all the Veela in the world couldn't compare to the bit of sweetness at the corner of Hermione's mouth.
Amidst the clamor of a hundred thousand people, in the tide of magic and illusion, she only had eyes for her Hermione, and only wanted her Hermione.
The surrounding Weasley Family, including Harry who had just snapped out of the Veela's enchantment, were all petrified.
Ron stood with his mouth open, looking at the angry, transforming Veela on the field, then back at Hermione and Lia 'kissing' as if no one else were there, feeling like his brain was failing him.
Fred and George looked at each other and let out a loud whistle at the same time.
"It seems," Fred said.
"Our little Hermione," George added.
"Has been completely won over," the two concluded in unison.
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