bacchusnovels Chapter 317 Rosmerta, whose charm remains undiminished
Chapter 317 Rosmerta, whose charm remains undiminished
Chapter 317 Rosmerta, whose charm remains undiminished
"Professor, what are you doing here?"
Ron took a sip of his butterbeer and couldn't help but mutter something.
Outside, a biting wind howled through the streets, threatening to shake Hogsmeade to its knees. Inside, however, the Three Broomsticks pub was a warm and cozy place.
A roaring fire burned in the fireplace, and the wooden tables in the bar were piled high with steaming butterbeers. Wizards gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing quietly.
Sean sat opposite the four people, his figure appearing exceptionally composed and tall.
His previously gentle expression furrowed slightly upon hearing Ron's mutterings. "Do I need to inform you where I'm going, Mr. Weasley?"
Ron was momentarily speechless after being glared at by Sean.
So he lowered his head again and silently drank his butterbeer.
The scene fell into an awkward silence once again.
At this moment, the five people at the wooden table, except for Ron, each had their own thoughts fermenting within them.
Harry is panicking about the fact that he sneaked into Hogsmeade without a permit.
Although Professor Phillips didn't seem to intend to expose him, he was still worried that the matter would reach the ears of Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, or even Dumbledore.
So, as he casually sipped his butterbeer, his mind raced, trying to figure out how to deal with the troubles that might come next.
Hermione, on the other hand, looked serious, her brows furrowed.
Although she was also drinking butterbeer, she was always secretly watching Sean out of the corner of her eye.
She had been so busy lately that she had barely seen Sean, and the next time she saw him at such a close distance...
Her heart naturally stirred with even greater ripples than usual.
Hermione then glanced furtively at Harry, who was sitting on the far left.
It's all Harry's fault for sneaking out of the castle; now she's definitely seen as a harbinger of wrongdoing in Professor Phillips' eyes.
A young girl's mind is always filled with such anxieties and uncertainties.
Of course, this sentence needs a prefix: lovesick.
Sophia, a girl not yet in love, took a small sip of her butterbeer and glanced absentmindedly at Hermione sitting next to her.
Then look at Sean across the street.
A sudden realization slowly surfaced in her mind—she finally understood why Sean had allowed her to return to fifteen years ago, to this particular point in time.
The answer gradually became clear: it must be to make up for the lack of paternal and maternal love she received in her childhood.
Aside from that, she couldn't find another reasonable answer that could convince herself.
The last time the family of three was able to gather together like this was last Thanksgiving.
At that time...
Looking at her parents beside her, Sofia's confidence in carrying out her plan was strengthened once again—she was determined to reunite her parents.
It definitely will!
Perhaps today is a good day.
And so, Sofia found herself caught up in her own brainstorming session.
At this moment, Ron finally realized that something was wrong with the atmosphere at the table. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. He looked down at the butterbeer in his glass and felt that all of this was really boring.
Ron then began to look around, his gaze inadvertently landing on the still-attractive woman standing by the counter in front of the bar.
She wore a close-fitting dark green wizard's robe, the neckline slightly open, revealing a glimpse of fair skin.
Her chestnut-brown hair was loosely pinned up at the back of her head, with a few strands falling naturally. Although time had left some marks on her face, it did not diminish her charm. Instead, it added a mature elegance and confidence to her.
As the woman bends down to arrange the wine bottles, her fingers deftly dart around the glasses and corks, and her slightly raised neck and voluptuous figure stand out even more in the soft candlelight, making her exceptionally alluring.
Ron had been staring at the woman intently for almost the entire moment he spotted her.
Whenever a woman leaned over or poured wine, a flustered shyness would appear on Ron's face, and his ears would gradually turn red.
He secretly swallowed, the subtle effects of the butterbeer fueling his imagination and making him forget the delicate tension at the table.
"What are you looking at?" Sophia asked in a low voice.
From the very beginning, she noticed that Ron, who was to her left, seemed a little off.
Ron was startled by Sophia's voice, which abruptly pulled him back to reality from his fantasy.
His gaze was still somewhat unfocused, and a lingering, dreamy expression remained on his face. His ears were flushed.
Faced with Sofia's questioning, he hurriedly looked away, pretending to be interested in the butterbeer on the table, his fingers nervously sliding along the rim of the glass.
"Well, it's nothing," Ron stammered, trying to hide his embarrassment, but the blush on his face betrayed his thoughts.
"So you don't like Ms. Rosmerta anymore—"
Ron's face immediately turned bright red, as if it had been set on fire. He waved his hands frantically, "Don't, don't talk nonsense!"
Sofia! I... I was just—listening, just looking around.
It was at this moment that he learned the woman's name was "Rosmerta".
Sofia couldn't help but laugh and said softly, "Just looking around? You've been looking for quite a while now."
Her voice carried a hint of teasing, but not a sharp one; rather, it sounded curious. She knew Ron was usually carefree, but she hadn't expected him to be so shy about something like this.
Ron didn't argue anymore, but mumbled something under his breath, and gripped the Butterbeer in his hand even tighter.
His heart raced; he felt embarrassed, yet he couldn't help but glance at Ms. Rosmerta a few more times.
Every movement she made, every time she bent down to pour wine, seemed to be slowed down countless times, constantly replaying in Ron's mind.
Hermione, who was standing nearby, also heard the conversation between the two. She frowned slightly, but didn't say anything, her mind still preoccupied with Sean.
"Alright, stop looking," Sofia couldn't help but tease. "Why don't you go talk to her? Ask her if she can teach you how to make butterbeer." She said in a wicked voice.
Ron glared at Sophia, his blush deepening. He lowered his voice and said hastily, "Are you crazy?! I won't talk to her, she, she's too..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, and could only take a big gulp of butterbeer, his face still red, as if that would cover up his embarrassment.
To Ron's relief, Sophia soon withdrew her attention from him.
"Uncle, what do you think of Hermione's recent performance?" Sophia raised her voice, her tone light and teasing.
As she spoke, her gaze deliberately lingered on Sean before quickly sweeping over Hermione.
Hermione froze for a moment, almost spilling the butterbeer in her hand.
She glanced at Sean in a flustered manner, then immediately lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, her cheeks quickly flushing red.
Sean raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Sophia, then at Hermione, and smiled. "Miss Granger has always been outstanding, and she's been just as good lately."
Hermione's face turned even redder. She hurriedly waved her hand, her voice trembling slightly, "No, nothing special. I was just doing my homework as usual."
Seeing this, Sophia continued to embellish the story, "Hermione isn't just good at her homework, she's the hardest-working student in our grade—uncle, have you discussed her paper with Hermione? I think she might need your help."
Hermione blushed even more deeply and her ears turned bright red when she heard Sophia's embellishments.
The surrounding air suddenly became somewhat scorching at that moment, and even the coolness of the butterbeer could not alleviate her shyness.
"Ah, I—I think I should be able to handle it," she stammered, her voice much softer than usual.
I wish I could disappear under the table right now.
Sean smiled gently, also noticing Hermione's embarrassment.
He didn't deliberately expose her nervousness, but instead said gently, "If you need help, you can come to me anytime, Miss Granger. You always show great effort and potential, and the knowledge you have now is no problem for you at all."
Although these words were gentle, they made Hermes' heart race. Something seemed to be rapidly expanding inside her, a mixture of gratitude and a sense of unease.
She glanced up quickly at Sean, meeting his gentle gaze. A flutter ran through her heart, and she quickly lowered her head to continue drinking her butterbeer.
"See, that's what Uncle said too," Sophia said with a smile. Seeing Hermione's embarrassment, she became even more determined to bring the two together. So she turned to Hermione and said, "You can ask Uncle for more information about arithmetic and divination. Didn't you complain the other day that the arithmetic lessons were a bit complicated?"
Hermione nodded helplessly, trying to change the subject, but Sophia wasn't going to let her off the hook.
"By the way, Uncle, do you remember the ancient spell theory we discussed the other day?" Sophia said, pretending to ponder. "You should talk to Hermione about it; she'll definitely be interested."
As they spoke, Sophia deliberately moved aside, allowing Hermione and Sean to sit closer.
Hermione immediately noticed Sophia's actions, her heart pounded with nervousness, and she could no longer hide the blush on her face.
She instinctively shrank back a little, but didn't actually move away.
Sean noticed Sophia's "manipulation" but didn't blame her. He just looked at his daughter with a helpless and doting smile.
"Sophia, aren't you acting a little strange today?"
Sophia smiled and spread her hands. "I just hope Hermione can relax a bit and relieve some of her stress." As she spoke, she sighed softly, "I don't know why, but Hermione has been particularly tired lately."
Ron and Harry, who were standing nearby, nodded frequently, agreeing with what Sophia was saying.
"Hmm—" Hermione swallowed nervously, "Actually, I do have some questions about the history of magic and divination that I haven't been able to answer lately—" She glanced cautiously at Sean, then continued, "If you have time tonight, perhaps I could ask you?"