As Astoria and Daphne spoke, the third-year students finally returned.
Nolan remained as cold and indifferent as ever, his face blank, his gaze unreadable—as if nothing in the world was worth his attention.
Daphne rested her chin in her hands, gazing longingly at her beloved little prince from afar. She watched him all the way until he disappeared into the dormitory, then let out a deep, lovesick sigh, looking utterly entranced.
"You really won't try to get closer to him?" Astoria asked, her sharp gaze scrutinizing her cousin. "Neither of us has a choice, Daphne. The moment we graduate, we'll have to marry. I have seven years to pick a husband. But you? You only have six."*
"I... I don't know..." Daphne's voice was small, full of hesitation. "I just don't have the confidence..."
Her expression turned pitiful, and she tugged at her sleeves as she whispered, "I'm not as beautiful as Eve Stock or Cho Chang. My single eyelids are awful, these freckles refuse to go away... What can I possibly do?"
Astoria pressed her lips together, unimpressed.
Frankly, she agreed.
Among the current generation of pure-blood witches, she firmly believed that she was the most beautiful—a true princess.
And Daphne?
Just a Cinderella who never found her glass slipper.
Astoria suddenly declared, "If you won't pursue Nolan, then I will."*
"What?!" Daphne gasped, stunned, before her face twisted with anger. "Why?!"
—Because when I grow up, I'll be far more beautiful than you, and any wizard would choose me over you.
That's what Astoria thought.
But what she said was: "For the Greengrass family, Nolan is the best possible husband. One of us must win him over. If you refuse to play that role, then I will."*
"But you—" Daphne lowered her voice, furious. "You're only eleven! This is way too early for you!"*
"Wait too long, and it'll be too late."* Astoria grinned, tilting her head. "Nolan is highly sought after, after all."*
Of course, she knew she was only eleven.
But so what?
She was pretty. She was charming. In Slytherin, she was already treated like a princess.
Everyone adored her.
That was nothing like Daphne—who was just an ordinary-looking girl with nothing special about her.
"But..." Daphne's voice wavered, full of resentment.
She was afraid to approach her dream boy, but that didn't mean she wanted to watch her little cousin steal him away.
Astoria leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Eve Stock is a strong rival. She's beautiful, well-liked, and Nolan doesn't care that she's Muggle-born. If I want to defeat her, I'll need to use... certain means."*
Her emerald-green eyes gleamed with cunning.
"For example... Amortentia."*
"Daphne," she whispered. "I need you to get me some."*
Daphne's small fists clenched, her entire body trembling with frustration.
If she had known it would come to this, she never would have constantly praised Nolan in front of Astoria.
She never would have kept talking about how perfect he was.
…
Night fell over Hogwarts, and the discussions of the pure-blooded witches continued in hushed whispers.
A clever, scheming girl like Astoria believed that Nolan would be hers in no time.
But was that really the case?
…
Meanwhile, by the Black Lake...
Cho Chang sat by the edge of the Black Lake, carefully observing the water.
She held a piece of dried meat between her fingers, waiting patiently.
The moment she tossed it out, something leaped from the water—a merperson, snatching it out of midair before diving back below the surface.
Again and again, she tossed more dried meat, and the merpeople jumped eagerly, catching the pieces before they even touched the water.
The lake was full of merpeople—but they were nothing like the fairytale sirens in Muggle stories.
These creatures were ugly, twisted, and frightening to look at.
In certain parts of Eastern Europe, these creatures were called water demons, and for good reason. With their clawed hands, razor-sharp fangs, and slick, scaly skin, the merpeople of the Black Lake were nothing like the enchanting sirens of fairy tales.
As Cho continued tossing dried meat into the water, two familiar figures approached from the castle—Nolan and Eve.
The young vampire carried a small basket, her delicate hands gripping the handle as she made her way toward Cho.
Eve quickly struck up a conversation with the Ravenclaw girl, and before long, the two were enthusiastically debating over a rather peculiar topic:
"Are merpeople oviparous or viviparous?"
Meanwhile, Nolan stood to the side, wordlessly raising his wand.
With a casual flick, he transfigured a large rock into a small, elegant table. Another wave of his wand conjured three beautifully crafted chairs, comfortable and refined.
Then, with a final swish, a silver-and-green tablecloth appeared midair and gently floated down, covering the tabletop in a perfectly arranged spread.
One by one, Nolan took out various pastries from the basket, meticulously setting them in place. Three tall goblets followed—two were filled with butterbeer, while the third contained a special blend of tomato juice.
Once everything was arranged, the three of them sat down, enjoying a quiet, refined afternoon tea by the Black Lake.
…
The September heat in England was still stifling, but the lake's breeze made it pleasantly cool. The wind carried the earthy, green scent of the Forbidden Forest, adding a crisp freshness to the air.
Cho, who had grown into a quiet, graceful young woman, rested her chin in her hands, listening to Eve and Nolan recount amusing stories from their summer holiday.
She didn't speak much, but whenever she smiled, it was charming—so much so that a few passing boys couldn't help but steal glances at her.
Among the older students, this trio had become a familiar sight, so no one paid them much attention.
But to the first-years, this unusual group sparked intense curiosity.
…
Not far away, Ginny Weasley was practicing the Levitation Charm by the lake, alongside Hermione Granger. Professor Flitwick had just taught them the spell earlier that week, and Ginny was determined to master it.
Mid-practice, she suddenly nodded toward the trio by the table, her tone casual but curious.
"What's the deal with them?" she asked. "I thought Nolan was dating that ice queen?"
"Ice queen?" Hermione blinked, quickly realizing what Ginny meant. "Oh, you mean Eve?"
She sighed. "Ginny, Eve is not an ice queen. If you actually talked to her, you'd see that she's a very kind person."*
Ginny shrugged, clearly uninterested. "If I ever talk to her?" she echoed. "I don't know, Hermione. I doubt that'll ever happen. She's a Slytherin."
"Alright, alright, my little lioness."* Hermione rolled her eyes, but her gaze lingered on the trio for a moment—perhaps with a hint of envy.
"Their relationship is... interesting."* She hesitated before adding, "There are rumors that Nolan is dating both Eve and Cho at the same time."*
"What?!" Ginny looked utterly scandalized. "How would they ever agree to that?"
"Oh, that's just gossip, Ginny."* Hermione waved dismissively. "Some people say Nolan and Eve are just close friends, and that Cho is his real girlfriend. Others claim Nolan isn't dating either of them—that they're just friends..."
She trailed off for a moment before muttering, "Honestly, why does it even matter? It has nothing to do with us."*
"Well, if Nolan really is dating either of them, then I officially disapprove!"* Ginny huffed, crossing her arms. "He went to a Muggle bar with Fred and George over the summer, remember? Fred said Nolan was flirting with a really gorgeous Muggle girl!"*
"Did he now..." Hermione murmured absentmindedly, barely paying attention.
Ginny frowned. "What's on your mind, Hermione?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about Nolan's elective courses this year..." Hermione said, looking somewhat dazed. "They all seem so interesting! I can't decide whether to take Care of Magical Creatures or Muggle Studies. Maybe I should ask Nolan—he always gives such insightful advice..."