"Why are you waiting for me here?" Hermione asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Normally, after class, they'd meet in the Great Hall. It was rare for one of them to wait outside the classroom door, so seeing Qin Yu appear had caught her off guard. In fact, that was precisely why she'd been distracted in Herbology—yes, it was all Qin's fault; she prided herself on being a model student.
"We had Flying this afternoon. Things went well, so Madam Hooch let us out early," Qin Yu explained.
He shot a wave at Professor Sprout, whose expression was less than friendly. The professor gave a stiff twitch of her mouth, her plump cheeks barely moving in what passed for a reply.
Assuming the professor was just being her usual stern self, Qin Yu didn't think much of it. He led Hermione away from the greenhouse, the two of them falling into step together.
As they walked, Hermione began her usual rundown of the day's lessons, peppering Qin Yu—the undisputed academic ace—with questions. How should you adjust the pH of Dittany soil? Why do fertilizer ratios change so much depending on the flowering period? What's the right dosage of Dittany essence for treating wounds? The list went on and on.
"Wait—Qin, where are we going?" she suddenly asked, glancing around in confusion.
She'd been so caught up in conversation that she'd simply followed him, not paying attention to where they were headed. Only now did she realize they weren't on the road back to the castle.
"We're going to Hagrid's hut," Qin Yu answered, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
"What for? It's almost dinner time, you know~" Hermione blinked up at him, feigning innocence, though she already had a sneaking suspicion—today was, after all, a rather special day.
"Because I want to celebrate your birthday and cook you something nice," Qin Yu admitted, skipping the suspense.
That's right—today was special. It was Hermione's birthday.
"Heh, you just blurted it out like that? I thought you'd at least make me guess," Hermione teased, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.
"I was planning to surprise you, but I guess there's no point waiting until we get to the hut," Qin Yu said, scratching his nose in embarrassment. After all, it wasn't much of a surprise—just a meal, really.
Seeing his sheepishness, Hermione arched an eyebrow and put on her best mock-serious voice, "You know I'm very picky about food. Don't think you can get away with serving me just anything."
"I can't promise it'll be gourmet, but I can guarantee you'll be full," Qin Yu replied with a shrug.
"Alright then, since you've been planning this for days, I'll lower my standards—just a little," she laughed, looping her arm through his.
"Wait—how did you know I've been preparing for days?" Qin Yu turned to her in surprise.
"Hmph, I didn't know before, but it's obvious now. Did you really think I was one of those airheaded little witches who just scream at you all day?" Hermione lifted her chin proudly.
Qin Yu had been sneaking off to Hagrid's for several afternoons in a row; she'd noticed, and now it all made sense.
"Little witches who scream at me? Where? I haven't seen any," Qin Yu said, glancing around with mock eagerness.
"There aren't any screaming witches, but would you like to see a 'Screaming Qin'?" Hermione narrowed her eyes mischievously.
"No!" Qin Yu shook his head at once and made a show of bolting.
"But I want to see it~" Hermione reached out, miming a twist as if turning up the volume.
"Miss Granger, please—no violence! You're supposed to be a lady!" Qin Yu pleaded, feigning terror.
"Hmph. So, do you still want to see witches screaming at you?" Hermione fixed him with a mock glare.
"There's only one little witch I want to see," Qin Yu replied, grinning.
"And who might that be?" Hermione asked.
"Let me think... Funny, I can't seem to remember her name. It's right on the tip of my tongue, but it just won't come to me..." Qin Yu said, putting on a show of deep thought.
"How could you forget? Remember, her name is Hermione Granger!" she declared, enunciating each syllable.
"Yes, yes, I remember now, Lady Hermione Granger!" Qin Yu replied with a warm smile.
"That's better. I'm going to be the future Minister for Magic, so you'd better remember my name," Hermione said, satisfied.
"Heh, I was only joking, you know."
"Well, I'm taking it seriously!"
"Don't stress about it. Whether you become Minister or not, it's fine—just go with the flow."
"Hmph! You're the one who said it. If I don't become Minister, I'll hold you responsible! You'll have to make it up to me with a Minister's job!"
"Then I guess I'll have to become King of the Universe so I can promote you to Minister for Magic."
"King of the Universe? Where did that come from?"
"Think about it—my name: Qin means 'king,' Yu means 'universe.' Put them together, and I'm the King of the Universe!"
"You're so good at talking nonsense with a straight face."
"So you'd rather believe you'll be Minister for Magic than believe I'll be King of the Universe?"
"Alright, I believe you, Your Majesty the King of the Universe!" Hermione declared with a giggle.
And so the two of them meandered across the grass, over the hill, beneath the shade of trees, chatting about everything and nothing, until they reached the little hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Inside, Hagrid had already prepared everything according to Qin Yu's instructions, ready for the young wizard to show off his culinary skills for Hermione's birthday.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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