Stepping into Hagrid's kitchen—which was really just a cozy corner of his living room—Qin Yu rolled up his robe sleeves and tied on an "apron" with practiced ease, looking every bit the battle-ready chef.
"Don't you need any help?" Hermione asked, watching him with interest. She'd never really tried cooking before, but the sight made her want to pitch in.
"Nope! Just sit right there and don't move—your only job is to wait and eat!" Qin Yu pressed her gently into a chair, his tone mock-serious.
"Alright, I'll be waiting to judge your culinary skills," Hermione shrugged, deciding not to argue. Qin looked so fired up, she'd only get in the way.
So, Hermione sipped the tea Hagrid brought over and watched as Qin Yu began his "performance."
He washed his hands, then approached the ingredients and utensils, moving with calm precision. First, he mixed flour and water into a dough, kneaded it, and pressed it into a flat cake. With a round wooden rolling pin, he rolled the dough paper-thin. Once it was ready, he folded the dough and, with a sharp kitchen knife, sliced it into even strips.
When Qin Yu shook out the freshly cut noodles, Hermione couldn't help but think, "He really is quite capable."
Of course, she'd always thought so.
Her eyes followed his every move, fascinated by the unfamiliar process. She probably wouldn't learn anything just by watching, but that didn't stop her from soaking in every detail, thoroughly entertained.
Qin Yu would have understood her perfectly. It reminded him of watching craft or cooking videos in his past life—those creators always tried to teach, but viewers just wanted to watch for fun. Whether you learned anything was beside the point.
But unlike those videos, Hermione could actually smell the food as it was being made.
When the noodles went into the boiling pot and were ladled out into a fragrant broth, the savory aroma of meat and wheat filled the air. The mouthwatering scent made her swallow unconsciously.
A loud "gurgle" from Hagrid's stomach echoed in her ears.
Catching her glance, Hagrid gave an embarrassed, sheepish smile.
Thankfully, Qin Yu didn't keep them waiting long. Soon, three bowls—one large, two small—were set on the table.
"Dig in!" Qin Yu took off his apron, wiped his hands, and called out.
Hagrid, who'd been waiting impatiently, immediately grabbed his oversized fork and twirled up a heap of noodles, stuffing them into his mouth with such gusto that broth splashed onto his beard.
Hermione, of course, wasn't about to eat like that. She picked up her much smaller fork, carefully lifted a single noodle, and brought it to her mouth with elegant composure.
But as soon as the noodle touched her tongue, her pace quickened. By the second forkful, she was scooping up more than one noodle at a time, twirling them together and stuffing them into her mouth until her cheeks puffed out adorably.
After polishing off half her bowl, she finally looked up—right into a handsome, smiling face.
"It's delicious! The best noodles I've ever had!" Hermione declared, flashing a sincere thumbs-up.
"I'm glad you like it. I put all sorts of things in the chicken broth—there's… well, never mind, you probably don't care about the details right now. Eat up!" Qin Yu started to explain his recipe, but seeing her enthusiasm, decided to let her enjoy it first.
The girl giggled and dove back in, slurping noodles with abandon, all pretense of elegance forgotten.
Honestly, Qin Yu thought this kind of eating was the highest compliment a cook could receive.
Still, he couldn't help but tease, "Slow down, there's plenty—no one's going to steal your noodles…"
He hadn't even finished speaking when Hagrid was already heading back to the pot for seconds, his empty bowl in hand.
As a food enthusiast, Hagrid had no trouble serving himself—noodles, chicken broth, the works. With each helping, the pot's contents shrank noticeably.
Hermione's eyes went wide. She shot Qin Yu a panicked look. Seeing him shrug helplessly, she quickly slurped down the rest of her bowl, then pushed it toward him, licking her lips in a silent plea for more.
Qin Yu set a second bowl in front of her, and only then did her anxious expression relax.
"Qin, will you teach me how to use those?" Hermione asked after a few bites, pointing at the chopsticks in his hand.
"Of course. Noodles are best eaten with chopsticks—it's much easier," Qin Yu replied cheerfully.
He grabbed another pair of his handmade chopsticks and sat beside her, giving a hands-on lesson.
"First, hold the two chopsticks together. Pinch the top with your thumb and index finger, and support the bottom one with your middle and ring fingers. Try moving the top chopstick… Yes, just like that—keep them working together…"
He explained patiently, and Hermione listened intently, quickly picking up the basics.
Her movements were still clumsy, though. The first time she managed to pick up a noodle, the chopsticks slipped, flinging broth onto both their faces.
They looked at each other, saw the splatters, and burst out laughing.
Qin Yu wiped the giggling girl's face with a napkin, encouraging her to keep practicing and reminding her not to use too much force.
This time, Hermione managed to get the noodle into her mouth.
"Not bad, you're a quick learner," Qin Yu praised.
Eyes shining, the girl picked up another noodle and popped it in.
Hagrid watched the whole scene with bemusement. He'd tried using the chopsticks before, but found them far less efficient than a fork, so he'd given up.
Hermione didn't care what Hagrid thought. She practiced with delight, soon managing to pick up three noodles at once and successfully deliver them to her mouth.
Still, two bowls was a bit much for her, and she couldn't quite finish.
Qin Yu pulled her half-finished bowl over and finished it off with gusto.
Watching his hearty eating, Hermione's lips curled into a smile.
She rested her chin on her hand, gazing at him earnestly. "Next year, on my birthday, I want noodles again."
"No problem. I'll make them for you next year too," Qin Yu replied, swallowing his mouthful and nodding.
"Every year!" Hermione insisted, lifting her chin for emphasis.
"Alright, every year, I'll make you birthday noodles," Qin Yu laughed, indulging her "demand."
That put Hermione in an even better mood. She picked up her chopsticks again and fed a noodle to Qin Yu.
"Won't you get tired of noodles every year?" Qin Yu teased.
"Would I? Food this good—how could anyone get bored?" Hermione replied, though she sounded a bit unsure.
"Then I'll change up the broth recipe every year—guaranteed, you'll never have the same bowl twice," Qin Yu promised after a moment's thought.
"Mmm, now I'm already looking forward to it," Hermione grinned, feeding him another noodle.
"Actually, I can make them anytime, not just for birthdays. If you ever want some, just ask," Qin Yu said, finishing the last noodle.
"Really? I can have them even when it's not my birthday?" Hermione was surprised.
"Of course. For regular days, I can make it simple—just tomatoes and eggs, and it'll still taste great."
"That's wonderful!"
Hagrid, who had long since finished his noodles, listened to the two young people's conversation with growing interest. By the end, he was determined to learn how to make this dish from Qin Yu as well. With enough time, he was sure he could master it.
...
Night had only just fallen when Qin Yu and Hermione bid farewell to Hagrid, bringing their brief "birthday feast" to a close.
On the walk back, Hermione suddenly grew pensive, her brow furrowing. When Qin Yu asked what was wrong, she pouted and said, "You put so much thought into my birthday… How am I supposed to celebrate yours?"
"That's not my problem. I'm really looking forward to your birthday present, you know!" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, grinning mischievously.
"Sigh, what a tough question," Hermione said, hanging her head.
"It's fine, take your time. My birthday's a long way off," Qin Yu reassured her.
"Alright…" Hermione temporarily set aside the headache.
Anyway, if she really couldn't think of a present, she could always wrap herself up in a box, tie a bow on top, and give herself to him.
The thought made her frown vanish, replaced by a smile she couldn't hide. That would be fun, for sure.
As for when Qin Yu asked what she was smiling about, she stubbornly refused to say.
"It's so wonderful, being able to come to school here and celebrate birthdays together," the girl suddenly sighed.
"Yeah… it really is," Qin Yu echoed softly.
She said nothing more, just reached out and took his hand—so much bigger than hers—in her own.
The autumn wind blew, the night was cool as water, yet warmth flowed between their joined palms.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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