What the hell?
Tom stood frozen on the spot, staring blankly.
How did my Misha just split into two? Is this mitosis or meiosis?
"Tom, ignore her." Misha stepped forward, grabbing Tom's hand and pulling him away.
"Tom, I'll handle this. You should be back at school enjoying Christmas. You don't need to worry about things on my end."
There seemed to be a new air of haughtiness on young Misha's face.
She had shed the fragile personality Tom was familiar with, replacing it with the demeanor of a mature older sister.
Ah, yes, the classic 'mature big sister,' Tom thought. Determined to comfort her rebellious little brother, while she hides away to drink her sorrows alone when she's upset.
"Why didn't you tell me you could use magic?" Tom ruffled Misha's head, turning her carefully styled hair into a bird's nest. "Trying to play the hero and carry it all yourself?"
Misha pursed her lips. "I'm a big girl now. Stop petting me."
She grabbed Tom's hands and removed them from her head. "Tom, you need to go back. You're lucky to be at Hogwarts. It would be terrible if you got expelled over a little thing like this.
"I really will solve it. You don't need to worry about me."
Generally speaking, the more someone says "don't worry," the more you definitely should worry.
Especially when it's a child like Misha trying to play grown-up.
"Oh?" Tom changed his tune. "Speaking of which, it is Christmas. You haven't been out in ages, have you? Want to go for a walk with me? For old times' sake?"
Misha hesitated, then shook her head. "No."
"When I came in, I saw Mrs. Cheryl's shop was full of decorations. The Christmas tree is huge, covered in little stars, and there are crowds of people walking around."
Misha swallowed hard, paused, but still shook her head.
Tom continued his temptation. "Remember that pastry shop near the station? They have a buy-one-get-one-free deal right now. Since our Misha is so cute, maybe they'll make it buy-one-get-two."
Misha was torn.
She absolutely loved the floral pastries from that shop.
But the moment she remembered that Tom had skipped class to be here with her, she steeled herself and shook her head firmly.
No matter what Tom said today, she wouldn't go!
She had to get Tom back to school. He should be staying there, staying out of trouble, not breaking rules, and focusing on becoming a powerful, brilliant wizard.
That was what Tom was supposed to do—
"Sigh." Tom let out a long, dramatic breath. He looked up at the moon in the sky. "I didn't think that after being gone for such a short time, Misha wouldn't like me anymore. I come all this way, haven't even had dinner, and Miss Misha won't even do me the honor of grabbing a bite with me."
Misha panicked instantly. "I do like—"
Her voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. "Fine, just this once. I'll go with you to get something to eat. But you have to eat properly from now on; skipping meals is bad for your health."
The gloom on Tom's face vanished in a split second, as if he had been waiting for exactly that answer.
He smoothly took Misha's small hand. "Let's go."
---
Under the starry sky, the two walked hand in hand.
The London fog was thick—so thick you couldn't see the surroundings clearly. Only the streetlamps overhead flickered, acting as their personal mood lighting.
For the first time, Tom felt that the London air wasn't actually that bad.
A shadow scoffed in dissatisfaction and dove into the shadow at Misha's feet.
"Is that your magic?" Tom asked as they walked.
"Yeah... it just appeared suddenly. I don't know what happened. Ever since I got this shadow, I feel..."
"No, never mind." Misha decided that saying it out loud would only worry Tom, so she swallowed the words.
"You feel like you're completely different from everyone around you, right? That's what being a wizard is like. But I'm a wizard too, so you can tell me. Let me guess—your shadow wants you to kill people, doesn't it?"
Misha's face went pale, and she hurriedly covered Tom's mouth. "Don't... don't say that."
So it really is like that?
"Next time, remember to tell me." Tom glanced at the shadow on the ground. A faint, murderous aura radiated from him, even though he was smiling.
The shadow at Misha's feet visibly shrank back, not daring to poke its head out.
When Tom and Misha arrived at the pastry shop near the station, the shop was already closed. Only the Christmas tree at the entrance was still lit.
The little stars on the tree twinkled, looking particularly striking on the empty street.
"It's closed."
"That's a shame." Tom sighed. "Nothing we can do about it. Let's come back together next time."
Misha suddenly felt a pang of reluctance.
To her, Tom's words sounded like a goodbye.
She didn't know when this "next time" would be.
Would Tom come back for Christmas? If not, how long would she have to wait?
would Tom, like her, find the human world boring and want to stay at Hogwarts forever to play with other wizards?
"I'll stay with you tonight. That bed in the warehouse is pretty big; if we squeeze, two people can fit."
Misha's ears practically perked up.
However, no one noticed this tiny reaction.
Equally unnoticed was the shadow on the ground, which seemed to cheer up, moving so briskly it almost tripped Misha.
"Tom, be careful when you go back. There's a weirdo in London right now. They call him Jack the Ripper."
Almost everyone in London was familiar with the legend of Jack the Ripper.
But the fact that a "Jack the Ripper II" had appeared in the modern day was surprising news to many.
Just as she finished speaking, the shadow on the ground suddenly spoke up: "Careful. Someone is following us. He just stepped on me."
The streetlamp was ahead of them, casting their shadows long behind them. The thick fog obscured their vision, so only Misha's shadow could feel the sensation of a boot stepping on its "head."
"Tom, run!"
"Run?"
A dark figure stepped out from the fog, holding a curved blade.
The man's mouth appeared to have been slit open by a blade and then stitched back together. It was terrifying.
The Ripper. Jack!
"Misha, you're a wizard now." Tom's expression didn't change in the slightest. "You have to remember, in the wizarding world, there's a thing called the Ministry of Magic. It's a shameless place."
"Even though wizards can use magic when facing danger, if the guys at the Ministry don't like you, using magic is considered a crime at any time. So, don't engage."
Tom wasn't looking at Misha as he said this—even though he addressed her by name.
Tom was looking directly at the shadow on the ground.
From their brief contact, Tom had figured a few things out.
Taking off his overcoat and handing it to Misha, Tom rolled up his sleeves and flexed his wrists.
"Mr. Jack, perhaps I should thank you."
"The books say the best way to fast-track a relationship is to experience something thrilling together."
"If you hadn't shown up tonight, I wouldn't have known where to find that kind of excitement."