The winter snow finally melted under the warm spring sun, and the lawns of Hogwarts were once again dyed a bright emerald green. Everything was reviving, and the air was filled with a restless and vivid atmosphere.
But Lia had been acting a bit unusual lately.
She had become more clingy than ever before.
Whether Hermione was writing an essay in the common room, looking up information in the library, or even just going to the lavatory for a few minutes, Lia followed her every step like a little tail.
She was no longer satisfied with lying on Hermione's lap or shoulder; her whole being, whether in cat form or human form, seemed to want nothing more than to hang onto Hermione.
Lia was constantly rubbing against Hermione's neck, arms, and cheeks, her throat emitting a continuous purr tinged with a hint of agitation. Her body had also become unusually warm, like a little furnace that was always heating up, forcing Hermione to wear one less layer of warm clothing.
"Is Lia sick?" Ron asked, looking at Lia, who was coiled around Hermione's back like a koala with her tail wrapped around Hermione's neck, a look of confusion on his face. "Why has she been so... enthusiastic lately?"
Harry also thought it was strange: "Yeah, Hermione, she seems to be shaking all the time."
"I've checked, she doesn't have a fever." Hermione said as she struggled to stir the Potion in her cauldron while soothingly stroking Lia, who was clinging to one of her arms. "Maybe it's just the weather warming up; Felines tend to be more active then."
She said this, but in her heart, she felt something was slightly off.
Lia wasn't just active; it was more like a kind of agitation—an instinctive restlessness stemming from a body that could not find peace.
This unease completely erupted late one night a few days later.
Hermione was awakened by a series of suppressed, thin whimpers.
The sound was right by her ear, accompanied by the friction of fabric drilling into her brain.
She forced her heavy eyelids open and, by the moonlight pouring in from the window, saw the scene beside her.
Lia was curled into a ball, tossing and turning while hugging her pillow.
Her body was arched unnaturally, her small hands tightly gripping the bedsheets, her knuckles turning white from the force. Lia's eyes were tightly shut, her brows furrowed in pain, and her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. Her long silver hair was soaked with sweat, sticking messily to her cheeks and neck.
"Lia?" Hermione's heart suddenly leaped into her throat as she reached out to touch Lia's forehead.
The temperature transmitted from her fingertips made her withdraw her hand as if she had received an electric shock.
So hot!
It was like touching a red-hot iron!
"Lia! Do you have a fever?!" Hermione was instantly wide awake. She hurriedly sat up, wanting to help Lia up.
The moment her hand touched Lia's shoulder, Lia's body gave a violent shudder.
"Mm..."
A soft cry escaped her lips, and an alluring sweet fragrance wafted out.
A highly abnormal flush covered her snow-white skin, as if fine porcelain had been stained with rouge. Her slightly open, dazed eyes were clouded with a thick mist, having lost their usual clarity and alertness, leaving only a blurred gaze.
The pair of fluffy white cat ears on her head and the long tail behind her were all drooping weakly, trembling slightly.
"Ugh..."
Lia let out a pained groan. Sensing the familiar scent that could put her at ease, she opened her eyes dazed and, following her instincts, grabbed Hermione's arm like a lifeline.
"Hermione... Hermione..."
She unconsciously murmured the name, using her burning cheek to constantly rub dependently against the slightly cool skin of Hermione's forearm.
Lia's body also twisted restlessly, as if an inextinguishable fire was burning within her, preventing her from finding a comfortable position.
That long, fluffy tail seemed to have a life of its own, unconsciously coiling up and tightly wrapping around Hermione's wrist with an almost pleading strength.
The sensation of the warm, soft fur, combined with the alarming heat radiating from the girl's body and those suppressed whimpers filled with a crying tone... Hermione's heart skipped a beat.
Immediately after, it began to pound like a drum.
With a "whoosh," a wave of heat rushed from her neck straight to the top of her head. Hermione's cheeks and ears instantly became even hotter than the Lia in her arms.
She was no fool.
Combining the scattered records about the Nine-Lived Cat Demon in that ancient book from the Restricted Section with all of Lia's abnormal behavior at this moment... a word she had never thought of surfaced clearly in her mind.
Heat.
A period of heat belonging to a cat demon. In the past, Lia had always been starving and hovering on the edge of survival.
Now, with the comfortable life at Hogwarts and Hermione's companionship, the emotions Lia had been suppressing finally erupted all at once as the weather warmed up.
"Hermione... so hot..."
The girl in her arms was completely unaware of the alluring state she was in. She was simply following biological instincts, seeking comfort from the person she was closest to and trusted the most.
"It hurts... ugh... Hermione..."
She whimpered like a real kitten, soft and pitiful, her body pressing closer until she was almost entirely clinging to Hermione. Those blue eyes, which looked exceptionally seductive due to their dazed state, were brimming with tears that seemed ready to overflow at any second.
Her unconscious acting spoiled and her unreserved dependence were like feathers and fire, repeatedly teasing and burning at the tip of Hermione's heart.
Hermione's mind went blank, and she was at a loss.
Reason told her she should immediately push Lia away, use a powerful Cooling Charm to calm her down, and then go find Madam Pomfrey or Dumbledore.
But... she looked at this delirious girl in her arms who regarded her as her only reliance in the whole world, felt her burning breath on her arm and the soft coil of her tail on her wrist, and heard her tearful calls... Push her away?
As soon as this thought arose, it was ruthlessly extinguished by an even stronger emotion.
Should she strictly observe the boundaries of friendship, rationally push her away, and seek "correct" help?
Time seemed to stretch out at this moment.
Push her away?
Let others see Lia like this? Let Madam Pomfrey use all sorts of instruments to examine her? Let Dumbledore scrutinize her with those eyes that seemed to see through everything?
No.
Absolutely not.
She followed the surging waves of possessiveness and protectiveness from deep within her heart—feelings that were unfamiliar even to herself.
Lia's painful whimpers and burning body temperature were like two invisible hands, tearing at Hermione's strained nerves.
Lia was hers.
This thought was like a bolt of lightning, splitting through the chaos in Hermione's mind.
Her secrets, her pain, and her vulnerability could only be guarded by her alone.
Hermione no longer hesitated.
She reached back and hugged the constantly twisting, soft body, pulling Lia deeper into her embrace.
"Don't be afraid, Lia, I'm here."
Her voice carried a hint of imperceptible hoarseness due to tension, but her movements were exceptionally firm.
She drew her magic wand and whispered to Lia: "Cooling as Water."
A soft blue halo enveloped Lia's body, attempting to dispel that abnormal heat.
However, the effect of the spell was minimal.
That primal instinctual agitation from the depths of her bloodline was not something a simple Cooling Charm could suppress. Lia's body only felt a brief moment of comfort before she began to tremble even more violently, her throat letting out more painful moans.
"Mm... Hermione... it hurts even more..."
Lia's consciousness was completely blurred; she only knew Hermione was beside her, but that bone-deep burning sensation had not eased at all. Instead, because of the brief contrast with the cooling, it felt even more unbearable.
Like a drowning cat, she desperately and instinctively squeezed against Hermione, trying to draw a bit of strength from her that could save her.
Her cheek pressed tightly against Hermione's collarbone, her nose rubbing around randomly as if searching for something.
She stopped moving restlessly and instead buried her entire face in the crook of Hermione's neck, her body pressing tightly against her as if she wanted to merge herself into Hermione's body, greedily absorbing the scent that made her feel secure.
Hermione endured the itchiness at her neck.
She would use her own magic to soothe her.
This was an extremely intimate act, even carrying a certain sense of "marking." The direct blending of magic between Wizards was far more private and profound than any physical contact.
Hermione looked at the Lia in her arms, whose eyes were misty with tears from pain, and saw her unreservedly open and dependent state. The final line of defense in her heart, named "reason," completely collapsed.
To Merlin with boundaries.
To Merlin with rules.
She took a deep breath, tossed aside her magic wand, and reached out both hands to hug Lia tightly.
"Lia, feel me."
She closed her eyes and concentrated all her spirit, carefully guiding the magic within her body like a gentle stream, slowly and tentatively flowing toward the girl in her arms.
The moment Hermione's magic first touched Lia's body, Lia suddenly stiffened and let out a satisfied sigh.
The fire burning through her limbs and bones felt as if it had met a perfectly timed spring rain.
Hermione's magic was gentle and rational, carrying the weight of knowledge and her own unique, cool woody scent, softly smoothing over the wild and violent emotions inside Lia.
Like a patient teacher guiding a lost student.
In this process, Hermione also felt everything about Lia.
She felt the three indelible imprints representing death deep within Lia's soul.
Cold... sharp... tearing... it was extreme pain and bone-deep fear.
Hermione's heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard by a hand, hurting so much she could barely breathe.
She also felt Lia's pure, absolute, and unreserved trust and attachment to her.
In Lia's chaotic perception, Hermione was the light, the warmth, and the entire world.
Two completely different energies and two completely different lives were, at this moment, tightly intertwined through the most primitive method.
Hermione no longer held back; she increased the output of her magic, gently and firmly washing over and soothing every restless corner of Lia's body.
It wasn't until an hour later that the frantic energy inside Lia was finally completely soothed, turning into a trickling stream and returning to silence.
The abnormal flush on her body faded, and her burning temperature returned to its usual steady level.
The Cat-girl, who had been tossing all night, finally fell into a peaceful sleep in Hermione's arms.
Hermione's whole body ached, and her spirit was exhausted to the extreme. For a young Wizard, maintaining an hour of magic output was far too taxing.
She looked down at Lia's tranquil sleeping face. Lia was curled up like a kitten, her cheek still pressed against Hermione's chest, her breathing steady and long.
Hermione's feelings were very complex.
There was the lingering fear and relief of helping Lia through her ordeal, but even more so, there was a sense of satisfaction and possessiveness that almost made her tremble.
Mixed with the almost cloying fragrance on Lia's body, she fell into a groggy sleep.
The next day, Parvati and Lavender, seeing no movement from Hermione's bed, cautiously lifted a corner of the bed curtain.
"Hermione, Lia, we're going to be late... Whoa~"
Seemingly disturbed by Lavender's exclamation, Hermione woke up.
Lia dazed opened her eyes, with stray strands of hair at the corners of her mouth. The quilt slid down as she sat up, revealing Lia's slight curves to her roommates.
"Hermione... I feel like I slept so well last night."
Seeing Lia's movements, Hermione suddenly remembered using her magic to guide Lia's agitation the previous night. Her face flushed instantly, especially when she saw Parvati and Lavender peeking in through the lifted corner. She snatched the quilt and pulled it over Lia with a predatory motion.
Seeing this, Parvati quickly pulled Lavender away: "We're going to the Great Hall first. You two hurry up, or you won't make it for breakfast."
Hermione patted her face, trying to regain her senses, then looked back at Lia, who was tightly covered by the quilt with only her deep blue eyes and slightly twitching ears showing.
She still shouted toward the outside.
"Parvati, help me ask Professor McGonagall for leave! Just say Lia isn't feeling well!"
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