After that fleeting moment of ambiguity, Lewis returned his focus to the stove. Under the effect of Haste, the buns were quickly steamed. As soon as he lifted the lid, they bounced one after another into the plate, as if delighted to be eaten.
At breakfast, Cirilla sat down at the table as if nothing had happened earlier. With a glass of soy milk, she ate four large buns in one go, praising this delicacy from Lewis's homeland without restraint.
After the meal, the two happily began opening their Christmas presents together.
As Ravenclaw's Quidditch savior for three consecutive years before Lewis arrived, Cirilla had quite a few friends in the house. Most of the gifts from her teammates were Quidditch magazines, posters, and broom maintenance kits.
Her best friend, the female prefect Penelope Clearwater, gave her a pair of practical sports gloves.
But the majority of the gifts were for Lewis.
As the uncrowned king of Ravenclaw, he naturally had no shortage of admirers and fangirls. This year, the number of presents he received far exceeded normal expectations—just the packaging alone filled half the entrance hall.
All chocolates were ignored. No one dared to eat them anyway. Lewis's dislike was one reason, but more importantly, there was always the risk of love potions. Young witches loved slipping those in.
Harry and Ron sent their usual snacks. Given their circumstances, that was about all they could manage.
The Weasley twins were more thoughtful. They gifted a wizarding fairy tale collection, Tales of Toxic Mushrooms, along with their recent financial ledger.
The Tonks couple sent cologne and hair care products—clearly unaware that Lewis, as someone from the Dragon Nation, had no need for the former.
Tonks herself gave him a Sneakoscope, a magical device that would light up and spin whenever suspicious individuals were nearby.
Jaina also sent a gift: a box of handmade gingerbread and a sweater that automatically played "Jingle Bells" when worn. Lewis immediately recognized it as something straight out of the Winter Veil festival in World of Warcraft. It seemed she was feeling homesick.
Hermione sent a card, mentioning that her real gift would be given in person later. Lewis noticed Cirilla's gaze sharpen noticeably.
Then came Cho Chang's gift—another card, also saying she would bring the present herself during a visit.
Cirilla's expression darkened further. Fortunately, there wasn't a third card like that, or today would have been truly unbearable.
Unlike last year, the professors also sent gifts this time, though most were simply books related to their subjects. Snape's was the most unusual—he actually gave Lewis a bezoar.
A bezoar, essentially a mass found in a goat's stomach, was indeed useful as an antidote. Still, Lewis couldn't help feeling a bit unsettled receiving something like that.
As for Lewis's own gifts, he had sent them out the night before, thoroughly exhausting Hemo in the process. This year, he gave everyone handmade wallets enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
Due to the difficulty of the spell, such items were extremely valuable for most wizards. The size of the internal space varied depending on his relationship with the recipient.
Hermione's wallet had the largest capacity—an entire cubic meter. The one for Jaina also included a card reading "Happy Winter Veil," which likely provided her some comfort.
Cirilla's gift, however, was another silver sword.
"This is Arcane Sword 2.0," Lewis said proudly. "I've successfully embedded a Shield Charm into the blade. Now you can actually try cutting through spells with it."
After presenting it, he looked at her expectantly. "So… what about my gift?"
"My gift, huh…"
The girl stood before him, hands behind her back as if hiding something.
Just as Lewis leaned forward in anticipation, she suddenly stepped in close.
Her slightly cool lips pressed against his.
Lewis froze for a split second, then simply went along with it, savoring the moment.
They didn't part until three full minutes had passed.
"So… that's your Christmas gift?" Lewis finally asked after a pause.
"What, not satisfied?" Cirilla shrugged casually.
"Of course I'm not!" Lewis snapped. "I'm only twelve! This should count as my gift to you, not the other way around!"
"And?" she raised an eyebrow provocatively. "That's the only gift you're getting. Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it," Lewis licked his lips. "But one isn't enough. I'll be collecting a few more."
Just as Lewis was in the process of "collecting" his gift repeatedly, a knock came from the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
When he opened it, he found Luna standing outside.
Wrapped in a thick coat, she had trudged through the snow to visit.
Lewis could feel Cirilla's mood instantly shift behind him—back to that ominous, stormy state from earlier gift discussions.
Though there hadn't been a third girl announcing her visit via card, one had shown up uninvited.
"Hmph. After everything you did for her, I bet you're feeling pretty satisfied now, aren't you?" Cirilla said sarcastically before letting Luna inside.
For someone usually so straightforward, her tone was unusually sharp. What could Lewis even say to that?
Once inside, Luna handed over a large package. "This is a Christmas gift for you both. I made a cake."
When the witcher girl realized the gift included her as well, she suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
Lewis nudged her lightly. "She's just here to thank us. You helped her too, remember? Why overthink it now?"
"Because I've already seen through your true nature," Cirilla shot him a look, though she still warmly entertained their guest.
It was worth mentioning that Luna's cooking skills were genuinely impressive. The cake was not only delicious but also beautifully presented.
Perhaps because she had been raised alone by her father, she had developed a wide range of self-sufficient skills. She even got along quite well with Lewis's augurey, Circe.
She didn't stay long, however. Soon, she left, humming softly as she went, heading off to deliver Christmas gifts to other neighbors.
If Luna's visit had only been a minor disturbance to Cirilla, then the guests who followed in the next few days were real threats.
On the second day of Christmas, Cho Chang came to visit, bringing rare specialties from the Dragon Nation. The two of them even organized a fully traditional Dragon Nation-style dinner together.
It had to be said—her presence greatly eased Lewis's homesickness.
But the one who gave Cirilla the biggest headache was the final visitor: Hermione Granger.
Her arrival marked the end of their carefree two-person world. Life had returned to being shared among three.
Even so, compared to Cirilla's lonely years before, and the wandering life she had endured before coming here, this warm, lively atmosphere was something she had already begun to cherish.
If not for her lingering concern over her adoptive parents' fate, she might have already said, "This place is bliss—I have no desire to leave."
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