Naturally, Moriarty would not add fuel to the fire at this time. He claimed that he was just joking to tease the girls.
Even though he said so, Moriarty redressed unhurriedly—no more, no less—a total of seven pieces.
"Seven articles of clothing…"
The girls looked at each other. That meant Moriarty still wanted to play.
"A bad student with no good intentions."
Diana pouted and went to purchase more clothes in the High Prosé shopping quarter.
"Professor, wait for me~"
Tonks, Penelope, and Gemma chased after her. They didn't have enough clothing and needed to stock up.
Fleur also turned to return to her room to collect more clothing. Before leaving, she waved her clenched fist at Moriarty. "Just wait—you're going to lose this time!"
Soon, only Moriarty and Mrs. Malfoy remained in the living room.
"Aren't you going to change?"
Moriarty asked casually.
"Too lazy to move."
Mrs. Malfoy found a comfortable position on the chesterfield and lounged lazily. The earlier argument with Diana had worn her out.
"Clack, clack."
Mrs. Malfoy slipped off her two slippers, stretching her long legs and crossing one over the other.
Moriarty glanced at her, as usual. Her legs were not quite as long as Diana's, but they were shapely and elegant.
Then he counted her articles of clothing, one by one.
"Slippers, stockings, black trousers, purple dress, a matched set of undergarments. Six items. One short."
"I'll throw on a cloak later."
Mrs. Malfoy propped her left arm against the side of the sofa and rested her chin in her palm. Her posture was relaxed, but the way she peeked at Moriarty revealed her quiet calculation.
Moriarty nodded. Before he could think further, Fleur returned—and she had indeed changed into black stockings.
Mrs. Malfoy immediately sat upright and gave her a look-over.
Fleur had shed her usual Lolita innocence and adopted an alluring style. She'd applied light makeup, donned a sleek leather jacket, and stepped into high heels. The change rendered her utterly mesmerizing.
As a part-Veela, Fleur was already stunning by nature, but with this intentional transformation, her allure was nearly blinding.
Soon, Diana and the rest returned. Each of them sported a different look, showcasing their unique charms.
Diana wore a formal black ensemble that accentuated her authority. Aside from her pointed ears, she could easily pass for a strict Muggle professor.
Tonks radiated vitality in a denim jacket and short skirt.
Penelope wore elegant white slacks and a crisp shirt, topped with a small khaki blazer—she resembled an efficient secretary.
Gemma wore a cozy milky-white turtleneck sweater and dainty boots, sweet and reserved.
"I've changed. Let's begin."
Mrs. Malfoy nodded toward the bedroom, and the girls promptly filed in.
The format remained "Landlords vs. Farmers," but this time the team split was three against four: three landlords and four farmers.
Playing order: Tonks, Mrs. Malfoy, Gemma, Penelope, Diana, Fleur, and finally Moriarty.
This time, the atmosphere was lighter.
The previous bickering and petty confrontations had subdued; the girls were more restrained now.
However, they barely acknowledged Moriarty. No small talk, no glances—only focused, silent gameplay.
Moriarty observed them and chuckled quietly to himself.
They acted as though they were gambling their family fortunes. Every card was played with deliberate gravity, as though the fate of the wizarding world hinged upon it.
Indeed, it was graver than bankruptcy.
The girls demonstrated just how much they valued this game of cards.
Every round was a calculated endeavor; even the slightest misstep was treated like a duel-worthy offense.
Moriarty, while keeping track of the match, also paid attention to the dynamics between them.
By the end of the round, he, Fleur, and Gemma had lost.
The two girls kicked off their shoes and tucked their feet under the quilt. Moriarty copied their behavior and did the same.
"Bah!"
Tonks flicked her fingers at Moriarty's cheek. "You shameless boy, how dare you take advantage of Fleur and Gemma!"
"I'm just following the rules," Moriarty replied calmly.
"What kind of rule allows a boy to tuck his feet into the same quilt as girls? You're too young—some teachers can't even explain it properly!" Diana cried, clearly disgruntled.
Suddenly, she had a wicked thought: if she lost the next round, she could remove her heels—and with her feet under the quilt…
Her eyes sparkled playfully as she gave Moriarty a sly wink.
Moriarty shuffled the cards with a stoic expression. By now, he had a solid grasp of each girl's skill level.
To his surprise, Penelope was the most adept player.
Then came Diana.
Mrs. Malfoy, Fleur, and Tonks were fairly evenly matched.
However, Mrs. Malfoy's years of navigating the political complexities of pure-blood society had given her a sharp instinct, placing her above the younger witches.
Gemma, unfortunately, was the weakest and had abysmal luck.
By the second round, Moriarty began balancing wins and losses—losing one, winning the next, keeping everything in check.
You remove one item, I remove one item.
But even with his careful maneuvering, the girls still gave him resentful glances whenever he bested them in a round.
Despite their mischief and competitiveness, Moriarty made sure no one ended up indecent.
But the girls were out for blood—or rather, embarrassment.
They wanted their rivals humiliated, and they weren't hiding it.
After a few more games, Gemma was the first to remove her trousers, folding them neatly by the bedside in embarrassment.
"Sister Gemma, you've got a heart of gold,"
Moriarty said, smirking. The rest of the girls laughed.
That's when he finally understood what the bear was—and why it was backward.
Gemma quickly buried her pale legs under the quilt and jabbed her fingers into Moriarty's side playfully.
The girls, having caught a peek of her, seemed more excited than Moriarty himself. Like hungry wolves spotting a defenseless lamb, their eyes sparkled.
"Come on, next game!"
Gemma grabbed the cards and shuffled with newfound confidence.
"Today, Moriarty's going to see all of you!"
"As if!" Fleur snapped.
"Go on, go on," Tonks muttered, her hair spiked like a Quidditch fanatic.
The game resumed.
Maybe it was the absence of her trousers, but Gemma's luck turned around.
"Six tens! Match me if you dare! No one? Then I win!"
"78910JackQueen2! 88991010! Five 2s! Still feeling cocky?"
"Tsk! That's pathetic. Four kings, that's how it's done!"
Gemma won three games back-to-back.
Meanwhile, Moriarty, Fleur, Mrs. Malfoy, and Diana each lost a jacket and trousers.
The flash of white fabric was nearly blinding, the scene downright seductive.
For Mrs. Malfoy, this was the first time she'd exposed herself in front of a man other than her husband.
Moriarty noticed her discomfort and deliberately looked away.
Mrs. Malfoy visibly relaxed and slid her legs under the blanket.
Diana, however, boldly crossed her legs atop the bed.
Moriarty's gaze locked in place, and the girls howled, "Shameless teacher!"
Flushed, Diana pulled her legs back under the quilt like the others.
Moriarty followed suit and subtly slid a hand beneath it.
Diana's body responded instantly.
A blossom-like crimson bloomed across her neck, her cheeks, and soon even her collarbone glowed pink, lending her a sultry allure.
Several rounds later, more legs joined under the quilt. In the resulting chaos, Moriarty occasionally grabbed the wrong leg.
A few times, Mrs. Malfoy gave him fleeting glances that shimmered like water.
As the night stretched on, Moriarty continued to balance wins and losses. Between rounds, he engaged in playful banter with the girls.
Eventually, fatigue overtook them.
One by one, the girls dozed off—heads bobbing, cards slipping from their fingers.
Moriarty gently extracted himself from the tangle of arms and legs.
He climbed over the white sheets, carefully tucking the girls under the quilt.
Then he rose from the bed and closed the door behind him, leaving them to their dreams.
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