[Note: Read up to Chapter - 166 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
.
.
.
.
"Brother, I'm back!"
Barely ten minutes after Shirley had left, there came another knock at Aris's door.
In skipped little Luna, with Iris trailing behind her like a tired shadow.
"Where on earth have you two been messing about?" Aris glanced up from his book, his eyes settling on the little whirlwind before him.
Luna's long golden hair was all in a tangle, clearly messed up from being buffeted by the wind.
Behind her, Iris followed listlessly, looking utterly knackered.
"Was it really that bad?" Aris asked, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"Master, you've no idea!" Iris groaned. "Miss Luna's even madder than me. She insisted I take her right across Britain. We were flying for hours on end, no stopping. She wanted to see the sea, the forests… the poor baby dragon's knackered!"
Iris flopped onto the desk, looking utterly done in, as if she'd never move again.
"You went to other countries?" Aris raised an eyebrow, a little taken aback.
He'd assumed Luna was just zipping about the manor, getting a taste of being a dragon rider.
Turns out, these two had gone proper mad!
"I heard there's a magic school called Beauxbatons down in southern France," Luna said, glancing awkwardly at the little dragon before shaking her head with a sigh. "Most of the students there are witches, so I wanted a proper look… but we searched for ages and still couldn't find it!"
"Beauxbatons Academy of Magic?" Aris muttered, stunned.
That's all the way across Britain and the English Channel! No wonder Iris looks like she's ready to drop.
"Master, I need to replenish my energy!" Iris whimpered, giving him a pitiful look.
Aris had no choice but to wave his wand, and a decent pile of food floated over to the pair.
The little dragon gave Luna a protective glance, scooped up all the food in its tiny claws, and scuttled straight back to its pet space.
Looks like it wanted to enjoy the feast all to itself.
"Elise!!!"
Luna's eyes widened as she watched the little dragon vanish, and she couldn't help but roll them in exasperation. She was hungry too!
Seeing her expectant gaze, Aris had no choice but to wave his wand again, conjuring some more food from the kitchen.
At last, Luna settled down happily, nibbling her midnight snack.
"Brother, are they sleeping here tonight as well?"
Luna's gaze drifted over to the big bed, where Hermione and Cho were already fast asleep. She looked at Aris with a mischievous glint in her eyes and asked softly, her tone tinged with coquettish charm.
"Well… it's said that some people get scared of not being able to sleep…"
Aris gave a small, awkward smile and lowered his head, pretending to focus on the book in his hands.
"Brother… do you like them?"
Luna's voice piped up again, carrying an odd, almost pouty tone with a hint of displeasure.
"Why d'you say that?" Aris coughed lightly, sidestepping a direct answer.
"If it were Harry Potter… my brother would never let him into the room!"
"He's a boy… so it's different," Aris said, scratching his nose guiltily.
"And besides… aren't you sleeping here too?"
Aris paused, then tried a counterattack. "Does Luna like her brother too, then?"
"Of course!" The little girl nodded without the tiniest hint of hesitation.
"No, I mean…" Aris felt like he'd just shot himself in the foot.
"I know what you mean!" Luna tapped her chin seriously. "I just like my brother. When we grow up… if my brother's willing to live with me, then Luna will marry him!"
"Let's… talk about this later," Aris said, feeling thoroughly overwhelmed.
This little girl certainly played with no half measures—straight down the line!
Who could possibly stand this?
"Brother… you don't dislike Luna, do you?" The little girl's face suddenly flickered with unease.
Aris felt his confusion deepen. He thought carefully, grew a bit more serious, and looked at the little witch before him.
"Of course I like Luna… but we're still young, aren't we?" Aris chose his words cautiously, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "And… what if, when you grow up, you fancy someone else?"
"Perhaps… you just haven't met anyone better than my brother yet!"
"There'll never be anyone better than my brother!" Luna said with absolute certainty.
"As long as my brother's willing, Luna will definitely marry him when she grows up!"
The little witch gazed at Aris with unwavering seriousness, her eyes full of persistence.
Aris fell silent. He admitted to himself that if Luna were to marry someone else in the future, he'd feel… terribly uncomfortable. In fact, he didn't even dare to think about such an outcome.
Therefore, really, there was no need for him to worry so much.
After a moment, Aris' gaze softened. He reached out, gently brushed Luna's long hair, and nodded.
"Alright then… when you grow up, if you still haven't changed your mind, you can marry me!"
Saying it calmed his heart instantly. It felt as though he'd found a sense of belonging in this otherwise strange world, forming an invisible bond. The sensation was deeply fulfilling—perhaps even more satisfying than the thrill of growing stronger in magic.
"Then let's make a pinky promise!"
Luna suddenly stretched out her hand, raising her little finger. Aris shook his head in mild amusement, but he still hooked his pinky with hers.
"Once you make a pinky promise, you can't go back on your word!" Luna said seriously, looking him square in the eyes.
"Right… no regrets!" Aris nodded with equal seriousness.
For a moment, the smile on Luna's face was brighter than the stars in a spy story, breathtakingly beautiful.
Then, as if a thought had struck her, her smile suddenly faded.
"Brother, what should we do?" the girl asked, pointing at the bed.
"Uh…" Aris was caught off guard by the sudden question. He gave a wry smile. "Wait… didn't they just say they wanted to marry my brother? Is Luna jealous, then?"
"Who knows!" Luna pouted, then suddenly spun around. "Anyway, I'm knackered. I'm going to bed!"
Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she darted under the quilt.
Just as Aris was blinking in surprise, she popped her head out again and said in a low, grumpy voice:
"Brother isn't allowed to sleep on the bed tonight, humph!"
Then, as if nothing had happened, she burrowed her little head back under the covers.
"This…" Aris' mouth twitched. "If I'm not sleeping on the bed, where am I supposed to kip?"
"That's a bit much!" he muttered to himself. "Not only are you taking my bed, now you want to take over my room as well?"
Surveying the room, it seemed the only other option was the small sofa by the desk.
Aris rubbed his temples and shook his head helplessly. Best not to argue with the ladies.
Though the bed was massive, it was still quite cramped with all of them sprawled across it. He sighed and thought, 'Well… just consider it taking care of the girls, then.'
.
.
.
.
Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 166 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]