Hermione gently tapped the tip of Lia's nose with her fingertip, watching as the Cat-girl narrowed her eyes comfortably at the action, a faint and satisfied purr vibrating in her throat.
"I'm full." Lia put down the small round-headed spoon and haphazardly wiped her mouth with a napkin.
The next second, she flopped onto the chair and turned back into that snowy, fluffy Ragdoll Cat.
With a light leap, she jumped accurately into Hermione's warm embrace and familiarly found the most comfortable position to curl up in, her long, fluffy tail sweeping across Hermione's arm now and then with a lazy itchiness.
Hermione skillfully held the cat with one hand while using the other to carefully wipe Lia's mouth with a tissue, only standing up to leave after confirming she was clean.
"Leaving already?" Ron asked indistinctly, his mouth still stuffed with a piece of pudding. "The feast is far from over! Dumbledore hasn't even told any jokes yet!"
"Not everyone has two stomachs like you, Ron!" Hermione rolled her eyes at him, though her lips couldn't help but curve upward; the warmth and softness in her arms put her in an excellent mood. "We have to go back and pack our luggage. If you don't want to be on the train tomorrow with dark circles under your eyes, you'd better eat faster too."
"Got it, Mom," Ron made a face, drawing a muffled laugh from Harry.
On the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, the three of them joked and played around. The previous friction seemed to have been completely melted away by the revelry of the House Cup, and the atmosphere was lively.
"Seriously, Hermione," Ron said loudly as he dodged Hermione's feigned blow with a book, "you really look like the owner of that old cat my mom keeps now. Oh, wait, Lia is ten thousand times prettier than that old and ugly Crookshanks!"
"True, I've never seen a cat prettier than Lia." Harry followed beside them with a smile, watching as Hermione instinctively tightened her arms to hold Lia closer while bickering with Ron. That strange sense of harmony made him feel warm inside. This year's adventures seemed to have made their friendship even more indestructible.
Though he still didn't know why there were things needing adventures in Hogwarts, the safest place in the world.
At the dormitory door, the three finally parted reluctantly.
Hermione spent most of her time on Lia. As she took out the velvet jewelry box and solemnly placed the cleaned, exclusive utensils inside, Lia, who had already changed back into her Cat-girl form, leaned in curiously, her head tilted and silver hair cascading down.
"These are yours," Hermione whispered to her. "Use these for meals from now on. They've been enchanted with magic and will never hurt you."
Lia nodded half-understandingly, then reached out a small hand to gently touch the rounded little fork, her eyes fixed intently on what Hermione took out from the bedside table—the glass jar of Dried Fish. It was as if she were looking at the love of her life.
Hermione laughed and poured two pieces into her palm. Lia immediately curled them away with her pink tongue, narrowing her eyes happily. Her two cat ears twitched slightly as she chewed, a look of total satisfaction on her face.
The next morning, the hogwarts express roared amidst the steam.
The three of them found a compartment as usual. Lia had fallen asleep curled up on Hermione's lap in her Cat-girl form. Her tail, like a living white scarf, snuck out from under her robes and wrapped around Hermione's waist.
"Hey, look at this!" Ron opened a pack of bertie botts every flavor beans like he was showing off a treasure. "Harry, dare to have one? I bet it's not booger-flavored!"
"You're on!" Harry was not to be outdone.
Just as the two were about to start their battle, Ron suddenly remembered something and said to Hermione in a low, mischievous voice, "Hermione, want to give one to Lia too? She's definitely never had them! I bet she'd like the sardine flavor."
"Ron Weasley!" Hermione hissed in a low voice. "Do you want her to taste earwax or vomit? If you dare bring that thing within a centimeter of her, I'll turn you into a real slug!"
"Just a joke! merlins beard!" Ron immediately raised his hands in surrender, making Harry laugh out loud.
After the train had been traveling for a few hours, the food trolley passed by.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?"
"A whole lot!" Ron waved grandly, then looked at Harry piteously. "Harry, you pay first. I'll pay you back with the socks made by House-elves I got over the summer break."
Hermione shook her head with a smile, ignoring the two clowns. She took out the insulated food box from her bag. Once opened, the aroma of meticulously cooked Salmon and a small pinch of Catnip instantly filled the entire compartment.
She gently woke Lia and used the exclusive little fork to pick up a small piece of pink fish, blowing on it before feeding it to Lia.
Lia opened her mouth bleary-eyed, and after eating it, she was fully awake. Her deep blue eyes sparkled, and the tip of her tail swayed happily and uncontrollably.
"merlins beard," Ron watched the exquisite fish and swallowed hard. "Hermione, you're being way too biased! Lia eats better than the Minister for magic!"
Harry also leaned in to look, commenting sincerely, "It really does look good. Hermione, you're a genius at taking care of people."
"Of course I am." Hermione raised her chin proudly, but her movements became even more gentle as she fed Lia bite by bite, enjoying the girl's complete reliance on her.
The jokes and banter between friends, and Hermione's focused, almost obsessive favoritism, formed a warm and vivid picture. Their bond had long since transcended words, capable of embracing every side of one another.
The train finally pulled slowly into London King's Cross Station.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was bustling with noise. Various sounds surged like ocean waves, causing Lia, who was used to the silence of the wild, to instantly tense up.
Hermione noticed immediately. She helped Lia tidy her hair and took her cold little hand. "Hold onto me. Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Lia nodded and gripped back tightly. The warmth and strength of that hand were her only barrier against the noise of the world. Although it wasn't her first time stepping into Hermione's Muggle world, Hermione's hand was as reassuring as ever to the cat.
"Hermione!" a gentle female voice called out.
An intellectual-looking middle-aged couple walked over quickly. They were dressed in proper Muggle clothing, with kind smiles on their faces.
"Dad! Mom!" Hermione let go of Lia and stepped forward to hug her parents tightly.
After the hug, Mrs. Granger affectionately stroked her daughter's hair. Her gaze then fell upon the girl behind her daughter, who was so beautiful she didn't look real and was nervously clutching the edge of Hermione's clothes. She noticed the pair of white cat ears twitching slightly amidst the silver hair and the long, fluffy tail hidden uneasily behind her.
"Oh, Lia, long time no see. I hope you liked the Christmas present from last time."
Lia couldn't yet handle such direct enthusiasm and appeared a bit flustered.
"Th... thank you."
"Alright, Dad, Mom," Hermione took Lia's hand again and pulled her to her side in an unquestionable protective stance. "Let's head back first. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Lia will be staying with me this summer too."
"Oh?" The Grangers exchanged a look, seeing the inquiry in each other's eyes.
Hermione met her parents' gaze with a firm tone. "Her situation is rather special and she needs someone to look after her. At Hogwarts, I'm responsible for her. At home, it's the same. I've already decided."
Looking at the seriousness on their daughter's face that went beyond her years, The Grangers finally smiled with helpless affection.
Mrs. Granger stepped forward and said gently to the somewhat bewildered Lia, "Of course, no problem. Welcome, Lia. Hermione's friend is our friend."
As she spoke, she tentatively reached out and, as if handling a treasure, gently stroked Lia's cat ears.
Lia's body stiffened, but under Hermione's reassuring gaze, she slowly relaxed.
The soft texture made Mrs. Granger let out a small exclamation of wonder.
"My goodness," she whispered to Hermione, "I think I understand why you like her so much."
Hermione's cheeks turned slightly red, but she gripped Lia's hand even tighter.
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