The night before Christmas, Fanny had been a little down all day. When Anne asked her about it, she brushed it off, saying it was nothing. Anne just assumed she was throwing a childish tantrum, after all, kids could be hard to read sometimes.
Maybe tomorrow's Christmas gift will cheer her up, Anne thought as she ate dinner. She occasionally glanced over at the Gryffindor table. The Trio were eating and whispering among themselves, clearly deep in some discussion.
Anne hesitated. She wasn't sure whether she should invite Hermione. She still remembered Hermione giving her cold medicine last time, and she was certain Hermione would give her a Christmas present this year. If that happened, she'd have to return the favor, she didn't like owing people. Inviting her to tomorrow morning's gathering should be harmless, right? Just Hermione. It shouldn't mean I'm getting involved in anything else… right?
"Anne, why do you keep sneaking looks at the Gryffindor table?" Fanny asked. Her voice wasn't loud, but it startled Anne.
Anne nearly dropped her spoon. She quickly tightened her grip and leaned slightly toward Fanny. "Fanny, do you think it'd be bad if I invited Hermione to that gathering tomorrow morning? The one I told you about?"
Fanny thought about it and asked, "…Are you worried the other two will mind if you only invite her?"
"Uh… not really…" It's not like they're my friends. I don't owe them anything. And if I invited all three, that would really entangle me with the protagonists. Things are already heading that way a little, but hanging out with just one is still better than being involved with the entire Trio. Otherwise, one thing could lead to another and I'd get dragged into their adventures... No, no, stop overthinking.
"So what exactly are you planning? I still don't know what that little room next to the kitchen is for. And are you seriously going to wake up at eight?"
"Well, it's a surprise for now," Anne said, though she felt awkward bringing it up. "I just want to thank Hermione for the cold medicine she gave me..."
She paused. "Actually, that's not the whole reason… Ah, how do I even explain this…" The more she talked, the messier it got. Maybe I should just buy her another gift and save the gratitude for another time? But I already made food for three!
Fanny looked at her curiously. "But aren't small favors like that normal between friends?"
That's just the label you all put on us! Anne thought. At best, we're… Wait… what are we, actually? Former allies due to the dragon stuff? Acquaintances? Honestly, Hermione had always been kind to her, lending Transfiguration notes, helping with cold medicine...
So… classmates? No, that doesn't feel right either… Friends? As soon as the thought appeared, Anne scolded herself. No! I said I wouldn't become friends with the protagonists. Definitely not.
Then a voice echoed in her mind, something Fanny had once told her: "Anne, no matter what you say, your actions show you treat them like friends."
No, no, no, everything I've done has a reason! Anne mentally defended herself. The dragon thing? Mutual benefit. The Philosopher's Stone? Fanny threatened me. Helping Ron with the Slug Spell? That was a spur-of-the-moment chance to test my potion skills. All reasonable! And when I helped them with their little problems, that was just me being a wise adult giving guidance, okay? Totally forgivable.
But precisely because of that, she needed to distance herself from the Trio even more..
Tomorrow will be a turning point. I'll repay Hermione's kindness, and then if they try to involve me again, I'll just stay out of it. Eventually, they'll get too busy with their own stuff and stop noticing me.
With her plan in mind, Anne glanced back at the Gryffindor table, mentally steeling herself. "Right. Just a small thing. I can totally handle this…"
Because Anne and Fanny kept glancing at the Trio while chatting, the three of them had definitely noticed. When Anne looked over again, they were all staring back.
All three tensed immediately.
Since the Trio had seen her, Anne didn't bother hiding anymore. She asked Fanny, "You finished eating?" When Fanny nodded, Anne got up and walked directly to the Gryffindor table. Fanny quickly followed behind.
As Anne got closer, the Trio grew more nervous, her expression was unusually serious, as if she'd made up her mind.
Anne stopped in front of them. They all froze and stared up at her.
Thinking about the invitation and tomorrow's plan put Anne in a better mood, and that showed on her face. But it had been a while since she talked to Hermione, and she didn't quite know how to begin. Since all three were present, and her last conversation with them hadn't exactly gone well, she defaulted to a universal greeting. "Hi… good evening…"
The Trio had expected her to bring up something about Fanny. They were stunned when she said that instead. Only Ron managed to react in time, replying, "Hi…"
Anne awkwardly rubbed her neck and turned to Hermione. "I have something I wanted to ask you, Hermione…"
Ron and Harry exchanged a look, then quickly stood up and stepped away. "You two go ahead and talk…" "Yeah, Hermione, we'll wait outside…"
They gave Hermione encouraging glances before hurrying off. Hermione shot them an exasperated look and turned to Anne, puzzled. Behind Anne, Fanny gave Hermione a reassuring smile.
"I just wanted to ask if you're free tomorrow morning. I'd like to invite you to a small gathering at 8 a.m., in the little room beside the kitchen on the dungeon floor. There's a sign on the door that says 'Pantry'." Anne said all in one breath, then exhaled in relief.
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Of course! I'd love to come."
"That's great, Hermione," Fanny chimed in behind Anne. "Anne was agonizing over it for ages, too shy to ask. I told her you'd definitely want to come."
"I wasn't shy…" Anne tried to explain, but Fanny cut her off with a grin, "Then what were you hesitating about?"
"I…"
Hermione giggled, and Fanny raised her eyebrows at the flustered Anne.
The moment didn't last long, though, Hermione noticed Anne's left hand was no longer bandaged. There was a pink scar about two inches long on the back. She remembered how disheveled Anne had looked that day and asked, "Anne, what happened to your hand?"
"Oh, this?" Anne glanced at it. "Scratched by a tree branch a few days ago. Just some bad luck. It bled a bit, but Madam Pomfrey gave me some ointment. It's fine now."
There weren't many people left in the hall by then, and even fewer were around when they finished talking. Anne figured it was getting late. "Oh, and remember not to eat breakfast. I'll head off now, Harry and Ron are still waiting for you. See you tomorrow!"
"Got it," Hermione replied.
Harry and Ron were still standing by the entrance, whispering about what Anne could possibly want. When Anne and Fanny walked out, the four exchanged greetings before heading off, Anne and Fanny to their common room, and Hermione with the boys. On the way, the boys eagerly asked Hermione what Anne had said. She assured them that nothing about Fanny had been discovered and briefly mentioned Anne's invitation.
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The next morning, Christmas Day
Anne woke up just as dawn broke. Without waking Fanny, she quietly got dressed and left the dorm.
When Fanny woke up naturally around 7:30, she was surprised to find Anne already gone. That only deepened her curiosity about the 8 a.m. meeting.
After quickly getting ready, Fanny headed toward the kitchen on the dungeon level. Although the Slytherin common room was also underground, the kitchen was on the opposite side of the castle. She had to go upstairs, cross a few corridors, and then descend again. On the last hallway before reaching the kitchen, she ran into Hermione.
"Good morning, Hermione!" Fanny called, hurrying to catch up.
"Good morning, Fanny. Where's Anne?" Hermione glanced behind her.
"She was already gone when I woke up. I can't believe she managed to get up this early on such a cold morning!"
"Hearing that makes me look forward to this even more," Hermione said.
"Same here."
The tunnel to the kitchen was lit by tall white candles and felt much warmer than the chilly, drafty hallways above. When they reached a wooden door, Hermione pointed. "This must be it. Anne said there'd be a note that said "Pantry."
The wooden door wasn't tall and had the words "Pantry" messily scrawled across the center in thick black ink.
"This doesn't exactly look like the best place for an invitation," Fanny said.
Just then, a cheerful voice came from the kitchen doorway. "You're here? Perfect timing." Anne appeared, carrying a rectangular wooden tray with a porcelain soup pot on it, lid and all.
"What's that?" the two girls asked in unison.
Anne gave a mysterious smile. "I can't tell you yet. You'll find out soon. Go ahead and head inside."
Fanny looked at the door. It didn't even have a handle. She gave Anne a look.
"Ahem, yeah, the door's a bit… rustic. No handle, just push it open."
Hermione pushed the door. Despite its unimpressive exterior, the room inside was spacious. In the center stood a wooden table with three chairs, a clean patterned tablecloth, a glowing potted plant as the centerpiece, and place settings with candles. The setup was warm and charming.
Anne placed her tray on the table and pulled out the other two chairs, bowing playfully. "Please be seated, ladies."
Fanny and Hermione laughed.
Hermione took a seat, glanced at the table setting, and her eyes landed on the glowing plant in the center. "What's that?"
"That's a luminous branch, a plant that glows. I borrowed it," Anne replied. With a casual wave of her wand, music began to play softly from a corner of the room. The melody blended the sound of trickling streams, birdsong, and chirping insects, along with the notes of an unfamiliar instrument.
Standing at the table, Anne's tone grew slightly excited. "I promise you, this breakfast is nothing like your usual ones. It's filled with unique flavors."
Fanny looked at the neatly arranged silverware, then curiously pointed to the porcelain soup pot in the center of the table. "Is that what's traditionally eaten during your Christmas?"
Anne shook her head. "Not just that. I've prepared more than that." She snapped her fingers and murmured a spell. Just like at the welcome feast, food suddenly appeared on the empty side of the table.
"What's all this?" Fanny asked, while Hermione leaned forward, fascinated.
Anne walked over to the newly laden table and opened the top layer of a stacked bamboo steamer. A cloud of fragrant steam billowed out. She placed the top basket beside the soup pot and introduced it. "These are dumplings. This variety is filled with chopped shrimp and corn.
Fanny and Hermione both peered into the steamer at the three translucent dumplings inside. Hermione leaned in and sniffed. "It really does smell like corn."
Anne giggled. "That's not all! Here's another type, beef and carrot filling." She brought over another steamer.
"There's also cabbage and mushroom veggie dumplings, seafood dumplings, soup dumplings, sweet red bean buns shaped like peaches, little milk buns, custard buns, beef meatballs…" By the time Anne finished listing them, the table was full of steaming bamboo baskets.
Each one radiated warmth, and the savory aromas had a strong effect on the two girls who hadn't had breakfast yet. Fanny swallowed a bit of drool and looked up hopefully. "Can we start eating?"
Hermione looked at Anne too. Anne returned to her seat and smiled. "Of course. Help yourselves!"
Fanny picked up her fork and knife but soon found herself stumped. She glanced around the table and said to Anne, "Everything looks amazing, but using a fork or spoon doesn't feel right…"
At the other end of the table, Hermione nodded in agreement.
Anne, who had just picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks, smoothly turned her hand and transferred it to Fanny's plate. "Then I'll serve you. That's part of the tradition too."
Turning to Hermione, she asked, "Which one would you like to try?"
Hermione looked over the various baskets, each one tempting with its delicious smell. She hesitated. "They all look so good… I'll start with this one."
Anne placed a soup dumpling on Hermione's plate and warned her gently, "This one's pretty hot. Blow on it first."
After finishing a shrimp dumpling, Fanny smiled in satisfaction. "That was really good. Anne, I want to try that green one, why is it green?"
Anne deftly picked one up and served it to her. "The dumpling skin has tea leaves mixed into it…"
She then handed one to Hermione as well.
After a while of Anne serving dish after dish, both Hermione and Fanny began to feel guilty that Anne hadn't eaten much herself. So they asked her to teach them how to use chopsticks. Anne was more than happy to oblige, teaching them by hand. Hermione learned quickly, while Fanny eventually gave up and settled for using a spoon.
As they ate and chatted, the steamers gradually emptied. At last, Anne uncovered the soup pot. Inside were about twenty small, perfectly round white dumplings floating in a clear broth.
"These are the final dishes of today's breakfast. It's a traditional dessert eaten at the end of a Christmas feast. Normally the filling is sesame, but I used a different fruit-based blend that I think you'll really like."
She smiled mischievously at Fanny. "You can use a spoon for these, Fanny…"
Hermione giggled. Fanny pouted, pretending to be aggrieved. Anne took their bowls and served a few tangyuan into each one.
Hermione didn't eat right away. She stirred the round dumplings gently with her spoon. "They're so soft and pretty…"
Anne explained as she watched them play with the dumplings. "The white outer layer is made of glutinous rice, it's soft and chewy. But it's really hot, so be careful." She blew on one with her spoon, then popped it into her mouth.
It slid in easily, smooth and fragrant. The soft glutinous rice gave way to a delicate burst of fruity sweetness. The filling was like a soft fruit gel, bursting with a fragrant, juicy flavor that quickly spread through her mouth. It was a perfectly balanced blend, sweet but not cloying, without any of the tart or bitter aftertaste that some fruits have. After a few bites, the fruit center took on a creamy, chocolate-like texture that seemed to wrap around the chewy rice layer from the inside. The combination was heavenly.
And best of all, unlike the tangyuan from her past life, this one didn't feel like it would get stuck in her throat, it slid down smoothly, leaving a lingering sweetness behind.
Anne closed her eyes and smiled in contentment. This batch was perfect.
Fanny and Hermione followed her lead and each popped one into their mouths. Their eyes lit up instantly, they were clearly loving it.
Anne finished her bowl first, set her spoon down with a satisfied sigh, and leaned back in her chair. Fanny and Hermione followed shortly after.
"That was amazing! The tangyuan were delicious, and everything before them too, but the tangyuan were the best!" Fanny said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Hermione nodded eagerly. "I agree, Anne."
"I'm so glad you liked it," Anne said. "Now that breakfast is nearly over, I have a little Christmas gift for each of you."
She walked over to a dark corner of the room, where no candles had been placed. When she returned to the candlelight, she was carrying two potted plants. She handed one to each of them.
Hermione took hers and looked closely. The plant had small, delicate green leaves. "What kind of plant is this?"
"I'll tell you in a moment," Anne said. "But first, try touching one of the leaves."
Still puzzled, Hermione reached out and gently brushed the leaf. The tiny fronds instantly folded in on themselves.
"Wow! It moved on its own!" Fanny exclaimed. "Is this a magical plant?"
Anne shook her head. "Nope. It's called a mimosa, or sensitive plant. The name means it gets shy when touched. It's a tropical plant, so you probably haven't seen one before since the UK has a temperate climate. But I thought you'd both like it, so I raised two and saved them as Christmas gifts."
Fanny eagerly touched her plant again and again, eyes shining. "I love it!"
Hermione looked up, delighted. "Anne, since it's not magical, does that mean I can take it home and grow it?"
"Absolutely. You can even travel with it, if you want. Just remember, it likes warmth and humidity. With the weather this cold, you'll probably need to keep it near the fireplace."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll look up some books in the library about how to take better care of it."
Anne smiled and added, "You might want to take a closer look at the flowerpot."
Fanny and Hermione lifted their pots again. The plain terracotta surface didn't have any decorations at first glance, but etched faintly into the clay were words:
My name is Mimosa Pudica. I was born long ago in the Americas. I like warm, humid places. Taking care of me isn't easy! I need water once a day and prefer temperatures above 10°C. I get shy when touched, but I've got character, don't try to eat me, because I'm poisonous! I sleep at night and will fold my leaves. Oh, and though I'm just a plant, I can bloom. What color? That depends on how well you treat me!
"Wow… Anne, how did you even come up with this idea? It's brilliant!" Fanny held the pot in both hands like it was a treasure.
Hermione looked just as happy. She turned the pot over, rereading the message several times.
Anne walked to the door and opened it with a grin. "Ladies, I must pause your compliments here. If you stay any longer, you'll miss the rest of this beautiful Christmas morning. I only borrowed this room for the morning, after all."
Fanny and Hermione exchanged a look, then laughed and stepped out together.
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