Vita Magicis (HP SI-WC)

Chapter 39: Girls, Sweets, and Sneezes

It didn’t take us very long to find a compartment to settle into—though that was probably due to the tight grip Rin and Illya had on my arms, refusing to let go whenever one of my classmates or acquaintances called me over.

It led to a lot of awkward hellos, but I ultimately put it to the back of my mind.

The compartment we chose already had an occupant: a pretty blonde with radish earrings and silvery eyes that gave her an almost ethereal look.

She looked up from the newspaper she was reading upside-down, and her entire face lit up when her eyes met mine.

“Aether~” she exclaimed, practically tossing the paper aside as she stood up and pulled me into a hug—completely disregarding the rather intense glares she was getting from Rin, Illya, and Sakura. Then again, it was Luna—either she didn’t notice them, or she simply didn’t care. You could never really tell with her.

“Luna. It’s so good to see you. How was your summer?” I greeted her with a smile, genuinely happy to see her as I returned the hug. Rin and Illya reluctantly let go of my arms.

“Good. I’m just glad you’re back,” Luna murmured into my chest, letting out a happy sigh before looking up at me with those clear silver eyes. “Did you bring Maya?”

“Hahaha, of course I did,” I said with a warm nod. And right on cue, my shirt pocket wriggled slightly before a tiny snake head popped out.

“Is that…” Luna asked curiously, gently picking up the little garden snake who blinked up at her with eyes far too intelligent for a common animal.

Maya slowly nodded her head as if confirming Luna’s thoughts, then rubbed her head against Luna’s palm in greeting.

“Yep, you guessed it. Maya here actually has the ability to transform into any animal or person she chooses—not just a human form,” I explained, revealing more about her power, which had come from a Company Template.

At that, Luna’s eyes sparkled with wonder as she stared at Maya like she was the most precious creature in the world. “Any animal you say? Even magical ones?” she asked, barely restraining her excitement.

I felt a sweatdrop forming at the back of my neck, already knowing where she was going with this. I sighed in amusement.

“That’s right. And before you ask—yes, she can turn into a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. She just needs to see one first and inspect it.”

I smiled fondly.

‘Actually… that might make a great Christmas present. I’ll just ask Asako to track one down using Target Tracker. I did see in the Catalogue that they’re real.’

“Amazing~ Hihi, to be honest, I’m kind of envious that you have a friend who can transform into any animal,” Luna gushed as Maya slithered up onto her shoulder and settled down for another nap. “Though, I guess I don’t mind too much. Discovering new species on my own is half the fun. Having someone like Maya would take the adventure out of it.”

‘I swear, Maya’s so lazy. If she didn’t need to eat or explore occasionally, she’d sleep all day, At this rate you’ll turn into a cute couch potato, Maya.’ I thought, deadpanning as I glanced at the drowsy serpent.

It seemed we’d gotten too caught up in our conversation, because suddenly I felt two very pointed pinches in my back—courtesy of Rin and Illya—and a third hand tugging on my sleeve.

Twitching slightly from the pain, I turned around to find Rin and Illya glaring daggers at me, while Sakura gave me an adorable kicked-puppy look.

“Hahaha…” I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my head as I finally sat down. Illya and Sakura instantly took their places at either side of me, with a pouty Rin grudgingly taking the spot beside her sister.

“Right,” I coughed into my hand before turning to Luna. “Luna, let me introduce you to Rin and Sakura Tohsaka, and Illyasviel von Einzbern. They’ll be joining us at Hogwarts this year.”

Luna blinked curiously at the girls, tilting her head in that way only she could before giving them a mysterious smile. “Hello, friends of Aether from another world. I’m Luna Lovegood. I hope we can be friends too—I’d love to learn about your world’s culture~”

Her words shocked us—or rather, shocked the girls. I was already used to Luna’s… well, Lunaness.

“H-How did she…?” Rin murmured, her earlier jealousy completely forgotten.

“When did she figure it out…?” Illya added, just as stunned.

Sakura said nothing, but she looked equally surprised.

“Haah… I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” I said with a resigned sigh, though I wasn’t really bothered. “Don’t worry, girls. Luna’s a very loyal friend, and I trust her with my life. If we ask her to keep this a secret, she will.”

After all, who could stay mad at Luna? It was physically impossible. She was the cinnamon roll of Harry Potter and anyone who said otherwise was wrong and an idiot.

“Oh?” Luna blinked in mild surprise and tilted her head again, looking the perfect picture of innocence—though she clearly looked pleased at my words with the cute blush on her cheeks. “Sorry, was that supposed to be a secret? Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Even if I did, no one would believe me anyway.”

She smiled sweetly, completely unfazed.

Some students had already started calling her “Loony” behind her back, but since she was always hanging around with me and my group, they usually kept those comments to themselves.

‘Tsk. If they know what’s good for them it better stay that way too. At least Cho wasn’t involved this time.’

Shaking the thought from my mind, I decided to catch Luna up on what had happened over the summer—not everything, of course, since that was the girls’ story to tell—but just enough to give her the gist of it.

=====

A While Later

A few minutes later, as we were talking, the compartment door suddenly slid open with force. Before I could react, I heard a familiar voice shout my name—right before a brown missile slammed into my chest.

“Oomph!” I wheezed slightly, instinctively wrapping my arms around the feminine figure and looking down into a pair of amused, light green eyes framed by a smug little smirk.

“Hello, Astoria. I missed you—can’t say the same for the surprise tackles, though,” I greeted the little gremlin with a sigh, pulling her in for a proper hug to her clear delight.

Another figure appeared at the doorway: Daphne, standing there with her usual exasperated look. The moment her eyes landed on me, however, her expression softened, lighting up with a blush and a quiet smile.

“And hello, Daphne. I missed you too. Want to join in? I have enough room in my lap to squeeze the two of you~” I teased with a raised eyebrow.

Blushing even harder, Daphne groaned before stepping into the compartment and closing the door behind her. She cast a quick, curious glance at the girls beside me but paid them no mind for now.

“You two are impossible,” she muttered with a sigh, which earned her an amused giggle from Astoria and a grin from me.

“But… I guess I missed you too. Annoying as you are,” Daphne added with an embarrassed tone, turning her head away in a textbook tsundere move—despite her usual kuudere persona.

“Hihihi~ Daph woke up really early today and spent hours trying to look her best for you~” Astoria revealed with a mischievous glint, only to yelp as a quick stinging hex flew her way, courtesy of her red-faced sister.

“Quiet, you!” Daphne hissed, while Astoria laughed harder and stuck her tongue out in triumph.

Taking a closer look at the sisters now—thanks to Astoria’s little revelation—I noticed Daphne was wearing a more modern outfit (or what passed for modern in the wizarding world), paired with subtle makeup and eyeshadow that really brought out her natural beauty.

Then, looking down at Astoria—who grinned and all but preened under my gaze—I noted she was wearing a snug t-shirt, skirt, and leggings that showed off her maturing figure quite well.

Actually, now that I was really paying attention, Astoria had changed a lot over the summer. She’d filled out, looking healthier and more vibrant, almost catching up to Daphne. It was a massive improvement from her slightly malnourished appearance last year.

With a warm smile, I turned to both sisters.

“You two look amazing. Especially you, Tori. Just make sure not to eat too many snacks, alright? Being healthy now doesn’t mean you can just eat sweets all day.” I complimented them both genuinely, earning matching blushes before teasing Astoria with a gentle poke to the stomach, making her jump slightly.

I was lying of course. Thanks to the many perks from the Company, they and anyone bound by me wouldn’t have to worry about keeping their figure in shape anymore. As soon as they reached their peak, they would stay that way forever. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t tease them for it while I still could.

“H-Hmph! I’ll have you know that everything I eat goes to the right places~” Astoria replied with mock sass, trying to tease me while hiding how flustered she really was.

Feeling three pairs of glares boring into the back of my skull, I winced internally—having gotten too caught up in the moment and completely forgotten about reintroducing Rin, Sakura, and Illya.

Coughing into my hand, I politely asked Astoria to hop off my lap, which she did—albeit reluctantly. But not before surprising me with a quick wet kiss on the cheek. Then, with a smug smile, she plopped down in the seat across from us and shot the girls beside me a playful, challenging look.

That was all it took.

Sakura and Illya instantly glued themselves to my sides, each gripping one of my arms while glaring daggers at the gremlin opposite them. Astoria, naturally, only grinned wider and waved mockingly in response, the brat.

Illya was practically hissing like an angry cat, and Sakura… Sakura had the most emotionless expression I’d ever seen on her. Which was terrifying in its own right.

The scariest one, though, was Rin. Her entire face was red, her fingers twitching at her sides, and her eyes had turned that dangerous divine red. She looked ready to explode.

“R-Right… anyway,” I began awkwardly, coughing into my fist again. “Astoria, Daphne—allow me to introduce a few friends I met during the summer—”

I was cut off by the compartment door sliding open again.

Standing there in the doorway were Hermione, Rose, and Ginny.

‘Fuuuuckkk…’ I groaned internally, already bracing myself for the incoming headache.

While I silently suffered, I should probably mention that Luna had gone back to reading the Quibbler upside down with a garden snake, Maya, on her shoulder that appeared to be reading too.

=====

Several Hours Later

It had taken several hours to pacify everyone, but I had finally succeeded. Somewhat.

Illya and Sakura were still glued to my sides, subtly glaring at everyone whenever they thought I wasn’t paying attention, but at least things hadn’t escalated into total chaos like I feared they would.

Rin had even—begrudgingly—allowed Hermione to sit beside her, and the two were now engaged in a surprisingly civil discussion about what to expect at Hogwarts. Hermione looked genuinely happy to have found someone who wasn’t overwhelmed by her passion for academics.

Of course, that didn’t mean everything was okay. Rin kept sneaking wary, guarded glances at the others—specifically at Daphne, who was doing the exact same thing to her. Hermione, for her part, would occasionally shoot a calculating look at Rin whenever the girl wasn’t paying attention.

Honestly, it was kind of funny. Those three didn’t trust each other at all and were clearly taking a "wait and see" approach—despite all having fairly similar personalities. Hell, I’d seen both Hermione and Daphne act pretty tsun at times, which only made it more hilarious.

Illya and Astoria got along about as well as fire and water—which is to say, not at all. The two little gremlins were still locked in their cold war, constantly trying to get a rise out of one another with bratty comments and subtle provocations. At this point, I was seriously tempted to bend them both over my knee and give them the spanking they clearly missed out on growing up.

Brats need correction, I was coming to learn that.

Finally, Sakura didn’t seem to get along too well with Ginny and Rose for some reason, judging by the fake smiles and the polite-but-slightly-hostile tone they all used with each other. I didn’t know what was going on there, but I was sure I’d find out eventually—and it probably wouldn’t be pretty.

Luna, though? Luna was the one exception to all the chaos. Nobody had a problem with her. But then again, like I’ve said before—who the hell could possibly hate Luna Lovegood?

Only evil people and assholes, that’s who.

Thankfully, the Trolley Lady chose that exact moment to knock on the door with her by-now usual cry of, “Anything off the trolley, dears?”

“Oooh~ Candy!” Illya exclaimed upon seeing the sugary sweets. She immediately turned to me with wide puppy eyes and an exaggerated pout. “Onii-chan, can you buy me some? Pleeeeaaaseeeee?”

“Hahaha, alright, alright, stop with that face. It doesn’t suit you,” I said with a shake of my head, digging into my pocket and pulling out a bunch of Galleons. I glanced at the other girls, already seeing them eyeing the cart.

“Girls, don’t worry. Get whatever you want—this one’s on me.” I smiled and stood up, heading to the cart with Illya practically glued to my side.

I got thankful smiles all around, with Rin and Sakura looking curiously at the strange sweets. Boy, were they in for a surprise when they discovered the magical kick most of them had.

Of course, the other brat took the opportunity to jump on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her chin on my shoulder with a smug grin.

“Don’t mind if I do~ I knew having you around was good for something,” Astoria said in a sing-song voice, ignoring the collective glares aimed her way—especially from Illya, who was now pouting like she wanted that exact spot for herself.

“Girls, please behave, or the deal’s off,” I said lightly. Thankfully, they immediately dialed it down, replacing their glares with perfectly innocent (and fake) smiles.

A few minutes later, we were back in our seats, with a pile of sweets spread on the floor in front of us. Everyone eagerly reached for a snack.

“Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans?” Rin muttered, eyeing the famous candy with suspicion before turning to me with a raised eyebrow. “They’re joking, right?”

“Hahaha, nope,” I replied, happily shaking my head. “They mean every flavour. I don’t think they put in actual feces as that’s too extreme, but anything else is fair game.”

Rin’s eyes widened, and she suddenly held the box as far away from her face as possible, eyeing it like it might explode. Though, I could still see a flicker of curiosity in her gaze.

“Let me try! Let me try!” Illya squealed, grabbing a box and tearing it open. She stared down at the beans, clearly wary, but eventually took a deep breath and plucked out a brown one.

A moment later, she blinked and smiled. “Hihihi~ These are amazing! I got bacon! Juicy and crunchy bacon! Another one!”

Astoria quietly clicked her tongue at Illya’s good fortune before returning to her chocolate frog.

Turning to Sakura, who still looked uncertain about what to pick, I decided to lend a hand. I grabbed a small treat to start her off easy: Crystallized Pineapple, just as the name suggested—pineapple dipped in sugar syrup.

“Here, Sakura. Try this. It’s pineapple, trust me, it’s good,” I said, offering the treat with a smile.

“Thank you, Senpai,” she replied softly, taking a bite. Her eyes lit up. “You’re right. This is good.”

“W-What the devilry is this!?” Rin suddenly cried out, her face twisted in disgust. She spit the bean out and stomped it into the floor. “Was that… dirt!?”

Everyone burst out laughing, especially Illya and Astoria, who were now teasing Rin mercilessly. That, of course, only made Rin more embarrassed—and more annoyed.

“Hmm… ‘Senpai’ and ‘Onii-chan.’ That’s Japanese, right?” Rose asked suddenly. She, Ginny, and Hermione had been strangely quiet for a while now, and ever since I introduced the girls, they’d looked oddly determined. It felt like they were up to something.

“That’s right,” I said with a nod. “Rin and Sakura are from a small city in Japan, and Illya’s originally from Germany, but she’s a dweeb who likes using Japanese honorifics and words.”

“Hey! I am not a dweeb, Onii-chan!” Illya pouted, poking my ribs with surprising force. “I’m half Japanese, and you know it!”

“Dweeb?” Ginny asked, looking confused.

“I don’t know that word, sorry,” Hermione said, still scribbling down notes from her talk with Rin earlier.

“It means—”

I was cut off by the compartment door swinging open. A familiar blonde head popped in, followed by a somewhat pug-faced girl.

‘Haah. And here I was, finally starting to relax,’ I groaned inwardly, recognizing Draco Malfoy and his new crony, Pansy Parkinson since Crabbe and Goyle had already been sold to the Company.

“Rin, Sakura, Illya. Let me show you how to deal with nuisances that you’re bound to meet at Hogwarts,” I said with a grin, cracking my neck and reaching for my wand.

“Nuisance!? How dar—”

Before I could even cast a spell, Draco was suddenly hit with one himself. His face scrunched like he needed to sneeze. Anticipating what was coming, I shoved him toward Pansy and slammed the door shut just in time to see a massive sneeze blast her square in the face.

“Eeeeew,” I muttered in disgust, hearing the squeal and commotion just beyond the glass.

Pansy immediately shoved Draco to the floor in horror and ran off hopefully to clean herself. Draco, now covered in his own snot, groaned pitifully on the ground.

Blinking, I turned to the others and found them all staring at Luna, who had her wand out and a serene smile on her face.

Luna casually tucked her wand behind her ear and shrugged. “I didn’t want him to interrupt. I was getting to the good part.”

I blinked again, then laughed.

‘Yep. This is why I love Luna. You never know what she’s going to do next.’