Heart Flutters

It's 11:30 p. m.

In a bedroom on the fifth floor of the Burrow, Loren, lying on his pillow, groggily turned over, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, and his dark eyes slowly opened.

As I turned over, my messy curly hair left wisps of lines on my forehead, tickling me, and the aroma of wine and apple cider vinegar filled my nostrils.

He threw back the covers to let in some fresh air, Loren lay flat on the bed, staring at the Chudley Cannons poster on the ceiling. He blinked; his mind was rebooting, slowly loading up hazy memories from not long ago.

After the cake was cut at the dinner party, George and Fred secretly drank whiskey and almost stood on the table...

After they finished singing, they poured the champagne into a bottle of cider and gave everyone a large glass.

What happened next...?

Loren scratched his head and continued to read through the chaotic and blurry memories in his mind.

Ginny dragged Harry along, insisting on seeing the Ghoul upstairs; Ron clamored to have a go at Crookshanks; George and Fred actually stood on the table and sang in front of the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, declaring that they would sing in the Great Hall Hogwarts when High Table started.

What were he and Hermione doing again—they seemed to be grinning like idiots the whole time.

After Loren breathed a sigh of relief, his expression became somewhat complicated.

Although he didn't do anything shameful, he still hasn't received Hermione's gift!

George and Fred misled me!

It was almost midnight, and in order to be able to sleep tonight, Loren, who had missed the opportunity, began to comfort himself: the gifts were all from Hermione, and he would receive them when he woke up tomorrow. They were the same gifts, just a little late—no way!

Can the gifts you receive on your birthday be the same as the gifts you receive the following day?

The room was pitch black. Loren stared intently at the brooms of the Chudley Cannons on the ceiling, his deep resentment growing stronger with each passing thought. His eyes shone brightly, and he was wide awake.

Suddenly he looked out the window and heard a rustling sound. The footsteps of some small animal were getting closer and closer, light and agile.

With a click, a fluffy little paw landed on the glass window, and a Ermine's head suddenly peeked out from the lower right corner.

The Ermine pushed open the glass and slipped inside, moving lightly along the edge of the bed and heading straight towards where Loren was.

Loren quickly closed his eyes.

The Ermine stepped over the blankets to Loren's pillow, smelled the wine and apple cider vinegar, and waved its paws in disgust... Mrs. Weasley should really use Cleaning Charm to wash them before putting them on the bed.

Hermione glanced at Loren; perhaps due to the alcohol, his cheeks were flushed, and he looked very quiet with his eyes closed.

"Happy birthday--"

Just as Hermione was silently repeating those words in her mind, those eyes suddenly opened, their black pupils sparkling with a playful smile. The next moment, the person in front of her suddenly shrank, transforming into a white cat, nimbly circling behind her and grabbing her by the scruff of her neck, before gracefully leaping towards the window.

The room receded rapidly, passing through the glass windows to the roof. She was lifted and swayed, running and leaping lightly, over neat roof tiles and crooked chimneys, until they reached the branches of the largest sycamore tree in the garden.

The Ermine transformed into a girl in pajamas. Loren deactivated the Transfiguration and looked at her with a smile, "So you specially used your Animagus to sneak into the house to give me a birthday present?"

"No." Hermione turned her head away from him, not wanting to look at him anymore. She hadn't even bothered him about pretending to be asleep to scare him yet.

Loren leaned closer to her, grinning, "So what were you doing sneaking in there?"

Hermione changed her tune again. "It's nothing, it's just not."

Loren smiled and looked carefully into her eyes, nodded, and sat down beside her, dangling his legs out. "Alright, alright, in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep, you used your Animagus to sneak into the room, sneak into my bed, just to see me."

"..." Hermione didn't want to say anything, letting the blush creep up her cheeks.

Loren stopped teasing the shy girl, tilted his head to rest on her shoulder, and swung his legs to savor the quiet and beauty of the moment.

After an unknown amount of time, Hermione took out a silver coin from her pocket and handed it over. "I have engraved the corresponding Runes on two different silver coins. As long as one end touches the rune, the other end will also show the same change, thus realizing the function of simple communication."

"Cell phone?"

"I can't transmit sound or images, only simple messages," Hermione whispered.

Loren examined the silver coins in his hand. Goblin Silver Coin were a currency that circulated only in small quantities among fairies. The fairy kingdom had disappeared, and now most fairies used the Bronze Knut, Silver Sickle, and Galleons as their currency system.

Most of the Goblin Silver Coin nowadays are for commemorative collections, with only a small number minted each year. Unlike another type of silver coin, Silver Sickle, the Fairy Silver Coins are made from many rare metals, so they are often used in Alchemy and special magical rituals.

The obverse of this silver coin features the Silver Door of Gringotts, inscribed with the small proverb, "He who takes without working will be punished most severely." The reverse depicts a ferocious Fire Dragon with one eye slit open.

A faint, eerie blue light shone in Loren's eyes. The main structure of the magic circle was divided into two layers: the bottom layer was responsible for transmission and response, and the top layer contained 26 letters and common symbols. It was not difficult to make, but the design was ingenious.

The silver coin was placed flat on the first joint of the middle finger, and the ring finger pressed down gently on the edge. The coin flipped in the hand, shimmering with a silvery-white light. Loren asked, "What is the distance limit?"

"I didn't consider that."

"Which animal Runes?"

"It was just that we chose Mithril that were compatible with Runes."

"I see..." Loren held the silver coin in mid-air, level with the moon, reflecting a bright silver light. "Relying on the special materials of Mithril and Goblin Silver Coin, the maximum distance is about a thousand miles. Next time, we can add some astrological symbols."

"Oh," Hermione replied listlessly.

"Alright," Loren tossed the silver coin up and caught it, then casually stuffed it into his pocket. "Now that you've looked at the silver coin, where's my birthday present?"

"?"

Hermione frowned, looked at him, then at the silver coins in his hand, and asked in confusion, "Isn't this the gift I gave you?"

Loren frowned at her as well, and said seriously, "Only what I have can be considered a gift. You have this silver coin, and I have it too, so how can it be considered a gift... It's not your birthday today, right?"

Hermione was stunned.

Do you want to listen to what you're saying?

Loren hurriedly urged, "Alright, hurry up and give me my birthday present."

Hermione was silent for a moment, then handed over another silver coin. "You can take this one too."

Loren pushed the silver coins aside and looked at her in confusion. "What use would I have for two silver coins? To send a message to myself?"

"..."

Hermione looked at him with a distressed expression. "So what kind of birthday present do you want?"

"Hey-hey..."

Loren's eyes shone brightly in the night, as if sparkling. "A gift like the one for my birthday last year would be perfect."

Hermione had already seen the answer in his eyes, but she pretended not to know and asked in confusion, "A tie?"

"Not a tie, but another gift."

Hermione's eyes sparkled, and a faint smile appeared on her lips, "I only remember giving her a tie, nothing else."

"You don't remember why you blushed? You remember it perfectly clearly!"

"I said I don't remember, and I don't remember."

"Hermione..."

"..."

After much effort, Loren finally tasted that warm, soft texture, with a juicy and bouncy feel like strawberry pudding, but unfortunately, it was pushed away after only five seconds.

Hermione's eyes sparkled as she avoided the man's gaze, suddenly realizing a question, "Why can't the silver coins we both have be considered gifts, but a kiss that both of us participated in count?"

"Hmm..." Loren looked thoughtful. "You're right. I need to find another one."

Hermione was amused and moved away in disgust, wanting to get further away from him.

Loren happily followed.

Hermione.

"Um?"

"The Ancient Rune work you've been busy with is that pair of silver coins?"

"Hmm..." Hermione nodded, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. "I consulted Mr. Flamel when designing it, and the raw materials were bought when I went to Diagon Alley that day."

"That time you made me stand in line to buy ice cream?"

"That time you deliberately hid the mint-flavored ice cream inside the strawberry-flavored ice cream."

"Whee..."

"..."

Did you drink any wine with dinner?

"I drank a little, and when I came to my senses it was already 11:30."

"You can't sleep because you're thinking about giving me a present, right?"

"..."

Loren kept asking silly questions, and Hermione answered them patiently, but she was always rendered silent by his strange way of thinking.

The candlelight in the Burrow had long since gone out. The starry night unfolded, and the moon spun in the window, like an eternally bright candle, slowly, slowly, fading into the dawn.

How about I tell you a story?

"The Sword Demon and the Papaya Sprite?"

"No, it's a serious story about a sycamore tree... I can't remember if it's a sycamore tree or a fig tree, but it's related to trees."

"You say."

"Let me think..." Loren pondered for a few seconds, "The story begins during the summer vacation after first grade. The Loski family moves to a new town, and the first person he meets who is his age is Juliana Baker, the little girl next door..."

"..."

Hermione listened quietly, lowering her head slightly to look at the sycamore tree beneath her, a glimmer of light in her eyes.

This is a story without magic, and it's not mainly about trees, but about falling in love...

This person clearly didn't remember the details of the story very well, and her retelling wasn't very smooth. She would always go back and fill in the details she had missed earlier, but that didn't stop her from liking the story.

Some people are mediocre and shallow, while others appear glamorous on the surface but are rotten inside.

But there are always people as dazzling as a rainbow; you only realize it when you meet them.

A tranquil summer night breeze lingered on the treetops, and the crescent moon cast its pale silver light upon the canopy. Only the two of them remained in the sycamore tree and the entire courtyard. In the distance, frogs croaked incessantly in the pond, yet their calls were surprisingly calm.

They were probably too tired to doze off together, but neither of them wanted to say goodbye until the first light of dawn splashed on them like cold water, which startled them awake, and they hurriedly returned to their room.

Life in the Burrow was full of wonder and surprises: a grandfather clock in the living room that indicated the location of family members, a mirror on the mantel that criticized people for dressing properly, a noisy Ghoul in the attic, and the occasional explosions made by George and Fred that were considered perfectly normal.

During the two weeks Loren was a guest, Hānhan was Twins with dried rats and lots of fresh nuts, becoming a temporary courier for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. He set off every day with a large amount of Joke Shop products and often didn't return until very late.

However, to the guests, the most admirable aspect of the Weasley family's life was not the talking mirror, the magical clock, or the Ghoul that were constantly knocking, but rather the warm atmosphere filled with screams and laughter.

Time quickly passed to the end of August, and the summer heat silently and swiftly flowed away from the stream, turning into the increasingly thick fog in the forest at dawn and dusk.

The Quidditch final opening ceremony is just around the corner.

At 7:30 in the morning, Loren got out of bed on time and took out the slightly warm Goblin Silver Coin.

The Fire Dragon on the reverse of the silver coin has its mouth slightly open, and the slight warmth comes from its mouth, which is a notification that the silver coin has received a message.

[Good morning.]

Loren grinned and tapped his fingers across the characters above.

[Good morning.]

He put away the silver coins and got up. Harry and Ron were still asleep, while George and Fred were busy by the bedside. But today seemed a little different from usual. The postman waiting beside him was not any of the owls Loren had ever seen before, but a strange Ural Owl with a black back and white belly.

The Twins didn't pack Fake Wand and toffee, but rather a smelly, granular substance piled on a large sheet of parchment.

Loren peeked out and, with his perfect score in Potions Master, immediately recognized what it was, falling into a deep silence.

"Dried dragon dung... Do magic Joke Shop sell such outrageous stuff these days?"

George and Fred paused, then peeked over and saw it was Loren. They grinned and reached out to pull him down to squat. "This isn't Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes product; it's a gift we're giving to Percy."

"..."

Fred winked at him. "Remember to keep this a secret."

Loren silently mourned for Percy for a few seconds before turning around and going downstairs to wash up.

After dinner, everyone sat in the garden chatting as usual, but the topic of conversation turned to tomorrow's itinerary.

"Go to bed early tonight." Molly glanced at her watch. "Don't talk about Quidditch too late, we have to get up early tomorrow to watch the game. Harry, Loren, and Hermione, leave your shopping lists for school supplies, I'll go to Diagon Alley to buy them for you tomorrow. I have to buy things for other people anyway, and it probably won't be time after the Quidditch World Cup ends, the last tournament lasted a full five days."

"I really hope it's like this again," Harry said wistfully.

"Oh, I don't want that." Percy raised his chin with a reserved and smug look. "If I leave for five days, my desk's file basket will be overflowing with files. The thought of that sends chills down my spine."

George shuddered and gave Fred a meaningful look.

"I need to go to the bathroom!" Fred immediately stood up and strode into the house.

Hermione looked up and glanced around, then hesitated before asking, "Mrs. Weasley, do you mean you're not coming with us to the game?"

The question caused a sudden silence at the dinner table.

Arthur frowned, glanced at Molly, and his eyes gleamed with thought. The other Weasley family children also fell silent, exchanging glances. Finally, Arthur nodded to his children, and the others smiled with relief.

"Oh, dear... the Burrow can't be without someone; I have to watch over it." Molly chuckled.

"But—" Hermione wanted to say something more, but she felt Loren tug at her clothes, look up at her, and then fall silent.

The sounds of laughter and chatter returned to the garden. Not long after Fred returned, a strange Ural Owl flapped its wings and flew from the other end of the Burrow, landing directly in front of Percy and placing a bulging parchment package on its tail.

"An unfamiliar owl must be something related to work..."

Percy excitedly opened the package, only to be met with a whole bag of foul-smelling, granular dragon dung. He froze, his expression frozen on his face.

Charlie turned his head and looked at the frogs by the pond with great interest, his lips pressed tightly together.

George, all smiles, leaned closer to examine his face, glanced at the note on the parchment, and eagerly reminded him, "Oh dear, it says it's a fertilizer sample imported from Norway. Is this part of your job?"

Under the gaze of his entire family, Percy's face turned pale and then flushed, his teeth grinding together. "Yes, that's right."

Fred exclaimed, "That's really bad timing! You have to keep it until the Quidditch World Cup is over!"

"It's what we should do for work."

"Pfft—"

Charlie struggled to suppress the uncontrollable grin spreading across his face as he frantically pointed at the pond. "Did you see that? A frog tripped over it!"

Loren's shoulders trembled, and he echoed, "I saw it, I saw it."