Merlin took off his stockings and changed into a pair of red trousers with snowflake decorations along the edges-well, actually, another pair of stockings-put on a red, white-trimmed hat with a pom-pom on top, and slipped into a pair of patent-leather high heels.
Humming a little tune, he skipped onto the carriage-Christmas had arrived.
Su Er shook the snow off his umbrella, tapped his heels against the mat at the door, and stepped into the house, humming the Christmas tune that played whenever he turned on the television these days.
"Ding... dong... dong... dong..." The moment he entered the foyer, a lovely piano melody reached Su Er's ears. He smiled slightly, slid his umbrella neatly into the stand, adjusted his grip on the gingerbread house and iced cookies he had bought, and walked into the living room.
Needless to say, Angel must have been preparing for tomorrow evening's Christmas performance (a family affair). Su Er had heard this piece many times already. It was an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, a Christmas ballet.
"Hermione, you're here too?" As soon as Su Er approached the Entrance Hall, he spotted the figure sitting on the sofa with her back to him.
Hearing his voice, Hermione turned around and shushed Su Er, pointing at Angel, who was absorbed in playing the piano.
Su Er understood. He gently set the Christmas-exclusive cookies on the table, discreetly pushed a little note deeper into his pocket with his right hand, and sat down in the empty spot beside Hermione. Without any concern for appearances, he leaned against the sofa's soft backrest and closed his eyes slightly.
Unlike at the beginning of the holidays, when the little girl had still stumbled through it and her piano playing had sounded like noise, after several days of practice, she