Edward hurriedly interrupted their dramatic delivery. "I hope that when Ron grows up, he'll understand your good intentions instead of taking all that manliness out on you two."
The brothers exchanged a glance, and one rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I'll go tell Ron in a bit that Snape took his rat for experiments."
"Good idea!"
The Twins happily high-fived.
Edward shook his head helplessly and left the dining hall with Lilith in his arms, planning to take a walk to help digest his food before returning to his dormitory to rest. As soon as they reached a deserted spot, Lilith tipped her head up, her sapphire-like eyes wide, and asked quietly, "What exactly is the second kind of person?"
"Uh..."
Wasn't this little one a bit too curious? Edward had already tried explaining to her that it was only a joke, but even after hearing that, Lilith still thought he was hiding some secret from her. She stared at him with her big, round eyes. "Miss Lilith doesn't understand~"
Then, after a little while, she would ask again.
Hogwarts was brilliantly lit at night. As he strolled through the thousand-year-old magical castle, he felt neither the weight of history nor the atmosphere of magic. Only when the night breeze that had swept across the forests and lakes blew into his face, carrying moisture and a fresh fragrance, did the tension that had gripped him for days truly ease.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Dumbledore's gentle voice reached him.
He came up to stand beside Edward-though, strictly speaking, they were not shoulder to shoulder, since he was quite a bit taller than Edward.
"Sorry to interrupt your enjoyment of the view. I mean, if it were me, I certainly wouldn't want an old man suddenly popping up behind me."
"Not at all.