Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 755 Sunset

Mallory is a waterfront plaza in the old town of Daxway West.

Located in Florida.

Travel magazines say this place has the most beautiful sunset in the world. Every evening, people hold parties to celebrate the sunset, which has gradually evolved into a tourist attraction, drawing tourists from other places, local residents, market vendors, and touring bands.

Two centuries ago, the Magical Congress of the United States strictly prohibited wizards from using Apparition around areas with high concentrations of Muggles. However, the Law of Secrecy, like the rules of Hogwarts, is not considered a violation unless one is caught in the act.

Since there were no patrolling Aurors nearby, and Loren happened to have an unregistered spare wand, he used the Disillusionment Charm beforehand to minimize errors caused by the Elder Wand's spellcasting, and to avoid teleporting beyond the intended distance or deviating from the direction. The rest was to cover up the air popping sound caused by the spatial teleportation.

Florida is renowned for its strict discipline, even among tourists from abroad. The festivals held here exude a wild and untamed spirit: acrobats balance on metal drums, stunning blondes twirl hula hoops with incredible hip movements, cowboys crackle their whips, blindfolded magicians unleash deafening revolvers, and musicians practically turn off the volume, their desperate screams still drowned out by the roar of the crowd…

The noise drowned out the sound of the phantom appearing.

Hermione, who was making the itinerary, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was worried that the Magical Congress would find out and waste today's precious time. In that case, she would have to ask Nancy for help and trouble Headmaster Dumbledore to bail her out. Professor McGonagall might also find out about this.

I don't know if there's any diplomatic immunity for this kind of thing.

Fortunately, they were not discovered.

It was past six o'clock when we arrived at the beach, nearing sunset for this time of year. A golden sun hung on the distant horizon, dividing the sky in two—one side dyed golden, the other remaining azure. A slightly salty breeze swept across the shore, scattering the drifting clouds into wispy, light strands, their pale yellow hues reminiscent of a Monet painting, distinct layers, harmonious and balanced.

The aroma of food from food trucks and street vendors also wafted in.

"Well……"

Loren chewed on the Mexican-style grilled meat, sprinkled with sticky, stringy cheese, a wonderfully unique taste.

The sun gradually approaches the horizon where the sea meets the sky.

His previous concept of celebrating birthdays was simply to have a good meal, perhaps at a restaurant, or to buy the ingredients and spend time cooking. He never thought of traveling such a long distance just to witness these sights. He always followed Hermione's itinerary. But now, standing here, his inner perspective has quietly changed.

Those distant distances and the magnificent sunset before her eyes all became part of the girl's heart.

Loren glanced furtively at Hermione.

The young girl was holding his hand, looking up at the blood-red sunset, her expression gentle and serene.

Suddenly Hermione turned to look at him: "Why aren't you taking pictures? Isn't the sunset here beautiful?"

Loren paused for a moment to think.

Taking photos requires holding a camera and adjusting parameters, so you need to keep both hands free... Perhaps because the pedestrians around were rushing by, the girl was worried about getting separated from him, so she held his arm tightly, and the touch felt quite nice.

So he pursed his lips and said, "Sunsets and sunsets are beautiful, but there are even more beautiful scenes around me."

Hermione realized what he meant while he hesitated, loosened her grip on his hand, and said with a slightly cold look in her eyes, "Your eyes tell me you have ill intentions."

"How is that ill-intentioned? We're a couple, it's normal for couples to have feelings for each other, and I'm not lying. I really do think you're prettier than the sunset." Loren said, lowering his head to kiss him again, but Hermione disliked the smell of roasted meat and cheese on his breath, pressed her fair hand against his approaching face, and pushed him away.

"No, it smells awful."

"Fine, so you're disgusted with me!"

Loren silently marveled at how soft Hermione's palms were, and then began to think about how to get rid of his bad breath. He thought about finding a place to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth, or secretly putting a whirlwind in his mouth to clean it when no one was looking.

……

Loren found a way to freshen his breath: flavored drinks sold at street stalls.

Hermione watched the sun gradually sink into the sea. A gentle sea breeze blew by, carrying a slightly salty taste. She sipped through a plastic straw, silently savoring a drink she didn't know the name of. It contained mint and lemon, was icy cold, and had a refreshing aroma.

Loren took a couple of sips of his drink, then put the straw into her cup and said to her in a serious tone, "I'll go buy another strawberry milkshake later. When we kiss, I'm strawberry flavored, so every time you eat strawberries you'll think of me... and my kisses."

"I probably won't like strawberries anymore."

"Don't worry, I have all the flavors you like."

"..."

Hermione's eyes flickered with a hint of something unacceptable. She wanted to describe a taste that was hard to accept, but she worried that the person might actually try it and she would be the one to suffer the consequences. After thinking it over for a moment, she finally gave up on the idea.

"Let's find a spot on the beach, light a campfire, and start kissing from sunset until the stars rise..." Loren, oblivious to the danger that brushed past him, was lost in his daydreams. "How romantic."

"I clearly express my opposition."

"Objection overruled. Today is my birthday, not yours. Stop whining..."

Loren hummed twice, casually put down his drink, and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

Their eyes met; one was bathed in the fiery glow of the sunset, the other reflected in the dim night sky, a flicker of panic in the latter's eyes.

After gazing into each other's eyes for a moment, the girl closed her eyes, and Loren lowered his head to savor her delicate lips, along with the subtle scent of lemon and mint.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the inner ring of the sun was a pure, dazzling golden yellow, while the outer ring was a magnificent orange-red.

Seabirds flew overhead, and small boats left trails of spray.

As the daytime hustle and bustle gradually faded away, a wandering musician played his acoustic guitar and sang his own little tunes. The sound of the guitar and his voice were very gentle, and all kinds of sounds were like sails in a quiet harbor, slowly and gently merging together.

The afterglow of the setting sun enveloped the entire town.

"call……"

Loren let out a long breath.

The twilight that has dimmed now feels even more beautiful than the magnificent sunset just now. The entire sea and sky are covered with bright and complex colors and stripes, with tiny waves in the ocean and wisps of clouds in the sky.

Hermione was also breathing slightly, her originally delicate lips had become red and glossy. The two were very close to each other, their breaths filled with each other's scent, and they looked at each other with their eyes open.

"Loren".

"Um?"

Happy 17th birthday.

(End of this chapter)