Christmas was joyful as always, the Great Hall already filled with people moving around, exchanging gifts, voices blending into a constant hum that carried across the decorated space. The enchanted ceiling reflected a soft winter sky, and the long tables were pushed slightly aside to make room for movement, students and a few visiting families gathering in clusters.
Gilderoy stepped in without much rush. He had already given his gift earlier to Xeno in their dorm; Amelia and Pandora remained.
He found Pandora near the entrance.
She spotted him almost immediately, her expression lighting up in that familiar way before she walked straight toward him. She handed him her gift without a word at first, then stepped in closer, wrapping her arms around him in a brief but tight hug.
"Don't open it here," she whispered lightly, pulling back just enough to look at him before winking.
Then, just like that, she turned and made her way out of the hall, not giving him time to respond.
"What is up with her?"
Gilderoy watched her leave for a second before shaking his head slightly and moving further in.
He found Amelia not long after.
Gilderoy handed her his gift, and she gave him hers in return, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his lips without hesitation.
"You took your time," she said, though there wasn't any real complaint in her tone.
Gilderoy told Amelia what had happened at the ball.
He explained everything directly—the confrontation, the duel, Arcturus's decision, the betrothal. He didn't rush through it, but he didn't soften it either.
Amelia listened quietly, her expression tightening just slightly at certain parts.
"And you agreed," she said.
"It wasn't exactly something I could walk away from," Gilderoy replied.
"They were getting forced into marriages they did not want. I was probably their best option."
Amelia, born into a pureblood family, understood the old practices well.
She would have looked for options too if someone had betrothed her to Malfoy and Lestrange of all people. To her, Gilderoy had saved the girls.
But still, she couldn't help feeling a little jealous.
Gilderoy noticed the shift in her expression. He lifted her chin and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
"Don't worry, Amy—I'll marry you first."
Amelia let out a small breath, the tension easing from her shoulders. "Good."
Gilderoy watched her for a moment before adding, almost casually, "Also… Lord Nott's wife seemed interested in me."
Amelia smirked immediately, the earlier tension gone. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"Well then," she said, clearly amused now, "you should go for it. Give Lord Nott a proper shock."
Gilderoy let out a quiet huff. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Obviously," Amelia replied without hesitation.
Then her expression shifted again, more serious this time as Gilderoy brought up something else.
"There's something else," he said. "I found a ritual. It can increase your magical power."
Amelia blinked, caught off guard. "You're serious?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Tonight."
Gilderoy continued, "You just need to show up. I'll handle everything else."
Amelia studied him for a second before nodding. "Alright."
Gilderoy didn't stay too long after that. There were things to prepare.
After arranging everything in the Room of Requirement, he started heading toward the library.
The library had become a regular place for him since he was back from the tournament.
NEWTs weren't his priority, not really, but things had changed after the tournament.
He had not told anyone, but an ICW agent had approached him and handed him a card. They were interested in him working for them, but the requirement had been made clear—Exceeds Expectations in the main subjects.
So he had started taking things more seriously.
Amelia usually joined him, though today she was at Auror training.
Gilderoy entered the library and saw Pandora and Xeno sitting in a closed-off corner. He walked over and joined them.
They studied together for hours, the silence only broken by the occasional page turning or quiet remark, until eventually they took a break.
Pandora suddenly grabbed Gilderoy's arm, pulling his attention toward her.
"Gilderoy, Xeno keeps telling me my butt looks fat. Does it look fat? Tell me."
Before he could even respond, she stood up and turned, bringing her butt right in front of his face.
Her figure was anything but what she claimed—she was wearing tight jeans, her curves were sculpted, small, firm, and well-shaped, not even remotely close to being fat from any angle.
Gilderoy blinked, caught off guard by the suddenness of it, but what surprised him even more was what Xeno said next.
"Tell her the truth, Gilderoy," Xeno said plainly. "I know she is fat."
Pandora frowned at that, clearly not taking him seriously. She grabbed Gilderoy's hand and placed it directly on her ass.
"Feel it, Gilderoy. Then tell Xeno he's wrong."
For a moment, Gilderoy just stared at her, then at Xeno, as if confirming what the hell was actually happening.
Pandora's cute butt right in front of his face made him lose control.
Both his hands settled firmly on her ass cheeks, gripping without hesitation now, testing the shape and firmness she had practically offered him.
"Hm…" he said after a pause, his tone thoughtful, though his hands did not stop their groping.
Pandora kept moaning softly, pressing herself back slightly into his hold, clearly enjoying the handsy attention she was getting.
Gilderoy continued for a few seconds more before finally pulling his hands away, reluctantly.
"It doesn't feel fat to me at all, Pandora," he said. "It's very attractive."
"See?" Pandora shot Xeno a look before turning back to Gilderoy with a bright smile. "Thanks, Gilderoy, for taking my side."
She plopped down onto his lap without hesitation and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before standing back up again.
"At least someone takes my side," she added, frowning slightly at Xeno. "Unlike my unsupportive fiancée."
Gilderoy exhaled lightly, running a hand through his hair as if resetting himself, just coming to terms with what had happened.
Then he glanced at the time.
Amelia should be back by now.
He stood up, looking between the two of them. "I'll see you both later."
With that, he turned and left the library in a hurry.
---
Same Goal=======100 Powerstones
Also thank you for giving me powerstones last week.❤️
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