Chapter 1395: Christmas Gifts
Chapter 1395: Christmas Gifts
In his hazy state, Albert slowly opened his eyes, yawning lazily with his eyes still closed. As he turned his head and rolled over, he seemed to sense something and opened his eyes again. The bed beside him was empty.
He rolled out of bed and sat up, his eyes falling on the illuminated bathroom door from which the sound of running water emanated. He gazed blankly at the pitch-black window and mumbled, "So early..."
Before long, the bathroom door opened, and a robed Isabelle stepped out, carefully towel-drying her fiery red hair.
"You're awake?"
Isabelle noticed Albert stirring.
"Why don't we sleep a little longer?" Albert covered another yawn.
"No, it's already half-past seven, and it's probably snowing outside."
Isabelle put down her towel, her familiar scent wafting towards Albert as she approached and leaned down to kiss his sleepy cheek. With a radiant smile, she said, "Merry Christmas."
Oh right, it's Christmas today.
"Merry Christmas!"
Albert covered his yawn, intending to lie back down for a quick nap, but Isabelle reached out and stopped him.
"What is it?" Albert asked, puzzled.
"Go take a shower first. I've prepared a special Christmas gift for you."
"A Christmas gift?"
Albert paused briefly, surprised that Isabelle would prepare a Christmas gift for him.
After all, they were already married and even had a child together.
Exchanging gifts on Christmas somehow felt a bit odd for them as a couple.
Of course, exchanging small gifts could add some spice to their mundane lives.
Isabelle raised her eyebrows slightly and deliberately leaned in close to Albert's ear. "Looks like you forgot to prepare a gift for me?" she whispered.
"Oh, my dear, what gift do you want?"
"You tell me?" Isabelle didn't give Albert time to react and pulled him out of bed, pushing him directly into the bathroom.
The door closed once more.
The translucent frosted glass reflected their overlapping silhouettes.
When Albert finished his shower and entered the living room, he saw Katrina and the house-elf busy decorating the large round table with a sumptuous feast.
"Merry Christmas!"
Albert glanced at the Christmas tree beside the fireplace, piled with an abundance of French snacks he had prepared as gifts for the members of the association.
"You look tired. Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Katrina placed a dish of breakfast on the small round table next to Albert and glanced at Isabelle, who had just pushed the baby carriage into the living room. With a cheerful smile, she asked, "Or was this morning's exercise too intense?"
"Ahem."
Albert gave Katrina a quirky look before turning his attention back to the Wellington steak on his plate, changing the subject. "Are we having steak for breakfast?"
It wasn't that Albert disliked steak; he had just become accustomed to having lighter meals in the morning.
"It's Christmas," Katrina replied without hesitation.
"Well, if the other association members knew I was indulging in such delicacies at home, they'd probably be jealous."
Albert cut into the steak and took a bite. It actually tasted pretty good.
"They don't have to know, and didn't you already prepare Christmas gifts for them?" Katrina glanced at the pile of packages under the tree. "When have you ever cared about such things anyway? You're such a hypocrite, saying one thing and thinking another."
"How heartbreaking. I'm actually a very honest person," Albert said as he took a sip of milk. "But now your Christmas gift is revoked."
Katrina didn't seem to mind, evidently not expecting Albert to have prepared a gift for her anyway.
"Isabelle seems quite satisfied with the gift I prepared for her," Albert suddenly said.
"You!" Katrina glared at Albert and reached for the half-eaten food as if to take it away.
"Ahem, it's your own dirty mind at work here. Such impure thoughts, and you don't even have a boyfriend yet," Albert teased.
"So, you only forgot to prepare a gift for me? Dearest." Isabelle's voice sounded in Albert's ear.
"Ahem, if you need one, I can prepare another for you, but I think you won't need it." Albert took a pink bottle from his pocket dimension and handed it to Katrina. "Go on, open it. I'm sure you'll love it."
"A bottle of wine?"
"It's called Youth and Love."
Isabelle was slightly surprised because the batch of magical wine Albert had brewed with mandrake last time had already been drunk by them.
"What is it?"
"That's the name of this wine," Isabelle explained. "It's said to be a potion that slows down aging."
"A magic potion that delays aging?"
Katrina eyed the bottle in her hand skeptically. "Are you sure this isn't a scam?"
"You'll have to ask Albert about that." Isabelle was curious as well. "Is this the latest batch?"
"Yeah, it's the improved version, slightly more potent than the previous one." Albert shrugged. "At the very least, it tastes amazing, a rare delicacy that you won't find anywhere else."
"Can this really delay aging?"
Katrina was half-convinced. If this potion could slow down aging, it would be... fantastic. But was such a thing even possible?
"I'm not too sure either," Isabelle admitted. "Albert brews a batch every year, using mandrake as the main ingredient. He says it needs to be consumed regularly to be effective." Though she couldn't confirm the effects of Youth and Love, she trusted Albert's word on it.
"Just treat it as a bottle of wine."
Albert wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and cleared the table of dishes. After checking on little Alice in the baby carriage, he picked up Tom, who had been basking by the fireplace, and placed him on his lap. He began grooming Tom's fur while listening to the idle chatter of the McDougall sisters.
"Where's Mom?"
"She's in the kitchen, preparing a surprise for us."
The sisters exchanged glances and fell into a brief silence.
Isabelle left Alice in Albert's care and pulled Katrina into the kitchen.
"Tom, this is Alice. You'll have to help look after her from now on."
Albert held Tom close to the baby carriage, letting him get familiar with Alice's scent.
"Meow."
Tom gave a lazy meow and rubbed his head against Albert's leg before returning to his spot by the fireplace, uninterested in the young two-legged creature.
Contrary to their expectations, Mrs. McDougall's cooking wasn't as terrible as they had imagined. It was rather plain and unremarkable, except for one issue—Isabelle and Katrina had both developed a dislike for sweets due to certain reasons, so... Albert had to step in and provide a small piece of cake for dessert.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Isabelle gave Albert an apologetic look. Mrs. McDougall's newfound passion for cooking had indeed put them in a difficult position.
"Actually, it's not as bad as you think," Albert whispered reassuringly.
This wasn't exactly a lie, as Hagrid's culinary skills were also less than impressive.
(End of Chapter)
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