Chapter 1836: A Wish Fulfilled
Chapter 1836: A Wish Fulfilled
It’s unclear who leaked the news, but the word that Beauxbatons’ hero, Mathew Delacour, had successfully invited Hogwarts’ hero, Alice, to be his dance partner spread like wildfire through the Durmstrang castle.
The news caused quite a stir among the students, becoming a hot topic of discussion.
While many envied Delacour’s good fortune, they also genuinely believed he deserved it. Handsome and equally talented, Mathew was a worthy match for the pride of Hogwarts.
This sentiment dealt a heavy blow to James, who had just mustered the courage to ask Alice to be his dance partner. The Gryffindor Seeker became dejected and listless.
“What’s with you...”
Miss Prewett raised an eyebrow and sized up the sullen James, unable to resist teasing him, “Feeling utterly defeated?”
“You wouldn’t understand, and it’s none of your business,” James waved her off, his spirits low.
“I heard Alice say...” Miss Prewett stared at James, her tone heavy with meaning, “She never thought she’d have a future with that handsome guy from Beauxbatons.”
“Really!” James’s head snapped up.
“Didn’t you just say I don’t understand?” Miss Prewett mocked, “I really can’t figure out what goes on in your head.”
“Who wouldn’t like a kind and beautiful older sister?” James glanced at Prewett, muttering, “Besides, Alice is popular with almost every boy. Don’t believe me? Ask Edric and the others.”
Prewett seemed to be irritated by James’s words and turned to leave.
“Jealousy, women!” James muttered.
Prewett stopped in her tracks and turned back to James, “If I were you, I’d confess to Alice before anyone else does.”
“Just to be rejected like the other guys?” James was well aware of Prewett’s ulterior motives.
“Goodness, I can’t believe you’re a Gryffindor student...” Prewett couldn’t help but taunt.
Despite Prewett’s “advice,” James eventually gathered the courage to confess to Alice. As expected, he was met with a gentle pat on the head and a refusal.
Just as James had predicted, Alice saw him only as a younger brother, and there was no trace of romantic affection in her eyes, leaving him deeply dejected.
“Rejected?”
Prewett’s expression was one of unsurprised confirmation.
“Go ahead and laugh if you want,” James ignored her.
“It’s okay, keep trying. Maybe Alice will be moved by your persistence,” Prewett offered some consolation.
“Then you can keep enjoying the show?” James snorted in dissatisfaction.
“So, you’re giving up?”
Prewett’s tone carried a hint of relief.
“Yeah, I’m giving up.” James fell silent for a moment before continuing, “I’ve known this would happen for a long time. To Alice, I’m just her little brother.”
“Little brother?”
Prewett’s expression turned thoughtful.
“Mr. Anderson is my godfather,” James continued, ignoring Prewett’s stunned look, “But his family travels a lot and hasn’t been back to Avalon in recent years, so most of the time, Alice has been fulfilling the role of a godfather.”
Thinking about it made James even more dejected.
“No wonder...”
Prewett looked at James with sympathy.
“No wonder what?”
“Nothing.” Prewett changed the subject, “So, are you giving up on the Yule Ball?”
“Why should I?” James mumbled, “By the way, have you found a dance partner? If not, we can go together and save ourselves the trouble of looking for one.”
“You’re really casual about it.”
Prewett agreed, feeling even more sympathy for James.
Polina Bonaparte, Mathew’s girlfriend, faced a similar situation.
Upon hearing the bad news from a colleague, the straightforward descendant of the Bonapartes immediately dropped what she was doing and confronted her boyfriend.
“About that incident!”
Mathew had anticipated this day and calmly explained to his girlfriend when she stormed in, “It’s mostly because of you!”
“What do you mean, because of me? Explain yourself clearly,” Polina was furious, already grabbing his collar, determined not to let him off without a satisfactory explanation.
Mathew sighed and reminded her, “Remember when you wanted to take a photo with Alice?”
“So... why did she do that? Didn’t you tell Alice you already have a girlfriend?” Polina looked hurt.
“I did, but you seemed really eager to take a photo with her, so I agreed. After all, a dance is just a few minutes,” Mathew patted her shoulder comfortingly.
“Don’t you suspect she...”
“Suspect what?” Mathew couldn’t help but laugh.
“Has other intentions... and you’re still laughing. You should have told me, if I knew, I wouldn’t have wanted... I can’t believe Anderson is like that.”
Polina was even more dejected. She knew Mathew wasn’t a flirt, but Alice was more charming, which made her worry that her boyfriend might be swayed by others.
“Do you really not like her?”
“Why do you ask that?” Mathew looked at Polina’s wary expression and teased, “I can smell the jealousy.”
“Then why did you agree so easily?” Polina was even more confused.
“Maybe it’s because we’re family!” Mathew explained softly.
“If you’re really family, why would she still...” Polina still couldn’t understand what Alice was up to.
“Maybe you should ask her yourself,” Mathew didn’t want to be too explicit. Some things, if she didn’t understand, no amount of explanation would help.
“Alright, I forgive you!”
Polina kissed her boyfriend’s cheek, relieved. She was genuinely afraid of losing him to another woman.
As a result, Polina spent most of her time and energy with her boyfriend.
It was impossible to compete with Alice Anderson, whose brilliance overshadowed all the other women.
After this incident, Polina was the subject of endless gossip. Some girls even mocked her openly.
No explanation would change that.
After all, her boyfriend, the shining star of Beauxbatons, had been “stolen” by a girl from another school.
As the main party involved, Polina bore the brunt of the blame, making her feel unwelcome among the other girls at Beauxbatons. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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