Chapter 299: No Joy Allowed!
Chapter 299: No Joy Allowed!
Sherlock didn't want to refuse Fleur in front of so many people, making her feel embarrassed or anything else.
However, he also couldn't agree to her request.
"I'm sorry", he said seriously, "I think you can invite other more suitable students to be your dance partner, Fleur. I have no intention of dancing with anyone at this year's Christmas Ball."
Despite her efforts to appear gracious, being rejected by Sherlock twice inevitably left her looking dejected and upset.
"Are you deliberately using this as an excuse to refuse me?"
Sherlock raised an eyebrow.
"I won't deny that I am refusing you, but it's not an excuse. I genuinely have no intention of dancing at the ball, and besides, I don't even know how to dance."
Fleur looked reluctant. She glanced at Silke, who was sitting next to Sherlock, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. She left with a disappointed expression.
It was clear she had lost her appetite and walked straight out of the Great Hall.
After she left, the entire Great Hall erupted in chatter, with almost everyone discussing what had just happened.
The professors at the long table on the raised platform, mindful of Sherlock's presence, couldn't chat as freely as the students. However, Flitwick smiled and remarked, "Sherlock is quite popular, whether as a student or now as a professor, he's always well-liked."
Sherlock pursed his lips but didn't comment.
Do you really think Sherlock was well-liked during his student days?
He ignored Flitwick's good-natured teasing and turned to look at Silke, but her calm expression revealed no unusual emotions.
"She likes you."
Just as Sherlock turned to look at her, Silke spoke in a voice only they could hear.
Sherlock rubbed his forehead in frustration.
"It's not exactly 'liking' me. It might be because I saved her once. The hero-saving-damsel trope, though cliché, can indeed make her feel some affection towards me."
"What about you?"
Hearing her question, Sherlock squinted and replied, "What are you asking? My refusal just now should have made my stance clear, right?"
"She's in her seventh year now, and she'll graduate at the end of this semester. When she's no longer a student, if she still shows affection towards you, will you still refuse her?" Silke's voice was matter-of-fact, as if she were asking about a trivial matter.
Sherlock answered without hesitation.
"You know I'm not a shy person. If I had any feelings for her, I wouldn't have refused her so bluntly, even if she were still a student. I can't predict the future, but right now, I genuinely see her as just a student who needs guidance, nothing more."
But Silke was dissatisfied with his response. She lightly wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up from her chair.
"You may not be shy, but there's no one more pretentious than you in all of Hogwarts."
With that, she left the Great Hall alone.
Sherlock was left staring, looking aggrieved. He vented his frustration on the sausage on his plate, muttering to himself.
"Who did I offend?"
Fleur's invitation to Sherlock being rejected was quite a sensation.
However, when they returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, Ron and Hermione eventually found out that Harry had also been rejected.
Ron smacked his lips and said, "There's not much time left. It's less than three days until the Christmas Ball, and we have to find a dance partner, or we'll be laughed at by the other boys."
Harry, looking gloomy, propped his chin in his hand, still not having recovered from the disappointment of being rejected by Chang.
Hermione, who was still reading a book, barely looked up to remind them, "You do need to find a partner quickly. Most of the girls in Gryffindor have already been asked, and there are more boys than girls to begin with."
Harry, lost in his own thoughts, didn't quite catch the meaning of Hermione's words, but Ron did.
"You've found a partner!" he asked in shock.
Hermione frowned in annoyance. "Is it so strange that someone would invite me?"
"Who is it? Neville?" Ron showed genuine curiosity.
At this point, Harry also snapped out of his daze and looked at Hermione with the same shocked expression, as if he had seen something unbelievable.
"Why didn't we know about this!"
Hermione held her head high and placed the book upside down on her lap. "Because you two are arrogant, conceited, and incredibly stupid!"
Despite being scolded, Harry and Ron weren't angry. They were still very curious about who had invited Hermione to be their dance partner.
However, Hermione refused to divulge the information, and they would likely only find out on the day of the ball.
In the end, Harry and Ron had to figure out a way to find their own partners for the ball. They had both been counting on Hermione as a backup, even though they hadn't voiced it.
The three days passed quickly.
On the morning of Christmas, Harry was woken up by Dobby, who had come to visit him. The entire dorm was busy opening their Christmas gifts.
Sherlock also emerged early from his office.
He looked out at the lawn, now covered in thick snow, and lazily stretched.
Coincidentally, Silke had just come down the stairs and met him.
"Merry Christmas", she said softly.
Sherlock smiled and was about to reply, "Merry Christ—"
"You don't need to say it. If you can, don't wish anyone a Merry Christmas today", she said with a serious expression, not joking.
This puzzled Sherlock.
"Did you have a vision?"
Silke paused, seeming to find Sherlock's suggestion fitting, and continued, "Just remember my advice."
Sherlock was never one to be stubborn, and he especially didn't doubt Silke's divination abilities, which had been unquestionable since she was a child.
If she said it was best not to say "Merry Christmas" today, then so be it. It was just a matter of one phrase, after all.
(End of Chapter)
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