Chapter 527: A Promise
Chapter 527: A Promise
"That guy... he must have planned this beforehand."
As Katrina stared at the butter beer placed in front of her, she froze for a moment, her mind quickly forming this suspicion.
Otherwise, who would normally carry such a bunch of things with them?
Fooling ghosts... no, not even ghosts are that easy to deceive.
Reluctant as she was to admit it, Albert's cooking skills were indeed impressive, and the seafood he prepared tasted amazing.
How had she never discovered these ways to cook the crabs before?
As Katrina took a big bite of the fish meat, chewing and swallowing it, that annoying voice interrupted her thoughts, and then she saw a camera being extended in her direction.
"Come on, take a few pictures for us!" Albert asked, "You know how to use a camera, right?"
"I don't know how!"
Katrina replied irritably, "That's a Muggle item. Do you think I'd use something like that?"
"Oh, that's a shame."
Albert didn't mind the girl's tone and gestured for Isabelle to pose. He was ready to take some photos of her by the sea, although it was a pity she wasn't wearing a swimsuit.
"The photos turned out great."
Albert smiled as he looked at the image of the girl eating the grilled fish skewer, "It would have been even better if you were wearing a pretty white dress."
"Does Albert like girls who wear white dresses?" Isabelle, after finishing her fish skewer, leaned in closer to look at herself in the photo and asked curiously.
"I just think that a girl in a white dress on a beautiful beach would look more pure and innocent." Albert explained with a smile, "Usually, we rarely get to see you like this. After all, most of the time, you're quite..."
"Quite what?" The girl raised her eyebrows inquisitively.
"...wise beyond your years."
Albert chose his words carefully, "Well, something like that."
For some reason, Katrina felt a pang of jealousy.
She felt that following them had been a mistake.
Even the delicious seafood barbecue they'd just enjoyed couldn't change her mind.
The two of them stayed by the sea until the afternoon, and Katrina, unable to bear the overload of sickening sweetness, left early with the seafood she had caught.
"I feel like Katrina might be a bit..." Albert didn't voice his true thoughts, "She knows I'm here today, right?" he asked, too afraid to ask Isabelle directly if Katrina liked him.
"Yes, I told her."
The two lay on the beach, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, with towering cliffs surrounding them. The noon sun couldn't directly reach them, casting a large shadow on the ground.
"She probably likes you too!"
Isabelle didn't shy away from the topic and, noticing her boyfriend's surprised look, smiled as she said, "After all, you're so outstanding. Isn't it normal for a girl to like you?"
"I'm happy to hear you praise me." Albert turned onto his side to face the girl and said with a smile, "I thought you had made her give up."
"She's stubborn." Isabelle sighed.
"So, should I be excited about this?"
"Excited about what?"
"Having girls on both sides?" Albert sat up and pulled the girl into his arms.
"Are you trying to make Katrina jealous?" Isabelle stared straight at Albert.
"Actually, you shouldn't have brought this up." Albert suddenly said.
"Sorry, I just haven't figured out how to handle this yet." Isabelle rested her head on Albert's shoulder, "Katrina is my sister, and I want her to be happy. But as you know, she's very immature in many ways."
"Let's just let things take their natural course. Time will change everything." Albert calmly gazed at the sea before him, "Maybe, sooner rather than later, she'll find someone she truly likes."
"There's an excellent boy in Hufflepuff who's the same age as her." Isabelle suddenly said, "My friends mentioned him the last time we chatted."
"Are all your friends interested in cradle-snatching?" Albert forcibly held back his laughter, "Are you talking about Diggory?"
"Do you dislike me because I'm a year older than you?"
"It's just one year."
"Hmph." Isabelle huffed in dissatisfaction and then returned to the previous topic, "How did you know?"
"It's not hard to guess." Albert replied ambiguously, "But it seems that guy already has someone he likes."
"How did you know?"
"Cedric and I get along pretty well," Albert thought to himself, wondering what would happen to Cho if Cedric was taken away. Perhaps he could be paired with Harry?
Speaking of Cho, she was quite a pretty girl too.
"What are you thinking about?" Isabelle asked.
"Are you worried that your sister will steal me away from you?" Albert teased.
"We can't graduate together," Isabelle replied.
"Then, how about you repeat a year?" Albert suggested jokingly.
"No way," Isabelle refused.
"Alright then, how about we get married as soon as I turn sixteen? What do you say?" Albert said with a beaming smile, "Muggles can marry at sixteen, and by then, you would have graduated too."
"Who gets married right after graduating?" Isabelle retorted, clearly unimpressed.
"The Potters did. You know, Harry's parents. Hagrid told me he was even invited to their wedding," Albert informed her.
"You're making that up," Isabelle accused.
"Look at the Quidditch medals; James Potter's name is there. It's not hard to do the math," Albert explained.
"We'll talk about marriage later," Isabelle said, not giving in so easily.
"Alright, then let's get engaged first," Albert suggested with a smile, "Mr. Blodger has already prepared our engagement rings."
"Are you joking?" Isabelle asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'm serious. They're made by fairies," Albert explained. "I saw them the last time I visited Mr. Blodger. He said that when I come of age, he'll give me the rings and I can directly propose to you. Mr. Moeg will be our witness."
"That's a bit rushed," Isabelle commented.
"I'm just afraid you'll run away. After all, by the time you graduate, you'll have experienced the outside world and might just dump me," Albert teased, earning a playful glare from Isabelle.
Changing the subject, Albert asked, "By the way, are you interested in beauty potions?"
"Are you trying to say I'm not pretty enough?" Isabelle pouted, clearly unhappy with the suggestion. Beauty potions could alter one's appearance, making a person more attractive.
"Someone invited me to research them," Albert said, deliberately leaving out Catherine's name. "I think girls would be very interested in this. If we succeed, it'll be like striking gold. I can just lie back and enjoy the good life."
"That doesn't sound like you at all," Isabelle remarked.
"Actually, my biggest dream is to live a life of leisure, surrounded by beautiful women," Albert said with a straight face, and he wasn't joking.
"Beauty potions can make people prettier, but it's only temporary," Isabelle said dismissively. "There's a historical example of this; the female dark wizard, Malodora Grim, used beauty potions to marry a king."
"I'm not talking about that kind of beauty potion," Albert shook his head. "I'm talking about a magical potion that slows down aging and keeps one's appearance from deteriorating. It's a shame I didn't get to visit Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France to learn about their so-called Fountain of Youth."
In this world, with dedicated research, such a thing was indeed possible.
After all, magic was incredibly powerful, as evidenced by the existence of the Sorcerer's Stone, which granted immortality. So, it wasn't far-fetched to believe that a potion could be created to prevent aging.
"I can help you with the research if you want," Isabelle agreed. Who wouldn't want to maintain their youthful appearance forever? It was an offer too tempting to refuse.
"The one who invited you to research beauty potions is Miss Catherine, right?" Isabelle asked.
"Why would you think that?" Albert questioned.
"Just a hunch," Isabelle replied, narrowing her eyes. "Are you still in contact with her?"
"She invited me to help with the research because she's very particular about her appearance," Albert explained. "She knows I'm skilled in potion-making, so she asked for my assistance."
"Remember to invite Miss Catherine to our wedding," Isabelle suddenly said.
"I'll send her an invitation when the time comes," Albert assured her, taking out his notebook to jot down a reminder.
"Let's go back!"
As the couple returned to the McDough villa, they didn't see Katrina. She was in her room, deliberately avoiding them to spare herself the heartache.
(End of Chapter)
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