Hogwarts Lion Girl

Salina watched Colin's figure gradually disappear at the end of the path under the sunset. The golden afterglow sprinkled on his body, as if giving him a layer of warm halo.

A breeze blew by, bringing with it the scent of grass and soil. Salina seemed to be able to smell the faint scent of soapberry on Colin.

She couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth and smile. This child is so shy.

"What are you thinking about? Why are you smiling so happily?" A low, magnetic voice with a smile came from behind. Salina turned her head and saw a slender figure leaning against a tall maple tree not far away.

The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering on his body in patches, making the shadow behind him appear especially long.

He put his hands casually in his trouser pockets, with a hint of a smile on his lips. His deep gaze seemed to penetrate the mist in the forest and fall directly on Salina, with a hint of concern and inquiry.

Salina coughed unnaturally, tucked her hair behind her ears to cover up, avoided his sight, and refused to look into his eyes.

"No, nothing." Salina quickly put away her smile. "Why are you here? Are you waiting for me?"

"Yeah." Lucien walked slowly to Salina with his long legs, and a masculine scent mixed with a hint of cedar enveloped him.

Salina subconsciously took a half step back, but she could still smell the faint fragrance at the tip of her nose.

He lowered his head slightly, the afterglow of the setting sun cast a layer of gold on his face, with a hint of smile in his deep eyes, he asked softly: "The big octopus is here again today, do you want to go and see it?"

Salina looked into his deep eyes and nodded, "Yes, when do we leave?"

"Right now." Lucien said, leaning down slightly, staring at Salina with his deep eyes, and a barely perceptible curve at the corner of his mouth.

He stretched out his right hand, and his slender fingers gently touched the back of Salina's hand, and a warm touch came from his fingertips.

Salina felt the warmth of his palm and her heartbeat quickened slightly. She subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back, but he held it gently.

Lucien felt the soft touch in his palm, applied a little force with his fingertips, and took Salina's hand.

Salina's hand stiffened slightly, and her fingertips curled up subconsciously, trying to break free from the sudden touch, but Lucien's warm and dry palm conveyed a reassuring strength. She felt his fingertips gently caressing the skin on the back of her hand, as soft as a feather, but with an unyielding firmness.

She raised her eyes to look at him, and met his deep eyes, which seemed to contain the sea and stars. She unconsciously relaxed and let him hold her hand as they walked along the path bathed in the golden afterglow.

The road leading to the castle was covered with golden fallen leaves, which made a rustling sound when stepped on, as if playing a hymn to autumn.

On both sides of the road, tall oak and maple trees are lush and leafy, and the afterglow of the setting sun shines through the gaps between the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows.

In the distance, the ancient auditorium looked particularly solemn and dignified under the reflection of the setting sun. The clouds above the spire were dyed orange, like a gorgeous oil painting.

A cool evening breeze blew by, bringing a hint of autumn coolness, rolling up a few fallen leaves, swirling in the air, and then gently falling at their feet.

Salina took a deep breath, and the coolness of the evening breeze made her unconsciously wrap her robe tighter. Lucien noticed her movements, stopped, untied the scarf around her neck with his warm hands, and approached with a faint cedar scent, and gently wrapped the scarf around her neck.

Salina was stunned for a moment, her eyes moved from the scarf to Lucien's well-defined jaw. The setting sun cast a layer of soft light on his face, making his outline more three-dimensional.

She held her breath unconsciously, the faint scent of cedar lingering around her nose, mixed with the warm breath of Lucien, making her heart beat slightly faster.

Salina hurriedly lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and whispered, "Thank you."

"Be careful!" Lucien suddenly whispered, with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

He was quick to grab Salina's arm and bring her towards him.

Salina only felt a flash before her eyes, her nose brushed against his cedar-scented collar, and the next second she fell into a warm embrace.

Lucien's chest was strong and firm, wrapping her tightly around him even though she was still in shock.

After Salina stood firm, she realized that there was moss growing on the steps in front of her. She stepped on it, slipped and almost fell.

"Are you okay?" Lucien looked down at the girl in his arms, with a hint of worry in his tone. His voice rang in Salina's ears, dispelling her panic.

Salina felt the arm around her waist tighten, as if afraid that she would fall again.

This sudden intimacy made her feel a little overwhelmed, and a barely noticeable blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I'm fine..." Salina responded in a low voice, her heart beating so hard that it seemed like it was about to jump out of her throat.

She slowly raised her head, only to meet a pair of deep eyes.

The afterglow of the setting sun gently fell on Lucien's face, casting a layer of golden halo on his fair skin, making his facial features look more profound and angular.

His soft short hair shone like honey in the sunset, and a few strands of hair hung unruly in front of his forehead, adding a touch of lazy charm to him.

A pair of deep eyes were now staring intently at Salina, as if they wanted to absorb her into the bottomless tenderness, making people unable to help but be intoxicated.

When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

Serena could feel his warm breath on her face, with a faint fragrance.

"Salina, I..." Lucien wanted to say something. He took a deep breath, his dry lips slightly opened, and his Adam's apple rolled up and down, as if he was trying to organize his words. But at the last moment, it was as if the courage he had mustered suddenly leaked out, and he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

……

Under the huge arched window, Salina and Lucien stood side by side. Through the ancient and thick glass, they saw a deep and mysterious world.

The water of the Black Lake was a strange dark green color, like a huge emerald, gleaming faintly in the shadow of the castle.

The sunlight shines through the lake, casting mottled spots of light on the bottom of the water, like twinkling stars in the night sky.

All kinds of strange-shaped fish shuttled among the water plants, their scales shining with silver or gold light, like gems swimming in the water.

A giant octopus lay lazily on the rocks at the bottom of the lake, its tentacles swaying slowly with the water flow.

In the distance, some huge black shadows can be vaguely seen swimming at the bottom of the lake, which reminds people of those ancient legends. Perhaps there really are unknown secrets hidden in the depths of the Black Lake.

Serena placed a hand gently against the cold glass and followed the giant octopus with her eyes.

As if sensing her gaze, the octopus slowly extended a long tentacle and reached towards Salina.

Through the thick glass, the tip of the tentacle gently touched Salina's palm, as if greeting her.

Salina opened her eyes wide in surprise and could feel the slight suction from the octopus's tentacles, bringing a wonderful touch.

Salina placed her palms close to the cold glass, closed her eyes, concentrated her mental strength, and tried to communicate with the giant octopus using the ancient language she had learned from the book. However, the stream of consciousness transmitted by the octopus was intermittent, and she could only vaguely hear a few words, like an ancient ballad echoing in her ears. She didn't know if it was because the octopus's language was too ancient, or because they were separated by different races and media, so it was difficult to understand.

Lucien had been standing quietly by the side, his amber eyes gleaming with curiosity. His gaze followed Serena's movements, and his fingertips gently caressed her.

It was not until Salina put down her hand and opened her eyes with her long eyelashes trembling slightly that he retracted his gaze, cleared his throat, and asked softly: "Are you communicating with it?"

Salina shook her head, a few strands of hair slipped from her ears. She raised her hand to tuck the hair behind her ears and said softly, "Not really. I could only barely hear a few words."

……

Lucien sent Salina back to the first floor like last time.

When she reached the stairs, Salina stopped, turned around, said "good night" to him softly, and continued up the stairs.

He watched Salina lift her skirt and walk up the stairs step by step until her figure disappeared around the corner. He then looked away and stood there in a daze.