Hogwarts Lion Girl

The game ended with a whistle. The Gryffindor players cheered and hugged each other. The golden and red school flag was thrown into the air amid cheers and finally fell into Wood's hands. Gryffindor was the winner of this year's house cup!

The Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts Castle is lush and green. The ancient castle is bathed in warm sunshine, surrounded by mountains in the distance and the sky is clear blue.

Before I knew it, a semester has passed, summer has quietly arrived, the air is filled with the scent of parting, and it is graduation season again.

Serena stood alone at the Quidditch pitch, basking in the warm sunshine.

The stadium was empty. The green lawn exuded the scent of grass and soil in the sun, and the thunderous cheers of the audience seemed to linger in my ears.

The joy of winning the College Cup was still lingering in her mind. Salina couldn't help but squint her eyes, recalling the excitement of the game.

"Bang, bang, bang", a familiar sound of footsteps came from behind. Salina turned around and saw Wood walking towards her.

"Congratulations, Salina, for leading Gryffindor to victory again!" Wood walked up to Salina with a hearty smile on his face.

"Thank you, Senior Wood." Salina responded politely, "Without you and everyone else's efforts, we wouldn't have won the game."

There was a hint of bitterness in Wood's smile. He said softly, "This is my last time to participate in the College Cup. After graduation this year, I will say goodbye to everyone."

Salina was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that time passed quickly. In a blink of an eye, Wood was about to graduate. "Happy graduation! Senior, what are your plans for the future?"

"I have signed up for the Auror selection. If all goes well, I will become an Auror and work in the Department of Magical Enforcement." Wood said confidently, his eyes full of longing for the future.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded Hogwarts and added a touch of warm color to Salina's cheeks.

She took a deep breath, taking in the fresh summer evening air, mixed with the fragrance of grass and earth.

She turned to look at Wood beside her and found that his eyes were still fixed on the empty Quidditch field, his eyes full of nostalgia and longing for the future.

The light of the setting sun danced in his deep eyes, as if telling some unknown story.

"Alas," Wood suddenly sighed, with a hint of sadness in his tone that was difficult to conceal, "After graduation, I may not have much chance to come here to play basketball again. It's a pity."

Salina smiled slightly and tried to comfort him in a relaxed tone: "We can come back to watch the game when we have time in the future! Besides, you are going to be an Auror, and you will definitely have many wonderful experiences in the future!"

Wood was silent for a moment, as if he was digesting Selina's words, or as if he was organizing some words.

Finally, he seemed to muster up great courage, took a deep breath, looked into Salina's eyes with burning eyes, and said word by word: "Actually, I still have one regret...that is...I like you, Salina."

Serena's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if a hundred golden snitchs were running around in her chest.

Wood's sudden confession struck her like a spell, causing her originally calm thoughts to surge with turbulent waves.

She lowered her eyes in panic, not daring to look directly into Wood's deep eyes, for fear that her eyes would reveal her true feelings.

She bit her lower lip gently, leaving a shallow mark on her lips with her pearly teeth, as if she was trying hard to restrain the surging emotions in her heart.

Salina tried to look calm. She took a deep breath and tried to sort out her chaotic thoughts.

She knew that Wood was a man worthy of respect and trust, and she saw his excellence and sincerity.

However, love is still too unfamiliar to her, and she is not ready to welcome this feeling.

Salina raised her head and met Wood's expectant gaze. His deep eyes were full of admiration and expectation for her.

She took a deep breath and said in a calm tone, "Senior Wood, I understand your intentions, but I haven't thought about these things yet. I want to focus more on studying."

The smile on Wood's face gradually disappeared as if it was cast under a disappearing spell.

The light in his eyes also dimmed, replaced by a look of loss that was difficult to conceal.

But he quickly adjusted his mood, took a deep breath, nodded and said, "I understand, Salina, you still have a lot of time to think about this, I respect your choice."

After all, Salina is still young and has a lot of time to think about these things. He is willing to wait until the day she is ready.

Salina lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her face, hiding the complex emotions in her eyes, "I'm just not ready yet."

Her words were gentle, but like a feather, they gently brushed across Wood's heart, bringing up an indescribable itch.

How he wanted to reach out and push aside the layer of eyelashes to see her true expression at the moment, to see if her heart was filled with ripples just like his.

"It's okay, I know." Wood tried to make his tone sound relaxed, not wanting to add any pressure to her.

After all, Salina has always been calm and rational, unlike other girls who are easily overwhelmed by emotions. He has always admired this.

The light of setting sun gradually dimmed, and the clouds in the sky were dyed with dreamy colors: golden, orange, and lavender, intertwined together, as gorgeous as an overturned paint palette.

"Salina," Wood took a deep breath and mustered up his courage to say, "Can I hug you one last time? Just once, as a..."

"As a friend?" Salina took over his words with a faint smile on her lips and a cunning light in her eyes.

"No, as..." Wood's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He wanted to refute and wanted to say something more intimate, but he was afraid of scaring her. He could only swallow back the unfinished words and sighed helplessly, "Okay, as a friend."

Serena laughed softly, her voice as clear and sweet as a silver bell, echoing in the empty stadium.

She did not refuse directly, but turned slightly and gently leaned her head on Wood's shoulder.

"Just this time, it won't happen again."

"Okay, just this time." Wood carefully stretched out his arms and held her in his arms, feeling the warmth and faint floral scent coming from her body.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, stretching their shadows exceptionally slender and intertwining them like an inseparable part.

At this moment, it seemed as if time had stood still, leaving only the sound of each other's heartbeats and the unspeakable ambiguity.