Despite his unwavering confidence in the "switch" spell, Nolan's progress was anything but smooth.
For the remainder of the holiday, he spent most of his time locked away in his research lab. Occasionally, Eve or Libera would drag him out for some fresh air, but even when he was with them—even in their bed—his mind was elsewhere. There were times when he was so distracted he even forgot to take off his trousers.
That being said, one significant event was worth mentioning: Nolan had given Penelope his blood, making her his fourth Death Kin after the white serpent Sheila, Yulisa Heckler, and the rogue Shafa.
As expected, just as Duchess Felicia had predicted, Penelope's physique was highly unusual. Even after becoming a vampire, she didn't lose her ability to perform magic.
In fact, compared to her time as a witch, Penelope's Transfiguration skills had improved dramatically after turning into a vampire.
"I finally understand why your Transfiguration is so strong now," Nolan remarked one evening.
At that moment, Penelope was perched naked on his lap, attempting to grow accustomed to the blood-tinged kisses that came with her new nature. She let out a small, proud huff. "When I return to Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall is going to marvel at my progress."
Nolan smiled slightly. "It's good to see you so optimistic, Penelope. But our time is up. I need to continue my research now. This time, I'll be using magic to probe deep into our very bones to find the key to our unique constitutions. It might be incredibly painful. Are you prepared?"
"Obviously not," Penelope groaned, looking like she was about to cry. "Can't you just stop this ridiculous research?"
"Absolutely not."
From the adjacent room, Miss Eve Stock sighed as she heard yet another familiar scream. She closed the book she had been reading—The 230 Plants That Are Toxic to Vampires—and stomped over to the next room.
With a forceful shove, she threw open the door and glared at Nolan.
"Nolan, you cannot keep doing this! Just because you don't need rest doesn't mean Penelope doesn't! She's your Death Kin now—your family! Not just some obedient little puppy!"
"I know, but—"
"No 'buts'!"
Eve yanked Penelope's trembling hand and draped her long robe over the girl's bare shoulders before tossing the tearful Ravenclaw out the door. Then, placing her hands on her hips, she shot a piercing look at Nolan.
"And you, need to rest as well!"
Nolan sighed, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, I'll listen to you. You are my Dryad after all."
Eve Stock seemed to be getting bossier lately.
"Good." She raised a brow and clapped her hands.
Out of nowhere, the ever-enthusiastic Italian redhead, Libera Rousseau, sprang into the room.
"Did someone call for me, Eve?"
Nolan stared. "Since when are you two so close?"
Eve's lips curved slightly. "Libera and I are sisters—very close sisters."
She then turned to Libera with a scheming glint in her eye. "Libera, I want to change this messy man's outfit. What do you think?"
"Fantastic idea!" Libera instantly pulled out a high-collared, double-breasted coat from seemingly nowhere. "This is my Christmas gift for Nolan! I was worried I wouldn't get to see him wear it since he'll be back in Hogwarts robes soon. Today is the perfect opportunity!"
"Perfect." Eve nodded with satisfaction before turning to Nolan with a mischievous smile.
"Relax, dear. Leave everything to us. You'll be very comfortable soon."
"Wait… what?" Nolan blinked, suddenly feeling like prey trapped between two determined predators. "Wait—"
—
Wrapped up warm, Nolan shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting left and right.
"I hate sweaters. They itch."
He was now wearing Libera's double-breasted coat, with Eve's newly knitted silver-green scarf snugly wrapped around his neck. In his hands, he held a beautifully crafted wand gifted to him by Professor McGonagall. His eyepatch—embroidered with delicate silver patterns—was from Montague, and his gloves, bearing the exquisite crest of the Von Draugr family, were a gift from Draco Malfoy. How Draco managed to find that out was anyone's guess.
As for Astoria Greengrass… she had gifted him a deerstalker hat. Apparently, she thought it suited him well, but for some reason, Eve had sealed it away, claiming it was unfit for him. Recently, Astoria seemed awfully close to getting on Eve's bad side.
And then there was the sweater…
"Stop fidgeting," Eve scolded, standing on her toes to adjust his collar. "That sweater was hand-knitted by Cho—every stitch woven with care."
Nolan grimaced. "I should have told her I don't like sweaters."
"She'd be heartbroken if she found out you didn't wear it," Eve warned.
"…I should have also told her I don't like warm colors," he muttered under his breath. "Why couldn't she pick something in cool tones? Or better yet, black?"
"Maybe she thought you needed a bit of passion in your life," Eve teased. Then, checking him over once more, she asked, "Did you pack your wand?"
"In my pocket."
"Silver pocket watch?"
"In my pocket."
"Gold Galleons?"
"In my pocket."
"…Why do you stuff everything into your pockets?" Eve frowned as she rummaged through them, pulling out a pile of items. "Is this an expanded space charm?"
Libera, standing proudly nearby, puffed out her chest. "Of course! Just because I can't cast complicated spells anymore doesn't mean I've forgotten how to craft magical artifacts."
Eve nodded approvingly. "Alright… overall, very handsome. Except…" She frowned, eyeing the eyepatch. "Montague's taste is questionable."
She then turned to Nolan and smirked. "You do look like a proper British gentleman now. But, let's find a salon today and curl your hair a bit. Give it a more stylish touch."
With that, she turned and began tying up her twin tails, casually adding, "I need to freshen up a bit too before we head to Diagon Alley. Don't worry, Nolan, I won't take long."
"Oh no," Nolan groaned dramatically. "You witches always say that. I swear, you've been hexed by some kind of time-distorting magic—none of you understand the concept of 'short'!"
Libera chuckled mischievously. "You've clearly never seen a Muggle girl do her makeup."
But, as Eve had promised, she didn't take long at all.
By the time she had adjusted her twin tails to perfection and ensured every strand of hair was in place, only half an hour had passed.