Stepping down into the living room just as Daphne and Missy disappeared with a quiet pop, Victor noticed Perenelle. She was sitting on the couch, intently writing away with a quill. Smiling, he walked over and sat down beside her:
— What are you up to?
— Writing letters, — Perenelle replied with a soft smile.
— Letters? — Victor shifted his gaze to the side table and raised an eyebrow in surprise, spotting an impressive stack of neat envelopes. — Woah! What do you need so many letters for?
Perenelle had just finished writing another letter and carefully placed it inside an envelope:
— I'm inviting relatives and old friends I haven't seen in a very long time to my birthday party.
Victor looked at her in surprise, then picked up the top letter, neatly opened the envelope, and quickly scanned the lines:
— August twenty-sixth... Is it some kind of milestone anniversary for you?
Perenelle burst into genuine laughter, pulled him close affectionately, and stroked his hair:
— Not at all. I'll be turning six hundred and fifty-eight. It's just... you know, — she paused briefly, picking the right words, — it's been so long since I last celebrated my birthday! Nick and I have spent such a long time practically cut off from the rest of the world, only going out on the rarest, most exceptional occasions... But lately, thanks to you, this house has been filled with life and people again. And I love it so much! Especially little Luna — she's such an incredibly sweet girl. So I thought: why not celebrate? See our numerous relatives, most of whom I only know through letters and stories, invite old friends... Ever since Nick built this house, there hasn't been a single real party held here! And since I've found a taste for life again, I don't want to spend all my time strictly reading ancient tomes anymore. I want to go out, have fun, enjoy life! And I'm going to start by throwing a grand birthday celebration right here at home!
Victor gave an understanding nod. Then he paused for a second, glanced quickly at the wall clock, and grinned eagerly:
— Alright, Grandma... Go change. But don't wear an evening gown — pick out something more suitable for a street crowd.
Perenelle looked at him in confusion, blinking in surprise:
— Why?
Victor's eyes sparkled as he stood up from the couch:
— We're going to a Paul McCartney concert today! Come on, get ready, and I'll go tell the girls in the meantime.
He quickly jogged up the stairs to the second floor, cracked open the door to his bedroom, and peeked inside:
— Adele, Luna! Get dressed, we're going to a concert! Adele, pick out something decent for Luna so we don't embarrass the Muggles!
Then Victor walked a little further down the hall and peeked into the neighboring room. A pleased smile instantly bloomed on his face. Silently crossing the threshold, he critically appreciated the sleeping Abigail: even the thin blanket couldn't hide the seductive curves of her figure.
Unhurriedly approaching the bed, Victor sat on the edge and gently kissed the girl on her bare neck. A lingering smile immediately appeared on Abigail's lips. Turning onto her back, she slowly wrapped her slender fingers around the boy's neck:
— Good morning...
Victor chuckled softly:
— Good evening, my lazy assistant! Get up, we're going out.
Abigail groaned pettily and lazily, then, pulling him down abruptly, forced him onto the bed and instantly scrambled on top of him. The blanket slid slowly off her shoulders, revealing her in all her glory. Victor appreciatively took in her exquisite lace lingerie, affectionately running his hand down the girl's smooth, slender legs.
— Or maybe... you'll change your mind? — she whispered, leaning down to his face. — We stay home, and I... — Abigail kissed his chin with a soft brush of her lips, — ...give you... — then moved down to his neck with a warm kiss, — ...a little treat?
Victor laughed softly, and the very next second, with a sharp, deft motion, flipped her over, pressing her against the mattress and pinning her slender wrists above her head. With his free hand, he slowly traced her waist, sliding down toward her smooth thigh:
— Nice try, — he whispered with a half-smile.
He then covered her lips in a long, deep kiss and smoothly rose from the bed, leaving Abigail breathing heavily and flushing deeply from the rush of arousal.
— Come on, get dressed. We leave in half an hour, — he tossed over his shoulder right at the exit.
— Mmm, how long are you going to keep tormenting me?! — Abigail groaned sensually, burying her face in the pillow and playfully rubbing her thighs together in frustration.
She was a young eighteen-year-old girl, and she had entirely natural desires and needs. However, Victor only ever teased her endlessly, never crossing a certain line. And it wasn't because he was shy or afraid — it was simply that back in the day, he had given a promise to Daphne and Hermione that he would lose his virginity to one of them.
Besides, Victor absolutely loved seeing Abigail act like this. It gave him an incomparable pleasure to stoke her fire, give her a lingering hope, and then leave her with nothing just to watch her squirm, or to observe her attempts to seduce him whenever they were left alone. To him, it was a special kind of delight — like staring at an insanely delicious cake in your fridge, repeatedly taking off bits of frosting along the sides with your finger and licking it off with relish, savoring the moment in anticipation of the day you're finally allowed to eat the whole thing.
They didn't Apparate or call a taxi; instead, they set off on foot, strolling unhurriedly and enjoying Paris. Victor had been here in his past life and, to be honest, harbored mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the city looked tidier than in the future: the walls of historical buildings, bridges, and subway trains weren't covered in graffiti, and there was significantly less trash in the streets. But on the other hand — while the facades preserved the antique spirit of the era, they appeared dark and blackened by urban smog, and a persistent, unpleasant odor rose from the Seine itself. Comparing Paris to London, Victor could say with absolute certainty: London was a hundred times better!
When they finally entered Parc de Bercy and approached the roaring crowd gradually gathering in front of the massive stage, Perenelle felt a little self-conscious and looked around in confusion:
— Victor... When I said I didn't want to sit at home anymore, this wasn't quite what I had in mind! I'm not particularly fond of these types of events... You know I prefer classical music, — she said softly.
Victor merely laughed cheerfully:
— That doesn't matter at all! This isn't about the music. I'm willing to bet more than ten percent of the people here don't even properly know the songs that are going to be played today. You'll understand the full charm of a real rock concert yourself once it starts. Trust me, you won't even notice how this human wave will sweep us up, and you'll start getting genuine enjoyment out of it!
— Victor? Perenelle? — a familiar voice suddenly called out to them from the crowd.
Victor turned toward the sound and was genuinely surprised:
— Mr. and Mrs. Granger! Good evening!
— Victor, what are you doing in Paris?! — Hermione's mother asked with a smile, warmly hugging him first, and then Adele.
— Well... I actually live here, — he reminded her with a smirk.
— Oh, right! I completely forgot, — Hermione's mother playfully tapped her forehead with her palm. — Hello, Perenelle! Did you decide to come to the concert too?
Perenelle merely let out a heavy sigh:
— Victor dragged us here. To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of such events... Hermione mentioned you were going on vacation, but she didn't mention it was to France.
Hermione's father, who had been standing silently nearby with his arms crossed over his chest, merely gave a dry, meaningful humph. Victor and Perenelle immediately exchanged glances and looked inquiringly at Mrs. Granger.
— Pay no attention to him, — the woman waved her hand dismissively. — He's just still upset that Hermione didn't come with us.
— I'm not just upset, I'm furious! — Mr. Granger finally let out everything that had built up. — Victor! I practically handed my Hermione over to you in person, hoping you'd look after her. And what happens?! You load my poor daughter down with work while you go gallivanting around at concerts?! She works more than I do! That's not how it should be! She's still a child and ought to be having fun, enjoying her youth!
— Uh... Hold on, why are you blaming me?! — Victor was taken aback. — I had no idea you were going anywhere! She only told me about it after you had already left. If Hermione had warned me in advance, I obviously would have let her go!
Mrs. Granger waved her hand with a chuckle:
— Oh, she didn't want to go with us anyway! Every time we go on vacation, she buries her nose in her books all day long, and it takes an unbelievable effort to pull her outside even for a little bit.
— That doesn't matter! The important thing is spending time together as a family! — Mr. Granger grumbled discontentedly.
— And why are you voicing all this only now, instead of back when Hermione flatly refused to go and headed off to her job instead of vacationing with us? — his wife caught him out. She then shifted her gaze to the children: — Hmm, I still can't quite get used to the thought: my thirteen-year-old daughter goes to a real job... By the way, who is this lovely little girl? — She finally noticed Luna, who was clinging to Victor, feeling uncomfortable in the noisy crowd.
— This is Luna Lovegood, our school friend, — Victor introduced her.
— Hello... You can just call me Luna, — the girl said softly, stepping forward slightly.
And right at that moment, a deafening, spine-tingling shout from the host blasted from the giant speakers on stage:
— ARE YOU READY-Y-Y?!
— YEAH-A-A-A-A-H! — the multi-thousand-strong stadium roared in response.
— Oh, looks like it's starting! — Abigail exclaimed eagerly.
At the wild roar of the crowd, Perenelle winced and closed her eyes for a second. She instantly felt like Apparating as far away from here as possible, but looking at the pleased Victor, she merely sighed resignedly and stayed put.