Chapter 577: Dressed Up and Mojito (Edited)

Hermione had also dressed differently today, wearing an outfit that contrasted with her usual style.

The theme tonight at Hogwarts was Ghost Pirates. Although there were already ghostly elements, this theme didn't quite fit with Halloween. Unlike Hogwarts, the outfit Hermione was wearing was very Halloween-appropriate.

Hermione donned a gothic violet velvet dress with black cutout details resembling crow wings, falling to the upper thighs and featuring two edges of six-pointed gold stars. She wore a light purple bow tie around her neck, beneath which hung a black cross. In the Halloween ambiance, the cross didn't convey the sacred feeling of other days but rather a sense of decadence.

Upon closer inspection, it could be noticed that the bow was hanging from a leather strap. Just with this detail, it was enough to captivate Tom, a naïve boy.

Beneath the leather strap, there were two black ribbons crisscrossing around her neck. These ribbons connected the front of the black mesh bodice with two golden star-shaped buttons, serving a functional purpose.

Hermione's bodice was a snug and carefully selected velvet corset that accentuated her figure. While the front was well-covered, at the back, there was a deep V-cut that extended to the waist, revealing her smooth, white skin.

And beneath the dress, in a place invisible to everyone's gaze, Hermione wore a pair of V-cut pants made of the same material as her top, making her the huntress prepared for the night.

The dress had no sleeves, but Hermione couldn't leave her two fair arms exposed. For that, she chose two asymmetrical black lace sleeves with delicate pink trim at the top. On her left hand, she wore a half-blue, half-black glove, while on her right hand, the sleeve stopped at the back of her hand, leaving her delicate white hand and black nails exposed. In the right sleeve, there was also an irregularly cut blue hem, further accentuating the sense of asymmetry, taking the beauty of asymmetry to the extreme.

Tom noticed Hermione's long and slender legs; she seemed to want to take asymmetry all the way, even her stockings were asymmetrical! On her right leg, she wore black stockings that reached her knee, hiding within the dress's hem, while on her left leg, she wore lace stockings secured with two buckles, and at the end of the stockings, there was a garter of white roses that Tom had given her. This was the only white decoration in her outfit today.

Not only had she worked on her attire, but Hermione had also carefully styled her hair. Her messy brown hair had become soft and shiny, and she styled it into two small pigtails with a headband decorated with stars and bats. The rest of her hair was left loose, cascading down her back.

Tom also noticed that Hermione wore a black eye patch over her left eye, giving her a touch of eccentricity.

"It's an honor to meet you here, beautiful lady," after finishing the song, Tom descended from the stage and approached Hermione. He removed his captain's hat and bowed to her.

Hermione's face blushed slightly, and she responded a bit shyly, "Clearly, I have become your prisoner, my pirate lord."

Tom raised an eyebrow; were they playing dress-up as characters? Interesting!

Then, with a serious expression, he asked, "Very well, what can you do? There's no place for idle people on my ship. If you don't know how to do anything, I'll sell you."

As he said this, Tom glanced at Hermione from the corner of his eye, and his mouth watered. If someone were to really auction off the girl in front of him, he would be willing to buy her with all the gold that could fill Hogwarts' Great Hall!

"I can make cocktails, my captain... would you like to try one?" Hermione reached out, and a bottle of liquor appeared in her hand.

Since most young wizards at Hogwarts were not of legal drinking age, they rarely encountered alcoholic beverages. The same went for the barrels of alcohol in the Hogwarts hall; though they emitted an intoxicating aroma, they were all magical effects.

Dumbledore cared greatly about the healthy growth of young wizards, but Hermione clearly had something real in her hands, something that could have led to detention if Filch had caught her.

"This is a forbidden item," Tom narrowed his eyes; he didn't expect Hermione to break the rules so openly.

"So, are you going to report me?" Hermione shot him a flirtatious and somewhat inexperienced look. "Or perhaps, do you want to punish me severely?"

Tom looked away. "First, let's mix the cocktails..."

Hermione tilted her head and smiled.

"No problem~"

She took a lime from a plate on the long table and cut it in half with a knife, then sliced one of the halves into smaller pieces.

"Today, I'm going to make a classic mojito; the original Cuban mojito is made with mint commonly found on the island of Cuba. Its freshness, combined with the kick of rum, creates a nice balance." Hermione explained as she presented the mojito she was going to prepare for Tom.

She took a glass and placed the lime pieces into it, then gently mashed them with a mortar similar to the one used in potions class. Somehow, she also found some sprigs of mint and lightly rubbed them along the rim of the glass, adding the refreshing aroma of mint.

Without wasting the used mint, Hermione also put it into the glass, along with a bit of sugar cane syrup.

"Mojito is the drink of pirates, a romantic and passionate drink." Hermione opened the bottle of rum and poured some of the golden liquid into the glass.

The liquid ingredients mixed, and the color deepened, and the consistency thickened.

Hermione pulled out her wand and aimed it at the remaining half of the lime, which deflated as fresh lime juice was extracted to join the cocktail.

"It's a pity it's not summer," Hermione lamented a bit. The mojito was an ideal summer drink, evoking a tropical beach feeling.

But it was almost winter now...

As she sighed about the bad timing, Hermione added crushed ice and sparkling water to the cocktail.

At this point, the cocktail was nearly ready. Hermione waved her wand, and the different components of the mojito blended into a unique flavor.

During the stirring process, the gas in the sparkling water was released, filling the inside of the cocktail with tiny bubbles.

Once the ice melted, the cocktail was ready.

Hermione filled the glass with more crushed ice and added a sprig of mint as garnish.

And finally, she placed two straws.

"Hemingway and Marilyn Monroe used to enjoy this drink; you should give it a try," Hermione pushed the freshly made mojito toward Tom with an anticipatory look.