A grown man, with a combined age of over thirty across two lives, had just talked a little girl – the female protagonist, no less – to tears. This was truly something else.
Bullying an eleven-year-old girl to tears when you were effectively over thirty was, frankly, shameful.
Although his physical body was only eleven, Felix hadn't yet developed the self-awareness of truly being a child.
Perhaps, before the age of seven, Felix might have put on an act in front of others, but as he grew older, he became increasingly accustomed to handling matters in his own way.
In the eyes of others, this translated into a maturity far beyond his peers.
Seeing the little girl leave the compartment in tears, he sighed helplessly and went after her.
"I always feel like he's several years older than us," Marietta remarked, watching Felix's retreating back.
"I think so too," Cho Chang nodded in agreement. "Other boys our age would just sulk; they'd never take the initiative to admit they were wrong and comfort a girl."
In the corridor, Hermione stared at the scenery rushing past the window, deliberately not turning around so Felix wouldn't see her red-rimmed eyes.
"Alright, don't be angry anymore. My fault, okay?" Felix walked up to her and, out of habit, patted Hermione's fluffy head.
Of course, this was a habit he'd developed from comforting Himari.
This action, as if he'd stepped on a kitten's tail, made Hermione whirl around indignantly. "Don't touch my hair! I'm not a little kid anymore!" she retorted, half-annoyed.
Her sudden turn almost made her bump right into Felix's face.
The first thing she saw was the ambiguous, half-smile in Felix's eyes. The distance between their cheeks was no more than five centimetres.
Hermione's face flushed crimson in an instant, and she quickly turned away again.
"Why did you... follow me... out here?" she mumbled.
"Well, I saw a certain little girl who cries at the drop of a hat. I was afraid her tears would flood the train, so I had to chase after her to stop it, didn't I?"
Now he sounded even more like he was哄ing a child.
"I would not flood the train with my tears!" Hermione retorted reflexively, then immediately realized Felix was just teasing her.
Indignant, she lightly thumped his arm twice with her small fists.
"Alright, stop fussing. It's not good to cry over every little thing," Felix said, smoothly catching the little hand that had thumped him.
At this, Hermione's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She had never been treated this way by a boy – head-patting and now hand-holding.
Especially not by a boy who was so handsome and, furthermore, possessed knowledge that she admired.
For a moment, she was tongue-tied, merely struggling faintly, but with a force so weak it wouldn't have budged an ant.
Unfortunately, Felix had no experience with romance, nor had he any intention of pursuing one with an eleven-year-old girl. In such situations, he was prone to saying things that completely ruined the atmosphere.
Just like that, he began to lecture Hermione: "Actually, differences in opinion are common in learning and research. When someone holds a different view from yours, we shouldn't get upset and argue. Instead, we should carefully consider if their viewpoint has merit and if it's acceptable. If their view is more reasonable, we need to actively learn from it and absorb it into our own knowledge system. Conversely, if not, we should strive to identify the flaws in their argument and refute it. So, you see, crying doesn't solve any problems."
His words sounded exactly like a teacher educating a student.
Any charged atmosphere between them was instantly dispelled. But Hermione, after all, was an exceptional young student. She nodded, as if half-understanding.
However, inexplicably, a knot of discomfort formed in her chest, and a vague dissatisfaction with Felix arose.
Inexperienced in matters of the heart, she didn't understand the source of this unease.
If Cho and Marietta had been present, they would surely have called them two oddballs.
"Mr. Chance," Hermione said formally after listening, "you are indeed very knowledgeable and a skilled learner. After we get to Hogwarts, may I consult you on matters?"
Faced with the little girl's earnest request, Felix replied cheerfully, "Of course! I'm always happy to chat with a cute girl like you."
Sometimes, he truly did forget his physical age and would say things that could easily be misunderstood.
Hearing this, Hermione's recently normalized complexion turned red again, and she practically fled back into the compartment.
Inside, Cho Chang and Marietta had been gossipily pressing their ears against the compartment door, hoping to overhear what Felix and Hermione were discussing in the corridor and how Felix would manage to console her. Unfortunately, Hermione had walked too far when she first went out, and their conversation had taken place too far from the compartment door. As a result, Cho and Marietta had heard nothing at all.
Now, as Hermione rushed back, red-faced, her approaching footsteps startled them.
The two girls instantly sprang back to their seats, pretending nothing had happened by busying themselves with snacks and chatter. Thus, they managed to avoid arousing any suspicion from Hermione and Felix, who returned shortly after.