Chapter 44:


    "This," said Chris, showing off what he had brought out of trunk, "my dear, is the exnation for everything."


    Dora looked at the vial of potion in his hand with confusion. How could it be the exnation? Was it the Polyjuice potion? Was he an imposter after all?


    But right then, her forehead was flicked sharply by Chris.


    "Idiot look at it closely." He said, handing the potion to her. "It should have been covered in your NEWTS sybus."


    Eyes watering from the forehead flick, Dora meekly took the potion vial in hand and inspected it like this was her NEWTS practical. And to her surprise, she did find the potion very familiar. Not only because it was indeed in her NEWTS sybus, but also because she had even personally used it a few times in her younger years.


    Chris took the potion back into his own hands and took a swig.


    Instantly, he looked very much like the millionaire Chris whom she had met. Though he still looked a younger, around 16.


    "I can''t drink more than that." He said, gesturing towards his clothes, which were on the verge of tearing apart. "Otherwise, I''ll be left wearing only a smile." He smiled his usual teasing smile gave her wink.


    Dora wondered how he could still make her blush even in the middle of such an important conversation.


    ***


    MC''S POV:


    I sighed as I saw cute Dora blushing. From the moment she confronted me today upto now, I''ve been very honest. I''ve been trying to dy it, but, I think I''ll have to lie to her now.


    And It''s not like the past, where Dora was just a cute girl that I didn''t have any personal connection with. Now that I''ve spent a lot of time with her and got to know her more, I''ve begun to genuinely like her and care about her.


    So, I can''t just lie to her like before without feeling very guilty about it.


    Huh? Why not tell her the truth, you say?


    It''s not like I don''t trust her, but it''s the fact that, her lumency shields are too weak!


    If I tell her, ''Hey Dora, I''ve got adult memories here.'' or ''Hey Dora, I can do some badass magiks which can make the old wizard fogies go batshit crazy for it,'' then I''ll be simply gettin'' into one helluva trouble if some mind raper reads it.


    So, now that I''ve exined how I''m both Chris and Christopher (by aging potion), now the million dor question is why didn''t I tell her about it?


    As if reading my mind, Dora also quickly turned serious once again.


    "Why?" she asked.


    That single word seemed to contain all her emotions. Sadness and anger for me lying to her, resignation that, I had been hiding my identity from her all this while,


    and a bit of..... hope, hope of there being a good enough reason for me doing this, and not just because of something like I was just enjoying ying with her all this while.


    So, why indeed? What can I tell her if not the real reason? There doesn''t need to be aplicated reason. It can be a very simple reason.


    But,


    It should be usible.


    I should exin it such that she can see eye to eye and think- '' *nod* *nod*Yeah, I would''ve done the same.'' or at least, ''Well, it can''t be helped...*shake* *shake*''


    So, I Looked into Dora''s eyes and asked seriously, "You really need to know?"


    What? Just building up the atmosphere here at bit. This secret wouldn''t wouldn''t be called a secret if I just gave it away directly without an fanfare.


    Dora seemed to bend a little under the intensity and seriousness of my gaze. But soon, her eyes grew determined and nodded seriously.


    ''Good girl.''


    I softened my eyes and gave a hint of a smile.


    "Then let me tell you from the beginning." The table moved away on it''s own and twofy foot rest appeared in its ce. I put my arm around her and reclined my backfortably against the back of the loveseat.


    "Let''s getfortable." I said, pulling to rest against me and resting my feetfortably on the footrest.


    Dora, of course put up the symbolic struggle, but in reality, she also likes to cuddle with me. In the first ce, I wouldn''t do it if she didn''t like it.


    But, that doesn''t mean I''m not a bastard who wouldn''t take every advantage from even in a situation like this,


    "You wanna hear it or not?" I asked/threatened.


    "....."


    That had her resting back cozily on the back of love seat with her legs propped up on the footfortably on the footrest. She was, of course still in my one armed embrace.


    ''Well, it''s not like she was opposed to the idea in the first ce.'' I thought, looking at her. ''What''s with that blissful smile that''s creeping up on your face?'' She was indeed, rxing slowly as she slowly realized that I was still indeed just....me.


    Now that the atmosphere is non confrontational, she''ll ept my reasoning more easily. Yeah, I didn''t do this just because I wanted to cuddle. Nope, not at all.


    Then I started,


    "So, it all began when Grandma first found out that I was not only different from the ordinary muggle children, but, also from ordinary wizard children. More specifically, my mind was." I said, tapping my head with the index finger finger of my free hand. The other hand still wrappedfortably her waist. Jealous much?


    I looked nkly into the space, as if I reminiscing old memories.


    "Grandma found out that, my mental growth was way faster than my body''s age. I was always... the smartest among my peers."


    " When she told me about this, I was very proud. And why wouldn''t I be? Every child loves the feeling of being the best in the room. She told me not stand out too much, but I wouldn''t listen. I was always shunned in the orphanage, so on receiving recognition from my teachers, I started showing off." Iughed self l- mockingly.


    "Can you guess what happened then?" I asked.


    "You got into trouble?" Dora guessed, look up at me from my chest, where she was currently resting her head.


    "Bingo." I said, taping her nose. "There was a reason why grandma told me not to stand out too much. You see, people are always curious about the unnatural or mysterious things around them. They would do everything to find out why those things are like the way they are. So, if a boy is unnaturally smarter than the rest, they became curious." I paused and my expression became a bit grim.


    "What happened then?" asked Dora urgently.


    "It wasn''t much in the beginning. Just some brain and IQ tests. But....some bad people also got curious. I was abducted, and had to be saved by grandma. I was scared after that, so she erased my memories of what exactly happened." I paused again, as Dora hugged me in constion. But I couldn''t really bring myself to enjoy it.


    *sigh*''Really, one lie leads to numerous more lies.''


    "There''s no need tofort me, I don''t even remember what happened." I said, patting her head.


    "So, after that farce, I had learned my lesson and grandma had me promise to only show my brilliance, but not my super brilliance." I concluded.


    While inwardly, I cursed myself. I can''t help myself from being extra dramatic, can I? After all, there was no need bring something as dramatic as kidnapping into the scene.


    ***


    A.N.: Something seems to be missing....


    Oh right! I know what---A CLIFFHANGER!!!


    I think I''m bing a sadist.


    And don''t worry, he won''t tell her about reincarnation or anything.


    P.S. A bit of Chris''s exination is still pending. It expands more on why he had to lie more. So, if you feel ufortable with the dishonesty here, then be at ease. I''m busy at the moment so I posted this much. So, ''hang'' in there!