[ There it is; he's holding her hand and he's looking at her and Hermione feels her heart skip in her chest as her eyes flicker over his face and her smile warms over her cheeks. She wants to reach out and draw him into her arms, to offer him the same kind of comfort she would Ron or Harry. It was always so easy to draw them into her arms, to shove herself into their embrace and not give them room to escape - more Harry than Ron, admittedly, given the fact that she had unresolved feelings for the ginger that she'd rather not think about now, but it's what she does. When her brain isn't enough she feels like the best thing she can do is be there, shoving her hands into theirs, gripping for comfort, for want of more, and letting herself give into the urge of wanting more and more from her friends. Perhaps it's selfish of her to want more from them, selfish of her to give comfort and want it in return as a gift, but she can't help herself. She grasps for physicality when all hope is lost as though she can somehow grab and find an anchor somehow.
They're not going to escape the Drabworld anytime soon, she knows that. They're here to fight a war that has been going on for centuries and even if she has taken a step back, even if she refuses to be a part of it for now, beyond helping the people she cares about, she knows that it's not something they can escape. Indeed, it's their future and they're going to live far, far longer here than they ever would at home -- not just because of magic but because of the shard in their chest that tugs and pulls at them, the flickering of power she can feel inside of herself. What is important to her is the friendships she has made and the people she has come to care about - and Luke is a solid figure in that lineup, a solid reminder of how this place can change people, of how they can draw strength from it. She doesn't know the entire story but she knows enough to know that he is relishing his place here just as much as he might be disliking it - the same as her. She loves the Drabworld and finds it discomforting in equal measure. She just doesn't know how to admit it.
Shifting, Hermione nudges closer and leans her arm against Luke's, resting on him barely as her hand keeps a tight grip on his. She doesn't want to push too hard, to make him want to draw away from her when they've made such leaps and bounds in the last hour - she wants to keep getting to know him and his snakes and his antics even as she sees him become more than the strange boy that promised to find a muggle for her as a joke and kept it up even when she was kidnapped, even when she felt alone. There had been times when the darkness had felt like it might overcome her, when she had felt lost and confused, and Luke's easy humour and joking concern had been enough to help guide her through it. She hopes that it will be enough for him in return when she offers as much of herself as she can to him - as much as he is willing to take from her. She's Hermione Granger; it's all or nothing in everything she does because why bother if you're not going to give a hundred percent?
Luke is smiling and that's enough for her, for now. ] I don't know about that. I think I'm the lucky one, getting to meet all of you in the first place. Living here isn't easy but it's worth it to get to meet all the people I care about. [ It makes sense to her even if it does sound a little silly. She can handle coming here and accept it because she's been able to make friends and love people she never would have had a chance to meet at home. ] George and Martha will be my spies and I'll send you weekly check-in messages if I have to. I'm afraid that you're not going to escape me so easily, Luke Castellan. I'm a bit of a pain in the backside like that; if you don't send me a letter I'll haunt you, like a ghost. I lived with hundreds of them, I know what to do. [ A joke, but maybe not a good one. She grins, resting her head on his shoulder for a bare moment, just to try and hide her smile. ] You're going to feel entirely smothered.
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They're not going to escape the Drabworld anytime soon, she knows that. They're here to fight a war that has been going on for centuries and even if she has taken a step back, even if she refuses to be a part of it for now, beyond helping the people she cares about, she knows that it's not something they can escape. Indeed, it's their future and they're going to live far, far longer here than they ever would at home -- not just because of magic but because of the shard in their chest that tugs and pulls at them, the flickering of power she can feel inside of herself. What is important to her is the friendships she has made and the people she has come to care about - and Luke is a solid figure in that lineup, a solid reminder of how this place can change people, of how they can draw strength from it. She doesn't know the entire story but she knows enough to know that he is relishing his place here just as much as he might be disliking it - the same as her. She loves the Drabworld and finds it discomforting in equal measure. She just doesn't know how to admit it.
Shifting, Hermione nudges closer and leans her arm against Luke's, resting on him barely as her hand keeps a tight grip on his. She doesn't want to push too hard, to make him want to draw away from her when they've made such leaps and bounds in the last hour - she wants to keep getting to know him and his snakes and his antics even as she sees him become more than the strange boy that promised to find a muggle for her as a joke and kept it up even when she was kidnapped, even when she felt alone. There had been times when the darkness had felt like it might overcome her, when she had felt lost and confused, and Luke's easy humour and joking concern had been enough to help guide her through it. She hopes that it will be enough for him in return when she offers as much of herself as she can to him - as much as he is willing to take from her. She's Hermione Granger; it's all or nothing in everything she does because why bother if you're not going to give a hundred percent?
Luke is smiling and that's enough for her, for now. ] I don't know about that. I think I'm the lucky one, getting to meet all of you in the first place. Living here isn't easy but it's worth it to get to meet all the people I care about. [ It makes sense to her even if it does sound a little silly. She can handle coming here and accept it because she's been able to make friends and love people she never would have had a chance to meet at home. ] George and Martha will be my spies and I'll send you weekly check-in messages if I have to. I'm afraid that you're not going to escape me so easily, Luke Castellan. I'm a bit of a pain in the backside like that; if you don't send me a letter I'll haunt you, like a ghost. I lived with hundreds of them, I know what to do. [ A joke, but maybe not a good one. She grins, resting her head on his shoulder for a bare moment, just to try and hide her smile. ] You're going to feel entirely smothered.