"It's time for breakfast!" Luke stood at the head of the stairs and chuckled lightly. Today's Hermione wore a light-toned maxi dress over a black sweater, looking like a couple's outfit with Luke. Her brown hair hadn't had time to take care of, so it was scattered behind her like the first meeting.
"Um…"
Upon hearing Luke's suggestion, Hermione nodded in agreement and followed him to the dining table. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the two beautifully prepared breakfasts before them. She couldn't help but marvel at Luke's seemingly endless talents. In her eyes, he appeared to be capable of anything.
After enjoying their meal, they proceeded to open the potions shop as usual. However, heavy snowfall blanketed the streets, with small snowflakes gently drifting down in the morning and threatening to escalate into a blizzard by noon. It was clear that there would be no visitors braving the weather today.
The snowstorm persisted for two days straight. During this time, Hermione received a letter from her parents, reminding her to return home whenever she found the time. While Luke had no objections, having enjoyed Hermione's company for almost two weeks, he didn't want her to feel obligated to return if she preferred to stay.
Surprisingly, Hermione expressed no desire to leave. She was content to study and be with what she loved, seeing no reason to go back home. However, at Luke's insistence, she agreed to accompany him home for a few days.
Despite understanding the necessity of her departure, Luke couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness in his store after seeing Hermione off. The past few days had felt less lonely with her presence.
During Hermione's absence, Luke received several photos from his frog companion, all showcasing scenic landscapes devoid of any notable landmarks. The frog's return was anticipated to be lengthy, likely extending until the start of the new school term.
"I'm back!" Hermione's voice echoed through the store as she pushed the door open, luggage in hand, and the bell chimed above the entrance.
Luke, who had been engrossed in a book behind the counter, looked up to see Hermione rushing towards him. Without missing a beat, he caught her in a tight hug, preventing her from tumbling to the ground.
"Excited to see me after just six days?" Luke teased, a smile playing on his lips as he ruffled her hair affectionately.
Despite the brief separation, Luke found himself missing Hermione's presence. After years of solitude, he had grown accustomed to her warmth, making the return to loneliness all the more challenging.
"I can see you're quite excited too," Hermione remarked with a smile, pointing to her feet off the ground as she playfully rubbed her head against Luke's cheek.
"What about your parents?" he inquired, gently setting Miss Hermione down before picking up her luggage and carrying it upstairs.
"They dropped me off at the Leaky Cauldron, probably on a trip," Hermione happily explained. "So I'll be working here until school starts."
"In just a few days, let's head to the Bookstore across the street and get all the books we need for next semester!" she suggested.
The books and papers for the upcoming semester at Hogwarts had already been mailed to both of them. Luke, after careful examination, realized that he had already covered most of the material, such as the "advanced usage of magic spell" and "the use of living creatures in transformation spells."
"I heard that the next semester's Dark Magic defense professor might be Lockhart!" Luke shared, moving the luggage to Hermione's room.
"I know. I saw Lockhart's book on the list of required books," Hermione frowned, expressing her displeasure. "His books are too expensive, and we have to buy them all."
"Lockhart's books are quite interesting," Luke mused, using his wand to clear the dust from the room before turning to take Miss Hermione's hand.
"Come on, let's explore Diagon Alley. I'll help you pick out some nice clothes."
As the start of school drew nearer, there was a group of little wizards who seemed to be buying books almost every day at the Bookstore, which was situated opposite the Potions Store.
Most of them were first-year freshmen.
In the past few days, Luke had noticed that first-year wizards often visited the store, looking around curiously and asking questions.
"Ah, those Lockhart books took half of my savings all at once! Hermione exclaimed, calculating the gold Galleon she had spent on purchasing Lockhart's books. She finally crawled on the table in despair and said helplessly, "What's the rush? The money hasn't been given to you yet..."
Luke, sitting on the reclining chair with a book, replied leisurely, "Don't worry, the share hasn't been given to you yet..."
It should be noted that a small percentage of the potions sold in the store were made by Hermione.
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