Evan stared at the bathroom door for what felt like an eternity, listening to Hermione changing inside. He could hear the rustling of clothes, and the realization of her intentions gradually settled in. Hermione intended to share a room with him. Evan understood that it shouldn't be a big deal, but he found it challenging to return to a normal state of mind.
The question now was, what should he do? The idea of sitting and waiting for Hermione to finish bathing felt awkward. Evan listened carefully to the sounds coming from the bathroom, contemplating his next move. He couldn't help but imagine Hermione in various states of undress, and the thought left him feeling uneasy.
Suddenly, he thought about how he would explain this situation to Fleur and Gabrielle tomorrow. He would have to tell them that he had spent the night in the same room as Hermione. After all, Hermione was his girlfriend now, so it shouldn't be a problem.
As this thought crossed his mind, Evan felt a peculiar itch in his heart. Hermione was his girlfriend, and perhaps he should act accordingly. But how should he act? The situation was getting increasingly complicated.
In the midst of his contemplation, there was a knock at the door. Evan opened it to find Gabrielle standing there, looking anxious and teary-eyed.
"Who's there?" Evan asked, trying to keep his voice low.
The sounds of Hermione getting ready inside ceased, and she, too, must have heard the knocking.
"It's me, Evan!" Gabrielle's voice trembled slightly. "It's so late, and it's really dark outside. I'm a bit scared."
Evan scratched his head in bewilderment. It was strange for Gabrielle to come to his room at this hour, especially given the circumstances inside.
"Wait a moment; let me get up," Evan said, raising his voice so that Hermione could hear him. He walked to the bathroom door and knocked.
After a few seconds, the door cracked open slightly, and Hermione's brown eyes appeared, shining with a hint of embarrassment.
"What should we do?" Hermione asked, sounding equally startled.
Evan was at a loss. Hermione had come on her own, and now he didn't know how to respond. He considered that if he went along with her plan, it would make things even more complicated.
"You continue washing up. I'll open the door for Gabrielle and explain the situation to her," Evan suggested.
"No, don't go. Let me handle this," Hermione replied, her face flushed. "I need to put on my clothes first."
Through the narrow opening, Evan caught a glimpse of Hermione wrapped in a bath towel, her wet hair clinging to her skin.
Another knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Who is it?" Evan asked, this time speaking louder.
"It's me, Evan!" Gabrielle's voice was filled with urgency. "It's dark outside, and I'm a little scared. Please open the door!"
Evan sighed. He had no choice but to open the door for Gabrielle. However, doing so while Hermione was still inside the bathroom was going to be awkward.
"Fine, I'll get up," Evan said loudly before heading to the door. He opened it to find Gabrielle standing there in her cute cartoon pajamas, holding a teddy bear.
She looked startled, her eyes brimming with tears, and she promptly collapsed into Evan's arms.
"What's wrong?" Evan asked, concerned. "What happened?"
"I was sleeping, and I had a dream about Ramesses II and his queen, Nefertari," Gabrielle began, her voice trembling. "It was a love story, but then I saw the mummies at the museum during the day, and they seemed to come to life and make strange noises..."
"Don't worry, it was just a nightmare," Evan reassured her, patting her back gently. He didn't want the child to be scared by the things she had seen at the museum.
"Yeah," Gabrielle nodded, calming down a bit. "But when I woke up, Hermione was gone, and I called for her, but she didn't come back. Then I heard strange sounds in the big room, like the mummies were coming for me."
Evan tried to comfort Gabrielle. "I'm sure your sister is with Bill right now. As for Hermione, she probably couldn't sleep and went out for a late-night snack. She'll be back soon. Let's go back to your room."
"No, I don't want to," Gabrielle said, her voice growing softer. "The room is empty, and I'm scared. Evan, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Evan looked down at Gabrielle, feeling a mix of sympathy and helplessness. She looked so vulnerable and adorable in her current state, and he couldn't refuse her request.
"Alright," Evan finally agreed, letting out a resigned sigh. He couldn't leave a nine-year-old girl alone in such a state of fear.
Gabrielle's face brightened with relief, and she quickly made her way to Evan's bed.
After her crying, Gabrielle's sleepy eyes had dimmed. She kept lowering her head, searching for a place to continue sleeping. While driving her away wasn't entirely realistic, Evan couldn't leave her outside. The white cat inside was also trembling.
"Gabrielle, I'll escort you to your room. Once you've fallen asleep, I'll leave," Evan said as he quickly blocked her path.
"I'm afraid to be alone, please don't leave me..." Gabrielle said in a low voice, looking around. "I find this place eerie, and I don't know where my sister Hermione and elder sister have gone!"
This ancient inn had a history of over a thousand years, and the surroundings were filled with remnants and ruins, which truly made the evening unsettling.
Evan took a step back, positioning himself between Gabrielle and the bed so that she wouldn't see Hermione lying there.
"Alright, you can stay here, but you must sleep in the bed in your room, and I'll keep you company."
"But I want to sleep with you," Gabrielle said, tilting her head toward him. "I used to sleep with my elder sister at home..."
"I'm different from your older sister. You need to learn to be independent," Evan said, looking at her with a bit of a headache.
Gabrielle was usually very clever, so why was she acting like this in the evening? At nine years old, she should understand these things. Ginny had seen Harry blush in the past and had no problem sleeping in the same room as Evan. Why was Gabrielle being so shy?!
"I know what you're talking about; my older sister has explained it to me many times!" Gabrielle insisted, taking the opportunity to act spoiled. "But I want to sleep with you, just for tonight, okay?" She clung to Evan and affectionately rubbed against him, looking up at him.
Except for a forced smile, Evan didn't know what to say. He turned his head to see Hermione hiding behind the bed, clearly visible.
If it had been Gabrielle from the past, she would have excitedly jumped onto the bed and turned it into an unusual night with three people. But Evan didn't want to sleep in the same bed as Gabrielle, not with Hermione on the bed. Evan thought he should encourage Gabrielle again, but not hold her directly...
"Evan, don't leave me," she said pitifully, her eyes closing as she yawned. "These mummies with bandages are so scary. Aren't you scared? I want to cuddle with you tonight..."
"Wait, don't sleep here; let's go to the bed," Evan said hastily. He shook Gabrielle firmly, realizing that this child was not going to back down.
The mummies were scarier than anything else, and Gabrielle must not see them.
"Okay, you agreed. I'll go to sleep now," Gabrielle said, rubbing her eyes.
"You sleep here, and I'll go ahead," Evan quickly climbed onto the bed, but bumped into something soft on the side. He stiffened as he realized it was Hermione's warm, soft body.
She was trembling slightly and moved away from Evan, maintaining some distance. In the darkness, Hermione could feel Evan's body pressing against hers, radiating warmth and rapidly increasing in temperature.
She extended her furry cat paw and gently pushed Evan forward, trying to withdraw.
"Don't touch that spot..."
"What were you whispering?" Gabrielle asked curiously.
"Nothing. You should go to sleep," Evan said. He would wait for Gabrielle to fall asleep and then deliver Hermione to her room.
Suddenly, he remembered that Hermione wasn't wearing any clothes. He had taken all of Hermione's clothes to the bathroom earlier. But Animagus transformation shouldn't matter; Evan wouldn't bite. He had never had a problem with his body distorting inappropriately.
"Give me the blankets; it's cold in Egypt at night," Gabrielle said, pulling them towards herself.
Hermione moved under the covers, hiding to avoid being seen by Gabrielle. She didn't dare to touch Evan and kept herself rolled up tightly, arms and legs outstretched, inching closer to Evan.
Evan found himself in the middle, with Gabrielle trying to pull the covers towards herself on one side and Hermione pushing him on the other. Cat strength was surprisingly strong, and Evan's heart raced as the furry paw touched him, sending a tingling sensation.
In the next moment, he took a deep breath and his right hand involuntarily slipped outward, pulling Hermione into his embrace, holding her close to his chest. Despite hugging a cat, Evan felt a slowly growing sense of contentment. But this cat was Hermione, making it the most intimate and boldest contact between Evan and Hermione.
Ron's experiences in love had taught Evan that he needed to be bold. He needed to learn from Ron in this aspect and not be like Harry and Colin, who stumbled over their words when talking to the girls they liked and couldn't keep their attention.
Due to Evan's actions, Hermione was struggling cautiously, pressing her head against Evan's chest and trying to push upward.
"Evan, where did Hermione go?" Gabrielle asked in a low voice. "I'm a little worried; she's not here..."
"I don't know, there's no need to worry. We'll ask her in the morning," Evan said, trying to keep his voice steady. Both he and Hermione were afraid to alarm Gabrielle, who hadn't noticed yet.
Hermione felt her strength rapidly fading away, her limbs going limp as she lay softly on Evan. Unusual sensations were spreading throughout her body, invading every cell. She no longer wanted to move; she was content being held by Evan.
"Yeah, Hermione, it's nice if she's here," Gabrielle continued, moving closer to Evan.
"Huh?" Evan turned his head to look at her, wondering what she meant. Did she want the three of them to sleep together?
"She was just telling me about your adventures at Hogwarts before she fell asleep. I want to hear," Gabrielle said.
"Which part do you want to hear?" Evan asked. This girl was truly a handful; he felt like he was talking her to sleep.
It was a long night, and if Gabrielle didn't fall asleep, he and Hermione wouldn't be able to tend to other matters.
"I want to hear about how you rescued Hermione from the werewolf," Gabrielle said, raising her voice slightly. "Hermione told me she fell in love with you from that moment on, when you shielded her from the scary werewolf."