His jaw tightened, his discomfort now obvious. "And you're leaving in the middle of the night?" he asked, his voice lowering. "Alone?"
She looked away, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "What were you doing here, anyway?" she countered, changing the subject abruptly.
He tilted his head slightly, as if debating how much to tell her, before answering simply, "Waiting."
The truth in his tone made her freeze. She stared at him, her breath catching. "For who?" she asked hesitantly, almost dreading the answer.
"For you, Mia," he said softly, his voice steady and sincere. "I had a feeling your night wasn't over after you went back inside."
Hermia felt her exhaustion weigh her down again, but there was a warmth in his words she couldn't deny. "I see," she replied quietly, her voice tinged with a mixture of weariness and reluctant gratitude.