Chapter 13
"Hermione, tell us what's going on, please!" Jacob was hastily following Hermione around her house as she began grabbing things such as her cloak and her purse. After Kingsley had come to bear the terrible news and had slipped a paper with an address into her shaking hands, Hermione had run to her house to gather her things. The pack, Cullens, and Bella could only look on, shocked, at Hermione who seemed to be a mess. Although she was a supposed graceful vampire, Hermione could not help but take in ragged, unnecessary breaths and shake uncontrollably as dry sobs threatened to consume her body. By the time she had collected all of her items she was well on the way of being considered mental as she carelessly bumped into her own furniture and even other people, now practically crying empty tears in agony. Hermione ran to the front door before stopping and turning to her confused friends behind her.
"I'm leaving," Hermione explained. Before Jacob could express his pain, Hermione quickly interrupted. "Not permanently. I just need some time to myself right now. I know the battle is in three days and I wish I could be here for all of you, but I just can't seem to do that at the moment. Please, don't follow me." Hermione sighed as she began taking control of her emotions, not wanting the pack's, Cullen's, and especially Jacob's last memory of her to be such a terrible one. "I'm sorry." Hermione barely whispered, more towards Jacob than anyone else. With that, she turned and began walking outside when she heard one last pleading voice call her name.
"Hermione, please, please explain. Why?" Jake asked with a quivering voice that nearly broke Hermione's heart in two. She knew she was hurting him by leaving at such a crucial time, hell, by leaving at all, but she couldn't seem to pay attention to his pain when her own was attempting to keep itself from spilling in the form of a mental breakdown.
Without turning, Hermione replied. "My parents are dead."
Hermione pulled up to an empty field in her car before slamming the brakes and laying her head on the steering wheel. The pain was absolutely consuming her. Her parents were dead and she had just lied to Jacob. The last few moments were replaying in her head, Jacob's pained expression causing shivers to go down her spine. She knew it was wrong to lie, to leave, to lie about her leave, but if she had told Jacob the truth, he would have held her hostage, because she wasn't just leaving, she was leaving forever.
Hermione quickly pulled the keys from her car and exited before turning on her heel with the address given by Kingsley in hand. With that, she vanished.
With flowers in her hand and an aching in her heart, Hermione kneeled in front of the bland tombstone in the bland graveyard baring bland, fake names.
"Here lies Monica and Wendell Wilkins
Loving husband and wife"
Hermione grew bitter at the thought of it. Her parents, her kind, loving, understanding, and even silly parents were given artificial names and sent to Australia to live a problem-free life, a witch-free life, a Hermione-free life. And when the war had ended, she was too afraid to know what they would think of their witch, and now vampire, daughter who had erased their memories. She wished she could turn back time and change everything, spend the last moments of her parents' lives together and with their correct identities, and perhaps even prevent their deaths. Kingsley had said they had died in a car accident on their way to church which made Hermione scoff. Thanks a lot, God.
Currently, Hermione's life was flashing before her eyes. Not in a 'on the verge of death' way as it is usually depicted, but more of a 'reminiscing the good old days' kind of way. She remembered when she was only six and her dad was teaching her how to swim for the first time, placing little floaties on her arms and occasionally giving her a piggyback ride in the water. She thought of the time when the family had gone skiing when she was nine and a bump in the hill had caused her to fall. She had cried in pain as the cold, winter air had bitten at the bruised arms revealed under her jacket. As if she were living in the memory, Hermione felt a gust of wind ripple through her cloak. Fearing discovery and attempting to keep the sun from her skin, she brought the hood even further over her face.
Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Quickly, Hermione turned to see a woman in her mid-forties smiling down at her.
"Hello, I'm Molly." Hermione nearly laughed at the coincidence but found that laughs could not seem to come at the moment. The woman actually reminded Hermione of Molly Weasley, in fact, what with the motherly and kind presence. The witch realized that the woman was expecting an introduction as well so Hermione plastered on a strained smile and spoke.
"Hello, I'm Hermione Gr- um, Wilkins." The woman shot Hermione a sad smile.
"I see. I am so sorry for your loss." Hermione couldn't help but cringe at the words. So typical, so cliché. "I had also just come to visit them. Wonderful people, they were. They were my neighbors."
Hermione couldn't help but think sour thoughts. Wonderful people. What would she know about my parents?
"Oh," Molly began as if remembering something. "May I ask what your relationship with the Wilkins was?" Hermione was quite hesitant to answer, knowing her parents would not have remembered their daughter and, therefore, would not have talked about her. However, Hermione saw no harm in the action as her parents were gone.
"I was there daughter."
"Am." Molly stated assertively. Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?"
"You still are their daughter. Their deaths don't sever your ties with them as family. Family, whether it brings pain, love, or happiness, is eternal." Hermione smiled genuinely at Molly's words. She was beginning to warm up to this woman who seemed with good intentions. "Oh, also, did you happen to meet your uncle?"
Hermione stared curiously at the woman. "Uncle? I have no uncle?" The last part came out as more of a question than a statement as Hermione wondered where the woman had gotten such an idea.
"Oh, is that so? Then I wonder who that man was."
Hermione paled instantly. "Man? What man?"
"Well, he had come to visit your parents last Sunday, just before the accident. Said he was looking for you. I believe he said his name was Antonin. Quite a unique name." Fear, anger, and rage seemed to be boiling within her in a concoction that made her want to track down Dolohov and kill him. It was her rational side that kept her from doing so.
Quickly, Hermione turned to Molly. "I'm sorry, I have to go." With that, she ran to the forest behind the graveyard to an unseen area before apparating, landing in her car.
She took a moment to steady her breathing before screaming her lungs out and punching the glass window, causing it to shatter. With an annoyed sigh, Hermione took her wand and casted a simple reparo, allowing the cracked pieces to come together and mend itself like a puzzle.
She laid her head down on the steering wheel again. "I can't believe it. Dolohov killed my parents as bait to lure me to Australia. He was probably hiding somewhere in the cemetery to attack me," She said to the humid air inside of the car. Hermione felt overwhelmed, confused, and had a thumping in her head that wouldn't go away. Getting out of her suffocating car, Hermione turned on her heel with a single place in mind. Grimmauld Place.
Hermione landed in the hallway of what was once Sirius's home with a loud pop. Suddenly, she heard a loud thud as a hand landed on her chest. Looking down at the hand on her right breast, she stared at Harry who was as red as a Chinese Fireball. He was absolutely still and seemed to be frozen in shock.
"Um, Harry." Hermione said to an unmoving Chosen One. "If you haven't noticed, your hand is in a place that it really shouldn't be."
Harry was awoken from his reverie and quickly removed his hand from Hermione's chest. "I'm sorry, Hermione! I was just here trying to reach for the doorknob and then there was a pop and suddenly you were in front of me and-,"
"Harry!" Hermione yelled while placing her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Stop your ranting. It's fine. I actually came here to speak to you and Ginny and maybe stay here for a while?" Hermione hesitantly phrased her sentence as a question, looking to Harry for approval. Harry, whose red tinge had yet to fade, became more serious and looked at Hermione worriedly.
"Sure, Hermione, anything for you. What's wrong?" Hermione sighed and shook her head.
"Let's go inside and sit down first. Is Ginny here?" Harry nodded in response and followed after Hermione towards the kitchen. Upon entering, Hermione was met with the smell of something burning in the oven.
"Oh bloody hell!" Ginny exclaimed as she ran to the heated oven emitting dangerously black smoke. She was wearing a hilariously large apron with images of apples on it. Wiping her exhausted face with said apron, Ginny placed the tray of black cookies on the kitchen counter, sighing with contempt. "Crap. Can't even bake a blasted cookie." She turned to reach for the flour to make a new batch when she spotted Hermione, splitting her face into an ear-to-ear grin.
"Hermione!" The tiny red-head screamed before running to the vampire and nearly suffocating her un-suffocate able body which was a feat in itself. "What are you doing here?"
Hermione sat down on the nearest chair, prompting Ginny and Harry to do the same. "Well," she began, "I presume that you are aware of what happened to my parents." Ginny and Harry nodded sadly, Ginny avoiding Hermione's mournful eyes.
"Kingsley told us about the accident. I'm so sorry, 'Mione."
Hermione scoffed resentfully. "Well, it was no accident." The two in front of Hermione stared at their friend in shock and curiosity, not wanting to interrupt but urging her to explain. "A neighbor of Monica and Wendell Wilkins-," It was then when Ginny cut in.
"Your parents."
"No," Hermione said with little emotion. "Monica and Wendell Wilkins. Not my parents." In silent understanding, Ginny looked down in shame, causing Hermione to crack and to grab her friend's hand reassuringly. "A neighbor of Monica and Wendell Wilkins had said that an 'uncle' of mine had been looking for me right before they died." Hermione didn't have to put air quotations around the word uncle. By the way she had enunciated the word, Harry and Ginny could tell that something was off. "This 'uncle's' name was Antonin. Antonin Dolohov." The couple in front of Hermione gasped and looked to Hermione with shocked eyes. She could only nod in reply to their thoughts. "He killed my parents as bait, and I fell for it." A deadly quiet silence ensued, one so quiet that you were able to hear a faint buzzing in the air to break through it. No one dared make a move or sound, only taking in the information presented to them.
Hermione finally ended the moment by turning to her two friends and smiling sorrowfully. "This is why I had come here. My parents' deaths had made me realize that I should utilize as much time as possible with my family, not take any of that time for granted. You're my family. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Luna, Molly, Arthur, and hell, the twins even when they're pulling pranks on me; you are all my family. So do you think I can stay here for a while before I can find a place of my own to stay in London?"
"Of course. But 'Mione," Ginny replied. "You're not going to live in Forks anymore? What about Jacob? You two love each other, or at least you did when we visited. Has something happened?" Hermione looked between Harry and Ginny, both innocently curious faces, debating whether she should tell them the truth or not.
With a sigh of defeat, Hermione got more comfortable in her chair to begin her explanation. "You two know that Jacob is a Quileute wolf shifter?" They both nodded in response. "Well, it turns out that their tribe's wolves have the ability to imprint. Imprinting," Hermione quickly said before they could ask what the word meant. "allows the wolves to find their one, true soul mate. They would do anything for their imprint, whether they are required to act as a brother, friend, or lover. If the imprint was to reject the wolf that imprinted on them, they would experience inexplicable pain." Hermione stopped, allowing the words to sink in. Harry and Ginny gave Hermione a look as if to ask where this conversation was going.
"I am Jacob's imprint." Ginny seemed torn between swooning over the romanticism of it all and screaming at the severity of the situation. Harry, on the other hand, could do nothing but stare, shell-shocked, at Hermione. Hermione almost wanted to lean in and slap his chin so he would close his mouth, most likely say something like 'close your mouth or you'll catch flies' while doing so.
"But Hermione, you said that if the wolf is rejected by the imprint, they would be in inexplicable pain. How did you break the news to him that you were moving back to London? He must've been heartbroken." Ginny inquired, attempting to understand the entire thing.
Hermione looked away at her friend's question, knowing she wouldn't approve of the answer. "Um, I sort of didn't." At this, Harry had snapped his mouth shut and crossed his arms, looking at Hermione through squinted eyes.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Hermione Jean Granger?"
With a sigh, Hermione continued with her inevitable confession. "I lied and told him that I was only leaving temporarily."
"You what?!" Both voices exclaimed simultaneously as the voices' owners looked to each other with expressions saying, is she crazy?
"Hey, hey, don't get all angry with me. This is actually the best plan. You see, if Jacob thinks that I'm only gone temporarily, it technically isn't a legitimate rejection and he won't experience this incredible pain that I've so heard of." Hermione, although heartbroken by the fact that she had to leave Jacob whom she had come to love, knew this was a plan that spared him of the most pain for which she was glad. She turned back to her friends in front of her after speaking to herself in her own thoughts, finding them staring down at her with arms crossed. "What?"
"And what will you do when you never return and Jacob is forever waiting for you?" Ginny asked, ashamed of the witch before her. Hermione sighed and twiddled her thumbs.
"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."
"'Mione, why are you here? Why did you decide to move back from Forks?" Harry said with a soft voice greatly contrasting his appearance at the moment, which seemed suspicious.
"I told you, I realized that time with those you love is limited so I came back to spend this time with all of yo-,"
"Oh cut the crap, Hermione. Why are you really here?" Hermione sighed in defeat, letting her walls come down. She should have known that she couldn't hide anything from her friends. To them, she was like an open book; a sophisticated, well-worded, advanced-placement book.
"I'm scared." Hermione admitted with a frail, very unHermione-like voice. At the sight of her friend's broken façade, Ginny's eyes softened and she brought Hermione into a hug.
"What could possibly deter the bright witch of our age?" At this comment, Hermione laughed from amusement as well as bitterness. Brightest witch of our age my arse. I'm no bright witch. I'm pathetic. "Hermione, is it Dolohov? Are you afraid of Dolohov?"
Hermione stared at Ginny and Harry for a second, seemingly lasting much more than a single second, before giving herself an ultimatum. She was ready to get everything off of her chest. "I'm afraid of Jacob." The witch and wizard in front of her shared very different reactions. One had taken on a very confused look as the other seemed absolutely livid, ready to kill the wolf for 'hurting' their best friend. "Stop it, Ginny. He didn't hurt me."
Ginny was slightly taken aback before assuming the same confused expression as Harry. "Then what is it?"
"Don't you get it?" Hermione asked as if everyone in the room other than her had gone completely daft. "The commitment is what scares me. Imprinting is so much more complicated than regular love. Jake has his pack, family, and practically his entire life in Forks while mine is waiting for me here. I want to do things, make change, impact the Wizarding World. How am I to do that if I'm forever tied to Jacob? So I've left Forks now before our relationship becomes much too serious."
At Hermione's words, Ginny and Harry visibly relaxed as if the answer was so simple and all of the problems were fixable with a push of a button. "Oh, that's it?" Ginny let out with a smile, sitting leisurely back on her chair again. Hermione looked at the two incredulously.
"Are you kidding me? 'That's it'?! I'm having a crisis at the moment and that's all you can say?"
Harry and Ginny giggled at Hermione's reaction. "Hermione," Harry began as though he were talking to a child who had a hard time understanding something. "imprinting is no more complicated than love than love is imprinting, and that's because imprinting is love. Love is hard, love is complicated, that's just a matter of fact, but a part of love that movies can never depict or life can never sugar coat are the problems that come with it. Love always has some sort of baggage to carry along with it, but if you love the person enough, you would be able to work around those problems and carry that baggage happily, willingly. Love is beautiful, Hermione, don't let your paranoia keep you from experiencing it."
Hermione was awestruck at the words that had flowed so eloquently from her best friend's mouth. Was this still the same glasses-clad, eleven-year-old kid she had met on Hogwarts Express years ago? She smiled, "Thank you, Harry, that really helped. You really have grown up, huh?" Harry could only smile shyly in response. "However, if you don't mind, I would still like to stay here for some time to think things over." Ginny grinned at her friend and boyfriend happily.
"Sure, Hermione. The decision is ultimately up to you and whatever you go with, we'll support you all the way. That's what family is for." Hermione laughed and brought the two into her arms. As she was taller than them now, she could easily use them as arm rests.
"When did my friends grow up so fast? Next thing you know the both of you will be married and having a large Weasley family of your own." At Hermione' words, Harry and Ginny stiffened, something that did not go unnoticed by Hermione.
"What?" She asked them suspiciously. The two, thinking alike, both moved out of her range and stood an arm's length away from her.
"About that…," Ginny began before slowly dying off, looking to the man to her left for help.
Harry clasped Ginny's hand and brought the ring on her finger up to Hermione's view.
"We're getting married!"
Jacob jumped as he felt a jolt on his torso. "Jake, what is it?" Bella said worriedly as she placed a hand on his arm. He couldn't seem to care about her touch at the moment as a certain witch was preoccupying his mind. Another bronze haired vampire, however, could only glare at the point where their bodies connected.
"Nothing, I just could've sworn I felt a hand on my… never mind." The others, who were all still waiting in Hermione's house hoping she would come back, stared at Jacob curiously.
"On your man boob?" Edward spat with arms crossed, attempting to refrain himself from ripping Jake's arm off. Jacob glared at the golden eyed vampire.
"Stay out of my head, leech."
Sam growled at the wolf. "Jacob, that's enough. Try to calm down." With an incredulous expression on his face, he glared at the Alpha in the room.
"Calm down?! My imprint had just left to God knows where and you want me to calm down?" Sam cringed, knowing Jacob had every right to be angry.
"Cut her some slack, Jake." Seth said, his usual happy mood gone. "She just lost her parents." Jake's glare disappeared. He knew that Seth was right but he still couldn't help but want to tear everything in the room to pieces.
"I know, Seth, but she just left so suddenly. What if she never comes back? I won't even be able to look for her because she asked for us to not follow her. I have to obey her wish; she's my imprint." Everyone looked sympathetically at Jacob, all but one.
"Ok, stop whining and get over yourself." Bella exclaimed bitterly, earning herself a glare from the pack. "She's gone! Just accept that fact and move on." These words seemed to be the last straw for Jacob as he picked up a lamp beside him and angrily threw it at the wall, watching it shatter into tiny pieces. He turned furiously to Bella who had winced at the breaking of the fragile porcelain and was now looking at Jake, frightened.
"Shut up, Bella! Just shut up! What the hell are you even doing here anyway? You have no part in this! You're just a stupid little human who caught the eye of some bloodsucking, one hundred-year-old vamp and follows him everywhere. I bet you feel special or something because of it. Well guess what, you're not!" Jacob's voice had now risen many decibels and his hair was practically standing on end in anger. Bella could only cower into the corner of the couch, tears pricking her eyes. "You're just a pathetic teenage girl who pines for attention and you know what, I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you!" Jacob turned to the door and hurriedly ran out, transforming and escaping into the sanctuary of the woods, leaving a sobbing Bella, pitying pack, and shocked Cullen clan to stare at his retreating form.
"You're what?!" Hermione screamed at Ginny and Harry who winced at her voice. Harry cleared his throat, genuinely afraid of his best friend at the moment.
"Um, well, we're getting married." Hermione stared flabbergasted at the two before falling onto her chair, unable to support herself anymore.
"Merlin." She whispered to nobody in particular. She checked her head for a fever and pinched herself to see if she was awake before realizing she could neither have a fever nor sleep. "When's the wedding?" Hermione asked numbly, no longer able to feel anything as she thought of the eventful day.
After about a minute of silence, she stared with an eyebrow raised at the soon-to-be husband and wife waiting for a reply. It was clear that they were hesitant to answer and they continuously stole cautious glances at Hermione. "Well, is someone going to answer me or do I have to strangle it out of one of you."
Ginny choked on the air the she was breathing and gave Hermione an awkward smile. "Well, Hermione, amazing, beautiful, kind Hermione," Said witch could only roll her eyes at her friend's flattery, secretly appreciating it on the inside. "don't be mad, but the wedding may or may not be in three days."
Hermione's eyes nearly bulged out of her head and she had to refrain from actually strangling her friends. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you two?! You tell me this now?" Harry and Ginny both stepped away from Hermione, getting ready to fight her off in case she attacked.
"Well, 'Mione, you know how you are. You're all for independence, you don't want to be the typical house wife and so you would've berated us for marrying too young and not living while we still had the chance. So we decided to plan the entire wedding before you had the chance to stop us." Hermione thought about Ginny's words and realized that she was right. She wasn't the type to settle down to quickly and she definitely was not one to stay at home while her husband went to work every day. She believed that everyone should give themselves a chance to live their own lives before merging with their significant other, her departure from Jacob was proof enough of that.
"Ok, I acknowledge that you're right," Hermione began, causing Harry and Ginny to sigh in relief. "but that still doesn't mean you guys have to marry so quickly. Why the hurry? We were in a bloody war only a few months ago, don't you both want to experience life without that war consuming you for once?"
Harry and Ginny gave their friend a reassuring smile. "Hermione," Harry said. "it's because of that war that we want to marry so quickly. You said it yourself; time with those you love is so limited. Our lives had been so overrun by the war that Ginny and I had never been able to have a proper relationship, go on proper dates. That's why we want to marry before we waste any more time."
"We know you think we should live our lives before settling down," Ginny began, staring down at her hand linked to the love of her life's before looking at Hermione with joyous eyes. "but Hermione, you live to be happy, and happiness strives upon love. Once Harry and I marry, we will still be able to live our lives, but when we do, we will experience everything together, hand in hand, and that makes it all the better. So please accept our marriage, Hermione. It would mean the world to us." Hermione looked between the two lovebirds and couldn't help but feel happiness at their love for each other. With only a simple nod of her head, Ginny squealed and brought her girlfriend into a hug, forcing Harry to join in a second later.
"Hey, hey, wait." Hermione interrupted, pulling away from the hug and crossing her arms, looking at the two curious faces. "So were you just not going to invite me to the wedding?" Ginny giggled at Hermione's hurt expression.
"Oh, on the contrary, dearie. You," Ginny said dramatically while pointing a finger at Hermione and giving her a devious look. "are my maid of honor.
After overcoming the initial shock over Ginny and Harry's wedding as well as the fact that she was to be maid of honor in a wedding coming in less than seventy two hours, Hermione congratulated the pair before retreating to her room to think. She was lying on her bed, which would remain mostly unused during her stay here, her mind occupied with the thoughts of Jacob and her parents. She missed the two already and yet, she couldn't visit either of them. What am I going to do about my relationship with Jacob? Hermione thought to herself. Harry had made some very valid points: love was a beautiful thing. However, Hermione couldn't help but think of all she could possibly accomplish if she weren't tied down so quickly. She just couldn't see herself being so accomplished while in Forks. Although Harry had said that love's baggage was worth working through and solving, Hermione genuinely could not think of any solutions to her predicament. Yes, Hermione Jean Granger, brightest witch of her age, was clueless. She could only think of two people that would be able to help her with such problems, and at the moment, Hermione was willing to risk everything to go see them. Ah, to hell with it! And with that, she vanished.
Hermione landed in the middle of the cemetery she had been in a few hours ago, standing in front of the same bland tombstone bearing the names Monica and Wendell Wilkins. She kneeled down and conjured a wreath similar to the one she had conjured for Harry's parents during the war. The memory saddened her but she turned her attention to her parents again.
"Hey mum, dad, I'm sorry my visit was cut short a while ago. I had to take care of some business." She paused as if to hear her parents' replies. "In fact, I'm sorry for everything." Hermione's eyes stung from the tears she could not shed. "I'm sorry for erasing your memories, for not returning your memories once the war was over… for getting you both killed." Whether Hermione was going mental or she was finding her own way of coping, she didn't know, but she could hear her parents speaking to her as if they were all conversing normally.
"It's alright, sweetie."Her mom would say as she usually does and put a hand over her own. "You were only doing what you thought was best." Her dad would place a hand lightly on her shoulder at this moment.
"Your mother's right, dear. We love you and that will never change." Hermione sighed, knowing this would never happen again.
"So what have you been up to?" Hermione's mother asked curiously.
Hermione scoffed. "Well, mother, I have been purposely sabotaging my relationship with my wolf shape shifter boyfriend in order to live my life and achieve all of the accomplishments I have dreamed of here in Wizarding London."
"What, you have a boyfriend?! Oh, that's wonderful. You really needed a man in your life what with your knickers in a twist all the time." Hermione snickered at her mother's words. Trust her mother to look over the fact that her boyfriend was a wolf, or was it ex-boyfriend?
"I was going to ask you about this, actually." Hermione said to her parents who were now sitting leisurely on the ground. "What do you think I should do?
"Well, honey, you can't expect all relationships to be problem-free. That's just ridiculous. However, that doesn't mean you should throw away your dreams for the person you love. It's called compromise, dear. But, in the end, the decision is up to you and we will support you every step of the way." Hermione's father smiled at his daughter lovingly, knowing Hermione was smart enough to make the right decision.
Hermione laughed. "You sound like Harry."
"Oh, tell him we said hi."
"I will." Hermione replied before allowing her thoughts to consume her. Her parents, in the meantime, were lying on the grass with hands held, attempting to guess shapes from passing clouds. The witch smiled at the beauty of their love. Even after twenty five years, they shared the same love that they had when they were twenty. Hermione realized that she had been given the answer that essentially everyone would give her: it was her choice. Although she was still no closer to deciding whether she should achieve her dream in Wizarding London or stay with Jacob in Forks, Hermione felt comfort in knowing that she would always be supported either way.
"You know what?" Hermione began as she rose from her kneeling position. She caught her parents' attention and they stared up at their daughter, still holding hands. "If I decide to be with Jacob, the first thing I will do is introduce him to the both of you. I promise."
Her parents smiled at Hermione with eyes holding love only a parent could have. "We love you, dear."
"I love you too."
A/N: I hope you liked the chapter! For some reason, this is one of the chapters that I like more. I can't seem to explain it but I just feel like my writing style has changed, even if it is minutely and you may not even see it, and I sort of like the change that I may just be imagining. Let me know what you think!
Summer vacation is coming to a close for me and I am incredibly distressed. For those who even care, I wonder how old you think I am based on my style of writing. Any guesses?