Disclaimer: Of all the things in the world worth stressing about, are you really worried that I'm going to use Harry Potter content even if I don't actually own the rights to it?

Chapter 50

"Moony and Tonks both wanted to be here to wish you luck, but the former is out running errands and the latter, as you know, has her first day of Auror exams."

"It's okay. Will they be here tomorrow?"

"Yes sir. Both of them. Oh, and, remember to ask Hermione about the thing."

"I will." Harry winced at how shaky his voice sounded.

Sirius Black gave a reassuring smile as he brushed off his godson's shoulders. "It's alright to be nervous, you know."

Harry narrowed his eyes. Even though his heart was thumping in his chest, he was determined to quell his apprehension. "I'm not nervous."

"Being nervous means you value what they think, and it also means you really want to make a good impression. So even if you are nervous, it's not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, her parents will find it endearing."

"I'm not nervous, Sirius. Seriously."

"How long have you been waiting to use that one?"

"Too long."

"You really are my godson, you know that?" Sirius gave a wry smile, ruffling Harry's hair. Harry returned the smile, playfully smacking his godfather's hand away. "In all…seriousness," Harry rolled his eyes but let him continue, "have fun today. Hermione's parents already know you, so they know just how brilliant and how kind you are, right?" Harry nodded with a blush. "So there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Her dad might try and scare you, but you've faced Voldemort and a basilisk, not to mention about a hundred dementors at once. I reckon you can handle a dentist."

Harry let out a grateful laugh. "Thanks. Really, thank you, Sirius."

"So you were nervous?" Sirius lightly punched him on the shoulder with a chuckle. "I knew it."

"It's my first time seeing her parents since Hermione and I started dating, so yes, I'm a little bit nervous."

"You've got this, kid. Don't sweat it."

With that, Sirius pulled Harry into a quick hug, patting him on the back. Harry grinned and squeezed his godfather back.

"Thanks."

"So," Sirius stepped back, leaning against the green wall of Harry's bedroom, "remind me again of the agenda?"

"I am going to take the train to Crawley, where the Grangers are going to pick me up at the station. Mr. and Mrs. Granger will drop Hermione and myself off at the shopping mall. Hermione wants to get lunch first, so we'll do that and then do some shopping before her parents pick us up later and drop me off at the station tonight. I'll take the train back to London, where you will be waiting at King's Cross to pester me for every single detail about the day."

"Hey!" Sirius mock-glared at Harry. "I will have the decency to wait until after I bring us back home to start hounding you."

"A dog pun? Really."

"Really." Harry rolled his eyes once again. "But enough of my incredibly clever and amusing jokes. Where are you planning on getting lunch?"

"Wherever she wants."

Sirius winked. "Good answer, kid. Now, grab on. You have a train to catch and I have to make sure I still know how to Apparate."

Harry obeyed, grabbing his godfather's arm and cringing as he once again felt as if he were being pressed through a rubber tube with the diameter of a half-pence. As soon as the sensation had started it was over, and Harry and Sirius were standing by a familiar secluded staircase in King's Cross train station. Sirius walked him to his train platform, peppering him with last-minute pieces of advice – parts of it in jest, like kissing Mrs. Granger on the lips to assert dominance over Mr. Granger, and parts of it to be taken seriously, such as pulling out Hermione's chair for her when they eat lunch, and making sure to pay for everything.

"Have fun, kid. I'll be here at nine sharp." He gave his godson's disheveled hair one last ruffle before he let him board the train, waving goodbye through the window as Harry slipped into his seat.

After around an hour of drumming his fingers on the armrest in excitement and practicing what he was going to say to Hermione's parents, Harry felt the train slow to a stop as it entered the Crawley train station. He practically leapt to his feet, speed-walking down the aisle and exiting the train onto the platform. Unsurprisingly, there was a throng of people bustling about, and it was difficult to make out any faces, much less the familiar ones of the Grangers. For a split-second, panic surged through him. Was he at the wrong station? Had he given Hermione and her parents the wrong platform number? Had he boarded the wrong train? Had he arrived hours early, or – even worse – late?

"Harry!"

Instantly, all traces of dread vanished into thin air as he spotted a mane of bushy brown hair streaking towards him. He had just enough time to open his arms before Hermione Granger crashed into him, hugging him impossibly tight just as she always did. He found himself grinning immediately, enveloping her into an equally tight embrace.

"I missed you!" She whispered, pulling back but keeping her hands on his upper arms. "I know it's only been a week but I missed you."

"I missed you more."

Hermione huffed in disagreement, but her smile didn't falter. She pulled him in for another quick hug before stepping back and turning around. Harry followed her gaze and saw Mr. and Mrs. Granger approaching the pair. He felt his heart leap into his throat but he forced it, along with his nervousness, down and stepped towards them, trying to project as much confidence as he could.

Mrs. Granger was beaming at him, which helped to assuage his nerves. Mr. Granger's expression, on the other hand, was completely, utterly neutral. It actually reminded Harry of Professor Lupin's stoic demeanor, which ended up alleviating his unease even more.

"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, it's great to see you guys again!" He winced internally at the excessive cheerfulness in his tone, but it seemed to do the trick. Mrs. Granger's smile widened and she followed her daughter's example, pulling him into a tight hug.

"It's great to see you, Harry," she whispered as he tentatively returned the hug, "Hermione's missed you so much, and we have too." She stepped back, and Harry returned her smile. He turned to her husband and held out his hand, desperately hoping it wasn't sweaty. Mr. Granger shook it firmly, but not firm enough to break his fingers, which Harry took as a good sign.

"It's nice to see you too, Harry." The dentist's tone was considerably lighter than Harry had been expecting, and his heart soared in relief.

"Thank you, sir," Harry nodded appreciatively, remembering the quasi-speech he had been practicing on the train ride, "And thank you so much for coming to pick me up from the station today. I know you two are busy people, and I hope it wasn't an inconvenience for – "

"Happy to do it." Mr. Granger waved him off, cracking a smile. "Plus, when I suggested we make you walk to our house from the station a certain someone almost threw a fit."

"I did not throw a fit, dad!"

"That's why I said almost."

Mr. Granger gave Harry a wink, and just like that, any lingering hint of nervousness evaporated from Harry's body. He gave the dentist another smile, and let out a relieved exhale. Hermione seemed to notice and slipped her hand into his, giving him a comforting squeeze.

"Shall we get you two off?" Mrs. Granger motioned away from the platform. "Hermione said you two are getting lunch first, and I'd hate to keep a growing boy like yourself from eating."

With that, the four of them began their stroll across the station towards the exit, and the Grangers began asking Harry about his summer and his stay with his godfather. He happily explained how great Sirius had been in helping him make Grimmauld Place into a real home, and how nice it was to have Lupin visit almost every day. He enjoyed recounting how Tonks had taken it upon herself to serve as his big sister without a second thought, and he felt his heart swell at the sight of the Grangers looking genuinely happy for him to have found his own, albeit bizarre, family.

Eventually they all climbed in to the white Jaguar that Harry was all too familiar with, and he took it upon himself to ask Hermione's parents how their summer had been.

"That's very nice of you to ask, Harry." Mrs. Granger turned and gave him a warm smile. They recounted some of the more entertaining tales of working at a dental practice, since most of their summer thus far had consisted of working. Most of the stories were about patients a little older than he and Hermione going through the process of wisdom teeth removal, particularly the aftermath.

Hermione leaned in and whispered to Harry after Mr. Granger recalled a boy under laughing gas rambling about how attracted he was to a supermodel named Heidi Klum: "This is why I'm terrified of getting my wisdom teeth out. I just know I'll say something embarrassing."

"And I'll be right there to record it when it happens." Harry turned and grinned at her, to which she stuck her tongue out and swatted him on the shoulder. Soon enough, they had reached the car park of the mall they had visited as a group two years prior, and Harry and Hermione departed.

"We'll be waiting here at seven-thirty sharp." Mr. Granger reminded them as they exited the car. "If you're not here by then, Harry, you're walking back to London."

"Understood, sir." Harry gave a wave and a smile, which an amused Mr. and Mrs. Granger returned before driving off. The pair of teenagers watched the white car maneuver across the lot until it reached the exit and turned onto the motorway. The moment its rear bumper was out of sight Hermione leaned in and kissed Harry on the cheek, much to his surprise.

"What was that for?" He blinked, unable to suppress a giddy smile as he brushed his cheek with his fingers.

"It's been too long."

"Hermione, it's been a week."

"Don't act like you aren't going to try and snog me senseless the first chance you get."

"First of all…you're right." Harry crossed his arms indignantly. Hermione arched an eyebrow, cocking her head expectantly. "That's it." Harry admitted with a defeated sigh. "I thought I could come up with a decent counter-argument but I'm coming up empty."

"That's too bad." Hermione flashed him an impish smile before gesturing towards the entrance. "You know how much we thrive on arguing with one another."

"Ah, yes, it's one of the cornerstones of our relationship, being at each other's throats."

"Honestly, could anyone create a healthy relationship out of something like that?"

"Doubtful." Harry held out his hand, which Hermione took with a shy smile. "Let's go get food and stop talking about unhealthy relationships when we have a perfectly healthy one right here."

Hermione nodded eagerly, and the two of them entered the mall hand in hand. For a split-second, Harry felt compelled to stop and admire the magnificence of the mall that surrounded them, but his girlfriend was particularly eager to get to the food court, tugging him along and forcing him to jog to keep up.

"Is there anything you're in the mood for?" Hermione asked, eagerly turning to face him with one of those radiant smiles that melted Harry's heart. "They have everything here."

"Whatever you feel like. I trust you." Harry added the last sentence for good measure, to which Hermione's smile widened as pointed to a nearby burger eatery. It was by no means fine dining, but it was clearly a step above the fast food that Sirius had a tendency to bring home once or twice a week for dinner. The pair quickly ordered their food and carried their trays to one of the many open tables. Harry remembered one of the good pieces of advice his godfather had given him and quickly set down his tray so he could pull Hermione's chair out for her, eliciting another blush and a quiet "Thank you."

"You didn't have to pay for me." Hermione popped a chip into her mouth, giving him a sarcastic glare. Harry just shrugged, sporting a rather smug smile. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Are you ever going to let me buy you anything? Ever?"

"You bought me this." Harry fished his sword of Gryffindor quill out of his pocket. "I still carry it everywhere, you know." He admitted to a floored Hermione.

"Really?" She asked in a soft voice, her eyes lighting up in surprise and delight. He nodded, twirling it between his fingers. "It took ages to get that custom-made, you know. I had to look up the sword in a book – "

"In the library." Harry and Hermione's voices spoke the last three words in unison. The latter rolled her eyes before tossing a French fry into her boyfriend's face, to which he spluttered in surprise before returning the favor.

"Don't you dare start a food fight, Granger!" He warned, waving one of his chips menacingly in front of her. She smirked before taking them both by surprise and snatching the fry out of his fingers – with her teeth. She nipped it out of his hand while maintaining her impish smirk, and Harry's face grew unfathomably hot as Hermione's lips brushed his finger. Her cheeks tinged pink as she realized what she did but she made no effort to apologize or take it back. Harry made himself busy with his soft drink, desperately hoping his face didn't look as red as it felt.

"I'm…flattered that you still carry that quill around. I wasn't sure if you really liked it that much."

"I love it!" Harry brandished the currently feather-less quill one last time before returning it to the pocket of his jeans. "Haven't you noticed it's the only quill I really use?"

"I mean…yes, but still…" Hermione trailed off, blushing again. "I thought you were just being nice around me."

"You should know better than that, Miss Brightest Witch of Our Age."

"Shut up." Hermione lobbed another chip at him, but this time Harry was ready and managed to snare it between his teeth. "Do you expect we'll be getting our letters from school soon?"

"I suppose." Harry took a few bites of his burger, which was surprisingly delicious. "Do you reckon we'll make it through the year without someone trying to kill us?"

"Usually it's something trying to kill you," Hermione fired back playfully, "and I'm just along for the ride."

Harry's felt his stomach twinge remorsefully at that quip, but a quick glance to see Hermione smiling at him both teasingly and reassuringly eliminated any bit of sadness in his body. "I suppose…" He remembered Sirius's request earlier and brightened immediately. "On a happier note, did you know that the Quidditch World Cup is this summer?"

"Shockingly, I do not keep up with the wide world of Quidditch, Harry Potter." She sipped her drink before arching her eyebrows, wordlessly asking him to continue.

"Every country's national team partakes in a round robin of sorts over two years before culminating in the final. This year it's going to be Ireland versus Bulgaria. Sirius follows it pretty closely because my dad took him to a few of the Cup finals when they were in school and he loved it."

"And you are telling me this because…"

"Because this year Sirius wants to take me. And, Ron wrote me and said he and the rest of the Weasley clan will be going. He even invited Neville since his grandmother didn't want to go. Plus, Dean and Seamus are meeting up there, and so are Lavender and Parvati."

"And you are telling me this because…" Hermione's lips curled into a knowing smile, and Harry grinned.

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany us." Harry couldn't help but chuckle as Hermione beamed at him. "Even though it's all about Quidditch, witches and wizards from all over the world come together for this thing, so it's going to be rather extraordinary to see all those different cultures. Sirius is going to get a campsite and he and I were planning on locating ourselves close to the Weasleys and the rest of our friends so we could all enjoy the affair together. It's not for another month, so you've got plenty of time to think – "

"I'd love to. I'd have to ask my parents but I can't see them saying no." She rested her hand on top of his on the table, sending a jolt of electricity up and down his arm. "Plus, it doesn't hurt that you were rather charming with them today. I was worried you would be too nervous to speak coherently and my dad would explode at us."

"Is speaking in complete sentences the bar for dating Hermione Granger?" Harry couldn't help but smirk. "Seems awfully low for someone as amazing as yourself."

"I think you've distinguished yourself as a worthy candidate over the past two summers, even if you didn't know it." Hermione blushed once again at his praise. "I'm not the only one in that house that misses you, you know. My parents really do like you."

"I'm sure they're talented actors."

"They're dentists, Harry." Hermione took another sip of her soft drink, but it was empty. Without hesitation, she snatched Harry's drink and took a lengthy sip.

"Oi!" Harry cried out in surprise. Hermione just winked, taking one last swallow before delicately placing it back on his tray. "What was that for?" He asked, unsure if he should be upset or just confused.

"It's called the Girlfriend Tax, Harry Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes, to which Hermione giggled into her hand like a schoolgirl before resuming her meal. "The Girlfriend Tax?"

"I've read about it in some Muggle teen magazines – don't you dare think that about me!" She warned as Harry's eyebrows shot towards the ceiling. "Sometimes those pieces of trash are all that's available to read when I have to go to the dental practice with my parents. Anyway, the Girlfriend Tax is when the girlfriend," she gestured to herself rather proudly, "is inherently allowed to take as many sips of her boyfriend's drink, or!" She gave a coy smile before helping herself to a few of Harry's fries.

"Now you're just being ridiculous!" Harry instinctively pulled his tray of food closer to himself, which only elicited another giggle from Hermione.

"Or, it refers to the amount of chips the girlfriend takes from her boyfriend, even though they are technically his."

"So it's stealing?" Harry raised his eyebrows again. Hermione shrugged noncommittally before chowing down on her stolen contraband. "You just get to steal from me because you're my girlfriend, is that it?"

"I think that's a rather pessimistic take.

"You're not the one getting robbed, are you?" Harry huffed sarcastically before taking a sip from his drink. "And I suppose there is nothing I can do about this Girlfriend Tax?"

"Well, if it bothers you that much, you could break up with me…" Hermione said in a lilting voice, flipping her hair over her shoulder and fluttering her eyelashes. Harry groaned despite the excitement pulsing in his veins at the sight of Hermione Granger batting her lashes at him.

"So, am I allowed to take some of your food?" Harry tentatively hovered his hand over Hermione's basket of chips. "Boyfriend Tax?" He added with a lopsided grin that he hoped would seal the deal.

No dice. Hermione gave a not-very-apologetic smile before sliding the basket away from him. He pouted, slinking his hand back to his side of the table and staring at his own meal dejectedly. Hermione noticed and responded by leaning over the table and gently brushing her lips against his. Any and all traces of glumness were vanquished as he brightened instantly, and Hermione giggled at the sight before giving him a dazzling smile.

He returned the smile and let out a content sigh. "You know, I think I can find a way to live with this Girlfriend Tax."

"And here I was thinking you were ready to break up with me."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I could say the same to you, Harry Potter."

Before Harry could formulate a witty remark, she was leaning over the table again, and Harry met her halfway this time. It was another short kiss, barely a few seconds, but it was still as exhilarating and wonderful as ever. He gave a blissful smile as he returned to his sitting position, a smile that Hermione was all too happy to reciprocate.

They finished the rest of their lunch with goofy smiles that refused to leave their faces. Harry rolled his eyes whenever Hermione snatched a few of his chips but made no effort to stop her. He even declared himself too full to continue and offered her the rest, to which she squeaked in delight and beamed at him before eagerly digging in.

"Any place in particular you would like to shop first?" Harry asked as they dropped their waste in the nearest garbage bin and placed their trays on top of it.

"Will you make fun of me if I ask you to come with me to the bookstore?" She asked shyly, ducking her head.

"Never."

They set off, Hermione lacing her fingers with his as she led them towards The Book Cellar, a fairly small but nonetheless well-stocked bookshop located between a makeup store and the ski supply shop where Harry and Hermione had gotten the Grangers their anniversary gifts two years earlier.

"Can we do that thing again?" Hermione asked expectantly once they entered the store. Harry just blinked in confusion, to which Hermione responded by placing her chin on his chest and pouting up at him. "Don't you remember? Our first date in Tomes and Scrolls?"

"Oh! Sorry…" Harry mumbled, embarrassed. "You want me to find you a book and vice versa, right?"

"Yes!" Hermione jumped for joy before planting a quick kiss on the tip of Harry's nose. "But it doesn't have to be something that goes outside of our comfort zones this time. Just something we think the other person will enjoy."

"Meet you back here in ten minutes?" Harry grinned at her, giving her hand a squeeze in return.

Hermione bit her lip as she stepped back, practically trembling with excitement. "Meet you back here in five minutes."

She dashed off before Harry could even begin to answer, and he decided to do the same, scanning the shelves for anything that struck him as Hermione-esque. He ran his finger over the spines of dozens of books, skimming over title after title, some familiar, most not.

He spotted a very familiar name and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Hermione's favorite author – besides Bathilda Bagshot of Hogwarts: A History – was Jane Austen, and he began poring over the collection of her works on the shelf in front of him. His excitement quickly dissipated as he realized he had seen Hermione reading every single book in front of him, and the last thing he wanted to do was give her a duplicate of something she already had. He spent an agonizing few minutes staring at the books as if by glaring at them a new work would materialize out of thin air.

"You an Austen fan?" A girl's voice ripped his attention away from the tomes in front of him. He blinked in surprise at the sight of a girl not much older than him staring at him expectantly. A nametag pinned to her shirt read Charlotte. "I said, are you an Austen fan?" She repeated, her voice tittering with amusement.

"Oh, er, my girlfriend is. Her favorite author, actually, but she's read all of these, so I don't think – "

"Come on." Charlotte jerked her head towards the counter and began walking in that direction. "Come on!" She repeated, cracking a smile at Harry's dumbfounded state. Harry obliged, albeit warily, as he followed the employee towards the side of the store. She reached the counter and vaulted over it, prying open a cabinet and pulling out a worn-looking leather bound book. Before Harry could ask what it was she tossed it to him. He caught it instinctively and read the lone faded word on the cover out loud.

"Juvenilia?" He asked, mostly in surprise. "Is that English?" He found himself wondering out loud, remembering the last time he'd found an unfamiliar title in a bookstore and it turned out to be in French. Charlotte gave another smile and nodded.

"It's a collection of short stories and drafts that Jane Austen wrote when she was a teenager. Well, ages eleven to seventeen to be exact. They're very different from her other stories, they're a lot snarkier, and – "

"Snarkier?"

"Yeah, like snide, or sarcastic – "

"No, I know what snarky means, it's just…Jane Austen?" Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "I haven't ready anything by her but Hermione always describes her as being on the prim and proper side."

"That's what makes this so great," she pointed to the book Harry was now holding, "it's like learning a whole new perspective about Jane Austen. She'll love it."

"Thanks!" Harry grinned, drumming his fingers on the cover excitedly. "How much is it?"

"Keep it," Charlotte waved him off, which took him by surprise, "it's my copy."

"Oh…" Harry whispered, glancing between the book and the employee in front of him. "I can't take this, here, I'll go – "

"I'm serious, keep it!" She insisted with another smile. "I know that thing from cover to cover anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I know Hermione will take care of it."

"You know her?" Harry found himself surprised once again.

"She's been in here with her parents a few times. By far our most eager customer. I assume you're Harry?"

"Has she mentioned me?" Harry blushed, absent-mindedly running a hand through his hair.

"Perhaps."

Charlotte just smirked again and pointed behind him. Harry looked down the length of an aisle to see Hermione bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, clearly waiting for him. He thanked Charlotte one more time before walking over to her, grinning from ear to ear as he hid Juvenilia behind his back.

"Did you meet Charlotte? Isn't she the nicest?" Hermione asked him excitedly, but she was rambling too fast for Harry to get a word in. "I got you this book that I think you'll enjoy. Well, I really hope you do, it just seemed right up your alley. Are you ready?" Harry could only nod before she was off again. "It's a legal drama, like A Few Good Men, but it takes place in the jury room as opposed to the court room. Anyway, it's called Twelve Angry Men, and I'm surprised you haven't read it yet considering your love for plays and the courtroom, but here we are. It's about a man who sticks to his conscience and defies eleven other members of his jury who want to convict a child because they never bothered to think beyond the measly amount of evidence they saw.

"It sort of reminds me of how when everyone, well, everyone except Gryffindor I suppose, thought you were the Heir of Slytherin, but you were constantly giving evidence as to why it couldn't have been you, even when people didn't want to hear it. You followed the truth even when it seemed like nobody else wanted to even acknowledge it, and you defended yourself fiercely every time." She finally paused to take a breath, biting her lip nervously. "Do you like it?"

Harry didn't even hesitate. "I love it."

"Really?" She beamed at him, her eyes lighting up.

He nodded. "Really."

"Oh, Harry!" She cried out, jumping for joy before flinging her arms around him, trapping him in an awkward position as he tried to keep Juvenilia hidden. "What did you get me?" She asked as she pulled away with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Something by your favorite author that – no, I see that look in your eye, they have nothing by Bathilda Bagshot here." Hermione pouted for a moment before Harry continued. "Your other favorite author, Jane Austen."

Harry felt his heart swell victoriously as his best friend and girlfriend brightened immediately, looking ready to jump for joy once again. "It's called Juvenilia," he explained to an enthralled Hermione, "it's a collection of writings by Jane Austen from ages eleven to seventeen. So, if you want to think about it a certain way, it's her writing from when she would have been a Hogwarts student. Apparently teenager Jane Austen was much snarkier and more unorthodox than her adult counterpart, so this is a bit different from her other stuff. It's like discovering a brand new side of your favorite author."

"Harry…" Hermione's eyes were shining with what he knew were tears of joy. "Harry, it's perfect."

"I'm glad." He held it out to her, and they swapped books, each taking a moment to admire their new possession. Harry noticed that – like Charlotte's copy of Juvenilia – the book in his hands looked a bit worn, like it had been read through a few times by a very passionate reader.

"I have a confession," Hermione admitted shyly, "I didn't actually get that off the shelf. Charlotte recognized me when we walked in and came up and asked what I was looking for once we separated. I explained what we were doing and what I knew you liked and she gave me that." She pointed to the book in Harry's hand. "It's her own copy, but she insisted. I know it's not exactly what we were – hey, why are you smiling?"

He gestured to Juvenilia. "I had something similar happen. I guess Charlotte really is the nicest."

Hermione giggled in response, taking another glance at her new book before grabbing Harry's hand. "On to the next store?"

"Sure. Do you have anything in mind?"

"Whatever you feel like. I trust you."

A/N: Howdy! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Our beloved teenagers return to the Crawley mall and enjoy themselves once again. One small reference to Far From Home is sprinkled in there, I'll let y'all find that. Also, the bit of advice Sirius gives about kissing one's girlfriend's mom on the lips to show the dad that you mean business was based on real advice given to me by my own godfather ahead of the first time I met a girlfriend's parents. Harry and I both ignored that. The Girlfriend Tax was introduced on a whim, but I decided it was worth keeping because it just made me smile to think about Hermione pulling it on Harry. Hopefully it does something similar to you wonderful readers.

Speaking of wonderful readers, to those of you who favorite and follow and review, thank you so much. FFN did that really annoying thing where I couldn't see any new reviews, but it finally corrected itself this afternoon. As a result, I got absolutely bombarded with kind words, and it just absolutely made my day, so thank you all. Seriously, thank you guys for everything and for making this story that much more enjoyable to write. Stay safe!