The sky outside the small windows of the back room began to darken. Conversations now flowed lazily and slowly. Hannah, Luna, Neville and Ginny were reminiscing about their seventh year. Ron and Harry were discussing what in the Muggle world would be called copyright. I found, to my annoyance, that Ron understood the subject much better than I did, and listened more than participated. Then Ron took Harry to look at some documents. George and Angelina left even earlier, using the Vanishing Cabinet. Maybe it's time for me to leave...
But I didn't make it to the door. Ginny called out to me.
"Hermione, are you leaving already? Wait a bit, let's leave together".
I hesitated.
"I still have to go to the bookstore".
"All the more so," Ginny moved to the empty couch and clapped her hand beside her demandingly. "You haven't said anything interesting yet!"
It was useless to resist her. I sat down next to her and said:
"If you were a journalist, you would leave Rita Skeeter destitute".
Ginny's eyes gleamed wickedly.
"Someday I'll show that wench how real reporters work. Someday. As soon as I'm tired of Quidditch".
"That will wait. Speaking of Quidditch. Have you already told Harry you're going to the training camp?"
"Later," said Ginny. "If I tell him and he gets upset, I'll ruin his evening. And if he doesn't get upset, then the evening will be spoiled for me!"
Pondering the logic of the statement, I didn't immediately know how to answer. And Ginny went on the offensive.
"Well, so what's new with you?"
"Nothing, it seems".
"So nothing that you've lost so much weight? Yes, and the bruises under your eyes are such that even the blind will guess how little you sleep!"
"Strange," I smiled. "Everyone else says I look good".
Ginny snorted and spoke louder.
"You shine like a polished cauldron, it's true, but I need details…"
"Stop making so much noise," I whispered. - "What other details? I am preparing for my exams. He works. Sometimes we meet. The Professor helps me sort out difficult topics ..."
"The Professor," Ginny mimicked, but dropped to a whisper too. - "So you will keep pretending you're not familiar with each other?"
I just shrugged. Yes, "Professor Snape" and "Miss Granger" sound in our conversations much more often than "Severus" and "Hermione". So what? So it happened, and it suited both of us.
"No, seriously?" Ginny didn't hesitate. - "After everything that has happened, how can you study for exams?"
I wonder what meaning Ginny put into the concept of "everything that has happened"? A "secret engagement" like in Victorian romance novels? From the phrase breathed an impossible falsity. It hardly applied to my relationship with Severus.
" And how will everything be now?"
A half-smile flickered across the Dungeon Horror's lips. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, pulling me towards him.
"There are certain traditions for such occasions," he remarked reservedly. "But I'm afraid I don't have much experience with them. The theory also has gaps".
"How sad," I chuckled, trying not to think about the way Severus Snape's lips moved when he spoke. "Maybe I should look for more information in the library?"
"Why not," he agreed. "Something about hanging out together, having dinners together in public places, and… some level of physical intimacy".
At the last phrase, I was burned with heat, and my imagination painted a picture so vivid that I had no doubt: Snape saw it.
His heart quickened its rhythm. He paused and remarked softly:
" Everything has its time. But I like the way you think".
"Oh yes, go on!" - Ginny's mocking voice brought me back to reality - "if you remember things so expressively, you may not even say anything. But no, what if that happy smile just means that your chosen one talks beautifully about the goblin uprisings?"
"Sometimes you are just unbearable," I protested. "Shall we allocate another time and place for questions?"
Ginny just waved me off.
"Stop doing that. I don't namedrop. What's wrong with sharing with a friend about her love life?"
"But no one asks about my personal life," Ron returned unexpectedly and loudly intervened in the conversation. "Hermione has realized that I'm too good for her, and now I'm on a constant search, but Ginny doesn't care at all. Harry, why doesn't your wife keep secrets for me? "
Ron leaned into Harry's shoulder in a mock sob. A general burst of laughter prevented Ginny from answering right away. She glared at her brother.
"Aha! Do you want me to find you a wife? Seriously? Aren't you afraid that I will agree and I will arrange a date for you every week?"
"No, sis," Ron sighed and spread his arms. "I am a business person and I have no time to do that. It remains to be hoped that fate itself will knock on my door. And leave Hermione be... And now I ask everyone to the hall, where everyone can choose for themselves any gift from the updated range of Weasley and Weasley".
The proposal was accepted with enthusiasm. Ron let the whole company go ahead and looked at me cheerfully:
" Not offended with me?"
"Of course not, you saved me from Ginny".
"And don't be offended by Ginny! She really wants to remain incurious, but apart from me, she has no one to gossip about you".
"You scare me, Ron," I laughed. "Where does such knowledge come from?"
" You won't believe it - from books", - he grinned. - "Let's follow the others".
There are shops where it is always quiet, empty and mysterious. But the noisy and bright store of the Weasley and Weasley without a crowd of customers looked unnatural. I quickly chose a Self-Inking Quill with a calligraphic effect, and then just wandered along with everyone between the shining storefronts and shelves, staring at the glowing, buzzing and chirping products, reading familiar and new names. Ron stood behind the cash register and looked around his property with undisguised pleasure.
"Looks like Ron has found his place in history," said Neville, who happened to be next to me.
I nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it suits him very well. What did you choose?"
Neville smiled slyly.
"Wanted to take a Skiving Snackbox so I could skip my own lectures on Mondays, but Ron said they were out of production. Now I don't know what to choose - a Portable Swamp or the indoor fireworks".
"And I once dreamed of trying the Patented Daydream Charm," Hannah replied from a neighboring nook and waved over a display case with a romantic picture in confirmation. "Maybe this is my chance? What will you take, Luna?"
But Luna's answer was interrupted by the melodic trill of the bell.
Ginny went to the door and pointed through the glass to someone outside at the "CLOSED" sign.
The call was repeated. Ginny laughed.
"Looks like you're going to have to talk to the customer, Ron. A very, very angry customer. I'd better open it or she'll kick the door down. Harry, get ready to save us all!"
The guys did not have time to answer. A small blond-haired girl in a black robe hurried into the store.
"Good afternoon," she said to Ginny without looking around. "I would like to see the owner of this shop. On a personal matter".
Ginny silently pointed to Ron and turned back to Harry to hide her smile.
Ron coughed hesitantly.
"What do you want, miss?"
The girl confidently walked to the checkout, rummaged in her pocket, pulled out a bag of some sweets and asked defiantly:
"Is this your product?"
"I think so," said Ron, and stepped out from behind the counter. - "Extra-fizzing Whizbees. Is there something wrong with them?"
"The dosage of Billywig venom is not indicated on the package".
"What a terrible crime," Harry smiled as he walked over to the counter as well. "Fizzing Whizzbees have been on sale for a hundred years. They are completely safe".
"I understand, Mr. Potter, that this seems like a funny little thing to a man who's been through the war," she snapped angrily, her eyes flashing in Harry's direction. "Believe me, I respect all that you have done and admire you, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and all the defenders of Hogwarts, but in the new series of Whizzbees the concentration of the active substance exceeds the usual minimum three times. This means that twelve packs contain a dose that can cause irreversible harm. Do you still think Whizzbees are safe?"
Harry chuckled awkwardly and looked at the items on the shelf with heightened interest. For some reason, I was glad that the girl was separated from me by a tall window. Whether it was because I did not want to fall under the distribution, or in the fact that in a figure that breathed determination and diligently hid timidity, I recognized myself in the girl.
"Does she go to Hogwarts?" I whispered to Neville.
Neville nodded.
"First year," he said softly, too. - "Funny. Slughorn is crazy about her. And I can guess why she's here".
"So, imagine yesterday a couple of students decided that they were potions geniuses," the girl continued. - "They set up a laboratory in their bedroom, it is not known how they got two scruples of the extract from your lollipops and used them inside their room. One just hung from the ceiling and yelled until Mr. Filch brought a ladder, and Billy flew out the window and couldn't be caught for half an hour. They could all have been killed! Or worse, they could be expelled from Hogwarts!"
Ron, who had been listening very carefully until then, coughed.
"You are quite right, Miss… Excuse me, what is your name?" he asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Miss Ellie Wright," Neville answered for her and stepped out from behind the window. — "Good afternoon, Ellie".
"Hello, Professor Longbottom," Ellie said sadly. "I'm sorry I didn't see you sooner. It turned out that I blabbed on them".
"Our Neville, I mean Professor Longbottom, is a little deaf," Ron narrowed his eyes. "Really, Professor?"
"Exclusively on weekends and outside of Hogwarts," Neville chuckled. "But Madam Pomfrey must find out the cause of Tubbs' and Walker's sudden volatility. Otherwise, they'll just hang from the ceiling in the hospital wing".
The girl nodded seriously.
"I understand. Yes, sir".
"Hey, I have a plan," said Ron. "I'll bring an antidote to Hogwarts tonight." At the same time, I will remember those geniuses who do not need to sell anything more dangerous than licorice. And then George and I will figure out how to make extra Whizzbees safer. In short, Ellie, well done for coming to see me ... By the way, we're having a party here. Do you want a piece of cake or some pastries?"
The girl was embarrassed for the first time in the whole conversation.
"No, I'll go. My parents are waiting for me," she blushed and added quietly: "Sorry to break in to your store."
And the next moment she was out the door.
Ron shrugged his shoulders and looked at us in bewilderment.
" What did I say wrong?"
"You were kind and polite to her," Luna explained. "And you are very famous among wizards. Just that".
"Yes! You're her idol now, Ron," Ginny added fuel to the fire, briefly exchanging glances with Harry. "I know about that, trust me!"
"Girls!" Ron muttered, blushing at our chuckles. "You never know what to expect from them. Even if they are from Gryffindor".
"Where did you get this from?" Neville asked. "Miss Wright is a Slytherin student".
"Yah?" Ron laughed. - "Are you kidding?"
Neville shook his head.
"She's a Slytherin. If you want, we can go back to school together. Will get the list of students".
"As if there's nothing else to do," Ron grumbled. "You might think I don't care".
Despite this statement, he looked disappointed.
"Look after her, Neville," Hannah said. "Maybe in five years she and her unfortunate Potions master will also be going to save the world from a new evil?"
"Don't," said Ron sharply. "I'd rather these experimenters open their shop for incredible gizmos. Let them even ruin George and me. Enough war. And if some noseless freak starts a new mess, he will deal with us, and not with this little kid, right? "
Harry silently patted him on the shoulder in complete agreement.
"That's right," Hannah didn't hesitate. - "I say, let him keep an eye on it so that we can intervene in time!"
"As you say, ma'am," Neville bowed reservedly. "Dumbledore's Army is always on guard."
The joke came out too close to the truth. There was a painful silence.
"Well, hello, old age," Ron shook his head sadly. "That girl makes me feel like a war veteran and a hero of legends. It's time to do something stupid".
"I'll take the extra Whizzbees," Luna said suddenly. - "May I, Ron?"
"Of course, take them. Yes, not one, but several ... Wait, there's an idea!" Ron hopped over the counter and pulled out a large box of Whizzbees from somewhere on the bottom shelf. - "Excellent. Hold this. Are we worse than Tubbs and... who, Neville?"
"Walker." Neville looked at the package of sweets. "Are you suggesting we eat twelve packs each?"
"Not at all," I replied. "According to what this girl said about the dosage, the lasting effect of levitation can come much earlier".
"Then shall we begin our experiment?" Neville opened the sweet and popped it into his mouth.
I followed his example. My body lost weight, my legs left the ground, and I hung a couple of centimeters from the floor. A few seconds later it was all over.
"No, this is boring," Ginny remarked as she fired another candy wrapper at Harry. "I feel like a rubber ball. I need more than this. What did the boys do with the sweet?"
"Mind you, I didn't suggest this," Ron broke into a pleased smile. "But there is also pure Billywig extract and an antidote".
My protests were politely ignored, and five minutes later Ginny, Luna, Harry, Neville, and Ron were already frolicking around the chandelier. Ginny and Harry had an equivalent of Quidditch on chairs. Neville, with a concentrated face, tried to stay upright. Ron stuffed his pockets with glowing confetti and was now methodically showering the others. The only thing missing was fairy wings. Hannah and I were called boring adults and left alone.
Hannah drew the curtains and sat on the high windowsill.
"Why didn't you want to try it?" she asked.
"I don't know. It must have been a stop reflex. Too much like using Muggle drugs. And you?"
"I promised Uncle Tom that from now on I would be very careful with any magical potions." Hannah stretched out her left hand, and I saw traces of deep burns on it.
"These are the ones from seventh year?"
Hannah nodded.
"Snape was right, they were worth it. And I don't regret any of the "lessons" I learned. But I really want someone to humanly explain to that girl that dying is still worse than getting expelled from Hogwarts ..." - she looked at Neville, who was floating above us with the grace of an airship, for a long time, and turned back to me. "But what I really, really regret is that I didn't bring a camera with me today".