Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A continuation from 'Breathe In'. Post Battle of Hogwarts.
Breathe in. The air tasted stale, and the weight of the moment pressed on him. He could feel the sudden heat rise to his cheeks. Hermione Granger—her name wrapped around his thoughts like a warning. The last time he'd seen her was during the Battle of Hogwarts, a lifetime ago. He had never imagined that he'd find her, of all people, here, on a crowded London train, so close and yet miles away from the magical world he had left behind.
"Breathe out." The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them. It was involuntary, like the reflexive action of breathing, and the silence that followed felt like it could stretch for days.
Hermione didn't move, just watched him—her eyes narrowing with suspicion and a touch of recognition. The years had changed them both, but some things never quite vanished. He could still see the remnants of the girl who had fought beside him, fiercely loyal, not willing to let go of the bonds that had once been forged in fire.
"You're alive," she said quietly, but her voice was firm, as though she were trying to piece together a puzzle she'd been working on for years.
"Yeah," he answered, his voice tight. "I—it's complicated."
The words hung there, suspended, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Hermione glanced down at her watch, then back at him. "It's been a long time, Percy." Her voice softened, but there was an edge there too, as though she were still processing, still deciding if she should reach out or retreat.
He shifted uncomfortably. "I know."
His stop came, the announcement crackling over the speakers, and the instinct to leave, to disappear before things became more complicated, tugged at him. But his feet stayed rooted to the floor.
"Breathe in. Don't run," he thought.
The train screeched to a halt, and the world outside seemed to pause for the briefest second.
*