Permission Granted Chapter 26:

Before he reached the landing, however, his mom burst out of the room wand aimed high and several curses being fired at something that Gilbert could only see as a vague shadow.

'Stand back, Gilbert! The worms have formed into a gigantic one!'

'I'm not going to interfere; I was just wondering if Elizaveta could come over for Christmas?'

'Who?'

'Elizaveta, the long-haired brunette I exited the Hogwarts Express with; the Gryffindor I was talking to when I saw you.'

'Oh, her?!' Mrs. Beilschmidt looked at Gilbert with a surprised look on her face. 'What's she like?'

Of course, Gilbert thought, mom had to jump to the conclusion that Eliza is a boy like everybody else. Anything else, she sees right through and can't be fooled by.

And with the latter in mind, Gilbert chose his words carefully,

'Quiet, hard-working, she's the smartest in our Year; she knew what to get me for Christmas. She's got a soft heart for small animals and little boys, and she's always dragging a book that's got nothing to do with our classes.'

'Is she often in detention?'

'No, she's never been in detention.'

'Then you can invite her. How about the 20th?'

Having gained permission, Gilbert left his mother to battle the Book Worm infestation while he wrote to Eliza.

§Eliza,

Of course, I know that you're not really, mild-mannered that is (although you give a good impression of it), but my mother doesn't know.

And she said that you could come to us on 20th of December.

Yours awesomely,

Gilbert

PS: Of course, I insist on that nickname; it's awesome!

PPS: They're not the same

Gilbert didn't get a response before after dinner,

§Gil,

Are you asking me to keep up a charade in front of your mother?

I'm not saying I won't, as I understand why I would've to, but I would like to know beforehand.

Yours,

Eliza

Gilbert knew that Eliza both would and could keep up a charade. So, he replied,

§Eliza,

Yes, please do.

Yours aweomely,

Gil

As he saw the owl fly off with the letter, he held a hand over the Christmas gift from Eliza. He hadn't meant to open it early, but he just hadn't been able to wait to find out what she'd gotten for him.

He'd wondered briefly how she'd managed to get A History of Kanslers of the German Ministry of Magic, in the original German, but that question had been blown away by the awesomeness of A History of Kanslers of the German Ministry of Magic. In the original German.

Author's notes:

It is my opinion that when a library is old and filled with magic (like Hogwarts or old family libraries), it is only natural that there be Book Worms there. It is also natural that these Book Worms, if left unattended too long, will merge together.

I'm also truly sorry that it's taken me this long to post another chapter. I hope you'll enjoy this one, and thank you everyone who has favorited and/or followed this story (and/or me). I really appreciate it.

In the next chapter:

'Peter!', mrs. Kirkland said in a strict manner to her youngest son while she stared at him equally strict. 'What do you think you are doing?', she said in the snobby voice she always got when she was mad.

'I just wanted to try out my new toy-broom.', Peter said, hoping against hope that that would be enough to let him out; when compared/contrasted to the thousand and one excuses he'd given over the years as he tried to go somewhere else than indoors on his family's estate.

'Then you can try it out in the library, in the dining room, in the ballroom; anywhere not the grounds.'

'So unfair! I want to go outside! It's so much better there!'

'You know the rules,', mrs. Kirkland started.