"Dad, Mum, I missed you so much!" Hermione clung to her parents, nuzzling into their arms as she poured out her longing with unfiltered honesty.
It was the longest she'd ever been away from home. At school, she'd been busy, and with Qin by her side, homesickness rarely caught up to her. Even when she first spotted her parents at the station, the rush of reunion hadn't truly hit her—maybe she simply hadn't had time to process it.
But as she stepped closer, it was as if some deep, invisible floodgate inside her heart burst open. Emotions she'd been bottling up for months—bittersweet, sharp, sour, salty, and sweet—rushed to her eyes, clouding her vision with tears.
"My darling, I missed you too!" Mrs. Granger replied, her own eyes shining with tears as she gazed at her daughter.
She cupped Hermione's face, wanting to take in every detail, but her patience didn't last. She peppered her daughter's forehead and cheeks with kisses, unable to help herself.
Mr. Granger, less demonstrative—or perhaps simply outmatched by his wife's fierce motherly love—settled for wrapping an arm around both of them and pressing a gentle kiss to Hermione's brown curls.
Qin Yu stood quietly nearby, never feeling left out or awkward. He simply waited, giving the family space to let their emotions flow.
At last, it was Mrs. Granger who surfaced first from the tide of feeling. She released her daughter, turning to pull the Eastern boy into a warm, enveloping hug that banished the winter chill.
"Oh, Qin, darling, we missed you too!"
"I missed you as well, Aunt Jenny," Qin Yu replied with a smile.
"Welcome home, Qin!" Mr. Granger's hug was firm—almost as if he wanted to check if the boy had grown sturdier.
"Thank you, Uncle David!" Qin Yu managed, wincing a little at the force but grinning all the same.
Hermione, ever the imp, stuck out her tongue at Qin and giggled at his pained expression.
"All right, it's far too cold out here. Let's get in the car and head home," Mrs. Granger urged.
"It really is freezing," Hermione agreed, her breath puffing white in the frosty air.
They loaded up the luggage, and the four of them piled into the car, setting off for home.
…
Qin Yu took the front passenger seat, chatting with Mr. Granger—mostly answering questions, as the latter peppered him with curiosity.
In the back, Hermione sat with her mother, chattering away about school. She spent ages just describing the food, making even Mr. Granger—who was driving—swallow several times in envy.
"Hey, what's this?" Hermione suddenly asked.
"Oh, those are videotapes your dad rented just for you two," Mrs. Granger replied.
"Oooh, videotapes! What movie is it?"
"It's a TV series."
"Let me see—Poirot!" Hermione exclaimed after peering at the case.
"Do you like it?"
"I love it! I want to watch it over Christmas! Is it the second season? I didn't finish it last time."
"It's all three seasons!"
"That's brilliant! Qin, let's watch together?"
Qin Yu, who'd been listening in, turned and nodded. "Sure, I'm a big fan of Poirot."
Poirot—the down-to-earth British detective created by Agatha Christie.
Hermione immediately asked which story he liked best: "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," or "Murder on the Orient Express"?
"'And Then There Were None'," Qin Yu answered.
Hermione pounced, "That's not from the Poirot series!" He coughed awkwardly, which sent the whole car into laughter.
In that moment, with that laughter, Qin Yu felt a strange swell of emotion. Not long ago, he and Hermione had been in the magical library at Hogwarts, discussing potion recipes, wizarding history, and the true identity of Nicolas Flamel. Now, they were in a perfectly ordinary car, chatting about a fictional detective beloved by Muggles everywhere.
It was as if, in the blink of an eye, they'd stepped out of the magical world and back into the ordinary one—a sudden, dizzying shift.
When his gaze met Hermione's, he saw a flicker of the same feeling in her eyes.
She, too, must have felt that odd sense of being caught between two worlds.
The Grangers, meanwhile, seemed far more at ease. For once, the children's conversation was about something familiar—reassuring proof that they hadn't disappeared down a rabbit hole, never to return from some fairy-tale land.
The car rolled on at a steady pace. In the easy, cheerful atmosphere, no one noticed time slipping by; before they knew it, they'd arrived at that familiar house.
Coming home after so long, a special warmth settled in all their hearts. For Hermione, it was a given. But even for Qin Yu, who was only a guest here, there was a sense of comfort and belonging—something he'd only ever felt at Hogwarts before.
As for his distant homeland, who knew if he'd ever see it again? This country didn't even have a Queen Elizabeth; the world itself seemed subtly, fundamentally changed. His home was likely farther away than any ocean or mountain could measure. That was why he never dared ask too much about it—he was afraid of hearing the answer he already suspected.
"Come on, Qin~"
A warm little hand slipped into his, squeezing gently.
"Coming! After all that talk about food, I'm starving."
"Me too! Mum, when's dinner?"
"Very soon. Once you've put your things away, it'll be ready."
"That's wonderful, Mum!"
"Thank you, Aunt Jenny! Oh, and thank you, Uncle David!"
"Hmph, I knew my thanks would be an afterthought!" Mr. Granger grumbled with mock offense.
"Are you jealous of Mum, Dad?" Hermione teased.
"Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! Absolutely not!"
"Dad's the most generous man in the world!"
"Too right!" he declared, puffing up with pride.
Still laughing, the four of them entered the house. Mr. Granger set down the luggage and went out to park the car, Mrs. Granger headed for the kitchen to prepare dinner, and Hermione and Qin Yu retreated to their rooms to unpack.
Up in the attic, Qin Yu had barely started when he heard the familiar patter of feet on the stairs. Moments later, Hermione poked her head in.
"Done unpacking already?" Qin Yu asked, surprised.
"Nope. I figured it'd take me ages, so I just gave up. I'll help you first," Hermione said with a shrug, utterly unconcerned.
…
Well, with her suitcase as heavy as it was, Qin Yu could hardly argue.
So he took things out, and Hermione sat cross-legged on the bed, helping to arrange them.
There really wasn't much—just a few clothes, some books, and a handful of personal odds and ends.
"Isn't this the bag that can hold loads of stuff?" Hermione asked, picking up a drawstring pouch.
"Oh, that's right." Qin Yu nodded.
It was the bag Professor Swinton had given him, enchanted with an Extension Charm—though obviously there was more to it than that, since it never seemed to get heavier, so there must be a Featherweight Charm as well.
"Then why didn't you put all our luggage in it?" Hermione pressed, sounding like she thought he'd missed something obvious.
"If I did, everything would get jumbled up. The bag's opening is tiny, so I'd have to take everything out of your suitcase one by one and stuff it in, or else shrink your suitcase first... It's a hassle, isn't it?" Qin Yu replied, keeping a straight face.
"When you put it that way, I suppose you're right. And Hagrid helped us a lot anyway," Hermione agreed, easily satisfied.
"Exactly."
Qin Yu let out a secret sigh of relief. He'd really just forgotten about the bag—some habits of Muggle thinking died hard.
But who said there was only one way to think like a wizard? There were no rules—do whatever works.
Yes, "A gentleman is not a tool"—and neither is a wizard. He'd have to teach Hermione that bit of wisdom later, for the sake of cross-cultural exchange.
Still, now that she'd reminded him, he'd definitely make better use of the bag in the future. At the very least, he could pack everything in advance on the way back.
As these thoughts spun in his mind, his hands kept working, and soon enough, everything was put away.
After Hermione set the last book on Qin Yu's desk, she dusted off her hands and stretched out on her back, limbs sprawled like a lazy kitten.
"So comfy~" she murmured, eyes closed in contentment.
Qin Yu couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Then he felt a tug at his shirt. Hermione scooted over, making space beside her.
He lay down next to her.
"It's a bit cramped," he remarked, though there was no complaint in his voice.
"That's because I've grown," Hermione replied, her tone still soft and drowsy.
Qin Yu just smiled.
"It's so good to be home."
"Yeah."
"Welcome home, Mr. Qin!"
"Welcome home, Miss Granger!"
A small hand found his, and a bright, beaming smile turned his way.
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