Instead of answering Lynn's question right away, Hermione narrowed her eyes at her. Why did it look… as if Lynn's mouth had been unnaturally red when she spoke?
"Lynn, open your mouth and let me see." Hermione stood up, knelt in front of her, grasped her arms and stared with solemn concern.
Lynn gazed back expressionlessly; she didn't need to think hard to realise Hermione had spotted the injury inside her mouth.
She opened her mouth slowly, revealing a tongue she herself had bitten until it bled.
"Tch…" Not only Hermione, but Maranhao and Marietta sitting opposite also saw. All three girls gasped in unison.
"Was it because of your studies?" Thinking of the exam results just released, Hermione pressed her lips together and asked.
The abrupt question left everyone else puzzled, yet Lynn understood at once the full meaning behind Hermione's words: Did you punish yourself because of your grades?
Her face unchanged, Lynn shook her head, voice hoarse and broken. "No."
Only then did Hermione exhale in relief, pull a bottle of water from the bag on her seat and hand it to her.
"Drink some in a moment; soothe your throat."
She stood and turned to Maranhao. "Senior Maranhao, do you know a healing spell?"
Maranhao nodded, drew her wand without delay, stepped over and bent down. "Lynn, open your mouth."
Mechanically Lynn obeyed, still holding the bottle Hermione had given her.
The wand tip hovered just before her mouth as Maranhao softly spoke the incantation: "Episkey."
A cool sensation brushed past; Lynn's tongue began healing at a speed visible to the eye.
Within seconds it was back to normal. Maranhao lowered her wand and sighed at Hermione. "She bit her tongue, her voice is hoarse, and she was shivering with cold—probably inflamed and 'heaty'."
Hermione frowned, leaned to press her forehead against Lynn's, then straightened. "No fever."
"Drink more water." She motioned for Lynn to keep drinking.
Lynn nodded, listlessly unscrewed the cap and took a sip.
On the other side, after Harry and Ron together heaved her trunk onto the rack they sensibly sat aside, quietly becoming two unobtrusive background boards.
Hermione smiled as she watched her drink, then couldn't help adding, "Have some more."
Lynn nodded and gulped another few mouthfuls.
"Lynn, you said you didn't want to stay in a hotel—aren't you going home for the holiday?"
Hermione asked; beside her Maranhao and Marietta shot her frantic looks she didn't understand.
"I won't go home. My home isn't in this world," Lynn stated flatly.
Marietta leaned to Hermione's ear and whispered, "Her parents are gone; that's why she doesn't go home."
A pang of guilt struck Hermione—then she recalled Lynn saying her parents had taught her rigid rules and the harsh self-punishments, and felt a flicker of relief, even satisfaction, that they were no longer around.
Shaking off the jumble of feelings, she looked at Lynn expectantly.
"Come stay at my house this summer. My mum and dad would love to have you."
Lynn's mind almost agreed at once, then realised: if she stayed only with Hermione she couldn't protect Maranhao, Marietta, Harry and Ron.
She turned her lifeless gaze on them; Maranhao chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"What, can't bear to part with us?"
Marietta added with a grin, "Then come to our place. You're welcome too."
Her brain raced; within two seconds she worked out the best solution and spoke mechanically.
"Could I rent a villa and invite you all to stay with me?"
"Rent… a villa?" Hermione faltered. The cost would be huge; with her parents gone, could Lynn even afford it?
She couldn't let her pay. Hermione glanced at the two seniors; Maranhao and Marietta exchanged looks and both nodded.
"Sounds good. Leave it to us; we'll rent it," Marietta said, winking at Lynn.
"Right. We can't let our junior foot the bill," Maranhao added, clapping a hand over Hermione's mouth before she could protest.
Lynn's dead-calm eyes watched the interplay, her heart thudding once as warmth welled inside.
She could deduce they believed her parents dead and feared she had no money, so they meant to cover the rent themselves.
But this was her plan: to shield them and erase any chance of Enforcement Agents destroying them.
How could she let them pay? "It's all right. I'll handle it."
Her voice was toneless yet carried such force no one thought to argue.
"I'm rich," she stated calmly. "The kind of rich where I can have as much money as I want."
Blimey… all five in the compartment silently exclaimed. Just how big an inheritance had her parents left?
Hermione bit her lip. Well… her parents might have been inhuman, but at least they hadn't stinted on money; her material treatment seemed more than decent.
It was, of course, a colossal misunderstanding.
Since Lynn insisted, Maranhao and Marietta could only go along.
If Enforcement Agents don't seize pupils inside the school, they usually begin arrests two weeks into the holiday and carry out the disposal procedure.
Lynn lifted her gaze. "I'll rent the villa within two weeks and send you letters. All right?"
Two weeks—just enough time for everyone to enjoy a proper family reunion first.
Maranhao and Marietta both nodded without the slightest objection.
Hermione beamed at Lynn, tapping her cheek. "Then, before you find a villa, come stay at my place. I'd love some company over the summer."
And if that someone is Lynn… even better, Hermione added silently.
"All right." Lynn nodded stiffly, then turned to Harry and Ron.
"You two come as well—okay?"
Harry and Ron blinked; they'd assumed this was a girls-only gathering. Turns out they were invited too?
Ron thought it over. "My mum… should be fine with it."
"Good." Lynn's expression didn't shift as she looked to Harry.
Harry pressed his lips together. "My uncle and aunt… probably won't let me go."
"They keep you on that tight a leash?" Hermione frowned, uneasy.
Sure enough, Harry looked embarrassed, but Ron blurted out what Harry had told them on the hogwarts express about life with the Dursleys.
"That's abuse!" Hermione smacked the seat beside her. First Lynn's parents, now Harry's relatives—why were all the grown-ups like this?
Maranhao and Marietta were equally outraged. A cupboard under the stairs?! Did that family think Harry was a House-elf?
"Don't go back," Hermione urged earnestly.
"Yeah!" Ron slapped his thigh, eyes shining.
"Come to ours—we can hang out, play Quidditch—" Under Hermione's increasingly dangerous stare he quickly added, "—and do homework."
Hermione sniffed and dropped her gaze. Lynn staying at hers meant she'd have to stop her from studying every waking minute.
Harry at Ron's meant warning them not to fool around all day. The difference between people, really.
Harry's eyes lit up. "I'd love to—if it's no trouble for your family."
"Not at all," Ron waved it off. "Mum and Dad'll be thrilled. And Ginny—my sister—totally idolises you."
Harry flushed, scratching his cheek sheepishly.
"But the Dursleys might come for me," he worried. The station was public; he didn't want to cause Ron's family any hassle.
"Hmm… go home with them first, then in three—no, two days—we'll come and get you."
Ron stared at Harry, resolute. Whatever it took, he'd fetch his mate in two days.
"Brilliant. Thanks, Ron." Harry nodded gratefully. Just two more days of the Dursleys—he could already taste the freedom.
Two days, only two, then goodbye Dursleys once more.
Lynn waited until they finished. In a flat voice she confirmed, "I'll write within two weeks with the villa's address."
"Great," Harry and Ron chorused.
While they talked, the hogwarts express had long since departed; the snack trolley was already doing its rounds.
They bought some snacks for lunch and, while magic was still allowed, played a last round of Exploding Snap.
Even Lynn was dragged in by Hermione, the whole point being to make her relax and forget studying.
The summer ban on underage magic had been handed out. Lynn, expressionless, compared it to Ministry regulations she'd memorised.
Conclusion: no magic outside school except in emergencies. She filed the rule away.
After the final game the hogwarts express eased into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station.
Harry and Ron hauled down the girls' trunks, then their own, and the six of them walked out together.
Before leaving the platform Lynn asked mechanically, "I'd like to invite Senior Penelopa—is that all right?"
Penelope had looked after her at Hogwarts; the thought of her being destroyed made Lynn's chest tighten.
No one objected. More the merrier, they agreed—so long as it wasn't Malfoy.
Outside the barrier they said their good-byes. Before Harry finished, a beefy man strode up with an equally beefy boy and a tall thin woman.
Vernon barked at Harry. The others' faces darkened; they nodded for Harry to go. Lynn met his eyes and gave a calm farewell.
Once Harry left with the Dursleys Hermione snorted coldly. Two horrible guardians for Harry, two for Lynn—unbelievable.
Taking a steadying breath, Hermione took Lynn's hand, said goodbye to the others, and led her toward her parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger had spotted their daughter long ago but stayed back while she bid her friends farewell.
Now, seeing her bring a friend over, they were pleasantly surprised.
Mrs. Granger guessed at once: the pretty Eastern-looking girl must be Lynn, the one Hermione had mentioned.
She certainly looked sweet and well-behaved—impossible not to like at first sight.
Hermione's taste was spot-on, she thought, affectionately resting a hand on each girl's head.
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