Is this what happiness feels like…? Amanda's vacant eyes stared fixedly at her chest, where her heart was pounding wildly.
"No… not just happiness." A sudden jolt deep in Amanda's mind made her blurt the words without thinking, and by the time she realized what she'd said, she couldn't understand why she'd said it at all.
"Hm?" Hermione tilted her head, looking at Amanda in confusion. Not just happiness? Then what else?
Seeing that Amanda herself seemed to have no answer, Hermione smiled and shook her head, gently slipping an arm around Amanda's waist.
"Never mind the rest—so long as you had fun today!"
"Mm." Amanda nodded, her expression indifferent.
They took a taxi home, and by the time the two girls arrived, Mr. and Mrs. Granger had already returned from work and were busy together in the kitchen.
Slippered feet padding across the floor, Amanda walked up to them and greeted them politely. "Auntie, Uncle, good evening."
Hermione, following behind her, beamed brightly. "Mum, Dad, we're back!"
The Grangers, cooking at the stove, turned and smiled kindly at their 'two daughters.'
"Good evening." ×2
Mrs. Granger picked up a nearby towel, dried her hands, then narrowed her eyes and tapped Hermione on the nose.
"So, how many drinks did you have today?"
Hermione's expression froze; she gave an awkward laugh. "Haha, Mum, what makes you say that…?"
Mrs. Granger folded her arms. "I know my own daughter. Without your dad and me around, you'd guzzle like mad—and you probably dragged Amanda into it too."
Hermione stuck out her tongue, not truly afraid; after all, Mum wasn't really scolding her. She wrapped both arms round her mother's and gave a little coquettish shake.
"I didn't drink much~"
"And how much is 'not much'?" Mrs. Granger raised a brow, delighted by her daughter's rare clinginess, but couldn't resist teasing further.
A daughter who took the initiative to act cutesy had been missing since Hermione turned eight—she had to savor this.
"Just… two each." Hermione cautiously held up two fingers.
Mrs. Granger shook her head with a helpless smile. "All right. Since you were out with Amanda, remember to brush properly tonight."
"Mm-hmm!" Hermione nodded obedientently.
Mr. Granger, cooking nearby, watched his wife and daughter's cheerful exchange and couldn't help smiling in contentment.
Watching the interaction between Hermione and Mrs. Granger, Amanda felt a dull ache in her heart, a constant reminder of the gaping void inside.
Only after their banter ended did Amanda speak in her toneless voice, "Thank you, Auntie and Uncle, for spending on me today."
Mrs. Granger pulled Amanda closer, crouched down, and looked into her dark, lifeless eyes.
"Children should be polite—but only to outsiders. With family, too much courtesy just feels distant."
Amanda instinctively analyzed the sentence in her mind.
The main point: she needn't be overly polite with them. The subtext: they already considered her family.
Mrs. Granger gently took Amanda's hand and stroked the back of it, looking lovingly at her and then at Hermione.
"From now on, you're one of ours—our second daughter."
With that she stood, gave Hermione a meaningful glance, and gently pushed Amanda toward her. "All right, take little Amanda to watch some TV; I'll call you when dinner's ready."
"Okay." Hermione took Amanda's hand and headed for the kitchen door; Amanda glanced back at the Grangers cooking, her face expressionless.
"Thanks for the trouble, Auntie and Uncle."
When dinner was served, the Grangers immediately sensed Amanda was different from the past week.
Without Hermione's reminder, she consciously slowed her eating pace.
She was still faster than average, but at least she ate bite by bite instead of gulping mindlessly.
The sight filled the Grangers with relief—Amanda was changing, and for the better. Their spirits soared; they could even eat an extra bowl.
Hermione, meanwhile, felt a pang of regret: had she known those words could slow Amanda down, she'd have said them long ago and spared her the 'torture.'
Still, better late than never. Hermione bit into a lamb chop—now she knew how to guide Amanda; she'd keep using this method.
After dinner, the girls cleared the table and settled on the sofa with a villa brochure the Grangers had brought back, selecting a house—
—or rather, Amanda selected slowly while Hermione watched with interest.
So long as her best friend Amanda was beside her, Hermione didn't care where they lived.
Page by page, Amanda studied the brochure, cataloguing each villa's pros and cons.
To fight Enforcement Agents, the house needed no nearby neighbors to avoid collateral damage, and a somewhat remote location to stay hidden.
Ideally the access road should be dilapidated—impassable for heavy weapons like armored cars or tanks.
There had to be a back door, as concealed as possible, so if Enforcement Agents appeared, Hermione and the others could escape.
Following these criteria, Amanda kept turning pages. At first Hermione watched with curiosity, but soon she turned blank.
How come Amanda hadn't found a suitable one after so long? What kind of villa was she even looking for?
The Grangers, half-watching TV, shared Hermione's puzzlement.
Fortunately, they didn't wait much longer; Amanda's hand stopped on a page showing a villa deep inside a dense forest.
To keep wild animals out, the owner had built a five-meter-high wall around the property, and from the floor plan Amanda confirmed it had a back door.
In thick forest, heavy weapon vehicles couldn't enter; the wall could serve as both defense and, if needed, a weapon itself.
Remote, no neighbors, and with an emergency exit for Hermione—it was, Amanda decided, the optimal choice.
Her mind racing, Amanda handed the villa brochure to Hermione. "Hermione, what do you think of this one?"
Hermione took the brochure and looked down, startled by the villa Amanda had chosen.
Deep woods, high walls… so Amanda likes this style of villa?
Still, if it's surrounded by natural forest, it could be fun—close to nature. I just wonder…
Hermione glanced uncertainly at her parents. Would Mum and Dad worry it wasn't safe?
"I think it's fine," she said, nodding and holding the brochure out to them. "Mum, Dad, take a look. Amanda and I want this one."
Mrs. Granger took the brochure; she and Mr. Granger leaned in and stared—then froze.
Seeing the dense woods around the villa, Mr. and Mrs. Granger couldn't help worrying about safety; after all, it was thick forest.
But this was the children's choice. Hermione was their daughter, not their possession; she had her own opinions. As parents, as long as her wishes weren't outrageous or illegal, they should understand and support her.
Mr. Granger studied the brochure, then looked up at the two girls and smiled. "No problem. If you want this villa, go ahead. Didn't you say several friends and seniors are coming?"
"Yes," Hermione said quickly, counting on her fingers. "Harry and Ron—two boys in our year, friends of ours and Amanda's. You know them."
Mr. and Mrs. Granger both nodded.
"And Senior Cho Chang, Senior Marietta, and Senior Penelopa. They've all looked after Amanda, so we'd like to invite them for a get-together."
"Hmm." Mr. Granger thought for a moment. "Then it should be fine. It's a place for people, so there shouldn't be any large predators. Seven of you together can handle ordinary emergencies."
Mrs. Granger nodded. "But if you go walking in the woods, go in pairs at least, mark your path, and don't get lost—understood?"
"Mm-hmm!" Hermione nodded vigorously.
Beside them, Amanda's mind spun as she considered what to do in an emergency.
She'd only thought about the villa's safety for Enforcement Agents; she hadn't considered other possible crises.
Other emergencies… Ministry rules allowed Young Wizards to use magic for self-defence. With magic… comparing ordinary animals to a Troll, she decided she could cope.
With the villa chosen, Mr. and Mrs. Granger said they'd contact the owner; if all went smoothly, the day after tomorrow they could take Amanda and Hermione to sign the lease.
Imagining the holiday ahead, Hermione cheered inside. She took Amanda's hand and the two of them went upstairs to rest.
Once they were gone, Mr. Granger phoned the number on the brochure.
The owner was enthusiastic about a rental and had no qualms on hearing seven children would stay.
Apart from appliances, the villa held nothing too valuable, everything was insured, so accidental damage wasn't a concern.
After discussion, Mr. Granger asked, "Since it's children, are there any large beasts or venomous snakes nearby?"
The owner laughed and assured him, "Rest easy—none at all. The woods are professionally maintained year-round. You'll find only rabbits and squirrels. We spray for snakes monthly."
Reassured, Mr. Granger thanked him.
The owner added, "The annual clearing is due; I'll have a path cut so the kids can stroll safely."
"Thank you so much," Mr. Granger said with a smile.
The owner chuckled. "No trouble. I have kids too—better safe than sorry."
After hanging up, Mrs. Granger rested a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Pretty thorough of you."
"Well," he shrugged, "the girls want to go. Supporting them and making sure they're safe is what parents do."
Mrs. Granger nodded, then mused, "Right—tomorrow after work I'll hit the supermarket and stock up on what they'll need."
Mr. Granger slipped an arm around her waist. "We'll go together."
She gave a satisfied hum.
Upstairs in Hermione's room the lights were out; Amanda was fast asleep.
Hermione lay on her side, eyes fixed on Amanda's sleeping face.
She'd caught Mum's meaningful glance in the kitchen earlier.
That look had stirred something odd inside—shy, nervous.
Like a girl's secret spotted by her parent. But what secret could Mum have seen?
And one about Amanda? Hermione gently poked Amanda's smooth cheek, careful not to wake her.
A thought about Amanda that Mum had sensed, yet Hermione herself didn't know—her heart pounded louder and louder.
She bit her lip, yanked her hand back, and squeezed her eyes shut to calm herself.
A deep breath in and out; she opened her eyes again to Amanda's peaceful face.
Her own feelings… Hermione curled her fingers under the quilt. To say she had no inkling would be a lie.
But to name what that feeling was, she couldn't yet. Forget it, let it happen, she decided.
With a small shake of her head, Hermione nestled close, draped an arm over Amanda, and slowly closed her eyes.
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