Lumos

Chapter Thirty-One: "Masquerade"

A/N: Hello everyone!

I am more than a little tired at present, so I'm going to make this brief.
Thank you so much for the kindness and encouragement last chapter!! <3 You all are lovely, and I very much appreciate you taking the time to read. Please give yourself a warm hug on my behalf.

I'm so sorry this chapter is a day late. I planned to have it out a bit later on Monday, and editing took far longer than anticipated. This is a double-feature length chapter, however.

In the interest of getting this out speedily, I'm not going to include a detailed playlist this week, apart from this:
1. "Arcade" by Duncun Laurence for the Pensieve.
2. "Valley of the Shadow" by Thomas Newman for May 1, 4:32 a.m., followed by "Stronger than a Lion" by Delta Rae when Hermione mentions the tally.
3. "Warriors" by 2WEI when you see the snow.
4. "Leaves From the Vine" by AtinPiano for the last scene. (You'll know).
(I reserve the right to potentially come back later and crowd this with more music, though.)

As always, I do not own the rights to this story world or to these characters.

Grab your snack (This week, I recommend lemon blueberry cookies/biscuits. I know it sounds strange, but they're excellent), your drink (whatever's going to bring you the most comfort--I'm making Chamomile), and fuzzy socks/your warmest blanket.

Warning: From my warped, writer's perspective, this one hits rather hard. I could be wrong, though! Sometimes things resonate very differently between my writing/reading experience and the reactions each chapter receives.

REMEMBER: This isn't the end.

***Additional Content Warning (SPOILERS): This chapter includes violence and injury to minor and major characters. Descriptions are within keeping of the level of detail I have used in prior chapters. If that's not something you're comfortable with, skip the content after the family leaves the Burrow.

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Hermione

May 1, 2003, 12:42 a.m.

"Mione." The whisper cut through the dark, and Hermione blinked. She was stretched out on the couch, feet in George's lap. Harry knelt on the floor near her arm, nudging her. She blinked again, clearing away the grogginess. Ron stood in the background beside the hearth. The redhead's eyes worked over the sofa, and he had what looked like a hint of a smile on his face, almost like he found something amusing. It was barely there, but she could see it, plain as day.

Her brow furrowed.

But when Hermione stretched her arms over her head and shifted to sit up, Ron's look vanished, replaced by one of uncertainty as he turned away. Then, cool indifference.

"Sorry to do this so late," Harry whispered. "Neither of you woke through the floo noise, so you've got to be knackered. Normal for you, but—" He glanced to his left, where George laid, breathing low and slow, mouth cracked open. George's crown rested, tipped all the way back against the sofa's headrest, and his reading glasses lay askew on his face, propped slightly out of place on the bridge of his nose. His hand was warm on her ankle.

He was, quite possibly, the most darling man alive.

The thought hit her suddenly, wonderful and surprising at the same time.

She ought to tell him.

"Mione?" Harry whispered. Hermione tore her eyes from George and gave Harry an encouraging smile.

"It's perfectly alright, Harry," she whispered. "I'll wake him, and then we can get to work."

Harry's eyes flickered over her, and he exhaled a little, giving her a small, hesitant smile.