The Year of the Revolution VIII. The Return to Innocence

18. Hug

Sev waited until Hippolyta calmed down and asked her, "Are you tired, honey? Since we had breakfast you've barely been sitting for five minutes."

"Yes a bit."

"Then let's sit down, come on, and continue chatting until your friends come."

"But I want you to continue hugging me," she objected.

"Of course I hug you, but sitting down."

"Does it matter that they see us hugging when they arrive?"

"No, honey, it doesn't matter at all," he reassured her. "As you told me yesterday, we're not doing anything wrong, we're just pampering ourselves, letting them think what they want. From now on I'm going to hug you whenever I feel like it and I want you to do it too. Will you do it?"

"Yeah."

"That's how I like it. Let's do something then. Come." Sev separated from her, sat facing the pond with his back against the trunk of a tree and his legs spread. "Sit between my legs, come on, and lean on me."

"Ugh... but I can't see you like this..."

Sev laughed. One of these days I'm going to eat her. "Hippolyta, you can't have everything at once. Either I hug you or I look at you. Choose."

"I don't know..."

"A little bit of each. First I hug you until you rest and when you get bored or your friends come, the four of us sit down like before, we face each other and I look at you while I ask you the Defense theory."

"Okay."

Hippolyta sat between his legs, Sev surrounded her with his arms and gave her kisses on her head. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yes a lot."

"You can lean on me more, lean your head on my shoulder."

She did it.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes better. How warm you give me."

"Were you cold, honey?"

"Yes, a little, because I only wear the short sleeve under my robes," answered the girl.

"Ugh... And why haven't you put on some more clothes?"

"I already told you, because I don't like the cute clothes I have at all."

"But you could have worn the uniform sweater," said Sev.

"I do not like it either."

"Me neither, honey, but look, in almost five years I have only had the school uniform as decent clothes to wear, I couldn't change my clothes even on outings to Hogsmeade. And in winter, when I walked through the Forest, I was covered in cold. If at the moment you don't have anything else, until we buy you more clothes in summer you have to dress with what you have. Don't be silly, I already told you that external appearance doesn't matter at all. Did you wear your trousers yesterday to your exam?"

"I did," she responded.

"That's how I like it. Did the teacher tell you something?"

"No."

"And the other kids?" he asked.

"Neither."

"Very good. I have bad news."

"Which?" asked Hippolyta.

"What I promised you the other day, that you could dress in class however you wanted, is not going to be possible."