Two Stars Draw Closer

The joy of a long-awaited reunion was overshadowed by a strange sense of surprise.

Loren hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Aren't you hot wearing that?"

Actually, it's not hot. The summer climate in the England is relatively cool, and suits are still the main attire in some formal occasions and business environments.

Bates laughed and scolded, "After a year apart, this is the first thing you say?"

He reached out and ruffled Loren's hair, looking at Loren with loving eyes, and said with a smile, "Let me see how much little Loren has grown in a year."

Loren then realized that the Grandpa Bates he knew had returned. His nose tingled, and he complained in a muffled voice, "Then why did you travel for so long? I couldn't find you even during my vacation. I was studying Wolfsbane Potion at school..."

Loren complained incessantly, like a child who couldn't get candy.

Hermione heard the noise and rushed over, standing behind him. It was the first time she had seen such a childlike side of Loren. She was happy for him, but also a little heartbroken about the impending separation.

Bates could only chuckle awkwardly as he listened to Loren's nagging. He looked up and saw the well-behaved little girl behind him, and his eyes lit up.

He said, "You're Hermione, Loren's best friend, right? He told me about you in his letter. You're such a beautiful and kind girl. Thank you for taking care of Loren for me."

Hermione blushed as she listened, a secret thrill rising within her.

Loren, on the other hand, questioned Grandpa Bates with his eyes, "What are you talking about? When did I write these words?"

The letter simply stated that he was staying at Hermione's house, without saying anything else.

Bates looked at the little girl with a smile, completely satisfied.

He's at least in his seventies or eighties. Even if it wasn't explicitly stated in the letter, couldn't he guess? Who else could let a classmate stay at their home if not their best friend? As for being beautiful and kind, isn't that obvious at a glance?

Noticing Loren's gaze, Bates stared back openly.

What, you have a problem with what I said?

"Hello, Grandpa Bates. Loren has also mentioned you to me..." Hermione snapped out of her daze, blushing as she welcomed Bates into the house and hurriedly brought out tea and snacks to serve Bates.

Bates and Hermione gradually became acquainted by using Loren as a topic of conversation.

They talked about how Loren was knocked over by a sheep when he was a child, and how he refused to accept it and insisted on wrestling and fighting with the sheep, and how Loren fell asleep or spaced out in class at school.

Loren, standing to the side with a sullen face, shouted angrily, "Hey! I'm right here, don't go too far!"

But neither Bates nor Hermione paid him any attention, continuing to talk about interesting topics.

"Loren, he's been a troublemaker since he was little. He always tricks the shepherds who go up the mountain with him into fighting with the sheep, while he hides behind them. As a result, both boys get knocked down by the sheep, covered in dirt, and come to me crying, asking me to teach the sheep a lesson." Bates laughed exaggeratedly as he said this.

Hermione smiled and poured Bates a cup of tea. "Grandpa Bates, why don't you have dinner with us tonight? My parents would like to meet you; they want to exchange experiences as wizarding parents."

Bates suddenly felt a little guilty. Should they exchange experiences, like leaving the kids at home unattended during summer vacation...?

He felt that the Mr. and Mrs. Granger certainly wouldn't want to talk about these experiences.

Bates chuckled. "I should be thanking you for taking care of Loren. How about I treat you to dinner?"

Hermione smiled and agreed, then promptly went to call the Mr. and Mrs. Granger to discuss the matter.

As Loren watched Hermione leave, he said to Bates with a pained expression, "It wasn't like this a year ago. Returning to this place has taught you some bad habits."

Grandpa Bates was so serious a year ago, but now he's become like this.

Bates looked sad. "Sigh, you know, I'm an old man now, who knows how much longer I have to live."

Loren fell silent upon hearing this.

Indeed, Grandpa Bates is a World War II veteran and is almost 80 years old now. Coupled with the monthly physical torment caused by the wolf transformation, he is already very old.

Bates subtly lifted his lowered eyelids, stealing a glance at Loren's expression, and said, "So, my only wish right now is for you to be well. I don't need you to achieve anything great; just grow up happily and become an adult."

Loren's heart felt warm and swollen, as if it had been ironed perfectly.

Bates added, "I don't know what kind of job you should do after graduating from wizarding school, but you don't have to work hard to earn money. You can live off my farm in Scotland."

As they talked, things started to go wrong, "Wait until you settle down, get married, and have a bunch of kids..."

"Stop! I'm only twelve years old." Loren knew Bates was unserious just from seeing the suit, assuming he just wanted to live a carefree life, but he didn't expect him to be this unserious.

Bates waved his hand dismissively, "We're talking about the future."

Loren didn't want to continue the conversation and changed the subject, saying, "Headmaster Dumbledore and I have a spell that might allow you to not need to transform for several years. If things go smoothly, it can completely cure Werewolf Disease. If not, you can just use the spell again after a few years."

Bates wanted to say that he was already 80 years old and had Wolfsbane Potion, so whether it could cure him or not was not important. But then he thought about how unpleasant the Wolfsbane Potion tasted, and in the end, he didn't say it.

He looked at Loren with suspicion. "Speaking of Wolfsbane Potion, are you deliberately playing a trick on me? The potion you send tastes worse and worse each time, and you don't even allow sugar in it."

Loren knew why the medicine was getting increasingly bitter and unpalatable.

Damocles Belby began developing the Wolfsbane Potion in 1970 and achieved the effect of keeping Werewolf sane on the Full Moon Night very early on, but Belby's unique formulation process could not be replicated by others.

The development of a Potions cannot be successful if only the developer can refine it; it must be guaranteed that any qualified Potions Master can reproduce it.

The process involves preparation techniques, drug processing, and the influence of tides and moonlight, which involve some mystical elements. It wasn't until recent years that Belby finalized the formula, with some adjustments to the dosage and proportions of the materials still needed.

The Wolfsbane Potion that Loren can obtain is essentially a beta version developed by Snape. It is said that the finalized formula will not be submitted to the Ministry of Magic for notarization until next year, and a Second-Class Order of Merlin is a certainty.

In conclusion, the more the Wolfsbane Potion is optimized, the worse it tastes, probably because Belby listened to some of Snape's suggestions for improvement.

At this age, why are you afraid of the bitterness of medicine?

Loren said helplessly, "I'll write to Headmaster Dumbledore right away. Once we complete the magical ritual, you won't need to drink Wolfsbane Potion for a long time."

"It's not bad now. Except for the days around the full moon, it doesn't affect our daily lives." Bates turned his head and saw Hermione returning from the phone call, and a smile appeared on his face again.

Before Loren could even express all the things he wanted to say, they were left aside. Compared to the warm and friendly Bates and Hermione, he felt like an outsider.

At dusk.

The Mr. and Mrs. Granger returned home hand in hand. As soon as they entered, Bates, dressed in a sharp suit, greeted them with a friendly smile, shook hands, and thanked them for their compliments.

For a moment, Loren couldn't tell who the guest was.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, and thank you so much for taking care of Loren..."

"Loren is a good boy..."

The three adults began to chat enthusiastically, their laughter filling the air, until the sun had completely set, leaving only a few glimmers of light.

"I know a restaurant on the Thames Riverside; let's go there tonight," Bates suggested. He'd eaten there the last time he brought Loren to London.

Wendell said with delight, "What a coincidence, we were just planning to try that place too."

Loren and Hermione were pulled into the car. Loren saw the black car by the roadside and Bates's skillful driving, and realized that Bates's trip was actually a road trip.

Five people, two families, and two cars drove at a steady speed toward the restaurant.

At the dinner table, the Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Bates maintained their fiery enthusiasm, chatting about everything except for the two children.

The two young wizards, who were the main focus of the conversation, sat quietly to the side, eating their food peacefully.

"I never knew Grandpa Bates could be so talkative," Loren whispered to Hermione.

Hermione slowly cut the food, slowly put it in her mouth, and slowly swallowed. She turned her head and asked softly, "Are you leaving tonight?"

Loren thought for a moment, "I don't know, it depends on Grandpa Bates's arrangements."

Hermione stopped talking and silently ate the food in front of her.

Even the joy of Loren's reunion with his family wasn't as strong. He watched Hermione eat a steak for fifteen minutes, and there was still more than half left.

Loren used his knife to pick up a piece of steak from his plate and asked, "Do you want some steak?"

"No—" Hermione's voice trailed off as she glanced at the juicy steak on Loren's knife, then at the steak on her own plate, recalling Loren's trick.

If she refuses, Loren might take her steak; if she accepts, she might have to eat two steaks.

Hermione's mood suddenly brightened, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. "I'll eat my own steak."

Loren smiled, and the two began to enjoy their delicious dinner.

Bates, who was standing nearby, seemed to be asking the Mr. and Mrs. Granger something, and Loren vaguely heard words like "property insurance" and "municipal tax."

The Mr. and Mrs. Granger were beaming with joy, their smiles radiant.

I couldn't hear the rest very clearly; these parents were acting all mysterious.

After the meal, the two cars drove back to Granger house's villa.

Bates shooed Loren out of the car and shouted, "I've already talked to the Mr. and Mrs. Granger. They'll take care of you for one more night, and I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning."

After saying that, Bates waved and drove away.

Loren felt the gasoline fumes spraying his face and stood there dumbfounded. Had he been abandoned by Grandpa Bates again?

"Loren, hurry up and pack your things." Monica patted Loren on the shoulder and led him into the house.

Hermione's face fell again, and she sat blankly on the sofa, her eyes vacant.

Loren didn't dare to look, and went upstairs to pack his luggage with his head down.

Monica strolled up behind Hermione, put her arm around her, and gently advised, "It's okay, you're classmates, you'll see each other again soon. Besides, Loren can't stay at our house forever, can he?"

Hermione remained silent and buried her head in her mother's arms.

Wendell said angrily, "It's all Loren's fault for ruining our holiday plans. We opened the clinic thinking he could be your playmate, but now he's run away. He's so untrustworthy!"

"It's not Loren's fault!" Hermione retorted, looking up. "I'll go help him pack his luggage."

She hurried upstairs, her footsteps making a loud clattering sound.

Monica watched her daughter's retreating figure and smiled, "Being able to experience the emotions of parting with friends is also a part of growing up."

"That's right."

Wendell and Monica exchanged a smile.

"What gift should we give them to congratulate them on moving to their new house tomorrow? How about some red wine?"

"Good idea."

When Hermione entered Loren's room, Loren was dispelling his Transfiguration, and the desk and cabinet reverted to two ordinary pens. The luggage was already packed; actually, there wasn't much to pack, just toss everything into the spatial storage box.

Only the bed frame remained unchanged, and Loren still needed to sleep for one more night.

Hermione unconsciously slowed her pace, looking at Loren staring blankly out the window, and suddenly didn't know what to say.

Loren turned to look at Hermione, patted the blanket beside him, and gestured for her to sit down.

Hermione sat down next to Loren and looked out the window with him.

The bright moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating a spot in front of it, where Loren and Hermione were bathed in its silvery glow.

Located in a secluded suburban area, the night was even colder. The moon was not full, and it was covered by a thin veil of clouds, so the moonlight was faint.

Neither of them spoke, and the two stars in the sky drew closer in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Hermione said softly, "Remember to write to me."

"Um."

From the distant clouds, the ethereal singing of stars and moon drifted through the night, filling the tranquil air of the midsummer night.

Early morning.

Loren tiptoed out of bed, washed up, and had breakfast with the Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Hermione was still asleep, but no one woke her.

After saying goodbye to the Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Bates picked up Loren as promised.

Hermione, who had been peeking from behind the curtains at the window, only slowly came out to eat breakfast after the car outside started its engine and disappeared at the end of the road.

The door slammed shut, and the Mr. and Mrs. Granger headed out to the clinic.

"Hermione! Remember to clean up the table after you finish eating!" Wendell's shouts from outside the door gradually faded.

Hermione ate her food, never realizing how empty and desolate the large house could be. Her heart, along with the room, echoed hollowly in the silence.

The soft light cast dappled shadows. The sofa, chairs, doors, and windows remained motionless. Hermione could even hear the ticking of the clock. A sudden wave of resentment washed over her, and she sniffled.

After finishing breakfast, Hermione sat on the sofa for a while before going upstairs to Loren's room, intending to put the handicrafts she had previously stored in the box back in.

The room was empty, with only the blankets and sheets lying quietly on the carpet.

I still vividly remember sitting on the carpet grabbing drinks, laughing so hard at the kangaroo's jokes that I fell asleep on the bed.

Why did they leave so suddenly? There were so many things we didn't do together. The branches in the backyard hadn't been trimmed yet, they hadn't been there together, and they had promised to go to the amusement park together.

"They clearly said two weeks, what a liar!" Hermione's eyes welled up with tears.