Garden Morning Dew and the Scent of Potions

Morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains, casting dappled specks across the deep blue bedsheets patterned with stars and moons. Lynn opened his eyes. The unfamiliar ceiling, the rustle of apple trees beyond the window, the warm scent of sun-dried bedding—all of it reminded him that this was neither the cold dormitory at Camphor House nor the familiar four-poster bed at Hogwarts. This was Hermione's home.

Lynn slipped out of bed quietly, afraid of waking Hermione, who might still be asleep next door. He drew back the curtains, and morning sunlight immediately poured in, illuminating the whole room. Outside, the Grangers' back garden was veiled in a thin morning mist. Sparkling dew clung to the apple tree leaves, glittering in the sunlight. A robin perched on a branch, tilting its head curiously at the stranger inside.

He took a deep breath. The scabbed wound on his chest sent a faint, dull ache through him, but it was a little lighter than yesterday. The Star Stone gave off a weak silver-blue glow in the morning light, slightly brighter than it had been at the hospital. Lynn gently clasped it, feeling its steady, warm pulse—the resonance of Hermione's Moon White Stone from the next room.

Soft sounds and the aroma of coffee drifted up from downstairs. Lynn changed into the light gray T-shirt and dark casual trousers Aunt Monica had prepared for him—far softer and more comfortable than the old uniforms handed out by the orphanage—then quietly headed downstairs.

In the kitchen, Monica was preparing breakfast, and the scent of toast filled the room. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lynn. "Good morning, dear! Did you sleep well? Coffee or tea?"

"Good morning, Aunt Monica. Tea, please." Lynn's voice remained low, but it held less distance than usual. He stood in the kitchen doorway, somewhat unsure whether there was anything he could help with.

Monica seemed to see through his thoughts. Smiling, she handed him a basket. "Could you pick some fresh mint from the garden for me? It's in the little flower bed beside the back door. Hermione loves my mint honey tea."

Lynn nodded, took the basket, and walked into the back garden. The morning air carried the freshness of dew and grass, cool against his cheeks. He crouched beside the flower bed and carefully selected the tenderest mint leaves. When his fingertips touched the cold dew on the leaves, a strange calm spread from his fingers into his heart.

"You're up early." A familiar voice came from behind him.

Lynn turned and saw Hermione standing barefoot in the dew-covered grass in a pale yellow nightgown. Her fluffy curls glowed with a golden halo in the morning light. She rubbed her eyes, and red marks from her pillow still lingered on her cheeks, making her look impossibly soft.

"So are you." Lynn stood and handed her the basket full of mint.

Hermione took it, her fingertips brushing the back of his hand by accident. The touch was as light as a feather. She looked down at the neatly arranged mint leaves in the basket, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "You picked all the tenderest shoots. You're so thoughtful."

The two walked back inside side by side. Sunlight stretched their shadows long across the grass, where they blended together. Monica watched the children enter the kitchen together, a gentle smile flickering in her eyes.

At the breakfast table, Uncle Wendell was reading that day's The Times. He looked up and winked at them. "What are the plans today, you two top students? Don't tell me you're going to bury yourselves in calculus all day again?"

Hermione poured Lynn a cup of mint tea with two spoonfuls of honey and said solemnly, "Today's topic is a comparative study of the basics of Quantum Mechanics and magical spell construction." Seeing her father's exaggeratedly horrified expression, she could not help laughing. "I'm kidding! The weather's so nice today that I'm planning to take Lynn to the nearby park. He needs moderate exercise to help him recover. Madam Pomfrey said so."

Lynn sipped the sweet mint tea as he listened to the Grangers' relaxed conversation. A strange warmth stirred in his chest. The feeling of being included in everyday life, of being considered in someone's plans, was far too new to him.

After breakfast, Hermione pulled Lynn upstairs and mysteriously shut her bedroom door. She took an exquisite tin box from her desk drawer. "This is for you! I stayed up late making it last night."

Lynn opened the box. Inside, more than twenty small glass vials were arranged neatly in rows. Each had a label and contained powder or liquid of a different color.

"Magic Nourishing Auxiliary Potion!" Hermione explained excitedly, her eyes shining. "I looked through every source I could find on Star Power, then improved it using Muggle herbalism principles. This blue one is Evening Primrose Essence. It can soothe spasms in the Magic Circuit. The green one is Ginkgo Extract, which promotes magical circulation. The red one is..."

Lynn quietly listened as she explained them one by one, his gaze shifting from the vials to her animated face. Morning light slipped through a gap in the curtains and cast a fine golden line across the bridge of her nose. Her lashes threw fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyes. Whenever she became excited, she unconsciously wound a lock of hair around her finger, and a faint blush rose in her cheeks.

"I know they can't compare to real potions," Hermione's voice suddenly lowered. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the tin box. "You can't use magic right now, and I'm not Professor Snape... but these are safe, at least, and..."

"Thank you." Lynn interrupted her softly, but his voice was unusually clear. He picked up a vial containing pale blue liquid. On its label was Hermione's neat handwriting: "Star Grass Extract - Calming." In the sunlight, the liquid refracted flecks of silver light, just like the Star Stone at his chest. "I'll take them on time."

Hermione's eyes instantly lit up like stars. She bit her lower lip, then suddenly stepped forward and gave Lynn a brief, cautious hug, so quick that it seemed she was afraid he would reject her. "It will definitely work!" She released him, cheeks blazing red, then swiftly turned to grab her coat. "I'm going to change. We'll leave for the park in ten minutes!"

Lynn remained where he was, still holding the vial. An unusual warmth spread from where her hug had touched his chest, more vivid than the warmth of the Star Stone. He looked down at the blue liquid swaying in the vial and, for a moment, thought its color resembled the glow cast by Hermione's pale yellow nightgown in the sunlight.

The park was only two blocks from the Grangers' home. It was shaded by lush trees, with a small lake at its center. On Sunday morning, many families came here to picnic and stroll. Children's laughter echoed through the air as they chased one another.

Hermione led Lynn slowly along the path beside the lake, occasionally pointing out plants and explaining their medicinal properties. Lynn listened quietly, nodding or giving brief replies from time to time. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled patterns over them.

"Look over there!" Hermione suddenly lowered her voice and pointed beneath a large willow by the lake. A young man was pretending to read a newspaper while secretly using his wand to direct a pen writing in a notebook. "The Ministry of Magic's Trace Silk only monitors the Magic Fluctuation of underage wizards. Adults can cast spells freely in the Muggle world. It's so unfair." She pouted.

But Lynn's gaze fell on the woman and two children beside the man. The woman was smiling as she combed a little girl's hair, while the boy crouched by the lake, tossing breadcrumbs to the ducks. That natural intimacy made an unfamiliar ache rise in Lynn's chest.

Hermione keenly noticed the shift in his mood. After hesitating, she lightly touched his arm. "Shall we feed the swans? They sell breadcrumbs over there."

The swans by the lake glided gracefully across the water, their white feathers gleaming in the sunlight. Hermione split the breadcrumbs in half and gave some to Lynn, demonstrating how to scatter them. "Gently, like this—"

The crumbs landed on the water, sending ripples spreading outward. The largest swan gracefully swam over and lowered its head to peck at them. Lynn copied Hermione, tossing breadcrumbs onto the surface. His movements were a little stiff, but the swan still accepted his offering and even allowed him to touch its curved neck.

"It likes you!" Hermione said in surprise, her eyes curving into crescents. "Swans are usually very proud, unless they sense especially pure Magic Fluctuation... ah!" She suddenly realized she had said the wrong thing and bit her lip in frustration.

But Lynn merely shook his head and continued stroking the swan's smooth feathers. In the sunlight, the lines of his profile softened considerably, and there was even the faintest curve at the corner of his mouth. "It's all right," he said. "My magic will come back."

The words sounded like a promise, yet also like comfort offered to himself. Hermione watched his profile and suddenly felt her eyes grow hot. She quietly moved a step closer, lightly resting her shoulder against his arm as they watched the swan peck at the breadcrumbs on the water. The sunlight, the lake, the swan's reflection, and the steady sound of the person beside her breathing formed a peaceful picture.

On the way home, Hermione stopped in front of a bakery at the corner. "Wait for me!" She hurried inside and emerged a few minutes later carrying a paper bag, smiling mysteriously. "Guess what this is?"

A rich chocolate scent drifted from the bag. Lynn raised an eyebrow. "Chocolate Croissants?"

"Not just ordinary croissants!" Hermione excitedly opened the paper bag, revealing the golden, flaky pastries inside. "This is a branch of London's best Magic Bakery! The owner is a retired Hogwarts House-elf, and there's a tiny bit of Jubilee Agent in the bread—the completely legal kind! It makes you feel happier when you eat it!"

She broke off a small piece of the still-warm croissant and held it to Lynn's lips. "Want to try it?"

Lynn hesitated for a second, then lowered his head and took the piece of bread from her fingertips. Crisp pastry, soft layers within, rich chocolate, and a faint magical pulse bloomed on his tongue. Sure enough, warmth spread from his stomach through his entire body.

"Is it good?" Hermione looked at him expectantly, crumbs still clinging to her fingertips.

Lynn nodded and reached out to gently brush away a small smear of chocolate that had accidentally gotten on the corner of her mouth. "Mm. It's sweet."

That natural gesture left them both frozen. Hermione's face instantly reddened like the candied cherry atop her favorite Orange Cake, while the tips of Lynn's ears also turned a suspicious pink. In perfect unspoken agreement, they turned and continued walking at the same time, though the distance between their shoulders had grown a little smaller.

The afternoon sun cast their shadows over the stone-paved road, one tall and one short, yet strangely harmonious. Hermione secretly glanced at the boy beside her and found him looking up at the clear blue sky, the faintest softness at the corner of his mouth. Her heart felt like chocolate melted by that ray of sunlight, soft beyond repair.

When they returned home, Aunt Monica was preparing lunch in the kitchen. Hermione pulled Lynn beneath the apple tree in the back garden and spread out a picnic blanket. "Let's eat here! Picnics under the tree are the best in summer!"

A cool breeze drifted beneath the shade, and dappled sunlight fell across the blanket through gaps in the leaves. Hermione neatly laid out sandwiches, fruit, and the bag of magical croissants, then seemingly conjured two little bottles from her pocket. "Look! Magic Nourishing Potion No. 1, my improved formula! It has today's inspiration added—Moonlight Grass from beside Swan Lake!"

Lynn accepted one of the little bottles. Pale purple liquid swayed within it, sparkling with fine points of light under the sun. He pulled out the stopper, and a fresh scent washed over him, like grass after rain blended with the fragrance of some flower.

"Cheers?" Hermione raised her own bottle, her eyes sparkling.

Lynn gently clinked his bottle against hers, then tipped his head back and drank it in one gulp. The liquid slid down his throat, bringing a cool, pleasant sensation before turning into a warm current that slowly flowed through every limb. The faint pain in the scar on his chest seemed to lessen, and the Star Stone warmed slightly in response.

"How is it?" Hermione anxiously studied his expression.

"It works." Lynn's assessment was brief, but the approval in his eyes made Hermione leap with joy.

She happily bit into a sandwich and said through a mouthful, "I knew it! Moonlight Grass resonates with Star Power! Tomorrow, we'll try Formula No. 2. I added a little Unicorn Hair—don't worry, it was legally purchased from Gringotts!"

Lynn watched her gesturing excitedly, and the corners of his mouth lifted without his notice. Sunlight danced through the leaves in her hair as if someone had scattered broken gold over it. He suddenly reached out and gently removed an apple leaf that had fallen onto her hair.

Hermione froze and looked up at his backlit silhouette. The sunlight rimmed him in gold, while his lashes cast fan-shaped shadows beneath his eyes. He looked down at her with a softness she had never seen before. In that moment, time seemed to stop, leaving only the rustle of leaves and their mingled breaths.

"Children! The fruit salad is ready!" Aunt Monica called from the kitchen window, breaking the spell of the moment.

Hermione snapped back to herself and scrambled to her feet. "C-coming!" She reached out and pulled Lynn up. Their fingertips touched, then quickly separated as if burned. Yet that tiny current lingered in the memory of their skin for a long time.

The afternoon sun remained warm, and the apple tree's shadow quietly shifted, covering the two figures seated side by side on the picnic blanket. The robin in the tree tilted its head curiously as it watched the human boy beneath it quietly place his hand over the back of the girl's hand. Her face flushed, but she did not pull away. The wind passed through, rustling the leaves like a gentle song for that tranquil summer afternoon.