The lounge door opened, and the two people outside immediately saw a figure lying sideways on Hermione's bed in a reclining Buddha pose. As a candy thief who had snuck in, not only did he show no intention of fleeing upon seeing them, he even raised a hand and gave it a wave.
"Yo."
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Arthur's mind. He recognized the man as Mr. Wilson, Hogwarts' former physical education professor—the teacher Hermione mentioned most often. Many of her skills, even her way of thinking, had been taught by him.
As a parent with a whole brood of children, Arthur had naturally met him before. Back then, this professor had Hermione at his side most of the time.
But looking more closely now, he spotted the problem. Would a normal teacher lie on a female student's bed?
And he looked completely at ease. Did that mean something?
Mr. Weasley's eyes widened at once. He realized he seemed to have witnessed something he should not have seen. Although the Magic World did not particularly object to teacher-student relationships, Hermione was now the Minister of Magic. Once anything concerning her got out, people with ulterior motives would blow it out of proportion.
So, as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a staunch supporter of Professor Dumbledore's successor, he immediately did what he believed was right: he turned around and left.
"Sorry to disturb you. I'll stand watch outside the office for you. If anyone comes by, I'll send them away."
With that, he did not even spare a glance for Hermione's helpless expression. He turned and strode away, truly going outside the office to stand guard as he had said.
What else could the female Minister do? Rolling her eyes, she wordlessly lowered the gun