Part of Hermione wanted to pipe up and argue that it wasn't right to simply sit back and rely on other people to handle the difficult problems in their lives, and that she should know, since she was the one people usually relied upon and here she was, lost in a world very different from her own and stymied by the prospect of a relationship. But she didn't want to argue, didn't want to debate; she just wanted to know what to do to make this a less painful decision.

"Does that mean you'll handle this for me?" she asked dryly. Fingers wrapping around the wooden pendant on her neck, she sounded more sincere as she asked, "What should I do about Jamie?"