faderift | [Open] I can't take the distance

Entry tags:

[Open] I can't take the distance

WHO: Hermione and OPEN
WHAT: Catch-all for the month while Hermione gets used to Kirkwall
WHEN: Throughout Bloomingtide
WHERE: The docks, the Gallows, and exploring Kirkwall
NOTES: Will update with any warnings if necessary. If anyone wants to plan or would like a specific starter, feel free to either PM this journal or hit me up on plurk (

StarryOblivion).

Arrival

While Hermione had never had trouble with boats, she couldn't help feeling nauseated during the entire trip. She was still convinced that she'd left Harry behind in Skyhold, and that she could have done more to find him, and the concern and guilt weighed on her heavily.

By the time she'd disembarked, she was a little unsteady on her feet, and the sight of the Gallows wasn't really helping to foster a cheery disposition. She lingered by the docks for a time, often stopping to stare back across the water towards where they'd come from, but she knew that eventually she'd have to make her way into the Gallows proper.

The Gallows

Though it wasn't as dismal as it had been when she'd been kept a prisoner there in that horrible future world, the Gallows still wasn't the most inviting of places. Hermione didn't consider herself sensitive to that sort of thing, but she could swear she could feel the pain and anguish that lingered, soaked into the walls despite the Inquisition's best efforts to make the place livable. Though she sat in the library more than once and took a few meals in the dining hall and tried to settle into something resembling a day-to-day schedule, she didn't feel wholly comfortable anywhere. It wasn't until now that she realized just how much Skyhold had come to feel like home, and that posed a whole host of other problems in itself.

The city

Though Hermione hated the Gallows, she'd heard enough mixed tales about Kirkwall to be reluctant to travel there. But she knew that staying in the Gallows all day every day wasn't healthy, and so she eventually managed to borrow a set of clothes that wouldn't look too out of place among the locals, and so wouldn't attract any undue attention as she spent a few days familiarizing herself with her new surroundings.

[OOC- For the last option, anyone in her current CR circle is free to venture along with her, and anyone is welcome to encounter her throughout Kirkwall as she tries to get her bearings. She's curious enough that she'll at least pop her head in anywhere that doesn't look clearly dangerous, but feel free to contact me if you want to be sure or want something specific!]

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Hermione hardly had a moment to turn towards Jamie before he was quickly at her side, and she blinked in surprise at how fast he'd closed the distance. It wasn't as though his was an unwelcome sort of presence - far from it, really. She'd just gotten so used to keeping a reasonable distance from the locals who seemed to eye her with some degree of mistrust.

"A simple hello would have sufficed," she told him, cracking a small, dry smile. Rubbing absently at her arm, she looked off down the nearby street or alleyway or whatever one might call the paths here and remarked, "I had to get away from the Gallows for a bit. I thought I'd walk around the town and feel my way around, but... well, it's not exactly Orlais, is it? For better or worse, I mean."

It also wasn't exactly London, or even a small village in London, but she'd come to expect as much, given the sort of world Thedas was.

"What are you up to?"

Despite the faint sense of unease at the mention of the Gallows brought out in him, that small smile of Hermione's was still enough to get him to return it with one of his own, the corners of his mouth quirking up in amusement.

"Hello."

As he caught sight of her rubbing her arm, however, his smile faded, replaced with a more serious expression - and he stepped just a little bit closer, close enough that he could reach out in an attempt to wrap a protective arm around her shoulder. Or a comforting one, whichever way she wanted to take it. In truth, it was a little bit of both.

"You're right though, it's not Orlais. Which I suppose means we'll not have to deal with some of the food, but...ah, never mind that. I'm looking for the Doctor. I- I've not seen him around the past few days."

She looks up at him in surprise when he puts an arm around her without any sort of preamble, not really used to much physical contact in the past few weeks. But it doesn't go unappreciated, and the surprise soon fades with a small smile as she leans in against him, resting a head on his shoulder.

Though she's comfortable there with him, the mention of the Doctor makes her back straighten a bit, smile faltering. "I-... just kept assuming that he was with you. Or that we kept missing each other in the Gallows, since I've been flitting from place to place. Have you tried calling for him on the crystals?"

She assumes he has, but it's best to get that much out of the way before she jumps to any conclusions. The Doctor had visited her just before he'd left Skyhold, promising that they would see one another again and that he would watch after Jamie until she'd arrived. He can't be gone. He'd promised.

Truth be told, he hasn't had all that much physical contact himself the past few weeks, especially given how tactile he normally is. The Doctor in this incarnation isn't exactly touchy-feely, and now...he isn't to be found at all, and there's a part of Jamie that can use the embrace as well. It doesn't stop his mouth from twisting a bit at the mention of the crystals, although the expression is more rueful than anything else.

"Not at first, no. Thought maybe he was just busy, tinkering with something somewhere. Once I realized that wasn't the case, though..."

They've never been his first choice for getting in touch with someone. He'd rather talk with someone face to face, not listen to them via some wee bit of magic he doesn't fully understand. But he knows they're useful enough when someone's far away, and even though it may have taken a bit, he has tried them since then - more than once.

"I've not heard a thing, so either he's stuffed it in a drawer somewhere and forgotten about it, or he's taken off and left it behind on purpose. Or...or something's happened and he can't use them."

Edited 2017-05-19 06:27 (UTC)

Hermione knows Jamie's concern well, even if he seems to be showing it slightly differently than she had. When she'd realized it had been some time since she'd seen Harry, she hadn't known what to make of it, and the crystals had only entered her mind when she'd become desperate. It's as if she knows that, if she receives no response via crystal, she may never receive any word on him at all.

But she doesn't want to tell Jamie any of that. She doesn't want to dredge up her own painful memories, and she also doesn't want to make Jamie think he won't ever see the Doctor again. Instead, Hermione wraps her arms securely around him, offering him a small, sad smile.

"If he can't use it, I'm sure it's just because he doesn't have it, wherever he might be. There seems to be a lot of that going around lately." Harry. Obi-Wan. The Doctor. It makes Hermione wonder how much time any of them really has left in Thedas.

"Let's make a pact," she says suddenly. "We'll work out a set time to see each other regularly, and if we can't make it then because of a project or some such thing, we'll let one another know in advance. If we're gone from the Gallows for an extended period of time, we'll use the crystal as often we can, just to assure us that the other is still there." Granted, she couldn't have made good on that promise when she'd time traveled, but she'd only been gone for the blink of an eye, as far as Jamie's concerned.

"I just... don't want either of us to have to worry about waking up and suddenly realizing we haven't seen the other in a few days."

A similar sort of thought has crossed Jamie's mind as well. If the Doctor isn't responding, he may never respond, and Jamie may never know what's happened to him. But he hasn't forgotten what it'd been like being held captive by the Venatori, either. They'd taken the crystals from them then, leaving them as effectively cut off as if they had disappeared. If someone else has taken it into their heads to try and capture more rifters, it's entirely possible the Doctor's still out there somewhere.

He's just going to ignore that feeling deep down that's telling him it's not true until he can make sure for himself, that's all.

But there's also a large part of him that's glad that Hermione's still here, no matter what's happened with the Doctor. He's missed her more than he's let on, and the thought that maybe one day he might wake up and she might not be there is one that he doesn't even want to consider. Her idea, on the other hand...now that's an idea, and before she's even finished, he's nodding along in agreement.

"Aye, that sounds like it'd work! We can plan around what we know we'll have to do, and if we've got a mission we can use the crystal, or write...ah, although I'll admit I'm still not so good with the runes here. I can show you where I've set up in the place by the docks, though, if you need to leave me something that way. I- aye, well, if you must know, I don't want either of us to worry about that either."

Edited 2017-05-25 07:05 (UTC)

The idea of being captured and losing crystals has crossed Hermione's mind, and it's part of the reason she still holds out hope that Harry's around, even if it might not mean anything good that he's been missing and cut off for so long. But she'd also like to think that the Inquisition would be a little more concerned if they had reason to believe that rifters are steadily being abducted, and so she's going to give them the benefit of the doubt. If nothing else, she doesn't feel as though Harry's in danger, for all that something as intangible as feelings are worth.

"You're still at the docks?" Hermione asks, amused as she implies that he'd basically fallen off a ship and refused to move further. "That doesn't sound like a terrible idea, really; anyplace called the Gallows isn't exactly the cheeriest place to live, even after a thorough cleaning and paint job."

With a small shrug, she adds, "You can still read English, though, can't you? Most people here can't; it could be like we're leaving secret messages for one another." A bit immature, perhaps, but these days, Hermione will take her fun where she can find it.

There's a tiny tug of his mouth off to one side, but it's more the visual equivalent of a 'hrmph', nothing truly annoyed or vexed behind the gesture.

"Yes, I'm still at the docks. Can't say as I like the Gallows," he adds, the expression on his face smoothing back out, only to be replaced with a hint of distaste. "The place gives me the creeps."

He'd rather deal with the thin walls and lack of privacy over staying in a place that makes his hairs on the back of his neck stand on end more often than not. And it's not as though there's not places in the city itself where he can't escape to when things feel too crowded - they're just fewer and farther between. They're worth getting to, though, and he gives Hermione a thoughtful look, wondering if maybe she'd be up for helping him look for one sometime.

But for now, he's starting to like the idea of leaving secret messages for each other, and that corner of his mouth that tugged off earlier moves again, only this time it quirks into a hint of a lopsided grin.

"But, aye. I can still read English. Write it, too - ah, at least now. I had some help with that awhile ago, before I came here. I could leave you notes back. Think I like the idea of there being something that's just between us." A pause, and he turns the thoughtful look back towards the door he'd been heading towards, glancing over his shoulder briefly before refocusing on her. "Although I'd not mind doing a bit of exploring with you around here, either. Ah- well, maybe not here here, unless you've got a notion how to get into yon building, but just in general."

"... I can't say that I blame you," she admits when Jamie reveals that he's not exactly a fan of the Gallows. And he hadn't even seen it when it had been at its worst. Of course, Hermione's seen enough to know that she hasn't actually seen it at its worst either, but at least he hadn't seen their friends locked up in cages and forced to fight their way out.

It really would have been nice if the Inquisition could acquire literally any other place in Kirkwall to set up a second base of operations. She would have even helped build it from scratch, if she needed to. But given that they were in the middle of a war and their resources were limited (and not everyone could use magic the same way she could), she understood why they had to settle for the best that they could get.

She notices the look Jamie gives her, and she tilts her head inquisitively, though she doesn't ask after what he's thinking. Maybe he's wondering why she's bothered with the Gallows at all; in truth, she simply hadn't realized how much she'd missed having a proper bed and something resembling privacy, even if she literally only ever went into the small room she'd taken for herself when she was too exhausted to read another word at the library. Being by herself in such a big, foreboding place isn't exactly her idea of a good time.

But rather than ask after that, Jamie agrees to her idea about leaving notes, and she finds herself grinning. It's a sweet idea, really, though she hates that it's also a necessity, but short of the two of them sharing a room and keeping in constant contact with the crystals, there's really no other way to ensure that he won't become another Harry... or that she won't become another Doctor.

"Exploring? What did you have in mind? Or were you just looking for the nearest pub?" It's as much a tease as a legitimate question, though she certainly isn't judging him for it. Given the way she takes his hand, she's more than willing to explore just about anywhere with him.

"Och, that one's not hard. The Hanged Man's back that way."

Having been in the first group that'd arrived here has had some advantages, even if he'd spent that time wanting to be back in Skyhold helping Hermione look for Harry. As pubs go, it's not a bad one at all - and he can see while there's a fair few people here who prefer it over other places around here.

When it comes down to it, though, right now what he wants to do is spend time with Hermione, doing whatever she wants to do. If that means they wind up in some library somewhere, so be it. It's been long enough since he's had a chance to properly see her that he's even willing to put up with dealing with dusty tomes, at least for a little while. That doesn't mean that he doesn't have other suggestions, however - and when she takes his hand, he smiles down at it before curling his fingers around hers and giving her hand a squeeze. The smile stays on his face as he glances back up, although there's something a little mischievous there, too - and that reflects in the way his eyes start to dance as he looks back at her.

"No, what I was thinking of doing was seeing about maybe heading to once of the places I'd not been before to see what it's like, or heading out of the city for a bit. Suppose I could be convinced to go where you'd want to go, mind, so if you'd fancy a pint instead..."

Hermione's lips twist into a small smirk of amusement. Of course Jamie would know where the pub is. Luckily, she'd never seen him get sloppy, or else she'd start to scold and fret, but there's time enough for that yet as the days go by. Besides, while she'd never properly asked his age, it's clear he's at least a little older than she is, which means he's a grown man, not like Harry and Ron who'd both been younger than her and had to be watched carefully whenever Firewhisky was within arm's reach.

Grown man or not, though, that's undoubtedly a look of mischief in his eyes, and she tilts her head as she tries to figure out just what he's up to. Mischief can be fun, in small doses. And depending on just what it is.

But his suggestion seems innocent enough, and she laughs a little as she shakes her head. "I'm not the sort of person who tends to fancy a pint under most circumstances," she admits. "A bit of wine with my meal or on very rare occasions something a little stronger if the taste isn't wretched, but otherwise I prefer to have my wits about me."

Giving his hand a gentle tug to gesture for him to lead them, she adds, "I don't know where you've been before and where you haven't, so it's best for you to lead the way. Unless you'd prefer taking a walk outside the city, but even then, I'd be sure to get us lost if I try taking the lead." Not that the thought of being lost with Jamie seems overly terrible, of course.

"Fair enough."

Truth be told, he can understand wanting to keep one's wits about them, which is why even though he doesn't mind the odd pint or dram of whiskey from time to time himself, it's rare that he'll drink to the point where he gets completely sloppy. There's certain bit of excitement that comes along with having to live by one's wits, and he'd rather have that feeling than the feeling that comes with having them be all muddled.

And if maybe he doesn't have to live on his wits right at the moment? Well, there's always the wee bit of mystery to be had instead, and it'll be interesting to see if Hermione figures it out along the way. As she tugs at his hand, he chuckles - but he also takes it as a sign to get going, and he starts to away from the foundry area, back towards the busier part of Lowtown.

"There's worse things than getting lost outside the city with you, mind, but I think I've an idea that'll wind up with neither one of us getting lost. Come on, let's head back to the docks to start. If you're planning on leaving me notes, you should know where I've set up anyway. And after that...aye, well. You'll see."

She doesn't exactly expect drinking habits to become anything of a deal-breaker between the pair of them; if he really had a love of drink, Hermione's certain she'd probably know about it by now. And depending on how much he loved it, she would have either had a talk with him about it long ago or would have kept a fair distance from him, meaning that they might've not even be having this particular talk now.

But considering that she's only ever drank in Thedas during parties or when offered to her as a guest, she doesn't think that will ever become a real problem, so she's more than willing to gloss over it for now. Besides, even if Jamie is the sort to go to a pub once in a while to pass the time, she can hardly fault him that. It's not as though a drink here and there necessarily means someone's a drunkard.

Trying not to sheepishly preen when he admits that he wouldn't necessarily mind getting lost with her, Hermione falls into step besides him, looking at him curiously. "'You'll see?'" she echoes, voice thoroughly amused. "It sounds as though you're purposely building up a mystery."

There's no necessarily, in this case. Out of everyone he's met since coming to Thedas - the new, strange version of the Doctor included - if ever comes down to having to pick someone to get lost with, Hermione'll win, hands down. He can't think of anyone better to spend time with, even if that time winds up being spent wandering around trying to figure out where they're doing.

Right now, though, he's not worried about that, because he knows exactly where they're going - and a fair idea of what he wants to do, at least in the short term. That, coupled with her amused reaction, is enough to get him to grin unrepentantly down at her even as he leads them closer to the docks.

"Oh, am I now? What if I am, then? What would you do about it?"

Besides wait and see, obviously, although at least she'll not have to do that for long. The compound where the Inquisition's set up isn't that far, and now that he's got an idea in mind, he's not intending on delaying getting there.

Edited (forgot an i) 2017-06-07 05:19 (UTC)

Hermione has always found herself comfortable around Jamie, and not just because he'd allowed her to use him as a shield when she'd first fallen through a rift and landed in the middle of a battle with demons and Red Templars. Granted, that had certainly helped to built up an affinity, but it hadn't been the only thing. If that were the case, her relationship with Jamie would be no different than it is with the likes of Korrin or Christine. And she certainly isn't walking about holding hands with either one of them.

Taking a moment to appear to think about it, Hermione muses, "I'll have to investigate it, I suppose. That's my way, after all. Though I think that might lessen the element of surprise, if that's truly a factor in all this."

She can see the barracks at the docks coming into view, and she offers Jamie a sidelong glance. "I'm going to assume it doesn't necessarily have to do with getting on a boat, despite us headed towards the docks?" After all, though he may want to show her where he's set up, the docks seem a bit out of the way for a first stop on their walk.

"Oh, aye, we'll see."

After all, there could be surprises within the mystery - and will, if he can manage to pull it off. A boat isn't one of them, however. In fact, at the mention of that, a faintly queasy look crosses his face, followed a few seconds later by a quick shake of his head.

"Not a boat, no. Those can just stay where they are, if you ask me."

Until the Inquisition sends him back out on a mission, he's perfectly content to not go anywhere near the water...unless he's standing on something solid, like the docks. While there is some appeal to doing that with Hermione, it's not what he has in mind, however, and rather than turn to head that way, he takes the street that leads up to the barracks, and from there, to the area that he'd shared with the Doctor, until recently. There's still an impressive collection of bits and pieces scattered throughout the small space, even though Jamie's no idea what half of them are supposed to be for. He hasn't had the heart to clear them away just yet. Instead, he heads over towards his bed and a small wooden trunk that he's got at the foot of it. He's managed to save up enough to have a lock put on, and after he unlocks it, he rummages inside, eventually pulling out a folded piece of cloth - one of the neckerchiefs he occasionally wears. He doesn't unfold it, though. Instead, he offers the cloth over to Hermione, hints of a small, mysterious smile playing around his mouth as he does so.

"Here, take it."

Though she doesn't bring it up, Hermione remembers all too well Jamie's reaction to having to go on a boat, and so she only smiles at his commentary on them. There's no reason to make him feel sheepish about it, after all; she's not exactly a fan of brooms, despite the Muggle stereotype of witches. Besides, it's just as well that walking suits them both just fine.

Entering the space that he'd clearly once shared with the Doctor, Hermione has to try and not think about the eccentric older man, though she does find herself hoping that he finds his way back to Jamie soon. While she misses Harry terribly and no one will ever replace her best friend, she knows that the Doctor is one of a kind (not counting his alleged number of regenerations that he'd told her about), and so Jamie isn't exactly going to find a substitute companion. But then, he doesn't seem to mind spending all that much time with her.

Following him over as he rummages through his trunk, Hermione looks down at the offered item curiously before figuring out what it is and reaching out for it after a moment's hesitation. "All right," she says uncertainly, though not without a small, compliant smile. She might not know what he's playing at, but she's more than willing to play along once she figures out the rules of the game. "And what exactly am I supposed to do with it?"

"Aye, well, you could tie it around your eyes so you'll not be able to see where we're going," he comments, as dryly as he can manage - but given the way his eyes are dancing and the fact he's trying very hard not to grin at her, it could be fair to say that he's not being entirely serious when it comes to that particular situation.

He does wind up being more serious a few moments later as he turns back towards the trunk, reaching back inside and rummaging around again. This time, he pulls out a small, oddly lumpy sack and sets it on the bed before glancing back over his shoulder at her.

"Or you could open it and take what's inside. Might help some if you're planning on leaving messages, like we'd talked about earlier."

Inside the neckerchief - should she choose to open it - is a key, a match to the one he used to open the trunk. Just in case she decides not to take it, however, he keeps the trunk open a few moments longer. After all, it's completely within her rights to throw it right back inside. Or elsewhere, although he hopes she doesn't do that. Trying to find a key in the middle of this mess wouldn't be something he'd particularly fancy doing, although he will if he has to.

Hermione doesn't know how serious he's being about using it as a blindfold, and so she only continues looking at him wryly, at least until he concedes to tell her a little bit more. She'd never been entirely good with surprises, but when the mood strikes her, she can be reasonably good-natured insofar as following through with them. As it so happens, she's more privy to being good-natured when she's with Jamie. Funny, how that works.

At his instruction, she opens up the neckerchief, blinking a little in mild confusion when she sees the key. Plucking it up and looking it over, she purses her lips for a moment before looking at Jamie, trying to suss out the significance of it.

"It's a key," she comments, knowing full well that she's stating the obvious. "And it... looks very much like the one you used to open your trunk." Trying to make light of it, she chuckles slightly and asks, "Is this your way of saying you trust me with your things?"

"Aye, you could say that."

He trusts her with a lot more than that, and even though he doesn't say so out loud, for just a moment something of that shows on his face. Her chuckle makes him decide that it's better to try and keep things a little less serious, though - at least for now - and after a second or two, he winds up shrugging lightly.

"And if you do decide to make off with my pipes then I'll know that I'm right and you're not able to resist them after all." There's a beat, and then he grins broadly at her. "Besides, do you really want to chance someone coming across one of the notes you're planning on leaving? There's been tales of people who are interested in collecting those sorts of things, after all."

It's always something significant when a boy gives a girl a key to something, but Hermione hates presuming, especially when she's sure she'd just be jumping to conclusions. But for just a second, she sees something in Jamie's face that makes her wonder if she really would be jumping to conclusions, and it makes her heart do an uncomfortable round of fluttering about that it really needs to stop right now please.

Between noticing that look on Jamie's face and when he next speaks, Hermione realizes that she'd temporarily forgotten to breathe, and she takes care of that now, taking in a long breath as she nervously bites at her lip. To her credit, she's still smiling, because she's sure that any serious importance to the key is only in her head and besides, Jamie is still joking about it and so it can't really be all that serious, can it?

Stepping in besides Jamie as she gives him a bit of a wry look, she lightly asks, "Oh? And just what sorts of things is it that these people would be interested in? You don't expect there to be anything scandalous in these notes of mine, do you?"

"Now, I'm not saying that there would be, mind."

Even if part of him wouldn't mind at all if she did decide to put something scandalous in there, he's not expecting anything of the sort. But teasing her about it...well, there's times where he can't help but do that although he has to wonder why she's biting on her lip like that. Maybe there's something he's said that's got her upset. Or nervous, possibly. Maybe it's the key itself that's done it, and for a second he hopes he's not suddenly gone too far by offering it to her. The last thing he wants to do is have one of his impulses scare her off. He'd never forgive himself if that happened.

Still, she's smiling, and surely she'd not be smiling like that if he'd done something wrong...even if he could've sworn for a moment it'd almost looked like she'd forgotten to breathe. He has to be imagining that part, and he pushes the thought aside, letting another hint of a grin play around his mouth as he goes to close the trunk.

"But they'd not know that, now would they? Not if it's in English. Like as not they'll see it and think we're having a sordid affair, even if they'll not be able to read a word of it."

Her eyebrows immediately shoot up in amusement when Jamie doesn't reply that no, of course he doesn't expect her to write anything scandalous. She's fairly certain she doesn't come off as the sort of girl who would go in for that kind of thing, especially considering how limited their physical interaction has really been even after they'd each admitted to their feelings.

But really... well, Hermione is an adult, from the standpoint of both wizarding law and Muggle law, and certainly by Thedosian standards. If she were the type to go in for that sort of thing, and if Jamie wouldn't mind it, there really wouldn't be anything wrong with it. But for propriety's sake, she's just not going to think too hard over what she might put in any note that might make it scandalous. She can only take so much blushing at a given time, after all.

"Luckily, 'they' don't have access to your trunk, is that it?" Glancing towards the doorway, Hermione hums thoughtfully for a moment before bringing up, "Then again, the rumor mill in the Inquisition is rampant enough that 'they' are likely already imagining all sorts of terrible things, if they saw us come in here together."

Realizing how that sounds, she blinks and looks at Jamie with wide eyes, hastily adding, "Not that-... not that anything between us would be terrible, of course! I just meant-... that is-..... It's the gossip I don't approve of, not... anything else."

Well. So much for not blushing.

Not having access to his trunk is part of the reason why he thought it'd be a better place to leave notes, even though a part of him knows that anyone determined enough could pick the lock if they were so inclined. Or - as Hermione's just pointed out - they could simply use their imagination, coming up with whatever they liked.

That isn't what gets Jamie's eyebrows to do their own version of shooting up, arching high enough that they wind up disappearing into his own bangs before her hasty correction gets the corners of his mouth to twitch ever so slightly before he's able to get them under control and reply to her with a relatively straight face.

"Aye, well, that's good to know. I'd not want anyone to think things between us'd be terrible."

It's hard not to notice that blush, however. The fact it's there maybe isn't so surprising, given what they've been talking about - but at the same time, he can't help but find that to be just a little bit appealing. As he moves across the room, he sneaks a glance back her way, the tip of his tongue darting out just enough to moisten his lips before he pretends to focus on retrieving his plaid cloak from a peg that's been set into the wall.

"So, ah...does that mean that you've been giving some thought to those other things, then?"

Hermione likes to think that she's mature and open-minded, and really, compared to some people she knows, she is. But she hasn't exactly had much of an opportunity to actually use some aspects of that maturity and open-mindedness, and that's making this conversation a little more awkward than it has to be. It doesn't help that all the blood rushing to her face is making her feel a bit light-headed; the very last thing she wants to do is lessen Jamie's opinion of her by swaying on her feet or doing anything else to show that she's clutching at her metaphorical pearls.

"Things between us aren't terrible," she answers, hoping to turn "things" into activities they've already done, such as holding hands and occasionally kissing. It's better than any of the other things that couples might otherwise engage in, given that those things had simply been whispered rumors in the halls of Hogwarts rather than anything Hermione's ever given serious thought to doing. There had always been something more important happening in her life, after all.

Serious thought or not, it isn't as though she has no experience with hormones at all, and she does acknowledge that it's a conversation she and Jamie should have. She just hadn't exactly thought it would happen so soon.

"I-... have wondered what it might be like for couples here, especially when one or both of them might be a rifter. It's a little sad, isn't it? To share a bed with a person, not knowing if they'll still be there when you wake up. But I suppose that's a risk we take in any sort of relationship." It's why, even if Hermione had been the sort to go in for casual dating, she'd just never looked for that sort of thing. The idea of slowly falling in love with someone and then one day finding they've disappeared, or that she'd disappeared and left someone behind, is heartbreaking.

She'd been contemplatively looking down, and now she looks back up at Jamie and manages a small, though embarrassed, smile. "This is the bit where you tell me that wasn't what you meant and that I think too hard about things, isn't it?"

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