Good Enough | hp

32| A Proposal

Mrs and Mr Granger were leaning against a railway overlooking the rest of the station.

Their faces were contorted in a mixture of anxiety and eagerness, dutifully scanning the crowd for their children.

Estella and Hermione spotted them almost instantly.

Their mother's dark brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun though short strands had escaped the hair tie which framed her pale face.

She was wearing black and blue, a colour combination which had been her favourite for as long as they could remember.

Her green-blue eyes which Estella had inherited searched the crowd meticulously. She was biting her lip, a habit Estella also often did whenever she was nervous.

Their father's light brown hair was messy and unbrushed and he wore a flannel. His eyes were framed with a group of crinkles which hinted at how much he smiled, though they looked tired and featured deep dark circles.

Estella felt her smile dropping as she looked at their nature and hurried over faster, calling out "Mum! Dad!" to get their attention. Hermione followed her, always at her side.

As soon as they saw them, Mr and Mrs Granger's faces melted into relieved smiles, and by the time Estella and Hermione finally reached the railing, they had been pulled into tight hugs.

"My dears," Mrs Granger whispered as she leaned down to hug them tighter, "You're okay. We were so worried."

Estella felt guilt course through her as she felt her father reach down to ruffle her hair.

She had been at Hogwarts and hadn't even considered the state of fear her parents must have been in, what with Hermione being petrified and a monster lurking in the halls.

Mrs Granger released them from the hug and scanned her daughters up and down, checking for injuries. Satisfied to find none, she let a sigh pass through her lips.

"Girls," Mr Granger paused, closing his eyes and then opening them, "let's talk in the car."

Estella exchanged a look with Hermione but they allowed themselves to be ushered away by their mother.

Mrs Granger fell into place on the left, placing her right arm around Hermione's shoulder to pull her closer. She took Hermione's trunk in her left hand.

Estella's hand slipped into her father's and he took her trunk as well. Her other hand grasped tight around the handle of her guitar case, with Alora's cage hooked carefully on her finger.

They manoeuvred through the crowd, dodging the overloaded carts and bustling citizens until they finally made it to where Mr Granger had parked the car.

Mr Granger loaded up the trunk while Estella, Hermione and Mrs Granger got into the car. Hermione sat on the left and Estella on the right, just like always.

When Mr Granger had finally got into the car, he leaned back and started driving.

Their mother spoke first.

"We've been thinking," she began and the phrase sounded so ominous that Estella was very much inclined to stare out the window and dream the present away, "that, well," she struggled for words and turned to their father.

Estella watched his eyes in the rearview mirror. They stared straight ahead. 

"We think that you two shouldn't return to Hogwarts next year."

"What!?" Hermione and Estella blurted.

"Mum, Dad, you can't be serious," Hermione implored urgently, "I mean- I'm topping all my classes!"