Chapter 138 Two Stars Get Closer

The feeling of seeing each other again after a long absence was eliminated by the strange surprise.

Loren pondered for a moment, then asked: "Aren't you hot in this outfit?"

In fact, it is not hot. The British summer climate is relatively cool. In some formal occasions and business environments, suits are still the main clothing.

Bates laughed and scolded: "We haven't seen each other for a year, and this is the first thing you say?"

He stretched out his hand to rub Loren's head, looked at Loren with loving eyes, and said with a smile: "Let me see how much little Loren has grown in one year."

Only then did Loren feel that the Grandpa Bates he knew was back. His nose felt sour and he complained in a low voice: "Then you are still traveling for so long. I can't find anyone during the holidays. I am learning Wolfsbane Potion at school..."

Loren complained endlessly like a child who couldn't get any candy.

Hermione heard the sound and came over, standing behind. It was the first time she saw Loren with such a childish side. I am happy for him, but also a little worried about the upcoming separation.

Bates could only laugh when he heard Loren's scolding. He looked up and saw the cute little girl behind him, and his eyes lit up.

He said: "You are Loren's best friend Hermione, right? He told me about it in his letter. He is indeed a beautiful and kind-hearted child. Thank you for helping me take care of Loren."

Hermione blushed when she heard this, and felt a little secretly happy in her heart.

Loren asked Grandpa Bates with his eyes, what are you talking about and when did I write these words.

The letter simply stated that he was staying at Hermione's house, but didn't say anything else.

Bates looked at the little girl with a smile, feeling very satisfied.

After all, he was already in his seventies or eighties. If it hadn't been written in the letter, wouldn't he have guessed that he could have his classmates stay at home, what else could he be if he wasn't the best friend? As for beauty and kindness, isn’t that something you can see at a glance?

Sensing Loren's gaze, Bates stared back openly.

What, you have a problem with what I said?

"Hello, Grandpa Bates, Loren also told me about you..." Hermione came back to her senses, blushed and welcomed Bates into the house, sat down, and hurriedly brought out tea and snacks to entertain Bates.

Bates and Hermione gradually became familiar with Loren as a topic of conversation.

From the time when Loren was knocked over by a sheep when she was a child, and when she refused to accept it and insisted on wrestling and fighting with the sheep, we talked about Loren falling asleep in class at school and becoming distracted.

Loren stood beside him with a sullen face and shouted angrily: "Hey! I'm here, don't go too far!"

But neither Bates nor Hermione paid him any attention, and kept talking about interesting topics.

"Loren, he has been restless since he was a child. He always deceives the sheepherders who went up the mountain with him to fight with the sheep, but he hides behind him. As a result, both boys were knocked over by the sheep. They were disgraced and came to me crying and asked me Teach the sheep a lesson." Bates laughed exaggeratedly at this point.

Hermione smiled with crooked eyebrows and gave Bates a cup of tea, "Grandpa Bates, let's have dinner at our house today. My parents will want to get to know you. They want to find someone to share their experiences as wizard parents."

Bates suddenly felt guilty, sharing experiences, sharing experiences of leaving children at home during summer vacation...

He felt that the Grangers would not want to talk about these experiences.

Bates laughed, "I should be thanking you for helping me take care of Loren. Why don't I treat you to dinner?"

Hermione agreed with a smile and went to call the Grangers to discuss the matter.

Loren saw Hermione leaving and said sadly to Bates: "Obviously it wasn't like this a year ago. Visiting your old place has taught you some bad habits."

Grandpa Bates was so serious a year ago, but now he has become like this.

Bates showed a sad expression: "Well, you know, I am already an old man, who knows how long I can live."

Loren was a little silent after hearing this.

Indeed, Grandpa Bates is a veteran of World War II and is now almost 80 years old. Coupled with the physical destruction caused by the wolf every month, he is already very old.

Bates quietly raised his drooped eyelids, took a secret look at Loren's expression, and said, "So, my wish now is just to hope that you will be well. You don't need any great achievements, and you can grow up happily and become an adult."

Loren's heart was hot, swollen, and ironed to perfection.

Bates also said: "I don't know what job I will do after graduating from wizard school, but you don't have to work hard to make money. It will be enough to live on my farm in Scotland in the future."

As he was talking, something started to go wrong, "When you start a family, get married, and have a lot of children..."

"Stop it! I'm only twelve years old." Loren knew that Bates was not serious when he saw the suit. He thought he just wanted to live a wild life, but he didn't expect him to be so irregular.

Bates waved his hand nonchalantly, "We are talking about the future."

Loren didn't want to talk to him anymore, so he changed the subject and said: "Principal Dumbledore and I have a magic that may prevent you from having to transform again for a few years. If things go well, the werewolf disease can be completely cured. If things don't go well, the werewolf disease can be completely cured." , just use the magic again after a few years."

Bates wanted to say that he was 80 years old and that with the Wolfsbane potion, it didn't matter whether he could cure it completely, but after thinking about the unpleasant taste of the Wolfsbane potion, he finally did not say it.

He looked at Loren with suspicious eyes, "Speaking of the Wolfsbane potion, are you trying to trick me on purpose? The potions you bring are getting worse each time, and you are not allowed to add sugar."

Loren knew why the potion was becoming more and more bitter and unpleasant to drink.

Damocles Belby began developing wolfsbane potion in 1970, and had long ago achieved the effect of keeping werewolves sane on full moon nights, but Belby's unique preparation process could not be replicated by others.

The research and development of a magic potion cannot only be made by the developer, but must be ensured that all potion masters who meet the conditions can reproduce it to be successful.

It involves the configuration techniques, the preparation of drugs, the influence of tides and moonlight, and there are some metaphysical factors involved. It was only in recent years that Belby finalized the formula, and there was still some work to adjust the dosage and ratio of materials.

The Wolfsbane potion that Loren can obtain is considered a Snape internal beta version. It is said that the perfected formula will not be submitted to the Ministry of Magic for notarization next year. A Merlin Medal of Honor Level 2 cannot escape.

To sum up, the more optimized the Wolfsbane potion is, the worse it tastes. This may be because Belby listened to some of Snape's modification opinions.

For such a grown-up person, it would be difficult to take medicine.

Loren said helplessly: "I will write to Principal Dumbledore immediately. When we complete the magic ceremony, you will not need to drink wolfsbane potion for a long time."

"It's not bad now. Except for the days when the moon is full, it doesn't affect daily life." Bates turned his head and saw Hermione coming back from the phone call, with a smile on his face again.

Before Loren could say many things in his heart, he was thrown aside again. Compared to the warm Bates and Hermione, he was like an outsider.

At dusk.

The Grangers went home hand in hand. As soon as they entered the door, Bates in a neat suit greeted them, with a friendly smile on his face, shaking hands and greetings, thanking and complimenting them.

For a moment, Loren couldn't tell who was the guest.

"Nice to meet you, thank you very much for taking care of Loren..."

"Loren is a good boy..."

The three adults started chatting enthusiastically, laughing and laughing, until the sun completely set, leaving only a little bit of light.

"I know a restaurant by the Thames, let's go there to eat tonight." Bates suggested, having eaten there last time he sent Loren to London.

Wendell said in surprise: "What a coincidence, we are going to try that one too."

Loren and Hermione were pulled into the car. Loren saw the black car on the roadside, and then saw Bates's skillful skills, and then realized that Bates's trip was actually a self-driving trip.

Five people, two families, and two cars drove towards the restaurant at a constant speed.

At the dinner table, the Grangers and Bates still maintained their fiery enthusiasm, leaving their two children aside and chatting about everything.

The two little wizards who were the protagonists of the topic sat quietly aside and ate quietly.

"I never knew Grandpa Bates could be so talkative." Loren complained to Hermione quietly.

Hermione cut the food slowly, put it into her mouth slowly, and swallowed it slowly. She turned her head and asked softly: "Are you leaving tonight?"

Loren thought for a while, "I don't know, it depends on Grandpa Bates's arrangements."

Hermione stopped talking and slowly ate the food in front of her in silence.

Even Loren was not so happy to reunite with his relatives. He watched Hermione eat a steak for fifteen minutes, and there was still more than half of it.

Loren picked up the steak on his plate with a knife and asked, "Do you want steak?"

"No -" Hermione paused in her reply. She looked at the juicy steak on Loren's knife and then at the steak on her plate. She recalled Loren's trick.

If she refuses, Loren may take her steak, and if she accepts, she may have to eat two steaks.

Hermione's mood suddenly became happier, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, "I'll eat my own steak."

Loren also smiled, and the two began to enjoy the delicious dinner.

Bates on the side seemed to be asking the Grangers about something, and Loren vaguely heard words like "property insurance" and "municipal tax."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger were beaming with joy and smiling brightly.

I can't hear the rest clearly. These parents are mysterious.

After the meal, the two cars drove back to Granger's villa.

Bates kicked Loren out of the car and shouted loudly: "I have made an arrangement with the Grangers and asked them to take care of you for one more night. I will pick you up tomorrow morning."

After saying that, Bates waved his hand, stepped on the accelerator and drove away.

Loren felt the gasoline exhaust spraying into his face and froze in place. Is he being abandoned by Grandpa Bates again?

"Loren, go pack your luggage." Monica patted Loren on the shoulder and led him into the house.

A look of despair appeared on Hermione's face again, and she sat blankly on the sofa, her eyes blank.

Loren didn't dare to look, so he buried his head and went upstairs to pack his luggage.

Monica strolled up behind Hermione, hugged her and advised her gently: "It's okay, you are classmates, we will meet again soon. And Loren can't always live in our house, right?"

Hermione remained silent and buried her head in her mother's arms.

Wendell said angrily: "It's all Loren's fault for messing up our holiday arrangements. I originally thought he could be your playmate clinic before opening it, but now he's actually run away. He's really dishonest!"

"It's not Loren's fault!" Hermione raised her head and retorted, "I'll help him pack his luggage."

She walked upstairs quickly, making the stairs creak loudly.

Monica looked at her daughter's back and smiled: "Being able to experience the emotions of friends' separation is also part of growing up."

"That's right."

Wendell and Monica looked at each other and smiled.

"What gifts should we give tomorrow to congratulate them on moving to a new home? How about red wine?"

"good idea."

When Hermione entered Loren's room, Loren was dispelling his transfiguration spell, and the desk and cabinet turned back into two ordinary pens. The luggage has been packed, so there is really no need to pack anything, just throw the things into the space box.

Only the bed frame had not returned to its original state, and Loren had to sleep for one more night.

Hermione's steps unconsciously slowed down, and she suddenly didn't know what to say when she looked at Loren who was staring out the window in a daze.

Loren turned to look at Hermione, patted the quilt beside him, and motioned for her to sit over.

Hermione sat next to Loren and looked out the window with him.

The bright moonlight poured in from the window and sprinkled an area in front of the window. Loren and Hermione were bathed in the silver-white moonlight.

We are in a secluded location in the suburbs, and the night is even colder. Instead of a full moon hanging in the sky, it is covered with a thin layer of clouds, giving the moonlight a faint glow.

Neither of them spoke, and the two stars in the sky moved closer in silence.

I don't know how long it took, but Hermione said softly: "Remember to write to me."

"Um."

From the distant clouds, the ethereal singing of the stars and moon could be heard, and silence filled the midsummer night.

Early in the morning.

Loren got up quietly, washed up, and had breakfast with the Grangers. Hermione wasn't up yet, but no one tried to wake her.

After saying goodbye to the Grangers, Bates picked up Loren as promised.

Until the car outside starts its engine and disappears at the end of the road. Hermione was lying on the windowsill, hiding behind the curtains and peeking, before she slowly came out to have breakfast.

The sound of the door closing sounded, and the Grangers went out to the clinic.

"Hermione! Remember to clear the table after eating!" Wendell's shout from outside the door gradually weakened.

As Hermione ate, she had never felt that the empty big house was so deserted. Her heart and the room echoed in the silence.

The soft light cast mottled shadows. The sofa, tables, chairs, doors and windows were motionless. Hermione could even hear the hands of the clock ticking. She suddenly felt aggrieved and sniffed.

After finishing breakfast and sitting on the sofa for a while, Hermione went upstairs and entered Loren's room, thinking about putting back the handicrafts she had put in the box.

The room was empty, with only the quilt and sheets lying quietly on the carpet.

Sitting on the carpet grabbing a drink, falling on the bed laughing at the kangaroo joke, these scenes are still vivid in my mind.

Why did he leave so suddenly? There are still many things we haven't done together. The branches in the courtyard behind have not been pruned yet. They haven't been together yet, and they agreed to go to the amusement park together.

"You obviously promised two weeks, this liar." Hermione's eyes turned red for a moment.