Chapter 254: Kinship on Top of Kinship?

John and Hermione didn't stay long.

Neville didn't become silent because of his parents' affairs.

Instead, he could guess the reason they came here, which was to visit Mr. Weasley.

And cared about Mr. Weasley by the way.

Afterward, John and Hermione left, returned to the second floor to say goodbye to the Weasley family and Harry, and left St. Mungo's Hospital.

When walking out of the hospital gate, the twilight was soaking into the brick walls of London inch by inch.

In the streets and alleys, one after another Christmas colored lights lit up.

It was completely different from the atmosphere of the hospital.

Laughter and joy were everywhere.

John turned to look at Hermione beside him who was a bit dejected, and reached out to rub her head. 【254-

He smiled helplessly and spoke.

"Stop being so sentimental, Hermione."

"Neville isn't that fragile, and his uncle and aunt would never regret the choice they made back then."

Hermione didn't pull away; she just buried her face in John's chest.

"I know..."

"It's just... I can't process it all at once..."

Clearly, it wasn't just John who was affected; Hermione also felt a heavy, dull ache.

Regardless of whether she knew the person, she felt the same pain simply from empathizing with another's suffering.

John continued to stroke the top of her hair and said slowly.

"Everything will be alright."

"I promise."

Hermione curled up in John's arms, and after a long while, she let out a single word: "Mm..."

After composing themselves, they took a car back to Hermione's house.

The house was brightly lit, and the street outside was hung with strings of red and gold festive lights.

Seeing these happy scenes helped ease their moods quite a bit.

After exchanging a glance, they pushed open the front door together.

"Oh, the children are back."

Mr. Granger and John's father were sitting in the living room, chatting away.

Seeing the two children return, they smiled and waved at them.

Mrs. Granger and John's mother also walked out from the kitchen.

"Mom! Dad!"

Hermione, who hadn't seen her parents all summer, immediately rushed into her mother's arms, and Mr. Granger also stepped forward to pat her head.

"Uncle, Aunt, long time no see."

John also greeted them with a smile.

Mr. Granger smiled and draped an arm around John's shoulder.

"Well, look at you, you've grown taller."

"You haven't been bullying my girl out there, have you?"

Hearing this, John quickly raised his hands.

"You can't just say things like that, Uncle. Even at my own house, my parents always take her side; I'm the one being bullied, alright..."

Hermione blushed and gave John a playful shove, as if he were painting her as some unreasonable, overbearing witch.

"Hey, hey, hey, Uncle, aren't you going to do something about this?"

John pointed at Hermione, immediately lodging a complaint.

This reaction made everyone burst into laughter.

This Christmas Eve dinner was quite a success.

The whole family sat in the living room chatting.

Never mind John and Hermione; the two of them were sitting side-by-side watching TV, occasionally responding to their families in a distracted manner.

The main focus was on the two older men.

They had rarely drunk so much, and they were huddled together, whispering to each other.

"You know, brother, look at the two kids; they really have a great relationship."

"Heh heh, you're telling me~"

Mr. Granger was clearly already five-tenths drunk, his speech drifting.

"I think, the kids aren't so young anymore; it's time to consider things about the future..."

John's father tightened his grip on Mr. Granger's shoulder and asked tentatively.

"Things about the future? You mean..." Mr. Granger was stunned for a moment, then frowned to confirm.

"That's right, I mean... marriage..."

John's father whispered in a voice only Mr. Granger could hear.

"Look, both kids have feelings for each other. After they graduate, couldn't our two families become even closer?"

Mr. Granger's wine glass paused in mid-air, the amber liquid swaying slightly, reflecting the dancing firelight from the hearth.

He didn't answer immediately, just turned his head, his gaze falling on the other end of the sofa.

His daughter was tucking a stray curl behind her ear, her fingertips accidentally brushing the back of John's hand resting on the armrest.

Tsk.

His good mood was ruined by this old guy.

Then Mr. Granger glared at John's father in annoyance.

"Hmph! As long as my daughter is willing..."

"Oh, hahahaha! Then that's settled, isn't it!"

Hearing Mr. Granger's words, John's father slapped his thigh, laughing so hard he swayed, the alcohol going to his head.

Others cast strange looks their way, so he quickly restrained himself, stifling his laughter.

But that drunken sense of triumph still leaked out from the corners of his eyes and brows.

Hermione, seeing her father looking both angry and amused by John's father, couldn't help but poke John.

"John, what are they talking about?"

"That's how they get when they've had too much to drink; they're definitely just chatting about nonsense."

John shrugged and said nonchalantly.

Hermione nodded, half-understanding.

Then she leaned back against John and continued watching TV.

Little did she know, the two old men behind them were discussing the major life events of the two of them.

Even the two mothers were drawn in, participating and giggling non-stop, their faces full of "auntie smiles."

Clearly, both sets of parents were very satisfied with the other's child.

Their generation had also married and had children in their early twenties.

So they didn't think the two of them were too young.

However, there was one unavoidable point: John was indeed three years younger than Hermione.

Anything would have to wait until after John's sixteenth birthday to be finalized.

Although he might not have graduated by then, the legal marriage age in Britain is sixteen, provided the parents agree.