Chapter 374: Unexpected Visit

King's Cross Station.

"Mom, Auntie."

After saying goodbye to their little companions, John and Hermione walked out of the station together.

John's mother and Hermione's mother waited together outside.

As soon as Hermione saw the two, she ran over and hugged them.

"Welcome back, little Hermione."

Gelanjie Fu Ren smiled and rubbed Hermione's head, while Mrs. Merick leaned in with a mischievous thought and whispered to Hermione's ear.

"Calling Auntie more often, it's actually almost the same as changing how you address her~"

Upon hearing that, Hermione immediately blushed deeply.

The matter of the two children's future engagement had already been told to Hermione, so Mrs. Merick now regards Hermione as her own daughter-in-law.

"Mom, don't tease her." John then stepped forward to help Hermione out of the situation.

However, turning his head, he again smiled at Gelanjie Fu Ren and then shouted, "Mom!"

That "Mom" came out naturally and affectionately; both ladies were momentarily stunned, then they both smiled so wide they couldn't close their mouths.

"John, you little sly devil, did Hermione tell you that?"

Gelanjie Fu Ren laughed and patted John's shoulder; her question naturally concerned the two's future engagement.

Because last time she had only told Hermione, and had asked Hermione not to tell John yet.

After all, John is still under 16.

As a result, he now dares to directly call someone "Mom," showing he obviously already knew.

John rarely showed a shy smile and nodded.

Hermione's face turned even redder; she immediately gave John a few small punches, muttering, "What are you shouting for!"

Since everyone already knew, the two mothers simply stopped hiding it.

Gelanjie Fu Ren directly linked arms with her future son-in-law, smiling and saying, "Come on, let's go to Mom's house for a meal today."

"Okay, Mom." John replied with a smile, and naturally took Hermione's hand.

Hermione, blushing, struggled twice but couldn't break free, so she let him have his way.

The four chatted and laughed as they walked toward the parking lot.

Hermione secretly pinched John's palm and whispered, annoyed, "You sure know how to win my mom's favor."

"That way, when you marry me in the future, Mom won't be too sad." John also lowered his voice, his eyes flashing with a mischievous grin.

"... Hmph, cut it out." Hermione's words were harsh, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but twitch upward.

John held Hermione's hand and also gave a faint smile.

He remembered once thinking they should wait until they were older and capable enough before officially announcing their relationship to their parents.

That way it wouldn't seem like child's play.

But he hadn't expected that, because the two were overly obvious in their affection.

No announcement was needed; the adults of both families had already tacitly accepted it.

That evening, the Granje family home was brightly lit, the table laden with abundant dishes.

John's parents also came.

After all, it was a rare day when the children came home.

Last Christmas, John missed the chance to reunite with his family due to a Horcrux mission; this time, no matter what, he couldn't be absent again.

At the table, John's father kept pouring drinks for Mr. Gelanjie Xian Sheng.

One could tell he was holding back a fart.

Sure enough, after three rounds of drinks, John's father, face flushed, raised his cup and leaned toward Mr. Gelanjie Xian Sheng, chuckling softly.

"Old brother, you see our two kids already know about the engagement; shouldn't we set a date?"

Mr. Gelanjie Xian Sheng's hand holding the cup paused; he gave an annoyed glance and snorted, "What's the rush? John isn't even of age yet."

"It's not like we're setting it now; we'll just decide it and hold the ceremony when he comes of age." John's father said matter-of-factly.

Although they spoke quietly, they made no effort to hide it, and everyone present heard them clearly.

Hermione lowered her head even further, her ear tips reddening to the point of almost bleeding.

Even though John is usually thick-skinned, he felt a bit embarrassed.

But John's father was anxious.

Heaven knows how much effort the old man put in back then to win a wife.

Now that his son has this blessing, he wishes he could get it done tomorrow to avoid prolonged anticipation.

Mr. Gelanjie Xian Sheng was amused by his impatient demeanor, but still remained unimpressed.

"Alright, alright, we haven't even seen a single stroke of the eight characters yet."

"When the day comes, it will naturally happen."

"They get along so well; could I really keep my daughter from joining your family?"

Upon hearing that, John's father finally smiled satisfactorily, raised his cup, and clinked it with Mr. Gelanjie Xian Sheng's.

"That's right; after all, what matters most is that the two children have a good relationship."

Both mothers laughed while watching this scene; John and Hermione had kept their heads down since just now, wishing they could bury their faces in their bowls.

It wasn't that they were unwilling; it was just that being discussed face-to-face by their parents made them feel somewhat embarrassed.

They preferred the feeling of things happening naturally, as a matter of course.

Of course, it's not that they're being irresponsible.

Rather, they believe that matters of the heart don't need excessive deliberate rituals to prove them.

Just like today, the whole family sitting together, chatting and laughing, eating and drinking, is already very happy.

After the meal, John and Hermione voluntarily took on the dishwashing.

Only the two of them remained in the kitchen, the sound of flowing water splashing, as Hermione handed him a plate.

He suddenly muttered under his breath.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have let you find out about the engagement so early...."

Hermione's voice was very low, tinged with a hint of regret and shyness, as if she were talking to herself, yet also as if she were saying it for John to hear.

"Now that Mom and Dad both know, they keep teasing us."

"It's all your fault, you can't keep your mouth shut."

Obviously, he was complaining about John's earlier blatant act of calling Mrs. Ganlan 'Mom'.

This directly exposed the fact that he already knew about the engagement.

That's why both sets of parents could naturally bring up the matter, while also teasing the two kids.

John took the plate, his hand movements not stopping.

"No, this can all be blamed on me."

"Wasn't it you who drank too much and then blabbed it yourself?"

Hearing Hermione's complaint, which sounded like a spoiled whine, John couldn't help but laugh.

"You're still laughing!" Hermione, flushed with anger and embarrassment, pinched his waist, not hard but full of a little girl's coquettishness.

John hissed in pain, the plate in his hand almost slipping, and he quickly steadied himself.

"Okay, okay, my fault, my fault."

The two of them were frolicking and laughing in the kitchen, water splashing everywhere.

Outside, the two sets of parents sat in the living room drinking tea and chatting, hearing the laughter from the kitchen, they exchanged a smile.

Both children are so outstanding, and their relationship is good as well.

The days ahead will surely become more and more prosperous.

Ding-dong~

Just at that moment, the indoor atmosphere was warm and cozy.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang in the entryway.

Mr. Ganlan got up to open the door, and John's dad followed.

Meanwhile, the two in the kitchen also poked their heads out.

At this time, who could have come?

Mr. Ganlan opened the door; outside stood a well-dressed young man with a smile.

"Mr. Ganlan, sorry to bother you so late."

"Oh, I didn't expect Mr. Merick to be here too, so your son must be here as well."

The two of them saw the visitor and both had some impression.

After searching their minds for a moment, they suddenly realized.

"Oh! You're that... what, magic, magic what person?" John's dad pointed at the person before him to confirm.

"From the Ministry of Magic, we met you when our family went camping the year before last and encountered something strange." Mr. Ganlan beside him added.

"That's right, I'm Mike, an employee of the Ministry of Magic."