If Qin Yu weren't, in fact, Qin Yu, he might have found it awkward meeting Ron in this situation. But he was, and after more than a year of shared adventures—and thirty-nine time reversals—he'd long since stopped agonizing over such things.
Keep Hermione by his side, or watch her drift toward someone else? For him, the answer was simple.
He didn't need the Divine Choice System to chime in with a mission. He already knew what he wanted.
He chose to live this life on his own terms.
He chose to protect those he cared about.
He chose her. No one would take her away from him—no one could.
And he was certain now: that girl had already found her way into his heart, just as he'd slipped quietly into hers.
If, in the end, it was all just wishful thinking on his part… well, he'd accept that, too.
But as that thought flickered through his mind, something deep inside him stirred—a power he hadn't felt in some time. It was one of his greatest secrets, the thing he struggled to master or, at least, to channel: the Obscurus Power.
Mysterious. Terrifying. Irresistibly tempting.
If he surrendered to it, there would be no more obstacles in this world.
So why keep struggling? Why bother living as himself at all?
Just let go…
Let it all go…
"Qin Yu?!" Hermione's voice seemed to echo from a great distance.
He turned to her, his gaze blank. Though she stood right beside him, she felt impossibly far away.
"Qin Yu?! What's wrong?" she called again, her voice edged with panic, brows drawn tight with worry.
He reached out instinctively, gently smoothing the crease from her brow. "Don't be scared, Hermione," he murmured.
With that simple touch, his expression softened. A crooked smile tugged at his lips.
Then he pulled her into his arms, closed his eyes, and breathed in the scent of her hair—deeply, greedily—until that familiar fragrance flooded his senses, sending a cascade of sparks through his nerves and jolting his mind back from the brink.
Hermione clung to him, her voice trembling with the threat of tears. "Qin Yu, what happened? I kept talking to you, but you didn't answer…"
"I just… zoned out for a second. Sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to worry you." He stroked her hair, his voice gentle and apologetic.
"It's okay… I'm just glad you're all right." She nuzzled into his chest, breathing in his scent, finally able to relax.
Of course Hermione knew Qin Yu had secrets. His arrival, his actions—none of it fit the mold of an ordinary wizard.
But then, wizards were never ordinary.
She trusted him. If he hadn't told her everything, there must be a reason. She could wait for the day he chose to share his secrets.
Until then, as long as he was safe, that was enough.
…
"Oi, Qin, the train's about to leave! Are you really not coming?" one of the Weasley twins shouted across the platform.
"You're going to school together anyway—do you really have to put on a show here at the station?" the other twin called, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation.
It was already 10:55. The Weasley family had started heading through to Platform 9¾, but George and Fred noticed that Qin Yu and Hermione were still lagging behind.
Watching the scene, they felt like they were being force-fed a sack of soppy romance.
Their shouts drew everyone's attention. Hermione quickly slipped out of Qin Yu's embrace, but he calmly kept hold of her hand, not the slightest bit embarrassed.
"All right, you lot go ahead. We'll catch up," Qin Yu called back.
The others just laughed and moved on.
Meanwhile, the boy Adam, trailing beside Bill, glanced at Qin Yu with a thoughtful look. Under his breath, so quietly that only he could hear, he murmured, "…I knew coming here was the right choice. I haven't even reached the school yet, and already I've met so many interesting people."
…
"All right, George, you go first!" called Mrs. Weasley to one of her sons.
"Mum, I'm Fred! How could you, our own mother, mix us up?" the boy protested, feigning deep hurt.
"Yeah, Mum, I'm George!" the other chimed in, equally indignant.
Mrs. Weasley huffed. "George, Fred—you two have been pulling this trick for days. Do you really think I'm still falling for it?"
"This time it's real! You know my nose is a bit higher than Fred's. Go on, have a look…" One of the twins leaned in, pointing to his nose for her inspection.
Mrs. Weasley squinted, uncertain. "Hmm… maybe you're right… Sorry, George, Mum got it wrong."
The boy grinned, wheeled his luggage up to the wall, and just before vanishing through, flashed a dazzling smile. "Mum, I was joking—I really am Fred!"
And with that, he darted through the barrier.
George pulled a face at his mum and the rest of the family before slipping through himself.
Mrs. Weasley's nostrils flared in exasperation.
"…Harry, Adam, Ron—you three, one at a time!" she instructed.
Once the boys were through, Bill followed, and Mrs. Weasley nodded to Qin Yu before leading Ginny onto the platform.
"Let's go, Hermione," Qin Yu said softly.
"Mm!" she replied, her eyes bright.
He squeezed her hand, and together they stepped into the wall.
As they passed through, Qin Yu could feel her small hand tense in his grip.
On the other side, a gleaming scarlet steam engine awaited, the platform thronged with bustling witches and wizards.
Hermione's eyes went wide, awe and curiosity sparkling in her gaze.
Not far away, Harry Potter looked equally amazed. Mrs. Weasley had assigned George and Fred to help him with his heavy trunk, fussing over him as if he were one of her own.
Before boarding, Harry had wanted to ask if he could sit with Qin Yu, but the twins were too quick—they bundled him into a compartment with Ron and Adam.
"You three are all first-years—may as well get to know each other," said Fred.
"Who knows, you might even end up in the same house. Play nice!" George added.
With a clap on the back, the twins vanished, off to find their friend Lee Jordan—who, rumor had it, had gotten his hands on a massive tarantula. Even though they'd seen Acromantulas before (well, the corpses, anyway), they were still keen to check out this venomous South African spider.
…
Once Hermione followed Qin Yu onto the train, she quickly noticed something strange: whether upperclassmen or underclassmen, boys or girls, everyone seemed eager to greet Qin Yu as they passed.
And more than a few girls shot her complicated looks when they saw her holding his hand. It made her heart skip a beat.
But she quickly steadied herself, put on a calm smile, and followed Qin Yu through the crowd with her head held high.
As they walked, she suddenly remembered a story Qin Yu had told her about a fox hiding behind a tiger to show off.
Well, she thought, right now I'm the little fox hiding behind my tiger.
Look—there went a red-haired boy, who bolted the moment he saw Qin Yu.
After a while, Qin Yu led her to an empty compartment. He stowed their luggage, slid the door shut, and at last, the noisy world outside faded away.
——Dimensional Wall——
As the author, I do feel for anyone whose "wife" got stolen away.
But as the protagonist—Qin Yu—there's no room for that kind of angst.
Honestly, this kid has a mind of his own now. Whatever he does, it's out of my hands.
Finally, thanks to 神の理由 for the "Great Author" certification, and thank you to every reader who's sent gifts, urged updates, or left a review!
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