Escape

[new_ophelia]

Sam Crew isn't a baby, anymore. He's two and a half and more than capable of roaming on his own. While his mother may think otherwise, he grows more and more confident in the fact that he should go places by himself with each passing week. Maybe not too near the water or anything, but definitely around where the people and animals are. He's even

Comments

[honestlyrubbish]

Hermione Granger has never had to deal very much with children

[new_ophelia]

Sam didn't really catch most of that. Other than the 'no no' part. He hears 'no no' a lot.

"I see cow," he explains, thrusting an arm out towards the pen. "It fine."

[honestlyrubbish]

Hermione squeezes her eyes shut for a moment; of course the little boy won't understand everything she's just said. Even Ron sometimes has a hard time picking up on the small details when she goes on and on. Exhaling, she tries to reach out for his hand, crouching down closer to eye level.

"Yes, I see cows too," she nods with a smile. "We can see cows together, maybe?"

[new_ophelia]

"Yes!" he exclaims, lighting right up because this lady gets it. She's going to take him to see the cows. "Go over and pet! You come too!"

[honestlyrubbish]

"Let's go see cows," Hermione concludes with a light laugh, slightly disbelieving of the way that she's just managed to temporarily adopt a child of her own, until she can properly hunt down his actual guardian. In spite of how often she's talked about the need to support children on the island, the fact is that she could stand to have a little more direct exposure to them in the first place. "Can you think of anyone else to see cows with? Do you have a mum or dad?"

[new_ophelia]

"She sleeping," Sam whispers, as though even talking about it could wake her up and send her out to ruin the fun. He's got a faint idea of what a dad is, but is pretty sure he doesn't live here, anymore.

He reaches up to take her hand, tugging excitedly. "Cow go moo."

[honestlyrubbish]

"Cows do go moo, yes," Hermione agrees with a slight laugh, before she bends down to pick the boy up, resting him on her hip. The fence isn't too hard to climb over, even with his extra weight, and fortunately Hermione knows that the majority of the domesticated animals on the island are completely tame and accustomed to being around a population remarkably busy for its size. Turning to look more properly at the young boy, Hermione bites her lower lip, trying to think of other ways she can get him back to his mother, perhaps after a brief visit to the grazing beasts out in the field. "Can you tell me your name?"

[new_ophelia]

Sam lets out a delighted laugh as they go up and over. This is even better than going over all by himself.

"Sam!" he chirps before descending into babble about all the names he knows included but not limited to Grandpas Duck and Geoffrey, Baze, Lux, Charlie, and his dog. "Who you?"

[honestlyrubbish]

"Sam," she repeats under her breath, careful not to interrupt the later flow of names that Hermione runs through in her mind. She knows most of them by name, but can't attach every one to a face, although she's certain that her fellow Council members will be able to help in that respect. Watching the child laugh, Hermione can't help the smile that stretches across her face, the part of her that realizes this is what people mean when they say that you know, at some point you know that you want children down the line.

Not that it'll be for years and years yet, of course, but it's nice to know that she's not against the idea. If the Weasleys are any indication, having them won't be an issue at all.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sam," she adds with a smile. "I'm Hermione. Her-My-Oh-Knee. Can you say Hermione?"