( Gods, hugs are really fucking good. She wondered if it was just the fear of the situation she'd been in during the Unwinding, a Hermione thing or what before, but no, it's hugs, physical contact, connection. That's really just wonderful. His arms wrap around her so tight - his arms are longer than Hermione's. It's warm, protective, good. That same aching part of her that has always yearned for something not-allowed wakes up again, and she wraps her arms around him in turn, blinking past the stupid burning in her eyes.

Shit. She releases her hold when he does. Then tilts her head to the side in consideration with a tiny smile at all the questions he gives one after the other. )

It felt different. In the Underworld, it was always like using a limb - didn't have to think about it, I could just do it. ( She lets out a lil pfft ) Honestly, it had pretty shit timing. My friend and I were hiding in this room from the knife wilding assholes in the tea portion of that screwed up mindscape, and she was telling me about her former adventures, including how terrifying it was to run into a giant three-headed dog one time.

Then I got- ( she waves a hand because words about emotions are really hard to articulate ) and I felt like the urge to shift like I might just shift right then and there, y'know, into the three-headed dog monster. Probably more terrifying than the one she saw.