"Not at all," he rushes to assure her, and finally comes up closer, like a friend instead of a stranger. His mother's reading room is a little gloomy first thing in the morning, so closing the distance means he can see her better. He very much wants to see her better.

"And I wasn't sure if I was allowed to be familiar with you, now that you're so grown up. You look lovely, Hermione. How have you been?"