Loki stared at Hermione, observing her for the first time in months. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, but there was something else there too. She seemed hollow, broken maybe. He was not the only one who suffered in their time apart, and the dark circles under her eyes were evidence enough. The time apart had nearly shattered their bond, and now they had to fix it. There was no other choice. Without repairing the bond, they both would further decay until there was nothing left to salvage.