"Only if you call me Marcus." By the end of the night, Marcus was well on his way to completely smitten. During the witty repartee and easy conversation she never made him feel dumb. She laughed at his jokes, made some of her own. As the evening lengthened they ended laying side by side, heads on the same pillow, atop his quilt. Marcus admitted he felt like a disappointment to his father, but he refused to give up a job he loved until he absolutely had to. Hermione matched his admission by admitting she felt her parents sometimes wished she hadn't been a witch, that balancing both worlds was hard. She covered his hand with hers as they both dropped off to sleep.