Supper had ended some while before, the last of the broth scraped clean from wooden bowls and the fire allowed to settle into embers, when Ulrich told them plainly that they ought to retire to the tent if they hoped for proper rest before the early start awaiting them at dawn. Yet the three of them lingered instead, unwilling to trade the last of the evening for sleep so soon after eating.
Or rather, it was Hermione who insisted on staying, since she understood better than her sisters what waited for them once they crossed back within the Estate's walls: long days confined to its halls and gardens, lessons stacked upon lessons, and precious little cause to feel open sky above their heads or grass beneath their boots.
