[ luke's not quite sure he's hearing her right. her patronus was meant to only last temporarily? he'd thought any spell she cast would be permanent, and the loss of her otter had meant he'd lost something he was meant to keep and return. either luke needed to find a book on spells from hermione's world or he'd really need to ask her twenty questions before he set off on a quest. ]

[ he's quiet for the longest time. ]

... You're kidding me.

[ he doesn't sound offended. he's vaguely amused, but he's most certainly taken aback by the information he's clearly misinterpreted. he hadn't called her due to simply — it wasn't forgetting so much as it was being overwhelmed with annabeth and thalia being here, especially the latter. she'd been warmer to him than he had expected, and it'd fried all his nerve endings simply knowing she wanted to reconnect and rebuild what they had lost between the time of her turning into a tree and him slipping into darkness. hermione had inadvertently been pushed to the wayside until martha had commented about the pretty girl with her otter — and how she'd once almost dated one. ]

[ luke laughs at himself, rubbing his face with his hand. ] All this time I spent stressing over the fact I lost your damn otter, it was never meant to last in the first place?