absolutely unsure

" Always so defensive, little dove.”

"Always so patronizing, you old sod."

  " The stem has healing properties, you would know that if you paid any attention in school.”

"I did pay attention in school, I'll have you know. Just not potions."

"Well, you’re not the audience I was aiming for anyway." He said primly, frowning at the same time. "I can’t even remember who I was partnered with in school- how do you have such a good memory? And definitely attractive hot, do you think I care about style?"

"Oh no, how will I overcome my disappointment?" She then laughed, and responded, "Well, I pretty much only ever had three. Scorpius, Blake, and Charlotte. I didn't have a whole lot of friends, you know, which is why you're stuck with me." She shrugged, before adding, "And, I mean, I know we are? I don't know very many others." She shook her head, despairing a little. "You're ridiculous."

Lyra and Scorpius, in the Malfoy grounds.

Gladys Witham, Bomb Girls "I belong here. I earned the right to stand with these women."

"Women love the rugged, older guy thing." He said primly, un-creasing his forehead consciously. "Look, Potions wasn’t my thing." He said, shaking his head and rephrasing. "Actually, school wasn’t my thing. So, lifestyle columnists, hm? Think they’re hot?”

"Do they?" She asked, bemused. "I think I like men who are very much the same age as me, thank you very much." She smirked. "Besides, you old men could never keep up." Lyra, then laughed, unable to even take herself seriously. "I liked certain subjects? Arithmancy mostly. Everything else, well I always had a good partner." She paused for a moment before asking, "Hot as in attractive or hot as in 'in'?"

"I need the stem for a potion, Declan’s stomach has been upset the past few days."

"I thought baneberries were poisonous..?" She paused, then shrugged, trusting her friend's information. "Oh, whatever, you're the healer here. Sure, I'll try to pick some up on the way home"

She ignored the words, Lyra had used that word with her far too often. “Anyway, I need you to go out and buy some baneberry for me.”

"What on earth do you need that for?"

"Yeah but you look like a baby and I have all of this manly facial hair, so in reality I’m about ten years older." He ran his hand over his growing stubble, grinning. "I’m pretty sure vodka’s make with potatoes. And I’m not kidding. Potatoes." He cocked his head. "So is vodka technically food? Eh, whatever." Albus groaned at Lyra’s attempt at a joke and suddenly remembered something. "Hey! before you go, Lucy messaged me today- she’s got two intern positions in her department, would you be interested?"

"We'll see how much you like that difference in ten years, when you're going grey and I'm still fresh as a daisy. Potatoes?" Her voice was slightly incredulous. "How do you distill potatoes? How to you distill anything, actually?" She thought about it for a moment, before shaking her head. "By that logic, everything except water is a food. And that doesn't seem right." She grinned in excitement. "She spoke to me too. We're moving up, Al."

" We’re practically family, I unfortunately got stuck with you." She shook her head, " Plus, I am living with you; it’s a given that I have to tolerate you as well."

"Love you too. But it is good to know I get a free pass of toleration. Not affection though, we wouldn't want anyone thinking you weren't a robot." She grinned. 

"Ah, you speak wise words, young Malfoy. Maybe we could invest all of our assets into a vodka company so that we have unlimited vodka?" He grinned, rolling his eyes and rubbing them, before sighing and speaking again "No, just grab me a mocha, thanks, I’m about to pass out, and bloody Janet wants me to recopy these because I didn’t use ‘the right paper’.”

"Young? We're the same age, prick." She paused for a moment, pretending to be thinking it over. "Wouldn't that mean we have to sell some too? I'm not sure if I can stand to part with it, you know." She laughed. "Unlimited Vodka, that's a good name. We have the name, the money, now we just need to know how to make vodka. Any ideas?" She paused for another moment, her brows furrowed, and then looked up at him in confusion. "We have more than one type? That's news to me." Lyra couldn't keep herself from snickering. "Get it? News?"

"He’s lazy, rude, not to mention a terrible taste in style; the list goes on” 

"Couldn't most of those things apply to me too? I'm definitely lazy, and my fashion sense could be worked on." She grinned, a little mischieviously. "And I'm mean to you all the time."

"Looks a lot more like crows feet to me." She furrowed her brows together, annoyed by the very thought of Albus Potter. " I don’t know how I’ll tolerate it, not at all, but I’ll try."

"Why do you hate him again? You hate so many people, it's hard to keep track?"