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“Well, I certainly wouldn’t,” Candice remarked with a sniff. “What you ought to do is replace her purse, with copious apologies. How you even managed to ruin it is beyond my comprehension, and please don’t mistake that for an opportunity to explain it to me.”

Winnie crossed her arms, trying and failing to keep her frown from slipping into a full-fledged pout. “I did explain it, you just weren’t listening.” She rolled her eyes in resignation. “And I did mention that I haven’t the money to replace it for her, or of course I would.”

“I’ll put you in touch with my mum, she has all the best tricks to make sure books are treated properly. She might even find a few good ways to get you some new books, to replace the ones you’ve lost. Education, reading, those are her bloody passions. Besides the whole equality thing.” Rose placed a grateful hand on one of Winnie’s shoulders. “You, my friend, are what they call a god send. I’ll be sure to let you be the first to know, if, and when, the urge calls.”

“Oh, please, would you? That’d make me look so good in front of the other librarians, they all still see me as the newbie. It’d be nice to get a leg up on them. And I hear nice things about your mum besides, I’d love to meet her,” Winnie replied with a beam, giving Rose a goofy salute. “It’s what I’m here for. I can do a great distraction, I’ve been covering for my brothers for years. You need an excuse for why you’re sneaking in the bay window at 3am? I’m your girl.”

“Some phrases never go out of style. It’s all about how you carry yourself, how you say things, and Zach Zabini is never anything but smooth.” Some might think he were joking but Zach was always apt to falling to dramatics, huffing in an offended manner.

“Does Zach Zabini ever realize that he sounds dumb speaking in the third person?” Winnie snickered lightly, bringing her hand to her mouth. “Because Winnie Hobbs is pretty sure that must’ve gone out of style at some point.” Teasing Zach was less a hobby and more a way of life. She couldn’t help; he just got so defensive all the time, it was hilarious.

“You’re telling me. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you don’t want to know how many times I got locked out of my own Common Room all because I was terrible at riddles.” He could brush it off now, but it used to be a major source of anxiety for Luke and he always tried to tag along back to the Ravenclaw Tower with someone to best ensure that he would have a way in otherwise he had been locked out before so long that he had worked himself up into an asthma attack. “Ah, yeah, climbing up the ladder of power can be a problem, so may as well take it into your own hands, quite literally.” Luke could prattle on for hours when it came to his love for painting, but he tried to contain himself since he knew a lot of the information was useless to other people. “I do in a way, yeah. I’ve done a few similar works that were setting pieces but oil-painting admittedly isn’t where I shine the most. But it’s good to practice more at it and he was one of the best.”

“I had a couple of Ravenclaw friends who got locked out and, uh, yikes.” Winnie grimaced dramatically, clutching her chest. “It seems kinda harsh to not let kids get to their beds if they can’t solve a puzzle, right? I never would’ve survived that. Luckily, all I had to contend with was a splash of vinegar to the face if my hand missed the knocking barrel.” Not that she hadn’t done that on a semi-regular basis, to her eternal embarrassment, but he didn’t need to know that. “Bureaucracy is such a pain in the ass, and for all we pay the dudes in charge, nothing ever gets done around here. If I ever get offered a position of power, Luke, make sure I say no, for everybody’s sakes.” Winnie’s ears perked up at the mention of the setting pieces, racking her brain for what that seemed to correspond with in her limited art knowledge. “Wait, okay, setting pieces? That’s, like, landscapes, yeah? And outdoors stuff? Because that sounds cool, I’d love to see them! I just got a new place and the windows don’t have the greatest view, honestly, so I’d love to have some green art pieces to brighten it up a bit.”

“It’s a great show. But of course I think so, since it’s my favorite. It takes quite a bit of time to watch though so I can understand if you don’t get into it. And companion is correct! See, you know your fair share abut it already.” Malachi wasn’t so convinced, but he had considered his options. Particularly recently when the budget for the lab kept getting cut. “I may apply one of these days but I also have to think about which universities I would even want to apply to.” His doctorate would take him four years and it was quite the commitment to make. “In this modern age, it’s hard to come up with something that isn’t already on the market, but I’m sure you could do it. You coming up with new words is just the first step to innovative genius.” Letting out a laugh as the girl wrapped an arm about him, he let out a wolfish smile of his own. “Well, dang, so this is what it’s liked to be used. Hate to break it to you that I’m not made of money, so a muffin is about all I can fork out for you. Though if I’m leaving your name out of something, I should probably know what your name is in the first place.”

“Oh lord, believe me, Ray’s not been able to shut his mouth about it for months. It would’ve been more surprising if I hadn’t picked anything up. But sure, if you turn out to be the new Doctor, keep me in mind. I could probably hold my own in a space fight.” Winnie shrugged, thinking to herself that if she had a brain like his, she would’ve gone out for some scholarships or- no, that was a bad path to go down. Best to just be content. “Are they not all the same? I mean, really. I would’ve thought the most important thing was the price tag.” At least, that’d been the general sense she’d gotten from her brothers when Benedict had gone education shopping. “Oh, I dunno about all that. I’m pretty creative, but you’re right, everything cool’s already been monetized. I’ll let you know if I get a bolt of inspiration or something.” Winnie scrunched up her nose into her most convincing pout, her lips drawing down at the corners. “Who, me? Never. I’m harmless! I’d never take advantage of anyone. But, since you’re offering a muffin, well, who am I to refuse a gift, especially an edible one? Oh, man, please tell me you haven’t forgotten my n- Oh.” She paused as confusion and amusement dawned on her in quick succession. “God, we never did the name thing? Wow. Well, I’m Winnie Hobbs, like the stuffed bear and stuffed tiger. Nice to meet you.”

“Man oh man. Now that would be quite the sight to see. I’d be out there myself if that was blasting through the stereo, strutting my stuff.”

“Did you just say ‘strutting my stuff’? I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to bring you along next time using language like that. People are going to wonder if I dragged my granddad to a nightclub.”

“Gum in the library books? Fucking Merlin, point me in their direction and I’ll be sure to give them a proper scare. My mum caught me drawing in a book one time, and she about lost her bloody head. These things are serious offenses. As for the streaking–I have been getting a bit boring as of late, maybe a nice streak while the weather is nice is just what I need. My parents would be so proud.”

“Honestly. It’s so disrespectful and, frankly, embarrassing to be the one trying to pry pages apart. No spell will do it cleanly, by the way, just in case you were wondering. I’ve lost too many good books to the war on adolescent boys. Well, if you do it, let me know in advance so I can do something to distract the papers. Your parents might be a little less proud if you end up on the front page.”

She refrained from saying something stupid. She really did. “Do you know how to Skateboard?” She asked quietly, sighing. “Fine. Let’s go, I’ll fix it.”

“I do, I swear!” Winnie protested weakly, cradling the affected wrist to her chest. “I’ve been boarding since I was a kid, I just wasn’t exactly... watching where I was going.” Her expression brightened as she trotted along behind Carina. “Thank you. Really. It won’t happen again.”

“The tunes that they play at the underground club are off the charts. Literally. Went there last night and they played Hot in Here. Some music is timeless. Everyone was up on that floor still singing every word. And that hit the radio before most of us were born.”

“You haven’t experienced the Renaissance until you’ve witnessed grown wizards and witches hitting the floor to Bootylicious, ass-shaking and all. I’ve never been so blessed to be a 2000s kid.”

“I always got lost there, too. At Hogwarts, I mean. I didn’t go to the library all that often.” Luke was far from a studious student, too lost in his head and the clouds to spend much time focusing on magic learning. “I know it might be your job, but that doesn’t mean you still don’t deserve some appreciation for it.” He wasn’t sure how often he would begin frequenting the library, but he pursed his lips in consideration. “A map might not be a bad idea, and I bet you can make one just fine. Or signs. Signs are also a good idea because it might make your life easier if you don’t have to direct every new person that comes through, right?” He thumbed through the books in the aisle, his voice excited as he answered her, “He was a Spanish painter. He inspired people like Monet with his realism and impressionism. He did a lot of oil paintings.”

“I’m pretty sure getting lost in there’s a rite of passage or an initiation or something. All the shifting doors and staircases, ugh. A bloody nightmare.” Especially with Winnie’s eternally malfunctioning sense of direction. “Oh, well, thanks, then. Always nice to be appreciated.” Not that most patrons at the library thought of her and her co-workers as book-finding robots, but, well, they did. “Yeah, you’d think that’d be the easier route. But signs mean clearance and clearance means contacting management and, Christ, I’m getting a headache just thinking about it. Let me make the map, for my sanity’s sake, at least.” Winnie grinned as Luke talked about the painter, watching the spark in is eyes, his voice belying his excitement. She hadn’t known him too particularly well, her friends usually being too rowdy and reckless for anyone quiet to break through. But it was nice to see a different side of him. “Cool, sounds like a neat guy. So you’re taking some inspiration from him too? Gonna go do a whole heap of oil paintings?”

“I have the body of a stringy twelve year old boy, and the bruises do nothing to help that. But I could beat up twelve year old boys, so I think it’s a decent enough trade. Cheers for the compliment, though, I’ll keep that in mind the next time I plan on streaking. I’ll run straight towards you. Who wants an uninterested audience? Certainly not me, that’s for damn sure.”

“If you’re ever looking for some punching bags, I know of a couple snot-nosed kids who keep leaving gum in library books. Do you have plans? To go streaking, I mean. Because I feel like maybe I should get prepared for this occurring sometime in the near future, then. If that’s a thing.”

“A time travelling doctor. One with a Tardis.” Malachi clarified with a grin. “I would be up for going to muggle university to get my doctorate, though. I’ve considered it a couple times but it’d made a lot harder when I went to a school that no university has ever heard of.” Fabricating a diploma was probably possible through the Ministry if he really desired to do so, but so far he had held off. “But you do bring up a good point. If you invent something, you’ll be set for life.” Hopping along aside her, he gave a bow of his head as he walked into the cafe. “Thank you, m’lady. Is this your good deed of the day? I’ve always tried to live by that philosophy myself though I don’t keep track of them. I think that beats the point if you only do it because you feel obligated to.” Walking his way up to the line and glancing up at the menu, he let out a laugh. “I’m not sure how much Adeline will appreciate that considering she may fall flat on her back. Because I’ll fall on my back and squish her, but it’s the thought that counts.”

“Ohhhh. Why didn’t you say so?! My brother’s been trying to get me into Doctor Who for ages. It’s not really my thing, but I do think I’d make a pretty good, er, companion? That’s the ‘terminology’, right?” Winnie asked, raising her hands to form teasing air quotes. “Oh, yeah, I suppose so. You seem like a smart cookie, you’d be a prime candidate for muggle school. I hear they do interviews and stuff, right? One conversation with you and they’d be sold.” Of course, Winnie herself had harboured fantasies of post-secondary education when she was younger, but those were dreams for girls with longer attention spans and more money. “Right? Imagine how much money Ignatia Wildsmith made off of Floo powder when she was still around. I need to do something like that; libraries aren’t exactly paying the big bucks these days.” Shrugging casually, Winnie followed him in, swinging a friendly arm around his shoulder. “Oh, no, not at all. I’m just using you as an excuse to get a little pre-shift snack,” she added with a mischievous smile. “Oh. Okay then, if that’s the case, then maybe leave my name out of it. Or maybe skip the piggyback ride entirely and try working out!”

“It’s probably a good thing you haven’t seen me naked then. The amount of scars, bruises, and things that probably didn’t heal right on my body are, well, ridiculous. Although, I think I’m proud of them. I’ve probably had more broken bones than most blokes that think they’re tough.”

“Uh. Yeah. Good thing I haven’t seen that then, I guess. Although I’m sure if anyone could make bruises look good, it’d probably be you.”