Wandering about the shop.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

Inara is doing her thing in the shop - inside the front window display to be precise, struggling with a bookshelf that is meant to be showing off all of the new stock that's been coming in the past couple of weeks.

Her skirts are long enough that nobody passing by is getting a show, but if they stand there for a while they may actually get to spot Inara huffing at the shelving units and swiping her hair out of her face - an uncharacteristic show of frustration for her.

[ooc: could still be played in Hogsmeade weekend if wanted for anyone.]

Comments

[will_scarlett]

"I don't think most of them do,"

He's rarely had lipstick stains.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"Know a lot of girls?"

With a look that might read a little too nosy, but hell - he's the only person that's walked in today. He asked for it.

[will_scarlett]

"A fair amount. I'm the captain of the Quidditch team and my best friend's Dinah,"

He talked with her before and after dates, and he's dated a number of girls.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"A ladies' man."

Quidditch captain? Of course he is.

"Then you should have nothing to be nervous about, Will."

[will_scarlett]

"In a way, yes. I hope not but it's different with her as it's not really a date."

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"Something more formal, then."

Just as Inara's tone drops, just half a step.

Something to pay attention to, with Will. Inara knows who Dinah is after all. What she represents.

[will_scarlett]

"Yes, no, I'm not sure. Do you know Barbara Gordon?"

Barbara's hard to explain and he cares for her and doesn't want to mess this up. So he neatens a stack of books that don't need it.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

Inara just shakes her head.

"Should I?"

[will_scarlett]

He rocks back on his heels and looks at Inara,

"If you know of Dinah then it's hard not to know Barbara, they're good friends. We all try to keep aware of what's going on in Hogwarts in our own ways."

All of this is the truth but there's much more that he's not saying.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"I am still fairly new at the finer points of being here," she offers by way of explanation.

But that's not all of it, is it now?

"You could fill me in, of course. Or let me guess awkwardly."

[will_scarlett]

"There's a tradition of fixing things in all of our families. More so in Dinah and Barbara's than mine but Nottingham has other ways of doing things. Their stories aren't mine to tell, but we watch out for our House and our home of Hogwarts,"

Will's very good at being honest but careful with what he says as he's a bad liar.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"And somehow, all these similarities have led you to be incredibly nervous and half an hour early to your teatime."

[will_scarlett]

"Yes, because I know and trust Barbara and having tea with her is different. I'm not explaining myself well, we're just trying something out and nothing will probably come of it."

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"You don't actually have to explain yourself to me at all, you realize.

"But I hope it goes well all the same."

[will_scarlett]

"I know, but it helps to say it and I know you won't be gossiping in the Common Room,"

With how small Hogwarts is, this is an important consideration.

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

Leaning in conspiratorially:

"Do you want me to? I could -- "

[will_scarlett]

He blushes and shakes his head,

"No, I'd rather you didn't."

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"Not a problem, Will."

[will_scarlett]

"I should probably go and see if she's around. Thank you."

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"Wait, before you go -- "

Inara stands up and walks over to the counter at the back end of the store, returning with a long, slender box.

"A quill on the house. For the help."

[will_scarlett]

He smiles and bows slightly to her as he slips the quill into his cloak pocket, "Thank you."

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

"You are quite welcome."

With a presumptuous kind of smirk, "Have a lovely time with Barbara."

[will_scarlett]

(OOC: Thank you for a lovely thread. We need to do it more often.)

He smiles and heads out the door, "I will."

[veloxepistola.livejournal.com]

[OOC: <333]