 Bathes in Maple Syrup | Dancing Lobster | Moy Pomidor | Seneca's Beard | That Is So Fetch!
Étienne looked up from his parchment at the familiar voice, his quill pausing midway through a hastily scribbled note regarding containment wards.
For a brief moment, he considered claiming that he had not been studying the artefacts behind the glass at all. Unfortunately, his gaze had been fixed rather obviously on the protected collection for the better part of twenty minutes.
"That depends," he replied, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Are you here to report me for excessive staring at the artefacts?" A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If so, I'd like it noted that I've touched absolutely nothing."
Yet.
His eyes flicked toward the display cases again before returning to his housemate. The artefacts sat motionless beneath layers of enchantment and polished glass, frustratingly inaccessible.
Étienne set down his quill. Only then did he properly register Jonathan's expression. The other seventh-year looked distracted, weighed down by something heavier than academic curiosity. It was a familiar look these days. As graduation crept closer, an odd sort of gloom seemed to have settled over much of their year group, lingering like storm clouds nobody quite knew how to disperse.
"You look as though someone informed you that the school year has been extended by another month." A pause. "Or worse. Career planning."
His expression grew knowingly sympathetic as he gestured toward the empty chair beside him.
"Sit. You can either tell me what's troubling you or help me determine how many enchantments are protecting that display case."
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