 Sardines ♥ // Nomsy, yo ❄ rolling in the ink ❄
Oh… right. Anna felt silly, almost, which was not a feeling that she enjoyed experiencing. “Of course,” she said, too quickly. “I won’t ask any follow-ups.” It was a suitable way out of that topic, anyway. The fact that they were now technically coworkers. Still… “It’s an impressive position. Congratulations.” She meant it, too. Even if it was a bit odd to congratulate him when he’d likely been there for some time, by the sound of it.
So closely was she watching him that as his body language began to shift, she took in each change and catalogued it. Felt something in herself shift to match. Or mirror.
She let out a deep breath, as if the pressure in her chest had suddenly dissipated and allowed movement. Her gaze dipped to the smile showing on his lips then back to his eyes, and one side of her mouth tugged upward in its own attempt. His words surprised her, knocked at her a bit, but not painfully. The muscles around her eyes softened and her mouth opened just slightly in surprise. That felt big. Like he’d told her something that meant something.
This time, Anna’s smile was full. Her response was soft. Awed. “That’s amazing, Noah.” The undesirable tears were threatening again. She glanced upward at the sky briefly to keep them at bay before settling her gaze back on her friend. Friend?
She laughed then - a real, genuine sound. It surprised her, but what surprised her even more was that she didn’t immediately want to rein it in and take it back. She let the feeling settle into her chest before answering him. “Curse Reversal Specialist.” She knew he was likely being genuine with his question, but she suddenly felt the need to explain herself further anyway. “I’ve been working in spells since graduating Hogwarts. I don’t know if you remember - my dad was a cursebreaker?” She paused, shaking her head slightly. “Is a cursebreaker. Anyway, this is essentially my dream job.” This time, the personal admission and real emotion didn’t scare her as much as it had moments ago. She expected the fear to return later, but for now, she’d enjoy this. It felt nice to be able to give him a real piece of her, like he’d done. Even if she wasn’t capable of addressing his earlier statement yet… he’d been that person for her as well; someone who knew her before she knew herself. And she didn’t have it in her yet to be able to thank him for that.
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★ Kindness is its own magic ★ |