She saw it as soon as Anne raised her head, but Millie wasn't about to say anything untoward. The table's imprint already put up a fight against shuffling books and finding surfaces sufficient for writing. Its mark was the sleeper's curse, ready to brand anyone who made the error of taking a quiet, midday nap in the convenient library instead of the far-flung dorms. Her mark would disappear in a few minutes, but the young witch wasn't inclined to cause any more suffering for Anne in the meantime.
Her friend had enough going through that head of hers already.
"I respect Mr. Hunter far too much to ask that he suffer that indignity," Millie rapped back, her tongue as sharp as Anne's. She could cut with it when she wanted to, especially when the alternative was letting her friend's large personality go unchecked. There were times when the young witch wondered if Anne was aware that conversations could be had without chasing the proverbial snitch between them, as if snatching gold in verbal form was truly a win. "But just in case, I'll try to have my mind made up before we start our seventh year."
Seventh year, Millie could scarcely belief she was speaking that term aloud. Her head reeled with it, finding it almost as unappealing as Anne's worry of saying something kind to Benedict. There was so much to do first, with so much that had to happen, that her fingers found salvation at her throat before she even realized it was needed. In an effort to distract herself, and perhaps salvage what she could from this runaway carriage of a study session, the young witch opened the book long forgotten in front of her.
Millie was halfway through finding her place when it was her turn to groan indignantly and flop herself into its pages. If only adventure and fantasy could offer her reward there, it would be far more satisfying than Anne reaching for their conversational snitch. She fumed, quietly between her pages, discarding thought after thought of ways she could answer. Finally, raising her head enough that her eyes could focus on the book's writing, and not so much Anne's triumphant face, Millie simply suggested, "For as much as you agonize over Mr. Hunter, you could already be a straight-O student. And I might never muster up enough Es unless I get back to studying."
As much as Millie hated that truth, it was the most convenient answer for both of them at the moment.
Her friend had enough going through that head of hers already.
"I respect Mr. Hunter far too much to ask that he suffer that indignity," Millie rapped back, her tongue as sharp as Anne's. She could cut with it when she wanted to, especially when the alternative was letting her friend's large personality go unchecked. There were times when the young witch wondered if Anne was aware that conversations could be had without chasing the proverbial snitch between them, as if snatching gold in verbal form was truly a win. "But just in case, I'll try to have my mind made up before we start our seventh year."
Seventh year, Millie could scarcely belief she was speaking that term aloud. Her head reeled with it, finding it almost as unappealing as Anne's worry of saying something kind to Benedict. There was so much to do first, with so much that had to happen, that her fingers found salvation at her throat before she even realized it was needed. In an effort to distract herself, and perhaps salvage what she could from this runaway carriage of a study session, the young witch opened the book long forgotten in front of her.
Millie was halfway through finding her place when it was her turn to groan indignantly and flop herself into its pages. If only adventure and fantasy could offer her reward there, it would be far more satisfying than Anne reaching for their conversational snitch. She fumed, quietly between her pages, discarding thought after thought of ways she could answer. Finally, raising her head enough that her eyes could focus on the book's writing, and not so much Anne's triumphant face, Millie simply suggested, "For as much as you agonize over Mr. Hunter, you could already be a straight-O student. And I might never muster up enough Es unless I get back to studying."
As much as Millie hated that truth, it was the most convenient answer for both of them at the moment.
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)