| Details for Auto-Magically |
| Summary: | After her companions depart, Andromena meets Chaucer and they chat. If Andromena hasn't invented a new spell, she has at least coined a new word. |
| Date: | 1938-12-15 |
| Location: | The Three Broomsticks |
| Related: | Immediately after the events in An Unexpected Present |
| Characters |
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Andromena, a sixth year Ravenclaw, obviously a Hogwartian student, is seated by herself at a table within the Three Broomsticks. Since the departure of her two companions, a waitress has come by to clear the table and ask the young woman if she would like anything. Andromena looks awfully lonesome, what with a single present in her lap and some empty mugs for company…and even those are taken away once the waitress gets an order from here. No reason not to have a little bit of hot chocolate before going by to school, right?
The Door swings open, an old man, who looked a little bit sad himself wandering in. He glanced about, then scowled as his eyes trailed over the room. And then he saw the table with the lone RAvenclaw, making his way over. His cane lifted ,and tapped on the top of the chair across from her "Is this seat taken? " Chaucer asks simply.
Blinking with surprise as the cane tapped down upon the chair opposite her, Andromena looks up to Chaucer. "Oh, no sir," she tells him politely. He's a face she'd never seen before, and part of her wonders why he'd want anything to do with somebody like her at all. Maybe he just wanted the chair! Shifting, Andromena digs for her social skills. What should she say… How about, "My name is Andromena Rowle."
"Good. It is now then." he slides into the seat with a sigh, and unbuttons his overcloak, dressed quite warmly for the weather "Andromena Rowle? Hmm, not a name I know. Chaucer." he states, simply not giving his last name at this time it seems "Thank you for letting me join you as well. Hmm. Hogwarts student I am guessing, eh?"
"Pleased to meet you, Chaucer," said pleasantly and with an extension of her hand. As for the lack of a last name, that was his business, and she was not going to press an elder. Andromena had been raised right! At his correct guess of her station, Andromena straightened up a tad. The free space at her right was used to deposit her present.
"Indeed. Sorted into House Ravenclaw." Andromena wasn't wearing her school robes just then, or any other identifying markers to so place her. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, after all, which meant young boys and girls took the opportunity to dress themselves up! "Just trying to soak up as much 'free' time as I can before the grind begins anew tomorrow." She did not usually frequent the Broomsticks on her own.
"A pleasure." he paused, then took the hand to shake it "RAvenclaw. A devious, but good house." he agrees to that "I was Hufflepuff myself, and proud of it! Year hm. Year seven I will venture?" he guessed "And let me guess, Runes and Arithmancy!"
Andromena, after the shake is complete, laughs a little at Chaucer's remark. Brushing her hair back from her shoulders, she gives a shake of her head. One finger lifted up as she said, "Close! Runes and Care of Magical Creatures. I can't see a use for divination and all that." It was just silly. A fun way to pass the time, but nothing a serious witch like her would ever concern herself with!
"I…I kept up with Magical Creatures because I found it wiser to know the beasts and animals whose parts are so often used in potions, as well as just having a general knowledge of what stalks the earth!" Andromena made it a point to see that her combined classes were all inter-related in some way. For her, this was the source to true wisdom and understanding: when one saw the whole, and not the parts.
"Hufflepuff, you say?" She squinted at him. "Was it…Ancient Runes and hm, Divination?" She couldn't quite use the same electives as he now could she?
He frowned deeply "Arithmancy is NOT Divination. Divination is Divination." he states flatly "They are entirely different fields. Arithmancy is using research and numbers to predict events that are going to happen, the same as looking outside and saying 'It is cold out, and its snowing. Its probably going to get colder." Divination is predicting the future, such as "By looking at your hand you're going to die choking to death on a lemon tart tomorrow." he corrects her "No, I was Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies. I have a vested interest in their literature."
Andromena's nose scrunches as he makes the distinction; which in truth is quite important even if she is yet to see it. "I thought they were both a bit like one another - trying to tell the future. So what you're saying makes it like…" A quick scratch at her jaw as she considers. "Less peering into a crystal ball, and more putting obvious signs together and making a logical deduction of an outcome?" Since Andromena had never really cared, she had just dismissed it all.
"Muggle Studies, really?" She asks with a decidedly interested tone. "I have read a good many muggle texts from antiquity. Less so of this modern era…What's your interest?"
"A LITTLE like each other, one is more reliable than the other though. Yes, exactly like that." he nods to her approvingly "Ah. Literacy and culture. I've quite a collection I think are very useful and should be read by Wizardkind. I also have an author making a series of 'guidebooks' for exploring Muggle Societies around the world." he explains.
Andromena can't say she disagrees with his assessment, though she is quite sure there are those who would! Knowledge was knowledge, neither good nor bad. The remark about guide books piques her curiosity. "So you're a researcher, then?" Since he had mentioned an author. Andromena found it rather fascinating, since it was not every day she was able to meet someone who's profession stepped outside of the mundane. (Shop keepers, bar wenches, professors and the like). As an aside, it was important to note Andromena looked very pleased when Chaucer gave her that approving nod.
"Oh heavens no! I just print the books and bind them." he waves off her assumptions with a hand as an ordered drink arrives "I am the proprietor of Lima Press, bookbinding business out of Nottinhamshire! A number of Hogwarts Textbooks come from my shop you know."
"Oh, I see!" Exclaimed as Chaucer explained himself. Well…a book-binder was still not an every day occurrence for one such as she. He was proving quite interesting besides. She had seen the Lima Press stamp on many books during her time at Hogwarts. "Sometimes I think it would be nice to work with books," she admits in a sheepish sort of voice. "I like people well enough but I also like time to myself, you know." More time to herself than spent with people, that is to say.
"Its not bad. you can't smoke though, and have to keep your Floo System in another room." he admits "Its quite quiet and relaxing, but frustrating too when you gbet a Wizard who cant' spell to save his life!" he sips his hot butterbeer "It mostly gets busy a few months before School starts when everyone puts their orders in. " he shudders.
"I don't smoke," said off-handedly, rather than as some sort of information Chaucer was likely just dying to know. Some of her friends did, and they looked so elegant and fashionable doing it, but when she had tried it once it just made her cough and look a fool. It also tasted bad. But she found men smoking rather nice. Did that count?
"Huh…there ought to be some sort of charm that auto-magically corrects spelling errors." If there was already, blame the typist for her ignorance as well as her gall for so BLATANTLY crashing through the fourth wall. That aside, Andromena looks to Chaucer earnestly. She finds it to be a very good idea.
"The problem with a charm like that is someone has to go through and tell the charm what the errors look like and what the right words are supposed to be. I mean, if you saw TEH in a book, you would know it means 'The', But the spell would need to look at the rest of the words to tell if its 'the' or 'Ted' say." he notes "So its easier to do it by hand. I have some charms that help me mass-produce the books once they're all corrected and ready to go though. Thankfully. I've also started taking on apprentices to help speed the process up."
Shot down. It was still a good idea…it was just that someone else would have to exert the time and effort to properly create just such a charm themselves. Another thought came to her then. "Do you compile books in all languages?" Andromena would ask this before giving her infant idea any more time to mature.
"Hmm. not really. I only know the one myself and since I must proofread everything it limits things." he admits "I would not be objecting to it though if it were profitable for all parties."
"Oh…" That doesn't quite slay the ting growing within her mind, so she presses on! "I just wondered. My cousin has a real knack for foreign language, and he's smart to boot. We've not talked about it much, but I just wondered if I might suggest him apprenticing with you over the summer. I think he'd enjoy it, and I'm sure he could be a real help." Just what did Anthony really want to do? Andromena was likely as unsure as he was, but her intentions here were utterly good at heart. She believed it was truly something he'd like. "That is, of course, if he'd fit what you were looking for in an apprentice."
Chaucer hrmms a little bit, frowning "Well, I would not object outright to it. I would have to see his experience, a sample of handwriting and that." he admits, and pulls out a card "If he sends me an owl, then I can send him what I would need to see to decide or not. As a note, Apprentices do NOT get paid much - I will do room and board, but your pay is basically experience and work."
Andromena nods, taking Chaucer's card, tucking it neatly beneath a bit of ribbon tied about her present. "I will be sure to tell him," she assures the older man with a smile. The Ravenclaw was feeling very socially savvy in that moment. A rarity! Getting to her feet, she reaches for the scant few items that were at her side.
"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance," said once more. "But I ought to head back to school." Curfew and all. "Perhaps I'll see you around another time, that would be nice!" Except it wouldn't be any time soon, since this was the last Hogsmeade weekend before the winter break. Then again…maybe that would be a relief to one such as Chaucer as well as the other inhabitants of the wizarding village.
"Have a good trip back." he remarks to her as he settles back in his chair "And bundle up! You neednt be getting SICK!" he chides, because that's how he is in his grumpy grandfatherly way.