The difference between Mrs. Bones and other women he'd flirted with, apart from her age, was how difficult she made it for him to figure out what she was thinking. He supposed she'd have to be good at masking her emotions, as a healer, but he also supposed that was something one did intentionally. As she stared up at him, he noted the twinkle of amusement in her eyes and the slight upturn of her lips, but there was nothing outwardly flirtatious; even with her words, he had to read into them to try and discern their meanings.

"Either? You've never been to the Ministry?" He nearly laughed, but managed to restrain himself; although he spent every working hour in a small office, sometimes he forgot that some people—namely pretty women, who either had no career or careers elsewhere—had little reason to visit. "Not that that's a bad thing. I think it's more of a crime to have never visited the Irish countryside," he added with a goofy grin. "I'm sure you'll visit sometime. You just need a good reason to." And he could give her a reason if she really wanted one.

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