Work had been busy, but being an intern granted her the privilege of not having to be there at every hour of the day (or at least not at the busiest and most statistically dangerous times of the day). As such, she was free to spend the afternoons being idle — and more importantly, far away from the confines of both the Scrimgeour and Flint household. As much as her Aunt Laverna had tried to have a chaperon keep tabs on her at all hours, it was nearly impossible, as Bella could be as impulsive with her sudden apparition and movements as a distracted squirrel.

But Bella (fortunately) was not getting into trouble that afternoon; rather, she was spending it with Gemma Simpson, who was one of her more appropriate friends. The two girls, while separated by a year in school, shared a house and similar interests, making them a perfect pairing!

Years spent in a wealthy (and arguably prudish) household meant that mentions of kissing were slim, at least when it was insinuated that that kissing took place before marriage. Bella, for all her failings, had not yet broken propriety by means of kissing, though she could barely deny the thought had never crossed her mind! No, for now she was just a harmless flirt.

“If I had kissed a man, you would know by now,” she commented, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “—and the entire magical world would likely know, too.”