Winston smiled up at the other. The other had kept his hand on his shoulder but eventually removed it. That was kind of sad to Winston, it had felt nice. He felt like he could still feel the imprint of the others hand on his shoulder. "It is because you are so easy to talk to. I feel like I have known you forever... but I don't, do I? Have we really only just met?" A faraway look crossed over his features briefly as he tried to recall. There had been times before when someone would sigh and say something like Winston, we have met twice before or something. He was certain he would remember the other though, the taller man did not feel like a presence one easily forgot. Not with that marvelous aura that contained shades of purple.

---

  

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

The younger man continued to emit this very endearing quality, though Natty would bet a galleon that he didn't have any idea he was doing it. It wasn't that the fellow was clueless exactly (even if he had been about to get run over by a ghost), he just seemed sort of... innocent.

"I'm sure I would remember —" eyes like those "— meeting you. But yes, you're easy to speak to as well... I suppose that's the sort of fortunate thing that happens when two people find an interest in common."

  

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Winston actually blushed a bit when the man said he would have remembered meeting him. Well, that was nice to hear. "I agree," Winston said when the older man spoke of two people finding an interest in common. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear as he continued to smile up at his newfound friend. "Did you have anything in particular you wanted to know or talk about?" He was enjoying this mans company and found himself not so eager to leave it just yet.

---

  

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

They were in a room filled with historical figures able to speak and emote, yet here they were speaking only to one another. For now, Natty continued to think of this simply as two people indulging each other's common interest. The ethereal young fellow was apparently inclined to agree.

Assuming that the other was referring to the topic of ghosts, Natty mused a second and then said; "perhaps the biggest mystery is why some people return as ghosts and others don't. I read a book on ghosts recently that spoke to the nature of unfinished business" (he was unaware he was actually with the author right now) "and certainly the rare times I've spoken to ghosts they do seem to have some purpose on this plane. But don't you think it's all such a vague way to define something as vital and solid as whether you get to 'return' or not?"

  

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"It is not only unfinished business that keeps them behind. Some are afraid to die and choose - whether subconsciously or purposely to remain behind - and become ghosts because of this deep seated desire to remain," Winston informed the other. "I think there is something deeper at play though. Because surely not all ghosts who remain truly wished to and surely not all those who fully passed on wished to fully go. This is something I am still trying to discover. There are still more secrets to the universe mankind has yet to discover. Would you choose to become a ghost?" Winston peered up at the taller man in curiosity. Winny personally still didn't know if he would or not. Then again, he had no plans to die just yet.

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty listened, and really was reminded of the book he'd read. "It does seem like one of life's greatest mysteries. Or death's, rather", he agreed. "It's such an enormous choice, and we can never truly know what it means until we're already experiencing it. But no, I..." he paused as he considered the difficult question. "It rather depends on what really lies... beyond."

  

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"I am not too sure myself what I might do but fortunately I have no plans to die yet," he said, as if confident that he had every bit of control over when such a mysterious, uncontrollable event might occur. "There's still too much for me to do and see. What if that is what ends up causing me to be a ghost?"

---

  

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

"You could be right", he agreed, and folded strong arms together in a thoughtful manner. Still not paying attention to anything else going on around him. "So do you have grand ambitions? Anything in your future that might be life — or death — defining?"

  

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Grand ambitions? Winston thought for a moment. None of what he wanted to do felt like it might be something that was a grand ambition. "I'll be a professor at Hogwarts in September. That would be life-defining, right? It will be the first time I have had a job that requires me to be in one location." Except for when he had worked in the Ministry but Winny had forgotten all about that. "I'm going to help new generations learn about our goulish companions in the world."

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty was surprised to learn that the young man was to be a Hogwarts professor, but only because it seemed so... corporeal. So real and so practical. This fellow seemed so much more... otherworldly than that. Or perhaps it was just their unique surroundings. "A noble profession indeed. I'm at Hogwarts myself. I'm the Groundskeeper." A far less impressive role, but such was life.

  

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"Really?! Winston asked, looking entirely too pleased about this piece of information. "That means we should most definitely be friends, don't you think? We can hang out on the lawns and skip stones on the lake." These activities being what Winston saw as typical things for friends to get up to. "Are you going to be living in the groundskeepers cottage?"

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty was gently flattered by the young fellow's enthusiasm. "I have use of the cottage in the Grounds, yes", he confirmed, but he was also keeping his flat in Pennyworth. "I'd like nothing more than a new friend. But you'll have to teach me how to skip stones."

  

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"We could have tea, butterbeer and cakes together there" Winston proposed. He couldn't help a giggle when the older man said he would need to be taught how to skip stones. "I would be very happy to do that. It's all in the wrist."

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Naturally, it didn't (yet) clock with Natty that if this had been a woman their interaction would indubitably be described as flirting.

For now, he was so engaged by the fellow that he didn't analyse anything at all, simply going with the flow. "In the wrist, hm? Like... using a handaxe?" he showed him a clenched fist with a slight bending of the wrist to semi-demonstrate the correct way to move a handaxe.

  

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"I've never used an axe so I could not adequately compare," Winston admitted, unable to help laughing in amusement. In his life, whenever he went near a sharp object, someone tended to take it from him. He had no idea why. "But from the look of it, about the same but a little more... like this," he said, moving the older mans hand a little so that it was a little more angled. "The stone needs to hit the lake at a certain angle for the best skips."

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

The younger writer taught the older one, Natty looking steadily at the fellow as he touched him, allowing the instructive adjustment. "It sounds like we have an exchange of skills planned, then", he proposed with a slight smile, "you teach me to skip stones, I teach you to cut firewood."

  

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