Charley was, in fact, enjoying the cake. She was enjoying it about halfway done by now, and in very much need of that tea. The street urchin tried to stop herself from devouring all of it, her stomach would NOT be happy with her by the end of all that. And yet it was the same stomach that was demanding more of it in its torturous, hungry tones. What was a girl to do?

"Oh, I en't worth all that much," she mentioned, staring at the rest of the cake quite intently. Charley was startled from her reverie by the drizzling pour of a cuppa right in front of her, with entrancing steam rising up from its surface. Gleeful hands strayed from the delicious cake to grasp the teacup instead, bringing it to her face so the urchin could breathe in the scent of fresh tea. It distracted her enough to mumble, "Maybe just a sickle."

The tea was hot!

She knew that, of course. Fresh tea was hot, that was a more basic truth than the market being on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or just off of High Street being the best fishing spot for flush marks. Charley sipped it anyway, and received a burnt tongue for her efforts. Still worth it! The sharp, heady taste of the tea spread over her mouth, headless of the pain in her tongue, and it ignited her thirst all over again.

"Grythendur," the urchin muttered through a sluggish tongue. She took another sip, letting it slurp this time so the hot-but-not-scalding liquid could fill her mouth. It might have scorched a little as she swallowed, but still so worth it! Charley swallowed again and repeated her answer again, "Ahh, I meant Gryffindor. The red lions, with bravery and courage and all that."

Only a year removed, and Charley already wondered sometimes if it had all been a dream. Or just a show, with her cast in a bit part to be tossed aside for the next act. The whole of the wizarding world, with its own costumes and props, still felt like a foreign country to her. At least it had the same tea Charley knew and loved.

"Lessons?" Charley asked, her nose wrinkling at the thought. Her will to resist the suggestion wilted with the heat of the teacup in her hand. And more tea only made her hungry, requiring a bite of the delicious cake. Oh, if only she could eat that cake forever! Forever would mean taking magic lessons, though, and Charley wasn't sure about that part. She glanced over at Mrs. Mann, who seemed to be doing what all shopkeepers did when the urchin walked into a store. "I en't really the sort for lessons, I s'pose that's why Hogwarts didn't want me back. Da said teaching me magic was a waste of time, and I guess he was right."

She looked into the teacup, as if it could drown away her miserable thoughts. "'Cept he said the only magic you really need is imagination and I must not be doing it right 'cause he never shows up when I 'magin him. Guess I en't the sort for imagining either."

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