“Yes, precisely,” Jemima said with a little laugh – to the first question he asked her, at least.
The second was nothing if not well-intentioned, but Jemima crumpled a little internally all the same. Because there was really nothing of any use she could say, or talk about the way her siblings or her parents could. Like he could, be it potioneering or even chess, which he hadn’t even taken up as a proper hobby yet! Expanding one’s mind and hobbies was important, he had said, so casually. Maybe that was why Jemima hadn’t found a husband, after all: she simply wasn’t smart enough to be interesting.
“Umm,” Jemima said bashfully, trying to wrack her brains for any properly worthy hobbies she had or had ever possessed, “I like drawing. And flower-pressing. Charms,” she said (although she hadn’t practised anything particularly useful since seventh year). “And,” she finished lamely, hoping that he had graduated long before her diary debacle and wouldn’t make any connection here, “I like to write.”
She felt hot and embarrassed at rambling now, and for the first time in this conversation really did wish she could escape. “And I don’t mind if you kiss me,” she added, in case permission was what he was waiting for, and in any case he was nice. (Or maybe he just hated the thought of kissing her, and that was why he hadn’t: she would believe that well enough too.)
The second was nothing if not well-intentioned, but Jemima crumpled a little internally all the same. Because there was really nothing of any use she could say, or talk about the way her siblings or her parents could. Like he could, be it potioneering or even chess, which he hadn’t even taken up as a proper hobby yet! Expanding one’s mind and hobbies was important, he had said, so casually. Maybe that was why Jemima hadn’t found a husband, after all: she simply wasn’t smart enough to be interesting.
“Umm,” Jemima said bashfully, trying to wrack her brains for any properly worthy hobbies she had or had ever possessed, “I like drawing. And flower-pressing. Charms,” she said (although she hadn’t practised anything particularly useful since seventh year). “And,” she finished lamely, hoping that he had graduated long before her diary debacle and wouldn’t make any connection here, “I like to write.”
She felt hot and embarrassed at rambling now, and for the first time in this conversation really did wish she could escape. “And I don’t mind if you kiss me,” she added, in case permission was what he was waiting for, and in any case he was nice. (Or maybe he just hated the thought of kissing her, and that was why he hadn’t: she would believe that well enough too.)
