The French girl, the prefects' badge—this both solved the mystery of Anne's recent seclusion and solidified that Emilia had been right to disallow Anne from travelling to France with her well-to-do "friend". Though Kit had not been consulted on the matter, he had been informed of it after the fact, had agreed vehemently with his wife's position. While he did not like to see his daughter hurting, it was better she learn these truths of the world now, while young enough to shift direction, than later, when the young medemoiselle dropped her altogether.

The auror took a beat before addressing his daughter: that she was heated was plain, and it had long been recognized in the Moony household that the pair could be very similar in that respect, requiring special handling at times. Not kid gloves on some glass bauble—no, dragonhide in a forge.

"I cannot steal a badge for you, Anne," he remarked dryly. She was too brittle, here in this ill-chosen moment, to come down harshly as Kit might have wished.