Having her cap in hand kept on familiar thing in Charley's grip. It was odd enough to find professors outside of Hogwarts, teaching like the world was their classroom too. That sort of thing didn't excite her all that much, she liked to steer clear of them most often, in fact. On most nights, the young flower girl could hardly get away from the shop anyway, making tonight already special enough to while away a few minutes staring up at the stars afterwards.
Staring at the professor dim form didn't seem as familiar to the urchin. Not just for the years since she had been in the woman's class, either. Most anyone in Hogsmeade would just as soon see Charley off as hold a real conversation with her. Professor Lyra wasn't doing either of those yet, but her words were coming dangerously close to choosing a side.
"No candles burnin' in windows for me," she offered with a shrug, unsure how visible that would be in the darkness, and not really minding if it went unseen. She donned her cap again anyway, just in case the night's educator changed her mind about kicking her out, sitting it firmly on the ginger hairs not plaited into the shabby braid behind her. "I get by jes fine."
Charley kept her seat for now, like she was daring the professor's whims to change. And maybe she was, grown-ups liked to talk about giving choices and opportunities to her sort, just so long as urchins like her stayed where she was supposed to be. It was just as well that Mrs. Mann nor Crouch ever really waited up for her, Charley would have liked to disappoint them least of all those in Hogsmeade.
Their words meant something to her. The weight of the woman's words could easily twinkle off like starlight before she could blink.
Staring at the professor dim form didn't seem as familiar to the urchin. Not just for the years since she had been in the woman's class, either. Most anyone in Hogsmeade would just as soon see Charley off as hold a real conversation with her. Professor Lyra wasn't doing either of those yet, but her words were coming dangerously close to choosing a side.
"No candles burnin' in windows for me," she offered with a shrug, unsure how visible that would be in the darkness, and not really minding if it went unseen. She donned her cap again anyway, just in case the night's educator changed her mind about kicking her out, sitting it firmly on the ginger hairs not plaited into the shabby braid behind her. "I get by jes fine."
Charley kept her seat for now, like she was daring the professor's whims to change. And maybe she was, grown-ups liked to talk about giving choices and opportunities to her sort, just so long as urchins like her stayed where she was supposed to be. It was just as well that Mrs. Mann nor Crouch ever really waited up for her, Charley would have liked to disappoint them least of all those in Hogsmeade.
Their words meant something to her. The weight of the woman's words could easily twinkle off like starlight before she could blink.
![[Image: UNpj1yr.png]](https://i.imgur.com/UNpj1yr.png)
Writer Notes: Charley is a street urchin in both appearance and behavior, unless written otherwise here.
Interactions may reflect Victorian-era morals rather than modern sensibilities; this is allowed and acceptable to this writer.