Benevolence blushed when she realised how flatly her joke had fallen, that the gentleman had clearly heard it before.  It would serve her right for trying to banter – she wasn’t usually that sort of person but she didn’t want to spend any longer dodging questions about why she was buttering up the secretaries.  Now she was just embarrassed and feeling very foolish.  ’And you too sir’ she greeted. 

’I regret that I do not spend much time in society, but would know your mother by her reputation of course.’ she added.  The horse who had not moved off snorted into her hand, having munched it’s way through the vegetation she had offered.  She glanced at the animal and then to the auror, ’I hate snails’ she admitted hoping to put him at some kind of ease – it was clearly still disquieted, ’I work with plants all day and the sight of a snail is enough to send me running’ she gave a wry laugh at the irony of her own phobia, ’Can I assume you prefer apparition to 4 legged travel?’ And animal tugged roughly at the bridle in her hand. Jolting her arm and shoulder with it’s strength, snorting loudly through it’s nose and pawing at the ground with its front hoof.

Faustus Prewett