A bookworm's mirror

"So what are you reading?" The stranger asked
Honestly, I couldn't believe it she couldn't get the hint could she. It wasn't even a hint, it was an obvious attempt.
"A book" I replied simply opening the manual of potions and scribbling notes down a piece of parchment.
I noticed the girl wouldn't move, so I just accepted my fate.
Ugh.
Why does this castle need to be so... intrusive
My eyes briefly looked up to see the novel she was reading.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Interesting, I read that book a thousand time when I was younger, it was probably the first novel I read by my own. Newt was a really great author, his story is quite aspiring really, I think that's what got me into his books. I hate the animals though. It's the amount of research I'm impressed by.
"Newt Scamander is a great author" I say, not realising I actually spoke outloud.
Uh oh...
Dear God.
I don't want to talk, I don't have time for this.
But it was too late..

I was to busy to regret my decision than the girl started to absolutely yap about Newt Scamander.
He really is a great author but god damn.
"I-I'd agree. All his studies are amazing, although I do think he has skimmed over a few too many of the different magical bird species. There are so many interesting ones, and ordinary birds ought to be studied more too. I have a journal filled with all my personal studies, except I haven't gotten to see very many on the magical side yet since lots of them are really rare an-"
Absolutely shocking. She has to have won the prize of most words said out loud in a second.
She kind of peaked my interest when she talked about her own research. She probably didn't mean the same as mine. I was busy contemplating the idea of her "research" and mine.
Interesting.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by her voice cutting like a sword through my mind.
"I'm sorry, I-I know you don't care, I'll leave."
I didn't budge, my facial expression remained in an intrigued painting, my fingers on my chin.
"Research." I said as she was getting ready to leave, "What kind? Just beasts?"
I mean I don't really know why I asked, she's a Hufflepuff, what would she know about research?

I don't know why she looked so shocked when I asked.
She turned around and came back, opening a notebook with handwritten notes scribbled all over the page.
"Not beasts really, birds, all sorts of them. And not only the magical ones, I've done a lot of studies on the muggle ones too." She commented about ehr research
"Interesting" I replied as she flickered through the filled pages.

I don't care about animals, especially birds, but the amount of thoughtfulness put into her notebook left me quite impressed I must say.
I underestimated her.
"Do you only research birds?" I asked reading some notes she wrote on the margins.

A few moments later, she asked
"I was wondering if I could know your name?"
"Tes Cadell" I replied without looking at her, still reading some of her notes. It was so.. detailed.
"You can call me Tessie if you'd like"

That was a huge privilege, only people I was "close" with could call me that, but I felt like the stranger had a sparkle within her, and perhaps she shouldn't be wasting it on birds.