Reopened 4/19/2025 The Lion, The Witch, & The Newspaper PV Evelynn Decipio

⋖ 06/May/2024 @ before supper | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Aly Salinger | MENTIONING n/a
───•─•────────────────────────────────────•─•───

Laggard steps traversed the halls, hard-soled boots thudding dully off the stone. Despite the setting of the sun and the serving of dinner right on the horizon, the witch seemed to be going nowhere fast, evidently unbothered by such timely obligations. There was no pang of hunger to harry her along, and with how estranged she had once again become with sleep, there was no hurry to accomplish her tasks before night settled in. She would no doubt be keeping its company until the moon settled back to slumber once again. There, however, she would be limited—in theory—to the confines of her dorm and would occupy herself with reading and studying what material she could within that setting. For now, however, she had other tasks.

A maid pulling up a bucket of water from a well waved at her from a simple wooden frame as she passed. A moment later, a dog barked. Gray eyes shifted from one painting to the next, passively observing the subjects put to perpetuity. It had been a long time since she had walked this particular stretch of hall, yet nothing really seemed to have changed. Though a few had been added or taken away, most of the pictures remained. Fingers trailed along the wall, the grit of stone a testament to the solidity and timelessness of the castle. Whatever transpired within its halls, it would still stand, carrying the next generation forward. Perhaps that was why so many of the portraits seemed incoherent and lost to their minds... what horrors they must have witnessed.

Carved stone fell away, a door appearing in the gap of its absence. Evelynn's steps came to a stop as she turned to face it. Fingers traced a series of grooves within its grains, gashes that fished from the dark recesses of her mind memories of another time when the lioness wrote for the paper in the past. When she had first been exposed to the chaos the school had to offer. When smiles came easily and she was driven be a sense of duty and curiosity, to uncover the secrets and enlighten those students still existing in the dark of the dangers that lurked unseen. Before she had started to expect the worst, or to fit the various pieces together. Before she knew any better. It felt like a lifetime ago.

When she had withdrawn from the Headliner, it had been partially out of a sense of self-preservation. Events had kicked off a chain reaction that incited the anger of those who proved volatile when provoked. Newspapers had been burned, and doors torn to pieces. There were calls for blood and threats against the Headliner staff. Granted, that had largely dispersed by the time she had actually taken her leave, but the possibility of getting caught in the retaliation never truly left the back of her mind. And yet... the Headliner still remained the single most reliable source of possible knowledge to keep apprised of the goings on in the school. With amateur journalists actively seeking material for their articles, and gossip having a tendency of trickling its way into the midst of the staff, Evelynn was still better served having her foot in that door than not. Her offer to aid in the printing of the papers had been accepted, and so this time she would keep her head down.

It was for that reason that she had arrived at the portal tonight. Although many of the articles were still being drafted, she never liked to leave things to the last minute. There was enough material to get a start on arranging layouts, and to, at the very least, stake out a claim on a new—or old—desk. Plus, she was curious to know if the locked cupboard still housed an arsenal of cameras. She wouldn't mind getting her hands on one of them. The articles would have to be supplemented with photos to break up the text, after all, and the journalists weren't necessarily expected to provision them. Hinges sighed their reluctance to give way as she pushed the door inwards. Met with darkness and taking a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to its depth, Evelynn had assumed the room vacant until—

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

A familiar voice called out from the din. It was only then, as Evelynn entered fully, that she noticed the flickering candlelight at a table well and good inside the room. By the glow of the dancing flame, she could make out the curly brunette cascade of hair that confirmed her initial assumption. It occurred to her as well, however, that unless the girl had an uncanny ability to see in the dark, the reverse would not hold true. Pressing the mechanism against her wrist that would quickly release her loaded wand into her waiting hand, Evelynn incanted, "Lumos." Without pausing in her stride, white light shone from the tip of her wand, immediately illuminating the vibrant auburn hair and stony-grey eyes that would spark recognition in the Eagle.

"I would caution you against working in the dark... It makes you vulnerable and an easy target." Her steps would carry her over to the wooden printing press, fingers of her free hand dancing across its surface and testing the mechanisms with an air of familiarity. "I was not aware you were on the Headliner staff. When did you join?"

The door's hinges whined a terrible creak as they opened, and Aly held bated breath in nervous anticipation as the corridor's golden glow silhouetted someone in the open doorway. So she had been alone here, after all - the relief in knowing that she wasn't so unobservant as to miss someone in the office entirely was partially eclipsed by the frustration that there would be someone else here now. Another distraction to take away from this article that sure as hell wasn't writing itself.

The person entered the room, letting the door swing shut behind them, and it was only then that they spoke for the first time: "Lumos." Just as calmly as the incantation had been said, the tip of the person's wand - a girl, based on her voice that seemed so familiar yet that Aly couldn't quite place - flared into a gentle glow, illuminating the entire space, snuffing out the need for the candles that still flickered on, unknowing of their sudden uselessness. Aly blinked in surprise at the sudden brilliance, her eyes taking a moment to adjust before taking in the scene before her: scarlet curls fringed gold in the light, pale skin dotted lightly with freckles, and stormy grey eyes shadowed under a thick brow, a beauty spot just underneath one of them. Somehow, the elegant teenager carried herself with enough of a presence that she made Gryffindor school robes look like an evening gown - a lovely sight, indeed.

Recognition washed over Aly like a tsunami in a storm, and a half-relieved, half-excited smile broke out over her round, freckled face. "Oh! Evelynn, thank Merlin it's just you. Scared me half to death," she said with a slight laugh pickling the last fragment of a sentence, clutching one hand to her chest, where her heartbeat had grown so strong and fast that Aly could feel it even without her fingers over the thick, warm material of her turtleneck. "It's lovely to see you! Sorry - had I known you were coming, I'd have turned on more lights."

She rose from her chair, turning to busy herself with grabbing some more candles off of other desks and holding them to the already flickering flames. A room could certainly be fully lit by candlelight if there were enough of them, and that way, Evelynn would be able to put down her wand to do... whatever she'd come here for. "I'd hardly say this is the dark," the Ravenclaw teased ever-so-slightly as she did so. "I had some candles lit already, and I highly doubt anyone's going to come attack me in the Headliner office. Actually, the first time I came here, it took wandering around the corridors for ages before I could even find the door - this place is hard to track down!"

Finishing with the handful of candles, so that there was just enough of a golden tinge to the air to combat Evelynn's lit wand-tip, Aly turned back to her new acquaintance, someone she both barely knew and very much respected following their first meeting nearly a month before at the spring ball. Evelynn had had the presence of mind to defend and evacuate a dear mutual friend of theirs, whilst Aly... well, suffice to say that the eagle had not quite been as useful as the lion. Perhaps embarrassment, then, was the reason for the slight flush that had climbed across Aly's cheeks since her classmate's arrival. Yes, that had to be it.

"Er - I just joined, actually," she continued, leaning against her desk and admitting this quite sheepishly; the eagle stared down at the stone floor instead of making eye contact, green avoiding grey. Who knew how long Evelynn had been on staff? - certainly not Aly, that much was for sure. She hadn't even known the lion was a part of the Headliner. "Just over a week ago. On the twenty-fourth. I'm actually working on my first article, did you know - hence the - uhh..." Aly waved a hand generally at the mess of parchments covering her desk. "This madness."

But then, a lightning bolt of inspiration. Evelynn was a fifth-year, too, was she not? And one with clearly a good head on her shoulders, or at least that was Aly's impression following the ball. Now, Aly hadn't actually spoken to Evelynn since that fateful night in April in the hospital wing after a dance that was ill-fated as ever, but what did that matter? The young eaglet had always known how to put on the charm. Plastering her winningest smile onto her face, Aly looked to Evelynn's face for the first time with almost mischievous eyes. "Say, you could actually help with my article, if you'd be willing," she suggested, pushing off her desk and taking a step towards the lion, trying to seem friendly rather than dangerous in her approach. "I'm looking for one more fifth-year to interview about their O.W.L.s... and you seem like you'd have good advice. What do you say? It wouldn't take that long, I swear."

⋖ 06/May/2024 @ before supper | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Aly Salinger | MENTIONING n/a
───•─•────────────────────────────────────•─•───

Turned towards the printing press as she was, the mixed expression that crossed the lioness' countenance as Salinger acknowledged her presence would go unnoticed. Thank Merlin it's just you. Evelynn wasn't quite sure how to take that. On the one hand, at least her presence inspired a sense of calm in the other girl, washing away whatever fears had been conjured in the mind's shadows of the unknown. On the other hand, something pricked at the back of her pride that she might be referred to as just anything. But wasn't that what she wanted? To flit unnoticed on the edge of social peripheries? Lips pursed as she pushed the following notions away, an ear turned to the brunette as she continued.

"One might hope," came her murmured reply when doubt had been expressed about anyone or anything coming to attack the Eagle in the Headliner office. "It would hardly be the first time. Though I suppose the paper has been careful not to print anything remotely controversial of late."

As Salinger busied herself with bringing light to their encounter, Evelynn's fingers continued to dance across the various components of the printing press, assessing their cleanliness and mobility, and reverse engineering the process of its use. It wasn't entirely unfamiliar to her, but neither had she previously been responsible for doing the printing. "Nox," she whispered as the ambient lighting rivaled that of her wand, and tucked it back out of sight up her sleeve. When she turned, she found herself mirroring the Eagle, both girls leaning back against their respectively claimed furniture. Her palms had found the table's edge, her weight supported to allow one ankle to cross over the other.

"Welcome to the Headliner, then," she smiled, noting the flush that had prettily coloured the other's cheeks, but withholding comment. Perhaps she was embarrassed about having been so startled. "I have only recently returned myself, so I suppose we will be working together, then." Her weight shifted and a hand lifted just long enough to gesture towards the printing press behind her. "I will be one of those putting what you write to paper. And fret not about the state of your desk. They say desks in a state of disorder are a sign of genius. Anything less would make for a dull affair. I look forward to reading your articles."

Her suggestion was given substance almost immediately as the subject of the girl's first article was made apparent. Like just about everybody else within their year, no doubt, Evelynn's days had been all but consumed by preparation for the upcoming Ordinary Wizarding Levels. If she wasn't practicing for quidditch, or--now--tending to Headliner obligations, she could be found in this classroom or another deep in study. A brow flared at their mention, approval silently displayed in the whisper of a smile that quirked the corner of her mouth. "If you would like," she acquiesced. Her hand had drifted back to the edge of the table, her gaze following the gliding approach of her counterpart. "I am not certain if mine is the advice one would want to follow..."

To say her grades had slipped this year would be an understatement. It was more like they had been pushed off the edge of a cliff to crash and break against the rocky outcropping below, torn to shreds by the hungry sea that devoured whatever remained. And this was hardly a secret. But, then again, the rise and recovery over the last couple months, as she applied herself with the stubborn determination hallmark to her house, had been swift and steadily climbing. The fall had been more a lack of interest and effort than a lack of aptitude.

"If you think your article could benefit from anything I might contribute, then I have no qualms in answering your questions." It was, after all, her single desire to see her peers survive this hellscape of a school and escape to what she hoped to be a gentler existence post-graduation. What good would it be simply to make it through if not equipped with the skills to flourish afterwards? Perhaps she might even glean some advice for herself in the process of the interview. And besides, as it happened, she had some questions of her own for the girl. Like what had happened after the she and Pericles had taken their leave from the chaos of the ball, and to what extent she was familiar with any of the other happenings. "What would you like to know?"

Aly winced at Evelynn's suggestion that someone could come to harm here, in an office that she'd already so quickly grown to view as a safe place - safe from everything except writer's block, of course. Had begrudged readers come to take out their literary frustrations on journalists in the past? Aly had believed that such crimes against those who wrote were only done in wartime, but then again, Hogwarts seemed constantly to be a battle-zone nowadays. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so surprised. (And perhaps she should start locking the door when she worked in here in the future.)

Mimicking Aly's posture, leaning against a desk, Evelynn welcomed her to the Headliner, and Aly couldn't help but smile, proud of her own achievement. "Thank you," she said, suddenly bashful; it wasn't uncommon for Aly to be complimented on her achievements, on her grades, on her Quidditch, etc., but very rarely were those comments so genuine. "And - well, welcome back to you, then! That's so exciting, that we'll be working together - and with Peri, too."

That the Lion was looking forward to reading the Eagle's articles was not lost on the bird. It was a sweet thing to say, but Aly couldn't help but feel that this compliment was lacking its prior's sincerity - something that you say to someone, something polite, rather than being a true welcome. That was something about the redhead that Aly had realised more and more since they had met at the ball, less than a month before: Evelynn was so very polite. Her well-manneredness seeped from every ounce of her being - from the way she carried herself, that stiffness in her shoulders and the slight raise of her noble chin, to the ethereal, formal, and slightly antiquated way she spoke each sentence. Whoever had raised her had definitely done a better job of making the lioness more traditionally pureblood than Aly's parents - but, then again, the Salinger family had never been too big on that whole sensation of old money meaning old traditions and old-fashionedness. Aly's mum was, but she'd left her family to join the Salingers, and Aly still thanked her lucky stars every day that she hadn't grown up in one of those wizarding families - something that the girl in front of her clearly had done. She was clearly polite enough to say that she was looking forward to reading Aly's articles, and internally, Aly scoffed at it: If these articles ever get written, that is.

"I am not certain if mine is the advice one would want to follow..." the girl across from her was saying when Aly's mind tuned back into the present conversation, and Aly's mouth opened to protest - if there was anyone she was sure would be studying beyond belief, it was going to be Evelynn - but then, just a moment later, it seemed that the redhead was convincing herself into it, because she allowed, "...I have no qualms in answering your questions. What would you like to know?"

Beaming, Aly could have hugged her - but one thing she'd learned from dealing with the more highbrow pureblood sort is that they didn't always take kindly to unsolicited physical touch, so instead, she just blew Evelynn a kiss and grinned at her, actually leaping an inch or so off the ground from pure excitement as she did so. Maybe this article would get written after all! "Oh, wonderful! You're the best," she thanked Evelynn as she turned and ran back round her desk to shuffle through her papers, green eyes scanning through the ones that weren't crumpled up as she tried to find her sheet of questions. "Hold on, I've got my questions right... er... here!" Triumphantly, she pulled a slightly ripped parchment from the pile of sheafs, then pushed the rest off to the side and grabbed a clean sheet. Settling into her chair, though she could hardly keep still with delight, Aly dipped her quill into the ink and tapped it lightly on the side of the inkpot; emboldened by freshened ink, the silver tip went to parchment as Aly looked over the questions, trying to decide which one to ask first.

"There are only four questions, so it really shouldn't take up too much of your time," she explained, settling in her mind on a first question. "First of all, we're getting to the end of the school year. In a normal week, as our O.W.L.s approach, how much time do you devote to studying for them?" She glanced up at Evelynn, emeralds matching sapphires across the flickering candlelight as her quill itched to scribble, at the very least, a name. "Oh, and before we get any further, are you comfortable with your name being used in the article? If so, how do you, er, spell it?" You never could know these days...

⋖ 06/May/2024 @ before supper | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Aly Salinger | MENTIONING n/a
───•─•────────────────────────────────────•─•───

Salinger's grin and blow of a kiss was met with the lofting of a brow and a quizzically guarded expression. She really was a bit odd, Evelynn reflected. Or perhaps it was simply a fact that it had been some time since the lioness had spent any time in proximity to those with a more bubbly demeanor. Bright smiles and borderline flirtatious charm seemed to flow easily from the Eagle. It was a bit perplexing how she and Pericles could as close as they were. They seemed to Evelynn to be polar opposites.

Passively scrutinizing eyes trailed after the Headliner's newest journalist as the girl skirted back around her desk and shuffled through her papers, a fleeting thought wondering just how long that disorganization would last before she was forced to instill some sort of order. Patience shone in the polite veneer of Evelynn's countenance as a sheaf of paper was raised, head cocking in preparation to receive what she anticipated would be an onslaught of questioning.

"Very well.." Evelynn replied initially. Whether it was four questions or fourteen, the lioness seemed unbothered and unhurried, her statuesque form quite the contrast to that of Salinger's that practically vibrated with her barely contained excitement. Besides... no Headliner she ever knew kept to their script. One question could easily become seven if the initial answer wasn't sufficiently interesting; and even more likely if it was.

"D E C I P I O." Evelynn was rarely one to bother with superfluous information or small talk and jumped straight to the answer, gently and somewhat slowly enunciating the letters of her surname. It briefly occurred to her that her given name may likewise have been desired, but its spelling never followed.

"As far as how much time I devote to studying for the O.W.L.s in a typical week, I suppose I would say 'As much as possible', which is not quite as much as I would like, unfortunately--" She paused there for just a moment, wavering on the decision to proffer a reason, but ultimately--for reasons she couldn't quite explain even to herself--elected to continued. "--as I am also preparing to write my GCSE examinations this summer as well. But no fewer than ten hours weekly at the bare minimum."

I like your funny words, magic... maiden. Aly quirked an eyebrow at the last bit of Evelynn's answer, even as she scrawled down the redhead's full name and the full sentences as fast as she could. She underlined a few of the key phrases - As much as possible, ten hours weekly - and then looked back up at her interviewee with the same half-confused, half-intrigued look as before. "G...S...C...E examinations?" she repeated, slowly, and yet still accidentally messing up the order of the letters. Perhaps writing them down rather than speaking them aloud was more of her strong suit when it came to remembering responses - but, then again, this was still her first Headliner article, and she was very new at journalism. "Dare I ask what those are? Some kind of... extra credit opportunity I've not yet heard about?"

Then she shook her head, remembering that she still had three more questions and not a lot of time to finish writing, and plus Evelynn Decipio - D, E, C, I, P, I, O - had also come to the office for a reason, most likely. She, too, wouldn't be able to while away the hours chatting about this and that and extracurriculars and Outstanding-pluses, if such a thing even existed. "Never mind that, actually. Thanks - that's a great answer! Ten hours, wow..." Internally, the Ravenclaw noted, I should definitely be studying more. Continuing on in her interview with a placid grin, Aly brushed the feathery tip of her quill down her papers, looking for the next question... no, that was someone else's answers... no, that was a scribble of Transfiguration notes that had somehow made its way onto this sheet of parchment... Aha! Here we go.

"Okay, next question: what methods do you use for studying? Like, I've got some folks who use note-cards, others who study better in groups, some who just reread their notes or textbooks or such..." That last one was totally not Aly herself, and she wouldn't have admitted to it even with a wand to her head and a Death Eater on the other side, absolutely not. "And also, while we're on that topic, what is your favourite study spot? Mine's one of the window seats in the Ravenclaw commons - this great big bay window thing, just the most perfect view of the grounds and close enough to the fire that it doesn't get cold while just blocked enough with the curtains to drown out the noise," she added, last-minute, realizing that the Gryffindor wouldn't have ever had an opportunity to see the Ravenclaw common room. On a normal day, the absent-minded eagle would have taken this moment to wonder what the lions' commons looked like, but today, she had things to do and articles to write!

"Oh, and your first name. One or two N's at the end?"

Getting a name-spelling out of this girl was like pulling teeth. But get that name-spelling she would, or her own name wasn't Aly(ssa) Salinger.

⋖ 06/May/2024 @ before supper | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Aly Salinger | MENTIONING n/a
───•─•────────────────────────────────────•─•───

Evelynn was already waving her fingers dismissively in the air even before Salinger had started asking for clarification about the GCSEs. She wasn't entirely certain why she had mentioned them at all. "Something akin to that, yes.." she replied, offering a polite smile.

Her muggle roots had never been something she liked to talk about, and for reasons she could never quite place. It had started in the boat traversing the lake on her first day of school when one of the others had spoken disparagingly about non-wizardborns. An early encounter with one Percival Grey had solidified her reticence to admit her heritage. But it wasn't as though it was uncommon. Many students, in and out of her own year, spoken openly about their blood status and childhood environment. Instances of discrimination were few and rather inconsequential compared to those who struggled with partial inhuman ancestry. Yet, she still veered away from it, and she had no real intention of changing that now.

Fortunately for her, the interview had pressed on. She clarified the spelling of her name and supplied answers about weekly hours of study, considering as she did so that she really ought to be spending more time at it. Ten hours, in retrospect, seemed hardly enough to prepare for the OWLs. Perhaps she could cut back on time allotted to her GCSE studies considering they wouldn't even be starting until later in the year, if she could get the time off in November at all. Perhaps she could even convince her mother to do away with them entirely... it wasn't as though she would be needing them to gain entry to some muggle institution after all..

"Mn?" Another question pulled her from her thoughts, the redhead refocusing her attention on the journalist in front of her. "Ah, two N's," she answered, raising up two fingers before relaxing her hand back to the table. "I suppose I use a collection of methods," she circled back, working from the start of the new wave of questions. "I do read quite a lot, but reading alone is not sufficient. Writing and rewriting notes is a better alternative, but even that is something of an archaic method of study. My mother always emphasized that teaching is the best way to learn. So when I cannot find a peer in need of assistance, I deliver lectures in the theatre of the mind, reviewing any content of which I was uncertain."

"As for my favourite study spot..." She shrugged a brow. "I find the library sufficient at times, though it can be distracting. At the risk of compromising my peace, my preference is the spot beneath my favourite tree at the lakeside. Fresh air, the repetitive sounds of water on stone and the breeze through leaves does wonders for enhancing focus. Plus," she inclined her head towards the darkness beyond the windows, "exposure to the sun is important for melatonin development and maintaining a proper sleep cycle. And good sleep hygiene, as we know," she continued, glancing back to Salinger, "is paramount for learning and the growth of new synapses."

"A window is a good alternative, though." An open palm gestured forward towards Salinger, referencing the brunette's own preference of sitting in the Ravenclaw common room. "I envy your ability to remain focused in the midst of reposing peers."

This interview was turning out to be one of Aly's most fruitful yet, she noted internally as she rushed to scribble down Evelynn's answers word-for-word. That one quote about teaching is definitely going in, probably next to Peri's suggestion about Memory Potion, she thought, already planning ahead as to the content and structure of her article. That's the most unique answer I've gotten for that question thus far! And if I put that bit in about the lake, maybe I should write something about not bothering the upperclassmen that are studying there, as a little thank-you for sharing that secret spot with me... The fifth-year Ravenclaw glanced up at her lioness counterpart for the briefest of moments, then returned to frantically writing down the rest of the quotation before it slipped from her mind like a whisper in the wind. Yes, I think she'd appreciate that.

"And that's E-V-E-L-Y-N-N," she confirmed as she wrote down the spelt-out name, realising for the first time that Evelynn's name had that second N at the end. Whoops. That's what happens when you only hear someone's name and never actually see it written down. "That's a pretty name, you know! Though - does anyone ever call you Eve?" She didn't dare suggest Evie, which seemed perhaps a bit too frilly for the no-nonsense redhead in front of her, but as a nicknamer herself she'd always found full names just a bit too tedious. Maybe that was why she insisted on shortening everyone's names - Bex for Rebecca, Dee for Dealla, Peri for Pericles, etc. But that wasn't the type of self-psychoanalysis she was looking to conduct right now.

In fact, she realised as she glanced over her questions, she was pretty much done with the interview, and she informed Evelynn as such: "That might be all I need from you, actually!" Aly flipped through her notes, checking - oh... "Technically, there's one more question about the hardest part of studying for O.W.L.s/N.E.W.T.s, but no one's really given me an answer I want to include. I don't think I'm going to have space to put anything in about that anyway, so it doesn't really matter much," she sighed. In the span of a half-hour, she'd gone from desperately needing one more interview to needing to cut an entire section of the article. This girl was truly a miracle, an angel sent from heaven to answer her nonexistent prayers. "If I want to meet the word count, that is. You've given me such fantastic answers that I definitely want to put in a few word-for-word quotes from you, and that'll give me just the edge I need to make this article something worth reading!" Meeting Evelynn's gaze, Aly offered her her most brilliant, grateful, utterly charming smile. "Thank you so much, mate - you've really saved my arse here. Is there anything I can do to repay you? Maybe I'll owe you a sweet on the next Hogsmeade trip? Or is that considered shoddy journalism? I'm still, y'know, a bit new to this whole thing."

⋖ 06/May/2024 @ before supper | ENGLISH [#715380] | FRENCH [#b654a9] ⋗
INTERACTIONS @Aly Salinger | MENTIONING n/a
───•─•────────────────────────────────────•─•───

Evelynn craned her neck, sculpted brow lofted as the petite Ravenclaw scribbled dutifully upon her parchment, curious to glean whatever insights she might into the aspiring journalist's approach. Lips curled just faintly at the corners of her mouth as the brunette briefly glanced up and caught her glance, the expression becoming all the more pronounced as she immediately went back to note-taking. "Correct," Evelynn confirmed the spelling of her name. "Thank you. And no, very few." Some of the amusement faded from her countenance at the query of her nickname, the redhead feeling disinclined to give much ground on that suggestion. Her mother called her any number of pet names, and there were those, like Pierre, with whom she had become acquainted before she'd introduced the more formal social conventions of her introduction. Knowing how difficult habit could be to break, she hadn't bothered expending the energy to fight what would largely be a battle of pride.

Thoughts on naming convention were cut off by the proclamation of the interview's nearing end. "Oh?" Bemusement returned easily to softened features as Salinger tangentially elaborated upon one other vague question, though without directly presenting it to Evelynn, the Gryffindor felt no need to answer it. Instead she shrugged, offering, "I am sure there will be other opportunities to address studying again in future. Perhaps you can include it in your repertoire of questions then." To the rest, she only smiled, perhaps a bit more deeply than she might otherwise have done. While she was not generally one to fall victim to the charms of others, there was no denying that this new writer had a certain charisma to her. If nothing else, she would likely prove to be quite an asset to the writing team. "I am glad to have been of assistance to a colleague. I recall how difficult it could be at times to attain sufficient engagement for a properly student-centric piece."

Evelynn had to admit, she was rather keen to see what sorts of articles this one would produce. To the offer of repayment, however, she raised a hand, warding her off. "Not at all," she replied, feigning deafness of the borderline vulgarity. "No repayment needed. I am merely doing my part, and if another student finds value in what I have had to say and makes use of it to help their studies, then that is repayment enough already. For now.." She paused, taking a look around the darkened room. "..I suppose I shall leave you to your writing. I look forward to reading the completed article. And if ever you are in need of someone to supplement your interviews--" She shrugged a brow while pushing off from where she was leaning against the table. "--you are always welcomed to ask."