A girl with fine black hair in dire need of primping followed behind three women that could arguably use a little less primping. While one fussed while pulling hair out of the girl's, Rin's, sunglasses the other two were reangling their garish hats for the umpteenth time. Said girl wasn't aware how tacky the heart shaped glasses with cheap plastic frames were. She only knew that they were made for muggle children younger than herself.

The women she traveled with, her aunties or the sisters three as they preferred to be called, were beginning to stand straight as the reached Flourish and Blotts. Rin wasn't quite sure why they did it or if they even knew themselves, but every time the three were about to exclude her or drop her off they'd change their posture from what she could only describe as duck-like to how a human should move. Her own posture naturally was quite stiff while idle.

She didn't wait to be told to go in on her own, instead opting to weave past her aunties. She assumed they said goodbye, good luck, or some such thing involving the word good or similar. They were always loud, but especially so when frustrated. She heard what was technically her cousin among her aunts tone go apologetic. They'd probably block the door for at least a minute more wasting time on niceties.

Apologies weren't useless; to a point. After all they were an excellent way of quickly revealing intent or lack thereof. Of course if you were a proper aggressor wouldn't you want every underhanded means of winning possible? If winning were making someone else's day worse. For moment she thought she had walked into someone with a poor pace, but quickly caught onto the girl's limbo between positions. It seemed like she had planted herself somewhere practical; were it not for the foot traffic. "I wasn't until now."

Maybe it was because the word sorry was still the the forefront of her mind, but she had actually caught everything what she could only assume was another student said. Not that it was much, but she knew herself well enough that the occurrence was noteworthy. "Further back might be safer. Among books past our year." Rin could only guess whether or not they shared a year not yet interested enough to eye the book in the girl's arms. Knowing would only create a slightly better guess anyway. In her mind the back have the books for the older children and they wouldn't be overexcitable as the majority of her would-be peers have been all day on the streets and now in here.

She looked behind her as such a group were quickly heading straight along as she had. She was somewhat impressed by how they walked shoulders pressed together like canned sardine. "I'm moving to the back. My aunts have a terrible sense of time." She mentioned her family as casually as one would an everyday phenomenon like dust collecting on a shelf before staying true to her word. She wasn't aware that her words suggested an invitation nor would she berate the girl if she followed. Regardless she didn't plan on collecting any of her books until the commotion settled.

Rin noted how naturally the word sorry dribbled from the stranger's mouth and proceeded to not address it. She had watched far more gregarious sorts than herself fumble at reassurance. As she took long strides she eyed the shelves herself. Instead of the colors and titles drawing her in she was far more interested in clocking books that looked like they had been altered. Finding a magical book with a student's notes and dog ears in-tact was likely rare, but she doubted impossible. Where others struggled and how they overcame it would be helpful in the years to come.

Rin slowed her pace as words continued to trickle from her new tagalong's mouth. She caught some, enough to guess at the dirty blonde having the potential to become overstimulated before the day's end. Was this her first stop? Glancing behind her she noted many children gripping wands. Her aunts had been excited for her to get hers, far more than she had been. Because she had slowed to observe the other customers she was able to catch the question. "Once. I'm guessing though." She pointed at teens tall enough to not get lost in the shelves heading the same way she led. "It's the same world?" The tinge in her voice barely conveyed curiosity it being so very close to being a statement. "I assume you're muggle-raised than?"

She knew about her father's ease around muggles and her aunts fascination with them. Was this girl a mirror of her aunts? Rin abruptly stopped noting a space between the shelves. Perhaps another shelf was missing or some kind of stand. Regardless of its future the cubby was the perfect size for two young girls. She stood in it like a doll put away in a box as she watched for anyone returning or donating shoddy tomes. Having been told her first instance of magic was a version of Reparo, she had a very present hope that a poorly cared for book was the result of wanting to keep the alterations she was searching for in-tact.

Rin begrudgingly finally slid her sunglasses up to the top of her head, strands of hair being pulled painfully taunt as she did so. She had enjoyed the sameness they had created in the scene as every color had been forced to share a tint. It would be difficult to catch minor differences with her attention now all but fully turned to her future classmate. As her world became flooded with vibrancy she was able to notice the surging and ebbing of flushed cheeks before her. "You're a witch and if I'm correct your parents are not. They are muggles. Our world is secretive. Unnecessarily so." She didn't add that her words were an opinion at the end because to her they were objectively not. Keeping muggles in the dark was overcomplicated and bond to fail spectacularly someday. Had it already? If it had surely she learn about it at Hogwarts. Unless... "I wonder how often these books lack weight because someone was self-conscious." It was in no way a jab at the girl, but just as well could be taken as such.

A displeasing palette in tower form caused her eyes to abruptly shift away from the conversation even if it was still going. Her mind was already pushing out whatever was going on in front of her to hone in on a straggly teen carrying a pile of books. "Unfortunately too old." Again no clarification. It be easy to assume though that she had meant the books as her finger shamelessly pointed towards the now visibly sweaty young man. They weren't the issue though. She supposed that meant she was just as much the issue as their holder was. He was likely lazy or scatterbrained both of which were common among people that wrote inside of their reading material instead of a separate notebook. It wasn't ideal, but still... "Sir, can I purchase those off of you instead?" She wouldn't need them for at least another two years if appearances weren't deceptive.

Whether or not she was allowed to read the material didn't give her pause. If they had allowed someone like that to have them than why couldn't she? Going only off of preconceptions her being a child was about the same as him being a complete and utter mess. If anything she looked the more thoughtful of the two though just barely as nest on her head now had haphazardly hanging glasses in it from when she had pivoted. She was aware that he could be potentially be a genius, but assumptions existed for a reason and that reason was diminished by taking offense to them. "Were you interested as well?"

The hollow plastic of her eyewear lolled free and gently hit the ground as Rin turned to put her face a little too close to her new companion's.

Rin curled the fingers that had been still pointing towards where the boy had been around the glasses as she listened to what she could only describe as wanting. It was like the dirty blonde beside her was on the cusp of... something. She waited for her to finish unable to seamlessly interject with all of the unexpected pauses and changes in inflection. When she finally felt like they wouldn't be creating muddled speech together, Rin shook her head. "He left. Maybe scared of your reaction or more likely his own. He seemed meek." It was an non-issue like the sky being blue. Something easily known wasn't there to offend her and so it didn't. The idea that it could ever offend Marigold or the boy might have formed if not for her focus shifting.

"Was it pride or funds that made you hesitant?" It was difficult for her to imagine what either answer would actually mean should it affect another opportunity. Asking should in theory only help their chances should... oh. "We could just ask someone that works here." The crowds had dwindled since they had nestled themselves in this forgotten corner. Whether it was a temporary lull or she had until closing to act she wasn't hesitant. Taking the most direct path she headed towards what she assumed was a clerk. Without turning and gauging if her level voice reached behind her, Rin after far too long gave her name in return "Noirin Polkinghorn."

Just as the curt introduction was given she had reached an everyman in faded reds floating books off of a cart onto a nearby shelf. From the twinkle in his eyes he probably thought she was introducing herself to him. He was wrong, but conveniently so. She would have outright asked for what was probably a favor without remembering people liked niceties. They also liked to feel important. "I and maybe we have some questions." Rin didn't check if she had been followed or abandoned. Maybe if he thought she was touched he'd be less hesitant to part with the books she now recognized as the boys. Hesitant she decided was a word she did not like.

The man spoke gently, a knuckled hand coming to his lips to stifle a laugh. He was amused by her request, but unfortunately only offered a compromise. He could write the notes himself for the books she was eyeing, but he would only do it for a few random pages per. It all seemed so nonsensical and while others enjoyed games of chance she did not. Still, she was quick to accept, shouting out numbers in quick succession. Maybe if he forgot what she said he'd do extra when torn between what he heard and what he thought he heard. His memory would prove to be impeccable. She realized the offer was for one set of books far too late. Or was it? "I can scribble in your books for you later. On more pages."

If the man was trying to pretend to not hear he was doing a poor job as his dimples tried to consume the corners of his lips. If he perhaps knew Norin was repeating first year he'd refuse her the arguably too-advanced material. He'd also advice that perhaps she should leave the other girl's reading material be. It wasn't as if he be entirely in the wrong, but it also wasn't like Rin would guess at something before writing it down. It's not like she could describe wand-waving anyway. She watched as the clerk's own wand was used as an extension of himself to gesture her to the front. Did he think her a thief? If she had the knack she wouldn't be imposed to the five-finger discount as she's heard it called. Was the stock traceable via magic?

The pale freckled Ravenclaw tracked Marigold's movements whether she stood close or saw to her own list. The foot-traffic had continued to lessen as outside the sky was beginning to look like it was being flooded by oranges, pinks, and purples. Her father would always remind her how much he liked how the trees turned black about now. It made him feel like he was in a storybook. She liked a good story, but there was nary a desire to be in one herself. The ones she enjoyed she couldn't see herself surviving as she was now. Even if she could why would she want to struggle without a goal?

Was Marigold more like her father? She seemed practical despite her thoughts seeming to burst out of the seams sometimes. Or was it she had enough left unsaid to compare to Rin's constant thinking? Either way it felt like a mirror of sorts to listen to someone verbally go through a similar process as she did mentally. "How much don't you say?" She spoke loud enough should Mari not be near, but regardless her question boomed in the now near-empty shop. It was an odd question that at best would be embarrassing and at worse could be interpreted as confrontational and get the girls kicked out before their guardians.