George raised a good point, was there any professional value in taking an astronomy class? June shrugged. "I can think of at least one profession; astronomy professor."

June winced when she realized just how empty the praise she gave her father was. Good ideas are meaningless if there's nothing to back them up. "Merlin, George, if you only wanted to be friends with me for free books you could have just said so." She jokingly elbowed her friend in the ribs.

She followed George down the line of books, seemingly to eavesdrop on the fathers. June stood on her toes, trying to catch a glimpse of the pair through the gaps in the shelves above her. "Them? Friends?" Well, the two did seem to be having an interesting chat. "Guess that would be a bit strange. But not the worst thing, right? I mean, we're friends, somehow. At least they're not both crying or something." June's father was talking passionately about something, and June could only briefly pick out the words "school", "draft" and "reissuing".

Oh, right. June gave up on her tip-toed attempt of listening and went flat on her feet, frowning slightly at how much taller George became as a result. "Well, I didn't mention it was you specifically, but I may or may not have sent a very emotional owl home after all... all that. You didn't tell yours how awful I was in that detention, right?" June's eyes went wide. "Does... does he even know?" She mimed zipping her mouth shut. "I won't say a word about it ever again, don't worry."

"Bit of a pyramid scheme," said George skeptically, regarding learning astronomy to teach astronomy. It wasn't like they were sending wizards to the moon. What could possibly be so important about knowing where all the planets and stars were at all times? One could fly out of the solar system and never come back and George would be none the wiser. It would not impact him at all, aside from potentially having to write an essay about it in Astronomy.

He grunted when he felt June's little toothpick elbow nudge his ribs. "The library is full of free books that don't require me to be friends with anybody," he observed, verbally indicating the thin ice which supported June and George's newfound friendship.

The boy raised his eyebrows at June when she discussed the pair of dads becoming friends, and the alternative. "...Does your dad... cry much?" George said, before shaking his head quickly. "Don't tell me that. None of my business. I mean, I guess I would understand if he did. You are his child."

Pursed lips and a sympathetic nod from the snippy not-Slytherin as the two settled down and paid attention to each other rather than to the conversation of dads going on in the next aisle. "I never tell my dad anything about what happens at Hogwarts," George said with a careless shrug. "Least of all what I get in trouble for. They send letters home when I get detention, though. Well, usually... I don't think Opeila wanted that one on the record, to be honest. I'm fine to leave it be..."

Very much fine to leave it be. He looked around for something to distract himself, finding another nearby book to browse and turning it over in his hand. Some sort of wizard young-adult fiction about a girl choosing between however many eligible bachelors while suffering the oppression of a totalitarian regime. Very relatable, as he too was concerned about being killed for political reasons and choosing the wrong boy to kiss. "Have you got the time? I've got to get my dad home soon - he's only got a digital watch, it doesn't work in here..."

As June's mouth began to open to let an "I don't think I've seen my father cry" out, it snapped shut at George's revoking of his question, only to hang agape at the slight that was thrown her way. "Hey!" The concept of friendly banter was still quite new and confusing to June, and while she was learning slowly but surely, often things still took her by surprise.

George turned away to peruse titles, and June, ever defaulting to the ways of her much cooler seniors, thumbed through a few books herself. Romance, romance, romance, it was almost sickening. She sighed, turning over the book George had recommended to her in her hands. "The Splintered Heart" it was.

"The time?" June looked around, "I don't, but there must be a clock around here somewhere..." Her eyes landed on one hanging on the wall opposite from the pair. "Ah, there's one. Five 'till three." She smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her skirt. "Well, if you're needing to go home, I shouldn't keep you waiting." She gave her friend a curt nod, as if ending an official grown-up business meeting. "Thanks for the book recommendation. If it's bad I'll never forgive you." Well, George Henry was certainly rubbing off on here, that was for sure.