I Like Books
With a frustrated look on her face, Ravenclaw fifth-year Prefect Liza Cray walked up to one of the tables in the Hogwarts library. It was positively stacked with books on multiple subject matters, ranging from Applied Arithmancy to Dragon Breeding to Interpretive Dance Techniques of the Lemurians. Behind this huge pile could just vaguely be heard the sound of a quill scratching words on parchment.
"Pince. You're late," Cray said without warning. Nothing happened and she began tapping her right foot in an annoyed manner.
"Oi! Bookworm! Pay attention, will you?"
The quill's scratching stopped, and two pale hands appeared between two of the larger piles and moved them - carefully - to the side, revealing Irma Pince's face.
"Shush! This is a Library, don't you know," she admonished her dorm mate in a silent-but-insistent tone.
"Really? I thought this was the Quidditch Pitch," Cray snarked. "Listen, Pince, Professor Merryweather was quite annoyed you didn't show up in time for your Career Advice meeting, oh, ten minutes or so ago. So put away those books and get your skinny little arse in gear before you annoy him even further and he takes it out on all of us!"
"Oh," Pince said in a small voice. "I didn't realize it was…" She waved her wand, softly saying, "Tempus", and winced a little at the numbers it produced.
"Magic in the Library, Pince? Whatever would the Head Librarian say," Cray asked, grinning.
"Oh, stuff it." Pince looked at the large pile of books and grimaced. "Look, Cray, can you help me put these all back?"
"I could, but why should I? You made the mess, you clean it up," Cray stated, her grin devolving into a smirk.
Pince shot her a frustrated look, then stood up and rushed - no, walked quickly - past Cray to the desk of the Head Librarian. "Madam Libris? I'm terribly sorry, but it seems I forgot about a meeting. Could I leave the books on the desk until I return?" she asked in a soft voice.
The wrinkled old librarian didn't bother looking up from the dusty tome she was reading and instead just grunted an affirmative reply. With a 'Thank you, Madam,' Pince was out the door, not even bothering to look back.
-x-x-x-x-
"You are very late, Miss Pince," Professor Merryweather said, peering over his glasses at the fidgeting sixteen-year-old standing in his office's doorway.
"I'm sorry, sir, I was in the Library and -"
"Of course you were, of course." Dramatically he rolled his eyes, then begged her inside. He waited until she took a seat, then opened with, "Punctuality aside, you've proven to be a fine member of Ravenclaw House, Miss Pince."
As Irma Pince looked down, very at ill ease with any form of praise, the Professor opened a folio of parchment labelled with her name he had had lying on his desk for the past hour.
"Sixth in your year in Charms, my own subject, tied fourth in Transfiguration, seventh place in Defence, a passing grade in Potions and Herbology, and, yes, first in your year in History. Very well indeed. You should have no trouble taking your O.W.L.s in any subject, Miss Pince."
"Thank you, sir." Pince looked at her lap instead of meeting his eyes, he noticed.
"Will you be staying on for your N.E.W.T.s?"
Pince looked up for the first time, a pensive look on her face. "I suppose I am…"
"Well, have you given any thought as to what you wish to do after you finish your time here at Hogwarts?" he fished for more from the usually silent girl.
"I like to read," Pince said, almost wistfully. "I… I like reading a lot, sir."
He let out a small laugh. "Oh believe me, Miss Pince, we all noticed. You spend more time in the school Library than Madam Libris herself!"
Pince was smiling a little as her Head of House chuckled to himself.
"But you'll find there are not many careers to be made from reading," he continued, a stern look reappearing on his face. "With your thirst for knowledge, have you given any thought to joining the Unspeakables?"
"No. I mean, not really," she answered him.
"Why in Merlin's name not? There are far worse jobs than spending your time researching what makes Magic itself work, in my opinion."
"Well… I understand that, sir, but…" she trailed off.
An uncomfortable silence fell until he prompted her, "But?"
"Professor Merryweather, I don't want to be a researcher and especially not a Ministry drone. I. Like. Books. Sir." Pince punctuated her words with a stare.
"You wish to become an author then?" he asked, confused.
"No, I'm not that good at writing, I think. I think… I'd like to work in a bookstore, or maybe, a library," Pince mused.
"Very… unambitious, Miss Pince," he said after another pause.
"Nevertheless sir, that's my goal."
"If that's what it's going to be… I suppose we do need people to keep bookstores or libraries running." Professor Merryweather let out a sigh. "In that case, I recommend you take at least your Transfiguration and Charms N.E.W.T.s, as either subject might teach you some spells which are helpful in preserving older tomes. Perhaps continuing your Ancient Runes as well?"
Irma Pince nodded, pleased. "Thank you, sir. I'll do that."
As she curtsied slightly and then left his office, Professor Merryweather let out a sigh. What he hated more than anything was wasted potential, but Irma Pince had seemingly made up her mind years ago. As he looked at the next student's name on the roster, he cheered up a little. Filius Flitwick at least had a real passion for Charms, and he just knew his favourite fifth-year would be able to go far in life.
A/N: Written for the QLFC Semi-Final - Support Staff. 999 words.
Team character: Irma Pince. Position prompt: A day during their school years.
Thanks to Firefly for betaing.