Book Recommmendation (Tess and Humphrey)

Humphrey walked into the library and started browsing the fantasy section of it. He was looking for a good fantasy novel that he could recommend to Tess McCartney. And, she was going to recommend a book to him. Let's see where is it, where is it? Then he saw where it was. Yes, here it is. The Odyssey by Homer. It was the story of what happened after the Battle of Troy. Odysseus facing the Greek God Poseidon's wrath is he tried to travel back to his home.

He went over to a table in the center of the room and set the book down. Then he sat down in the seat and flipped to a random spot in the middle. It was a story in the form of a ballad, and he knew the story so well he could start anywhere and know what was going on and why. Such a brilliant rhythm to the lines. Now he was just waiting for Tess to arrive.

Oh the library, probably her second favorite place in all of Hogwarts. The first place was the Black Lake, the place she meditated, and practiced her shape-shifting. But here in the quiet, she felt almost as calm.

She trailed her fingers down a bunch of book spines trying to find the right book for Humphrey. She knew she was going to get some book that he'd enjoy and she'd figure she'd do something that she'd love back so he could see it. She picked up 'Dante's Inferno' and smiled brightly.

Hopping down the little ladder, she walked around trying to find him wondering where he decided to sit.

When he heard the sound of the ladder sliding across a bookshelf Humphrey suspected that Tess had arrived. Sure enough, when he looked up from the book she was looking around the library for him holding a book. He waved to her, and said at library volume, "Over here Tess!" It was not much louder than a harsh whisper, but those people used to libraries like Tess picked it up easily in general.

This was so much fun, he was really excited to see what book she had picked out for him. Tess McCartney always had excellent taste in books. For the time he had known her, every book she told him she liked had been a classic and sounded very interesting.

Hearing Humphrey's whisper, she whipped her head towards the noise and smiled brightly. Walking over to him, she held the book that she picked close to her chest, hiding the title from his view and looked at him curiously.

"Is that one mine?" she asked softly.

"Sure is Tess." he told her, covering the title of it with his hand. Humphrey smiled back at her. "Take a seat. Reveal which books we picked on three okay? One...two...three." he said, trying to keep his voice at library volume. He uncovered the copy of The Odyssey he wanted her to read. It was a beautiful copy, with amazing cover art on the jacket.

"What am I reading, what am I reading?" Humphrey asked, trying to make out the title of the book she'd brought him to read. You could hear the excitement in his voice.

Tess rolled her eyes at the book and shook her head with a grin. She'd heard of the book before, an adventure book, a Greek epic by the man who might not even be real named Homer.

"Well here is yours another epic itself full of adventure" she said eyes bright.

There she showed him the book illustration of Inferno, one of the three Divine Comedy and a 14th century epic.

"Wow, Dante's Inferno. I've been meaning to read that, it is one hundred percent up my alley. Great choice, Tess. Thanks for reccomending it to me." Humphrey told her as he took the back from her and looked at the illustration of the Inferno. The artwork was breathtaking.

"I wish I could draw or paint as well as the guy or girl who did this. That Inferno is breathtaking. You can almost feel the heat coming off of it." he said with a wink.

"Books are the absolute best. I don't know how I would survive without them. Could you survive without books, Tess?" Humphrey asked, looking at her.

Tess smiled that he liked her choice and took the book he had inspecting the quality of it. It seemed rather nice, and she smiled softly at it wondering how quick of a read it'd be.

"Could I live without books? Well you can live without a lot of things...and I could live without books, I just choose not too. I'm too dependent"

Humphrey couldn't help smiling, and laughing when Tess tried to answer his query. "I completely understand, I too, am dependent on books. They are like friends you can carry around with you, and pull out when you are lonely." he said, trying to explain it by comparing two things in a simile.

"I am so excited to dive into this book, and let my imagination make fantastic scenes in my mind. It is arleady imagining how good this book will be."

Tess rolled her eyes and smiled hearing his enthusiasm. She figured he was a much more dedicated person to books than she was.

"It's a good book, and while I haven't read an epic in a long time, Inferno is a great one. One of the books I had a chance to enjoy." she said softly. "I don't read as much as I used to" 

"You don't, Tess? Why not?" he asked her. He didn't know what he would do without his books. Humphrey had a passion for reading and writing, and it had always been there. It was just a part of who he was.

"I haven't read very many epics, but I have been meaning to. A couple are on my very, very long list of books to read. It has over a hundred books on that list. Hopefully, someday I can say I read all of them. It will take a while to do that though."

Tess shrugged and caressed the book spine as she tried to word it correctly. She knew that Humphrey had a passion for reading, as did she, she absorbed things like a sponge, but she'd lost touch with her artistic side.

"Well, I've been distracted recently, with two apprenticeships and so forth it's stressful" she explained.

She did not mention her own endeavors to transfigure herself.

"Two apprenticeships Tess? Wow, that must keep you on your toes. Which two people are you apprenticed to?" Humphrey asked Tess. He was only taking an Occlumency apprenticeship, and that kept him plenty busy.

"I'm taking an Occlumency Apprenticeship, but it takes up a lot of time. So, with taking two apprenticeships, I can see how you wouldn't have much time for books." he said.

Tess shrugged and smiled at the thought of, yes she was lucky.

"Since first year, I have been under the apprenticeship of Professor Romain, he wasn't really allowed before to teach a whole lot of unrelated lessons, but he did to a minimal. Now third year, he can take me officially as his mentor in Transfiguration."

She loved Transfiguration, and the fact that the Professor didn't even need to ask her, nor did she need to ask for the position, she was lucky it was given to her.

"My second one is with Headmistress Romain, she is teaching me dueling in the physical and magical way. So I'm busy all the time."

Hearing about occlumency she smiled finding it curious.

"Occlumency? That's great! Why did you want to take it?"

"Okay, that is really great Tess. I'm glad you are able to apprentice yourself in two things you are interested in. Both Romains are really nice, too." he said, smiling a bit. He had just started tutoring with the Headmistress to catch up what he missed on last year.

"Dueling is awesome! I almost tried to apprentice myself in that or Defense Against the Dark Arts. But, I didn't end up choosing it. I bet that class is really fun, and dangerous slightly." Humphrey said, smiling. That sounded like a fun apprenticeship. Also, very practical if you are attacked.

"I chose Occlumency because I want to be an Auror eventually. So, if I encountered a Legilimens, I figured it would be good to know how to protect my mind from attack. Also, I've always had anger problems. Occlumency teaches you to better control your emotions, and hopefully it will help me be a bit more in control of my temper." Humphrey told her. It was very interesting so far, and his best friend was the other Occlumency apprentice.

At the mention of anger problems, Tess frowned a bit. Had he anger problems? That sounded serious, and while she wanted to ask more questions about it, she decided not to, rather let it go as he had.

"An Auror? That's great, I am thinking of Either a healer or an auror myself" she said smiling.

"Thanks, I hope I can make it into Auror School when I graduate. But, it is really hard to get into it. You have to take a lot of NEWT courses. A healer would be great for you Tess. Or an auror, actually. You would make a great healer though, you are really nice and healers need to be nice and friendly." Humphrey told her. Personally, he thought she was better suited to being a healer, but either way she would be fine. She was a smart cookie.

If Humphrey didn't get into Auror School, he would probably try and work in the Department of Mysteries as an Unspeakable. "My second choice would be an Unspeakable at the Department of Mysteries. Only if I don't get into Auror school though. I've always been a very curious person, so I want to know what those mysteries are." Humphrey explained his second chocie.

Tess laughed softly at him and hisakesjift compliments. She knew that Healers were needed more, and she didnt know it it'd fit her to be an Auror considering how much she cared about the well being before attacking; hesitation would be foolish in battle.

"Thank you, perhaps I should be a Healer because of my niceness" she teased "But a Healer who can easily kick someone's arse if necessary"

Hearing his dreams and careers she wondered if it was early for them to start thinking. For one thing it was third year almost halfway over then back to the old grind for a few more years before it'd end.

"You'll be good at anything"

He laughed with Tess, and smiled at her. She was his library friend, that was when they first hang out. Humphrey almost didn't realize how much he had missed her until right now when they were hanging out. Talking about their plans for when they graduate from Hogwarts.

"Oh, I most definitely agree with that. An intimidating Healer would be pretty awesome. Especially if you dressed a little bit darker, or dyed your hair purple or a flaming red or something. You could create an evil alter ego for yourself, Tess." he said. That thought was hilarious and he just burst out laughing at the image that popped into his head. It was Tess, but with a fire orange hair color that had black tips. She was wearing dark black pants and a black, red, and white shirt that was a skull with flaming red eyes. Completely the opposite of the person he knew.

"Why thank you, Tess. I do try to be good at most things. That is when my curiosity pays off, asking questions in class and reading books on different things. Other times it just annoys people though." Humphrey told her, shrugging. He honestly didn't see why asking questions and showing interest bugged some people. But, for example, Tabi Prewett hated him. Probably because she thought he was nosy or something. It was weird, they had disliked each other instantly, and that had only happened to him one other time. When he found out Ivano and Tabi had dated he thought they would be great together. He despised them both so he figured they must have something in common.

Tess wrinkled her nose at the mention of color change and nudged him pouting as he starting to laugh. It wasn't by any means loud enough to get people to notice them, but his silent laughter meant that it was a hysterical image.

"No, just no" she said fighting a grin that was coming on. "You'll scar me for life!"

Her grin diminished a bit as he mentioned how people found him annoying. She wondered if she annoyed people, that was probably a yes.

"If it makes you feel any better I find you just a little bit annoying" she teased trying to lighten up the mood.

"You should do it once though. Maybe for Halloween or something?" he asked her. He would pay to see her do that. "Oh come on, it wouldn't be that horrible. Not one day or two looking like that." Humphrey said, struggling to control his laugher. He couldn't breathe because he was laughing so hard at the moment.

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment. If I'm annoying you feel free to tell me to shut up at any time." he told her in a teasing tone of voice. "It would be weird hearing you telling me to shut up, because you are always so quiet. Never seen you be a very demanding person yet."

Tess laughed softly and shook his head, at least he took enjoyment in teasing her. She'd never do that, at even the thought her hands went to her hair pouting.

"Don't make me hex you Humphrey Williams" she said poking him. "You're lucky you've never seen my mean side"

In fact no one had really seen her mean side...only Tabi, and that was accidental and not to mention a mess in her room over the whole accidental magic that she released.

"Yet? Wait you'll think I'll be demanding?" she immediately asked.

"Ah, don't feel bad Tess I was just kidding around. I know you'd never act anything like that. Come on, give me a smile?" he asked her. Humphrey knew Tess, she was the genuinely nicest person he knew. His second favorite person at Hogwarts, after Keiba.

"Come on, go easy on me. I'm just trying to be funny." he said, throwing his hands in the air. "Wait, you actually have a mean side?" Humphrey asked incredulously. "I thought you were made of sugar, spice, and everything nice." he said.

"No, I don't think you'll be demanding. I was saying I've never seen you act like way. But if you are a Healer, you will have to be a little bit more forceful. To make sure they drink their nasty potions and stuff." Humphrey explained to her.

Tess raised her brow before rolling her eyes and smiling as he'd asked. Honestly, how was she supposed to keep a straight face when he was giving her those looks, especially at her being mean.

"I do. I really do...everyone does. And I'm pretty sure I'm not made of those ingredients" she said laughing. "But have you ever thought to catch more flies with honey than vinegar? I think that's the term muggles use.."

Tess' expression was very amusing, she didn't know how to react to him. He let his laughter bubble up in his chest and escape. "Now that is one funny facial expression. If only I had a camera right now." His sides were getting sore from the hilarity of the moment, and he could barely breathe. He took one, two deep breaths and the pain lessened.

"Well yea. But yours is like, mildly insulting Tess. Whereas others people's mean sides are total jerk. Take me for example, most of the time I am fairly nice to people. But when you wake up my mean side I am a total jerk." Humphrey said, trying to explain.

"That is one of my favorite quotes actually. Yes, that is the correct phrasing, as well." he said. "Way to go, Tess. Props on knowing a Muggle quote."