"Robes seem so impractical, though. All that swooshing around and the big sleeves."

"Yes, but think of the effect on your students! They show up at not-Hogwarts, excited to learn about magic - and who stands before them but an epic level wizard in the fancy robe with a matching hat. Besides, you can always get the type without the big sleeves. The swooshing around is a benefit, not a downside."

"I don't think I want to swoosh! There is a reason I am a jeans person and not a flowy dresses person. Maybe a calf-length sleeveless version? Would that work?"

"Oh, fine. If you have sufficiently fancy shoes."

"I could rock some neat boots, maybe. I don't know, I barely think about shoes. Do you have shoe opinions? Should I be using you for your shoe opinions?"

Darren snickers. "I have some shoe opinions. Savannah occasionally makes me shop for her, she likes the results but not the shopping and I tolerate it."

"All right, then you will have to help me with my making-an-impression-on-the-students-and-matching-my-robes boots. No heels please."

"Sure, I'll help. No heels," he agrees. "They're impractical."

"More on me than anyone else! Most people could have a prayer of eventually getting the hang of them!"

"And I would not want you to be killed by footwear."

"I dunno. Should I wear shoes at all at unHogwarts? I could just go in pawed."

"If you like, but you'd have to get robes to match your fur, and that could be a hassle."

"The stars and moons could be that goldy color."

"There we go, in that case - feel free to skip the shoes and go around pawed."

"I like the paws. I like so many things about being a sphinx, really, it's comfy."

Darren snickers. "I like being a peryton, too. It's very - I'm much lighter on my feet and faster in my natural form."

"Prancy!" suggests Bella.

"Prancy is a word for it."

"I reaaaaaally want to see the prancy pictures. Or actual prancing! You could placate me with real live prancing."

"I would be far too embarrassed to show real live prancing right after we kissed."

"Does that mean that to get what I want I have to not kiss you for long enough that it doesn't count as having just happened?" she asks archly, turning onto his street.

"No, that would mean that you would kiss me less and that would be terrible."

"So clearly you should show me the pictures and/or actual prancing while I wait for Charlie to come get me."

"I'm fairly certain that's a logical fallacy."

"Is it?" Park.