"Hopefully also not too unexciting," Migs heard his aunt comment, grinning as he shoved his hands into the pocket of his slacks after having shaken Fauna's hand. 

Migs nodded in greeting to the two other fellows at the table before turning his attention back to Fauna and his aunt.  Greyfriar he'd met earlier in the evening but he didn't remember meeting the younger fellow.  The two seemed engrossed in conversation, however.  Migs turned back to Fauna. 

The young Auror asked about the dance and Migs glanced around with a broad smile. 

"It has been fun - I've managed to snag a few dances here and there.  I'm not very well-versed in formal but I haven't been dragged out of the Hall, yet.  All signs of a success." 

Migs caught the expectant nod Tulojow kept casting him and shook his head, pointedly.  After a second, pointed, nod from the older woma, Migs turned back towards Fauna.  "I know she's wanting me to ask you about the Auror office.  She's hoping for some peer pressure," he offered with a grin.  He knew Tulojow was very much hoping he'd remain in England rather than return to the US at the end of the school year.  "But, I'm certain you're not wanting to discuss work here.  At a dance.  But, if you don't mind me appeasing her, do you enjoy it?" 

Knox spared a glance to Migs, Tulojow's American nephew who he'd met earlier and was now engaging Fauna.  Good lad he was and very nice for him to have the opportunity to be here for the Tournament.

But back the upstanding young Flynn Hughes!  How'd he know Fauna? "Godric's garters, man, she was one of my best students! We go back ages now, don't we, Fauna?" he laughed pulling Fauna into the conversation momentarily.  "Why, I've known her since she was a First Year! Nervous as a mouse, clever as a turnip! And look at her now! A true badger of an Auror.  I'd look out if I were you, Healer Hughes: she won't put up with any nonsense, not if I know her well."

He raised his glass.  "To nonsense!"  He beamed in the revelry of fine food and friends.

Fauna overheard a bit of conversation from Flynn about plants and family, and she smiled back at him for a moment.

She grinned at Tulo. Too much leisure would bore the Healer, that was for sure. Maybe Fauna should bring the trainees to the hut and hex each other outside - for old time's sake! It was a fleeting thought, and a half-joking one, but she missed those weekly get-togethers.

"I can relate to that," she chuckled at Migs' comment. "I'm sure you did fine, though," Fauna added quickly.

Fauna opened her mouth, about to happily tell Migs about the Aurors, when Knox claimed she'd been one of his best students. Her face flushed and she shook her head, laughing. Best student her bum! Fauna had dodged too many Trolls in History. Still, she smiled gratefully at him. Hogwarts and the Hufflepuff house held many good memories for her, and he'd made the castle feel like home.

"Nonsense!" She chimed in, raising one of the spare wine glasses.

"I haven't been there long," she told Migs, sipping at the wine. "Just since the summer. You know, ages and ages." Fauna was too amused by Knox's use of the word.

"The schedule's barmy," she warned him. "They really like to keep you on your toes, and call you in at random times, and mess up your date plans," Fauna glanced at Flynn.

"But it's worth it!" She threw an apologetic glance at her date. "I mean, you learn a lot. If you show that you're ready to work hard, and put up with filing, they're more likely to let you in on cases. And if you don't mind sometimes making a fool out of yourself... well, you'll love it too."

She smiled, meaning that. "The prank wars - Tulo, you should explain those."

It was like living in the Hufflepuff house all over again, with five Figaro's - they might not go so far as to break out in songs accompanied by armpit farts, but only because Raynor was watching.

“To nonsense!” Flynn repeated, raising tapping his glass against Knox’s. One of Knox’s students? Flynn gave him a puzzled look and glanced at Fauna. Come to think of it, he didn’t recall seeing Fauna around when he attended Hogwarts. Ever. Still, maybe that was becuase she was a few years younger than him and probably had a totally different schedule! Plus, she had been a Hufflepuff and him a Ravenclaw. It wasn’t like he would have seen her around the common room, studying and chatting.

Then Fauna mentioned that she hadn’t been at the auror office long. He knew that she was still in training... But he assumed that she had been in training for a while! Or that she had just started later. And... Didn’t that long-haired handsome fellow talk about peer pressure? But Fauna was too old to be a peer!

“How long ago was it..?” Flynn asked, “You know, since Fauna was a first year. How long have you known her, exactly?” Fauna was close to his age, right? In her twenties? But she just looked so young that he assumed that she took care of herself. There was no way anyone that was very young would be interested in an old geezer like him! Granted, Flynn didn’t think he was old, but he felt like he was too old for many eligible ladies.

Tulojow smiled as Fauna shifted from their conversation to Flynn and Knox' conversation and back.  The young woman's date seemed pleasant enough but still seemed to have eyes only for Knox.  Infatuated by the former Headmaster, his interest seemed to, naturally, be focused on his date and Knox.  Which appeared to leave Fauna torn between the two conversations. 

The Hogwarts Healer glanced between Fauna and her date and looked back to smile warmly at the Auror trainee. 

"Oh - I'm afraid he'll be offering more than a few contributions to the prank wars," Tulojow offered, nodding towards Migs as she pushed herself to her feet. 

"Well, my dear.  It was excellent to see you and you're looking wonderful.  I'm sure you're eager to get back to your date, though."  She smiled and nodded at the young man.  An interesting one, he was.  Peculiarly selective in his choice of company, but quirks weren't always a bad thing. 

Tulojow placed a hand warmly on the young woman's shoulder and nodded to the group before moving off towards the refreshment table. 

Tulojow & Migs' exit