Not So Quiet In The Library

[sandburg_zone]

The library wasn't as quiet as it could have been. There was the undercurrent thumping of drums coming from within the librarian's office. And with it, male voices chanting in latin, and with that the cat wail sounds of some eye-liner wearing lead singer that Blair Sandburg, current librarian at Hogwarts, had never heard of, but which he was

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[average_adam]

Picking up the sounds of music coming from the library, Adam went in to investigate. He'd been meaning to see the librarian anyway and now seemed as good a time as any if he were in.

Sticking his head around the door, Adam grinned and said, "Hullo!"

[sandburg_zone]

Head bopping to the music and a ready smile on his face, Blair turned in his chair as someone spoke. His grin got wider. "Hey, hi. A real live student. Come in, come in."

He reached over to lower the volume.

[average_adam]

"Yup!" agreed Adam. "Thanks. You haven't had too many visitors yet today, huh? Don't worry. You'll have plenty."

[sandburg_zone]

"You're my first official visitor ever, man. Other than Professor Crowley. So welcome, welcome and more welcome. Now, how can I help, man. Besides providing beverages and sustenance ?"

[average_adam]

Although it didn't seem possible, Adam's grin got bigger. "You've met Professor Crowley already? That's nice. He needs some friends. Actually, I'm here on behalf of someone else. He was sayin' how Hogwarts, A History is always checked out and I was wonderin' if we could get a bunch more copies since we're always gettin' new students and it's the best book for explainin' stuff about the school."

[sandburg_zone]

"Well if he's not opposed to friends, and he doesn't turn me into something creeping and crawling, he might have himself a new one."

Blair paused, looking at the young man in front of him thoughtfully. "I guess that makes you Adam."

He pulled a folder out from under a sheaf of papers and dipping a quill in ink, started to make a notation. Blair scribbled a little dollar sign next to it with a question mark. The way this school had turn over, perhaps the library could afford to sell copies of HAH and this way he wouldn't have a need to hunt down everyone holding a copy way past due.

[average_adam]

"That's right," he said, pleased. "I'm Adam. Crowley says he's opposed to havin' friends, but he isn't really. And he isn't gonna turn you into anythin'."

But he was raised as an honest boy. "Well, prob'ly not. Unless you do somethin' that really upsets him. But then I'd just change you back, so don't go worryin' about that."

Adam laughed at his expression. "I expect you'll be fine, though. So, how are you likin' Hogwarts so far? You're doin' a great job as Librarian. People will really appreciate havin' those books, I'm sure."

[sandburg_zone]

"If being a great Librarian is ordering a couple of books, I should be getting a plaque soon, and maybe raspberry chocolate brownies." He grinned, however and winked. "And there can be a nice petition if I get turned into tree frog."

Blair laughed softly, head titled back a bit. "Though maybe I won't get turned into something after all. Crowley does have a warning system. Most people do."

He motioned to the cart with tea, juice, cookies and sandwiches again and arched a brow to ask if Adam was sure he didn't want anything.

[average_adam]

"Well, since the last one yelled at people and didn't order any books, I'd say that's an improvement worth raspberry chocolate brownies," Adam said with a smile.

He tilted his head slightly to one side. "A warnin' system? I guess I never thought of it that way before, but you're right."

Shrugging, he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. Then a thought struck him. "Hey, you don't happen to have copies of New Aquarian Digest, do you?"

[sandburg_zone]

Blair grinned. "I told him I'd find an upside to it, and I have."

He paused at Adam's request. "I'd have to check, it might be listed under Divination Muggle Periodicals. But it's all a mess back here. Some of the prior librarians didn't see the point in Muggle vs Wizarding classifications. Others didn't see the point in any classifications...I can make a note of it and send you an Owl if I find one or need to order it."

He paused again. "Hmm, maybe I should send out a poll of some sort, see what the student population wishes were in stock."

[average_adam]

"Find an upside to what?" asked Adam curiously.

"Oh, it's not important. I was just wonderin'. I used to read it when I was a kid and it was supposed to be for witches, but not really the kind they have here."

Adam drank his juice. "So, is speed readin' and makin' stuff up on the spot really helpin' you on the job?" he asked politely.

[sandburg_zone]

"To his hissing." Blair winked and smiled, and then made another notation as Adam kept talking. It was still a good idea to poll the students.

He was still thinking about possible formats, idly of course, that Adam's question made him look up startled and cough a bit.

Blair laughed. "Librarians deal with a lot of paperwork. It helps. And explaining to Muggle-Schools who've never heard of Hogwarts, why I want to have an inter-campus library loan will certainly give my obsfucation skills a run for their money, definitely man."

Blair sat back in his chair. "Besides, making stuff up can always help in the right situation."

[average_adam]

Adam laughed. "But it's not always a warnin' hiss. Sometimes he does it when he's drunk or tired or real happy. Which is warnin' in its way, but not of danger."

He nodded seriously. "That's true. I don't like lyin' but sometimes you hafta do it. Or at least not tell all of the truth. What kinda books were you hopin' to get from inter-library loan? Do you think there will be much call for Muggle books here?"

[sandburg_zone]

"He mentioned that too. But it's a puzzle, all the little pieces to figure out his mood. Don't worry though, I'm used to stuff like that. It'll be easier than trying to find the right throbbing vein in is forehead, man. That stuff was killer."

The talk about his new job made Blair's eyes light up. "Well there's a lot of us Muggles around. And I figure people would like everything from novels to old text books of whatever disciplines they might have been studying before they arrived. And there might be a host of research material in other libraries for various personal interests, not to mention whenever Muggles got it right about aspects of the wizarding world from other countries, maybe."

[average_adam]

Adam frowned in thought as he tried to grasp the concept of just using body language and subtle cues to try and figure out someone's mood because you didn't just know. Adam just knew. He could see it pulsing all around them. When Crowley was angry, he was like a bright red black hole, when he was tired, he went sort of greyish and jagged, and drunk he looked pale orange and soft. Everyone was different. At the moment Blair was light purple and a bit wavy. Adam didn't just see colours, but since the rest of what he saw was ineffable in any human language, he normally just described it that way.

"Well, you can't really be Muggles if you can do magic, but there are a lot of Muggle-borns here. I never thought that they might like some books from home to make them feel more welcome, though." That earned Blair a bright smile that probably felt like being immersed in a warm bath of total acceptance and understanding.

"Got any other ideas for the library?"