i got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine

[backward]

There are many reasons Effy chose a hut close to the waterfall, the most relevant of which is that the sounds of water cascading soothe her, and perhaps also that it is relatively isolated, nowhere near as crowded as any given area of the Compound. Granted, she had to brave the rec room in order to find the book she is now reading, but thus far,

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[seek_to_end]

Harry was not always the most observant of boys. In fact, Hermione could have berated him daily for not paying attention in class or just generally in life. She likely would have too if she had thought it would have done any good. It wasn't that he couldn't pick up on things, as though he were physically unable. Despite his poor eyesight, during a Quidditch game he could keep his eyes and ears peeled better than anyone. He had proven that in nearly every game. But when not up in the air, Harry hadn't felt much reason to be so attentive

[backward]

"Reading," answers Effy. Unwilling to shout except to get his attention, the response comes out no louder than usual, so she lifts the book for him to see in the event that he couldn't hear. One last drag of her cigarette and she puts it out on the moss, tossed in a narrow crack along with a growing pile commemorating all the other times she has smoked up here. One day, she may count them, but for now she's content to leave them here as if marking her territory.

Marking her page, Effy shuts the book and pushes into the same corner; she'll come back to it later, perhaps tomorrow or the next day, but for now she's glad enough not to need fiction as an escape from the boredom of everyday reality. Swinging her legs over the edge, she faces Harry, nudging as if to turn the question back on him, but as she isn't likely to be heard either way, she doesn't bother to ask it aloud. Instead, she glances down and tries to figure out a descent that doesn't end with her soaking wet.

[seek_to_end]

He caught the sound and shape of her words, but he needed the glimpse of her book to put two and two together and make a proper response. Nodding his understanding, Harry started to form the next natural question when Effy began to move

[backward]

She could use a hand, there is no use denying. Whether she will accept it, however, is a different matter altogether. But Harry differs from the majority of people here in that she likes him, might even trust him, although might take some time yet, and she can't quite understand why. He does, however, have in his favor the fact that he demands little of her, and seems to accept that she offers what little information she does on her own terms. He also doesn't seem to find her strange, and although she typically aims to unsettle, some reprieve from all that goes a long way.

"I was planning to jump," she shouts back with a shrug, a compromise between asking for help and staying silent. If he was a better idea, she's happy to hear it; if he only offers his help, she might just accept it.