Vertically Challenged

[Lucan White]

Lucan knew that he was making progress when he could go out shopping without needing to be accompanied by one of his brothers. It was a small step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless; two years ago, he would never have dared do something so bold, let alone do it without having a panic attack beforehand. His newfound independence lent him a kind of freedom he had not known before, or that he had not known since his childhood, which he had mostly forgotten, and as he stepped into the warm, musty-smelling bookshop, he felt lighter on his feet than if he had wings. He couldn't help but think it silly to be so proud of such a small accomplishment, but he was enjoying the moment too much not to relish in it.

The bookshop was fairly spacious, and by the window several tables and chairs formed a seated area where tea and coffee was served to customers who wanted to stay a while and read. Most importantly, there were no torches, lanterns, or candles in sight; during the day, the shop was lit entirely by the generous daylight omitted through the vast windowpanes. Smiling at the shopkeeper - Lucan was something of a regular - Lucan headed over to the history section. He wasn't particularly interested in history, and never had been, but he was interested in the poems he knew to be scattered about one of the large, leather-bound books on the tallest shelf. Rolling up onto his tiptoes, Lucan stretched to retrieve the book, but the stupid thing was an inch out of his grasp no matter how hard he struggled. He didn't even have his wand with him. Who knew he'd have needed it at a bookshop?

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

When Matt had taken April out to buy her school books, he had managed not to buy any books for himself. But now that he had tidied up his bookcase, he had actually found some room for new books, which made him eager to buy some new books to fill it up. Before he lived with Kyle, he'd had books scattered around on every surface without much care, but now that he was living with his partner he wanted to be more considerate. Also, technically he still had plenty of unread books waiting for him. But shopping for books was still something wonderful, the simple smell of a bookshop was enough to make Matt's day better. As he headed inside, a smile grew on his face. It had always saddened him that both his younger sister and daughter failed to appreciate this sensation. Neither ever wanted to go to a bookstore just for the sake of it.

After browsing the beautiful store for a while, he headed to his favorite section of any bookstore. The historical books. Before his position at Hogwarts, History had just been one of his many interests, but working with the material made his interest grow. He was always looking for new tidbits of information he could add to his lessons to make them more informative. As he approached the shelves, he noticed someone else already there. Matt paused and watched him try to reach a book for a moment. Then he realized he was being rude, and cleared his throat. "I can help you with that." He said as he approached the other man. "Is it this one you need?" He picked the book off the shelf that he thought the man had been reaching for, showing it to him to confirm it as the right one.

 

[Lucan White]

Just when Lucan was about to admit defeat, his saviour came to get the book down for him. "Aw, fanks," he said, offering the taller man a grin. "Thought I was gonna pull a muscle in me stomach there for a second. Aye, that's the one. Can I 'ave it?" Lucan held out a hopeful hand.

I'm so sorry it's so short

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Apparently short suits him

Matt smiled at the man and nodded. "Of course." Though he didn't pass it to him immediately, he first looked at the cover and smiled. "Poetry? I didn't even know they had books like that in this section." He said as he handed it over to the other man. "I assume it's historical poetry, or something of that nature?"