Marlene's head pops from around the corner of some tall shelves and she smiles, even as her eyes assess. "I'll be right with you, then," she says. "You can look around a bit if you want."

This past is different than the one Luna grew up learning. There was no wizarding war; instead they've grown up under a seemingly benevolent administration, one that Marlene increasingly feels oppressed by. Still, even with this peaceful world, she's seen the aftermath of trauma. A friend, another half-blood, had left the wizarding world behind and gone to fight in the conflict in Vietnam.

When he'd come home, he'd looked a bit like this very small teenage girl.

Marlene hops down from the ladder where she'd been placing a book in what she likes to think of as the Black-Malfoy section, after her richest customers, the ones who prefer their rare books still cursed.

"Want some tea?" She asks. "I just made a pot, and I always feel like these talks go better with a cup."