My cheeks heat up, and I'm glad I'm not someone whose blushes are normally noticeable. At least, not according to Daphne they aren't, but she might just be trying to make me more comfortable. I wouldn't put it past her.
"Please tell me what you're thinking," I ask weakly as I retake my seat. Part of me wants to run away, but I'm too interested to hear his thoughts on why I'm like I am.
"I'm just wondering if there are some kinds of tests we can do to determine what's wrong."
I hug the kitten to my chest, to protect him from whatever Thomas is suggesting.
"Oh no, not on him. Potentially on you and your wand though."
"Is it safe?" I ask, relaxing slightly.
"I don't know." He stands up and looks through the bookshelf behind him, clearly knowing what he's looking for even if he's trying not to act like it.
"You've not done this before?" I ask.
"Actually, I'm doing my thesis on illness with magic," he responds. "Situations a bit like yours have always interested me. It's why I'm studying them now." He turns around and drops a book onto the table between us, being careful not to scare the kitten in the process.
The creature is growing on me by the second, even if he has a mischievous streak. As if to prove my point, he stands with his hind legs on my knees, and his front paws on the edge of the table, as if he too wants to look at what we're doing. The whole image is nothing short of cute. I wish I could get my phone out of my bag without disrupting him. He's being totally picture worthy.
"Mona?" Thomas prompts.
"Oh, sorry. What did you
say?"
He smiles, putting me back at ease after my little stint of ignoring him.
"There's a case like this reported a hundred and fifty years ago. Without the kitten, but other than that, it's exactly what you describe." He pushes the book towards me and I scoot closer to the desk. The kitten climbs onto the table, clearly not wanting to be subjected to me moving beneath him.
"Ebenezer?" I echo what I read. "I've heard that name somewhere."
"A Christmas Carol, maybe?" he jokes.
I give him a wry smile. Amusing though his answer is, I recognise the name from somewhere else entirely, but I can't put my finger on where. "I'd remember if it was from a book."
"Maybe if you work out where it is, we might have some ideas of where to look next for a cure."
"You think I'm curable?" I don't even feel bad for the eagerness that enters my voice. I want to be able to do magic again. It's so restricting not being able to.
"I think you should be." He stands up straight and rubs the back of his neck.
"Whatever it is you want to ask, just say it." I lean back and cross my arms, waiting for the question I know is on his mind, even if I don't know exactly what it is.
"How did you..."
"My brother-in-law makes a similar gesture when he wants to ask my sister something," I admit.
"Oh." He chuckles uncomfortably.
I don't let it get to me. I need him to actually voice what he wants to say or we won't get anywhere with this.
"I was wondering if you'd let me use you as a case study for my thesis," he mumbles.
I raise an eyebrow, not knowing what the best way to respond to that one is. Oddly, I feel a lot more confident in here than I have during most of my time at Grimalkin. Unless I'm alone with Daphne. I'm going to put it down to Caspian paying attention to me first, then Thomas not judging me for my lack of magic either.
"We'll try and work out what's wrong with you as we go, I'll just write it all up as I do so I can submit it." He rubs his hand around the back of his neck again, clearly it’s some kind of nervous tick he has going.
"Will that be permitted?"