"That surprises me, as they don't even have magic to clean up after themselves." He felt more judgemental than he sounded -- despite his upbringing, he knew how to be polite, and these were not the times to express any sort of critical sentiment towards the nation's lesser half (or so he considered them).
"Oh, gossip is fine. It's just extra work, and I don't think we've bumped into each other in some time." Another question went, again, unverbalised, but he knew it had been some time since he'd seen her, though it could have been for any number of reasons.
"What are you reading?" He gestured to her book with his mug, careful not to spill. Even if he had magic, he preferred not to sully a book.