Can you thread the needle? - 1.6

Red stepped out into the hallway and Miles followed, nodding at the two women.  "Here they are, Miles."

Miles grimaced at the thought that he probably hadn't made the best impression on their new partners.  "Red, I love you like my brother, but this is way too early in the morning to meet anyone."  He reached over and gently shut the door.  "And too early to interrupt their beauty sleep."

"I said forenoon and you agreed."

"I wouldn't have agreed if I'd know you meant forenoon forenoon," he said, looking wistfully at the closed door.

"Red said that you are dexterous," Ann interjected.

Miles shrugged and played a quick riff on his lute.

"Are you perhaps dexterous in other ways," Ann asked, pointing at the door lock.

"Absolutely not, miladies!" Miles said, looking all around him at the hallway before rolling his eyes and giving a couple exaggerated head nods that made it clear what his real answer was.

"How much is he like Kade," Lex suspiciously asked, directing her question to Red.

"Oh no," Miles said, holding his free arm up into the air at a right angle, "I'm nothing like the guy.  No means no.  Don't get me wrong, I know I'm a very handsome man with some extracurricular activities," he said, glancing over at the closed bedroom door, "But I'm nowhere near as full of myself as he is and I hope you'll find me rather a pleasant person to be around."

"Very well," Ann said, "This could be the beginning of a fruitful partnership.  My name is Ann and this is Lex."

"Nice to meet you," Miles mumbled, reaching up to tweak the brim of his hat at them as he turned to Red.  "So, Mr. Forenoon, what did you have in mind that required meeting at this ungodly time of day?"

"We need to go to the school," Red rasped, "Register, and be evaluated."

"I thought," Ann said, "That we could be evaluated during the first day of class?"

Miles snorted.  "Thanks for reminding us, Red.  The first day of class," he said, turning towards Ann, "Is the first day of Hell week and you wouldn't be evaluated until later in the day.  You want to be evaluated before that."

Red nodded and started leading the way to the school.  "What're your familiars," he rasped.

"We don't have any yet," Lex volunteered as Ann blushed.

"Oh, hold on," Miles said, stopping in his tracks, "Red, if they don't even have familiars, they might not even be level one yet."

"We're level one!"  Ann called out, her eyes narrowing.

"Don't get upset," Miles said, "Look, I have..." He broke off as he pulled out several papers from a pouch and flipped around until he held out one paper triumphantly.  "I have the familiar ritual right here.  Let's just go to a park, we'll work on casting it, and you'll have something."

"I'd like that,"  Ann said, as she felt the anger subside, "We appreciate your offer, thanks."

Lex merely looked on dubiously.