Tree Climbing! (open)

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

Cassie missed working. It kept her busy, it kept her doing things. She loved doing things. Not that she wouldn’t do other things now that she was back at school, but those things would not make her money. Maybe she could think of something to do around the school that could make her some… selling potions to underclassmen? Charging for giving passwords to secret passages? She really needed the money, but she couldn’t have a job during the school year. It wasn’t like she wanted to go and splurge on expensive jewelry or something, she just needed it for books and parchment and ink. Her parents cut her off completely when she decided to go to Hogwarts. Her first year she had gotten by on borrowing from newly made friends, and then she started getting little jobs around her neighborhood every summer, saving up for the beginning of the school year again. Once she was older, these past two years mainly, she had gotten actual jobs that involved her putting in sometimes thirty to forty hours per week. She planned on moving out after this school year, with any hope, though she had no idea where she’d go. Permanent residence at the Leaky Cauldron? She’d just have to wait and see.

The last thing Cassie wanted to do this early in the year was start to worry about family things. School was her time to relax and have fun and just be herself again, and she wasn’t going to ruin that by worrying about the future. No siree! She was going to do something fun, something just for herself. Her hair back in a high ponytail, Cassie took her wand and put it through the hair by the hair tie, like those people who put the chopsticks in their hair. Of course, she was careful to have the tip of the wand pointing up… just in case. Since it was a weekend, and the beginning of term to boot, she didn’t have much work to do. Instead, she donned some flare jeans, a light green jacket, and old, ragged Converse (which had several holes worn into them from almost daily use) before leaving her dorm. That done, she set out onto the grounds.

Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. That was probably because of how early it was. At 8:00 in the morning on a weekend, most of the castle was asleep. What teenager wouldn’t want to sleep in on a weekend, after all? Well, the obvious answer was Cassandra Thomson. She loved the morning hours, the sunrise, the birds waking up and chirping good morning. It was quiet, it was refreshing, and it was the best way to start her day. She set off with the intention of just going for a little walk around the grounds, until a sound from the ground next to nearby tree caught her attention. There was a bird on the ground, hopping little and chirping a lot.

Unable to leave the poor bird, Cassie’s figure could be seen running off the path and up to the nearby tree. The bird wasn't injured, but it didn't look like it could fly, either. It had probably fallen out of it's nest. The poor thing! "Hey there, little fellow. Don't worry, shhhh, it's going to be alright. Can you stay in my pocket?" Scooping up the little bird and gently placing him in the front pocket of her jacket, Cassie glanced at the tree. Placing one foot on the lowest branch, she tested her weight to make sure it would hold. Satisfied, Cassie lifted herself up, beginning her ascent through the branches and leaves, leaving falling leaves and twigs in her wake.

((I'm thinking whoever wants to join could have seen her start to climb, or notice the rustling, or see her through the leaves? And they can think she's crazy, it wouldn't be the first time. :-p ))

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

It was morning, early morning and Cynthia was groggy, very groggy. She hadn't been able to sleep more than a few hours, plagued by . . . well not plagued, but rather taken back by sexy dreams about Remus Lupin. She shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her mind. The whole thing just made her feel incredibly awkward, as if the whole love potion situation hadn't been bad enough, now she was having tasteless, unladylike dreams about him. She closed her eyes for a moment and all she could see was Remus half naked, yikes! Cynthia convinced herself that it was lingering affects of the potion, after all, the entire ordeal had only happened a week or so ago. Besides, all she needed to have her dreams return to normal was a wink from Sirius Black. She sighed at the thought, she hated that Sirius made her such a stupid, giddy sixteen year old girl. It was embarrassing! Cynthia put her pillow over her face and groaned the whole thing was just ridiculous. It was so early in the year and she already felt like her life was off balance and overly dramatic. She removed the pillow quickly and sat up in bed, sleep was just not happening now.

Quickly she ruffled her hair, which was probably a complete mess, and threw on whatever clothes she could find. It ended up being a pair of white gym-like shorts and a black t-shirt, along with a pair of black converse. She left her dormitory and headed for the grounds, hoping to get some fresh air and some much needed clarity. It was a bit chilly out, as it was morning and quickly approaching the fall season and Cynthia shivered a bit when she stepped into the cool morning air. When the initial shock wore off she stood just outside of the castle, letting the wind blow through her hair, letting it finally wake her up.

She began a slow walk, opening her eyes to the world and examining everything around her. Smiling softly she breathed in the fresh air and gazed at the leaves that was just on the verge of changing color. It wouldn't be long before all of the green grass disappeared and left in its place patches of brown dirt. Cynthia didn't want to think about it because her mind would wander further, to snow and to spring and to going home for the summer all over again. She wanted to appreciate everything as it was for just a moment. As she walked her legs felt weak and tired, they weren't ready to be awake. So, Cynthia decided to give her legs a break and have a seat underneath the nearest tree. She heard a rustling and looked up, her eyes widening when she saw a person above her. Cynthia let out a yelp and stood up quickly, unsure of what to do about the person in the tree. Not recognizing them right away by the shape of their body and still not completely awake, Cynthia was feeling overwhelmed.

"What are you doing? Hellooooo?" She blinked a few times and looked up into the tree again, what could someone be doing in a tree at 8am? Cynthia couldn’t wrap her mind around it, the person must be crazy, that was the only plausible conclusion she could come to. She wondered whether she should run, whether she should go and find a professor. Something kept her from doing so; instead she aimed her wand and waited until the person answered her.

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

There must have been another person on the other side of the tree, because Cassie hadn’t managed to climb more than two or three branches before she heard a voice addressing her from below! She hadn’t imagined that anyone else would be awake at this hour, and the trunk of the tree was so thick that it hid whoever else was roaming the grounds that morning. Of course, once she took a minute to really listen to who was speaking she knew the voice immediately. It was Cynthia! You weren’t in the same house and year with someone for six years and not know their voice. Especially not when you share a room with them! Cassandra considered herself lucky in the way that she seemed to get along with almost everyone. She had a high tolerance for people’s annoying little quirks, and often let little things slide when dealing with people she had to see on a daily basis, like her fellow Gryffindor sixth year girls.

Cassandra shifted her weight a little. She could see the little bird’s nest up a few more feet, though she wanted to let Cynthia know it was just her before she did something like hex her out of the tree or wake up the whole castle yelling at her! ”Cynthia, it’s just me! It’s Cassandra!” she yelled back, peeking her head out of the branches so that she had a clear view down to where Cynthia was standing. She was surprised to see that there was a wand aimed at her, though she figured if she thought someone was sneaking around spying on her in a tree she would’ve taken the offensive as well. “There was a bird on the ground, I was just going to put him back in his nest!” she said, as if this explanation made her actions more understandable. Of course it didn’t, she was still just as crazy for climbing a tree to find a bird’s nest, but at least she had a reason. There were plenty of times when she had climbed trees for no reason other than she had the heart of a five year old.

”Here you go, chirpy,” Cassandra said, finally reaching the nest. She was now eager to get back down and find out what Cynthia was doing awake and outside this early. She took the still chirping bird out of her pocket and placed him in the nest with his brothers and sisters (who had been careful enough to not fall out of the tree). ”You guys keep him in line, alright?” Cassie sometimes fell into the habit of talking to animals or even inanimate objects, knowing full well that they couldn’t respond, and possibly couldn’t even understand her. She liked to think that they did, though.

”Coming down!” she yelled, warning her roommate of her descent. After all, who knew how old this tree was? There was bound to be a falling twig or something from her movement, and she’d hate for Cynthia to not be warned and end up getting hit on the head with something, or end up with unwanted leaves in her hair. Then again, she had been sitting under a tree, so maybe she didn’t mind a little tree debris.

Cassandra was nearly at the bottom, just 15 or so feet left to go, when her foot slipped. Of course, it was to be expected. She was hurrying, something that should probably not be done when climbing down a tree. Losing her balance wouldn’t have been a problem if he nearest branch hadn’t been so frail. Cassie reached out and grabbed on to the nearest branch, which snapped under her weight. Before she knew it, she was tucking her knees to her chest, ready to brace herself for impact with the ground.

Branches rushed by her, some scratching her hands, though luckily her jeans and jacket protected her arms and legs. At the very last second, about seven feet from hitting the ground, she managed to grab hold of a sturdier branch. With a jolt, her body stopped falling, feet dangling about a foot off the ground. She just hung there for a second, stunned that she had caught herself, eyes wide as she looked over at Cynthia. Then, once the shock of the save was over (which didn’t take but a second or two), Cassandra laughed. And laughed. It was one of those moments when, even though the situation wasn’t that funny, she couldn’t manage to stop. If Cynthia wasn’t positive she was crazy before, she certain must’ve been now.

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

Cynthia nearly jumped out of her skin when the voice in the trees finally answered her. Luckily, she had lowered her wand slightly, otherwise Cassie would have gotten zapped with something potentially dangerous. A wave of relief flooded over her when the voice identified itself as Cassandra Thomson. Cynthia almost chuckled to herself, of course it would be Cassie! In all the years she had known her and shared a room with her this sort of thing still scared the living crap out of her. What Cynthia couldn't understand was how in the world she didn't realize that Cassie was gone? She decided that it had to be those oh-so vivid dreams, dreams like that could make any girl lose half their senses.

Cynthia was just about to ask Cassie why she was up in the tree in the first place when she answered her. This time Cynthia was not surprised, for Cassie this was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Her reasoning worked for Cynthia as well, odds are she probably would have done the same thing without hesitation.

"Oh! Cassie, I could have blown you to pieces! You should really come down from there!"

She yelled up to the girl just before she heard her yell 'coming down'. The next set of events were just as nerve racking as all of the others that morning. Jumping out of the way, she watched in horror as Cassie fell down the tree. She felt helpless, what could she possibly do to help her friend? In that moment it hadn't occurred to her to do anything magical, so instead she squinted her eyes shut and awaited a loud thud and possibly a painful scream. She held her breath, hoping beyond all hope that she wouldn't have to run for Madam Pomfrey.

After a few seconds of waiting for the thud that never came, she opened her eyes to see Cassie dangling from a tree branch. Her eyes went wide as her face twisted in confusion. When she finally realized that Cassie was OK and actually laughing, she let herself breathe again. Her relief was short lived and like an over protective mother she scowled and placed her hands on her hips.

"That's twice this morning you could have been killed! Cassie, it really isn't funny at all."

She sighed, knowing that no matter what she said Cassie would think the situation was hilarious. So instead of lecturing her anymore, she slumped down against the tree and sprawled her legs out underneath it. Why on earth was Cassie up that early? At least Cynthia had a somewhat legitimate reason for being up . . .sort of.

"So, besides saving birds, what brings you out here this morning? It's not even 9am."

Cynthia was trying her best to be friendly and lively, even though the hectic morning had her feeling a bit sour. She patiently awaited a reply as she caught her breath and tried to make sense of everything. This had already been the most interesting morning she'd ever had.

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

Cassandra had to really, really focus to stop laughing. For some reason just the entire situation she was in, from the climbing to the falling to her current state of dangling, it all just seemed hilarious to her. What other person would’ve had that little adventure so early in the morning? Most likely no one other than herself, because she just didn’t have normal days most of the time. And that was perfectly fine with her! She knew that her friends had come to expect such behavior from her, which had been why Cynthia didn’t seem too surprised when she identified herself.

"That's twice this morning you could have been killed! Cassie, it really isn't funny at all."

Cassie giggled a little more but managed to keep her reactions under control for the time being. Clearing her throat, she let go of the branch she was clutching to so desperately and landed gracefully on the ground. She saw the scowl and heard the almost parental tone that was coming from Cynthia and wanted to laugh again, but didn’t. She really was thankful to have such great friends around to worry about her and care if she did stupid things. It was a nice change of pace, really. If she was being honest with herself, she usually just did whatever she wanted without thinking of the consequences because that’s the way of life she was used to now. Her parents certainly didn’t care about her, and they weren’t about to offer her advice or tell her what to do. She was just used to being on her own and doing her own thing that sometimes she forgot that there were commonly accepted ways to act or go about things like being up at eight o’clock in the morning.

”I’m sorry, Cynthia! I really am! I didn’t mean to scare you, or make you almost hex me to death. I certainly didn’t mean to fall down the tree, but it all ended alright, didn’t it?” Cassie heard the sigh and didn’t want her fellow sixth year to be angry with her. Cassie loved having tons of friends around, and the idea of someone being mad at her already was something she didn’t want. Not that apologizing for being a little careless would change things, but it was the thought that counted, right?

"So, besides saving birds, what brings you out here this morning? It's not even 9am."

Cynthia was sitting on the ground now, up against the tree. Cassie decided that she had enough standing for a little while and sat down a little bit away from Cynthia, still under the shade of the large tree but a few feet away from its trunk. ”Me? I just love the morning hours! Sometimes I’ll get up and go for walks or a little ride on my broom and get back before the rest of you even start to wake up!” Cassandra smiled a little at this. ”I just don’t sleep a whole lot these days. Just enough to refresh myself, and then I want to be off doing something! And the mornings are great. Everything is waking up, starting anew. Seeing the sun rise is one of my favorite things,” she admitted. She was a morning person, and she knew how rare her kind were becoming.

”What about you, Cynthia?! What brings you out here on such a fine morning? It’s nice to see another person out and about before noon on a weekend!” The last bit was obviously a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much for some of the students. She had seen people sleep past lunch before, which just seemed ridiculous to her. She couldn’t imagine waking up to find half of her day was gone already! She just didn’t understand how these people did it sometimes.

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

"I’m sorry, Cynthia! I really am! I didn’t mean to scare you, or make you almost hex me to death. I certainly didn’t mean to fall down the tree, but it all ended alright, didn’t it?”

Cynthia couldn't help but give her fellow Gryffindor girl a soft smile, something about her was almost childish and free. This may sound like an insult, but to Cynthia it was quite the opposite. There were days when she felt much older than sixteen and longed for a simpler time in her life, free from the stresses of school and the drama of certain friendships. She admired how easily her friend looked beyond all of the trivial things that Cynthia was often consumed with and could focus on appreciating nature. These days the only thing Cynthia appreciated was a good look at Sirius Black's backside and according to her sub conscience, Remus Lupin's as well. Lost in her thoughts, she almost forgot to reply to Cassandra, but luckily her mouth realized what it had to do.

"It did, you're fine, I'm fine, and all is well. Sorry Cassie, I'm just a bit jumpy this morning. It's not everyday I actually drag myself out of bed this early."

Like a lot of her fellow students she had a habit of sleeping in, but unlike them she was not one to waste away her day by sleeping until noon. Usually Cynthia was up at about 10:30, which she considered a reasonable hour. She was finally feeling some kind of peace, leaning against the tree, when it was interrupted by a fierce growl of her stomach. Cynthia chose to ignore it for the moment, instead focusing on what Cassie had to say about why she was up so early. She listened carefully, smiling the whole time at how lively Cassie's voice was when she spoke about the morning and the outdoors.

"I must admit the morning is nice, it's very quiet and peaceful out here. It's nice to see the grounds empty like this and it's kind of neat to hear something other than the shuffling of feet and the voices of our fellow students."

It was amazing how contemplative the morning was making her, she was half convinced that she should start waking up earlier. If she could get past the grogginess and stiffness that ruled her body in the morning, she might just be able to appreciate mornings like Cassie did. This was doubtful because even though Cynthia was a fan of trying new things and thinking outside of the box, tons of sleep was just one of those things that she would not be able to deny herself.

Cynthia burst into laughter when Cassie asked her what had brought her out there. Now it was Cassie's turn to think Cynthia was crazy! She could barely control herself because she hadn't even thought of how stupid it would sound to tell someone about her dreams. A few tears streamed down from her eyes and all she could spit out was an "I-I, you won't, it's so silly . . ." Every time she started to tell her about it the laughter would sneak up on her, her body was shaking with laughter over something that wasn't even that funny. When she regained a little bit of composure, enough to speak, she started her story about the whole love potion mess.

"Oh you just won't believe what I did, you won't . . . It’s so . . . ridiculous. I-I drank. .a love potion, by accident!"

The laughter poured out of her again, this would mark the first time that she could laugh about the situation. Immediately after the love potion fiasco had happened Cynthia had felt mortified and for a day or two after she avoided Remus (and Sirius) like they were the sources of the bubonic plague. She knew how silly it was to get so worked up over it, especially now that she had the opportunity to tell someone about it and truly reflect on that day. She stuttered out the rest of the story between her giggle fits, trying to say it all as quickly as possible.

"So I drank it and Remus Lupin ends up saying hello to me right after. And I just throw myself at him, like a love-sick rag doll. . And and so finally, after he's terrified by my declarations of love for him . . . Sirius Black shows up! Luckily he's got an antidote and all is well . .but then last night. .and this morning, all I could dream about was Remus Lupin naked!!"

Cynthia clutched her stomach and roared with laughter; hopefully Cassie thought it was as funny as she did. Laughing as hard as she was, it was hard to think of the embarrassment she would feel if Cassie thought she and her story were completely stupid. Then again, odds are Cynthia wouldn't care much, it was hilarious to her, no matter what anyone else thought.

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

Cassie had read the phrase ‘and the relief flooded through her’ several times in her journeys through novels, both muggle and magical. It was one of those phrases that didn’t seem to mean anything until it actually happened to you. One of those things you read about and you know what it means, but you don’t really understand the impact until it hits you personally. And as Cynthia agreed that all was well between the two of them despite Cassie’s little episode a few minutes back, she could actually feel the relief sweep through her, like it was coursing through her veins, like water, flooding through her body. It was one of those novel moments, when a phrase suddenly came to life, and it made Cassandra smile.

“Oh, it’s fine! I get jumpy sometimes too, though for me it’s usually at night. I have this thing where I hate to be alone in the dark, so if I’m out too late in the halls, or if I get lost down a darker corridor, I’m probably the jumpiest person in the world,” she admitted.

Cassandra knew that being afraid of the dark was a silly fear, something that she really didn’t have base for, but it was there none the less. She wasn’t afraid to admit it to people, either, because it was just something that was a part of her. She wasn’t embarrassed by it; it was just another thing that made her who she was. For someone who did embarrassing things on an almost daily basis, she seemed to have no idea that some people may laugh at her for some of these things.

Cassandra listened as Cynthia talked about her view of the morning. She was glad to hear that she liked it, for almost all of the same reasons as Cassie. It was quiet and peaceful, and as crazy and social as Cassandra was most of the time, she really enjoyed the stillness of the morning, when most people were asleep and the outdoors was just doing its own thing, not stepped on or bothered by anyone (other than her, that was).

”Isn’t it just?” Cassandra agreed eagerly. “The best is when it’s just a little windy out. If you lay down in the grass at just the right spot, the wind rustling through the grass sounds like the ocean! I’m constantly amazed by the amount of noises I hear out here, when it’s just me. Everything has a little unique call of its own…”

She debated lying down in the grass right then but decided against it. She liked to face people when she talked to them, instead of staring around at her surroundings. If she was lying down, then she’d be staring up at the tree and unable to look over at Cynthia properly. That just wouldn’t do. She knew that she’d get mesmerized by the leaves rustling above her and lose track of the conversation almost immediately. No, it was far better for her to remain in an upright position, sitting cross-legged on the ground just like she was.

When Cynthia burst into unexplained laughter at the simple question of why she was awake so early, Cassandra was both confused and intrigued. Sensing a good story behind this sudden bout of emotion, she knew that she would not be able to let Cynthia talk her way out of telling this story. Cynthia even had a few tears running down her face now, she was laughing so hard it had turned into tears! At first, she seemed to think it was too silly to tell. Of course it had to be silly, with the way she had dissolved into giggles, but Cassandra just had to know now!

”Oh, come on! I’m sure it can’t be that bad. You have to tell me now! You can’t just lead me on like this!”

Luckily for her, Cynthia seemed more willing to continue on after thinking about it and composing herself just enough to start to speak. Something about a love potion. And then she started laughing again, to the point that she was no longer able to form a coherent string of words together. “A love potion!? What happened?” She knew that it couldn’t have been anything too terrible, just because of the way Cynthia was reacting to the story, but like everyone else Cassandra had heard the horror stories involving love potions. If they were made incorrectly, or were too strong, terrible things could end up happening. And if they were made just right, even worse and more embarrassing things could happen. She didn’t have to wait much longer for Cynthia to manage to spit out the rest of the story.

By the end of the tragic tale, Cassie was also nearly doubled over in laughter. She couldn’t imagine something like that actually happening to someone! This was something you hear about, or read about, but never something that you imagine happening to you. So to know that it happened to Cynthia was sort of hilarious, though at the same time mildly frightening as well. Just the same, she laughed along, shaking her head slightly as she managed to calm herself.

”Oh my goodness! I can’t believe that happened to you. Did the love potion stir up some… fanciful desires? Or did it just bring to the surface something that was, oh, I don’t know, already there?” Cassandra inquired, with a small smirk, a raised eyebrow, and a gentle nudge to show that she was just poking fun. Of course, it was quite possible that Cynthia had a crush on Remus. Cassandra loved to watch girls fawn over Remus, James, and Sirius, finding it particularly entertaining that she didn’t have even the slightest ounce of desire toward any of the trio.

”I still can’t imagine… and there was really nothing you could do to control it, then? You were just saying things and doing things and you couldn’t stop!?” Cassandra had never actually known anyone who had used a love potion, and she was kind of curious about what it was like. She obviously remembered what she did, but was she aware of it as she did it? A naturally curious person, she hoped that she wasn’t prying too much!

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

So, Cassandra was afraid of the dark. This was a very common fear for people both young and old, but Cyn never really understood it. Cynthia would never judge someone because of their fears; everyone had one or two that weren't completely rational. In fact, two of her fears were completely irrational. The first was getting struck by lightening through a window and the second was little tiny spiders. If she found a tiny spider crawling on her, she would scream. She loved the dark and she especially loved being outside when it was pitch black out with only a few stars providing the smallest bit of light. Cynthia found something about the cool night air to be almost . . . sexy. She didn't feel exactly the same about dark hallways or corridors, but she certainly didn't mind them. They were excellent places to hide at night, especially if you were trying to sneak out of the castle, which is something Cynthia had done quite a few times in her previous years at Hogwarts.

"I can't imagine that! I love the dark, it's thrilling and fun to try and find your bearings in a dark corridor. I can't really judge being afraid of the dark, I'm afraid of really tiny spiders that I know won't hurt me, it's completely irrational. What makes me jumpy is not completely being awake in the morning, for the longest time I'm in this weird zombie-like state when I wake up. It usually takes a hot cup of tea and a biscuit to wake me up completely. Although it seems like this fresh air did the job nicely."

Cyn nodded as Cassie talked about what it was like to be out in the morning when it was windy out. She had never experienced it, but the way Cassie was describing it she couldn't wait until she did. It sounded just about perfect and even a city girl like Cynthia could appreciate the outdoors now and again. Appreciating the feeling of the short grass against her skin and the roughness of the tree on her back was an easy thing for Cynthia, they were two feelings that she didn't really get at home. Cynthia's family lived in a city full of noise and even though most days she loved it, she also loved the quiet of Hogwarts, which was located in what Cyn had come to consider the countryside.

"It is amazing out here, my family lives in the city, so I consider myself lucky because I get to experience the best of both worlds. It may be hard to picture, but the city can be beautiful at times too. It has its own set of sounds, sights and smells that can be just as easy to love as the ones out here. Of course, the city is awfully dirty compared to a place like this, not that I mind a little dirt."

She smiled brightly at the fellow Gryffindor girl, in all their years as roommates Cynthia couldn't remember a time when they had such a long conversation like this one. They were more than acquaintances, that's what happens when you live with someone, but Cynthia was never quite sure if they had anything in common. She liked Cassie well enough and considered her a good friend, but she felt like this conversation was bringing their friendship to a new level. They were reaching a new understanding of each other through this experience and Cynthia was almost giddy about it.

Wow, Cynthia was incredibly relieved that Cassie could find as much humor in her story as she did. The two girls seemed to be enveloped in riotous laughter and again Cynthia felt as if their bond was growing deeper. She didn't mind that Cassie had asked her if she had feelings for Remus, it was a perfectly valid question and Cynthia was actually quite fond of how delicately she brought it up. Instead of just coming out and asking her if she liked him or not, which is exactly how Cynthia would have approached the subject, Cassie put it eloquently. Really, Cyn didn't know how to answer. Truthfully she had no idea how she felt, but she suspected that these new feelings for him would pass. It would just put an awkward wedge in their friendship if she decided now, after the whole fiasco, that she actually had feelings for him. Although, you can't just decide who you have feelings for, it sort of just happens. She thought long and hard before she answered, the laughter long gone and her smile briefly replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"At this point I have no idea what I'm feeling. I've never had my heart rush like that before and so maybe my head is all confused because the love potion made my heart feel all jumpy and my stomach queasy. It's entirely possible and I'm not going to rule it out just yet, but I have to say those love potions are dangerous business. Remus is a fairly good friend of mine and I already feel like our friendship has been marked by this situation. I feel so silly, so childish. Well you know me, I'm not normally so . . . in touch with my . . . feelings."

A touch of distaste was in her voice when Cynthia mentioned the word 'feelings.' Normally Cynthia didn't have any real feelings for boys, although she'd readily admit her crush on Sirius Black. What she did have were fun times snogging in those dark corridors and that was enough for her. She didn't consider herself a relationship kind of gal, especially since she had just discovered the punk movement.

"Nope, there was nothing I could do. For a brief moment I hiccupped and had some control over myself, but other than that. .it's like I was possessed."

Cynthia understood Cassie's curiosity regarding the love potion; she would be just as curious if their positions had been switched. After all, this was her first experience with a love potion and if she could warn anyone else about them, she would. What a silly mistake it had been, drinking that whole thing, she was almost ashamed at how absent-minded she was. Oh well, it happened and there was nothing she could do about it now but laugh.

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

As soon as she had admitted that she was afraid of the dark, part of Cassandra wondered if Cynthia would think her foolish. Of course, one couldn’t really help their fears, for the most part. You can ignore them, you can pretend they aren’t there, and sometimes you can even control or completely overcome them. But they’re always there, at least in the beginning, and it wasn’t like it was a choice. After all, who would choose to be afraid of anything?!

Cassandra often wondered how amazing it would be to never feel any fear. Granted, she didn’t fear many things as it was, but to go through life without that sense of panic, of worry… though now that she thought about it, she wouldn’t want that. It was what added that little bit of thrill and danger to her adventures, when she would sneak into the forbidden forest, or into the kitchens, or something like that. It was the fear that made things exciting sometimes. No, she did like having fears sometimes, when she wasn’t actually caught up in the emotion long enough to step back and appreciate the experience it brings.

Cassie listened as Cynthia defended the dark, actually going so far to talk about how much she loved the dark, just for the thrill of it. She supposed it sort of tied in to that more positive response to fear, turning it into a thrill more than a fright. Cynthia surprised Cassandra then by confessing one of her own fears – tiny spiders. “That isn’t irrational. I mean, they’re tiny! I completely understand how people could be afraid of things they can’t see all of the time… even if they can’t hurt you.”

She was glad that Cynthia didn’t seem overly concerned with her being afraid of the dark. And she thought it was pretty cool that she had reciprocated with a fear of her own. ”I’m glad the fresh air woke you up now! I feel the same way. I know that if I can just get myself outside, I’ll be wide awake in no time, especially as it gets closer to winter. The brisker the air, the more awake it gets me, really. That’s why in the summer I like to get out really early, while it’s still dark sometimes.”

This conversation was nice. Sure, Cassandra had a habit of being a little overly energetic at times. And yeah, she could get a little spacey if she was tired, or daydreaming, but she was capable of having a serious conversation, too. She was easy-going, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about anything! She loved just sitting around and talking with people, no matter what year or house they were in. It was always fun to get different point of views on something or hear new stories about different people and their own unique families and friends and hobbies. And even though they weren’t talking about anything profoundly deep or interesting, just the fact that the conversation was taking place sort of strengthened the bond between them. It added to whatever history they had together, another little bit of information learned about the other. Sometimes Cassandra found that having lengthy conversations with people you have known forever could sometimes make you feel like you’re meeting them for the very first time with all of the new stuff you learn about them, some expected and some a complete surprise.

Her thoughts were focused back on Cynthia as she tacked the question of whether or not she liked Remus. After all, what teenage girl didn’t have a bit of a crush on him, other than herself? At first Cassie was concerned about Cynthia’s long pause before responding. Maybe she didn’t think it was an appropriate question, maybe she had crossed a line that she wasn’t supposed to. After all, she was sure that, today’s laughter aside, the whole situation must have been a little embarrassing, at least at the time. Maybe she really didn’t want to think about things like emotions attached to the event.

”Curse those pesky feelings,” Cassie agreed. She knew those feelings all too well. The fluttery feeling in the chest, the quickening of the heartbeat, the slightly damp palms that you’d have to rub on your pants immediately before they became noticeable… just thinking about it sent a slight shiver down her spine. Yes, she knew all of those feelings, and she knew exactly how Cynthia felt. Well, not exactly, because she had never had them as a result of a potion, but she could see how she wouldn’t know if they were things she felt herself, or if they were just there because of the potion. ”Well, I’m sure Remus isn’t going to hold it against you. I mean, obviously you couldn’t do anything about it. I’m sure it was flattering for his ego a little bit, too.” Cassie laughed, joking around a little.

As Cynthia spoke about how it felt to be under the influence of the love potion Cassandra resolved to never come within 3 meters of one ever again. “I would’ve hated that! I mean, I’ve done some pretty silly things before, but they’ve always been of my own accord,” Cassie laughed. ”So note to self… love potions = bad idea.”

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

Cynthia really appreciated that Cassandra was trying to rationalize her fear; it made her feel better about admitting it. Still, she thought it was silly, but that didn't make the fear any less real for her. Just the thought of one of those things crawling on her made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Her fear of tiny spiders was probably the most girlish thing about her, ok, so it wasn't, but she liked to pretend it was. She obviously didn't care too much what she looked like because she was confident enough in her own skin to walk out of the castle with her hair un-brushed and still in her PJs. Sure, she had insecurities just like everyone else, but what she looked like wasn't one of them. That, of course, was a whole other topic entirely and one that was usually kind of awkward to talk about. No one likes to talk about how comfortable they are with themselves because it just leads people to think that they're covering up their true feelings and Cynthia rarely ever covered up her feelings (at least the ones that weren't about boys).

"Well I suppose it isn't too bad of a fear, it just makes me feel kind of silly. All that hype for something so much tinier than I am, something that I could just squash in an instant. I usually don't kill them though; I'll try and flick them off me. .or use something to set them free outside. I'm not into killing living beings, no matter how scared of them I am."

OK, so Cynthia had a really sensitive side. She wasn't known to be insensitive, but that type of courtesy to anything wasn't really expected from her. Most people saw her as kind and fun, but a little bit self-centered. Cynthia liked to do things for herself and to experience things on her own and sometimes that lead to her neglecting others or unintentionally hurting their feelings. She just loved to have fun and if you weren't along for the ride, she wasn't going to wait for you. Sure, it was a little rude, but she couldn't imagine being any other way. Besides, this kind of behavior was essential if she wanted to explore punk's underground scene. The whole scene was moving and changing so quickly that she hated missing any part of it.

Again, Cynthia felt comforted by something Cassie had said. Cassandra wasn't acting overly gossipy or too interested in her potential feelings for Remus. Most girls would have been freaking out and squealing with girlish delight over the thought of Cynthia and Remus together. She knew what they would have said, "Oh my god, you totally like him. He is SOOOOO cute, oh my god, you'd look so good together!" Cynthia shuddered at the thought, she didn't mind being friends with those kinds of girls, but she definitely wasn't one of them. Gossip didn't appeal to her, even if sometimes she wanted to gush about how much she'd like to steal away to a punk show with Sirius Black dressed in matching leather jackets. What a totally sexy thought, whoo.

"I don't think he would, except for that when I was trying to apologize I may have hurt his ego a little bit. I'm fairly certain I told him that I wasn't attracted to him. Which couldn't be completely true, part of me must be somewhat attracted to him to have that intense of a reaction to the love potion. Plus, when we first met I thought he was cute, maybe I still do? Whatever, I'm not going to stress over it."

Cynthia meant it; she was basically done worrying about how she felt. If it was meant to be or if she had real feelings for him, she'd eventually figure it out. Besides, her mind was filled with all sorts of other thoughts, too many to allow any more room for pondering her Remus feelings.

"Oh yeah, I love having control over what I'm doing. At least usually I can gauge whether or not what I'm doing is completely stupid or embarrassing. Love potions really are a terrible idea." She really liked that the two of them were on the same page regarding that matter, maybe they had more in common than she had thought!

((Sorry the ending was poopy . .but I honestly tried!))

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

Now that Cassandra was talking about her fears, it got her thinking about them a little more. Maybe that was one of the reasons she enjoyed the morning far more than the evening – because she could watch the sun rise, watch it come over the horizon and expel the darkness from the land, bringing light and new beginnings with it. It was possible that, on a subconscious level, she didn’t like the dark because of everything it represented. The unknown, the unseen, and the absence of light, bleakness… you know, the stereotypical psychobabble that seemed to be associated with such things, when you looked up hidden meanings and symbols of everyday things. Just as easily as the thoughts began, they left. After all, what good would it to her to analyze her fears, or anyone else’s? It wasn’t like it would help her any. And dwelling on them longer than she had too certainly wouldn’t do her any good. She was just glad that it was morning, so it wasn’t able to freak her out or put her on edge. She hated being jumpy, and tried to avoid it as much as she could.

“That’s great!” Cassandra thought it was really cool that Cynthia went out of her way not to kill things, even spiders and other bugs. She felt a little guilty about all of the bugs she had killed over the years. She just found it hard to stop and think ‘these are living things, too’ when there was a spider crawling across her desk in class, or a bug on her arm while she was outside. Her initial reaction was always ‘squish’, just to get it away as quickly and easily as possible. After all, she wouldn’t want it to just crawl back onto her! Of course, she wasn’t going to bring any of this up. ”I love finding ladybugs around the castle and setting them free outside after class. It was true. When it came to bugs that she liked, Cassandra was all about the saving and setting free.

Cassandra loved how nonchalant Cynthia was about how she was feeling towards Remus. She didn’t seem to be overly concerned about any emotions that may have been there, and seemed to be working under the ‘whatever happens happens’ attitude, which was probably for the best. That was usually how Cassie tried to approach situations. But she wasn’t going to push the subject either way. She figured that if someone wanted to gossip and gush then they would, and if they didn’t then they wouldn’t. She wasn’t about to try and put words into Cynthia’s mouth to trick her into admitting something, or go into teenage-girl-gossip-mode. Cassie wasn’t really into gossip, too much talking behind people’s backs and speculation for her taste. Sure, she’d listen to it if it was around, but she wasn’t the sort to go seeking it out or even add to it. She had certainly felt its strain, though, because there had been quite the gossip about her for a period of time. But she didn’t want to dwell on that, either.

”Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I mean, Remus seems like a great guy, and I’m sure he’ll take the whole thing in stride. I can’t believe people are allowed to sell those potions, though! Imagine how dangerous they could be if someone slipped them into your drink without you knowing, or if you mixed it up with something else… they should be illegal or something.” Cassie’s mind automatically went to a worst-case scenario which, in her imagination, involved a first year girl and a huge crush. She could hardly imagine the catastrophe that could occur from the naieve usage of such a product...

ooc- sorry, it's shorter than I would've liked, and I didn't give you a whole lot to work with... but it's the best I can do. I'm not 100% sure how much time I'll have this weekend to reply, so I wanted to make sure I got something up here tonight! <3

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

Cynthia cocked her head to the side and grinned, she could tell Cassie liked the fact that she let as many bugs live free as she possibly could. The truth was that not every bug escaped and no matter how hard she tried sometimes she couldn't shake the instinct to just smack them. So, in order to let Cassie know that she wasn't some bug saving extraordinary person, she admitted this.

"Well I'm no saint, I've squished a bug or two in my day, but at least I can say I try not to now. Most people wouldn't think anything of it, I know, but hey . . . I gotta give something back if I want any of that good karma business, right?"

Cynthia sounded a lot cooler and calmer when she talked about karma than she actually felt. She thought it was very important to have good karma and to earn it by doing the small things. She wasn't out to gain anything from it, she just figured that the more good she did, the more stable her life would be. Of course she knew that nothing was done without a tinge of selfishness, even when the most giving people gave the got some sort of self-fulfilling satisfaction. Although in that situation one could argue that that is not being selfish Cyn saw anything that provided some sort of good feeling or personal gain as selfishness. However, she did not see this as a negative act of selfishness and she completely supported it. This girl had some really questionable/strange thoughts on things. Anyway, after taking a rather long break from conversation to have all of those very interesting thoughts, she responded to Cassie's ladybug comment.

"Did you know they bite?" She asked her, quite ready to give Cassie a story if she didn't know that ladybugs bit. Even if she wasn't the most book smart person, Cynthia was knowledgeable about little things here and there, ladybugs being one of them.

Really glad that the conversation veered off of Remus, Cynthia continued with Cassie's statement about love potions being dangerous. It reminded her of a few things, the first being Sirius Black's comment about having been secretly given a love potion before and becoming attracted to Remus or James. The second was how horrible it must be to completely be unaware that you're drinking a love potion, at least she had some sort of idea what might happen. Her mind didn't have to jump much further because the look on Cassie's face let her know that they were thinking the same thing. Cynthia wasn't too fond of the idea of making anything illegal, but at least making love potions a big no-no at Hogwarts seemed like a good idea.

"Sirius Black has had quite a few love potions slipped into his drink, but most of the time the first person he sees is Remus or James. Not that that isn't extremely awkward for him, but I agree it's dangerous. I don't know if it should be illegal, but at least here around Hogwarts I don't think it should be allowed. Could you imagine if it hadn't been Remus that I looked at . . . I don't even want to think about what it would have been like if it had been someone else. Remus was kind enough to not take advantage of the situation." Her brows were now furrowed, a slight look of concern on her face. She was eternally grateful that Remus had been at the other end of the love potion, even if he wasn't. Her thoughts were veering into the darkest of places concerning love potions and she desperately wanted to pick it back out.

"But, it'll never again happen to me at least, I swear I've learned my lesson." Cynthia had tacked this last bit on quickly, hoping to soothe herself. She realized that she couldn't change the past, but she would certainly keep a better eye on things for the future. Maybe she'd start carrying around an antidote, for those brazen and foolish first years that might attempt to try a love potion on their secret crush.

((OOC - It's no problem, your post was fine! Sorry mine took so long . .and it's not quite amazing haha))

[CASSANDRA ABIGAIL THOMSON]

It certainly was something to think about. She was glad that Cynthia admitted to killing a few bugs in her time, because it made her feel a little better about killing, well, more than a few bugs in her time. And it made her more comfortable to admit this, though she was definitely going to try and remember not to be so hasty in the future.

“No, that’s really cool! Good karma is always nice to store up. I think I’ll try to keep that in mind from now on. I mean, it just isn’t something I think about all the time. But they have little families and lives too, I guess. Even if some of them only live a few days…” Cassandra added with a slight laugh, thinking of things like certain flies which only live for one or two days.

Good karma was something that Cassandra only remembered when she heard or read those two words. Not that she didn’t believe in it, just that she never really labeled it. She always tried to be a nice person, as often as she could. If there was a chance for her to help someone she usually took it, provided she had the time or whatever the case may be. It was just a way of life for her, to try and be a good person. She didn’t really think of her motivations, whether she wanted people to like her, or she just liked the feeling of doing a good deed, but she tried to always keep things like that in her mind before she acted. Of course, like she had said, sometimes she forgot this when it came to things like tiny bugs. But now that Cynthia had made a point of mentioning it, maybe Cassie would find it easier to remember.

When Cynthia asked her if she knew that ladybugs bit, Cassandra had to pause a moment. It seemed like one of those facts that she should’ve known, and probably did know. It was one of those things that you find out once and go ‘oh, really?’ and then promptly forget because there was way too much information out there that her poor little brain couldn’t retain everything at once. She had to pick and choose, and that had not been one of the things that remained.

”No, I don’t think I did. Or if I did, then I forgot!,” Cassie admitted.

The topic turned back to the love potions again, and Cynthia brought up a point that she hadn’t even thought about. It was one thing to not have control over your actions, but she didn’t even think about what could’ve happened if the other person had been the type to take advantage of something like that.

”Oh man… you really did get lucky, then!” It was so true. Remus was a great guy, and obviously he would never take advantage of a person like that. But she didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if it had been anyone else. It was obvious that now Cynthia was getting a little freaked out about the idea, too, and so it was time for a topic change.

“So, how was your summer?” Cassandra figured that the summer was a nice, safe topic that most people didn’t mind talking about. ”I can’t believe classes have started back up again! But they don’t seem too bad, at least not yet.”

((ooc- short, but it took me long enough to write this much, I couldn’t keep you waiting forever! :-p)

[• CYNTHIA ELIZABETH HAMILTON]

"I'm a complete sucker for that sort of stuff. I'm a little overly obsessed with good karma. That's why I try to be as nice as I can and I try to avoid the gossip, but you know, that's not always possible. Also, that's another thing entirely. Sorry, I have no idea what I'm rambling about anymore."

Cynthia shrugged her shoulders and let out a short laugh. Once she started talking it was hard for her to completely stop, she felt so energized. After she laughed she started lightly chewing on a fingernail, to keep herself from talking anymore. Some people would find it gross and completely un-ladylike, but Cynthia didn't really care. Seriously, if you called her out on it she'd probably tell you to get over it. At least she wasn't belching or passing gas, those two things would come after she ate. Cynthia would tell you to get over those things as well, she saw them as only natural and she wasn't going to keep her body from functioning.

"Oh yeah, they totally do. And it kind of hurts and leaves this gross, sticky black stuff behind. They are not my favorite bugs, not that I have a favorite, but they're kind of annoying. Sometimes they get everywhere and in everything and I really don't know how they breed so fast."

Again, Cynthia was just going off and rambling about some random stuff that she knew. It really wasn't anything that important, but Cynthia was kind of proud to know that little tidbit of information about ladybugs. She thought it showed some intelligence and Cynthia didn't always let people know how smart she really was. In fact, if she hadn't been so fiercely loyal and felt as if the relationships in her life were more important than her studies, she might have wound up in Ravenclaw. Ha! That would have been interesting.

Anyway, after the semi-awkward love potion conversation ended, Cassie switched things over to a conversation about summer. The summer was something Cynthia could go on and on about. She had experienced a really fun, eventful summer and quite honestly was dying to tell someone about it. She had briefly mentioned her trips to punk rock shows to Sirius Black and was excited to continue the conversation, but anyone else she could talk to about them she would. With that said, Cassie was in for an earful.

"Oh this summer was probably one of the best I've ever had. I really got involved in the punk rock scene in London this summer. I don't know if you know anything about it, but my mum's a muggle and we don't live in a wizarding section of England . . .so I know a lot about the muggle way of life. It's incredible though. I went to so many shows and I spent a lot of time sewing my own clothes, all of the people are so self-sufficient. They're completely into doing things for yourself, which I love because it's so much more authentic and original. Also, it saves you a ton of money. I could go on and on about it. Sorry. How was your summer? I can't believe we're back already either, summer seemed too short!"

Cynthia didn't want to be rude and continue rambling on about how incredible all things punk were. Well, she wanted to, but she wouldn't because that's not her style. She was genuinely interested in what Cassie had done that summer, it was strange to think of her classmates in other places besides Hogwarts. Cynthia wondered what Cassie had done, what kind of adventures she had gotten herself into. To Cyn, the summer was always a time for experimentation. She thought it was the perfect opportunity to re-invent yourself and even to find yourself. Being away from all of the other students and the pressures of classes was a relief, even if it didn't last as long as she would have liked.

((whoo! I posted! haha))