Post by caladwen on Dec 16, 2007 2:34:51 GMT -5
The Scottish countryside rolled past the train window as the wheels rumbled along the track below. The train itself rocked and jumped along.
Cassi had nearly forgotten what it felt like to ride on a train; several times she was nearly unseated as it moved along so much more violently than she remembered. Of course, she reminded herself, when she had ridden this same train so long ago it had been much younger.
Even concentrated as she was on trying not to fall out of her seat, she could hear their whispers. Every time a student passed her compartment, they waited until they thought they were out of earshot and then started in. It was always nearly the same question.
"Is she a student!?"
She shrugged it off and continued to look at the way the landscape had changed. Fifty years she'd worn this face... it was a wonder she wasn't the slightest bit used to it by now.
Then again, she'd always hated it when people payed her more attention then was necessary.
Actually, that wasn't entirely true, she mused. Her teen years had made her unbearably snobbish.
Good thing they had flattened that out of her. If that had been allowed to continue, she didn't know what would have happened to her.
I probably would have been dead by now.
As it was, their training seemed to be the only thing that saved her from her heritage. It was laughable to think about.
Her moody train of thought was cut off as one of those in the corridor entered, though, she realised, this one had not spoken. Curious, she eyed him, taking in the slightly unhealthy build; too thin to be as tall as he was, bony, though not too much so.
Her eyes narrowed a fraction as she caught the scent, a mixture of his and several others, and... she could scent a relative on him. Intrigued, she closed the book she hadn't been reading, and smiled at him charmingly.
"Hello," she chirped, assessing his reaction to such a greeting.
He seemed a little uncomfortable, and was shifting slightly; was he not used to friendly greetings? Or too used to them?
"'lo," he replied lowly, eying her in a similar fashion to the way she took him in.
Sharp emerald eyes and pitch hair, pale, pinched features, as though he'd grown too fast, like his awkward build had implied.
"I'm Cassiopeia," she offered him a hand, the book sliding onto the seat beside her.
He was about to take it -- admittedly reluctantly -- as the train lurched, and she snatched hers back, gripping the seat, wide eyed and paler than usual.
"Hate trains," she muttered darkly.
He seemed amused by the reaction, though very slightly, and retracted his hand.
"Harry," he offered.
"Call me Cassi," she grinned. If only for a while, Harry.
He stored his trunk, and they sat in silence, uncomfortably on one part, and carelessly on the other; years of practice had left her with the innate ability to ignore the vibes in a room.
The train chugged onwards, steadily (and jerkily) moving towards its destination. Ah, she's missed Hogwarts.
"You're a student then?" he asked, halfheartedly attempting to morph the atmosphere into something more tolerable.
She shrugged. "I'll be around."
He gave her a strange look at that.
Cassi had nearly forgotten what it felt like to ride on a train; several times she was nearly unseated as it moved along so much more violently than she remembered. Of course, she reminded herself, when she had ridden this same train so long ago it had been much younger.
Even concentrated as she was on trying not to fall out of her seat, she could hear their whispers. Every time a student passed her compartment, they waited until they thought they were out of earshot and then started in. It was always nearly the same question.
"Is she a student!?"
She shrugged it off and continued to look at the way the landscape had changed. Fifty years she'd worn this face... it was a wonder she wasn't the slightest bit used to it by now.
Then again, she'd always hated it when people payed her more attention then was necessary.
Actually, that wasn't entirely true, she mused. Her teen years had made her unbearably snobbish.
Good thing they had flattened that out of her. If that had been allowed to continue, she didn't know what would have happened to her.
I probably would have been dead by now.
As it was, their training seemed to be the only thing that saved her from her heritage. It was laughable to think about.
Her moody train of thought was cut off as one of those in the corridor entered, though, she realised, this one had not spoken. Curious, she eyed him, taking in the slightly unhealthy build; too thin to be as tall as he was, bony, though not too much so.
Her eyes narrowed a fraction as she caught the scent, a mixture of his and several others, and... she could scent a relative on him. Intrigued, she closed the book she hadn't been reading, and smiled at him charmingly.
"Hello," she chirped, assessing his reaction to such a greeting.
He seemed a little uncomfortable, and was shifting slightly; was he not used to friendly greetings? Or too used to them?
"'lo," he replied lowly, eying her in a similar fashion to the way she took him in.
Sharp emerald eyes and pitch hair, pale, pinched features, as though he'd grown too fast, like his awkward build had implied.
"I'm Cassiopeia," she offered him a hand, the book sliding onto the seat beside her.
He was about to take it -- admittedly reluctantly -- as the train lurched, and she snatched hers back, gripping the seat, wide eyed and paler than usual.
"Hate trains," she muttered darkly.
He seemed amused by the reaction, though very slightly, and retracted his hand.
"Harry," he offered.
"Call me Cassi," she grinned. If only for a while, Harry.
He stored his trunk, and they sat in silence, uncomfortably on one part, and carelessly on the other; years of practice had left her with the innate ability to ignore the vibes in a room.
The train chugged onwards, steadily (and jerkily) moving towards its destination. Ah, she's missed Hogwarts.
"You're a student then?" he asked, halfheartedly attempting to morph the atmosphere into something more tolerable.
She shrugged. "I'll be around."
He gave her a strange look at that.