Talking Calms the Soul

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

Cassie walked through the halls and down into the dungeons, it felt like a life time since she had been into the Slytherin Common room. She sat down at a desk and proceeded to finish her potions homework, it was too easy and she finished in less than five minutes, putting the book back into her backpack she got up and started pacing, she had been feeling uneasy ever since getting back off holiday.

Her parents were so proud that she might be given the chance to become a Death Eater, but Cassie was torn, she wanted to uphold the family name, but some part of her no matter how small felt that it was the wrong decision.
She yearned for someone, anyone to talk to,to know what she was going through, how could she hate and want to destroy the same person that was willing and very kindly offering a place amongst the great Death Eaters and to serve Voldemort with her family.

Over the holidays she was summoned to a meeting where her family sat down with some of the other families close to 'Him', she only really knew the Malfoy's and Bellatrix Lestrange, she was actually quite fond of Bella and thought of her more as an Aunt, and she had had a few conversations with Lucious Malfoy on occasion.

by this point whilst letting her mind wander back to the holidays she had gotten herself a cold glass of milk, the common room was unusually empty for this time in the evening but all the best in the end, she didn't want anyone to come in here and see her talking to herself, that would have certainly tarnished her representation.
She sat down and once again and re-read the transfiguration notes for next lesson.

[DECLAN ARTEMIS CHAMBERLAIN]

Declan sighed, stepping into the common room. He had a glass of Cherry Cola in one hand and a letter in the other. He was reading the thin piece of parchment as he walked into the room. His face was contorted into a sneer as he got farther down the long piece of parchment. It was another ridiculous letter from his father with another ridiculous offer for him to joing the Death Eaters. He had been sprung from Azkaban last year with the rest of the Death Eaters.

Declan knew his place. He was a half blood, the only services he could offer was one of a grunt. Considering the boy had no intention to bow to anyone, he tossed the letter in the fireplace. He took two identicle unopened letters and tossed them into the flames as well. He could only assume they were similar letters for his brother and sister. They didn't know their father was out of Azkaban and he would fight to keep it that way.

He took a drink from his soda, almost spitting it back out in surprise when he saw the girl in the common room. How could he have been such an idiot and not noticed her. He admitted he was a bit distracted but he knew what could, would happen if the wrong person saw him with one of those letters. He needed to keep his guard up. Though, he should have expected there to be ,more people in the common room. It was never exactly deserted.

"Hi there." He said sheepishly with a flirty smile. He wanted to be pleasant and the flitation came to him naturally when he was in the room with a pretty girl. Not to mention, he wanted to make up for the fact that he just made a fool of himself.

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

Cassie heard a faint crackle from the fire behind her, at first she thought nothing of it and buried her head back into her transfiguration notes.

She looked up startled to hear a voice, thankfully she was gazing up in to the eyes of a fellow slytherin, she smiled flirtatiously in greeting, it had been a while since she had made a new acquaintance and she may as well play along, after all e was quite cute, unlike the hundreds of acne prone teenagers that no manner of spells could help cure their reddening complexions. She wasn't all vein though and saw a glimmer of something dancing behind his eyes, she thought maybe she had disturbed his own thoughts.

She had never been bashful nor had she ever tip-toed around conversations, she thought it best in most cases to be upfront, especially in introductions, the first impression is always the one that sticks and she always made clear that she was indeed a bold personality. Sometimes though she thought it to be a bore when there are too many people trying to be curious.

"Hi, Cassiopeia Evanier, though my friends tend to call me Cassie . . . and you are?"
She was perched on the edge of the couch, hand extended in greeting, as she stared at the boy her mind momentarily wandering back searching for his his face, she was certain she had seen him before. She was grasping at an already fading memory. . . her gaze adjusted letting the memories seep through the gaps in her mind, the light returning to her eyes.

She flashed a dazzling smile that she hoped covered up the brief pause in her introduction.

[DECLAN ARTEMIS CHAMBERLAIN]

"Excuse me, I'm Declan Chamberlain." He said. Second time in a row he's forgotten to introduce himself before speaking. He could have done worse things, not noticed her and sat on her or something. That would have been embarressing. He's just been so worried about everything going on with his family, he just hoped he was quick enough to grab the letters before they reached his siblings. He paused, wondering how he had never noticed this girl before. Same house, same age range, not to mention gorgeous. There were plenty of attractive girls at the school, but she was in his own house. They could even be in the same year and have had classes together since they were eleven. There was a chance that they were in seperate years but this girl couldn't be anything less than a sixth year....could she?

He paused, thinking back to any of his classes. He didn't recognize her, or even anyone with a similar description. The girl must have been a sixth year. He figured he should start some sort of conversation. This moment screamed opportunity and it fell into his lap. At the very least he could get his mind off of the mess that was his parental units. His father was a Death Eater, and abusive and an addict. His mother was neglectful and an addict, not to mention in an abusive relationship. His stepfather was an ass, and a known sex offender. As soon as he found that out there was no way his sister or brother were going back in that house. He was just glad his father had slipped up and gotten himself caught, or life might be far more difficult.

"It's odd that we haven't met yet. We can't be more than a year apart." He said, an easy smile gracing his lips. He shook the thoughts that were beginning to go on a downward spiral in his mind. Instead he focused on the conversation. He wanted to learn about her, get to know her. He was at a point where he didn't know who he could really trust. He didn't know who was a death eater and who wasn't. He could assume the newly awakened elementals were safe to talk to, but the rest of the Slytherins were still on a confusing playing feel. They knew better than to screw themselves over by getting on the bad side of someone with so much power, but that did not make them innocent.

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

She couldn't ever remember meeting him and she was sorry to say that she wasn't familiar with his name but there was something about him that made her want to talk to him, he seemed to have certain charm. Not knowing whether he was being purposefully charming or whether it was natural she decided that there was no harm in indulging her curiosity.
"It's very nice to meet you." She smiled slightly at the thought of only just meeting him.

"Yes, it is quite odd how we have never bumped into one another before, I don't tend to spend much time in here to be honest but I would have thought I Should have seen you in the Great Hall from time to time, may I ask what year you are currently in?"
Cassie curious to find out about him, it had been a long time since meeting anyone new and quite liked the thought of getting to know him better.

It was strange that as soon she saw him, she forgot about her worries of the future, she needed an escape from the doom and gloom of whether or not she was going to join the ranks of the Death Eaters, her friends constantly reminded her of her family and she wanted, well needed a way out, and she thought anything, or anyone, that could tear her mind away from family business and duty she would gladly welcome.

She was obviously still going to be cautious not knowing who he was or really anything about him, but hopefully that would change, and at the moment she would welcome nearly any change, she hoped that she may be able to make a friend in the future, though she was still unsure, her family had mainly breed two things into her - caution at all costs and to remember knowledge is power, and without knowledge caution is the key.

[DECLAN ARTEMIS CHAMBERLAIN]

"I'm a seventh year." He said shortly. It was a pretty self-explanitory. "And youself?" He asked. It was a simple question, so he did not feel bad reflecting it back on her. It was simple, and relatively distracting. He was honestly unsure of where to go next with the conversation. He was grateful for the chance to think of anything than the looming war. He just did not want to make the awkward tension. He walked over and sat down on a leather chair not to far from where she was. He ran his hands slowly over the material. He loved the feeling of leather.

He looked her over again, calculatingly rather than like before where he took in merely her looks. It was something he was having trouble looking past. She was hard to read, to say the least. That wasn't either good of bad. Just a reality. He was distracted to say the least. That was his weakness. A pretty girl. And was she gorgeous. Not to tall but not too short. He peeled his eyes from her as not to seem like a creeper. He was not one of those guys who thought of women only for their bodies but he wasn't afraid to admit looks did matter to him.

"I guess it's just one of those things. There are an awful lot of students so who really knows everyone in their house." He said with a laugh. It was true. He probably could not name over half of them in their house. He did not pay enough attention to them. He didn't care enough. He knew who to keep tabs on. Who was important. Maybe he would just need to broaden his sight a little more.

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

"Sixth year" she smiled, she honestly for the life of her had no idea how to carry on the conversation.

It was never easy meeting someone for the time, she would usually have 'put them in their place' so to say, but with him she didn't feel the need, and it was very tiring keeping up the 'wealthy pure blood' persona, with most some people she had to make sure the knew who she was, with some others it was more effortless for example switching on that persona around Draco Malfoy was as easy as breathing, mainly because he seemed to have the same air around him, with Declan she felt she didn't need to command the room, she liked the way that to her he was neither a threat nor a pushover, so few people were like that anymore, you either have to press your dominance over one person or another. She liked being herself for a change, though it's not like she was going to act as if she owned the ground beneath, especially as he had seen her reading one of the largest Transfiguration books in school, I doubt she had the look of someone from her type of family. she remembered in her first year people talking about how she was lying about her heritage and she was probably a mud blood, ever since then she had created a persona for herself, a name among people who knew her, of course her brother helped only being a few years ahead of her. She didn't mind that she was a bookworm and she honestly didn't mind if Declan thought she wasn't a pure blood, and she wasn't going to enforce that she was, the last thing she wanted was for him to run away or even try to better her status, though she didn't think he would, but she had to remind herself that she hardly knew him.

She saw him sit down on the leather chair, her eyes couldn't help but skim up and down his physique, had to admit he was pretty good lucking, he definitely wasn't the worst person to be in the common room with, and he absolutely beat Crabbe or Goyle. She ended her brief glance at his face, seeing that he was looking in her direction she quickly put her head down and prayed he hadn't noticed her checking him out. She wasn't sure whether he had done the same to her, she guessed he might have but she may have just been being vain.

She was glad when he started to speak, she felt as if the silence was tangible,
"true, there too many students to know personally." she said with a small smile.
She didn't know whether to carry on or not, she glanced down at her hands, then looked back up to him and with a slight smile playing on her lips.
"so how has your day been" she was clutching fr straws, she wanted to talk to him but honestly couldn't think of anything to say.

[DECLAN ARTEMIS CHAMBERLAIN]

He nodded when she gave her year. He should know her, however. He should have noticed her before. There were a lot of things he should have done that he quite frankly did it. At least he wasn't a total ass for having the girl in his year, and classes with him for going one seven years and not recognized her. They probably hung out in different groups, had different classes. They would have no reason to have met eachother before. He did have a reputation to uphold, after all. He had a very carefully set up balance. Charming but ruthless. He was balanced, precariously. He didn't need to tip either way in the eyes of his peers.

He caught the girl checking him out, making him smirk. He couldn't be offended and he wasn't. First of all he was, quite honestly, doing the dame thing and second of all he was flattered if anything. He didn't understand why people, mostly women but some men too, became uncomfortable or even offended under the scrutiny. He thrived in the situation and honestly enjoyed it. Relationships, flirting, all those things were things that he was both apt at and and something he enjoyed.

His day. She had to ask about his day didn't she? It wasn't something he wanted to talk about, in fact that was something he wanted to forget. He didn't want to lie, because he knew Slytherins tended to know when you were, but his family was not something he likes to talk about a lot. It was his private life and it should remain private. She seemed pleasant enough, he had no real reason to hide tha basics from her. He just needed to be less specific then he normally would.

"Honestly? Terrible. I learned my family and I received letters from my father, and he's not even supposed to be out of Azkaban. So I had to make sure I got them before my siblings did and take care of that mess." He said, running his hands through his hair absentmindedly. It really was just a huge mess. If his siblings knew their father was out of prison things could go downhill quickly. They would worry and fret over things that did not need to be worrying or fretting over. So, he took care of it.

"But it's improving."

[/color] He said, flashing a smile. He had to admit it was not a lie. She was intriguing because it was a pretty girl in Slytherin that he had yet to meet. Not only that but she seemed interesting. More than what the other girls he's known were. He had commitment issues, he knew that, so he was sure if anything happened it wouldn't last but he could try couldn't he? Actually trying to get to know someone while trying to win them over. That was a challenge he had yet to attempt to overcome. It might be an interesting time.[/blockquote][/size]

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

She was quite shocked when he answered, she didn't show it but she was expecting a nonchalant answer,
she couldn't help a small smirk when he said his father had been to Azkaban, she felt a little bad but at the same time a little relieved that he wasn't going to start talking about how perfect his life It's sad she realized when she found some sort of comfort in other people's not so perfect lives, though she felt a bit better when he said it was improving.

She was thinking of her own messed up life, I suppose she didn't have it that bad, in terms of her social circle, a few felons here and there but nothing out of the ordinary, she remembered when her Uncle came out of Azkaban, he was old and they all knew he didn't have much time left, she was 10 and hardly knew him, he only lived a couple of months after he got out but she'll never forget him, probably because he was half mad constantly talking to himself, they had a family party the night he died, it was quite a large affair, she didn't know why they had a party but she was young and didn't ask many questions back then.
She missed her Uncle, the way she sat on his lap and he told her of the wars.
She switched back to reality, she had been doing a lot of that recently, she supposed she had a few things on her mind that day, she wished she was a normal witch born into a normal family, she loved them but they caused more trouble than good, in their eyes I supposed they ave always been doing 'good' but Cassie didn't know anymore.

She thought maybe for as long as possible she could forget about her family, he didn't know her nor her family, she wouldn't lie if asked but she could at least try to be normal for once.
"well I hope things look up for you." she pulled off a sweet smile, she didn't want to poke her nose into other peoples business by probing.

She pre-occupied herself by putting her hefty and quite heavy transfiguration book into her bag and closed the zipper, she sat back up and sat comfortably with knee crossed over the other, she smoothed over her skirt, not wanting to look less attractive than she did when she had her book splayed across her lap.

[DECLAN ARTEMIS CHAMBERLAIN]

He paused, wondering why she said nothing more than what she did. He rapidly went through the very recent memory of their conversation. When he came to his conclusion he mentally scolded himself. He forgot to ask her how her own day was. Here here he was, complaining about his day like an ass without even asking how she, herself was. He knew people who were like that. They would blab on and on about themselves without even giving the other person a chance to say anything. He found them increasingly more annoying every time he met them and he definitel did not want to be one.

"Doubtful but thank you for the hope anyways."

[/color] He told her, matching her smile. He could not believe he was making such an ass of himself. He was supposed to be the smooth sibling. He was the charmer, Darren was the brain and Dahlia was the diva. It's not even like he put his foot in his mouth, he just forgot his manners. It's been happening more and more often lately. Maybe Darren's awkward was rubbing off on him, or his brother was siphoning his awesome from him.

"What about yourself? How was your day?[/color]" He asked. He hoped it didn't seem odd that he slipped it in there. Or if it was that she didn't mind. He sighed, he was honestly curious. He wanted to get to know her better, and if this was the way to do it he would. It had been a while since he had idle conversation, small talk, with anyone. His conversations were increasingly more serious every time he talked to someone. With all that was going on around this school it was not abnormal for conversations to become more and more serious in nature.

He didn't know what he was going to do. They were living in Diagon alley. The flats were cheap, but that didn't exactly mean he would be able to hide out there forever. If he kept ignoring his father, then he would find them. Or at least send someone to. He wasn't sure what his father's status was within the Death Eaters was anymore. He did have halfblood children, he had fallen in love with a muggleborn. Those things could not give him any sort of high ranking. Likey just a grunt. Expendible.

He knew that's where he would end up if he joined the Death Eaters. Besides, at this point they were the losing team and he was nt about to back a lame pony. It would be asking to get killed, or thrown into Azkaban and he intended to live a long, murder free life. [/size][/blockquote]

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

Cassie didn't relly know how to answer him, she wanted to be open and truthful but at the same time she didn't want hi to know what type of people her family were, or she was, she figured as long as she didn't over elaborate then it should be fine " well not perfect, just family issues, my family want me to go into the family 'business' so to speak, but I'm not so sure".She wished se could talk to him, he didn't know ow much they seemed to have in common, if you can call both having relatives in prison 'common ground'. She had to keep reminding herself that she had not known him long, though it felt a lot longer, Cassie was sure that they both had secrets, who didn't, but what those secrets were she could hardly even guess at, and she didn't exactly want to bare hers to the world.
She bowed her head, whilst absentmindedly twiddling her fingers, looking at Declan throug her eyelashes, se didn't know what to do or say, she liked spending time, though brief, with him.

"so ermm ... what classes do you take?" she gave him a quick charming smile.

She hoped she didn't look too timid, she watched him nervously for a responce, she felt quite awkward, it was probably just her though, she was never good at being herself when talking to someone, she was always used to talking to people in the persona she had created for herself.

[DECLAN ARTEMIS CHAMBERLAIN]

He could tell she didn't really want to talk about it. He was not one to pry but he was curious he would admit that. He made it a point to never assume things about people or their families, but she made it sort-of obvious that her family was Death Eaters. He could understand that. His were too. That, and heroine addicts but that was another point completely. No one knew he had been homeless and broke before, or if they did they made sure not to mention it. So he would do the same for her. If she did not want to talk about it he would not be someone to pry it out of her. He was not that way.

"Ah well, families always want what they think is best for you. Even if that is not actually true. Sort of what my dad wanted too."

[/color] He admitted, and he wasn't lying for once. His father actually wanted him to become a Death Eater. What kind of father would want that for their son? He didn't know, but he was sure it was not going to be him however many years in the future.

"Potions, Arithmancy, DADA, Herbology, Charms, Ancient Runes." He said with a shrug, he may have been missing something but he didn't want to go over his entire schedule anyways. He was an overachiever on the best of days. He even filled his free period with classes. He had tried to get a time turner off of a professor, but he was not the type of student they would trust with that he guessed. People assumed that because he was a Slytherin and the son of a Death Eater he would abuse that privilege. They were probably right but he didn't like people assuming those things about him.[/blockquote][/size]

[CASSIOPEIA DANIKA EVANIER]

Cassie smiled full of relief, partly because he didn’t press further but mostly because she knew he understood (and he hadn’t fled yet), he actually kind of made her feel better. He was right of course, her family did want to help, and they helped the only way they knew best. To her at least if she was perfectly honest it wasn’t that bad a lifestyle, she had grown up with everything she wanted.

“I guess your right” she beamed “families do just want to help, well in the best way they can” and whatever helps them the most, she thought.
Cassie didn’t think every family was like that but hers certainly were, they always seemed to have an ulterior motive. She wished for a normal family, one that were less concerned with what she could do for the family, one that would let her get on with her own life.

Cassie was sure of her future if she let her family take over, she’d be accepted as a death eater, then she’d have to worm and charm her way to the top, no doubt Cassie’s mother already wanted to set her up with someone, impressions were everything so it would probably some purebred fool like a few people she knew, it’s ridiculous when friendships were defined by blood and houses.
Cassie didn’t get the impression that Declan was like that; she couldn’t imagine him parading around like a prize hippogriff, though he might think that about her, as looks can be deceiving.

“Wow, that’s quite varied, what do you want to do when you graduate, or are most just interests?”
She was honestly curious, she didn’t want to over step her boundaries but she was fascinated. She always liked it when someone actually liked subjects; she was in fact a self-confessed bookworm, though she wouldn’t want her friends to find out. She did hope Declan enjoyed his lessons, it’d be nice to know someone who wasn’t only taking classes because they were forced. She tried to stop her grin from becoming a fully fledged beam.