Cassiopeia's Tale

And so it was. When the day was finally over and they all punched out, Cass went home with Sian and Xandie. They lived in a rundown street just off the alley entrance to Chemic Alley in Camden Town. It was strictly a muggle neighbourhood, but it was so riddled with magical people, that it hardly made a difference. The muggles living there seemed to know that there was something strange about some of their neighbours, but accepted them all the same, secretly wishing that magic was real, and that these weirdo's were indeed witches and wizards. And so everyone co-existed quite peacefully.

The house in which Sian and Xandie lived was large and old. It was at least three stories high, and looked like it was about to topple over at any moment. The wooden floor creaked loudly, and the carpets and furniture were threadbare. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling in the entrance hall, it's dusty crystal drops slightly lopsided. Cass walked into the sitting room where a fire was already crackling in a large marble fireplace. The ceiling was decorated with flaking plaster flowers and the odd demented-looking cherub.

Looking around at Sian and Xandie, she spread her arms and smiled. "This is perfect!"

Sian was relieved, saying that she was herself quite in love with the dark charm of the house, but that Xandie found it creepy, and preferred to sleep in the attic where there were no cherubs whose eyes could follow him when he undressed. Then there followed an argument about Slytherin and Gryffindor. As it turned out, Sian used to be in Slytherin, and loved all things that normal people found disturbing, but Xandie used to be in Gryffindor, but was afraid of almost anything. The argument continued for a while, but then both of them seemed to get bored, and decided to shelve it until another opportunity presented itself.

Cass was taken on her second tour of the day. On the third story she was shown into a large room with tall windows. "This is your room," Sian said with a flourish. "It used toe Xandie's, but as I've said, he prefers the attic."

Xandie gave Sian a murderous look, and Cass smiled secretly to herself. She had the feeling that she was going to get along famously with these two.

--o0o--

Dinner was a simple affair, since none of them knew how to cook. Xandie suggested one of the women learn how to cook, and it was met with angry stares from both Sian and Cass.

"I don't cook, nor will I ever cook," Sian said.

"And just because we're women it doesn't mean we'll be any good at it. I might just poison you... by accident," Cass added, and Sian looked impressed.

At that moment someone came through the front door, and dropped their keys on the table in the hallway.

"Claude, deary! Come in here!" Sian yelled, and moments later a man appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

He was tall and had long, golden brown hair, which fell onto his shoulders. His eyes were green and was brought out by his dark velvet robes. Xandie jumped up to slap him on the back and they both engaged in some manly patting by way of greeting. Sian rolled her eyes.

"Claude, meet Cass, she's our new tenant. Cass, meet Claude, he lives in the room off the second landing opposite mine," Sian said and waved her hand between the two of them.

Claude held out his hand for her to shake, and Cass took it gingerly. His warm smile and firm handshake made her uncomfortable. Everybody else seemed to find him quite normal, so she continued with her meal, but nevertheless kept a wary eye on him.

During the rest of the meal everybody talked about their day and what new craziness they managed to achieve. Claude worked as a junior technician at Castell & Starr, who made racing brooms, so there was never a dull moment. On her first day at the Guild, Cass had managed to accidentally blow a hole in the roof of the smelting room, but that was considered 'everyday'.

Claude, who sat opposite her, kept looking up and meeting her eyes, and after the initial weirdness wore off, Cass found that she liked the attention. No member of the opposite sex had ever shown any interest in her, except when trying to get to one of her friends. This was a completely new experience.

"You shouldn't be so surprised," Sian said later that night. They had bumped into each other on their way to the bathroom, when Sian nudged her in the ribs, whispering that Claude was quite impressed with the new tenant.

"What do you mean?" Cass asked, feeling the heat creep up to her cheeks.

"Oh, come on! Don't play innocent. You have a mirror in your room," Sian whispered, impatient.

"You mean..."

"I mean you're quite pretty and smart, and you made a very good first impression on Claude. Honestly, you didn't expect men to leave you alone forever, did you?"

Cass assured Sian that she did, and had in fact never expected a prince charming-type to show any interest in her.

Sian giggled soundlessly at this, thumping her thigh with the heel of her hand. Cass wanted to continue the conversation, but once Sian had recovered form her giggling, Claude appeared at the end of the hall, wearing nothing but shorts, and they both stared. He walked casually past them an bade them goodnight, at which they both collapsed in silent laughter behind his back. Cass had to admit that Claude was indeed a catch, and would do nicely to take her mind off her dreadful previous infatuations.

--o0o--

The next few days at the Guild were miserable. Whenever someone came in from the yard, the door banged against Cass' workbench, sending everything flying. She managed to burn all her fingers and break more containers than she even handled. She can't remember ever being that clumsy, but Xandie assured her that it was what happened to all newcomers at the Guild.

On Saturday she didn't even get up, planning to stay in bed and catch up on as much sleep as possible. The sleep-in was short-lived, however, as Claude dragged her off to Diagon Alley to help him find a book. He wasn't very specific on what he wanted, and they ended up eating ice-cream without ever entering a bookshop.

It was a balmy Summer's day, and the weather was fine. Claude was funny and interesting, and Cass found that she enjoyed his company, but there was a nagging feeling in her stomach. It felt like something was missing. That evening Claude, Sian an Xandie decided to go dancing, but Cass said she didn't feel like it. Claude looked angry, as if she had breached some kind of understanding.

When they were gone, Cass locked herself in the bathroom, and wrote a letter. She didn't address it, and wrote no name at the top, knowing that it wasn't real, and never would be.

For seven years all I've wanted was to be free of Hogwarts. While most people found it to be their home away from home, or their source of freedom, those stone walls always seemed to me like a prison. And for seven years I've dreamed of escaping.

Now I'm free, and all I want is to go back. While I was busy planning my life away from all that, something happened. Now everything has changed.

But I can never go back. I can only go forward, no matter how much it hurts. I suppose that's what makes the memory so poignant: the fact that it can never be real, and belongs to that fantasy time of growing up.

So that's the dream, and I'm told that everyone feels it once in a while. The desire to go back, knowing then what we know now. Having the confidence and the audacity to be what we feel.

The Alchemist's Guild is fine. I'm learning, but I feel so much dumber than I ever did in class... which is saying much. Thanks to your recommendation, though, I'm actually having a far easier time than most of the other apprentices. It served some purpose, after all.

All my love

Cassiopeia

Cass sat on the cold bathroom floor, reading and rereading the letter, getting her hands and nightdress full of ink. It was ridiculous. It was childish. She folded it, put it in an envelope, and propped it up against the soap dish. There she sat staring at it. This revealing thing, that was so insignificant, and yet, could cause such widespread humiliation. In the end she put the letter in one of her more personal journals, and went to bed.

In the darkness she could feel her heart following the tracks through the countryside. There were Pumpkin Pasties and Chocolate Frogs, but Cass wanted none of that. She stared out of the window, watching the countryside grow wilder, and the sky darker, until she knew the old castle must be only miles away. The next morning she woke with the sound of train whistles in her ears, and her heart in her shoes.

The letter was safely hidden in her journal in a shoebox in her closet. She never sent it. Obviously.