On the chair lift (Anyone)

[cassmcg]

It was about ten o'clock in the morning, which meant Cass McGaffrey was ready to ski. She wore a red Muggle parka that her father had bought her for Christmas, a Gryffindor scarf, gloves and hat, and black ski pants. She had skied in the Swiss Alps before, so she felt ready for just about anything. Actually, she would have felt ready for just about anything anyway. Cass usually did. The first time she had skied, she had been six years old, and she had thrown a temper tantrum because her father made her start on a green circle trail instead of a blue square trail.

She tromped in her ski boots to the back of the chair lift lines, where she snapped on her skis and used her poles to push her along in the queue. On a nearby board, someone had written, "Warning: This lift does not service beginner terrain." Perfect, she thought. She didn't want beginner terrain.

Finally she pushed herself up to the loading area. The chair swung around and scooped up Cass and another person who was too bundled up for Cass to recognize. She turned to the person anyway. "Hi," she said. "I'm Cass."

[Mary Evans]

Mary awoke that morning to the sun streaming on to her face once again. 'It was a nice novelty the first day but my gosh does it have to come out so early everyday?' She thought as she turned her back to the window and tried to go back to sleep. It was no use though, Mary was already awake. 'I have been here so long and yet have not gone skiing. I think I'm going to go today lest I get caught up in other things again and completely miss it.' Mary the got up and dressed in a warm green sweater and another pair of jeans that had once again been enchanted to keep her warm and dry. She then put on a green muggle ski jacket, her Slytherin scarf, and reluctantly put on a pair of flat shoes. 'What can't they just make skies that you can wear heels in? I don't know how to walk in these infernal things!' Mary thought quite aggravated as she made her way awkwardly to the door skies in hand. She walked out of the castle glancing at this and that but not really looking at anything except the sky out the window. It was a nice day with few clouds, and there was fresh white snow all over that made Mary smile. Normally Mary hated the cold, but this trip had been so amazing she was actually begining to enjoy the snow.

As Mary approached the ski lift she began to get excited. She then hopped on the nearest lift without even noticing someone else was there until she had spoken. She looked over at the girl next to her; judging by her ensemble she seemed to be a Gryffindor. "Hey. I'm Mary" she responded offering her hand to be shaken. "Lovely day out is it not? Perfect skiing conditions in my opinion." She continued with a smile.

[cassmcg]

A Slytherin. She should have known. Cass had been told not to trust them, but this one, Mary, seemed perfectly civil. Cass shook Mary's hand. "I think I've seen you before," she said. At a school the size of Hogwarts, one could only be so anonymous, especially among members of one's same year.

"Yeah, it's nice weather," Cass said. "The snow's really powdery, almost no ice at all. Or at least that's how it was yesterday." Feeling that the weather was a rather boring topic of conversation, Cass added, "This has been really fun. I'll be so disappointed when we have to go back to Hogwarts." Cass fidgeted with her gloves a bit, pulling her fingers out of the red finger holes and balling them up into a fist to keep them warm. "Those teachers really piled on the work right before Christmas. I'm taking Divination and Care of Magical Creatures as my electives, and those weren't that bad, but that Transfiguration project was a pain. And that Potions essay! Gosh, that Professor Snape is such a slave driver!"

And then she remembered she was talking to a Slytherin. Oops, she thought. She blinked and then her eyes widened slightly in surprise at what she had just said, and she rapidly pursed her lips as if to keep her mouth physically shut. (It seldom stayed that way for long.) She would have turned red too, but her face was already pink from the cold.

[Mary Evans]

Mary noticed the flash of indecision that crossed Cass’ face when she saw Mary’s scarf and colours. She was used to it by now of course, but it was still a little weird because her friends had ceased doing it awhile ago. Mary was happy when Cass shook her hand and continued a civil conversation regardless. “Well most likely we have had at least one class together since we came to Hogwarts two and a half years ago. We probably meet, but with how our houses are not supposed to know each other it’s hard to remember why you recognize some people.” Mary responded when Cass mentioned having seen her before. She continued surveying the mountain the girls were climbing as Cass spoke about the weather and then classes.

Cass then made a comment about Snape being a slave driver and seemed to regret it, most likely remembering Mary’s house. “Yes that essay was brutal. Of course you guys have it worse though, I mean we have the same assignments but I see how he gives the other houses extra work when he can. Although I have to admit he is a pretty good guy when you sit on my side of the room. I don’t understand how he can be so nice and then totally change like that. O well c’est la vie right?”<br>
Noting Cass’ discomfort Mary thought a change in subject was in order. “I am of two minds about going back actually. It will be nice to go back to the castle; like going home. Plus we get to see everyone who did not come on the trip. But on the other hand I am having such a great time here I really don’t want to leave. And as much as I hate the cold it is beautiful here as well.”<br>

[cassmcg]

"Yeah," Cass mused in response to Mary's comment about inter-House taboos. She would probably get nosy questions from her Gryffindor friends if they saw her talking to a Slytherin like this. Good thing nobody was around to bother her about it. Then again, it was obvious to anyone within about five miles that a Gryffindor and a Slytherin were sitting on a chairlift: both she and Mary were decked out in their house garb. On an impulse she looked down at the slope to see if anyone was giving them funny looks from below. She hoped someone was. It was a delightful idea: sitting way up here with a Slytherin from her year, defiantly flouting convention and attracting attention for it. Unfortunately, the few people on the slope hadn't noticed her and Mary. Or if they had, they hadn't put two and two together and realized that she was in Gryffindor and Mary was in Slytherin and thus would not ordinarily be sitting on a chair lift together.

"Totally," Cass agreed, in an attempt to be charitable towards Professor Snape, over-correcting for her past error. "I mean, if I were you, I'd definitely like him. And I mean, he's not that bad. Not compared to some people, anyway. Like Umbridge." Seeing Snape's class inspected the previous year had given Cass a new appreciation for Snape as he had coldly dismissed all of Umbridge's comments. As for insulting Umbridge, Cass felt on pretty solid ground. Some Slytherins had liked Umbridge because she would let them be on her "squad" or whatever, but Cass was prepared to bet that Mary hadn't been one of them. She didn't seem like the type.

"I suppose it will be nice to see my friends again," she conceded. She had scarcely noticed their absence on the slopes, but in the afternoons she had only her sister Anna to keep her company. Anna was a little goody-two-shoes, a first year in Hufflepuff, and Cass grew impatient with her very easily. As for the feeling of "home," Cass didn't care much for that. She preferred novelty to familiarity. (Even if familiarity had better and cheaper food. The food at the ski lodge was obscenely priced.) "I'd love to show my friends back at Hogwarts some pictures," she said, "but I forgot to bring a camera. Did you bring one? I'd love to get some copies of your pictures. I'll pay for the duplication fee."

[Mary Evans]

Mary giggled as Cass mentioned Umbridge. Mary had hated her from the moment she saw her and still shuddered at the thought of that pink sweater. Umbridge had just struck a wrong chord with Mary, a gut feeling which turned out to be correct. One good thing about Umbridge though was Mary had benefited from the green crest with her too. With most people, outside those who wear green themselves, it works against her. So Mary always found it refreshing when her Slytherin status helped her; although that was usually with mean people for some reason.

“Well the thing is I did pack a camera … but I have only taken about three pictures since we got here. I have just been too busy to take pictures; either that or I forget to bring it with me. I did get some lovely shots though. If you want I can show them to you after I get them developed and you can decide if you like them.” Mary offered looking up the mountain. The top of the slope was nowhere in sight and Mary thought that this was going to be a much longer trip. Thankful for the good company Mary flashed a smile at Cass. “Ski much?” she asked.

[cassmcg]

She was laughing. Cass's intuition had been correct: Mary seemed to have disliked Umbridge as much as anyone. And who wouldn't, really? On the inside she was odious: unfair, inconsistent, dictatorial. On the outside she was equally odious: she looked like a toad, had the most bloody annoying habit of clearing her throat every two seconds ("You really should see Madam Pomfrey for that cold," McGonagall had once told her pointedly), and she had the worst fashion sense ever. Cass wondered where she was now. Hopefully dead in a ditch somewhere.

"That would be perfect, thanks," she said to Mary about the photos. "It's gorgeous up here. I want to show my friends." The trees below them looked like a winter wonderland: dark green pines slightly weighed down by snow.

"I've skied before," she replied to Mary's question. "It's been a while, though. I went to Switzerland a couple times when I was younger. I wanted to snowboard, 'cos I've seen photos of snowboarders and always wanted to try it, but snowboarding's not too popular in Switzerland. I guess it's more of an American trend. It looks like such fun!" She glanced down. Sure enough, everyone was skiing. "So I started skiing instead, and it was fun. People say snowboarding's not all it's cracked up to be, anyway. They say you do nothing but fall down the first day. I bet I could get the hang of it, though." Idly she wondered if she was talking Mary's ear off. Her mouth tended to run like mad when it got going. This was one of those times.

[Mary Evans]

“Don’t you have pictures from other trips to Switzerland then? I mean, I have pictures from every place I have ever been. I have never been to Switzerland before; its pretty here. I’m grateful for whoever it was that created warming enchantments though; couldn’t have survived otherwise. I have never been anywhere like this before in fact. My mother and I both hate cold, so the only places we vacation are hot.” Mary babbled at Cass until she realised the other girl probably doesn’t care. Mary had a tendency to babble all the time. People often think it’s because she is nervous when they first meet; but soon realise its just who she is.