Needles and Pincushions ((Solitaire))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

"Quit fidgeting!" Cass yelled as she held pins through clenched teeth. " If you keep that up, I could stick you. I would hate to have to scrub blood out of this?" Cass was bent down on one knee in a pair of ripped jeans and a white tshirt. An open box sat at her side. It was filled with pins, thread, needles, measuring tape, and a myriad of knick knacks that she might need. She pulled on the fabric to smooth a couple of wrinkles out. " Ugh, I'm not sure if this is the right length?" What do you think?" Cass took her wand and pointed it at the full length mirror that stood in front of her friend, Solitaire.

You would never know it, but this Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had been good friends ever since their sorting. In fact, they had almost been inseparable their first few months at Hogwarts. However, as they matured and their personalities changed, they two girls had drifted apart.

Solitaire had just recent contacted her about making a costume for the Halloween Ball, and their once lively friendship had once again been rekindled. " I hope this is good, Solitaire. I didn't have a lot to go on though. Just the couple of pictures that you gave me, but I think the outfit does you justice." Cass gave her friend an approving look from behind that reflected in the mirror. " Now, I just hope that maybe a boy approves." Cass gave her friend a mischievous look.

[Solitaire Keighley H7]

Solitaire and Cassandra had made an awkward pair during their first few months, but Solitaire had loved having a friend, even if they had been placed in different houses. " I'm not fidgeting." Taire yelled back at Cass. " I couldn't be standing any more statue like." Taire had needed help with her costume for the ball, and Cass was the only one she knew she could turn too.

Taire hadn't made very many friends in her four years at Hogwart's and Cass seemed to be her best friend. Taire looked in the mirror to see how the costume was starting to look. " I love it, I think it's going to look great." Taire said smiling back at her friend. Solitaire couldn't believe that she had decided to dress as such a tomboyish person. It was totally uncharacteristic of her. She had always cared what others thought of her, but this costume totally said that she didn't.

" I'm sure I can find someone who will like it. Besides, it doesn't matter if I find a date or not. I can still have fun without a date." She said sarcastically.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Stepping back, she surveyed her friend in the costume. " Yes, you can have fun without a date, but it's always fun to have a date. Of course," she winked, " it may be more fun to watch all the boys drool." Picking up some scrap pieces of clothe on the floor, she continued talking. " I think that outfit will do nicely. However, I'm not sure why you decided to go for that character. I mean, no one will know who or what you are."

Cass sat on the floor and began to put up all of her stuff. " You know, I honestly can't believe that I am going with Liam." Her hand went up to the medallion around her neck. " It's so wierd. One day, we are good friends and the next night we are going out on a date. I honestly never saw it coming." Locking the case, she stood up next to her friend with panic in her eyes. " Oh my god, you are so going to have to stay close to me! What if I do something stupid, or learn suddenly I can't dance?" Panic was beginning to tug at Cass as she thought of the many disasters that could befall her on this date.

[Solitaire Keighley H7]

Laughing as her friend went into full blown panic, Taire smiled. " You'll be fine. You're a great dancer, and if the two of you started off as friends, then that will just make you more comfortable around him." She tried to calm Cass down.

Solitaire wasn't sure herself why she had wanted to dress as a character from a muggle movie. Cass was right, no one would know who she was. They would probably think she dressed as a muggle for her costume. And in some weird way, that was exactly what she had done, but not intentionally.

" Don't worry, I'll be near if you have another panic attack while we're at the ball. But, everything is going to be fine. And it will be more fun to watch the boys drool, than to have a date, so that doesn't really matter." Solitaire said trying to reassure herself of the same thing.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

" Oh god, Taire, I'm so nervous. What am I suppose to do? I don't know how to dance, or curtsy, or... AH!" Cass pulled at her hair in frustration. " I still just can't believe. Me with Liam Angelus!" She pulled at the medallion that hung from her throat nervously. " Of course, I think that may be one of my fears. You know, being to comfortable around him." Walking towards the door, she put her hand on the knob. " Liam has not only see me cry over my family, but seen me eat like a pig as well."

Cass opened the door and let her friend out. " I've decided I'm going as Alice in Wonderland. I just hope that Liam dresses in the same thing. Oh hell, he probably doesn't even know who Alice in Wonderland is. He is a pureblood after all. I mean, do purebloods even read stuff like that?"

[Solitaire Keighley H7]

" I'm not sure, but you will be fine. Remember I'll be there too, so if you need me, find me. I won't get too far off." Taire said, hugging her best friend and reassuring her that everything would be fine.

Taire turned to walk out the door, and smiled at Cass. " Your just being paranoid again. That's all. You'll do great. Now I have to run back to the common room and get some other stuff to go with this costume. Meet you at the entrance?" Taire said smiling