A Name that Truly Fits ((Xadrian))

[Solitaire Keighley H7]

Taire made her way through the castle toward the kitchens. Her journey saddening her more and more with each step, for it was on this same path that she had met her Knight. Oh how she missed him. Taire had not been able to express her feelings for him before his decision to transfer to a school that he had heard of on a trip to the United States. He had made his move over the summer, after a short visit to Taire’s home and village. This was when he had told her of the move. She could remember every gut wrenching moment of the discussion, and the many nights that she had lain and cried with her broken heart. She found no comfort in her racing, no comfort in her drawings, no comfort even in displeasing her parents; which for Taire was usually a favorite pastime. She had locked herself in her room after having her mother to change the yellows and reds of the room to solid shades of black with small broken hearts in the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff colors. Her mother did this without argument for Taire had shown her pain in even asking her mother to do these things, when she could have gotten her butler to do them without permission from her parents. Taire’s butler had taken care of her ever since she had been born and had come to do anything Solitaire’s heart desired.

Thinking back on these moments, Taire finally realized just how fitting her name was. “Solitaire” she repeated to herself. “How could my mother and father have known that I was to spend my life alone in this world? Doth one of them possess the power of the inner eye, and excel in Divination without my knowledge of this?” Taire wondered these things out loud, no longer caring whom thought of her as crazy, for she truly felt as much. There were days when she felt no need to go on with her life, for the loss of her Knight was as if a Death Eater had ran a knife through her heart like she had seen done on so many muggle films. Taire tried to shake the thoughts of Darien out of her mind, although they refused to leave. Vixen It was as if his voice had never left her mind. She yearned to hear that word again, and in that voice, but at the same time she only hoped that everyone would be wise enough to forget that it was a nickname. She no longer cared to be called that, or Taire. She was truly Solitaire now, and had no need for petty nicknames, which had no feelings from whoever’s mouth they came. She found her way to the kitchens by remember the tapestry that Darien had once shown her.

The kitchen had the same feel to it, as it had the first time she had come in here last year. She looked around at the House-elves. It was almost as if they remembered her. Was that even possible? For House-elves to remember just one out of so many different students seemed as if it would take a miracle of some sorts, perhaps a blessing from the gods. She smiled as a female elf walked up to her with a muffin and some cocoa, then guided her over to the couch where she and Dare had first gotten to know each other. Solitaire forced herself to stare out of the window as she had done that first day, and then closed her eyes to remember the wonderful time that the two had shared. Solitaire propped her feet up on the window seal and decided to spend the day there in that very spot. Cocoa and muffins along with wonderful memories could actually make her feel a bit better.

[xadrian]

Xadrian's stomach churned uncomfortably. He wasn't hungry when he was at the Great Hall, and now he was feeling the after effects of his not eating. He thought of home and all the wonderful meals his mother cooked for him. Sure the food at Hogwarts was good too, but nothing beat his mother's home cooking. She often included her Chinese background in cooking a lot too, and, as a result, Xadrian and his sisters grew up loving Chinese food. Turning to head back to his room hungry, he paused for a moment and stopped. That was it! How could he have forgot? Once, as a new first year, he wondered into the kitchen mistakingly, only to meet all the house-elves that worked down there. Maybe if he payed them a visit, he could get some food for his demanding stomach.

Remembering the day as if it were only yesterday, Xad traced his steps back to where he first found the kitchen. He walked through the portrait hole quietly and scanned the area. "Umm, hello?" he said as a small house-elf as she walked by. "Heeello," she squealed with delight when she saw Xad standing at the entrance. He wasn't aware that they were so fond of company. "Uh, I was just kind of hungry, and I was hoping I could find some food down here," he said somewhat sheepishly. "You are Mr. Kwan, isn't you?" the tiny elf asked as she grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen. "Why is it that you isn't visit us since you last visit?" she asked disappointedly. "We likes visitors. What does Mr. Kwan want to eat?" she inquired happily.

Xad was taken back by her response. Had he known it was this easy, he might have made trips to the kitchen more often. "Um, whatever you've got," he said with a shrug. "Anything Chinese would be great though," he added. Soon, the little elf returned with a large plate of what appeared to be dessert cakes. "Are those green tea cakes?" Xad asked, his eyes widening. "Yes they is," came a squeaky response from the elf. Taking the plate, Xad said thanks and tasted one of the cakes. It was amazing! Almost as good as his mother's... almost.

Most likely preparing for dinner, the elf seemed to vanish, leaving Xad to enjoy his food. He shrugged and walked over toward a couch that was turned the other way. He could definitely get used to this, he thought. Just as he walked around the couch and was about to sit down, he noticed that someone was already sitting there. "Oh, hi," he managed, with a bit of green tea cake still in his mouth. "I'm Xadrian," he introduced himself, as he didn't really know or recognize the girl. "You can call me Xad though. I didn't realize that I wasn't the only one down here." He felt like it would be rude of him to sit, so he just stood and waited to see if the girl would introduce herself back. It appeared that she too had received some food and even a drink from the elves. Smiling, he took another bite of cake as he waited.

[Solitaire Keighley H7]

Solitaire pulled her gaze from the window as she heard another voice in the kitchens. Looking around from her seat, she only caught a glimpse at the person there. Paying little attention to them, and more attention to the feelings in her heart, she turned back toward the window and refocused her gaze. Taire had no idea of how long she had now been in the kitchens, and truthfully did not care. She only longed now to stay in the kitchens and never forget her first visit here. Who would have ever been able to predect that Solitaire's most favorite place in Hogwarts would become the kitchen in the beginning of her fifth year. She surely would not have guessed such a thing. The elves seemed happy to have the company, for they simply just refilled her cocoa and brought her more muffins, never once bothering her except to ask if she needed anything more. She felt deeply sadden when she had to reply to them that what she needed Hogwarts no longer held. One house-elf must have remembered her often visits with Darien to the kitchens for the little female elf came up asking Taire about him. "Miss Vixen misses Master Dare right?" Solitaire looked down at the little elf, and smiled. "Yes, Lila, I must admit I do. You must miss him too, for I recall you were a bit fond of him correct." The little house-elf nodded in reply to this, and then went back to her work. Taire couldn't bring herself to ask Lila to no longer call her Vixen, for it had been all the little elf had heard Darien call her.

Lila had left Taire alone to her own thoughts again, and this time Solitaire felt that she might break down and cry. She had even started to wonder if there wasn't some way that she could talk her parents into letting her take trips to visit him, since they had even seemed to have approved of him, when they had met him the one time. Her gaze had turned back out to the window yet again, and the sky was now seemingly starting to blacken just a bit. Solitaire wondered if it was now going to rain. It would be fitting. Hearing the voice of the person that had been in the kitchens again, Taire turned to look at the person talking to her. "Hello, I'm Solitaire Kieghley. Please sit down. I wouldn't mind some company if you wouldn't. Not many people know about this little couch in the back of the kitchens here. I frequent it quite often to let my mind wander." Taire said smiling as she tried to calmly introduce herself through the memories. Granted that Darien had introduced himself to Taire in the hallway, it still made meeting someone new here in the kitchens a bit awkward and reminded her yet again of the best day in her young life.

[xadrian]

The girl, who introduced herself as Solitaire Kieghley, seemed kind enough. She offered Xadrian a seat and said she wouldn't mind his company. Xad was glad, and so he took a seat beside her on the couch. "Isn't it nice?" he said, referring to her comment about getting food from the elves. "I know I sure enjoy the occasional visits here. But yeah, I didn't figure others knew about it either, as this is the first time I've not been alone when I came to visit.

Xadrian sat for a moment and took in Solitaire's appearance. Although she seemed warm and kind, he sensed that she was not as happy as her demeanor might suggest. He would have said something about it, but didn't want to sound like he was being nosy. "So what exactly has you mind been wandering on today?" he asked, deciding it was the most appropriate question. "That is, if you don't mind sharing," he quickly added, making sure to sound as polite as he could. It was something his parents strongly enforced on him as a child. They would be upset if he didn't practice their teaching now that he was out of the house for the most part. Xad put the last bit of cake in his mouth and then wiped the crumbs from his hands. "There's only one person who makes better green tea cakes," he said with a smile, "and I would argue that it is my mother."

((sorry so short ))

[Solitaire Keighley H7]

Solitaire turned her eyes back out toward the window. Staring out the window seemed to help her think more clearly. Did she really want to share what her mind had been wandering about lately. She knew she needed too, but was it the best idea to share this to a total stranger. Cass would tell her that she was just being herself if she did. Taire wasn't one to hide her thoughts, concerns or heartbreaks like she had been doing lately. "A friend. Well, more than that really. He moved away to the Americas during the summer, and I can't get him out of my mind. Not that I want to. I just......" Taire let her voice trail off. How was she supposed to tell a complete stranger that she was between depressed and hating herself at the moment. She should have told Darien how she felt.

"I'm so sorry." Taire said quickly. She had began to spill everything before she realized it. Taire wasn't happy and knew that she wasn't hiding it very well from the rest of the school. Her wardrobe had changed, and the smile that He had loved so much had drastically faded, but there was nothing that Taire could do about that now, was there. She looked over at the tray that Lila had brought to her, there were tea cakes on it. Picking up the tray, she held it over toward Xad, "Help yourself. As long as we eat them, Lila will make sure the tray is refilled."

((It's alright. Mine's not the best I could have came up with either. It's just hard for Taire to talk about her feelings concerning Dare.))

[xadrian]

Xad sensed that Solitare was apprehensive to share what she was pondering. He didn't mind though. If she didn't feel comfortable talking with him about whatever the subject might be, he wasn't going to force her. After all, they had only just met. Xad just found it hard though to converse with her, as she seemed so distant. She mentioned a friend however. Someone who had apparently been a little more than just a friend, yet had moved away over the summer. Xad imagined it must be tough for Solitaire. He didn't quite know her situation fully, but he imagined it difficult still.

"No," he said softly after she apologized, "It should be me offering an apology. I really didn't mean to touch on a subject that you are not wanting to talk about. When she held out the tray of food for Xad, he took a muffin and began nibbling on it. He wasn't quite hungry after eating the tea cakes, but it wasn't everyday that he was offered such a variety of delicious food. "Thanks," he said, remembering his manners.

Rather unsure of where to lead the conversation next, Xad just sat for a few minutes and waited to see if Solitaire had anything else to say. If she simply felt like sitting peacefully, he wasn't going to ruin her moment. She was there first after all.

((No worries... I kept mine short, and will let Taire figure out where she wants to go with this. Xad is pretty patient and easy going, so he doesn't mind.))