To a New Home (( Pyro ))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

" Damnit!" Cass yelled as the trunk hit the stone floor hard. She was upset about today, and had hoped that this day would never come. She was going to go live Pyro's family, and she wasn't really sure what awaited her when she reached Blackfire Manor. She had packed her meager belonging last night in anticipation of the train ride to her new home. Even though she wasn't taking alot, the trunk was still heavy. It was packed full of clothes, pictures, books, and anything she thought she might need over the holiday. Cass had made sure to only pack one or two muggle outfits; afraid that her Aunt would try to purge her wardrobe.

Finally tiring, she pulled out her wand and commanded, " Locomotor Trunk!" The hovered over the ground by itself, frightening a few first year students that had just walked by. Cass marched straight down to the train landing with her luggage, waving to several of her friends along the way. After loading her trunk up, she boarded the train alone.

With her large purse in tow, she made her way to the back of the train. Finding an empty compartment, she closed the door behind her and sat down heavily on the upholstered seat. Cass looked out of the windowed door hopefully, wanting to see Liam one last time before the holidays. She had asked him to come over for dinner some point during the holidays, but she knew her request would go unheeded. The two of them had become so close this semester. So close in fact, that she had even introduced him as her boyfriend to her Uncle at the funeral. Smirking to herself, she remembered the confrontation with not much regret. She knew that Lust and Charles would try to impress their maniacal values upon her, but she wasn't going to accept them. Nope, she was going to live her life like she wanted, and if that meant making her family mad, so be it.

Scooting back against the wall, she propped her back against the far corner. Pulling out a book and a little WWN player, she made herself comfortable for the ride back home. Opening the book to where she left off, she turned the Wireless all the way up before getting lost in the book's world. About thirty minutes later, she felt the train shudder as it pulled away from the platform. Looking up, she was just in time to see the door slide open.

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro lazy tossed a few random items into his trunk. The Owl his father had sent him was sitting on the table beside his bed. Pyro still looked at it every night to make sure he had read it correctly. Never before had his father requested that he come home for the holidays. Pyro had been shocked and surprised and hadn't even bothered to attempt a refusal. So now the day had finally come and he was off to the Blackfire manor. A sight he hadn't seen in nearly 2 years now. Looking at what he had in his trunk he nodded in satisfaction. That should be enough. He was going home so most of his stuff would still be there waiting for him. With a flick of his wand the trunk snapped shut and with another flick the wand began to float in the air.

Pyro exited the deserted Dorm room and made his way out of the common room. He boarded a carriage that was waiting and filled with a couple of second year Ravenclaws. He made sure not to make physical contact with them and nearly leapt out of the carriage as it came to a stop at the station. He pushed his way through the crowd of students and quickly boarded the train. Pyro boarded near the front but as soon as he saw all the filthy muggle first years packing the area he quickly decided against that. The middle car wasn't much better. He crinkled his nose as he looked at the door leading to the last car. He remembered what had happened on the ride over. Luckily he had gotten out of that situation with minimal injuries.

He shrugged. No way would the death eaters be stupid enough to try the same trick twice. Although if the Hogwarts staff still couldn't stop an attack than they clearly weren't qualified to be in charge of his safety. Pyro stepped into the last car and looked around at the compartments. He spotted Cass sitting in one. He sighed, guess he aught to try and get along with her. He was going to be living with her. He opened the door just as she raised her head. He looked at her and smiled a bit. He quietly went and put his trunk away in an overhead bin and than sat down. They sat in silence for a moment. What was he suppose to say to her? He looked out the window. "So, how are ya feeling? Must be pretty scary. Moving to a new house and all." He said quietly.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass suppressed a frown as Pyro entered the carriage. Not that she particularly loathed her cousin, but she was going to spending the entire holiday with him. While Pyro settled in, Cass removed her headphones and marked the last page she read in her book. She was surprised that he asked about her well being. Yes, they were family, but their relationship has been far from ordinary. In fact, they had spent the last few months bickering. Pyro hadn't even been able to keep his angry comments to himself about her relationship to Liam at the funeral. Biting her lip, she decided to share. They were family after all. She just hoped it didn't bite her in the arse later.

" Of course, I'm scared, Pyro. Your parents weren't exactly welcoming me with open arms when I met them," Cass' eyes suddenly took on a hard, defeated expression. " Well, your father was pretty nice to me, but I'm sure he has ulterior motives." Probably to get what is left of our fortune, she thought bitterly. " Your mother probably has a nice white room with a heavy lock on the outside ready for me."

Cass pulled her knees up under her chin, and wrapped her arms around her legs. Lust would obviously sneer when Cass got off the train wearing jeans with a hole in the knee, a red Quidditch jersey, a Gryffindor school robe, and the Angelus family crest medallion hanging predominantly around her neck. Kicking off her sneakers, she pulled a silver compact with the Blackfire crest out of her bag. " Do you think I should change before we get there?" She ran her hand through her tousled black hair. Cass shut the compact and showed Pyro the front. " Your mother sent it to me with a large parcel after Mum died. She said it was a our grandmother's in the letter." Cass didn't mention all the other things she has said in the letter, which included to mind your manners, dress like a pureblood, and don't be caught with that blood traitor boy. Cass put the compact back in her bag. "So, tell me about the manor. How long will it take to get there from the station? All the pertinent things you think I should know."

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro eyed his cousin carefully. Even though they did have their differences, they were in fact, cousins. Anything Cass did was now going to directly effect the Blackfire family. Pyro had his own plans for the family, and he couldn't really afford to let Cass screw things up. He had to get her into the correct frame and hope that she would conform to his family's wishes, at least until she came of age and managed to move out. He nodded quietly at her comment.

"Yes, well you can't really expect them to be very happy with this move now can you?" He looked at her. "Imagine it from their point of view. The head of a prominent pureblood family, once in servitude to the great lord, great and awesome power and influences, and now they have someone moving into their own home who acts, dresses, and basically is a Muggle. On top of that shes even dating one." Pyro said this with a bit of an undertone, he did well to hide it though.

"Now, if you were in that position. Would you accept you with open arms?" Pyro asked raising an eyebrow. He did grin though, "Besides, my parents aren't to hard to get off your back. All you have to do is nod, smile and agree with them and your set. We are what? 14, 15 years old? Another 2 to 3 years and we will be of age, than you can move out and live exactly how you want to. You won't even need to keep the name 'Blackfire' if you don't want to." There was a slight glint in Pyro's eyes.

He sat back and looked at her choice of clothing. "Yea, unless you want to receive a lot of crap I suggest changing."

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass gave her cousin a look. " Hey, this isn't my fault." Cass gave an angry fidget. Her book that was laying beside her fell in the floor with a thud. " Your father was the one who took me in. I had no decision in this whole thing. You think I'm excited about living with a bunch of...," Cass grasped for the correct word, " Slytherins who couldn't give a damn about anyone except themselves. Besides, I don't particularly feel like being a pawn in one of your father's plots." Why did Pyro always find a way to make her mad? No matter what, he always found the correct button to push or matter to bring up. Cass didn't want to go to Blackfire Manor, and she sure as hell didn't want to live there.

"What is your beef with Liam anyway? He is the farthest thing from a muggle and you know that." Her gaze was intent on Pyro. " Or are you just jealous because he is more than a gentleman than you. Also, I wouldn't accuse anyone of being a muggle, Pyro. It's very hypocritical of you." Cass made sure not to bring up anymore of their past together.

Cass stood up and pulled her robe off. " Well, if that is the case, I think your mother will just have to deal with what I am wearing. I'm sure not going to start out by trying to conform to your families' standards. Oh, and Pyro, you don't have to worry about changing my name anytime soon. Like you last year, I plan to bring as much honor to the Blackfire name as I possibly can, and if that means hanging with 'muggles'," Cass put her hands in mock quotations marks when she said muggles," so be it."

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro couldn't help but agree slightly with her. This wasn't her fault. He didn't have any proof, but he had a pretty good idea of whose fault this really was. He frowned slightly at her. "Yes, I realize that all of this isn't your fault, but I also wouldn't take my fathers hospitality as a show of good faith. I may have my fights with the man, but I know him very well. There is no way in the world that he would take someone like you in unless he was being forced to by something much stronger than him." Pyro fell quietly for a while as he thought about this. What could have possibly forced his father to do something like this? The fact that Cass's family had just died, in a mysterious fire none the less, and all of a sudden his father decides to take in the only survivor. It was all a bit to weird and to coincidental. Pyro looked up at her. "Don't worry, there really isn't much of a plot that my father would have that would require you to be a pawn."

Pyro couldn't help but frown as the conversation turned to the subject of Liam. Pyro shrugged, "I'll admit, I don't have a personal beef with the boy. I just don't merely like him, and he may not be a muggle in the sense of blood, but his actions sure qualify him as one." Pyro was starting to get a bit angry at this conversation. "It may be hypocritical of the way I used to be, but people change."

The conversation than turned back to the family at hand. Pyro couldn't help but start to frown and panic slightly at Cass's words. She was planning basically the same thing that he had done that resulted in his being expelled from the family. Normally Pyro would have congratulated her and even offered to help, but this was going to conflict with his plans for the family. If Pyro was to be the heir, he was going to make sure that the family still had the respect it deserved. He had to find a way to stop her actions. "Well, although I do applaud your heart, I must ask that you don't do anything to drastic to ruin the Blackfire name. Remember, you do have connections to the name, so any damage to the name, means damage to you." Pyro leaned back a bit. "Besides, if all goes according to plan, my father wont be in charge of the family for long." Pyro leaned foreword a bit. "So I will make you a deal. Can we put aside our differences for now and try to life a peaceful life at home. I'll keep my parents off your back, and you don't do anything to get attentions to wild. Than, as soon as my father is out of the picture. You can leave and never have to hear from the Blackfire family again." Pyro leaned back again. "Deal?"

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass raised her eyebrow up inquisitorially. " What do you mean 'someone like me?' You act like I'm a lycanthrope. I swear, I'm not catching." Cass rolled her eyes, not believing what she was hearing. She had known that this was coming. The reality of the situation was closing in on her. As much as she wanted to be accepted into a caring, loving family, it wasn't going to happen. Hell, Pyro's parents weren't even very partial to him it seemed. Biting her lip at the mention of Liam, she kept her comments to herself. She wanted to defend him, but it was a fight that was best saved for later.

Cass shut up and listened to Pyro as he proposed his plan to her. She listened carefully, only scoffing once when he said that Charles wouldn't be head of the family for much longer. " Please, Pyro. You just expect your father to lay down quietly while you take over the family. It won't happen." Cass stood up and pulled her carry all bag down from the overhead shelf. " And what do I get out of it, Pyro? I have just as much right to lead this family as you. I also have more to risk." Cass began to extract a black velvet robe from the gaping hole in her bag. " Your father is probably already planning out which pureblood family he is going to marry me off too so he can keep his good connections. What makes me think that you won't do the same?" She put the robe aside and began to sift through her bag. " As much as I would love to accept your offer, you need to tell me what is in it for me. You have more to lose than I do. I don't care if I trash the Blackfire name, but I would love to bring some honor back to it." Cass pulled out a winter white dress to go under her black robe. " I guess the Slytherin side of the family has rubbed off on me, but I want to know what is in it for me." Cass held the white dress up to her body. Looking down at it, she looked as if she was trying to make a decision. " So, make it worth my while, Pyro Blackfire. Is my good behavior worth something to you?"