Sick of Shopping (Kennedy)

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

It was Christmas Eve, and like many people Cass was fighting the throng of people whipping in and out of the shops at Diagon Alley. It seemed that things were getting back to normal with the Alley reopening, but just a quick look around the street could easily alert someone that things were not normal. Ministry wizards and aurors were patrolling the streets with their wands out, anticipating another attack on the shopping district. Unfortunately for Cass, she was shopping alone. Her Aunt and Uncle did not find it fitting to send an escort with her, and that did make her a bit anxious. She was actually at Diagon Alley on the day of the attack, and even though she wasn't hurt badly, she was still on her guard.

Cass could almost remember the days when she didn't have to carry her wand everywhere she went. When she went shopping for clothes the summer before her second year, she felt relatively safe walking around the streets with her mother and father. Now, after she had survived two death eater attacks, she didn't feel that way.

After two hours of shopping and arguing with the manage of Quality Quidditch Supplies over a new Slytherin Quidditch Jersey for her cousin, Cass decided it was time for a well earned lunch. The pub was packed with many witches and wizards celebrating for different reasons. Many of their kind felt that it was a slap in the face to Voldemort to have Diagon Alley reopen, and some felt that it would just raise his ire. After ordering her lunch, Cass sat down at a small table in the back of the bar. A bar maid soon came by and poured her a cup of tea. Taking a book out of her carry all bag, she decided it was time to catch up on her reading.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Kennedy was in a rare mood. Unsure if it was the holiday spirit or the fact that it was Christmas break, he was feeling unusually joyful. Having finished his last minute shopping, he walked down Diagon Alley. Much had changed since its reopening after the Death Eater attack. Luckily, he hadn't been there the day of the attack, but he knew many other Hogwarts students had been.

Hearing his stomach growl, Kennedy figured it was time to grab a bite to eat. He walked into the pub and looked around for a place to sit. Other last-minute shoppers crowded the room, and he didn't notice any available places to sit. Glancing toward the back of the pub, he did however notice a girl sitting alone. She looked awfully familiar he thought and he moved a little closer to get a better view. When he saw her face more clearly, he recognized her as a fellow Hogwarts student. Then, he remembered seeing her in class before. He knew she was a Blackfire, and also a cousin of Pyro, whom he shared a dormitory with. Seeing no other option, Kennedy figured being that it was Christmas, he could try to be on his best behavior. Plus, he figured he had better make use of his good mood before it wore off

Putting a big smile on his face, he approached the table at which the girl was sitting and he greeted her cheerfully. "Happy Christmas Eve! Mind if I join you? Everywhere else is full," he said, sweeping his hand across the room, pointing to each of the occupied tables. Convincing himself that he was capable of kindness, he waited for the girls response, all the while his smile never left his face.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cassandra looked over the edge of her book at the boy who had just asked to sit at her table. The boy's smile was unsettling. It vaguely reminded her of the smile that Pyro gave her whenever he wanted something. Watching his outstretched hands, she saw that he was right, every table was full. Putting down her book and shifting uncomfortably, she put her hand out and motioned toward the vacant seat in front of her. " You're more than welcome to join me. I'm Cassandra. Cassandra Blackfire. Finishing up Christmas shopping like the rest of this I see. It's always so hard shopping for my family. What do you buy a person who can buy whatever they want?"

She watched as the boy took his seat and put his packages down around him. " I think I've seen you around Hogwarts. Your in my cousin's house, right?" Of course he was a Slytherin. Not only did he have that certain Slytherin air about him, but she was pretty sure that she had seen him sitting at their house table during dinner. " So, are you glad to get out of the castle? I know I was. I felt that it was stifling with all the new security and what not. It seems like you almost have to present ID, go through a strict background check, and then be searched to get in nowadays. However, those are the precautions you must take when you have the 'Boy who Lived' in your house."

[Kennedy Valak S6]

The girl seemed reluctant, but eventually offered the chair to Kennedy. Taking a seat, he listened as she questioned what house she was in. After mentioning something about her cousin, Kennedy made the connection, realizing she was talking about his roommate Pyro Blackfire. He had overheard little about Cassandra when Pyro would talk about her in the common room. However, he never had held a real conversation with Pyro, so what little he did know about her was rather insignificant. "Yes I do believe I know your cousin," he responded, "and yes, I was finishing up some Christmas shopping."

The girl continued, talking about the castle and all the security that was now being enforced. He listened to her small talk and nodded politely in agreement with most of what she had to say. As an employee walked by, Kennedy stopped her and asked for a cup of coffee. He was exhausted and the caffeine was needed at the moment. Once she brought him his drink, he blew on it slightly and took a sip of the hot liquid. He didn't much prefer the taste, but it could be overlooked as long as it provided him with the extra boost he needed.

"By the way," he said, realizing he had neglected to tell the girl his name, "I'm Kennedy Valak in case you were unaware. I think I've seen you playing Quidditch before," he said, recalling that she was a beater fro Gryffindor. Taking another sip of his coffee, he glanced around the room, wondering if he knew anybody else. Not seeing anyone, he turned his attention back to Cass. "So what is it like," he questioned curiously, "being related to Pyro who is in Slytherin while you are in Gryffindor. I'm sure that it must cause some tension in your family," he said logically.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

" Nice to meet you, Kennedy," Cass said, remembering her manners. She grimaced as she took a sip of her tea. " Awful." Putting the cup back on its saucer, she flagged down the waitress. " I'm sorry, but could you switch this for some cappuccino." The waitress scuttled off with the cup. " Goodness, you would think they could make a decent cup of tea. I think I had better tea in the States, and Americans as a rule don't know how to make tea." After moment later, Cass thanked the woman as she returned with the light colored beverage. When Kennedy mentioned that he knew her from Quidditch, she couldn't help but chuckle. " Everybody knows me from Quidditch. Even first year Hufflepuffs I have never met before think I'm their best friend because they saw me swing a beater bat at a Slytherin chaser. No offense." Cass took a sip of her coffee. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she put the drink back on the table. " Of course, it does make one popular if you are concerned with such things. I'm hoping I'll be picked for captain after this year, but of course, I've always had high hopes."

As the conversation turned to her family, she could only bite her lip. It was a sore spot with her, and she really didn't like to talk about it. For one, she usually talked way to much about it just to get some of the stress off her shoulders, and two, all the purebloods in England knew something about the Blackfire's dirty laundry. " I guess you could call it a tense situation at times. There was a reason why I was put in Gryffindor opposed to the rest of my family. In fact, I'm the first Blackfire placed in a house other than Slytherin. Of course, I think that is mostly because of my...," Cass searched for the correct word, " upbringing. My parents didn't feel the same as the rest of the family." That is one way of putting that my father was scared of what Voldemort was trying to do, Cass thought to herself bitterly. Truthfully, she wondered how she would be if she had grown up with the Blackfires. She honestly could not see herself like many of the girls in Slytherin. Most of them were either extremely preppy or mean with pent up hostility. " I'm glad I'm a Gryffindor though. My family accepts me for who I am, for the most part. They know that it will be impossible to change me, and I know that about them. Even though I don't agree with them sometimes, I just deal with it." Cass smiled and the warmth reappeared in her eyes. " Surely you can't tell me there isn't a black sheep in your family? There has to be at least one person that didn't end up in family house."

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Cassandra's words held so much meaning for Kennedy. In a way he could totally relate. Sure he wasn't as kind as Cass seemed, or as caring or brave, but he sure was sick of the stereotype that he carried as a Slytherin. At times, he wished he could just act how he wanted to act and do what he wanted to do without the constant worry of acting outside of the accepted Slytherin boundaries. He thought for a moment, wondering if he should even begin to explain how well he understood what Cass was saying.

"I guess you could say there is a 'black sheep' of my family," he admitted, speaking in generalities as not to inform her that he was referring to himself. He had never really opened up to anybody when it came to this topic. Currently, he didn't trust Cass enough to let her be the first to know. It would be easy though. This was something he was dying to get off his chest and here was a perfect opportunity. "I see nothing wrong with you being a part of Gryffindor," he commented, questioning whether or not he should sound so reinforcing. But then he realized he was doing it again. Forcing himself not to seem to kind, or caring- forcing himself to be trapped by the title of Slytherin. For once he just ached to be himself whether it was his kind self or arrogant self. Why couldn't he just chose when and where to act how he wanted?

He sat quietly for a few seconds, unsure of what to say next. Knowing that if he would start to tell Cass what he was really thinking, there would be no turning back. So, he waited for her to be the one to talk. This way, he was safe from spilling anything that he didn't want in the open just yet. Taking his cup, he raised it to his lips and swallowed a gulp of the coffee which was cooling rather quickly.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass raised an eyebrow as the boy's facade seemed to drop a bit. He seemed a little eager about the topic of conversation at hand. Letting her guard down, her body became relaxed. It wasn't the first time she had allowed a Slytherin in, and probably wouldn't be the last. " I can't say that I am not surprised about how you feel about my house. I have met several Slytherins who have felt the same as you in the past, but eventually they change their mind. Usually because of family pressure or house pressure. Last year, Pyro and I were very close, but now I wouldn't trust him with the time of day. If you would placate my curiosity, why do you not have a problem with my house? I have had various responses to this question over the years." It also enlightens me to a person's personality, thought Cass to herself.

Kennedy's silence pressed her on. " I guess you could consider my side of the family a whole flock of black sheep. It's not everyday that a whole wizarding family leaves their world to hide as muggles. Makes me wonder sometimes how I would of turned out if that wasn't the case?" Cass averted her eyes into her coffee. " Doesn't that change your opinion of me drastically? I hail from a group of Slytherins who couldn't take the pressure to conform to Voldemort's ideals?" Weight seemed to be lifting from Cass' shoulders a bit. The stress of living with her muggle hating relatives was starting to be relieved. " I live with my Aunt and Uncle. They force me to live to their standards as Slytherins. I'm not even allowed to speak to my muggle friends. You know, might make the family look bad." Cass was trying to sound casual about the topic, pretending that it didn't effect her like it really did. " My Uncle even had the nerve to make a joke in front of me one day. Pretty horrible, it was." Cass wiped her eyes, trying to hide her vulnerability. " I just remember him asking me one day what do you get when two blood traitorous Slytherins marry? His answer? A gryffindor. Guess he was right. My parents were definetly that."

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Listening as Cass went on about her parents and her situation of living with her muggle-hating uncle, Kennedy could almost relate. The only difference being that he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor like Cass was, and unlike her, he had conformed to the status that had been placed upon him as a Slytherin. Hearing Cass's perspective made him think for a moment that it would be easy just to quit hiding behind his Slytherin mask and start being himself. Not that his true self was more Gryffindor, but just the fact that it was a lot less Slytherin than he let on.

"That's horrible," he said finally, referring to the comment that Cass quoted from her uncle. "It's sickening if you ask me. I just don't understand why there is such a division that carries over into such a minuscule thing as what house you are part of at Hogwarts. Sure this whole thing branches off of the line between good and evil, but I just don't understand why that correlation is carried over. I mean seriously, just because somebody is in Slytherin does not make them an evil person, and I'm sure that not every Gryffindor is the most moral person in the world either. Not to mention, we still have the Huffles and Ravens. Where do they all fit in to this?" Stopping for a moment to take a breath, Kennedy realized his voice had ascended to just shy of shouting. He took another drink of coffee and apologized. "Sorry," he said, shaking his head, "it just gets me fired up. Sometimes it just seems as though they have taken such a stupid thing as house and turned into a social stamp that makes up the entire being of someone. Quite frankly, I don't believe that it's right."

Realizing he had really dug deep into the issue, he concluded with a final statement before allowing Cass to vocalize her views on the topic, if she even cared as much as he did. "So, for that reason, I have nothing against you, a pure-blood from a long line of Slytherins, being a part of Gryffindor. If it suits you best, then so be it."