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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Aug 20, 2009 13:48:02 GMT -5
Cassidy had recovered pretty quickly from the Hogsmeade attack, but she was still pretty shaken up. She was an auror, she was supposed to be able to protect herself better than that. The Death Eater had taken her down pretty easily, and she had ended up being rescued by Tyler. If he hadn't been there, Cassidy was certain she would have died.
It was his actions, however, that had the Ministry re-evaluating his case. It was now entirely possible that it might not go to trial at all. Instead, there might be a simple hearing, without the pomp and circumstance of a full Wizenagmot. They would be doing something very similiar with the case of Geoffrey Montgomery, after he had also fallen victim to the Imperius Curse and made a failed attempt to kill Riley in the Ministry. No one believed that Geoffrey had done it of his own free will, even Riley herself. Upon hearing about this, Cassidy had gone to Angelique to plead Tyler's case once again, and Angelique had agreed to take the case to Vincent. Cassidy was crossing her fingers that Vincent could agree to give Tyler a chance.
Of course, something else had happened that day that still weighed on Cassidy's mind. That was the kiss she and Tyler had shared just before she hurried off to fight. They hadn't talked about it, and they hadn't repeated it. It was the elephant in the room every time she saw him.
Cassidy had decided to do something special for Tyler to tell him about the possible change in the trial, so she baked a lasagna and headed over to his house for a visit. But as she thought of that kiss, her breath caught in her throat, and she almost didn't have the nerve to knock on the door.
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Oct 29, 2009 3:28:17 GMT -5
The time since the attack had been excruciating. He barely saw her anymore, and he'd been ordered to stay in house no matter what. That meant that while Cassidy was hurt, he couldn't get to her, and since he was still largely untrusted, no one else thought to check on him or tell him how she was.
So when she came back the first time after the attack, he hadn't been able to breathe practically. He found that he ached for the times she would come visit, even if they didn't talk about what happened that, Tyler didn't care. He didn't particularly want to talk about it anyway.
But it had been a couple of days since he last saw her, and he was having a bad day. It was one of those frustrating days where he thought he was going to go insane. Sometimes, he doubted his decision to become an Auror. So far, it had been the worst thing he'd done for himself.
"Damn it," he said outloud, getting to his feet from the sofa. Vincent could go to hell... Tyler needed out. Grabbing his cloak, he threw open the door, and was thrown off seeing a body in his way.
"Cassidy?"
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Oct 29, 2009 15:05:34 GMT -5
Her hand was still poised above the doorbell, while the other carefully balanced the lasagna in her hands. His unexpected appearance nearly made her drop the lasagna.
“Tyler!” she gasped. “I, um… well, I was just stopping by for a visit… I brought dinner.” She nodded to the lasagna, which was still steaming. “Were you going somewhere?”
At the moment it didn’t even occur to her that he wasn’t supposed to be going anywhere; her cheeks flushed red at the sight of him standing so close. It was extremely difficult to think about anything else.
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Oct 30, 2009 1:04:28 GMT -5
Tyler looked at her for a moment, his eyebrows raised in surprise. It still amazed him every time she came over to see him.
She was blushing, and it made him snap back to reality for reasons he wasn't sure he should admit to himself. "No, I wasn't going anywhere," he lied. There were a couple of reasons behind it, his house arrest least among them. If she was here, he didn't need to go anywhere. She made him feel a little less trapped.
"Sorry," he said, moving aside a second later. "Come in."
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Oct 30, 2009 15:43:21 GMT -5
Cassidy met his eyes for a brief moment and she couldn’t breathe. Sometimes she swore she would drown in his eyes if she looked at them for too long. She quickly lowered her gaze, and as he stepped aside to let her in, she stepped inside, concentrating very carefully on her feet.
“Um, I…. hope you like lasagna,” she said. “I felt like making it, and I just thought it would be nice to share with you.”
Of course, she had made it specifically for him, so that they could eat it together, but she was most certainly not going to tell him that.
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Nov 21, 2009 21:43:38 GMT -5
"I do," Tyler told her quickly, then added, in a much less hurried tone, "I do like lasagna, I mean. You made enough for an army, it looks like."
Some part of him knew that she did these things for him. She always brought over fresh goodies, never left overs, and he appreciated everything she was doing more than he was capable of letting her know. At least for now.
When she was fully inside, he closed the door behind her. He felt so bloody awkward around her, like he had to be on his best behavior lest she change her mind and not trust him anymore. If he lost her faith... he would die.
"Here," he said, taking the lasagna from her and heading into his kitchen so that he could set it on the counter. Only then did he allow himself to really look at her. "You look like you're doing well."
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Dec 20, 2009 12:00:09 GMT -5
"I always make too much," Cassidy said, laughing nervously. "When I make it for just myself, I have to freeze half of it, and I have leftovers for weeks. I figured it would do you more good than it does for me."
She had this need, that she couldn't quite explain, to make sure that he was taken care of. She knew it had to be lonely and frustrating to be cooped up in here all alone all the time, and she wanted to fix it. She didn't even know whether it was really working, but it was something.
"I'm doing much better, thank you," she said. "I still get a funny ache whenever it rains, but it's really fine. How are you doing? I mean, besides the usual."
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Jan 2, 2010 23:35:39 GMT -5
"I'll probably finish it all in a day or two. It looks... great." He found it so hard to meet her eyes since that kiss, and he didn't quite understand it. The way everyone looked at him... like he was a monster, or he would attack again if someone looked at him wrong... it wasn't the way she looked at him, and he liked being looked at like he was just a person. So he missed it when he couldn't look at her.
"I'm glad. I was really worried... no one would tell me how you were doing. When it was over..." he just shook his head. They wouldn't let him see her and no one had been in contact. He was going crazy. "It's just really good to see you," he finished, ignoring her question about how he was doing. He was always fine.
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Jan 13, 2010 16:51:52 GMT -5
Cassidy was feeling the same way. She was almost afraid to look in his eyes, but she couldn’t figure out why. This was Tyler, and she knew him better than just about anyone. That was why she was so willing to stand up for him; it wasn’t just a case to her anymore. She felt she understood him better than anyone else, and that knowledge made her feel special; like she knew about some incredible thing that no one else could see.
But if she met his eyes, she felt certain that they would kiss again. And as much as she wanted that… She couldn’t allow herself to want that. Not now. Not until his case was solved. And maybe not even then, because the one thing she hadn’t yet figured out was just what they were to each other. The idea of sticking her neck out and allowing herself to give into these feelings… it was too scary to consider. What if he didn’t feel the same way?
“I’m sorry about that,” she said. “I kept saying I wanted to see you, but they said I needed to rest. It was stupid, really. I wasn’t really hurt that badly. I missed being able to visit you… I was worried you might get so bored or lonely that you’d try to go out somewhere.”
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Apr 14, 2010 11:23:58 GMT -5
"Don't be sorry."
What else could he say to her? She didn't know it, but she caught him trying to do just that- leave and go out. It wasn't that he was board and lonely, but that he was going mad with worry for her. She could have been dead and no one would have ever told him. That kiss and his ever increasing worry for her told him something. On some level, he cared about her deeply.
Maybe it was because she was the only one who believed in him. When everyone shuts their doors to you and turns away, you latch onto the person who doesn't. Maybe it was more than that.
"Come in... we can start on this, if you like." he told her, holding up the lasagna.
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Apr 25, 2010 16:21:32 GMT -5
Cassidy, meanwhile, was beginning to understand that there was something more than just the obvious building between them. It was the reason she had kissed him that day, and even though she was embarrassed about it now, she also knew without a doubt, just how important Tyler was to her.
She didn't know when it had happened. She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment or day when things had started to change, but she knew there was more than just a business relationship between them. There had to be a reason, after all, why she was so dedicated to solving this case and clearing his name. There was a reason why she felt responsible for him, why it was so important to her to make sure he was safe and unharmed and well-fed. And when he saved her life that day (as she was convinced he had done), she knew that he felt the same way, even if he hadn't yet realized it.
She wasn't ready to put a name on it yet, and she was still scared to act on it (after all, while the case was still active, any relationship between them could be seen as improper, at the very least). But she couldn't quite deny that there was something.
"OK," she agreed, nodding. "And, actually, I also have some news for you on the case. I should have told you as soon as I came in... but I... well, we were distracted."
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Jun 21, 2010 13:45:20 GMT -5
Tyler took the lasagna from her, trying to get his head on straight again and being a gentleman. When she finally stepped all the way inside, he closed the door behind her without even a wistful look to the outside, and headed towards his kitchen to set the lasagna down.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked the blonde, eyes turning back to her. He didn't have much, and she knew that. Tap water and a little bit of the pumpkin juice that she brought last time she visited. He hoped it was still good.
"News on the case... and you're not giving me that apologetic look yet. That must mean this is good news?"
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Aug 4, 2010 23:20:52 GMT -5
Cassidy followed him in, trying her best not to notice that the house was a little messy. She couldn't imagine what it was like being stuck in here all the time, with only occasional company. Well, hopefully she would be able to get him out of here soon.
"Um, yeah... I'll just have some water," she said quickly.
She felt awkward, and wasn't sure if she should follow him into the kitchen, or wait on the sofa. Usually, she waited on the sofa, and in fact, she had never actually seen inside his kitchen. But somehow it didn't feel right to wait here for him, either, because they were in the middle of a conversation.
In the end, she followed him into the kitchen. "It is good news. Or potentially good news, anyway. I got Vin--er, Minister Corrigan--to agree to a small hearing, instead of a full Wizengamot trial."
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Aug 9, 2010 12:56:42 GMT -5
Tyler nodded, wishing he had some kind of chilled water in the fridge or something, but he didn't. He didn't usually require things like that, but he felt like she might appreciate it. Given that they took his wand away, he needed to rely on things like refrigerators and muggle inventions. And ice cubes.
He filled a glass with ice and then tap water, handing it over to her and not being quite able to meet her eyes.
Her words about her 'good news' actually sort of made his stomach sink. He didn't actually think this was good news. "Yeah... great. Now he'll just get to pick all the people that agree with him about my case."
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Sept 28, 2010 23:43:33 GMT -5
Cassidy couldn't blame him for feeling negative about the whole thing. The case had been dragging on for a long time, and kept being stalled by some issue or another. And Vincent had made his position on the case very clear... even though Emily, who had been injured in the attack, didn't seem to agree.
But Geoffrey's case made things a little different. Not one person believed that Geoffrey was actually guilty of trying to kill Riley Neves of his own free will. And although the cases were very different, it still showed that the Death Eaters were willing to use the Imperious Curse to get innocent people to do their bidding for them. And Tyler did have Albus Dumbledore on his side... That had to count for something. Still, Cassidy wished she could find that third Death Eater...
"I know you don't trust the Ministry, and I don't blame you. But... did you see in the Daily Prophet a few weeks ago? A Ministry employee tried to kill an auror. She happened to be his best friend. No one believes he did it on his own, everyone is convinced he was under the Imperious Curse. They're giving him a small hearing on the subject, and it's only fair that they do the same with you. If so, they can hear both cases on the same day, with the same panel of people."
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Post by Tyler Jackson on Dec 26, 2011 13:32:36 GMT -5
Tyler didn't meet her eyes for a minute. He wasn't sure that this made it any better- would they want to announce two attackers innocent on the same day? It wouldn't look good for the Ministry. They were supposed to be catching the bad guys- not declaring them innocent. That's how the public would see it.
He sighed and handed her the glass, finally looking up to meet her eyes. "I just want this to be over, Cassidy. I want to be out there fighting with you... if something like the Hogsmeade attack happened again..."
He trailed off. They hadn't really mentioned that since it happened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Can you convince the Minister to do a hearing soon? I can't take the waiting anymore."
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Post by Cassidy LaRose on Jan 12, 2012 22:37:42 GMT -5
Cassidy didn't really notice his lack of enthusiasm over this new development. She was feeling a good deal more hopeful about the case than he was. Based on her information, the Ministry was actually in the process of setting up a sort of Imperius Committee to investigate the potential use of the curse as a weapon in the war. These two cases were, so far, the only known cases in which the Imperius Curse was suspected, so everyone was going to be watching them carefully. Cassidy thought that was a good sign.
But before she could begin to explain any of this to Tyler, he mentioned the Hogsmeade attack, and she looked down at the floor, her cheeks flushing with warmth. She hadn't forgotten that kiss between them before she ran off to fight in the attack. Just because they hadn't talked about it, didn't mean it wasn't on her mind. The truth was, it was always there in her mind, and if she looked at him now, she might be tempted to repeat it. That., she knew, was not a good idea... not while the case was still so unsettled. She couldn't appear to be impartial...
"You saved me in the Hogsmeade attack," she said at last, glancing up at him. "That's another point in your favor, you know. I can make sure they know what you did for me..."
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