Unfamiliar Territory (Cassandra)

[Lisanne Moreau]

Lisanne was not exactly what anyone would call a brain. She was more likely to spend her time painting or daydreaming than studying. Even during classes, she was usually seen staring out the window and not paying attention to the lessons. But after a recent lecture from her Charms professor about her poor grades, Lisanne was determined to do well on her next test. Of course, it was unlikely that this new determination would last beyond the next test, but for now it was a positive step, at least.

Although of course Lisanne had been in the library before, it really wasn't a place where she was comfortable. It was musty, dusty, and dim, with no fresh air, sunlight, or green grass. She would have greatly preferred to work outside, but she knew that if she tried, she would have just gotten distracted and wound up daydreaming. At least here there wasn't anything to distract her. Or so she thought.

At the moment, Lisanne was staring down at her Charms notes, twirling a quill in her hand. The quill was still wet with ink, so she was getting ink all over her hand and fingers, but she didn't notice that. Instead, she had been reading the same line over and over again until it had long since stopped making any lsense to her.

Ugh... this was going to be a long day.

[Cassandra Tennyson]

The library was not a place Cassie ended to dwell. Then again, the only ones who did enjoy to dwell there were either brainiacs, the librarians, or dead. Either way, she was not particularly excited to be there. Not one bit. She huffed a big sigh that simply broadcasted her annoyance with having to go to the library on such a bright and sunny day. Especially since winter would be at the doorstep of Hogwarts in absolutely no time. Wasting any of what could be the last few days of basking in warmth to do homework was not Cassandra's idea of fun. With her school bag slung lazily across her right shoulder and a small pile of long overdue books in her left arm, she pushed through the intricately-patterned wooden doors of the library and took the place in.

Being in her fifth year at Hogwarts, Cassie was accustomed to being in and out of the library. Though she was more used to avoiding everything that could drag her to the energy-sucking, happiness-draining place, she still knew exactly what to expect upon entering the library. Unfortunately, expectations were met. A mixture of musk, stale old parchment, and desperation filled her nose as she breathed. The crinkling of an ancient book's page could be heard at the other end of the library due to the strict "no talking" rule enforced by a woman who seemed to be almost as old as some of the books.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and depressingly gray atmosphere, Cassandra plopped her overdue books and a few coins on the main desk and flashed the librarian an arrogant smirk. She wasn't usually so disrespectful toward people in authority, but that woman really got on her nerves for some reason. Maybe if she didn't expect me to read the entire history of the world in just a week, I'd be a little nicer. Cassie decided with much mental attitude. It was darn near impossible to read all those books in the time given before they became overdue. Of course, she could always renew them...but that would require extra trips to the dreary place. Disapproving stares and a small late fee was much easier to deal with than spending any more time in the library.

Cassandra made her way toward the section that held her next load of books to check out as quickly as she could. She ran her fingers along the spines of the books that she passed like a little kid who felt the urge to feel the fabrics of clothing racks in a department store. Most likely, she should have realized that it would end similarly to the child's scenario, but somehow, she was still a bit shocked when book after book came tumbling down. They seemed to attack her, and most of them hit her arms - which were held up over her head to protect it - as they threw themselves off the shelves and at her skull in a menacing form of rebellion. Karma, was her only thought as she continued to be bombarded. When she thought she was safe and that the books had stopped falling, Cassie glanced around to see if anyone else had witnessed the spectacle. She caught the eye of a blonde girl at a nearby table and gave her a slightly bashful smile. "Looks like your day is shaping up to be like mine," she commented as she indicated with a jerk of her chin at the ink-covered fingers of the girl.

[Lisanne Moreau]

Lisanne could have written a list of all the things she'd rather be doing at that moment than studying, and it probably would have taken up more parchment than the book in front of her. Her notes, she had now realized, were useless, since she never really paid much attention in class, anyway. Her notes were covered with doodles and random phrases that made no sense, even to her, and she was usually known among her classmates as not making any sense most of the time.

Maybe she wasn't cut out for school. Maybe she could run away and join one of those muggle hippie communes. Or the circus. Or maybe she could just live on the streets of Paris, painting portraits of tourists for mere pennies a day. Anything would have to be better than here.

She was just about to start plotting her escape when a nearby voice spoke to her. She glanced up and saw a brunette sitting not far away, pointing towards her. Puzzled, Lisanne looked around, trying to fgure out who the girl was talking to or what sh was pointing at Eventually, though, Lisanne realized that the girl was speaking to her and nodding towards Lisanne's hand. Looking down at her own hand, Lisanne saw the ink and cried out rather loudly, "Dragon bogies! Oh... How did I do that?"

Her outburst, of course, caused a loud Shush from the librarian. "Oh.. sorry. Um, you wouldn't happen to know a good ink-cleaning spell, would you?" she asked the girl who had awakened her.

[Cassandra Tennyson]

Cassandra chuckled as the girl realized that her fingers were coated with dark ink. Shaking her head, she reached into her bag. "Unfortunately," she said, "I don't have a spell. But I do have this." She produced the white handkerchief dotted by small black mascara and red lipstick stains that she took everywhere she went. "Ignore the stains, they're harmless. I clean it regularly," she assured the girl. In actuality, Cassie could remove the marks and have the cloth looking pure and pristine again in no time. With the help of just a little magic, of course.. However, she preferred to keep the stains there. She considered them to be sort of like a way to maintain a memory. Something permanent, something that could remind her of where she'd been, who she'd met, and what she'd felt. Essentially, the things that made her, well, her.

Handing over the linen, Cassandra took a moment to size the girl up. She was far paler than herself, with a more petite demeanor and much larger brown eyes. Taking in her soft facial features and Hufflepuff emblem on her robes, Cassie decided she could learn to like the girl with the wavy light hair. Especially with how much she was lacking in the friend department. At the beginning of every year, the loneliness settled in with an extra force as old friends reunited before her and she found herself with no one to complain with about the insane amounts of homework they were being assigned.

"I don't think we've ever properly met," she said with a grin, "I'm Cassie."

[Lisanne Moreau]

Lisanne smiled gratefully, accepting the handkerchief from the brunette. It was not unlike Lisanne to fail to notice someone's presence or the fact that she had ink all over her hands. Usually her head was too far up in the clouds to notice what was right in front of her.

"Thank you ever so much," she said, rubbing furiously at her hands. "Honestly, I can't believe I did that. I wasn't paying attention, as usual. It's just... I really hate libraries, don't you? I don't mind books, if they're about fantastical adventures in far away lands, but I'm afraid my Charms book just doesn't do it for me."

She smiled again and handed the handkerchief back to the girl. "I'm Lisanne," she said. "Nice to meet you, Cassie. You're a Gryffindor, right?"

[Cassandra Tennyson]

Cassandra grinned as she listened to the other girl talk about her hate of libraries and preference of fictional books over textbooks. "Yeah, Charms isn't exactly my favorite class," she said, nodding sympathetically.

Using only her index finger and thumb in a show of unnecessary focus to avoid touching the inky spots on her handkerchief, Cassie took the cloth back and carelessly tossed it in her bag. She was confident in her ability to fix anything that the substance "permanently" stained and "ruined". Just because she didn't like Charms didn't mean she was too shabby when it came to conjuring up the most helpful ones.

"Only the bravest of Gryffindors," she added with a wink, "and you're a Hufflepuff." She meant to ask it as a polite question, but Lisanne's glaringly obvious emblem prevented her from asking something that was so profound. "What assignment are you working on anyway?" In a an attempt to subtly change the topic, she also gave a questioning raise of her eyebrows.

[Lisanne Moreau]

"Guilty as charged," she said with a smile. "I don't know that I'm especially loyal... but I've never really been tested, either. I think I just ended up in Hufflepuff because I'm not particularly brave or smart, and I'm not a pureblood. I'm just happy one of the houses was willing to take me."

She gave a little shrug, trying to show that it didn't matter to her that she was mostly just an afterthought... too weird and dreamy to really fit in anywhere. It didn't entirely work.

"I'm studying for the next test," she admitted. "I know it's still a week away, but I'm really behind. It seems the professor didn't accept my excuse that pixies stole my brain during the last test."

[Cassandra Tennyson]

Cassandra cocked her head to one side, considering what Lisanne had to say. "Well," she replied, "sometimes I wonder if the Sorting Hat is really as wise as everyone seems to think," she admitted boldly. "I know for a fact that I'm not exceptionally brave - I tear up if I see a garden snake ten feet away from me! And I know plenty of Ravenclaws who have crazy high I.Q. s and zip common sense." She paused for a moment, lost in thought. "I suppose it all depends on how you interpret what each house stands for." Without further elaboration, Cassie smiled and took a seat across from Lisanne. "I probably only ended up in Gryffindor because the hat sensed that I love the color red," she said with her signature grin.

With a loud laugh that earned her a stern look from the librarian, Cassie gave a nod of approval. "Those pesky pixies will always get you. I recently tried the whole 'a hippogriff ate my homework' bit," she faked a dramatic pout, "it was far too under appreciated."

Running a hand through her dark hair, Cassandra fidgeted uncertainly. "Do you want me to let you get back to your studying?" She asked in an even tone. It had been so long since she had any real small talk with anyone other than her father that she was more than a bit reluctant to go. However, she didn't want to be a bother to Lisanne.

[Lisanne Moreau]

"Oh, good Godric, no," Lisanne blurted out, before realizing that this was probably not the acceptable response. She looked down at her Charms book in distaste. She hadn't absorbed any of it and had only wound up with her hands covered in ink. Clearly, this whole studying thing just wasn't for her. She was starting to get fuzzy in the head already... an effect she'd heard was caused by mold that grew in the pages of old books. Or maybe it was just those pesky pixies again.

"Frankly, I'd rather kiss the Giant Squid than keep studying. Want to get out of here? I'm starving. We could pop down to the kitchens for a snack."

[Cassandra Tennyson]

The smile spread on Cassie's face and didn't seem to stop. In all honesty, she had half expected to be politely asked to leave Lisanne to her studying. The very idea that someone actually wanted her around was enough to create an infectious smile that she simply could not tone down. Of course, compared to books, Cassandra would be the preeminent choice to be spending time with. Still though, any friendly mannerisms going her way were more than welcome.

Believe it or not, Cassie was not exactly "popular". In fact, hardly anyone bothered with her at all anymore. She didn't exactly go out to meet new people, and no one tried to meet her either. Cassandra was practically a professional at people-watching, but in the end she had no real interactions with people. Essentially, she was starved for friendship.

"I was sold as soon as you started mentioning food," she joked. "Honestly, I don't think I've ever been to the kitchen in broad daylight though," she admitted, "I'm more of a midnight-snacker myself. I get it from my dad." She steadily babbled as she stood to grab her bag and make her way to the door. The excitement of actually doing something with another person prevented her from stopping.

[Lisanne Moreau]

It wasn't as if Lisanne had tons of people who wanted to hang out with her, either. She had a few friends, but most people thought she was strange. Maybe it was because of the weird radish-shaped earrings that she still wore, a gift from Alayna Farbright. The blonde Ravenclaw had graduated last year, and if rumors were true, was apparently dating Xenophilius Lovegood.

So it was nice to find someone that she got along with so well. Cassie seemed nice enough; friendly and open-minded. Certainly they shared the same opinion about studying and libraries.

"Oh, I stop in for midnight snacks, too!" she said with a little laugh. "It's hard not to, really, when the kitchens are so close to the Hufflepuff common room entrance. It must be more of a risk for you, though... guess it's a good thing Gryffindors are brave!"

[Cassandra Tennyson]

Cassie smiled slyly, more to herself than to Lisanne in particular, "I don't really think about the risk when I go to the kitchens. I guess I've just got too big of a motivator to worry." She gave her stomach a small pat, "if hunger promotes bravery, I should be in pretty good shape."

As she made her way to the door, Cassandra's mind began to wander. I may have just made a friend, she thought in awe. Five years at Hogwarts and she only had a handful of people she could consider acquaintances. Some students that she would talk to in class. A friendly wave here or there in passing on the stairs or in the halls. Now, here she was heading off to the kitchens with a girl she'd only met a few moments ago. That in itself was more progress than the unsociable girl had made in years.

So it was with an extra spring in her step that she pushed through the heavy library doors. Holding one of the large wooden masses open, she looked back at Lisanne expectantly.

[Lisanne Moreau]

Lisanne thought about that. She supposed there were some people who were motivated by their stomachs, but she'd also seen quite a few girls their age who seemed almost afraid of eating. Lisanne was not one of those girls. She was rail-thin--maybe even a little too thin--and never really seemed to gain weight. It was probably all the nervous energy she was always burning off.

"Food always makes me braver, too," she said as she followed Cassie out of the library. "It's one of those things we all have in common, you know? We have to eat."

She shrugged. "Anyway, the house elves are always glad to have company down there. Even if you go during the day."

[Cassandra Tennyson]

As they walked down the hallway, Cassandra decided she might just like Lisanne. Maybe it was simply her desperation to have a friend, or maybe it was the fact that Lisanne seemed like a generally kind person - which is a very rare thing these days, Cassie decided – but either way, she found herself smiling as they made their way from the library to the kitchens. “And some of us like to eat more than others," she agreed with a wink.

"Oh my goodness, I know! Those elves are just the sweetest," she smiled in thought, "and surprisingly good listeners." Cassandra had once talked the ear off a particularly friendly house elf named Honky who turned out to be a great conversationalist. She had once talked his ear off about her "family problems" in her third year, and he hadn't seemed to mind. Since then, she frequently visited him and even sought him out when she received news she thought he would find especially intriguing.

It's a shame house elves so often go unappreciated, she decided as they neared their destination. "I'm thinking a treacle tart," she declared. "I've always had a sweet tooth. How about you?"

[Lisanne Moreau]

Lisanne couldn't agree more about the house elves. They were all so lovely and sweet. It just proved to her what she had always believed, that most "creatures" were nicer and more selfless than human beings were. Sometimes she actually went down there just to visit them, and not to eat anything at all. They usually insisted on at least making her a cup of tea.

"Oh, yes, I'm the same way. I could really go for a banoffee pie, myself. I know... I always like the weirdest treats."

She had already decided that she liked Cassie quite a lot. It would be nice, she decided, to have a real friend who would stick around a while.