Here we go again ((open))

It was time to go back to Hogwarts and that was something Cassie did do. She had boarded the train and was sitting one of the cabins all alone right now. She didn't feel like to crash in to random one. The girl kept looking out of the window and just was in her own thoughts, she didn't even notice that someone joined her.

Kenzi had made sure to make it to the train bright and early so she could roam around and catch all of the most interesting gossip. People tend to be a lot less tight lipped when they think people aren't around yet.

This year though, it seems that there weren't any meeting for Kenzi to listen in on. Disappointing at her lack of new information, Kenzi went off to find a compartment to crash, not too many people, but still someone who might be interesting conversation during the journey.

After walking through a couple cars, Kenzi finally finds a possible compartment to crash. Opening the door, she finds the girl inside doesn't notice her, so then she knocks on the doorframe and asks, "Are the other seats in here open or are you expecting someone?"

@Cassiopeia Malfoy

Cassiopeia heard someone to knock at door frame and speak which made her look away from window towards the person. She smiled and did shake her head.

"Hey. You can sit where ever you want. I don't wait for anyone," the girl added just in the case. She didn't mind to have some company awhile the ride to Hogwarts.

Kenzi just smiled as she slipped fully into the compartment, closing the door behind her, and quickly occupying the bench across from Cassiopeia. "So..." Kenzi starts off as she sets her messenger bag onto the seat next to her, "How was your summer?"

As she waited for a reply, Kenzi pulled a book out of her bag, a dark arts book that she had manually swapped the spines out with her charms textbook. Opening up the the page where she had left off, Kenzi continued to work her way through various curses that cause bodily harm while listening to her compartment mate.

Cassiopeia looked back out of window when the girl came in here and took a seat. She heard the question. "Same as always. Good. Nothing interesting really happened," she replied back. She wasn't sure what to say about her summer. "Did spend time with friends, a bit with family. Barely saw my brother since he seemed to be busy with something and I never figured what. He seemed to ignore even me and Carina," she added with a sigh at the end. "How's was yours?" she asked back even. She tried to remember even girls name same time since she is sure she has seen her around before.

Kenzi smiled a little bit at the information that Cassiopeia let slip, as it was something she would have to follow up on. She was getting the sense that there might be something juicy behind his lack of contact. Kenzi schooled her features very quickly afterwards, as to not let on what was going through her head.

"Most of my summer was spent going on adventures with the parents. We went to Vegas, which was an experience, but well, Vegas always is. We also did Tokyo this year. Usual summer for me," Kenzi said with a slight shurg of her shoulders, trying to downplay what she knew were very exciting events as bog normal for her.

Cassiopeia didn't mind the gossip about it since even she was curious about why. She wanted the answers too but she knew by gossip things could go even more crazy but she didn't care right now. It's not like all this should be some secret.

"Oh nice. Never been to those neither places myself. So can't say much about it. You're lucky you can travel so much," she said with a small smile. She barely traveled out of London herself. She at times wished she could go to Europe other cities or even America.

Blanche was starting to feel like a third wheel in her compartment with James and the mysteriously cool Azazel Baptist. There was something going on there, so she decided to leave them for a few minutes and venture out and about. She passed a carriage where a (clearly heated) discussion was taking place: no doubt she saw the reason why (a sign outside voiced: FREE THE HOUSE ELVES). Pretty bold, she liked it...

She spotted Hugo in another carriage talking to a boy about his age, so she tried waving at him. Then, she spotted her dorm mate - and friend - Cassiopeia. Without even considering the idea of other people sharing the compartment, Blanche burst through the doors and burst into sung verse:

"Cass-ieeee~ how are you mah bay-beh!~" The growling edge to her singing voice had her giggling. As she clutched the doorframe after her performance, however, she spotted another girl sat in there with her. She winked at her. "Kenzi, right?"

Pushing the trolley of sweets down, the lady waved at the young women in the compartment.

"What sweets do you young ladies want to buy today?"

@Cassiopeia Malfoy @Kenzi Mikeal @Blanche Labelle

Awhile Cassiopeia was waiting for Kenzi to reply back to her at that same moment her roommate Blanche walked into this compartment. "Hey, Blanche. That's a very energetic way to greet me," she said with a laugh now. She didn't really sing back even if she could have. "But yeah I have been good? What about you my dear friend?"

A few minutes later there was this lady with sweet trolley. She aimed at that and thought what to get. "I will have chocolate frog cards, 3 of them?" she said with a smile. She had bought some sweets already awhile visiting Honeydukes.

@Kenzi Mikeal @Blanche Labelle @Cousin Skeeter

Kenzi was about to say something when Blanche burst into the cabin, stopping Kenzi in her tracks. Sitting back against the seat, she was expecting to be ignored while the pair of friends catch up, with the possibility of some interesting information leaking through.

Then Blanche had turned to her and winked at her. "Yeah, that's the name," Kenzi responded, trying her best not to be flustered. Kenzi then proceeded to hide behind the book, hoping to be mostly ignored while the other two girls chatted.

@Blanche Labelle @Cassiopeia Malfoy

"Well, I was listening to some new records before Dad pushed me out of my bedroom this morning," She started to explain, also rushing over to the trolley. "-- Oh wow, what are these? 'Rock Sugars'? They look like little pebbles. I'll take some of those. Shame on the name though, could've done better than that..."

Then she was thinking about what alternative name to call them. Then she realised she was mid-way through an explanation, and threw herself down onto a seat.

"Anyway: records. I'd never heard anything like it - so as soon as I'm at Hogwarts I'm crashing into that music room and stealing the piano. I prefer keyboards but, I read somewhere you can use charms to alter the sound of the notes." She liked to talk a lot sometimes. "Hey Kenzi. You know I always wondered how did you get your hair that colour? You look punk rock, I like it." She grinned.

@Kenzi Mikeal @Cassiopeia Malfoy

Cassiopeia listened to her friend to talk there now and she wasn't sure always about what this girl talked about since Cassie wasn't all that familiar with so many muggle stuff really. "Oh wow. Well, parents can do that yes at times. They keep saying it's for your own good," she said finally something. She knew her friend can talk much.

"I don't know that much about music but yeah it's good you can play the instrument," she added. "Well good luck with it. There are so many charms they don't teach to us in the classes. I'm sure you will figure it out or I can help you search for it?" She would always help her friends out when she had time.

@Kenzi Mikeal @Blanche Labelle

"Muggle products," Kenzi simply answered the question that Blanche posed to her, before retreating into the background of the conversation. A couple minutes in, realizing there wouldn't be anything really juicy, so Kenzi got up and made her way out of the cabin as quietly as possible.

@Blanche Labelle @Cassiopeia Malfoy

"Awh, you're such a sweetie. Top gal to offer the help." She winked at her.

She realised that the compartment seemed to be a little emptier when the sweet trolley left. Kenzi appeared to have gone along with it. Blanche was sure she had her reasons, so she didn't look into that too much.

She opened the packet of 'rock sugars'. "We need to get you behind some drums, Cass. You'd look hot. I know you're not really up for being the centre of attention, but it might give ya a real confidence boost."

"I guess I am. Not very Malfoy way thing to do but I have never been normal," she said with giggles now.

Cassiopeia noticed that Kenzi left them too but she didn't mind it that much really. She had some company still now and she knew that girl had probably her own reasons to leave.

"Drums? I don't even know how to play them. And you know I don't like attention not because I'm not confident but more likely because of my family name. People just judge me by that very often," she said with a sigh at the end. She was so much nicer than most people knew the Malfoy family as from the past.

"I get that, but..."

She paused, looking thoughtful.

"If you didn't do something just 'cause you thought you might be judged for it, you'd probably not end up being very happy Cass." She hoped she didn't sound patronising. "We're all judged for one thing or another. What's a bigger 'fuck you' statement than doing something that goes completely against what certain others might expect? Your family doesn't define who you are."

She had a similar talk with James before now.

"I would be willing to teach ya! Tell ya what, we can just do it for fun for a bit and if you wanna take it any further..." She grinned at her.

Cassiopeia knew that she can't always hide because of her last name but it wasn't so easy as people made it be. She took a deep breath.

"Blanche, I know you're right there. People will judge no matter what I do. I know I should do things for myself and not for others. I'm odd one anyways being sorted into the Gryffindor rather than Slytherin," she said with giggles now. She knew people always asked how she managed to do that but she has no clue but probably because she is nicer than most her siblings. "I know my family doesn't define who I am. Just it's hard if people expect things from you but you don't have those qualities," she added with a sigh.

"But yeah you can still try to teach me drums and we can see how it goes, perhaps? Might even join with your band," she added there with a small smile.

”Turn that ‘I should’ into an ‘I will’ and we’re speaking the same language,” She winked. ”There’s a saying in French: ’qui n’avance pas, recule’ which pretty much means: ’those who do not move forward, recede’. We’ll get you moving past all the expectation pressures, I’m sure.”

She could empathise to a certain degree. People always thought Blanche would take to opera singing like her Mother, but she was so terrible at it people often questioned if she was her daughter. It wasn’t a nice thing to put up with.

”That’s what I want to hear!” She squealed, pulling her into a tight hug. ”I won’t pressure you into doing anything you feel uncomfortable with, don’t worry. If you hate it, you hate it. But to be honest, I don’t think you will.”

Cassiopeia just rolled her eyes this time. "One day I will. Not right now. Just seem to can't do it. We will see how it all goes," she tried to stay positive that she can break away from all that what people expect from her but it's not an easy task. "That's good saying for sure. I love it," she said with a small smile on her face.

Cassie hugged Blanche back too when she hugged her tight even if she was surprised at first since she didn't expect this to happen. "Well, we will see. But where even practise all this?" She looked at her friend and wondered why she was so confident that she would like playing the drums. "But why drums? And what makes you say I like it?" she had to ask.