If only wishing worked;;{{Cassy

[Riley Pearson]

((outside of mungos))

I hate this.
I hate confusion.
Why can't everything just make sense all the time? I don't know if anyone realizes just how much easier my life would be if that were the case. I think out of most people I know, I am the one who spends the majority of their life being confused.
And it's always over the same thing.
I was slowly, but surely, getting over Arden. It was going slightly easier than I had expected it to be going.. but it might help that I hadn't seen her in a while and that I had Charlotte to think about instead.
Charlotte. I really do like her. I can promise everyone that. I think it'd actually be difficult not to though.. unless you're my kids I guess..
And all of that would be fine and dandy if it weren't for the fact that only a couple days ago, Riyann showed up at my front door.
I was pretty positive that I still had feelings for her and I really wished that I could get through all of this without having to break someone's heart. Because that really was the last thing that I ever wanted to do. But the fact was that no matter what, someone was going to get hurt.
I sighed and plopped down on a random bench down the road from Mungos. This is what most of my breaks consisted of the past couple of days. Thinking.. unfortunately.
I took a sip of my tea and then opened up my salad that I got from the Mungo's cafeteria. Yeah, it was chilly outside, but it seemed like eating out here was the only way not to get pulled off my break early by a stray healer or patient.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

Now that I was back in the area, I loved walking outside. For so long I had been cooped up inside while in hiding and the fresh air was always wonderful. Upon my return, I had taken to walking everywhere. While getting around to places was certainly easier with magic, I still preferred walking. It gave me time to think, reminisce about my past, and go to all the places I hadn’t been to in years.
So far, I had covered almost all the basic ground. I visited the three broomsticks, Zonko’s, and of course Honeydukes, in Hogmeade. I also went to the Leaky Cauldron, Flourish and Blotts, and Quality Quidditch Supplies. All the places I hadn’t been to in over ten years. The only thing really missing was seeing my friends.
Now however, I found myself walking toward St. Mungos, not to mull over all the nonexistent happy memories I had there, but on inquiry of some of my injuries I had gotten nearly ten years ago while fighting Voldemort. When on the run, it isn’t the opportune moment to get wounds checked out, so now when that wasn’t an issue, I decided it would be smart to get some of the ones that never fully healed checked out.
As I neared St. Mungos, I noticed a familiar face sitting alone of a bench. If it wasn’t my old friend Riley Pearson. I wasn’t sure if I should bother coming over and saying hello, after all, he thought I was dead. Indecisive, I slowed down as I neared incase I decided to say hello.

[Riley Pearson]

I picked up my salad with another sigh and after taking a bite of it, looked up and around the area that was around me. Some spots around the ground were still snow covered, other just looked set and soggy. I really wished that summer would just get here already. I was starting to miss that warm weather.. and sun actually feeling warm against my skin and not just blinding against the patches of snow.
There were a few people walking around where I was sitting. A little boy and his mum, going into Mungos, a younger man across the street with a bouquet of some type of flowers, and then there was someone that caught my eye the most. A woman around my age or so, walking toward me from down the street. A woman who was bearing a striking resemblance to my old friend Cassy... but it couldn't be her. She was dead.. and she'd been that way for quite some time now.
... Then again, a lot of people were "dead". Maybe she was one of them. I looked at the girl as she started to slow down, wishing she'd come a bit closer so I could get a better look at her. I didn't want to stare, or be impolite, but this woman really did look like her.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

I glanced his way one more time and bit my lip. Should I go over to him? It wasn’t until someone bumped into me that I realized that I had stopped walking. I was now or never. If I continued on, I would be walking right past Riley, and would miss my chance. I couldn’t possibly go back because then I would look stupid. Maybe I should go over and say hello? Where was the harm in that? People would know that I was alive eventually. Shelby already knew, and I was sure even if I didn’t see anyone else the news would leak out.
Gradually, against my better judgment, I started walking toward him. It was too late to back out now. There was a chance that he had already recognized me.

[Riley Pearson]

The closer she got to me, the more sure I was that it really was her. I didn't know if my eyes were just playing tricks on me, which was possible since I hadn't gotten much sleep and I was near the leg of my shift, or maybe it was just someone that looked a lot like her, or maybe I had officially gone insane from thinking? They were all pretty possible answers, really.
She was walking towards me again and now I set my salad down, standing up as she got closer. I put my hand up slightly in a gesture to wave and smiled faintly to her with a slightly confused expression. "Cassy?" I asked a moment later, biting my lip for a moment.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

So he had recognized me. For a moment a pondered what to do next. There was no point in avoiding him, not when he has seen and recognized me. That idea was hopeless, so I decided on the next best thing, as a joke of course. “I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken. I’ve never ‘eard of this Cassy. My name’s Victoire.” I said putting on a French accent that I had most recently picked up in my time in France. As I spoke I tried to hold back a laugh. It was just too funny.
I knew Riley wouldn’t fall for my phony French accent because he was too smart for that, but it was worth the try. Even if he saw right through it, it was still funny to me at least.

[Riley Pearson]

If it weren't for the fact that I was quite tired.. or for the other fact that Cassy was known to be dead, I would have assumed that it really was her. Even though the accent that they woman had when she spoke to me. I'd never spend much time in France, only a short vacation or two with my family.. and honestly, I couldn't tell a real accent from a fake one, so after looking at her for a moment longer, I shook my head faintly with slightly confusion to.
"Um, sorry." I said eventually, giving her a faint smile. "You look a lot like an old friend of mine." I added before sitting back down.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Maybe that's because I am your old friend you dolt." Cassy said with a huge grin. She could not believe Riley fell for it. Despite spending almost a year in France, and being able to speak French well, Cassy's accent was as bad as could be.
Cassy plopped down next to him and said, "Hey Riley. Miss me much?" As she was saying this, Cassy realized how freaky this must be for him. He thought she was dead. Cassy didn't feel like explaining yet, so instead asked gesturing to her now short hair, "How'd you know it was me? Sure I've still go the same feature and everything, but my hair is nothing like it use to me."

[Riley Pearson]

I looked back up to her, with a slightly surprised expression before grinning lightly at her as she sat down next to me. "That's not cool, Cassy. How was I supposed to know you were alive?" I asked laughing a little bit, before pulling her into a hug. So I guess I was more tired than I thought because that accent was pretty terrible, now that I thought about it.
"Of course I've missed you." I said as I pulled out of the hug, still grinning lightly to her. I did want to know how she managed to keep so much out of the way for so long.. Most people I knew didn't last more than a couple years, let alone ten.
I shook my head faintly, "I dunno.. Just, your face.. the way you were walking.. I dunno.. Just seemed like you." I said smiling, "But, your hair was another why I fell for that shit accent.. Better than I could pull off though." I commented with a small laugh.
It was hard to believe it was actually her... but I guess a lot of things were hard to believe lately.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

As Riley hugged me, I grimaced. I always did dislike hugs. "Exactly. You weren't supposed to know I was alive. That's the whole point of my going into hiding." I said. As Riley described how he knew it was me, I laughed. Still to this day I was just so obvious. I couldn't help it.
"I would hope that my French accent is better then yours seeing as I've just spent almost a year in France." I said smiling. Although I had been putting off reunions with friends, this one seemed to be going well. "So I suppose you want to know how I'm actually alive, right?" I said. Although it was a long story, Riley deserved the truth, so if he wanted it, I wouldn't withhold it from him.

[Riley Pearson]

"Sorry," I said quietly with a soft chuckle as I pulled away from the hug. I had forgotten that she didn't really like them. But even if I did remember, I think I probably hugged her anyway. I mean, I thought she was dead, so I think it's a good enough reason. "Yeah, but you did a lot better jon at it than others I know.." I said with a faint shrug.
I laughed a little bit and nodded. "True, I would hope so too. I guess it wasn't too bad." I said with a small chuckle again, smiling lightly.
I nodded at her question. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind knowing." I admitted with another faint shrug.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

I laughed. People always tended to forget that I disliked hugs. "Don't apologize. It was a very hug moment, even if I do dislike then." I said.
For a moment I thought about how to best explain it. It was a very long story, and I wanted to make it as short as possible.
"As you know, I was in deep with the order, and an auror to boot. I think it's safe to say that I was number one of their to kill list. I was going on a mission, and I stopped at my Aunt's and Uncle's house, in Ireland for the night." I started. The next part was even a jumble in my head, so I paused for a moment to get the facts right.

[Riley Pearson]

[[ sorry for the delay! lol, I was doing homework and forgot I was on this site xD ]]

I laughed a little bit and nodded with a small smile. "Thanks... and good because I think I probably would have hugged you even if I did remember you didn't like them." I said with a small chuckle, smiling lightly to her.
She started to go into an explanation and I nodded a bit to show her that I was listening. All I really knew was that Shelby took her kids, so I glad that she was going to explain this all to me. She paused and I took a sip of my tea letting her take that moment to gather her thoughts.. or what I assumed she was doing.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

After taking a deep breath, I said, "That night, the house was attacked by Voldemort himself, and a bunch of death eaters." I smiled as I remembered the fight.
"My relatives died within minutes. They were muggles, so there was nothing they could do. The house was on fire, and I was out numbered. I should have died that night, but I didn't. There must have been a gas leak, because the next thing I knew there was this huge explosion. I survived because the blast sent me flying out a window, so I missed the worst." I explained. I could remember it all as if it were yesterday.
"The death eaters though, weren't so lucky. Many of them were killed in the explosion, the rest got away. I think they assumed I was dead, after all, it was a miracle any of us survived that." I finished.

[Riley Pearson]

I turned a bit more toward her as she started to speak again. My eyes widened slightly as she explained. That must've been terrible.. I really didn't even know how anyone survived that. I was also quite surprised that Voldemort himself went there too.. he must have really wanted whoever was in that house gone.
I have a feeling that I didn't say anything for a few moments after she finished her story and I shook my head faintly to snap out of whatever trance I seemed to end up in. "Wow.. That's.." I paused again, shaking my head. "Wow." I took antoher pause before continuing. "It is a miracle that anyone survived... That's insane."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"I used to think it was all just a miracle too, but now I've realized, that those bastards just had magic on their side, and I was just in the right position. If it was luck, I guess it ran out because I was beaten up pretty badly." I said. From what I could remember, some of the smarter death eaters had aparated away.
"So that's my story. After all that, I choose not to come back. If I returned, I would just be putting myself, my family, and all my friends in danger. I may have been considered dead then, but I knew that if I returned I really would be dead. It was for everyone's sake that I let people think I was dead." I added.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded faintly, "At least you're still alive though.. I'd take beaten up over dead anyday." I commentd with a faint shrug, keeping my eyes on her as I still thought about everything that happend to her.
I nodded again. "I guess I see where you're coming from then.." I said quietly, starting to think about how in some cases it's better to at least tell a person or two and spare them the agony of believing you're dead. Then again, I saw the counter-arguement to that and I couldn't really disagree with it.. so I dunno. "why're you back now then?" I asked a moment later, glancing over to her.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

Riley always seemed to ask the worst but right questions. I wasn't really sure why I was back, but I could at least rationalize it. "I'm not really sure. I mean, I've got nothing here. No house, no family, and no friends, because they all think I'm dead. I guess the only reason I'm here is because no where else felt like home. The only reason I'm able to come back though, is because ten years is more then enough time to be sure no one still wants me dead. I think." I said. I wasn't sure if there was any truth behind what I said, or if it made any sense, but it did to me.
"If I knew what was good for me now, I wouldn't be back." I added after a moment. It was true. There was nothing here for me, just like there was nothing for me anywhere else. My real life as far as I was concerned was over.

[Riley Pearson]

I waited for her to answer and nodded when once she gave me one. I could understand that. It made good enough sense. Plus, I'm sure that I won't be the only one happy to see that she's alive. It's been a long time and I bet everyone would really love to see her and talk to her again, when they originally thought that they wouldn't be able to again. "That makes sense."
"It all seems like it blew over though.." I said quietly with a faint shrug. "We'll just keep you on the down low." I said smiling a bit.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

I couldn't help but laugh at that. In the past, every thing about me had been standoutish. My personality, my hobbies, my quirks, and even my looks. Even now that I've changed my looks, I still stood out with my crazy new hair style. "I think that might be easier said then done Riley. I've never been one for flying under neath the radar." I said.

[Riley Pearson]

I laughed a little bit and gave a small nod. "You raise a good point." I commented smiling a bit. "... I dunno then." I added a moment later with a small shrug. "Maybe you should try.. at least for a little?" I asked looking over to her, taking another sip of my tea.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"I always raise a good point." I said with a grin. For a moment there, I felt completly like the old me, but I knew that feeling could not last. "But Riley, that's too hard. I'm me, and I don't think I'll ever be able to change that. Besides, what's the point of coming back and being all mellowed down? That's no fun." I said smiling.

[Riley Pearson]

I grinned and laughed a little bit over to her. "Exactly." I said in reply to the first thing that she said.
I chuckled, smiling lightly over to her. "I guess it wouldn't be much fun.. I doubt there's much of a risk anymore anyway." I said shaking my head faintly. "Nothing's really happened for about nine months or so."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Agreed. I've been gone for ten years. I wouldn't be surprised if the remaining death eaters completly forgot about me. I've been off the radar for so long." I said. Know that I wasn't working for the ministry any more, my name as an order and auror member was long forgotten.
"So, what happened nine months ago?" I asked intrested.

[Riley Pearson]

"Right.. But please promise me, you'll at least be a little bit careful?" I asked, smiling lightly over to her. Yeah, they probably wouldn't be worrying about her.. if there even was anyone that she'd have to worry about knowing about her, but that didn't mean you shouldn't be watchful.
"Um.. well, I don't really know details.." I said shaking my head faintly, trying to remember back to when it happened. Actually, it might've been longer than nine months ago. Probably was. "Riyann never told me.. but um.. I guess there were a few death eaters running around.. targeting people, killing muggles, the works." I shrugged faintly. "Probably longer than nine months actually.."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Aren't I always careful?" I asked jokingly. Careful was one thing I was definitely not. "Relax Riley. I can watch my back perfectly well." I added. Death eaters were the least of my worries now anyways.
"Stupid death eater supremacists. Who do they think they are going around killing innocent muggles?" I said furiously. It was stories like these that made me want to join the order and become an auror in the first place.

[Riley Pearson]

I laughed a little and nodded. "Alright, I'll relax.." I said smiling lightly.
I nodded, "Yeah.. tell me about it." I said with a sigh, glancing over to her again. I was still pretty upset about what Riyann did actually. I knew Riyann had to have killed a few muggles.. or more than a few... but it was still the fact that she convinced me that she killed Lilian that bothered me the most. Even if Lil was alive now.. I broke off our marriage because of that.
Funny how I got a bit off topic with that.. The point was, Death Eaters are terrible.. and I'm glad they seemed to have disapeared.

[Dorcas Meadowes]

"Thank you. It's not good to stree out Riley. If your stressed enough, I heard you become ill." I said.
By the sound of Riley's voice, I could tell something was wrong. "What's the matter Riley?" I asked out of curosity. "Cheer up. If it's the death eaters getting to you, just forget about it. It's not worth it." I said.
People always felt they had it the worst. The only reason they felt that way, because they had never lived in anyone elses life. If they stepped into someone else's shoes for just a moment, they would realize, that they weren't the only ones with problems. Some times I felt that way. I used to feel no one deserves I life like I have, but then I realize, I should be glad it's mine, and not someone elses because of all the good that came out of it.

[Riley Pearson]

"You're welcome.. and yeah," I said agreeing with her. "Does make you sort of ill." I added, knowing that because it's happened to me more than I would have liked.
"It's.." I paused and shook my head faintly. "It's sort of about them, but not really.." I shrugged faintly. Actually, I had quite a good life, so really, I had no room to complain. The point was that my sister was alive and Riyann didn't kill her.
"You sure you want to know?" I asked looking over to her. "It sounds kind of ridiculous outloud..."

[Dorcas Meadowes]

The more Riley spoke, the more curious I became as to what was going on. After being gone for ten years, everything sounded so interesting. "Yes, I really want to know." I said anxiously. After a moment of thought, I added, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." If something bad was going on, Riley most likely wouldn't want to talk about it. "I'm sure it's not as ridiculous as it sounds." I said smiling.