long shift (cassie)

[cassie marie bennett]

Cassie beamed and nodded her head, he was right, Honeydukes was an incredible place to shop and if she got there to work there then al the better right! Biting down on her lip she began turning the drink in the glass using the straw. Letting her gaze linger on it for a moment before she looked up at Riley frowning as she watched his smile falter. For a moment she began to worry that she'd said something wrong or pried a little too much but the question hadn't been a bad one had it? She'd simply been asking if he and his wife lived around here...nothing wrong with that right? Biting down on her lip she felt worried.

"Well...No, we don't. You see, my wife, Zoey... she isn't exactly... like us. She's... uhm...Zoey's a Muggle,"

He said it in such an awkward manner, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red and she arched her eyebrow, tilting her head to the side. The way he said that made it sound like it was something he needed to be embarresed about or maybe he'd had other wizards react badly to his revelation. It made no difference to her for obvious reasons yet even if she didn't have her Mother it still wouldn't make a difference. What did it matter if someone was a muggle? If you loved each other then blood status didn't come into it.

"That's cool...so's my Mum, my Dad was the wizard...half-blood." she told him with a smile, there was nothing wrong with being Muggle. She loved almost everything muggle, especially their music, and films, tv shows....she'd been raised on a muggle street so again, she saw them as no different. Though she was fully aware there were some cruel people out there who viewed being muggle as something dirty, having a parent who was a muggle was something you shouldn't brag about. She however was very proud.

Taking a sip of her drink she looked back at him and smiled, tilting her head to the side slightly. "So you look pretty young to be married how long you been with your wife?" she asked curiously tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear before taking another sip of her drink, knowing that soon it would be gone and then she'd have to leave. Though she could always happen to walk by the pub next week right?

The though made her smile lightly and look away from him for a moment. Turning her focus back to him after a moment she smiled sighing softly, "I'm not keeping you am I?" she asked, suddenly worried she was keeping him from working though one quick look around settled her worries, there weren't any customers looking to be served right now so she turned back to him and smiled again, all the while still trying to ignore the way her stomach was a nervous flutter with him.

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[riley allan mcalister]

"That's cool... so's my Mum, my Dad wa the wizard... half-blood."

Riley tried very hard not to breathe a visible sigh of relief at that statement. He'd guessed right, she wasn't like the others. He did notice something funny, but chose not to elaborate further. She'd mentioned her father in the past tense. He wasn't about to ask if her father was dead, though, that would have been incredibly rude. They still were technically strangers, regardless of the connection he felt towards this girl. Vaguely, he wondered if the connection that he felt was something the pair shared. Once again, though, he refrained from asking. Now wasn't the time, nor was it the place.

He watched as Cassie had begun to sip her drink. The milkshake was running out, which saddened him greatly. The moment that was gone, she'd leave. Suddenly, he realized how much he didn't want her to leave. This school girl, someone he had just met, was driving him wild. He couldn't bring himself to admit it, but he wanted desperately to see her again. Hopefully, she felt the same...

"So you look pretty young to be married, how long you been married?"

Once again, the question through him for a loop. Riley looked up from the vacant space he had found himself staring at to smile at Cassie awkwardly. "About a year. There were... certain circumstances that caused me to propose... now that those circumstances no longer apply, it's been... it's been quite the adjustment,"

[/color] he replied, hating being vague. He hadn't told anybody about the baby, save for his parents. His own sister didn't even know that he'd been expecting... He had begun to space out again when he realized Cassie was talking to him again. Looking up at her, he stared, slightly dumbfounded, as he tried to place what it was that she had said to him.

"I'm not keeping you, am I?"

"Oh, God, no! No, don't even suggest that, there isn't a soul here and I'm rather enjoying getting to know you, Cassie,"[/color] Riley responded, a little too enthusiastic than normal. He let the awkward silence hang in the air as he slowly realized just how smoothly her name had flowed off of his tongue. Locking eyes with Cassie, he watched her for a moment before awkwardly clearing his throat, blushing slightly. "Uhm... I mean... no, you're not keeping me... I'm not keeping you, am I?"[/color][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[cassie marie bennett]

As she chewed down on her bottom lip, Cassie looked at Riley wondering if he was feeling the same strange connection to her as she was to him. It was somewhat unnerving and she didn't want to think on what it meant because it was likely she was overanalyzing what she was feeling. She'd stopped focusing on the racing speed of her heart, the way her stomach twisted nervously every time he looked at her, the way when their eyes locked her breath caught. If she focused too much on that then there was no way she was going to get away with talking to, if she focused on them she knew for a fact she'd have to make a quick escape and right now there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

"About a year. There were... certain circumstances that caused me to propose... now that those circumstances no longer apply, it's been... it's been quite the adjustment,"

Cassie nodded, a slight blush in her cheeks as she mentally began kicking herself. She was asking too many questions, rather personal ones at that she figured. It had nothing to do with her where he lived or how long he'd been married, they weren't anything other than two strangers chatting at the bar. That was a sad thought, but he was older than her, married happily she figured and the last thing she needed to be doing was falling for him if that's what was happening. Seeing him staring into space she shifted slightly, before asking him if she was keeping him which she hoped she wasn't.

Chewing down on her lip she smiled in relief when he said she wasn't keeping him, that in fact he was enjoying getting to know her. A warm glow spread throughout her chest and her cheeks flushed a light pink as she smiled across at him, nodding her head. When he asked her the same question in return she shook her head quickly and smiled at him again, "Well I'm glad and no, I'm really enjoying myself." she told him honestly, tucking her hair behind her ear, looking away from him for a moment as her cheeks flushed again.

"Though I will have to return to the school soon sadly, curfew and all, they're really getting strict about that this year," she commented, remembering the lecture they'd all recieved before they had been allowed down her.With things going as they were outside the school she couldn't blame the Professors for being on edge, in fact she wanted to get back before dark as much as she loved the dark, the last thing she wanted was walking all the way back to school alone in the dark.

"I've got a little time before I have to go though...not long but still..." she said, fighting the pout. Leaving him was the last thing she wanted to in fact if she could get away with it she'd spend the rest of his shift here, it was then she had to remember he was married but friends was okay right?

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[riley allan mcalister]

Riley wondered what Cassie was going to say, but found himself grow warm with pride as she turned a light pink, anxiously tucking her hair behind her ears as she smiled at him. He'd made her do that, and that fact was making him immensely happy. He couldn't put a finger on the things that he was feeling, but he was rather enjoying whatever it was that was caused by the happiness on Cassie's face was bringing him. Riley couldn't help but grin at her, leaning against the counter to be just a little closer to this beautiful girl.

"Well I'm glad and no, I'm really enjoying myself. Though I will have to return to the school soon, sadly, curfew and all, they're getting really strict about that this year. I've got a little time before I have to go though... not long but still..."

Riley frowned a bit. She had to leave, and the feeling was making him feel a little empty inside. Surely it hadn't been that long since she'd wandered into the pub... A quick glance at the clock on the wall, however, told him that they'd been together for over an hour. It was funny, how time flew when one was completely captivated by something or, in this case, someone. He nodded, though, when she said something about the curfew. It really probably was in their best interest to be so strict.

Everything was happening so fast. First, there were the crimes, then there was the Dark Mark sighting. It was getting rather terrifying, and Riley just hoped that things wouldn't get any worse. Deep down, he knew that things were just getting started, but the thought was too terrifying to think about. They taught the students at Hogwarts, and the students at most magical academies, about the Battle of Hogwarts, about the horrible things that had transpired over that seven year period. It had been horrible, and Riley hoped desperately that there wouldn't be a repeat in his lifetime.

"I don't really blame them,"

[/color] Riley replied, looking at Cassie sadly. Silence hung in the air for a moment, but he soon cracked a small smile. "Well, Cassie, when it does become time for us to part, do you mind if I walk you out? I've got nothing to do for a little while, I can take my break and... well, yea,"[/color] he said, flushing slightly at the awkward fashion that he ended that sentence. Riley quickly recovered, smiling at Cassie, hoping she'd agree.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[cassie marie bennett]

The last thing she wanted was to leave. Earlier she'd promised herself just one quick drink and then back to the castle, she'd had every intention of going through with that plan but now, talking to Riley, meeting Riley, feeling whatever the hell it was she was feeling she wasn't keen on the idea of just walking away again. She knew where he worked right so there was no problem with her maybe dropping in again next week if she came down. Really she couldn't afford another trip down here, but if she was working, she'd definitely drop by or maybe see him in passing. She hoped. If he wanted that was. Last thing she wanted was to overstay her welcome with him.

"I don't really blame them...Well, Cassie, when it does become time for us to part, do you mind if I walk you out? I've got nothing to do for a little while, I can take my break and... well, yea,"

Now that was unexpected, really unexpected but a pleasent turn of events to. He wanted to walk her out, that was good right? "Are you sure?" she asked, smiling softly, incredibly surprised, "I mean I'd like that...definitely." she said softly, struggling to not to smile as much as she was. No one person smiled this much, well she smiled a lot just in general due to the kind of person she was but right now around Riley it seemed even more pronounce than usual.

Smiling again she nodded her head and refocused on her milkshake, sad to see it was pretty much gone now. "So you in for a long shift tonight?" she asked, before finishing her milkshake, pushing the glass aside and clasping her hands on the counter in front of her, maybe a few more minutes and then they could leave. A few minutes couldn't hurt right? It wasn't like she was in any real rush she simply had to be back before curfew, for dinner too.

Tucking her hair behind her ear agan she looked at the glass then back at Riley, knowing the next time she had money she'd be coming in to order another. Which if she didn't get this job she wouldn't have money till next month and even then it wasn't as much as most of her friends. Not that she was complaining in anyway, right now she was feeling way to happy to complain. "You know next time I can get down here you'll have to be nice enough to make me one of these again." she teased, knowing the chances of meeting again were very up in the air.

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[riley allan mcalister]

Riley wondered what she was going to say, suddenly afraid that he'd overstepped some undefined boundary. The surprise on her face was unnerving him, and it made him anxious. He smiled nervously at her as he awaited her answer. For whatever reason, the thought of offending her made him queasy. The feeling of letting down Zoey gave him a similar, yet different feeling. This was making him nervous and anxious, causing his palms to sweat and the lump in his throat to tighten. He was genuinely afraid of upsetting Cassie. Zoey was very different in that regard.

When it came to disappointing Zoey, he didn't feel anxious. There was a knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat at the thought, but it made him feel guilty, if anything. It wasn't a guilt driven by having offended her, but it was guilt for feeling indifferent to the fact. That revelation frightened him. He wasn't supposed to feel indifferent towards his wife in any sense, he was supposed to feel a great pain at the idea of making her upset... Riley bit his lip, shoving the thought from his mind. The more that he chose to think about it, the worse he'd feel.

"Are you sure? I mean I'd like that... definitely. So you in for the long shift tonight?"

Riley breathed a visible sigh of relief at Cassie's approval, not having realized that he'd been holding his breath in anticipation of her answer. "Good, I'm really glad you said that..."

[/color] he admitted, grinning at her. He took out a rag and began absently wiping the counter top down, just as a force of habit. He liked working, liked being kept busy. The only person who had been able to distract him from his job was Cassie. It was nice and all, but he liked having his hands busy with something. At her question, he nodded. "Here since noon and I close up around one o'clock,"[/color] Riley replied. Before she could say anything, he smiled at her. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I really like to work, and working here makes me incredibly happy."[/color]

"You know next time I can get down here you'll have to be nice enough to make me one of these again."

Riley grinned at the statement, nodding. "Just for you, Cassie, just for you,"[/color] he laughed. He liked the insinuation that they would be seeing each other again.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[cassie marie bennett]

"Don't worry, I don't mind. I really like to work, and working here makes me incredibly happy,"

This made her smile. He told her not to worry before she could even open her mouth, was she that transparent? He seemed to like working which was a rare quality but a good one nevertheless, she just hoped he was taking care of himself as well. Working was fine but the way he'd said it earlier made it sound like he was only working for his wife mainly which made her wonder if this other woman actually worked or she simply expected it from Riley...if so Cassie found that incredibly unfair.

"Just for you, Cassie, just for you,"

Cassie found herself smiling brightly as he laughed, enjoying the sound more than she should, as well as enjoying the way her name sounded coming from him. It was strange, when he said her name her stomach twisted in an almost pleasurable way. That right there was something she hadn't felt before and it was kind of unnerving, as was most of what she was beginning to feel for a man she'd just met. A married man. A crush was fine she figured though and secretely she hoped that was all it was.

There was a definite age gap, even if he wasn't married that was still a major point. Though there she went again, thinking more than she should about this, they were just becoming friends right, why was her bloody mind overthinking everything? "I'll be sure to hold you to that Mr." she said to him in regards to the milkshake comment, it was a promise she would make sure he kept. That milkshake had been delicious.

Picking up the bag of sweets and closing it she opened her small bag and placed them inside. Sighing sadly and pouting, she really didn't want to leave but she knew if she didn't head off now then she never would, or she'd at least stay way past curfew. Breaking rules she never had before which again surprised her, she'd never been tempted to do that before, never really having a reason to. Though that was her being silly again so she shook her head and reluctantly began to stand.

"I really don't want to but I should start heading back...my friends will begin to wonder what's taking me so long." she said not really wanting to tell her friends she'd hung around so long because of a guy, a married guy she was starting to crush on at that. They'd all have a field day with that. Despite being sad she had to leave she smiled at Riley and waved towards the door, "Any chance you can steal that break of yours now?" she asked.

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