Closed Breakfast at Tiffany's

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nik wasn't sure what he was doing with his life. At least for now he was getting by without any problems, living in their dad's house alone, working at Eeylop's Owl Emporium, apparating to different places all the time during his days free of work. Now he was just coming back from New Caledonia as he had spent around three days there and now he had to come back for work. But before actually going there as he still had time, he decided to sit on a bench and have some coffee with croissants as breakfast. He quite missed normal breakfasts as he had in Hogwarts but he honestly couldn't cook even to save his life, so he got by with omelette's and some dishes that were easy to make or he stopped at his relatives to eat proper food. For example, since now he and Kiara worked really close to each other, she usually made some food for him too and gave it to him there. But in mornings like this, he had no real energy to make anything or go to Kiara, so he just grabbed something in the shop as he was a little hungover from the previous night. He honestly just tried to have fun while out of school not to think about his father's death or how his little siblings were in school. Even more, Kaia had sent him a letter and told him about the Styx and Ralph situation, so Nick was just trying to take his mind off that on the bench.

 

[Cassiah West]

Cassiah didn't want to leave Massachusetts yet but as they had graduated, the house in New Zealand was being sold and their parents wanted them to moved their own stuff out of the said house. She was proud that Hayzel had gone to be a Professional Quidditch player but Cassiah was still undecided of what she should do with her life.

She was first to arrived and packed up her belongings at their old home. It was only bought because they were studying at Hogwarts New Zealand. They didn't really have a family in New Zealand, they're mostly in United Kingdom and the States. The woman looked around her former bedroom and a with a swish of her wand, she apparated in Obsidian Harbour for some late breakfast.

Oh, the Harbour. Their mother always insist of buying their stuff here rather than in London. A smile inside was forming as she remembers the old times. Cassiah walked toward Three Broomsticks but spotted someone on a bench, eating alone. The woman instead walked toward them and leisurely sat beside them. "Didn't think I'll see you again." Cassiah said not looking at the person beside her.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Niklaus wasn't sure how he was gonna cope with his day until he heard a voice that he thought he would never hear again. He looked up at her and smiled. He missed her a lot but he didn't say anything until she actually sat down. "And I hoped that I'd see you one day again,' he smiled at her, immediately putting his breakfast away. He had no idea when he was gonna see her again and if he was gonna see her, but he absolutely knew that he wanted to enjoy every minute that they had. "You look beautiful, as always. Something never changes," Nik couldn't help himself. He knew he liked her for a long time now, at least a year or two, and it was something that probably wasn't going to change it the nearest time.

 

[Cassiah West]

Her heart skipped a beat at what Nik had said, He hoped to see me again? She thought. They've been friends for quite awhile, it was probably that and nothing more. But those next words that he uttered was out of the ordinary, Nik complimented her. Cassiah's brows narrowed and looked at her friend, she held the back of her hand to his forehead. "Are you okay? You're not sick. Where are these compliments coming from?" Cassiah joked and giggled.

Although she was nervous because it seems genuine and she can't help but smile inside. "Thank you anyways, it's probably the new salon I was trying out." She absentmindedly touched her wavey hair. She was lying about the salon, but wanted to make the meeting more fun. Cassiah leaned back on the bench again, looking around at the people on the Harbour and back at Nik. God, I've never seen him like this before. All sad and seems the fun was sucked out of him. "I'm sorry our last year at school was dull and we didn't see each other often. Balancing Wizarding and Muggle school works took much of my time."

She knows she regret the double standards she was putting on herself and it cost her her freedom. Now, all her work didn't paid of as she was still on the verge of whether if she should follow her mother's footstep as a Chef slash Baker or something in the Wizarding world. The only person she actually enjoyed having around, she ignored him. "So, what have you been up to lately?" She asked.

 

[Annabeth Easterling]

I'm a loser who's accounts keep switching

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nik laughed a little at her answer, swaying a little as he was still a bit hungover, and then just put his head on her shoulder. "I just missed you a lot, y'know. For the last year's it's always just been you," he just continued to talk. "Like there for me, with me, even when we weren't talking, it still felt like it," it wasn't exactly the time when he could just blast out - I like you and I've liked you for years.

He chuckled as she said about the salon. "Either way, you look wonderful," he complimented once more. Then she apologized and he shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. You do what you have to do. How did the schools work out tho?"

He spent the whole school year trying to decide what he wanted to and still was at the same spot where he was a year and two before. "Not a lot. I'm taking a gap year because my dad died, so I've been spending time with my siblings. Youngest ones were sorted this year. Travelling a little, still working at Eeylop's Owl Emporium," he shrugged his shoulders as he told how his last few months were spent. "I found out that I can't cook like at all. I swear, it won't be long until I starve myself," Nik was good at things that didn't include cooking. He sucked at it absolutely. "And you? How has your time been? Do you enjoy being out of school?"

 

[Cassiah West]

His smell was familiar as he laid his head on her shoulder. Cassiah closed her eyes for a briefed moment to soak up what was happening. She countered it by laying her head on top of his and snaking her hand on his own, locking them like she never wanted to let go. "Well, I'm here, glad we saw each other again. And I think it was for the best." She loves Massachusetts, she knows the people in the small town her grandparents live and she loves the seafood on the nearby State of Maine. But Cassiah feels she's missing something when she's there, her siblings rarely visits and no friends that knows she stays in the States.

She sigh, "Welp! I still don't know what I want and I'm stuck in limbo between going to University or work for the Ministry in London." But her parents wanted her to continue their business. Rye and Hayzel wasn't given that choice but they put it on their other daughter's shoulder. Hearing his dad had passed away, she tighten her hold on his hand. Cassiah didn't know, that's how busy she was and out of it. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know about your dad. But glad your siblings are at school and traveling? I've been doing it too but doing it alone depresses me." She continued. "At least you have a job that can put your mind else where." Cassiah felt like she's a spoiled child that mooch out of her parents money to continue living like a princess.

The woman didn't wanted that at all, maybe sooner or later she has to pick her path. Cassiah giggled at his response that he can't cook. She lifted up her head and looked at him, "The one thing my mum, a chef and a baker, taught me is cook. Maybe one of these days I can make you something? Like a favourite?" It was a skill she had kept from everybody but her family and she doesn't know why she had kept it. It was weird that she did. "There's pros and cons of being out the school. Pros, I don't have to study everyday and exhaust myself. Cons, nobody cooks my meals anymore and see my favourite people. Pretty much a fifty-fifty hate and love relationship." Cassiah wanted to look forward to the present now and not the past.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nik immediately accepted their hands being locked, he loved the feeling of it, so he just covered their locked hands with his free hand. If only she knew, how much it meant to him to be able to be with her like that. If only he could tell her that. But she probably wouldn't care, they were friends and he was quite that she had him only in the friend zone. "Do you think it would be possible for us to meet? Like at least from time to time?" He wasn't ready to say goodbye yet, nor he would be in the nearest time. He had never felt this way for someone and he didn't want to lose that.

"Have you thought about combining them? Doing an online university and working in Ministry at the same time?" He offered an option. Nik knew it was possible as his cousin did that only instead of Ministry, she owned a shop. "You couldn't know that, I didn't tell anyone. It's fine. But travelling alone is totally boring, yes. I'm going to France in a few days, do you want to come with me?" He offered her, he probably expected her to decline his offer but he still wanted to offer that. What if she said yes? They wouldn't have to pay for any hotel or anything of that as Nik had where to stay there without paying. a whole house to himself. "Well, that's true. Working with animals, even birds, is really rewarding honestly," Niklaus talked about his job while rubbing her hand with his thumb. He liked having conversations with her and just being the two of them, no one else around.

Tho, then he looked up at her to have an eye contact. "Oh God, it would be amazing. Have you heard of Chile en Nogada? It's probably my favorite. Mexican dish," Niklaus usually never talked about Mexico, but his mom was Mexican but she had died long, long time ago. He still remembered her really well but his siblings probably didn't. But he never knew that Cassiah could cook, it was a nice surprise, it was awesome. "Well, same here. But I have to say, I enjoy freedom. We can go and come whenever we want," he admitted that. He loved his freedom, it was one of his most important values.

 

[Cassiah West]

Cassiah smiled at Nik, "I'm just an Owl or call away. Isn't that's why we were taught to apparate?" For him, she will stopped whatever she was doing. She will always be here now for him. And rolled her eyes from time to time when he suggested something, "If I do, it'll be like school again. I think my goal from now on is one at a time." She chuckled slightly at the thought. It would be a different feeling but her body and mind would love it eventually. And then he offered something, Nik wants me to go with him? Alone? Cassiah opened her mouth like she was going to say something but closed it again. The last thing was to do her in New Zealand was haul her stuff out from the already sold house. What else would she being doing after this? Stuck in London or Massachusetts maybe.

She just hoped her mother wouldn't be anywhere in one of her restaurants in France. "Sure, I'll go with you BUT I'll pay my way, you don't have to worry about paying for me." Cassiah was already excited about the trip. "I haven't really expanded my pallet to the Central and South America but I'm pretty sure my mum knows how to cook it." She continued. "I can mostly do Louisiana seafood boil and French food. I'm perfecting a soufflé recipe but it keeps going flat." Cassiah chuckled. Maybe cooking was the way for her to work her hobby and maybe make it into a business like her parents. Oh god! I'm turning into my mother. She thought to herself ugly. "So when is this trip? Is this a ski trip to the French Alps or just roaming Paris?" Cassiah had done both before but they were very little. That's where she learned how to ski and snow board.