Closed Chance of Rain

[Cassiah West]

It was almost the end of the school year, it was perfect how it always lands in the summer in United States. It's where they usually stay for the summer, where heat was excruciating but the beaches are quite nice. But family was the only reason they bought a vacation house in Maine. Cassiah finished her first running lap around the Quidditch Pitch. The humidity was getting on her, just sweating all over her body. She stopped at her starting point and looked at the horizon. A storm was brewing, fifth time it rained here in New Zealand. The Ravenclaw wanted the rain, it was much better when she could only hear the drops of water against the ground. Cassiah did another lap while looking at the stands, she was hoping she could see a glimpse of her sister Hayzel. It's been awhile since they had a chat and Rye who's always nowhere to be found. Since the triplets were sorted into different house, they barely see each other and she's not the type of person who associate with other people quickly.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nick was ready for exams, well, why wouldn't he? He had only those subjects that he rocked, not anything else. And even more, he was ready for the summer, he was going to stay in New Zealand, and to be more specific, he was going to stay in his room, studying his subjects for University online, playing video games, reading and maybe will go out to play basketball with his cousins. What was the matter anyway? Almost all the bunch of his cousins lived on the same street with him, so he would meet them all the time anyway. He was reading some muggle poetry book but his attention got distracted by the rain that started to pour. Nick honestly loved spring, so he totally preferred being outside at this time. And only then he noticed Cassiah. "Hey, I didn't know you were running here," he called out before acknowledging that he wasn't going to get sick because he was in the stands and not running but Cassiah was moving all the time. "You don't wanna get sick, do you?" it was some sort of point to try and tell her that running in this weather wasn't a good idea.

 

[Cassiah West]

When she didn’t see any of her siblings on the stands, she kept running until it started raining. She guess the storm was faster to approach. Cassiah wanted to get out of the rain when somebody called to her. The Ravenclaw looked up to the stands and saw her housemate, Nick. She stopped, her breath still catching up. “Well, I would love to get out of it. Why don’t you meet me by the steps of the stands? It’s much dryer underneath.” She suggested. All her casual clothing was kept in the quidditch lockers.

Nick was Annabeth’s twin. Cassiah know his sister and while they knew each other. Cassiah barely talks to Nick, he has a sense of mystery to her. The girl gestures to Nick that she go to the steps to meet him there. It felt nice when the raindrops stopped soaking her wet.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nick held up his thumbs as showing that he understood what she meant. He really didn't want to shout in the rain, so he just fastly sprinted down the stands and got next to Cassiah. "I hope you aren't really wet," he quietly said and awkwardly half-smiled at her. "How did you decide that it was a good idea to go running in the rain? It was cloudy for some time now," he quietly chuckled while letting her sit down first. "How are you?" he awkwardly asked, not knowing what else to say.

 

[Cassiah West]

"Don't worry, I'm used to it." She answered Nick's question as he came down from the stands. Running in the rain was a very much preferred by her body if she was in condition. Although, when she's at school it tends to be that her body changes. And therefore would not recommend for her to run in the rain. "Was probably distracted. I tend to do it when exams are nearing. We seriously need to pass them." Cassiah was that student who constantly wanted perfect grades but don't want to cause an attention like she was a teacher's pet. She didn't wanted to be a prefect either because she lacks command.

Realising her hair was still on a bun, she undid her scrunchie off her hair. She'd been air drying her hair as hair dryers really won't work in this world. Cassiah's brunette wavy barely wet hair cascade on her shoulder and used her fingers to comb them. "For the most part of the day I'm great but I'm hanging in there." Five years in this school and she still can't adjust. Maybe one of these days she will but not right now. "What about you? It's so not you going outside and at the Quidditch Pitch. What change?" Why was she observing? She doesn't know.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

"Then I hope you aren't cold because it's almost summer," Nick added. Anyway, it was pretty cold outside and Nick was really happy about it. He enjoyed the cold time of the year. "This year's exams are nothing if compared to next year's. Which ones are you planning to take? OH well, I can't believe that we are almost in our OWLs year." he quietly chuckled and shook his head in a light disbelieve. He didn't care about his grades except for the exams, he always tried to do his best in his exams. At least the last years.

He quietly watched Cassiah as she let her hair down, trying not to bother her while doing it. He always preferred staying quiet especially when the person was doing something. "Is Hogwarts that bad? Alright, it is. I would prefer it way more if I didn't have my whole family here, even my little and only sister is here now," he jokingly rolled his eyes. He felt good that his little sister was here and in Ravenclaw, it meant that he was always sure that she was absolutely fine and didn't need anything. "Oh, this is so not me? Then what is me?" he chuckled again, waiting for the answer. He found it quite amusing when people said that it wasn't him, he knew he was quiet for all years and now he wanted to know what people thought he was like.

 

[Cassiah West]

Summer is New Zealand didn’t bother her that much, she prefers the winter cold but summers are meant to be stayed at in the heat. And every summer, her family would visit Maine, USA. It’s where her mother grew up with her other sister, her aunt Jaden. They have a log cabin near their grandparents. “Cold is my best friend. I’m from England and well, summers there are not the type to sun bathe.” that’s why she look like she hasn’t been outside at all.

He reminded her that it was already their OWLs soon and she rolled her eyes at the mention of it. “Please, I had enough of regular exams. Don’t remind me of the hard stuff.” She joked. Cassiah was still curious as to why she was in Ravenclaw when her sister Hayzel is the bookworm of the family. Cassiah was into fashion and Rye, well, that one is a weirdo.

“I don’t mind family inside Hogwarts but once family is one of the Professors? Yep, that’s a different story.” Cassiah chuckled softly. Aunt Jaden was fine outside of the confines of the school but inside had its downs. A burst of a random wind caught Cassiah by surprised and shivered without noticing. The Ravenclaw girl thought she could handle the cold but the wind was just a cold front.

Cassiah was a good observant. Specially if you keep noticing them. “Well, you barely go outside which surprised me. Often times I don’t even know that you’re there. Sometimes I just see you but I always thought you wanted to be alone. I’m also surprised that you’re talking to me.” Cassiah is bad at telling emotions that’s why she never talk to Nick. She wanted to but was afraid to get turned down like a sack of potatoes. “Anyways, let’s not all get dramatic here. Want to head to the lockers? I got to change somehow.” She stated with a smile.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nick looked surprised when Cassiah said that she was from England, he honestly couldn't believe it. "No way that you are British! You don't have a noticeable accent! I am from Virginia actually, I think you know Anna, she's from Colorado. We are born and raised Americans until her seven years old and me being ten," he told a little bit about his childhood. It wasn't something he usually brought up but since she was sharing with him, he gave at least something too. "Why did you move here?"

He lightly chuckled and jokingly rolled his eyes at her joke. "Oh, I'm sure you will rock them," he answered honestly. It was Nick who just seemed really smart and a nerd, actually he could ace only one subject - Arithmancy.

"Alright, that is relatable. Professor relatives are the worst kind of relatives. Y'know, professor Stark? She's kinda my aunt, she's actually related only to Kaia, Charlie, and Kiara but since we all are close, she's our aunt too." he shrugged his shoulders and lightly smiled. "Is that new professor West your relative? How is she related to you?" if they were talking, he tried his best to keep the conversation both-sided, even if he felt like he wasn't really good at it. And once she shivered, Nick immediately took off his black hoodie and stayed just in a long-sleeved shirt. "Yeah, British people don't feel cold at all," he teased her as he put out his hoodie with the face that didn't even consider the thought of accepting a decline.

Nick couldn't help but start to laugh at what she said. "You're right, I'm rarely going out, I usually go out only in the evenings and prefer being on my own, but I'm not a jerk to turn down any conversation, especially with beautiful girls," he jokingly flirted with her and even winked at her. "Sure, let's go. By the way, how do you feel about Quidditch? Do you like it?" he asked while watching around the pitch.

 

[Cassiah West]

Cassiah chuckled softly, she hadn't noticed about her accent before. She really didn't care. She tends to switch accent whenever they go on a holiday, specially in the states. "It's probably you being an American. I wanted to blend with the people whenever we go on a holiday in America. Mum hired a dialect teacher for us. I'm half American anyways, so why not." It was embarrassing that she has to copy people just to be liked. "When I hear people talk, my brain just autopilot." It seems she had made her brain practice it like that.

"We moved here because my parents wanted to be closer to school even though they can't really come to school or us coming to them whenever we wanted to." Yes, she was confused too. Selling and buying a new house wasn't a joke. Yes, her parents are able to do it, they weren't worried about the money. They just wanted to be near their children. She smiled warmly at him as he did an encouragement talk. "Professor Stark? The Care Of Magical Creatures Professor? She's actually pretty cool, I wouldn't mind being related to her." Cassiah giggled. Although, she can't say the same thing about her Aunt.

"Yep, she's the one. She's my aunt, my mum's sister. She's more like the uncle who embarrasses their nieces and nephews to everyone and acts goofy. Yep, that's her." Right now, Aunt Jaden hasn't done anything to them yet. Next year, she won't be their Professor for Potions as they have graduated from being fourth years to Fifth years. The Professor only teaches the first four years. Cassiah then noticed Nicklaus taking his sweater off. She was cold but he didn't have to offer the hoodie. "Thanks, next time I'll wear something warm like a yoga pants and some sports jacket. Not a flimsy running shorts and tank top." She said while she took the hoodie from him and started to put it on her.

It was warm and it smells of him. Cassiah's petite stature was obvious by how the hoodie was a bit big on her. For some reason, her heart skip a beat at the mention of beautiful girls. That wink almost made her bit her lips but stopped herself from doing it once she noticed and instead cleared her throat. When he agreed to follow her into the locker room, she started walking, catching his question. "No, sports is not really my thing. I work out but that's just it. I'm not good at flying either. There's other means of transport other than broomsticks." The Ravenclaw girl explained. "Are you into it?" Everyone has their own opinion about the sport and she'll respect it.

 

[Niklaus Eliot Easterling]

Nick looked at her surprised. "I mean, Americans make a lot of jokes about British pronunciation but dialect teacher? But at least they did a great job, tho, why did you want to blend in?" he honestly wanted to understand her to the core, or as much as he could.

"If you are from Great Britain, why didn't you go to Hogwarts in Scotland? It's not like I'm complaining, no, it just... doesn't make sense? You moved here so your parents could be closer to your school but you had an amazing school there," and now he tried to understand the reason, he moved because his family moved along with their other parts of the family but he wasn't sure about Cassiah's one. Maybe their parents just wanted for them to study here? Well, he hoped that he was about to get that answer. "Oh, she's cool to be related to, tho I think that almost all my uncles and aunts are pretty cool but I really hope that none of them will come up with the idea to be a professor there." he actually admitted, he loved his family but didn't want to be in the same school with them.

"Oh shoot, alright, that sucks. Tho, she hasn't done anything yet, right?" he chuckled and shook his head lightly. No, he hadn't heard about anything that professor West had done with them and he wanted to know that. He was just naturally curious about people who actually seemed to be interested in him too. "That's a really good thought, if I had something to offer I'd also give you something to cover that you're only in shorts but I will keep my pants on me, alright?" he joked lightly, trying to keep everything as casual as it was possible and joked.

"It looks really good on you," he complimented her once she put his hoodie on her. Nick didn't really bother to think about the fact that he made her nervous, he noticed but didn't really point that out, tho it did flatter him a bit. He carefully listened to her answer and analyzed her answer, trying to pin down the most important things. "Well... I can't say that sports are my thing or passion, especially Quidditch, I prefer staying on the ground. Always. Tho my thing is skating and basketball, even if I prefer more musical and intellectual things." he told her. He usually preferred not to talk about the fact that he was into music, tho, it still was a fact.