Munchies, Reid

[Cassandra Thomas]

It was a little late by Cassi’s standards: really late by most prefects’ standards. But Cassi was an insomniac on some nights. As it happens, tonight was one of those nights. She was known to roam the halls when this happened trying to find trouble to get herself into. That was one of Cassandra’s talents: finding or making trouble. The excuse that she used most frequently, that she was sleepwalking, had only worked once on a sleepy looking prefect who just wanted to go to bed. Cassi wasn’t one to think hard on excuses.

Tonight she found herself surrounded by a cluster of elf’s asking if there was anything that she wanted, needed, or desired. Now that was the type of treatment I wish I got all the time, Cassi thought sarcastically. It was hard to think of something she wanted, being put on the spot and everything, so she told them that she would think about it and took a seat on one of the small tables that clustered the room.

They went back to whatever they were doing, leaving her in peace. Some washed the dishes, some were cooking the morning meal and every few seconds more would appear, coming from all over the castle. Cassi’s rumbling stomach brought her back to the present and she asked a small female elf if she could have a cup of hot chocolate and some cookies. A few seconds later ten elf’s surrounded her, pushing cookies at her and different cups of hot chocolate (some with marshmallows, some with cream and some with unidentifiable objects sticking out of it) at her.

She chose a cup with marshmallows and a couple of chocolate-covered cookies and apologized to the others who looked so sad that she hadn’t selected their food. For some odd reason, she felt guilty. Cassi nibbled on the cookies half-heartedly, recapping her day’s events.

[Reid Finch-Fletchey]

There were times in life when Reid felt almost like a stalker. Like now. He had been innocently wandering the hallways after curfew, avoiding the Slytherin prefecture. It wasn't too hard, actually. Some of the prefects in that house were so intent on checking the "secretive" places that they forgot the obvious ones. The fact that Meadow Potter was a prefect also made it that much easier to not get in trouble. He had the distinct feeling that if he ran into the curly-haired Slytherin girl, flirting his way out of it would be no problem.

He had been half-wishing that he could run into someone when a familiar head had come into view on the second floor corridor. Cassandra Thomas, of course. Not a bad person to run into on a late night. The Gryffindor knew that he could hardly stroll up to her and strike up a conversation. It would take a little bit of effort.

So he tailed her down another set of stairs and watched her enter the kitchens. Now that was a place where he could enter as if he'd been headed there the whole time. The ticklish pear might have been the worst-kept secret in all of Hogwarts, but few students were brave enough to risk it.

He stepped forward a few minutes after Cassandra had disappeared behind the painting and reached up to tickle the fruit. It had always felt a little ridiculous, but hey. Free food whenever he wanted it was well worth rubbing a portrait.

"Fancy meeting you here," Reid announced with a nonchalant sigh, smiling when he saw a few of the house elves headed over to attend his every need. "I'll take hot chocolate, too, but do ya have any peppermint sticks?" One of the house elves responded that they did indeed, and Reid nodded. "And some brownies, if you have any."

The food and drink were placed quickly on the same table that Cassandra was sitting at. "So, am I allowed to sit, or do I have to stand?"

[Cassandra Thomas]

A smirk played on Cassi’s features as she looked over and met Reid’s eyes. If there were anyone in this world who could brighten up her day, it would have to be Reid. He was just… fun. Not in a girlfriend/boyfriend way… not even in a friend way. Whatever it was, they clicked and Cassi wasn’t going to question it… at least, not at them moment anyway. After all, he was a Gryffindor.

Her eyes followed the house elves as the scurried around the kitchen, catering to Reid. Cassi made sure not to watch him, or show any interest at all. For her, this was all a game. A game she wanted to win. When the house elves instinctively put his things in front of her, she turned to watch him, nibbling on a chocolate cookie and still managing to given her award winning smirk.

“I don’t know. You look pretty sexy just standing there and all…” Cassi teased, making sure he saw her checking him out. Actually, he did look pretty good tonight. “But, if you must, you can take a seat.” She motioned to the one in front of her with her cookie before dipping it in her hot chocolate and taking another bite.

She eyed his brownies greedily, wondering what it would take to swipe one of those. They did look awful good. “So, Reid, what brings you down to the kitchens at such a late hour?” Taking a sip from her chocolate like this was any everyday conversation, instead of one in the middle of the night in the kitchens, alone.

[Reid Finch-Fletchey]

She was eyeing him up and down, Reid realized with a smirk. Not that he minded it, coming from Cassi. Hell, the Gryffindor boy didn't mind it from any girl, but he rather enjoyed it from the pretty Ravenclaw. Okay, he enjoyed it from almost any girl, but getting it from Cassandra was like getting some stamp of approval from a place that didn't give the thumbs-up to just everything. It was gratifying, and always nice to know that he could at least flirt with her.

Damn, this no sleep thing is screwing me up, he realized. His thoughts were going in odd circles, and he was still standing there, staring at Cassandra for a few good seconds after she offered him a place to sit.

In fact, he was so flustered that he couldn't even manage to eke out a response about how he looked equally sexy sitting down. So he just plopped into the seat, alternating between blowing on his hot chocolate and swirling the peppermint stick in it. "Well, when I was reading tea leaves in Divination last year, it told me that I'd meet the girl of my dreams at one in the morning in the kitchen today." He feigned mock surprise upon glancing down at his watch. "One-oh-five. Tell me, was Kiana Longbottom down here a few minutes ago? I was rather hoping it was her."

He fixed Cassandra with his most innocent smile before taking a sip of his hot chocolate. It was corny, but at one in the morning, it was the best thing he could think of. With any luck, her judgment was clouded by the lack of sleep, too, and she'd at least give him the benefit of a smile.

[Cassandra Thomas]

Cassi found it a little odd that Reid stood there for so long, but put it off to lack of sleep on both sides. And something really was off when he didn’t give her a sarcastic remark right away. Tsk, tsk Reid, you’re not on it tonight, are you? Cassi wondered as she continued to lazily sip her chocolate. That was her: Mr. Cool. Well… Mrs. Cool, if you want to be truthful about it. But it didn’t sound as cool. Giving up that philosophical thought, she turned back to Reid.

Drumming her fingers on the table for a few seconds, she thought of her best reply. “Ah. Yes, I distinctly remember seeing her pass by this way not to long ago,” Cassi tilted her head and gave him a devious smile, “guess you just missed her. But I’m sure if it’s that important you could catch up with her.” She batted her eyes at him suggestively; her head still tilted a bit to one side. “But I bet you’d rather stay here with me…”

Cassandra smirked once again before straitening up and taking another sip of her drink. It was starting to cool down, just the way she liked it. She dipped one of her cookies in her chocolate and let it soak for a few seconds before taking it out and taking a bite. While doing this she managed to keep her gaze from falling on him, playing hard to get.

Cassi knew she was sending mixed signals. It was all part of the game for her. Real them in, and let them go. Reid was probably used to her and her actions by now anyway.

[Reid Finch-Fletchey]

Reid sipped again at his hot chocolate before giving a melodramatic sigh of disappointment. "Nah, I'm afraid it's too late to catch her. Something about timing being exact and all. I dunno. Divination's not my best subject," he replied with a shrug. "So I guess I'll have to take you up on that offer to stay."

He swirled the peppermint stick in his drink before taking it out and biting off the end. Chewing gave him enough time to study Cassandra while she deliberately avoided looking at him. She looked good for it being one in the morning. Hell, he supposed that she looked good no matter when it was. He was dressed in a pair of plaid pajama pants and a T-shirt bearing a logo of the Essex Eagles quidditch team across the front. It could have been better, but it also could have been much worse.

If he had been anyone else, Reid might have offered some sort of conversation to get Cassandra to talk to him. Instead, he continued to swirl his hot chocolate, keeping his gaze fixed to a spot on the wall over her left shoulder. That way, he could make sure that she was still avoiding his glance, and also avoid making the first move. Flirting with Cassandra was an exact science that he didn't pretend to have completely figured out. But he was damn sure going to do his best.