Casey entered the room of requirement, a smile spreading on her face. The room never failed to surprise her, despite the number of times she'd been there. This time the room became a multitude of all the things she wanted. There was surplus of bean bags, and a rahter comfy sofa. In the corner there was a large desk with one of those big office chairs on wheels. The ceiling looked like open sky and the floor was grass. There was a willow tree placed towards the side of the room and casey immediately went over to it. It was a rather odd looking room, but she didn't mind, it was the way she like it. She slumped down leaning against the willow tree. She smiled, the room seemed so vast and neverending. If only life could be like this, but that would be cheating. Still it was nice to relax every once in a while

*Tristan was looking for a place to relax. Oh, who was he kidding? He was looking for a place to hide. He had just narrowly missed a run in with the same guy that had given him the black eye he had sported for tw weeks (that was still there.) This time he had escaped with a gash from a punch on his cheek. It had stopped bleeding for the most part and now just stung. When he came to the door to the room of requirememnt, Tristan breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. But when he opened the door he discovered that he wasn't alone.* "Oh...I'm sorry...I can go...." *He murmered, not wanting to get into another fight.*

Casey jumped in surprise, she hadn't expected anyone to be coming in, well truthfully that had been the last thing she'd expected. She looked up wondering if she would see a familiar, maybe even friendly face, chances of that were slim. She hardly had any friends around here.

The face was familiar, although Casey didn't know him by name. By any means he looked like he needed to sit down, he'd definitely been in a fight of some sort. "No, don't worry about it. You're welcome to stay," Casey invited quietly and rather shyly. She looked down at her own feet

*Tristan smiled gratefully and entered the room, shutting the door behind him* "Thanks....I won't bug you for too long. I just want to rest for a few minutes and put something on this." *He motioned to the cut on his face* "My name's Tristan, by the way."

Casey looked up momentarily, "Stay as long as you want, I don't mind. Honest...." She paused before venturing to say, "Looks like you got in a bit of a fight... Are you alright?" She blushed only slightly and looking back at her feet, she wasn't one for made good conversation. Being shy was hard. "I'm Casey"

*Tristan smiled and bit his lip. She was obviously shy...* "Not really a fight.....because that would mean that we both fought. It was more like..." *He paused as he asked the room for some ointment to put on the cut.* "It was more like I was walking around in hogsmede and he jumped me and I ran....." *He explained, blushing slightly as well.*

"Oh... I'm sorry" Casey said as an automatic response. She paused for a second, "Why would anyone want to jump you?" She asked, looking at him with a puzzled expression. She looked at the ointment as it appeared, "Would you like any help with that?" She asked, her eyes still focused on the ointment, avoiding eye contact entirely.

"Could you?" *He asked, glad he wouldn't have to attempt to put it on himself and end up poking himself in the eye and making himself go blind or something* "Thakn you so much." *He held out the tube for her and walked over to sit near her so she could put it on. Tristan sighed* "He probably jumped me for two reasons." *He explained* "One, I'm not a Family member. And two....I'm gay....and he probably finds that offensive..." *Tristan watched her carefully for some sort of reaction to let him know that she was offended by it too.*

"Yea sure." Casey said with a smile sitting up straighter as he came nearer. As far as she could tell he seemed like a nice, but she was still wary, as she always was. When he explained why he'd been jumped her expression saddened. "That's ridiculous. Those are hardly reasons to jump you, it's not like you did anything wrong," she said as angrily as she could, which isn't very. She put some ointment on her finger and gently covered Tristan's gash with it.

*Tristan sat very still as she rubbed the ointment on his face for him. he sighed and continued talking* "Yeah, well...t.here seems to be a lot of that happening now." *He said sadly, although he was extatic that she wasn't going to think differently of him because of his sexuality* "That's why I have this black eye too...although it's finally starting to heal, thank god."

Casey finished applying the ointment to Tristan's gash and shook her head. "It's ridiculous. People just don't get it do they? They're afraid of anything different from themselves." She put the cap back on the ointment and set it down leaning back against the tree again. It was unusual for Casey to be this conversational with anyone she'd just met, she wondered what had momentarily allowed her to overcome at least some of her shyness.

*Tristan asked the room for some gauze and medical tape. He covered his wound before speaking again* "You seem like you're okay with it." *He looked to her, his head cocked to the right slightly, big big brown eyes studying herwith mild currosity, a small smile on his lips.*

Casey shrugged, looking at the ground. "I'm an open minded person, what can I say?" She said quietly, some of her shyness returning. "I don't see what the big deal is really..."

*Tristan smlied* "You kind of remind me of my little sister, Mandy." *He said proudly. Tristan absolutely adored Mandy, and it was a little obvious.* "When I explained to her that I was gay she just kind of accepted it, like 'what's the big deal?' And then when I came home with a broken arm because of it, I can remember me having to console her about it." *He grinned and came very close to laughing* "She's just much much more dramatic than you...actually, she's much more dramatic than most people i know."

Casey smiled looking up slightly, but still avoiding eye contact. "You have a younger sister?" She said in a wistful tone. She'd always wanted a sibling, preferrably older, someone that she could confide in and hang out with. She wondered, briefly, what it must be like to have a younger sister. "I can see why she would be so upset. It's not fair really"

*Tristan sighed and nodded* "I know it isn't." *He murmered.* "Mandy is 9. It's strange that we're as close as we are, there being such an age difference and all. And because of my parents..." *He paused and looked at Casey.* "My parents don't talk to me...they're very orthodox in their beliefes that I'm sinning and that I choose to be how I am." *He explained* "Why I would choose to be something that's frowned upon in society is beyond me, but whatever. Anyway, they don't like that I talk to Mandy either....they think I'll corrupt her." *He smiled sarcastically and raised his eyebrows as if to say 'really? come on'*

Casey smiled, really smiling this time, and she looked up from the floor. "Sounds like you and Mandy are really close. Is she going to come to Hogwarts when she's old enough?" She asked curiously. As he went on to explain about his parents she looking at him with an understanding expression. She knew what it was like to be unloved by your own parents. "Parents do crazy things sometimes."

*Tristan nodded* "Yeah, I know. I'm better off without my parents, though. Or at least I like to think so." *He asked the room for a glas of ice water, of which he took a sip from* "Mandy's a witch, no doubt about that. But I don't know if they'll want her to come. If they say she can't I intend on kidnapping her for her to come and live with meso she can come to school here." *He explained with a small smile*

For a split moment Casey wished she could have at least a little of Tristan's outlook on life. She laughed though when he talked of kidnapping his sister, and instinctively her eyes went back to the ground. "Well whatever works right? As long as she goes to Hogwarts. There is a better place to call home than here."

"I agree one hundred percent." *Tristan decided that he goal was to eventually get the girl to look him in the eyes when she talked* "Lately it's been a little rough, espically since everyone's paid off and corrupt. But I still see no reason to keep her from school here."

"I can only imagine" Casey said quietly, she felt badly for Tristan. People these days were so against anything that wasn't perfect in their eyes, it was so frustrating. "Well Hogwarts is always the best place to be, no matter what's going on."

*Tristan nodded* "I learned that fast....hiding out from the family was not as wasy as I had thought it would be." *He explained, relaxing into the soft cushions.*

"It never is," Casey replied simply. "Still I can't believe that I even got to belong to such a world as this. I had no idea that any of this existed until I got my letter"

*Trist's brow furrowed slightly out of currosity as she mentioned a letter. He tilted his head to one sieas he looked at her* "What letter?" *He didn't want to pry, but he figured that since she brought it up in teh first place that it was fair game to talk about.*

Casey looked at him quizically, "You know. The one they send you when you turn eleven. The summer before term starts, and it has all the information about Hogwarts and the things you'll need.... Didn't you get one?"

"Oh right. Yeah, I did." *He said quickly feeling more than a little foolish* "Sorry, I thought you ment a different letter." *He smiled easily.* "So you're muggleborn, then?"

"Not quite. My mum was a witch, but my dad's a muggle through and through." She told him looking back down at the ground. She didn't talk about her family much, it led to awkward questions. "What about you?"

PUre." *He said with a sigh. He thought that the whole thing about blood was stupid. He cracked a grin and continued* "I think that's part of the reason my parents threw such a fit when I told them I was gay...because I wouldn't be passing on any pure blood, and because pure bloods are supposed to be perfect, and obviously, we're not."

Casey shook her head. "Nobody's perfect and nobody is absolutely pure. Who cares what background you come from? We're all the same in the end." Casey stated rather firmly, surprised by her uncharacteristic boldness.

"Here here." *He said, raising his glass of water in a toast. Tristan giggled lightly as he took a drink. He set down the glass and was about to talk when his stomach growled embarassingly loudly. He bit his lip* "Um, do you mind if I eat in front of you?" *He hated eating in front of other people but he was so hungry....*

"Go ahead, I don't mind at all." Casey replied as she pulled her legs into a cross legged position. "If you don't mind me asking.... If you don't live with your parents, then who do you live with?" Casey had never imagined living on her own, despite the fact that she absolutely hated going home

*Tristan turned around and pulled his bag towards him.* "Um..." *He was digging through his bag and only half processing the question as he looked for his sandwich. Eventually he found it and pulled it out and unwrapped it.* "I live on my own...I have a place in Hogsmede that I rent out for pretty cheap. My landlord's really underatnding about not making me pay when I'm in school...only over holidays and summer." *He took a bite and swallowed without even tasting it* "It's not very big, but I don't really have much of a choice." *He shrugged* "I'm used to it now. It's kind of nice, actually."

"But don't you miss being at home? Despite everything, don't you still miss your parents?" Casey inquired. She didn't understand how he could just leave like that, even if things weren't that good at home. "I'm sorry, I'm being nosey. You really don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

"No, you're fine. I don't mind. I'd rather you ask than just assume." *He ripped off the crust and took a bite of it* "Yeah, actually. I miss my parents a lot. But I know I'm not welcome at home. I go home once and a while....to visit. So that they still look good for the neighbors." *He said bitterly.* "And I miss my sister....a lot. I wish I could see her more, but my parents say that I'm corrupting her." *He shrugged* "There isn't much I can do about it."

Casey frowned, she couldn't even imagine what it must be like to move out and live on her own without her dad. In some ways it would be such a relief, but at the same time she felt like her dad needed her, despite everything. "I suppose. I The world is full of unexpected twists and turns, and it just doesn't make sense to me." She sympathized with Tristan, she had some small grasp on what he was going through, but what he had to deal with seemed awful.