Pleased to Meet You PV Cathy Finished

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Gavin just grinned and shook his head. "As bad as I make it sound, its not the worst thing in the world. I prefer the woods anyway," he reassured the girl.

When she commented on the paint prank, his eyes widened. "Oh, definitely not. I spilled it on my canvas and myself. It was more like I scared my classmates and teacher into thinking I was bleeding," he explained. He hadn't realized it would be interpreted like that. " I don't make others suffer with me. I hated getting that stuff all over me." He had been really annoyed during the initial incident. He preferred the paint to be on the canvas. He wasn't so cruel as to include the others in his suffering as well.

He smiled. "It was no problem." Actually, it was nice being the tall one for once. Andy towered over him, as did both his parents. He was really hoping he'd grow soon.

When she began listing off recipes, he found himself nodding along. "Hmm." He looked down at the book. "Well, first why don't we go back to the table? It might be easier to go over there. Then, how about a brownie recipe? Those were just about the only thing my mother would trust me with making back home, although those were just store-bought mixes, he conceded.

Reducio

Sorry for any errors, I finger-typed this on an iPad in the middle of lunch. Also didn't see the post til now.

@Catherine Drea

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Cathy felt a bit of relief spring up in her when Gavin revealed that, I mean, his allergy wasn't that bad compared to other things. She was happy he wasn't too affected by it.

Guilt rose in Cathy as she saw the boy's eyes widened and he scrambled to defend himself, oh no, she didn't mean to imply that he would such a thing. "Oh, definitely not. I spilled it on my canvas and myself. It was more like I scared my classmates and teacher into thinking I was bleeding," He spoke, and Cathy felt even worse. She immediately tried to back-pedal.

"Oh no, no I'm sorry-I didn't mean to say like you would do something like that-it's just-um, you said paint and prank-so..that's where my mind went," She hastily replied, tone a little frantic. Oh no, he'd upset her first Hogwarts friend. Her mouth formed into something resembling a squiggly line as she hoped she could remove any offense taken.

I don't make others suffer with me. I hated getting that stuff all over me." He went on to explain, and Cathy nodded. She looked at him, regret in her eyes for making him upset. She really didn't mean to.

"Yeah, um, sorry-again,...um..but it's good you have a strong empathy for others like that," She complimented, turning her guilty tone into something more uplifting as she found a positive. She could at-least give the boy a compliment, it was the right thing to do after-all.

She did end up thanking him for getting the book for her, and he gave a smile at that. He simply said it was no problem and in turn made Cathy give a small grin of her own. Ah, yeah, shortness was always a thing that had caused her difficulty. It was just hard trying to something from a shelf or seeing things in a crowd, she hadn't even made it up to her father's shoulders. Still, she persisted.

When Gavin suggested they go back to the table and look at a brownie recipe, she found herself giving an excited nod. She loved brownies, they were simple little goodies that mostly every could enjoy. Most people tended to agree upon it if they were stumped on anything else, and it was a treat that united both her parents, which honestly if those two (who mind you, have completely different tastes) can agree on liking something, it truly must be good.

"I'd like that very much," She said in a soft tone before beginning to retreat back to the table they were just at. While wondering, Cathy felt a pressure in her to explain her passion a tad bit more, you know, make it more interesting for poor Gavin. She didn't want to bore him for an hour about baking rules, she should make it enjoyable. Especially since he didn't seem to know too much about the craft.

"Um, you know, I'm saving up for something, it's a book about baking and magic...or really how to combine the two...I't's why I'm reading all these recipes...um...I'm just er- following the logic of mastering one then mastering the other before I add em'.....um...so yeah, if I can get good at baking then I can start using magic...think about how wonderful that'd be...I mean, I'd be able to do so much...I don't even...um...sorry, I don't mean to talk your ear off..." Cathy rambled, stopping at the end, realizing that she was in fact, talking for a little bit too long. Well, she tried to not bore him and probably ended up boring him a giving him a lecture.

Well done, Cathy, very clever. Cathy sunk down a bit more at the words of the voice in her head, which she recognized as herself. Sarcasm laced the words, giving them an extra bite. There is truly no greater critic than yourself, she supposed.

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Gavin could tell that he'd made Cathy feel bad on accident. "No, no, it's chill. I can see how you would come to that conclusion. Don't worry about it. It happens," he tried to reassure her. Really, he had no problem with it. Misinterpretations happened all the time and he had always been bad at explaining things. He tended to assume people would know what he was talking about when they really didn't.

At her second comment, Gavin hummed. "Thank you for that. I think it comes with the territory of being an artist since I have to observe things a lot more closely."

He smiled at her response, following her back to the table. Now back in their seats, he listened intently as she spoke. Combining cooking and magic... It was interesting, for sure. He'd never really thought about that. Granted, he didn't think much about cooking in the first place, but that was against the point. When the girl apologized again at the end of her discussion, he shook his head in reassurance. "You don't have to apologize for that. You listened to me, didn't you? Besides, I actually find this quite interesting. I'm vaguely familiar with magical cooking - certain items having different effects, mostly - but I don't know much else. It's also nice that you have that goal that you're working towards," he said.

Really, Gavin enjoyed hearing people talk. The only exceptions were when certain noises began to grate on his ears or a person's voice just irritated him in general. Neither of those were applicable at the moment, so he was content to listen.

Reducio

I am lowkey projecting my autism onto Gavin, hence the sound thing and the "I leave things out because I think people know what I'm talking about" thing.

@Catherine Drea

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The reassurances from Gavin made her let out a few sighs of relief. She felt herself grow calmer, the calm after a storm so to speak. Everything felt well for a little while as she pondered the boy's words. She let out a small hum, a non-verbal way of letting him know her agreement. She was lucky to have such a good friend, she felt a little bad for making him get riled up. It seemed her anxious little thoughts were always causing trouble, then they'd come back with the trouble, it was vicious cycle. She did feel better though, she had to admit.

"Thank you," She said, voice quiet for a moment. She had now gone into a stage resembling normalcy, she felt...okay. And okay was good for now, nothing bothering her and otherwise. She gave Gavin a small smile, as thoughts of the previous subject matter came up.

Cathy felt a sense of pride swell up in her as she watched the boy's response, investment. He seemed interested. He was actually interested! Here she thought she'd scare him away with her nerdy little desire for the book, but no, then again, he seemed the type to have the tact to look interested even if he wasn't. Even so, it would be hard to fake the genuine curiosity in his eyes. When she realized she had rambled for far too long and apologized, he was quick to her defense.

"You don't have to apologize for that. You listened to me, didn't you? Besides, I actually find this quite interesting. I'm vaguely familiar with magical cooking - certain items having different effects, mostly - but I don't know much else. It's also nice that you have that goal that you're working towards," Gavin reasoned and Cathy nodded. She gave him a thankful look, truly it was nice having someone interested in your things. A shared interest can spring into so many good interactions, maybe she could teach him to bake one day. Heaven knows, she has a lot of recipes under her belt.

"Yeah, well, um-, it's just, magic is so...vast, you know? THere's so many things you can do, so many spells, so many different effects. Well you combine that with the science of baking, oh my, can you imagine? You can heat treats without an oven- you can cool something within seconds, you can levitate something straight of the oven. Oh- I'd never get burned in a kitchen again-....it's just..so jarring. I..I'm uh- muggle-born..so the whole idea of magic is so...um..fascinating?...Seems like yesterday it was all revealed....and..now I'm going to use it to bake...isn't that funny? Such an extraordinary thing used for baking?" She talked, voice growing more entertained towards the end of her little monologue. It was true, the idea of magic was an unknown but extremely interesting. Cathy found herself wallowing in amazement from it every time, from the first spell she'd seen the witch lady do at her doorstep to the last spell she did in charms yesterday. It always produced the same effect on her, widened eyes and a disbelieved grin.

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Gavin was glad that Cathy seemed less anxious now. He didn’t want his friend to feel uncomfortable around him on the off chance that she’d made him uncomfortable or angry - which she hadn’t. He had been able to communicate that, at least. If only he could do that with everything, but beggars can’t be choosers, as the saying went.

Now back at the table and the brunette reassured that she wasn’t bothering him with her talking, He listened closely to what she was saying. "Yeah, well, um-, it's just, magic is so...vast, you know? There’s so many things you can do, so many spells, so many different effects. Well, you combine that with the science of baking, oh my, can you imagine? You can heat treats without an oven- you can cool something within seconds, you can levitate something straight of the oven. Oh- I'd never get burned in a kitchen again-“ he laughed a bit at that, “...it's just..so jarring. I..I'm uh- muggle-born...so the whole idea of magic is so...um...fascinating?...Seems like yesterday it was all revealed....and…now I'm going to use it to bake...isn't that funny? Such an extraordinary thing used for baking?"

The boy smiled widely, genuinely excited by the concept. “Yeah. It can be pretty jarring. I mean, I grew up with magic, and I’m still surprised when I learn about new functions it can serve,” he commented. “Like this, quite frankly. Magic is one of those things that’s constantly being expanded upon. People come up with new spells and combinations for things all the time,” he said. In fact, this was probably one of the fields that was especially true in. At least, that’s what he supposed.

@Catherine Drea

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Her eyes lit up as she saw excitement pop into her friend's eyes. He was actually interested in what she had to say, he was excited by the topic. She felt as if she had just been given a high grade in friendship, an A+ on the test so to speak. She was always the quiet type in a classroom, only raising if her if no one else dared and the pressures of being judged by the teacher were too much. So, to have her opinion be validated, even in such a small way as her friend's interest in a her thoughts on a topic, were a major confidence booster.

“Yeah. It can be pretty jarring. I mean, I grew up with magic, and I’m still surprised when I learn about new functions it can serve,” He disclosed and Cathy found her nodding in agreement. Magic truly was such a game-changer in how she thought of daily tasks, or rather the idea of combining it into her daily life posed so many ideas. A spell that could stop the worst of her nightmares, provide light for her if needed, bring things to her. Truly, magic could be used a major resource if applied correctly.

"Yeah, I mean, you just think about how many people we can help with it, or many much work we'd able to get done quicker. It's...there's just so much...Heh..my parents are still processing it and all....I am too...it's..a..difficult adjustment. I mean-well-...my mam did nearly whack off the witch lady's head who came to explain everything with her dust broom....but after it was explained, now they're much less...fearful of it...I think they are seeing the good in it,"She explained, voice adding a bit of fun to it when she was telling the part of her mother nearly smacking that woman across the face. She remembered it like it was yesterday.

Her eleventh birthday, it fell on a nice sunny summer day, so no school. Honestly, it was something Cathy was thankful about, she did not like the idea of being in the spotlight of everyone as the kids would sing to her or something, just the idea of being looked at with that many eyes unsettled her. Either way, a pleasant knock was heard at their door, and a woman wearing strange robes was there, a letter in her hand. The rest was a blur, the woman tried to get in, but my mother would not have it, believing this woman to be some mad old loon who should remain as far away from her family as possible.

The lady then retrieved her wand, and in a split second, she had disappeared, before reappearing in the middle of the living room, to her mother and Cathy's shock. The woman was in the middle of explaining how that was demonstration before her mam interrupted her, grabbing a broom, grabbing her daughter, and holding the broom out like it was a weapon, a threat on her lips. Cathy can laugh about the situation now, but in the moment she was terrified, I mean, she'd never seen her mother look so...frightened.

Nevertheless, after the Witch lady confirmed she had no ill intentions, she sat Cathy's mother and Cathy down on the couch, explaining everything in detail. She did a few more spells, more to prove her point than for show and her mother reacted the same every time, flinching. Cathy had spent that time simply just, staring, wondering about it all. She doesn't even think she fully processed it until she got her wand. That was the sign that, yes, none of this was same practical joke played on her family. She was still out of it mentally when her father arrived home, and from there, she was sent upstairs, claiming that the rest to tell was meant for her parents.

Her parents and the lady talked for hours, going over every detail. Cathy couldn't hear much of the discussions, as they were muddled but she could guess from the way her mother got all fiery that they were discussing something important. Either way, the lady left late in the night, leaving all of the families minds shattered that day, their perception broken.

Cathy was sure she didn't get a wink of sleep that night.

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Gavin chuckled. It sounded pretty funny. “Yeah, I bet that was a huge perspective shift for them. My mum said that when she found out my da was magic, she just whacked him in the back of the head and ranted about him not telling her,” he said. He always found the story amusing, no matter how many times he heard it. Apparently, his father had waited to tell her until after they were married. Which, on the one hand, you weren’t supposed to tell muggles most of the time, but as she put it, ”What if I didn’t trust you after this?! Idiot, you could have been jeaprodizing our entire marriage!”

To which he, of course, responded with, “But I didn’t,” which was something he really would have expected to hear from his mother. Or him.

“At least they’re not angry or anything, though. That wouldn’t be fun. It would sure be amusing to see your mum nearly take a witch’s head off with a broom, for sure,” he commented, a wide, mischief-tinted grin on his face.

He paused, finally processing one of the things that Cathy had said about the encounter. “By the way, the witch taking out her wand before apparating might just have been for show. Some wizards might need one to do it, but if she was professor or something she might not have needed it.” His grandmother, for example, needed one in order to apparate, but that was because she was stuck in a wheelchair. His dad, on the other hand, could do it without unless he was apparating someone else with him. “Either way, she was probably doing it as a demonstration.” Wait, how had the conversation gotten to this? Weren’t they just talking about magical cooking?

@Catherine Drea

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“Yeah, I bet that was a huge perspective shift for them. My mum said that when she found out my da was magic, she just whacked him in the back of the head and ranted about him not telling her,” He told her and Cathy let a few chuckles fall from her mouth. Ah yes, the mental imagery of this woman scolding her husband like a child is a little funny.

"Oh wow...Heh...I don't think my mam would have taken it well at all if that were news....she'd probably react worse..." Cathy commented, imagining the way her mother's face would turn bright red in fury, red hair practically looking like flames. Oh yes, the wrath of her mother was something the girl hardly experienced, and something she NEVER wanted to experience again. Her mouth had quite the tongue, and scalding remarks were only reserved for the worst offenders within her proximity but every word she spoke was laced with venom. Those person foul enough to deserve such a fate were spared no mercy from her mother, a feat that had left Cathy respecting her mother even more. I mean, sure, she was protective, but that woman had seen things, things are so dastardly that they may only be spoken of freely in a court room. It was not the biggest surprise when this woman became fierce towards any threat to her young daughter. Gavin's words broke her of her reflection.

At least they’re not angry or anything, though. That wouldn’t be fun. It would sure be amusing to see your mum nearly take a witch’s head off with a broom, for sure,” The boy asserted and Cathy found herself agreeing. She quickly formed a response.

"Oh yeah...My mam can uh..certainly do some damage with that thing...I mean, the house-hold insects don't live to tell the tale...but, yeah, she...oh man...she wields it like a sword.." She explained, in a voice half-joking and half-serious. She gave a bit of a wide-eyed stare as she thought back to the way her mother was so ruthless with that thing. Gavin's words interrupted her thoughts though before any replayings in her mind could continue

“By the way, the witch taking out her wand before apparating might just have been for show. Some wizards might need one to do it, but if she was professor or something she might not have needed it.” He reasoned. Cathy hummed in agreement, that was a new perspective she hadn't thought. I mean, apparation or the ability to teleport, Cathy had thought it to be a case of wand required magic, the idea of performing magic without a wand was incredibly new for the girl. It seemed impossible at the moment.

"Yeah...um...I think it was just meant to be a show of uh... 'I'm not crazy, I'll prove it'...type of thing? And also...just a beginning way to show us how magic worked?...erm-..either way, it blew my mind in the moment.." She piped up, giving her own opinion. It would make the most sense to be as open with how you do magic when trying to explain to a family that they have a magical child, or at-least in her rational of things.

“Either way, she was probably doing it as a demonstration.” He added, and Cathy nodded.

"Yeah, I think so," She supplied, before she wondered if the letter-getting experience was the same for all. Just then, a question popped into her brain.

"Hey um, Gavin...what was it like for you when you got your letter?" She asked curiously, her accent making the last word sound like 'ledder' .

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Gavin winced at Cathy’s response. Frankly, from what he knew of the woman it added up. His own mother had reacted rather tamely, according to what he knew about the reactions of other muggles. If his maternal grandfather found out, for example… He didn’t want to think about the possibility.

Gavin gave a choked laugh at the bug comment. “It probably looks like the end of the world to those bugs,” he remarked before adding, “On second thought, it is the end of the world to those bugs.” He would hate to be a bug in Cathy’s house, if that was the case. Considering that he wasn’t a bug, though, he would say he was safe.

Gavin nodded, humming his agreement. Of course, apparition was not without its dangers (splinching) but it was much better evidence than just performing a spell. People could just chalk that up to some really good sleight of hand. Or worse. Most people would probably assume the worse, especially if they came rom an extremely religious background.

At Cathy’s question, Gavin shut his eyes, trying to remember. When he gathered all the details, he opened them again. “Hmm… so, I have a relatively early birthday, in October. I think it was a Thursday? Anyway, I’d been sent to get the mail, as one does, and there was an owl on top of the mailbox. My da had told me about something similar happening on his eleventh, so the first thing I did was… well, it was a bit of an odd move. I grabbed the normal mail, grabbed the owl, and ran back inside.” He scrunched up his face at that recollection. It was an impulse decision. “So, when I got back, my da paid the owl and gave ‘im a treat for the inconvenience. There wasn’t really much fanfare. When I got back from school, though, we went to get hot cocoa and my sketchbook.” He remembered that day. They’d gone over to his grandmothers after and she had rambled about her experiences at Hogwarts, advice that may or may not be applicable. He found himself grinning at the memory.

@Catherine Drea

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She saw the way the boy winced at her comment regarding her own mother's reaction, hm, must have hit too close to home. She could understand, I mean, not too many people would be happy at hearing that news, and certainly they would not have kind words to say. Relationships are built on trust so it's hard to understand the emotional turmoil of finding out that someone as close as you as a partner could keep such a big secret. Cathy personally would be crushed, not the idea of the idea of them being a wizard, no, but just the mere idea that they thought she couldn't handle the information or assumed it'd be better to neglect her opinion by keeping her blissfully unaware. It's the type of breach in trust that would have Cathy very upset. Gavin then made a more lighthearted comment about the bugs, which pulled her out of her thoughts.

“It probably looks like the end of the world to those bugs,” Gavin remarked before adding, “On second thought, it is the end of the world to those bugs.”

Cathy felt a few bits of laughter emerge from her, the comment was certainly true. Her mother descended upon those poor creatures with the force of mother nature herself. Cathy did find it a little concerning honestly, but she did try to advocate in favor of simply releasing the bugs to which her mom would give a stern look and give a serious reply of "They'll be back and bring their little friends....I don't want to deal with critters for all season long...they'll keep multiplying, next thing ya know, we'll be hosting the family reunion". There were no changing her mother's ways or now, so Cathy would just simply sigh, and save the bugs she could.

"Oh, yeah...no survivors there..." She informed, voice a bit more amused despite the subject matter.

Cathy found herself looking at the boy while discussing apparation and all, him giving a clear nod in agreement. He seemed thoughtful, as if pondering something. What it was, it seemly like he was thinking very deeply. Then again, Ravenclaws were always the analyzing types, and Gavin seemed to a detail-oriented person. Either way, a small smile spread on her face as she thought about how she was actually managing to have an interesting discussion. At the mention of her question regarding his letter, Gavin remained silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts before going off into a tangent.

“Hmm… so, I have a relatively early birthday, in October. I think it was a Thursday? Anyway, I’d been sent to get the mail, as one does, and there was an owl on top of the mailbox. My da had told me about something similar happening on his eleventh, so the first thing I did was… well, it was a bit of an odd move. I grabbed the normal mail, grabbed the owl, and ran back inside.” He explained, and Cathy's eyes widened. He grabbed the owl? Huh?

"y-you grabbed the owl? How did it react? Was it alright with that? I've heard owls can be quite feisty with their talons. You didn't frighten the poor thing too bad, did you?" Cathy questioned, tone filled with curiosity and a dash of concern. She was still trying to map out the wizarding world, owl posts were so new to the girl. Having a Quill Friend had left her at-least moderately familiar with the system.

“So, when I got back, my da paid the owl and gave ‘im a treat for the inconvenience. There wasn’t really much fanfare. When I got back from school, though, we went to get hot cocoa and my sketchbook," He finished, punctuating the story with a grin. She felt a smile lay on her face at his happiness at the memory.

"That sounds like quite a nice day.....Oh! And um-...Happy Late Birthday- Oh dear, I wished I'd known yours had passed- I should have gotten you something..." Cathy lamented, tone regretful. Not horribly regretful, but in more of an 'aw darn' type of way.

"My birthday's in July, so, um, never had it during a school day....It's tradition that I help my mam make my cake....tastes better you know?...when you put in the work..." She added after a momentary pause.