The Start of Something New - September 1991

"Ours is silver and green." I said slowly, watching her dip the bread in the stew. "My favourite place in the common room is a chair next to the fire. I love to sit there and study or read." I ripped a pierce of my own bread to dip in my stew. "It's very homey." Sometimes more homey then home was. "I like it." I smiled at her as I finally did dip my bread in the stew and ate it.

I covered my successful smile by biting my dipped bread. Swallowing I respond, "there is a chair beside ours too! It is also my favourite spot!" This time I let my smile show.

I smiled at her, "It always so nice and warm." I ate another bit of bread in stew. "I have never tried dipping bread in stew but it is really good."

"Mmm it really is. It combines my two favourite things; fresh baked bread and a nice warm bowl of beef stew." I smile.

I gave a small laugh, "Fresh baked break is nice." I agreed. "So is this your favourite meal then?"

I laugh. "One of them. My dad likes to cook, and I would hell him. So I have an appreciation for food." I take another bite of stew. "Do either of your parents like to cook? Mum isn't comfortable doing it as she grew up with house elves doing it for her."

I shook my head and gave a small laugh at the thought of with Mother or Father cooking or doing any chores. "No my parents don't cook." I looked at her, wondering what she would think that my family had a house elf. Her Mother had one so I decided to take the risk and tell her. "We actually have a house elf, Dobby. He sweet and does all the cooking." I bit my lip, waiting for her response, nervous at what she might think of me now.

"Thats cool" I smile. "Thats why you know so much about them compared to me. They must be great companions while growing up."

I smiled at her and let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. She thought it was cool but I reminded myself she had no idea what Father put Dobby through. I suppressed a shudder and focused on her instead. "It is kind of cool," I agreed, "he's a member of our family." To me he was anyway. "I miss him." He was the only one I missed. I missed Mother slightly but was happy to be away from Father. "So did you and your sister share some chores?" Sometimes, Father made me do some as part of my punishment but mostly it was Dobby.

"Yup. I was always happy when Dora came home, cause it meant the chores would be split better. My parents made up a chart of all the chores that had to be done, and we all decided between the four of us which chores we would prefer to do and dish it out that way. They started that when Dora was old enough to decide for herself, and same for me when I got that age. Up to then it was mostly clean your room or help someone do a chore. I am not a huge fan of laundry and would prefer to wash the floors and vaccum, whereas my dad hates dishes, so he cooks and does laundry and my mum does the dishes." I smile. "Kinda sounds crazy but it works"

I gave a small smile, it sounded like a real family. "That how most families are right?" I asked with a forced laugh, hoping it be light and almost rhetorical but I was truly interested. "Crazy but it somehow works?" I knew my family was crazy but it usually did not work. That was more Draco and I, defiantly crazy but somehow, as long as we were together, it working itself out. If not always in the way we expected.

"Well every family is different I'm sure. Every family has a different way of doing things, like yours has a house-elf, and some rich muggle has a house full of servants. There is a difference, but its along the same lines." I inwardly frown to myself. I'm begginning to think she is not that close to her family, except maybe her brother, since she mentions him more. "Yup we are definitely crazy" I stick my tongue out as in demonstration, "mums a pureblood, dads a muggleborn, sister is a metamorphmagus, and I'm the one that had no friends. We all work, though I guess my status as one that has no friends won't work anymore" I smile at Juniper brightly.

I smiled at her a shook my head, "You can not be the one with no friends anymore. We'll have to figure out something else." I pretended to think for a moment, "I was always the quite one..." I thought of my family. My Father was the leader, my Mother was his follower, Draco was the perfect one and I was the disappointment. Cassie was right, my family was crazy and somehow it worked, in a weird, twisted way. I shook my head to clear it. "Who do you want to be now?"

"Being quiet isn't neccesarily a bad thing" I say smiling at her. Now what would I be now? I have never really thought of something else before. "I have no idea..."

Being quiet was a bad thing, I could never defend myself or Draco against Father but I couldn't say that out loud. I looked over at her and smiled "Well we don't have to come up something today, we'll figure something out." I took my last bit of stew and bread. "This was a great idea coming her Cassie, thanks for showing me."