So Much Has Happened...(Casey)

"I know." said James winking, and then "What would the world be without people like us?" he pondered aloud before gently taking her hand and starting to walk around the courtyard.

James smiled and laughed softly. "Yes, I've hear similar things from my father and his father about all of my uncles." he said.

James smiled, his cheeks beginning to hurt from all the smiling he had been doing the past little while, but he didn't care. He loved the fact that he could smile this much and not fake it.

Together the two walked hand in hand around the courtyard, not really tlaking much, but just enjoying each other's company. "We should go to Hogsmeade one day, go on like a date." James suggested after a while.

He looked to Casey, awaiting her answer, hoping that maybe she would say yes.

Casey smiled. "The world would be a sad, sad, lonely, boring place without people like us, that's what it would be." She smiled as they began to walk around, waking her up after almost falling asleep.

Casey laughed. "Well I'm sure it's the same in most families. My mom and dad talk about having a lot of siblings. I actually have family all over Europe, so when we go traveling, we can stay with relatives. Let's see, I have two aunts in Italy, one in Venice, one near Rome. An aunt and uncle live in France, another pair in Germany, and a third in America. I also have an uncle somewhere in Spain I think. He usually comes here."

Grinning like she never had before, Casey nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we should. As long as we don't go in Madame Puddifoot. Frankly, I think that much pink is repulsive and creepy. We don't need quite that much cutesy stuff, thank you very much."

James smiled and nodded in a whole hearted agreement. Though he was sure that some people could live without hopeless romantics, he sure didn't care.

He liked being one of those guys who was into the whole romance thing, not the guys who pick up a girl, date her for a bit, one night stand and then break up with her. Why would anyone do that? he would always ask himself. He sure wouldn't

"Wow! Your family sure gets around." he said eyes widened in slight shock. "I think I have a few relatives in France, but that's only what my father told me years ago, so I don't know anymore." He said shrugging and smiling.

Smiling, James nodded. "Alright, where would you like to go? And when?" he asked looking down at her. "I don't usually mind most places, so this time it's up to you."

He wanted to give her the option, at least this time, because he figured it was one of the more polite things to do. Also he really didn't have a clue as to where he would prefer to go. He wasn't picky, so that didn't help the fact that he wasn't the most reliable when someone asked him to pick.

Casey laughed. "Yeah, we'll there's a lot of us, so it wouldn't be hard. Everyone was just fascinated by a different country and they all wanted to live somewhere different. A lot of people in my family are restless- we like traveling. I get the itch sometimes. The need to just go somewhere, anywhere other than where I am." She shrugged. "I don't know why."

Casey shrugged again. "The next weekend we can go I guess. And it doesn't really matter where we end up, I'll have fun."

James smiled, showing off his somewhat white teeth while doing so. "There doesn't have to be a reason why. Sometimes we just do things." he said still smiling.

Nodding, James replied softly, "Alrighty, next weekend then. Maybe we can decide what we want when we get there?" he suggested, trying to make it a little easier on the both of them in the case of choosing a place.

The two kept walking, hand in hand, smiling and James just felt at ease. "So, Miss Donohoe, what do you feel up to doing?" he asked, wondering if there was anything at all she wanted to do.

He knew that in a relationship it couldn't be all about him, it had to be equal, in the sense that both partners were able to do what they wanted, not just one all the time. He thought it best to give Casey the option this time, because he just felt she deserved to choose.

Casey grinned. "Good, because I rarely have a reason for doing anything. Because logic is so boring, you know? Besides, having to have a reason to do something would mean that I would do things very occasionally. I don't like having reasons."

Casey nodded. "That will be fine. We don't have to plan out everything. In fact, it's more fun without planning. Because sometimes, you can miss out on something fabulous if you make a plan and stick to it."

Casey shrugged. "I really don't have a preference. Anything you want is fine. What do you want to do today?"

James considered this for a moment. It was true, having reasons to do things seemed...unreasonable. "Makes plenty of sense to me." he said happily voicing his true opinion. "Reasons are just...unreasonable." he said smirking and voicing his thoughts.

"Okay then. Works for me." he said smiling happily as they walked. "I agree with that actually. It's happened far too many times. I've probably missed out on so many things as a child because my mom insisted on planning before going somewhere." He said squinting his eyes and sticking out his tongue at his mother, who wasn't there, but he pretended was, just so he could do the gesture.

Shrugging, James said, "Dunno. I could finally show you my sketch book if you'd like? Maybe I can draw something for you?"

Casey laughed. "Finally, someone gets it! Alyssa understands too, but not everyone unspderstands my awesome logic. Some don't even think it is logic, can you imagine that?" She gave James a confused look, as if she honestly didn't know who would think her thoughts illogical.

Nodding, Casey chuckled. "Well I'm notorious for underplanning, we'll probably still have issues with that. I'm more likely to show up at you door with a backpack full of stuff and drag you to Italy than I am to sit down and plan a nice calm trip."

Casey nodded enthusiastically, grinning. "That would be great, I'd love to see your drawings. I'm sure they're beautiful and I can't wait!"

James shook his head, and laughed a little at her confused expression. "I really don't know how. Your thoughts aren't illogical. At least not to me, some people just think differently, is all." he said lightly kissing her forehead. "Don't think too much of it." he said giving her a reassuring smile.

"That's alright I think that would be best, then I wouldn't have to overthink everything. I would just do what feels right." he said shrugging at the sheer truth of it.

James did tend to overthink things when he had to plan. Sometimes, when given enough time, he might even begin to feel like he didn't want to go somewhere, even though he had already planned to go.

James smiled, and then stood up and pulled out his wand, saying, "Accio sketchbook." Once he sat back down he waited for a few moments before his book came flying out of the school and into his lap.

He gently pulled it open, revealing the many drawings that he had done over the years. He skimmed through the book, showing her only the ones he thought were good, or were so bad that they were laughable. Once he got to the drawings that he did of her, he blushed, because he wasn't sure of what she would think.

"I did these of you, I hopw you like them." he said showing her the moving pictures and the ones that were just stills of her smiling and laughing.

She laughed along. "Oh well, I already knew I was strange. Besides, my brain doesn't really work the way other people's do. My logic is not theirs and I'm proud of it!" Casey declared happily. "I don't," she promised. "Overthinking bores me."

Casey laughed. "Oh no, Overthinking is not allowed. Not with me, I just won't give you time. You'd be running around frantically after me as I sprinted between everything and anything that interested me. I would be a little ADD." She grinned- it would be so true. She got a little hyper when she was excited.

Bouncing up and down excitedly, Casey looked at the sketchbook. She gasped. "My Godric, James these are gorgeous!" Her mouth fell open at the ones of her. "These are... These are wow. Beautiful."

James nodded. "Good, being proud of who you are gets you a long way." He smiled at Casey, as he always does and always will do, in fact he was sure he probably wouldn't stop smiling.

"Well, I'll do my best not to overthink. Though I will tell you now, I have a tendency to do it a lot." he said shrugging, and then chuckling a little at Casey saying she could be a little ADD.

As Casey complimented on his drawings he was sure his cheeks were turning bright red. He hardly ever showed anyone his sketchbook, and usually no one ever said anything, so it was almost new to hear someone say something nice about it.

"I'm glad you like them. I was worried you might think I was creepy, but..." he said, and then sort of trailed off.

"Well I guess I'm going to the moon then," Casey joked. "Because I've amost never not been proud of who I am." The only time she hadn't liked herself was her first year, at Salem, where she was getting bullied everyday.

Casey grinned. "Well I'll just make sure not to give you time to overthink. I'll just drag you all over Europe after school."

Patting his bright red cheek, Casey laughed. "No, I don't think they're creepy. I think they're sweet. It would only be creepy if I were naked or something," she added, knowing it would make him blush deeper.

"That's good. I'm glad you are proud to be yourself." he said lightly squeezing her hand, and holding her to him. He was truly happy that despite Casey's seemingly, horrible past, that she was happy now, and was happy being herself. James loved that in a girl. Someone being proud to be themselves.

James laughed at this, and nodded. "Very well then." he said giving out a low chuckle.

His cheeks burned even more when Casey said that, he shook his head as if doing so would make his cheeks less red, but he knew that it wouldn't work. "I am-" he cleared his throat. "Ahem, excuse me, I'm glad you like them." he said, his cheeks still red.

"I'm glad I am too," Casey said, leaning into him as he pulled her closer. "It wasn't easy at first, but then I stopped caring what people thought of me and it was a lot better after that." She looked up at him. "But here, we're talking all about me. Tell me something about you, your family."

Casey nodded decisively. "So it is said, so it shall be!" she declared.

Casey laughed. "I'm sorry love, you're so cute when you're embarrassed." She kissed his cheek. "I know you would draw me like that and I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable," she said. The apology was sincere, but her eyes were still twinkling with laughter and she was still repressing a smile.

Letting out a soft chuckle, James shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Well, to start, I'm an only child, which I told you, umm..." he began, then paused.

He wondered what was really interesting about him and his family. He didn't generally like to talk, or really think about the subject of his mother, but Casey being his girlfriend, he thought it best to tell her.

Though he had mentioned his mother in his conversations with her, he only talked about her as though she were alive because it made him feel better. He remembered mentioning something about her cooking, when in fact it was merely his father's and sometimes the housekeeper that came over every few days.

His father didn't bother to get a house elf, James didn't know why, so they just had a normal, human house keeper. Twiddling his thumbs nervously, he sighed and finally said,

"Well, my mum died when I was born...I know I've mentioned her in the pas conversations, but I like to think that she's still alive." he said taking in deep shuddering breaths.

"I never knew her, but when I was little, I used to imagine her, cooking for my father and I, playing with me, and sometimes I would even draw her, from the pictures of her, around the house. I don't generally like to talk about her, but...I think with you being my girlfriend now, since you're someone important in my life, I think you deserve to know." he said with a small smile, before he looking back down at his one free hand, which was now shaking on his thigh.

James smiled brightly at Casey as she declared with a final nod, that they were to randomly travel around Europe. He had never been travelling, but that was alright with him.

Giving Casey a small smile, and a light look in his eyes as he nodded, showing that he was alright, and that he accepted her apology. "I guess I can forgive you." he said then, in a teasing tone, before kissing her cheek in return.

Casey nodded when he repeated that he was an only child. She became concerned when his emotions turned sad, nostalgic, and a little bit desperate. "James, what-?" She cut off as he answer her question. "Oh." Casey wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his side. "I'm sorry James, for what little it's worth. I wish you didn't have to go through that."

Casey wondered what her life would be like without one of her parents, but she couldn't do it. No matter how often they were out all day to work, they always managed to come back and tuck her into bed at night and give her a kiss.

Bowing over dramatically, Casey replied "Oh thank you sir, oh bless you, oh all my thanks, for forgiving a little nobody like me, bless you sir," and other such things in a high wavering voice.

As Casey listened and then tucked herself up closer to him, he couldn't help it when he smiled. Despite all he's been through and all he's going through, what with his dad dating again, he felt like he was one hundred times more whole just by having Casey being with him and supporting him.

"Thank you, Casey, it means a lot, even just you being here with me. Makes everything better." he said giving her a smile that showed her how much he appreciated her.

James laughed lightly as Casey stood and bowed and began giving out thanks. Playing along, he held out his hands and clapped very regally.

"Come here you." he said playfully grabbing her waist and twirling her around before guiding her towards the school. "Do you mind if we go in? It is...once again, almost dark and time for dinner." he said looking up at the sky, sighing in sadness as the sun slowly started to set.

He hated himself for having a fear of the dark, but what could he do? It was the way he was.

Casey smiled up at James. "That's 'cause I'm so awesome, I just make everything better," she said lightly. She was astounded at how much James loved her and how much she really did soothe him without doing anything at all. "You're not exactly half bad to be around yourself and I'm glad you're with me."

Casey laughed and curtsied before obeying. She giggled as James swung her around, but looked at him with concern when he faced the sky with a sigh. Then she saw his emotions and understood. "I'm claustrophobic," she said suddenly. "I can't stand small spaces. I think I got stuck somewhere when I was young."

"You are very awesome." James said chuckling. He let out a slightly harder laugh when she told him he wasn't that bad to be around. "I'm glad you think so. And I'm glad you're with me." he said smiling at the brunette beside him.

It was true what he said, though then again a lot of what James said was usually true, he rarely ever lied except to get out of a class. He was glad Casey was with him and that was that. No matter what people said about her, he still loved her.

"Really?" James asked, gasping slightly when he spoke. "I'm sorry to hear that." he said lightly rubbing her arm in comfort. "I'm not sure why I don't like the dark, I think it might be due to the terrible things that can happen in the dark rather than during the day." he explained with a shrug.

As far as he could remember, he had always been afraid of the dark, though he didn't really know why. He couldn't recall any terrible experience with it, but just because he couldn't remember, doesn't mean nothing happened.

((I think maybe soon we should start a new thread. Maybe one where they visit each other in the summer, since it's summer time. ))

Casey sighed. "Yeah, really. It does not help with pranking, let me tell you that. So many times, I've had to complicate my plans to avoid small spaces." She rolled her eyes. "Pissed Lyssa off a couple times, let me tell you that."

She gave him a kiss when they reached the Great Hall. "I suppose I should be 'proper' and actually sit with my own house tonight." She sighed. "Shame really." Walking away, she turned to wave at him, then jumped into a seat by one of her friends.

James smiled a little as she walked away to go join her house table. He felt bad that she was going to sit there, when he knew he probably prefered to sit in the kitchens.

He wouldn't have minded at all, but since she was already gone and sitting down, James sighed and wandered over to his own House table, next to some other people he knew.

It wasn't like he was actually going to get into a deep conversation with anyone, but never the less, he sat, and enjoyed his friends' company.

((Do you want to start a thread? or shall I? If I do it I may not get to it for a little while with school stuff, but I can try. ))