The fireplace spat the boy out in the designated area for those traveling by floo. Gracefully landing on his feet from so many trips via floo to his best friend's house, Eathan brushed off the soot that stubbornly clung to his cloak. His mother had reminded him to take his cloak that was spelled to repel liquids and dirt saying, 'you never know how other children were raised. We don't want you getting dirty unnecessarily.' The boy had listened to her lecture with practiced patience barely keeping from rolling his eyes. It hadn't mattered that he would be accompanied by their house elf who wouldn't have allowed any harm to come to him if it could help it. It was accompanying him rather then his parents as his father hadn't returned home yet from his current job, and his mother was busy promoting another book.


"Master, Eathan," a voice called alerting the boy that Minnie was at hand. The house elf had gone ahead to ensure that her master would have a table to sit at when he arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. "I's a got yous a table near the back."


"Thank you," Eathan replied politely as he ran his hand through his hair to make sure that his fringe hadn't moved and had stayed gelled back as he'd combed it earlier. The last thing he needed to be was seen as unkempt when he greeted his fellow peers. After ensuring his hair was fine, the boy waved his hand at the creature. "Go and see to getting my school robes, would you?" That was the least enjoyable item of collection on the school list he'd been given. Minnie knew his measurements which would save time and relieve him of one the more boring details they had to attend to. The house elf knew it was actually a command and not a suggestion or question and so disappeared with a -POP- while her master made for the table near the back which was actually near the entrance to the Alley.

The proper fireplace meant for floo travel, crackled with excitement as Cassian was transported. Flickering to life as the young boy's form stepped out of the fireplace. His mother like usual gave him his spelled cloak as well, often complaining about the dirt problem one would have when traveling that way. Dirt didn't bother Cassian like that but one had to keep up with appearances. The brunette boy cracked a smirk as flipped his hood off revealing his features. He was supposed to start his shopping today, which meant he had pressured and bullied his house elf Vulture into doing it for him.

Cassian walked into the Leaky Cauldron and seen his best friend towards the back of the room. He strode over to him and couldn't help but chuckle as he sat down as if he was highly amused. "Would you get a load of this place, you think they would have a more private place for certain wizards to meet but here we are." Cassian waited for his friend to react but decided he was taking too long for his liking. "It's supposed to be funny. You can laugh you know."

Cassian shrugged his shoulders and looked around at the crowd before turning back to his best friend. "So I am guessing you have your elf doing your shopping too? It amazes me that they expect us to do our own shopping. So all we have to do is go get our wand." Which after all was the best part for a wizard, was getting their first wand. It made it official that they soon would learn how to use magic themselves.

Eathan had barely taken a seat when he had seen his best friend's arrival which caused a smile to blossom on his face. When the other was before him he gave a shake of his head. "That would require you to be funny." While he obliged his friend in some areas, laughing at something incredibly unfunny wasn't one of them. "I'm sure if a wizard were to have a meeting here they would have the sense to do it upstairs." Although the boy's facial expression showed just how much the thought of having such a meeting disgusted him.


"My robe shopping. You know how much I hate clothes shopping." If his mother had her way he would be getting an entire new wardrobe rather than just his school uniform. She didn't understand that he wouldn't suffer clothes shopping as 'bonding time' with her. At the mention of their wands, he eagerly leaned forward. Of course Cassian would bring up the subject that would be predominantly on their minds. "I wonder what we'll get. Do you really believe that it's the wand that chooses the wizard instead of the other way around?" That was what he was told when he'd tried use his father's wand and it hadn't worked.

Cassian was slightly thrown off by his friend bursting into a smile, but then again who wouldn't when he entered the room. Cassian leaned into the back of his chair and ruffled the back of his hair before responding to his friend's joke. "Oh now who is being funny. You should go on tour." Cassian's face soured when Eathan mentioned that they could have had meetings upstairs. "If that is the case I would have to shut the whole place down first. Couldn't risk having one of them listen in."

Cassian was told by his mother that he would have to choose his words carefully, that obviously not being the noun he would usually use. Cassian rolled his eyes when his childhood friend told him that he only sent his elf to do his robe shopping. "Why just the clothes shopping when you should have sent, what was it? Dingie? Friddie? Oh right! Minnie. To do it all. You really only need to get your wand, everything else is on a list. If house elves can't handle shopping from a list then what do we even have them for?"

Cassian laughed as his friend asked him the technicalities of a wand "As long as we can be a powerful wizard with it that is all that matters. And yes that is what they want you to believe. How could a bloody stick choose someone? It is just part of the story if you ask me."

"If I did that, I'd have to leave you behind. And we both know you wouldn't last two minutes without me around as an excuse to be away from your mum when she's in one of her moods." Eathan had nearly laughed at the expression on the other boy's face and agreed with shutting the place down if you were to have a private meeting but didn't reply due to knowing what word was substituted. As he always did, he was relieved when Cassian didn't pursue the subject but changed it. If he hadn't then Eathan would have had done. One of the secrets he kept from the other was his father had essentially been muggle-born. It seemed as if someone had taken Cassian aside -likely his mother- and gave him the usual do's and don'ts while out in public. Eathan made an expression that showed that he could empathize with the other boy. Hadn't his own mother done the same albeit her list was a bit different than that of Mrs. Grimes'.


"Because," he explained and thought himself quite brilliant for having thought this reason up. His body language oozed of confident smugness. "She's supposed to check on me regularly and if I keep sending her away to get the items on my list one stop at a time, it makes it easier on both of us. She gets the shopping done, I get time to myself, she can see I've not got a scratch on me, I can purchase whatever I want without her taking note and reporting on me later."


Nodding his head agreeing with the other he smirked. "You can rule the world if you want, I'll be the one standing behind you making sure it doesn't all blow up in your face." Shrugging he stated, "Some stories start out with a tiny nugget of truth embedded somewhere in it. And I don't think it's the actual wood but likely the magical core as it had been attached to a magical creature at some point."

Cassian tried to be his normal cocky self, but when his friend protested that he couldn't make it without him it was a rare unique moment that made Cassian go silent. "You have me there, I guess I do need you." Cassian hated to admit his short comings but if you had seen his mother in a bad mood one would understand.

Of course his mother had broken down how he was to behave when it came to the Kazimir's famous sharp tongue in public but it would still every now and then become a problem for the young boy. Cassian laughed at his friend's logic when it came to the shopping. "Check in? You got to be kidding me." Cassian's grin flashed bright as he raised his eyebrow at Eathan. "Vulture wouldn't dare tell my mother anything about me, are you sure it is you who orders the elf or the other way around?"

Cassian smirked at his friend as he could rule the world and he would be there when things blew up at him. "How noble of you. But I do quite like the sound of me ruling the world. We'll see if I feel up to it later." Cassian joked as he shrugged his shoulders and swatted his hand letting his friend believe his story. "If you say so, as long as we get the best wands I won't have any issues."

Taking his victories where he could get them without denting his friend's ego too much it still shocked Eathan to hear him actually acknowledge their friendship meant something. It wouldn't last long but to hasten the moment, he smirked as he joked. "Of course you also need me to tell you when you have a hair out of place."


"What's wrong with it?" he asked a bit disappointed and annoyed that his friend found fault in it. He of course had to give Cassian that one when it came to his elf. The way the Gallaghers treated their elf was vastly different then how the Grimes' family elf was. The boy may crave his parents attention but he didn't want his mother inspecting his supposed school supplies. If Minnie says she got the supplies then there was less of a chance then there already was that his trunk would be inspected. Deciding on a half-truth he stated, "I was thinking of getting a pet, and that is something that needs to be done without the family elf along."


"Isn't it?" He laughed and was quite proud of himself. He knew it would stroke his friend's ego. "I thought you might." He nodded as he leaned closer eyes dancing. "So, shooting for an Aspen wand then?" The boy had read of the Silver Spears dueling club in some book or another about the house.

Cassian caught off guard seemed to slip on his retorts and as Eathan mentioned that he needed him there when he had a hair out of place, Cassian fell for it and swiped his hair down. Knowing that he had just fallen for it Cassian grinned widely at his friend. "Got me again, I must been having an off day. More docile than usual." Cassian had always had a way with words, being the son of an esteemed author would do that to a person.

Cassian shook his head when his friend asked him what was wrong with the elf situation. "Well I mean first off, they are supposed to serve you and tend to every whim but who I am to tell you how to order your servant around." Cassian deciding that it was best to leave the subject be, Eathan knew by now how the Grimes' handled Vulture so it was up to the other boy how he dealt with his elf.

"A pet?" The idea was completely foreign to Cassian, he had no time nor the patience to deal with a pet. To the young boy it would be something that just got in the way of him taking over the world or at least becoming a powerful wizard. A wide smirk appeared upon his face when his friend retorted his response. "Oh very." His eyes narrowing as his eyebrow arched.

Cassian bit his lip with a soft chuckle as Eathan exclaimed that he thought the boy would like the sound of ruling the world. "Is Aspen a powerful wand?" Cassian said in an unknowing tone, the brunette couldn't say that wandlore was a subject he wanted to learn whatsoever.

Eathan's smirk grew into a full blown smile as his friend went for his hair much as he himself had once he'd exited the floo just to be sure it was in a presentable state. He was glad that the comment had the intended effect causing his friend to regain his jovial attitude. A cranky Cassian could be trying at times.


The Gallagher's preferred to offer the carrot rather than the stick when it came to those in their employ unlike the Grimes who opted for the latter. As a child and not the proper head of house, Eathan emulated his parents when he did see how they behaved towards the elf. The boy shrugged not knowing how to explain to the other that while he wasn't going to declare that they should befriend the creatures, Eathan preferred other ways to annoy Minnie; such as making her think they were playing hide and seek in the house when he'd actually took the floo to Cassian's.


Making a sound of agreement the boy leaned back to relax as much as one could in these awful chairs. He knew that such a thing wasn't something that would arouse Cassian's interest. It was just an idea at the moment that Eathan had been toying with. Whether or not he would actually see it through and visit the managerie was entirely another question. "What can I say, the idea appeals to me."


Thinking of what he'd read he gave a nod. "The article or whatever it was in the book said the owners of Aspen wands were duelists. There was something about revolutionaries and strong minded." If anyone was strong minded it would be his friend. He was sure that the Aspen wand would appeal to the other boy. "Mother was looking over something about the Silver Spears duelist club," he explained how he had gotten the knowledge.

Cassian had some awareness of what his long time friend was trying to do, it was something Eathan had to do a lot. Trying to keep the Kazimir boy in a somewhat decent mood and that alone was a feat its own. Cassian would often let his friend think that he was victorious and go about in a better mood.

Cassian was always shocked when it came to how houses and families would be so different from one another. He had assumed that families were ran like his household, something he had come to realize was wrong when he spent some time at Eathan's place. This fact was one of the things that confused the boy the most, he was raised to be like the way his parents wanted but he wasn't even sure what he wanted. So in times it was easier to be like his parents versus what he wanted.

Cassian shook his head as thoughts began running through his mind, he couldn't get over how Eathan was always getting the best of him. It clearly showed him that his friend truly did know him. Cassian jumped out of his thoughts when his friend explained that the idea of a pet appealed to him. "I just love hearing what appeals to you." Cassian said with a smirk, partly joking. The other part unknown to the other boy was completely sincere.

Cassian grinned as he placed his hands under his chin as he listened to Eathan began going into Aspen wands beings suited for duelists and those who were strong minded. "That does sound like it could be me, I guess we will have to wait and see what the geezer gives me at the wand shop. Like I said I just want a powerful wand that will be enough for me."

A smile twitched at the boy's mouth recalling an instance when they were younger. "Like how blood pops appeal to me?" It had been hilarious to see the expression on his best friend's face when Eathan had unwrapped the 'sweet', popped it into his mouth and declared that he liked it. They had both thought it was ironic that a child born on Valentine's Day disliked chocolate and sweets of any kind. He was sure that he would get some ribbing for that peculiarity when they attended Hogwarts by the students as well.


"You can't really classify Archimedes or Eratosthenes as a pet can you?" The owls belonged exclusively to his mother for her job. Suffice to say that one owl wasn't enough when it came to keeping in touch with contacts she needed etc. The 'family' owl was a great grey owl that had scared Eathan the first time he'd seen it as a toddler and avoided. It was particular to his father and usually was with him. A pet would relieve some of the boy's boredom and would give him something to do. "I think the challenge of training a pet would be interesting."


Nodding, Eathan was eager for his wand as well. He had been allowed to accompany his mother into her vault and had been told of a few of the wands kept there. They were antiques and wouldn't be any kind of useful with the type of cores that they possessed. They still intrigued him and he was vastly curious about what type of wand and core would decide they aligned with his person.


What he was not telling his friend had been that another stop he'd planned on going while in the alley was the quidditch store. While Eathan wasn't one for playing the sport, he enjoyed listening to games on the radio, and he immensely loved to watch games. Perhaps he could talk Cassian into visiting the store with him.

Cassian's expression switched to a snarl when Eathan reminded him of those horrid blood pops he was addicted too. Cassian loved sweets, which was completely ironic. Like Eathan, Cassian was born on a holiday. But instead of Valentine's Day it was Halloween instead. "Honestly I don't even see how you could even stand those things. I have given you some of the world's best sweets before and you want no part of those.

Cassian smirked when his friend asked him about the family and business owls Eathan's mother owned. "Well you may as well call it like it is." He said with a chuckle. "Do you feed them, or take care of them at all? If you have then you have your answer to that." Cassian's finger never the left the underside of his chin as he listened to his friend. "I think the time put to training a pet could have gone to becoming a great wizard or mastering how to fly a broom."

Cassian smirked again as he looked over at Eathan "Personally I think they are waste of time, but that's why I am not getting one. I think I admire that about you, you know. You have always been the pet type. Just like the blood pops I suppose." Cassian turned his thoughts back to getting their wands, "Isn't it insane that your wand is what makes how powerful you are going to be?"