Second Glances, Second Chances

Faith looked a bit clueless on what to do with the pile of galleons in her hands. Khaat rooted to the bottom of one of the boxes and came up with a clutch purse with a shoulder strap. "Here. It will get you by until you find what you like." She accio'd a paper and a pen and started making a list, starting with the trunk and the Gringotts account, shoes, uniforms, jackets, quills, parchment, and then she handed the list and the pen to Faith.

"Write it down or you'll forget," she said with a laugh. "We all forget when we get overwhelmed. Don't leave something out because you don't want to mention it. Put it all down." She heard Brian's feet on the stairs again.

"I need to go," he told her. "There's a slight issue in the barn. I'll drop Abbey off to Angus so he can put her to bed for us. Do you want me to come back later and get you?"

"I think I can find my way home," she laughed.

"Tell Michael to bring you, then," he kissed her softly. "You know how I feel about you're going out and about alone right now."

"Always," she laughed. "Thats not new. I'll see you at home."

"Okay. Nice to have you aboard, Faith," Brian said. "You're in good hands with Khaat. Goodnight." He headed downstairs as quickly as he came up. Khaat laughed. Brian was always on the go, headed someplace.

"He's always like that," she laughed. "Now. Lets get back to that list."

Faith took the purse from Khaat and gratefully deposited the money into it, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to look at it right then. She put the bag over her shoulder and smiled as it nestled into place, the perfect height against her hip. Faith nodded when she started to write down a ton of things, her face getting steadily more red as she stood there, staring at Khaat and the list of things Faith knew on a normal day she'd never be able to afford.

Staring at the paper when it was given to her, she wrote one thing down on it, and glanced up at Khaat her face red. She had written: Underwear Down on it, and she couldn't help but feel more ashamed of her predicament, knowing that she even needed help with such basic needs, things that everyone had, she didn't have the best quality, or the best items, in fact most of her stuff was to used to even use anymore, and yet she still had to wear it, she couldn't afford not to. Faith felt herself moving back to the bed, and she sat down, staring at the list. "I don't know what else..." She said softly, her face red.

Khaat saw Faith's shame as she wrote her list. Khaat gently took the list from her and gave it a cursory glance.

"Not a problem," she said. "And I'll handle your headmistress. Actually, I'd rather have you select what styles you like for yourself. I can get you out of Hogwarts for your classes on Monday and we could get what you need. You can pick out what you need for yourself, if you want and then open that Gringotts account.

"I don't have an issue picking things for you, but--aside from school uniforms--you absolutely do have the right to choose what you want to wear. Nobody should take that from you. And definitely not here in the wizarding world. And, just because we get you the basics, it doesn't mean that there isn't more to life than that. You have the right to want and to expect more than that. I mean, I think a girl has the right to have all sorts of accessories and some fun things. Doesnt' every girl dream of something more? Well, maybe its time you had some of that 'something more.'"

Faith smiled at Khaat when she spoke about getting her clothes. Monday.. she was going to start this new life on MONDAY! She'd be able to do what she wanted, have what she wanted, not just what she needed, things she WANTED.. accessories, bags, shoes she didn't even need to wear, or might not wear on any given day. Faith could feel herself getting excited, but just as she did, she forced the emotion back. She didn't want to get to excited, she refused to get to excited.. in fact she was terrified of getting to excited.

What if something happened.. what if she never saw this family again? What if they realized she wasn't that special, or wasn't worth the time or money? Faith stared at her hands and nodded numbly, forcing the excitement and emotions back into a place deep into her heart for a time. She wouldn't feel the excitement yet, her father had taken it away from her enough times for her to know not to think to hard on it. "Thank you again Khaat.. I really do appreciate it.." she said, her voice, and very being having gone from nearly a ball of complete energy, to nothing, stoic, and quiet, and it was obvious just how much she had been hurt in the past, to the point where she was to afraid to even let herself feel emotions.

"Michael," Khaat called. He came upstairs shortly.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Do you have an owl?" she asked.

"Oh, that...Well, of sorts, yes," he said. He snapped his fingers and a copper ice bucket flew up the stairs, using its copper handles as wings. Khaat frowned.

"You cannot be serious," she frowned at him.

"Gary does a fine job," Michael defended.

"Gary?" Khaat asked, shifting her eyes slightly over to Faith. Khaat was having a bit of hard time wrapping her mind around the flying icebucket. "Why Gary?"

"He has to have a name, doesnt he?" Michael asked. "His name is Gary Copper..." Khaat groaned, listening to the nickname.

"After the old star of black and white silent muggle movies Gary Cooper," she said. "Oh for Pete's sakes. You honestly expect me to send a message in an ice bucket?"

"Why not? You and Brian used to send messages in bottles all the time."

"We were eight," she sighed. "Oh alright." She picked up another piece of paper and a pen and wrote a note, folded it annd handed it to Michael. He looked at the name she had scrawled on the outside of the note.

"Amelia," Michael commanded the ice bucket, putting the lid on the bucket. "And come right back. " The ice bucket fluttered off.

"You really do like this enchanted housewares thing much too much," she said.

"You started it, my dear," he said. .She ignored him and looked back at Faith.

"I sent a note to your headmistress. She will not expect you now much before Monday night or Tuesday morning just before your first class. Whichever is easier," she told Faith. "Now--presuming you don't mind coming with me, I can take you with me and we can find you a room of your own for the night and start some shopping tomorrow afternoon. Since tomorrow is Sunday, you can sleep in, enjoy breakfast at your leisure, take a bubble bath if you like, or just get familiar with the house and the kids. We could start with a few things and then do the more serious shopping on Monday. That is...." she paused with a slight smile. "Unless having your own room doesn't interest you." Khaat knew better. Faith needed security, stability. She needed what Khaat and Brian had to offer.

Faith stared at the flying ice bucket, her eyes wide. She was slowly getting used to the enchanted objects at Hogwarts, the suits of armor that turned to look at you as you passed, the moving portraits, the house elves she had glimpsed on occasion, but this was just strange. This HOUSE was strange. Flying ice bucket instead of an owl, a kleptomaniac hat rack, their dogs were foot stools. Faith was in amazement. Her face remained blank, however the ghost of a smile was present as she watched the interchange between Khaat and Michael.

She nodded slowly, realizing that she wasn't going back to Hogwarts tonight. "Alright.." She said, her voice soft, her eyes glancing around the room again. She wondered what the others thought about her, a girl who looked exactly like their friend who had died, she wondered if she had looked any different, and the same situation had happened, would they have even glanced at her before they took the child away and she went back to work? She didn't know.. she didn't know what kind of people they were.

Faith glanced around the room one more time before looking at Khaat. "My own room would be nice.." She said softly, her voice having gone soft and almost innocent sounding, as she forced the emotion out of her voice. She couldn't let herself get to excited, she HAD to reign it in.. if she didn't.. she would probably be crushed. "It sounds wonderful."

"Well," she told Michael, "I thank you for a wonderful dinner for Abbey and for making sure James didn't make me miss dinner."

"My pleasure, my dear," he smiled. "So, you're going, then?"

"I think we should."

"I'll see you tomorrow then. I promised Angus I would help him with some lobster thermador tomorrow night for dinner at your place. His brothers promised us top quality lobsters tomorrow." That made her smile.

"I love it when you cook," she said. He merely smiled.

"Shall I see you home, then? he asked.

"No thank you. A simple porting spell should do the trick. Are you packed, Faith?" she asked. "If you're ready, we'll head for home. We should have this timed just about right. By now, Brian and Angus should have all the kids in bed and asleep." Michael laughed out loud. Five tired, cranky toddlers sometimes made bedtime noisy at Khaat's house.

Faith listened to the conversation, and then nodded quickly when she was addressed. Lobster? No matter how good of the food there was at Hogwarts, they never had Lobster... Faith didn't even know if she LIKED seafood, she would find out apparently, because she would be at their house tomorrow evening for dinner, and she would be eating this.. Lobster Thermador.

Faith lifted up the bag she had been let to borrow, and smiled at them carefully, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two. She was nervous, and it was obvious, extremely obvious actually, she was straight backed, lips pressed tight, body tense, she looked like a dog ready to bolt, or a cat ready to take off running. There was almost a wild animal appearance to how she stood, watching them both silently, her eyes smiled, but her rather narrow face made her look wild, yet calm, watching and waiting for the time to get away, or just making sure the company she was in wouldn't hurt her.

Faith very much fit in with Chase's favorite animal, and definitely looked more the part than Chase had, for Faith was taller, skinnier, and had a narrower face, her stance suggested she was ready to bolt, and her slightly tipped forward head suggested she was listening carefully, in every way, Faith looked the part of a fox.

Khaat could certainly understand Faith's nervousness. She didn't know either her or Brian. And she was going home with them because it was a sight better than what she had to look forward to over the summer. It was advance planning to escape a worse fate. Khaat approached her with no pressure, no formality. She merely offered Faith her arm to port home and she drew the well used portkey to her home out of her pocket. It was just a skeleton key with a heart shape to the top of it.

The porting was smooth tonight. There hadn't been much of a breeze to interfere, and so it seemed like just slipping from one place into the next. One moment she was kissing Michael's cheek goodnight, and in the next, she was standing in her own living room. She let go of Faith's arm, hoping Faith was able to handle poriting.

She smelled tea. Almond tea--her favorite.

"Angus?" she called.

"Coming!" he called. "Just a minute."

"Well," Khaat said to Faith, "welcome home, Faith. This is it. Make yourself at home."

Faith felt the jerk behind her naval as though she was being picked up by a fish hook, and the world swirled around her. It was more even than she was used to, she had only used a portkey once before, and it hadn't been very fun at all. This time wasn't as bad, but still left her shaky, and almost falling over when she hit the ground. Her arm flung out and she caught hold of the couch, keeping herself upright, and she waited a moment for her vision to even out. When it did though, she almost thought it hadn't, and she had passed out or something.

She was standing in the most magnificent room ever. A living room, all open, all beautiful, things were around her that she couldn't even guess at their price, the rug wasn't torn, or stained, the paint on the walls wasn't peeling, it was fresh and new, like it had been painted yesterday. Lamps of beautiful design, cushions on the couch, it looked lived in, but clean and beautiful. Faith couldn't help it, she was gasping, her mouth open in amazement, looking absolutely ridiculous as she stood up straight, turning in a slow circle, staring around herself.

She could almost feel the tears coming to her eyes, she could feel the overwhelming sensations flowing through her, almost knocking her over. She hadn't realized that houses like this could exist.. that places so beautiful, and wonderful, and amazing could exist anywhere, she had grown to know her home during the summers, and seeing this.. this beautiful wonderland of a home, with people who were so kind, and nice, and didn't touch their children in the wrong way, and only had love. Faith literally sunk to her knees, and stared around the room, completely overwhelmed.