Did ya know flour dust is Explosive? ( Cameron / Viona )

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Approaching the bakery which the father of a friend of his owned, Cameron stopped to look around this part of Diagon. While he was from an upper class family, he knew a bakery was a great thing to have nearby. He sniffed and smiled at the smell, before a second glance around and then he continued to the door of the business. An older woman coming out he stopped and held the door for, catching her bag when she nearly dropped it heading out. Picking it up and handing it back, he felt certain amount of pleasure gained in playing a role his mother was teaching him.

Not that he gave a damn who she was. Manners pleased them and caused them to put another face on him then what he really was. Letting people put the mask on for him was just like having another defend you for misguided reasons and he enjoyed the logic in that tremendously. Going back to the bakery he caught the door another let go and stepped inside, a glance around showing it was a well-used place, one more used to activity then stillness at any time. No on behind the counter for the moment, he let the door go so it jangled and stepped to one side to glance over what was out, wondering if she was working that day. Of course he couldn't know when she was working or if she was on vacation either, but who knew during the summer with everyone.

Summer for most was a wide variety of things happening in most families. His was sort of an exception most of the time. They did their vacations in the winter, not the summer...

@viona

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Viona was in the back helping her dad with a cake while some of the other employees were helping people up front. It was a chocolate cake with pretty pink icing and red roses. On the top was an edible image of dancing ballerina that was actually dancing.

"Well then, Viona," said Alpin Zephyr. "Do you think Ms. Maple's daughter will like it?"

"She'll love it, dad," smiled Viona.

"Good," said Alpin. "I best take it over to her. Will you help watch the door for me?"

"Aye, of course dad," said Viona, hugging her father before he covered the cake and made his way out with it.

Viona stepped out from the back and beamed when she saw her friend Cameron come in. She ran over and hugged him.

"Hello Cameron, how have you been?" she asked.

Here was the thing about Viona: Whether you were Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, it didn't matter to her. If you were nice to her, she was nice to you and more than likely you and she would be friends in the end. That's how she felt about Cameron.

"What would you like today, Cameron?" she asked. "Me dad's just made a fresh batch of cranberry cauldrons."

@shava4

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He was glancing at the onion cheese bread with a raised eyebrow not having ever tried that when he heard footsteps and looked up just in time to see her charging him for a hug! laughing he hugged her back adding "hey there! Nice to see you too!" With a grin as she asked, he shrugged. "Not too bad really, it's been a busy summer as always for me. Mother thinks I can shove half the library in my head while juggling multiple tutors in languages and music in my spare time." he rolled his eyes because he knew most people would have; he himself didn't mind so much.

His eyebrows went up completely at her comment however. "Cranberry ones? I don't think I've ever had them in other flavors before! Can I try one of those?" A glance over her showed she looked happy and healthy enough; he had not been truly surprised by the hug enthusiasms as she had gotten him a few times in the past and he was getting more used to it. "Oh say, whoever that older woman who just left, you might want to warn people to help her with the door. I thought for a minute she was going to drop everything while handling the step," he motioned to the doorway.

"I helped her put her stuff, but you know, just keep an eye open for her. She's unsteady." And as always he delighted in having something to show he was a 'nice snake' to let people believe what they saw and heard. Who knew manners and etiquette would ever prove so handy for his own twisted purpose? He'd have to remember to thank his mother for the unrelenting classes...

@viona

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Viona felt bad for Cameron having to do so much work like that during the summer. When she wasn't working at the bakery, she was out and about doing her own things, though working at the bakery was just as fun too.

"I'm sorry," she said with a frown. "I hope you at least got to have some fun this summer. Me family and I spent a few weeks back home in Scotland. It was lovely to see all me relatives again and catch up."

Viona nodded when he asked to try a cranberry cauldron. The cauldron shaped danishes were one of the bakery's most popular treats. The cauldron was made of a lightly sweet bread with cream cheese and the fruit of choice popping out of it.

"Of course," she said. As she headed over to grab him one, she listened as she spoke of the woman with the issue. She sighed and shook her head. "That's Mrs. Eaglebord. We told her to let us know when she was leaving so we could help her, but I think she likes to still try and do things herself. I imagine it's difficult at her age to know you often have to rely on others. I wish I would have been out here, but thank you Cameron." She smiled at him and brought over a cranberry cauldron wrapped in a napkin. "Here you go- on the house!"

@shava4

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Cameron shrugged, knowing he was probably not the only one set to lessons outside of school. "I'll survive. It's what happens when your mother teaches and your father works for the Ministry. They about drove my sister nuts with the extra lessons too but she is married and out from under the roof now so I'm the focus." he nodded, listening to her words. "Well that's cool! Probably feels much better up there in the highlands right now in this weather anyway! Glad you got away..."

As to his own family... "My great grandfather is an auror, he drops in on us during the summer, once at the beginning and I suspect I'll see him again at the train station when we go back. he's the most of my extended family I get to see these days, but he's always cool. Do you have a lot of family? Are they all up there?" To most Englishmen Scotland would always be the Highlands, though in truth there were enough valleys and flatlands up there as well just at a higher elevation then most of England itself.

What most people outside England forgot was that the UK still covered most of the world. While his parents had taken them on vacations to many places, they had never technically left the country. And those were always winter time trips too. "Yeah, a lot of old-er people tend to go independent beyond belief. Although my great grandfather seems pretty sharp for his hundreds. Maybe it depends on what you do for a living..." he had always loved the man, but had felt wary of him too. People who had power like that were dangerous in their own way.

Taking the cauldron cake with a smile of thanks he said "Smells good! It must be hard in a bakery not eating the merchandise. How do you manage it?" A bite and his eyes squeezed shut. Okay, he was going to take stuff with him, it seemed unfair somehow. "Oh man that's good. Sure you didn't give me that one just cause you knew I would want more?" He did grin at her around a mouthful as he took another bite; it was very unfair to go into places with food which got inventive...

@viona

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Viona nodded as Cameron told her why he was so hard-working over the summer. She wanted to relate, but she was in a position where she helped her father at Bakery because she wanted to, and also had parents who allowed her to pursue her own dreams and interests. So she could just say the best thing she knew to say.

"I'm sure they just do it for you because they love you," she said.

She then smiled when Cameron felt that the weather was nicer in Scotland.

"It's very lovely there," she said. "Just right for the summer. Cool, but you could still swim and stuff like that."

Viona sighed a bit when Cameron asked about her family.

"I have a very large family, but they all live there except for me mum, dad, and me," she said. "I miss them since we only get to visit every other summer or so."

She smiled when he spoke of his great grandfather though.

"Your great grandfather sounds lovely," she said. "I bet you enjoy being around him."

Viona giggled about working in the bakery.

"I get used to it," she said. "When you smell it all day, it's easy to."

Viona then shook her head when Cameron asked if she gave it to him so he would buy one.

"Nope," she said. "Me dad said I can give free treats to me friends any time I want. I gave you that because you're a good mate and I love you."

@shava4

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Cameron shrugged, not sure what to say about that; parents were supposed to do everything because they loved you, but sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have so much free time as most did in the summer. "We mostly take our vacations at winter break, I suppose father trades out with work for the time. I think we've covered like ten of the islands in the UK..." Which was cool, though the first couple he couldn't really remember much about so he didn't count them so much. Although...now that he thought about it, his father might have been doing some work on the earlier ones and he always had to do some stuff on the first day or two they arrived.

"Ah well I'm lucky there, we do have a pool so it's at least easy to get cooled down." Having a large family and still feeling cut off? Cam thought that was most of the reason for family really, feeling connected. He frowned slightly. "Well that's not so good. Don't they ever come and visit? That would be only fair it seems. I feel like Great-grandpa is mostly checking to make sure we're being raised correctly, but he's cool. He's got a lot of old stories about people, especially people who don't think first." He grinned then remembering one of those stories.

"He made a call once on a man who had been giving the Ministry a lot of grief about not doing their jobs and the man had a pig in his front yard inside the city and he asked him what he thought he was doing. man said it was a birthday present for his friend who also lived in his city, but he had gotten him a week too soon and it had already ruined half his yard." He made a half-funning, half serious look as he shrugged saying "Who gives someone a pig? In the city?" She said she got used to the smell and he shook his head. "I bet if I lived nearby I'd gain ten pounds just coming to visit" he chuckled.

There might have been a touch of a blush at the top of his cheeks but he tried not to be too obvious about it. "Hey, don't you go get all mushy on me and ruin my reputation, now," and he said it quickly as guys might do when they have an audience though they did not, "I love you too." And gave her a half hug with one arm, rough like 'man-style' before he added "However whether you meant it or not I need to get a half dozen of those and a loaf of the onion cheese for my mother to try. Cause that sounds good," he said getting out his money for her.

@viona

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Viona was glad to hear that Cameron was able to go on vacations, even if it was during the winter. Viona wasn't crazy about traveling then.

"That's lovely," she said. "Well always spend Christmas here. We decorate the house and a tree and make cookies and cocoa. Nothing special or unique, but it's fun."

Viona shrugged a little about her family from Scotland visiting.

"They're able to now and then," she said. "Usually only a few at a time. Those like me great grandmother Zephyr have to stay behind though, so I only get to see her when I go there." Viona smiled about his great grandfather's stories. "I bet his stories are funny."

He then giggled greatly at the story about the pig. It didn't take much to make Viona laugh.

"I don't have a pig, but I have three guinea pigs," she said.

Viona giggled again when Cameron told her not to get mushy.

"You're right," she joked. "Can't make people forget you're a Slytherin." She then returned the half hug. "Well, you're my adorable Slytherin friend and that's not going to change." She accepted the money for the big order because she knew while her dad was cool with her giving one treat away, she couldn't get that much away for free. However, she did give him more change back than she would someone else.

"Discount," she explained.

@shava4

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He nodded, having heard a lot of people did the same, but his family had a different set of traditions that most didn't. "Oh I've heard a lot of people do that, though we never have. For us the holidays are usually off in some other part of the UK in the islands, learning about new cultures, their history, and touring at a time no one else is. It's very cheap, people are often thrilled to see us cause the tourist season is slow, and it's nice and toasty warm. I get enough cold back home and at Hogwarts to not miss it much. Plus everyone celebrates differently in other parts of the world so it's pretty cool! This will be the first year without my sister along though and it's going to feel weird."

Hearing her great grandmother could come had him frowning. "how come? Can she no travel or is she sick?" He thought about that for a moment only and then shrugged. "I guess my great grandpa is pretty in shape. He's passed a hundred but he's still pretty limber and fast. Maybe he just stayed more active then most, but I do hear that muggles often only live to be a hundred. I'm glad wizards live much longer then that." Guinea pigs? What the heck were those... "Um...Viona. What is a guinea pig? And why is it not a pig?" He'd never heard of those before and they sounded odd!

Cameron snorted slightly at her words and stuck his tongue out at her. "I think being in a different house has nothing to do with it, goof, I am a guy. Girls go in more for the mushiness then guys do, or hadn't you noticed?" he smiled to show he was teasing since that seemed to help with a lot of these sorts of conversations. "Just because I like hugs and all doesn't mean I'm mushy," just before she hugged him back and then made a comment about him being adorable. Shaking his head at her as she made change he murmured "Guys are handsome, Viona, we've talked about this before I think. ladies are pretty or beautiful or cute, guys are good looking or handsome, not adorable."

However he remembered there was one exception. "Okay hang on, I think mothers can get away with calling a guy anything their whole lives, but most people can only call a guy cute or adorable when they are small. Clearly, I am not small." He held himself up proudly smirking and congratulated himself on another well said statement. After all he had not only made a point about the way things were, but still managed a hug while being called a cutsy word. "Now you, on the other hand, are both pretty and adorable, which must be why I enjoy being around you," and he reached up and touched the end of her nose. "You should of had at least three guys vying for your attention by now."

Girls.

He took back the change and raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure? I don't mind paying full if it helps you all out. It's only a few sickles, though I appreciate you letting me taste them and all."

@viona

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Viona smiled widely as Cameron described his winter vacation. Maybe she should have re-considered her views on traveling during the winter. It seemed like there were some rather enjoyable places to go after all.

"That sounds amazing!" she said. "I might just have to talk to me dad and mum about doing that one year. Dad might not go for it though as he has all these little traditions we like to do at Christmas. That and we always have a big Christmas party and invite friends over. He'd be heartbroken if he missed that. But maybe I can talk him into going somewhere between after Christmas and when school starts back up."

Viona sighed when Cameron asked about her great-grandmother.

"She's an invalid," she said. "She's been in a wheelchair for... I'd say a good ten years now. It's really hard for her to get around, even in her own village. She wishes she could come and visit, but the trip would not be pleasant for her." Viona was then surprised that Cameron didn't know what a guinea pig was. "A guinea pig is actually not a pig, but a type of rodent. I guess they're called pigs because they're so plump. Mine are jump lovable little furballs to me though. Their names are Nip, Pip, and Zip."

Viona stuck her tongue back out when Cameron said who's House one was in had nothing to do with it.

"I know that, silly head," she said, ruffling his hair just a bit. "But guys can be mushy too. And guys can be adorable. At least I think so. It doesn't mean that I don't think you're handsome as well. You're very handsome, Cameron. One of me most handsome friends in fact. I say you're adorable because I certainly adore you."

When Cameron called her pretty and adorable, Viona's face turned red. She was surprised at how much she was blushes, but she was about to blush under the table at his compliment. She couldn't say anything for a moment, but just awkwardly giggled.

"I'm... not that pretty," she finally said. "But... thank you Cameron." She then kissed him on the cheek. "And I don't really have any guys trying to get me attention. I'm surprised all the girls aren't flocking about you."

The thing was, Viona felt Cameron could make anyone a good boyfriend... except her, and the reason was behind this was not because she would hate him as her boyfriend, but simply because she never had a boyfriend and didn't know if she was ready to date.

Viona then shook her head when he offered to pay in full for the food.

"No, you're only going to pay what I want you to pay," she said. "You are one of me mates and that makes you a mate of the Bonfire Bakery. And we always treat our friends well here."

Alpin then returned from delivering the cake and smiled at his daughter and her friend.

"Well hello there me fine fellow," he said. He then extended his hand. "Don't think we've met. Alpin Zephyr, Viona's father."

@shava4

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As she showed some enthusiasm he felt validated as well that he was pretty good at getting ideas across. "It's been fun to learn about stuff that way, I know. Last year we were on this island way on the other side of the world which still counts as part of the UK called Tuvalu. It's disappearing into the sea because of all the rising tides and all the natives still use canoes and such. It has big coral reefs under the water and nearly no one goes there so it was super cool to see! I feel sorry for people who live down at the ocean level like that, losing their land out from underneath them." And he had at heart felt bad about that. It was one thing when people fought wars over land, but with the rising tides around the world, he wondered if soon people from the coasts would begin moving inland into areas where there was no space.

What was going to happen then?

"Oh yeah, I can see that. maybe after Christmas you could come join us some time and see where we are staying! That could work. Do you think he would let you come along?" hearing about her aunt, he almost looked bad about asking the question. "Oh! Oh, sorry, I didn't know. That's sad. I can understand why she doesn't travel much then." it also had him feeling better about his own great grandfather actually. Her explanation about these furry rodents nearly had him laugh out loud "I'm having trouble imagining furry rodents that are cute, but your names for them almost have me convinced they are... Do you walk them on a leash or something? Do you bring them to school?" They sounded funny - - and that was when it occurred to him he had no clue where she lived or how far from the bakery it was. Did they live in Diagon?

Living there suddenly struck him as a very cool idea! Why, you would have a lot of fascinating things stretched out all around you to keep your day interesting! "Hey Viona," he frowned, suddenly wondering why he had never before thought to ask, "Do you mind if I ask where you live? Is it in the alley?" She ruffled his hair and he just fake pushed her slightly; he'd never been entirely happy with his hair really so it didn't matter to him if his curls looked messy. And then she went even more mushy and he sighed. "Yeah okay just don't, like, spread that around, okay? Could ruin my rep for people to know that." Thought he couldn't help of course feeling a bit of ego she adored him. Actually, he had never thought about trying to make a move on her really, but if she adored him--

He dropped that thought remembering who he had been hanging out with the day before. No, he had someone already to draw his interests in that way.

However her blush surprised him entirely and he looked wide eyed and then quickly looked at the bakery case before she caught him looking. As she giggled, he glanced back and wondered where that had come from? Sure, she had said he was adorable, but... "Merlin, don't tell me you believe that?" He added the charm to see what he could learn suddenly intrigued about what she was thinking. "Mother believes every person is beautiful in their own way. And entitled to their own opinion. If I tell you you're pretty, you can't tell me no. You are a very sweet, pretty young lady and I'm not some old relative telling you that so you'd be smart to believe me." he smiled back at her, wondering if she had some kind of crush thing he had never noticed before.

"Well thanks then! I don't have any way of returning the favor much. My father doesn't make or sell anything and my mom only teaches etiquette lessons. Handy stuff I guess, but not so much something to sell really." Then her father came in and Cameron gave him an equal handshake back, proud as most teenage boys he could return the strength in it. He grinned at the man "Nice to meet you, sir, my name is Cameron Clarke. Viona and I have school together, though she is a year behind me. You taught her well; one taste of those berry cauldrons and I had to buy a half dozen. They're brilliant," said the young man who certainly was still at the endless stomach time of his life.

@viona

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Viona was sad to hear about people eventually losing their home, especially an entire island of people.

"I hope someone can help them," she said. "Maybe someone knows a spell that can kept the island afloat. I know if they had to come here, me family would try to help find them places to stay."

Viona beamed at the idea of going on a trip with Cameron.

"I'll definitely see if I can!" she said. "We don't do much after Christmas except a wee bit of something on New Year's Eve. I'm sure me mum and dad wouldn't mind."

Viona waved off Cameron's apology.

"No need to apologize," she said. "Me great grandmother is actually a very positive person."

She then giggled about the guinea pigs.

"We let them play in the yard at home, but I don't take them with me," she said. "I take me own personal pet to Hogwarts with me. Me rabbit, Gusifus."

Viona had no qualms with answering about her home.

"We live in a neighborhood that's not far from here," she said. "Well we have to take the Knight Bus home, but still not too far."

Viona sighed about Cameron worrying about his reputation.

"Cameron, you shouldn't worry about what other people think of you," she said. "But if it bothers you that much, I'll stop."

She still blushed when he convinced her she was pretty.

"Okay, if you say I am...." she said, then trailed off.

Alpin chuckled when Cameron spoke of how good the Cranberry Cauldrons were.

"Well, I'm certainly glad you like them," he said. "In fact, take an extra one home with you, lad. Any mate of me wee angel here is a mate of the Bonfire Bakery." Alpin of course had no idea that Viona had just said that and now she was giggling about it. "You two must have been having quite the amusing conversation."

@shava4

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She might not know the whole world was dealing with those issues on every coast. "It would be nice, but they are a coastal people. I think they would want to be somewhere near the shore. At least, I would think that makes the most sense for them. I'll have to ask my father where he plans on taking us next year and let you know, all right?" He grinned, cheered that there would be someone at least near his age on such a trip; he could imagine his parents being very tiresome. As he would have guessed, she didn't really accept what he had said as offensive. Which was good as that wasn't the kind of person he tried to show off.

Finding it surprising someone in bad health would be a very positive person, Cameron actually cringed a bit remembering his own experience. "Gah, three weeks of it was too much for me. I was miserable, she's better then me at it then." It had been one of the worst experiences of his life being trapped and unable to be free really. Dependent on others, only Duncan had ever given him any peace. "I have Duncan, he stays with me home or school. He's a Siberian Cat. He's so smart I managed to teach him some tricks as well as words. He helped me a lot when I got hurt in that Quidditch game..."

And that was another thing. Though he knew a lot of Slytherins, it was the other people he knew who had tried to help out where they could. Slytherin just wasn't good with even temporary disabilities. That thought hung in his mind a moment before he tuned back in to her reaction. Just in time. "Whoa, the Knight bus? I've never ridden on it but is sounded bizarre." Frowning at her offer to stop he said "I'm not trying to hurt your feeling, Viona, but a rep in my dorm keeps you from being a target." She sort of gave in to his admission, but before he could say more her father arrived.

"Um...well if your sure I won't say no. I'm looking forward to trying the onion cheese bread too. We don't have a bakery near us and I guess my father doesn't come around one on the way home from the Ministry." As she giggled and he tried not to smile, her father queried them and he decided to answer before she recovered. "Well she was trying to explain what a guinny pig was and it sounded weird and I guess we both got tickled about it, sir. I should probably get going before my father gets home. You have a good place here, I'll try and bring my mother sometime." Mindful of how blushing she had been before, he waved and took his purchases out the door adding "Nice to meet you sir," and "Bye Viona, give the ginny pigs noogies from me!"

@viona

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(Guess I'm wrapping this up)

Viona beamed at the growing possibility that she and Cameron could travel somewhere. It would be so fun to explore a new place.

"I can't wait!" she said.

Viona shrugged when Cameron spoke of how her great grandmother had endured it.

"I guess she's probably used to it is all, and tries to make the most out of life," she said.

Viona then beamed when he spoke of his cat.

"Awww, I love cats!" she said. "I bet Duncan is beautiful!"

Viona raised an eyebrow when Cameron spoke of the Knight Bus being bizarre.

"A little maybe, but it gets you to where you're going quite fast," she said.

She then sighed again about the rep thing. She really didn't get it.

"I wish you could be a Gryffindor," she said. "We wouldn't judge you."

Alpin listened to Cameron's explanation about why Viona was laughing, and Viona was laughing even harder now. She managed to stop and give him a one-armed hug since he was carrying things.

"Bye Cameron, hope to see you soon," she said. She then kissed him on the cheek again.

"Good meeting you, Cameron," smiled Alpin. "Have a safe journey home now."

(End)