Quote:
Originally Posted by
Esme 
"Mostly it's just my own birthday I hate celebrating, I enjoy celebrating other peoples birthday's though. I remember when I was younger I looked forward to all my friends having a birthday because their parents would always let us do something fun. On my friend Jason's twelfth birthday his father took us to the set of a movie he was working on. His dad's a stunt man so we got a tour and everything. I actually got lost and accidentally went into a room where they were auditioning for another movie. It was what got me into acting more than modelling." Reid recounted the day with enthusiasm, clearly remembering what had happened in his minds eye. That day would have to have been the turning point in his life.
"Can you ride?" Reid asked, an idea formulating in his mind. Clearly Rachel wanted to celebrate his birthday so he might as well give in and help her decide where to go. Plus he needed to go visit his horses anyway and all his friend's horses were in the same stables...
"Yea they do it. That's Hollywood though. And my old school." he gave a kind of self-deprecating look, remembering his first relationship. "It's mainly a school for the rich and magical but there are a few scholarship students who would pretend to like you just so that they could be seen with you and hopefully get some money off you." Reid shrugged as if to shake it off before turning his attention back to focus solely on Rachel.
"And will I get to meet this cat that you speak of?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow in slight question. Following her slightly disheartened gaze back to his tent he sighed realising what she must be thinking. "I just hope it doesn't fall down on her, or me. It took me about two hours to get it standing and then another hour to put my things in it and make a comfy bed for Neko. No matter how many times I go camping I never seem to master the art of putting up a tent. Which is actually a good thing I guess. I mean I can't be good at everything right?" he asked, telling her the truth about the tent. He'd even hurt himself while putting it up but decided it better to leave that little fact out.
As Rachel listened to Reid tell his story, a little wind picked up and she shivered slightly, huddling closer to Reid for comfort.
"That was some life altering party, huh?" she commented as he finished, in awe of what he had just said. Back when she was that young, the most she had on her mind was (before she knew she was a witch, obviously) "I need to pass the Chem test on Friday and make sure that I get a good present for so-and-so because she got me something really nice." Modeling, acting, touring movie sets - all those had only ever been a figment of her imagination.
"Ride? A horse?" the fifth year asked, slightly surprised. That was a completely random question. . . Unless of course, it had something to do with this trip that they were going to go on - in which case then OH dear MERLIN, he was taking her riding!!
"Yes, I can... Not very well, mind you. I'll probably be a little rusty," she confessed. Given the fact that the last time she had been on a horse was when she was eight, then rusty is the biggest understatement of the year. But the muggles always said that riding a horse was like learning to ride a bike - once you know, it can't be forgotten.
"That's terrible... I wouldn't be able to do that to anyone Reid - not even if it meant me not having to work another day in my life. See, that's the thing; I want to work. To raise my own money, to struggle for a bit before I'm settled. Having money from before deprives me of that," she tried to explain, having talked about this subject to great lengths with Jake. Of course, HE had supported her in this - he left his whole inheritance to become a wizard, something which never kept him awake at night nor bothered him in the slightest.
He might not really know it - and Rachel will NEVER tell - but when she was older, the sixteen year old wanted to be like him. In his light manner, his sarcastic comments, his kindness and his courage she could see someone who was overall really happy with his life - and he knows it too. There's no better way to live, in her opinion.
Blinking, she returned back to earth and left her thoughts in the back of her mind just as Reid asked about her cat.
"Cloudsters? Well, probably whenever you come visit me in Hogsmeade... He's there - I had to leave him at home this term since he had been sick and plus he really got attached to my uncle's dog, Russ," Rachel replied with a slight giggle. Those two animals were quite a pair - especially when they were hyper.
The fifth year laughed as he told her of his attempts to set up the tent.
"Well, I'm not much good either. The only reason I actually came close to the campfire was to look for someone who could help me set up," she replied with a grin, remembering her frustration over not being able to set up the tent by herself. She detested having to ask for help, especially in manual things - in her mind it gave guys a right to consider themselves stronger.
"But wait - when you say setting up a bed... Isn't your tent a magical one? You know, the type with a kitchen, a sitting room and some bunk beds?" she asked, slightly confused. Of course, she'd never seen what expensive tents look like from inside so she couldn't really know if they needed setting up. Or maybe he had to set up something for Neko since cats weren't the usual inhabitants of tents.