Andrew smiled at Berii, still unable to find words of comfort, but he hoped the smile would be enough. He returned to the common room shortly after Berii, and sat down by the fire.
Something distracted his peaceful thoughts, and he could have sworn he had seen Cassidy, in his mind, practicing in another room. Puzzled, he went to fetch his gi, put it on, and grabbed his weaponry. He found the room Cassidy was in just outside of the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, and walked in.
"Hey," he said, as he watched her move gracefully and powerfully through one of her basic kata. She did not even notice his appearance, so intent was she.
Andrew just took a seat in a corner, legs crossed in front of him, and watched his sister move with great accuracy and grace. Her eyes were closed lightly, and her body bent and flexed in practiced motion, her hands and arms extending, pulling back, her legs snapping kicks, and retracting faster. Her hara (center of body) lowering, rising...
Cassidy stopped, and came out of her trance. She pulled her feet in together, and bowed to the air, her all time favorite opponent.
"Hello, she said to Andrew, coming to sit down beside him. She brushed some sweat from her forehead, and looked at him with a grin. "What brings you here?"
"I dunno...it's strange," he told her. "It's almost like I could feel you here, like my mind just knew..."
"Yeah..." Cassidy trailed off, looking around the room-turned-dojo. She smiled. "You know, it's so strange...sometimes I feel like we can read each others' thoughts. Think it's because we are finally getting along?"
"Maybe..." Andrew guessed. He got to his feet, and extended his arm to help her up. "Want to spar with me?"
"Sure thing," Cassidy said, taking his hand and hoisting herself ot her feet.
They decided on open-hand sparring, and began. Andrew threw a fake uppercut at Cassidy, followed by a roundhouse kick, which she blocked with no problem. They went on and on for at least an hour, without either of them breaking through the other's defenses. Cassidy called the sparring match off eventually, panting hard. Andrew agreed heartily, panting just as much.
"You've gotten better," she told him, gathering her things to leave.
"Yeah...I feel like I have too," he told her. "It's weird though...I felt like I knew what you were going to do before you did it...maybe that's why?"
"Strange," they said in unison, and broke into laughter.
They returned to the common room, and went to their respective rooms upstairs. After they showered and got dressed, they came back downstairs in perfect unison, and sat by the fireplace.
"Wonder if anyone will be around today..." Cassidy said thoughtfully, lounging in a chair.
