Love will find a way

Chapter 1

      Cassandra Moon reached into her jacket pocket, fishing out a ring of keys. She fiddled around until a familiar one with a heart carving laid in her open palm. She jammed the head into the lock of her front door, the silver key scraping against flaking metal. The door didn't budge. The young woman groaned in exasperation, plucking the poor key out and crashing it in again "Damn it! Just open up!" The door finally opened with a rusty click, and Cassandra sighed, shuffling in before slamming it close.
She slumped onto her worn leather sofa, throwing her heavy black bag onto a nearby chair and kicked of her mud brown sneakers. Wriggling her pair of over sized socks out of her feet, She pulled a hand down her sticky skin and raked back clumpy curls that were slicked with sweat earlier. It was actually November, and she was wearing a quite flimsy pale blue uniform all day, But the workout in the morning had left her sodden to the skin and her raven curls to stick together. Though the moisture on her body had left her early at noon, her hair still stubbornly stayed in their disheveled clads. She was cold now, her shoulders hunched up as she looked around, rolling her eyes when she saw her heater off. Her stupid officer uniform was thin and crinkled to the smallest movements. After spending nearly a whole day patrolling through the streets and being buffeted by merciless drafts, she was quite sure that she might have picked up on some kind of cold already. She wanted to pull on something warm, toast her numb limbs up and curl up under her duvet and sleep the heck away. She sighed again. But she couldn't. Being an officer meant that you had to be speedy on your feet, have quick reflexes, and wake up with the birds in the morning. Her alarm clock that rang its head off at 5 a.m. on the dot each morning was her most dreaded thing in the world--- Wait. Cassandra rolled back her sleeve, peering at her old watch with squinted eyes. Starting from tomorrow, which was Saturday, she'd been given a gracious full week holiday. How could she forget about that? She could finally rest! She could sleep all day if she wanted. Her chest sparked up a little with relief and happiness for the first time in months, but too tired to show any further excitement. She pushed the stacks of paper and messy clothes on her sofa-bed away, making a Cassandra-size space on the comforter, ready to fwump onto it. But the next thing she knew, a bunch of dusty feather fluffed into her face, making her stumble back.
"HEY!" A triumph hoot sounded, and Cassandra coughed into her fist."Owl!"
The young officer had completely forgotten about her pet Owl, that would never in a hundred years permit its mistress to pass out with her uniform and jeans on, not to mention with a head of sticky, matted hair too. Its beak parted, a shrill hoot escaping the golden eyed bird as it pecked at Cassandra's pale face. Cassandra finally caved.
"Fine, fine. I'll take a quick bath. Happy now?"
Owl flapped its feathery wings, swooping around the room. Cassandra brushed back her curls wearily, turning on her heater, before dragging her exhausted self into her bathroom, picking up a random pair of wool pyjamas along the way.
Closing the bathroom door and locking it, the young woman slid off her scratchy uniform, immediately leaving herself bare and cold. She shucked off her heavy jeans, shivering as she hopped into her tub, trembling finger hastily fumbling with the silver knobs of the bath. Within seconds, hot water started splashing down her back, sending her taking in shaky gasps with each warm, refreshing contact. Cassandra coated her fingers with shampoo, running them through her curls as dried sweat and dust ran away with the water alongside the soap suds. Rinsing her hair and pulling loose wet strands out of her face, she twisted the tap off, causing the gushing waterfall to weaken and at last disappear, with only a few drops raining down from time to time. She padded out hurriedly, popping a thick towel open and wrapping herself in it, easing her jerking shudders. Cassandra squeezed and wrung out her dripping short hair, rubbing it clean before drying herself, pulling on her under clothes and lastly slipping into soft, wool pyjamas. When fairly warm, she pulled a turtle neck sweater on, crossing her arms and curled into herself.
      "Hey Owl."She murmured as she stepped out of her bathroom, hair damp and cocooned in soft ready-to-sleep shirt. She rubbed at her hazel eyes sleepily, and Owl, who seemed satisfied by her clean and warm state, urged her to curl up in the sofa. She chuckled softly, and walked towards the bed, nodding lightly.
      "Yeah, yeah, I get you." She swept up a cushion, pressed it against her chest and shifted into the mountain of pillows. Owl swooped down, chirping softly as its mistress's eyes started to flutter, before the weight of sleep pulled them completely shut. The loyal pet flapped towards one of the many discarded blankets in the corner of the flat, gripping it by his talons and rose to the ceiling, before releasing the cover and letting it fall gracefully onto Cassandra's sleeping form. She'd been working her butt off. She deserved some well-needed rest. Owl hooted gently and burrowed itself in her chest, a feathery head nuzzling against her jaw. Sometimes, it really wished that she could find herself someone to live with, it hated seeing her alone during the coldest time of the year. She always said that she had her little feather ball, but Owl wanted her to be truly happy. Owl burrowed deeper into Cassandra, hiding under her warm sweater.
      Cassandra tossed in her sleep.

      Writing modern AU is fun as heck! Next chapter's about Varian, promise. And guys, I'm really sorry that I'm not updating. I don't really have the motivation to do so for my other two books. Modern stories are my favourite now. Please don't hate me. And besides, I've got loads of school work so... yeah*shrugs*See y'all around! And BTW, 994 words! Holy cow—