little birds are made to fly -- dominique

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@dominique

harper hummed to herself as she sat down at one of the booths in the three broom sticks. this took her back to school. though it wasn't that long ago it was weird to think back on that she had spent the better part of her days in hogsmeade tucked up in one booth or another enjoying the company of one person or another. she smiled back at the thought as she pulled the scarf from her neck and tucked it against her leg so she'd have it when she left. she was waiting for dom. she was trying to do a catch up with all of her cousins since she had been gone for the last while and hadn't managed to see any of them over christmas. it was just before new years day though so she was hopeful of catching up with most of them by the new year. she was keeping fingers crossed anyway. she reached into her bag and pulled out a small gift wrapped box. inside was a book that looked like it was falling apart but she knew dom would love it. it was a series of stories. she knew dom loved reading so she hoped that the book went over well with her cousin.

'outfit'

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Dom skipped down the pathway from Hogwarts to Hogmeade, in a particularly happy mood this morning. She was meeting with her cousin, which was enough of a reason to be happy, but she also got to enjoy the beautiful morning on her way! The air was brisk and she could see her breath as she made her way. The sun was shining and the snow glistened, frost making the branches of trees shimmer brilliantly. Dom loved winter. Granted, she loved all the seasons, but winter was beautiful. She headed straight to the Three Broomsticks and walked inside, looking around with a smile. It didn't take long until she saw the familiar figure of her cousin sitting at a booth. She moved across the room confidently and cheerfully, smiling and nodding to plenty of people before she reached her cousin. "Hey Harper!" She enthused, bending down to kiss her cheek before moving to sit across from her. That was just the way Dom greeted family, so it wasn't new or anything. "So what brings you here on this crisp, winter morning?" She asked with a grin. She'd been delighted when she got Harper's message to meet her here, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious.

@harper

[Deleted]

@dominique

"Hey Harper!" she looked up at the sound of her cousin and she touched her shoulder as dom kissed her cheek. she did the same in return and smiled as she watched dom settle into the seat across from her. it didn't seem like any time had passed, though she hadn't really expected that her family would change in the last few months, after all they were all teenagers but it was still strange, she'd been gone for a decent amount of time so for things to be the same and yet so different was something to adjust to. "So what brings you here on this crisp, winter morning?" she laughed and shook her head, taking the gift she had sitting on the seat next to her and putting it on the table. "i bring gifts. well one gift. but i wanted to see you!" she said as she slid the book toward her cousin and folded her arms down against the table. "while you open it. you can fill me in on every detail .. the yule ball .. anything else that might be happening? or anyone else" she said with a wide smile and a wink toward her cousin.

'outfit'

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Dom's mouth fell open when her cousin mentioned presents. Why didn't she think to bring presents!?! "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing gifts? I didn't even think of that," Dom pouted. She hated being outdone, and she hated it when other people were thoughtful in ways that she wasn't. She didn't wallow long though. She shook it off and reached toward the gift that Harper put in front of her. "Do you want me to open this now?" she asked curiously. Some people didn't want others to open their gifts in front of them- which Dom thought was ridiculous- but she loved her cousin so she would go along with whatever she wanted. Then she laughed when Harper answered her question. She opened the present quickly and her mouth fell open. "A book! This looks really old too. Probably pretty rare and unique," she was muttering to herself, but there was a wide smile on her face and she couldn't contain her excitement. "Thank you Harper!" She squealed, reaching across the table to hug her cousin awkwardly. She smiled at her cousin's questions. "You know me, I'm pretty boring." Ha. Dom was anything but. Still, she wasn't too fond of speaking of herself. "I went to the Yule Ball with Ranger Lloyd. He's a really good friend of mine and we had a lot of fine. Other than that, I don't really have much to report. I'm meeting lots of new people, what with the foreigners here. How are you doing?"

@harper

[Deleted]

@dominique

"Why didn't you tell me you were bringing gifts? I didn't even think of that," harper couldn't help but smile at doms pout. she was so adorable with her face all puckered like that. "because i'm the one that went away. i'm supposed to come home with gifts!" she said as she reached out to touch her hand to dom's arm lightly. "Do you want me to open this now?" harper drew her hand back and laughed softly. she brought her hand up to rest against her chin and shook her head. "no. i want you to leave it wrapped forever." she couldn't resist teasing her cousin and then was happy when she started to take the paper off. "A book! This looks really old too. Probably pretty rare and unique, Thank you Harper!" she smiled as she leaned forward to wrap her arm around dom. the smile was all she needed to see. "you're welcome. you'll have to tell me what it's about and if you enjoy it!" she smiled as she sat back and took a sip from the glass that had appeared in front of her. it was about time. "You know me, I'm pretty boring. I went to the Yule Ball with Ranger Lloyd. He's a really good friend of mine and we had a lot of fun. Other than that, I don't really have much to report. I'm meeting lots of new people, what with the foreigners here. How are you doing?"

dom wasn't boring. she was one of the leas boring people that harper knew, though she refrained from telling her cousin that, yet. "ranger lloyd?" well that was interesting. "nothing at all? no other boys to report? any one catching your eye?" she said with a soft smile. she knew that dom was still dealing with the death of ethan. everyone in the family knew how they had effected her and she hoped her cousin was starting to feel a little better about it, though she could understand if she wasn't. it was hard to get over something when you loved the person. "me? i'm great. getting settled back into life here before i pick up and go to romania" she said with a laugh as she leaned her arms down on the table. "one holiday this year, i'm kidnapping you and i'm taking you to hawaii. i'll drag all the girls along .. you'll love it there. i'm sure."

'outfit'

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Dom grimaced at Harper, but she figured her cousin would know she was still teasing. "Exactly. You're the one that went away. I should be getting you a present to welcome you back!" She knew that wasn't what Harper was getting at, but she couldn't exactly let it go. Maybe she should start getting gifts for her cousins. Well, some of her cousins. Her favorites. There were too many for her to get gifts for everyone. She nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it," Dom promised as she hugged the book to her chest and then lowered it to her lap. She loved books, especially books that were once presents. Those were the best kind.

Dom smiled when Harper asked about Ranger. "Yeah, we went out a few times and had quite a bit of fun, but we're not dating. I think we're better off as friends." And so did Ranger, which is why Dom felt comfortable telling Harper. She shook her head, "Not at the moment, but you know me. I'm always making new friends and talking to guys. I'll find someone to take me out a few times soon enough." She didn't mean to let "a few times" slip out, but it did. A clear sign that she still wasn't over Ethan, but Dom wasn't about to let that show through outwardly. She smiled a little wider, just on purpose. "When do you go to Romania?" Dom asked curiously, also changing the subject. She clapped her hands excitedly at the mention of Hawaii. "Yes! You have my permission to take me for that. Go ahead!" It probably wouldn't happen, but Dom liked talking about it.

@harper

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@dominique

"Yeah, we went out a few times and had quite a bit of fun, but we're not dating. I think we're better off as friends. Not at the moment, but you know me. I'm always making new friends and talking to guys. I'll find someone to take me out a few times soon enough." harper smiled as dom talked. there was something about that that reminded her of her school days. well they were family, related to each other so really it was no surprise. "you sound like me dom!" she said with a laugh as she brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "which is a good thing. no need to get settled into something serious when you have your life to live." she had almost made that mistake, getting settled into something at a young age. "When do you go to Romania?" she leaned back in her chair and kept her glass in her hand, taking a sip before answering. "a week after christmas." it was coming up quick. too quick really but she was excited for it. "Yes! You have my permission to take me for that. Go ahead!" she laughed at doms enthusiasm to go to hawaaii and she nodded. "okay, done it will be!" she said as she sat her drink back on the table. "so are you enjoying the tournament?"

'outfit'

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Dom giggled and nodded when Harper said that they were similar, but deep down she knew it was forced. While she and Harper were very similar in many ways, this wasn't one of them. Dom was ready to settle. At least, she thought she had been. And then he- no. She couldn't think about that right now or her thoughts were betray her. She knew better than to think about Ethan in situations with lots of people around. "Of course I do! I figured you would understand, at least." She shrugged a little, "Not that I really know what I want to do with my life. I'm working on figuring that out," she admitted, sure that Harper would still support her in that. Dom's mouth fell open when Harper said when she'd be leaving. "So soon? I thought you'd get to spend a little time here before leaving!" Not that Dom would be able to spend much time with her cousin. She'd be in school once it started again. So she gave Harper a more serious expression. "You'd better not forget, because I won't and if you do I'll definitely hold a grudge against you." Grudges weren't really Dom's thing, but threatening them sounded about right. "The tournament is fine. I mean, it doesn't really have much to do with me, but it was stressful watching Anna go through the first task. I'm proud of her, though. She did well. Other than that, just the Yule Ball coming up and that's going to be fun for sure. Are you going to be able to make it to any of the tasks?"

@harper

[Deleted]

@dominique

"So soon? I thought you'd get to spend a little time here before leaving!" she smiled as she shook her head slightly. she had already put off her training too long and she really needed to get started. the sooner she did the sooner she was fully able to work on her own. "i'll be back though, i won't be over there all of the time." she said as she sipped her drink. she'd try and come back as much as she could. that was something she did love about her family, they were all willing to spend time with each other. well most of them anyway and they at least tolerated the family parties that her grandparents threw so it was always good to see everyone there. "You'd better not forget, because I won't and if you do I'll definitely hold a grudge against you." harper raised her hands and leaned back slightly, laughing as she did so. "i cross my heart and hope to die." she said, crossing two fingers over her heart. "The tournament is fine. I mean, it doesn't really have much to do with me, but it was stressful watching Anna go through the first task. I'm proud of her, though. She did well. Other than that, just the Yule Ball coming up and that's going to be fun for sure. Are you going to be able to make it to any of the tasks?" she listened as dom explained and she nodded slightly. she too was proud of her cousin. it was a huge task to put on someone and while anna had asked for it she was glad she seemed to be handling it well enough. there was nothing worse than watching someone struggle with something they couldn't handle and not be able to help them. "i'm hoping to at least make it to one. it doesn't matter which but i'd like to watch her. let her know i support her and i'm going to be cheering for her no matter where i am in the world!" she said with a wide smile as she sipped her drink again.

'outfit'

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Dom's eyebrows creased a little, "So do you have to go through a specific training where you're there for a set amount of time and then you can come back or is there a little more freedom with it?" Maybe working with dragons was something Dom would be interested in ... but she didn't think so. Still, there wasn't a problem with learning more about it. Dom laughed and finally let Harper's promise go. She trusted her cousin to not forget that they had a fun vacation planned with one another. Things like this tended to be a game with Dom and she didn't always go through with them, but she wanted to help this one become a reality. Dom nodded when Harper started talking about coming back to watch one of the tasks. "Well you should let me know when you're coming and we can sit together," Dom suggested. It wasn't that she couldn't find someone to sit by on her own, but Dom knew it would be more fun to be around someone like Harper or Lily. Besides, being with family meant they could all freak out about Anna's well-being together. "So are you making any other stops on your way?" 

@harper