Everybody's Got Scars That They Hide ** (IRINA)

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

Nikolai had sent an owl to Irina the week prior, asking her when she was available to meet him in Hogsmeade again and he made time to go see her. Magdalena had no shift today, but he felt like going to The Three Broomsticks was the easiest choice. The pregnancy was rough on her, and with her birthday coming up he wanted her to be as rested as possible so she could enjoy it. She rarely got any sleep anymore, and had a lot of unusual symptoms. They had an appointment a few days after her birthday to get her checked out and to find out the gender, but Nikolai was more concerned about her health and well being than anything.

Not that this was what he wanted to talk to Irina about, but he knew it would come up. He actually just wanted to see his sister, as well as tell her a few things he had heard from his captain about the entire Quidditch fiasco with their younger sister Ripley. They had all spoken of it early in September, and Nikolai had promised his younger sister's to get information on it so the arguments could stop. And so he did.

Nikolai chose a booth closer to the door so he could see when his sister entered, and he ordered himself a coffee, a large plate of fries for the two of them, and was contemplating some warm apple pie but decided to wait for Irina to see if she would want any dessert after.

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina's January so far had been...busy. School had started again, and NEWT examinations looked a lot closer in the new term than they had last semester, something the professors had been noticing.  In her spare time, she'd taken up yoga with the teachings of one of her classmates - she was finding that not only was it a great workout but it also kept her centered emotionally, which she really needed.  Irina knew why Daniel needed time and space for her; it was too much too fast, he hadn't been able to fully process everything, and she understood it.  She kept the necklace nestled in its box on her person wherever she was to remind her that this was not goodbye for ever.  But that didn't mean she didn't show moments of weakness, when she was by herself watching her friends and their significant others together.  She never let anyone else see her like this; heck she hadn't even told her siblings about what had happened yet.  She didn't know how to tell them.

She was a bit wary when Nikolai had owled her asking to meet in Hogsmeade, but then his letter had mentioned Ripley and Quidditch.  The topic was beginning to be a sore subject for the siblings, and Niko had promised to look into things to get them finally squared away so they could stop squabbling.  So she made her way into the village and into the Three Broomsticks where her brother was waiting.  She couldn't help but smile as she saw the large plate of fries in front of him.  "What, no cheese on the side?" she asked teasingly.  She bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek; months ago this would have seemed weird to her since Nikolai hadn't allowed her to touch him in any way, but now it was becoming a common place thing.  She slid into the booth and ordered a butterbeer for herself.  "So, have you any news?" she asked, plucking a fry off the plate and dunking it in ketchup before popping it into her mouth.


@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

Nikolai took a few bites of the french fries, and grinned with his mouth full as Irina showed up and bent over, kissing his cheek. Nikolai gestured to the seat in front of him and swallowed the fries, taking another sip of his hot coffee. "Would you like cheese? I could order some, you know." He laughed as he studied his sister. The fries were for the both of them, but if she wanted cheese he didn't mind getting any. It had been awhile since Nikolai had seen Irina, and he wanted to catch up with her, but she was definitely rushing into the entire Quidditch situation, not that he minded that either.

Laughing, he sat back in the booth slightly, tilting his head to his sister. "Well, I spoke with Koda...and there were some new rules added. Basically, there is now an age requirement. You have to be graduated from school to play on the team." He grinned. "Ripley can't play. Not now, not later, and not next year either. She won't be happy. Thankfully Tatiana is much more understanding." Nikolai was glad they'd have to concentrate on their schooling. It was important. And if anything happened, or if they didn't enjoy Quidditch as much as they thought they might, they'd possibly have something else to fall back on.

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina just grinned and gestured over the waiter who was bringing her her butterbeer. "Can we get cheese on the side for these?" she asked. The waiter nodded and was off again. Irina took a sip of her drink as Nikolai explained to her what he had spoken to his Captain about. "So they're focusing on ensuring that players have a fallback because Merlin forbid they get injured?  That's good," she said, popping a fry in the cheese that had just been set on the table.  Ah, that was better; cheese tended to make everything better.  "I can try to talk to Rip, last I heard you two had another argument so perhaps it's best I take a crack at it.  Do you have something in writing from Dakota?  That would help," she asked him, helping herself to another french fry.

Irina looked around; she didn't think that Magi would have had a shift that day if Nikolai had asked her to meet him there, and that was confirmed after a few moments.  "How is Magi by the way?  She'd mentioned that she was having some trouble sleeping when I saw her the day after Christmas.  I hope she liked the book I got her; it seemed rather fascinating and I'm not even interested in wandlore," she told him with a small smile.  She knew his brothers' girlfriend had ben rather surprised when she had gotten her a gift, but really Irina had just found the book while wandering Hogsmeade and thought it was the perfect addition to their little library.

@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

Nikolai chuckled quietly when Irina asked for cheese. He wasn't much of a cheese on fries type of guy, he preferred just salt. Maybe barbecue sauce here and there but just regular fries was his thing. "Yes, that's exactly what they are doing. And I think it's the best thing they could possibly do." Nikolai knew that Ripley wouldn't be happy, so for Irina to say she would speak to her about it was a big thing off his chest. He was sick of arguing with Ripley. "That would be great. And I can have Koda write something up and I can owl it to you so you have it."

He watched her look around and then ask about Magdalena and he nodded. "She's...okay. Still not sleeping very much, but she wasn't sleeping much before the baby either." Nikolai smiled. It was still unusual to talk about pregnancy and baby, but he was glad he had Irina and Dan to speak to about it. He didn't want to worry Irina about the appointment they had for her stomach pains she's been having, so he kept it subtle. "We have an appointment to just check a few things out and hopefully find out if it's a boy or a girl. But that's next week, Magi's birthday is this weekend so I'm hoping she feels well enough to celebrate." Nikolai was glad Irina had gotten Magi a gift; she didn't her family around, and for his sister to try to get close to her meant a lot to him. "She loved it, Irina, honest."

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina smiled softly; she knew that Nik and Ripley had been butting heads more and more lately.  They both had their reasons of course.  Nikolai had Magi and her pregnancy to worry about, not to mention her ties to Club Indigo.  And Ripley?  Well, she was currently dating Emile and talking about dropping out of school to play Quidditch professionally.  It was certainly enough to keep them both on short tempers, and while Rina had her own problems she was happy to be the mediator.  "Thanks, I know it would help for her to see something in writing instead of just going off both of our word," she told him.

As Nikolai explained what was going on with Magi, Rina frowned slightly.  Was it just her, or was her brother hiding something?  She could see the fatigue around his eyes; clearly Magi wasn't the only one not sleeping well.  She wouldn't push him, not yet at least.  She didn't want him to get defensive and turn the subject onto her own relationship, she wasn't ready for that quite yet.  "Are you excited to find out the gender?  Any names picked out?" she asked with a smile.


@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

"Oh definitely. She wouldn't listen to me anyways, with proof or without, so I hope she'll listen to you." He chuckled. Nikolai had realized that him and Ripley both had similar attitudes, but he knew where to back off and leave. It just seemed like lately Ripley just wanted to argue with him, but having Irina as a sort of mediator would make it all the more easier. Nikolai took a few french fries and ate them, tilting his head back and forth as he thought, then grinned. "How was the Ball?!"

Niko gave his sister an understanding smile as she frowned at him. He was glad she didn't push further, though he knew she could tell there was something going on. Normally Nikolai was fantastic at hiding his feelings, but when it came to something being wrong with Magdalena, he couldn't hide it. His own feelings and emotions, sure. But her...it was too hard. "We are excited, both hoping for a girl. But even if it's a boy we'll love him just as much." Nikolai knew that Daniel was hoping for a girl as well, but Irina hadn't shown her preference if she had any. "Names...we've thrown a few around here and there. But I think we're waiting to see if it's a boy or girl first."

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina hoped the little pang she felt in her heart at the mention of the Yule Ball; it had been fantastic, but it felt like a lifetime ago now.  Still, she'd focus on the positive, and that was that the night had been magical.  "It was lovely, I got a photo of the three of us before we went downstairs for the ball," she said happily, pulling out a photo of herself, Ripley and Tatiana before the festivities had started.  Irina smiled down a little at how happy the three of them looked together before sliding it over to her elder brother.  "Feel free to keep it," she told him, then tossed her hair behind her shoulder.  "It was so lovely though Nikolai, they had this little Bavarian-esque village set up in the gardens with food stalls and a hedge maze.  It was so much  more than the history books talked about the Yule Ball."  She trailed off, picking up another french fry and popping it into her mouth.  

Irina almost choked on her Butterbeer when Nikolai admitted both he and Magi wanted a girl.  "I appreciate the honesty brother, most pregnant couples are very insistant on saying all they want is a healthy child," she said, her eyes crinkling at the corner with  surpressed smile.  "And alright, I get it.  Keep the name for yourself for now," she added, holding up her hands again and laughing a little.  She looked back down at the photo sitting on top of the table and felt tears pinprick the sides of her eyes.  "We broke up," she heard herself saying, forcing herself to look at her brother.  "Dan and I....he needs time t-to understand his empathy in regards to what w-we have and...I shouldn't be crying, this is so stupid."  Irina wiped her eyes, blinking rapidly.  "It's not forever but..it's s-so hard sometimes, and I feel like a w-weakling for feeling that way," she whispered, trying to take a deep breath and wiping her eyes again.


@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

Nikolai smiled as Irina spoke of the Yule Ball. She pulled out the photo and slid it over, and Niko touched it with his fingertips and brought it closer to himself so he could look at it closer. His three baby sisters all looked incredible; happy, healthy, and beautiful, and Niko couldn't be any happier to see so. He looked up to her, his eyebrows lifted slightly. "Are you sure I can keep it? I'd really love to...I need a new picture of the three of you. You all looked amazing." The three of them in the photo were laughing and looking back at him, and he laughed quietly, before glancing back up at Irina. "It seemed like a wonderful time. It's unfortunate that I couldn't be there with you four." Four, as in Daniel.

His eyes widened when she choked and his jaw dropped slightly, before he laughed out loud. "Oh, Irina! Of course we hope it is a healthy baby, you know that." He knew she was just kidding, but it was definite that Nikolai and Magdalena wanted their child to be healthy. But from what Irina had asked, Nikolai had just assumed that she wanted to know which gender they preferred. "You'll know the name eventually, but we've got a few that we're going back and forth with." He chuckled. Nikolai's face fell immediately after, however, when Irina spoke those three little words. He swallowed hard, stood up, and slid into the booth next to his little sister. Nikolai's left arm immediately went around her shoulders, and his right hand went up to wipe a tear from her cheek. "First off, it's not stupid. Second, you are far from a weakling, and third, you can cry whenever you feel the need to." Nikolai's voice was gentle. He assumed this is why he hadn't heard from Dan in a few weeks, but he had to be here for Irina.

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina’s lower lip trembled as Nik came over to sit beside her, and a few more tears spilled from her damp eyes as he made to wipe from from her cheek. “Thanks big brother,” she said softly, leaning into him automatically. She knew that Dan was Nikolai’s best friend, and how much it had taken him to get used to the idea of the two of them as a couple rather than just friends. She knew it took even more for him to be sitting here with his arm around her shoulders, being a physical comfort to her. So she allowed herself sixty seconds to just let out the tears; she buried her face into his shoulder and felt the tears slide down her cheeks, dampening her brothers shoulder.

With a final sniffle, Irina drew her head back and took a deep breath, letting it out with a shuddering sigh. “Sorry, I got your shirt wet,” she said, with a watery giggle. She grabbed at a napkin and gently dabbed at her eyes, thankful for the invention of waterproof mascara. “Do I look a mess Nik?” she asked him, pressing her fingers to her cheeks. They felt warm to the touch; Irina knew she wasn’t the prettiest crier but hopefully she didn’t look too much like a splotchy mess.

@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

Nikolai didn't speak, he just smiled at Irina. He knew he didn't have to say anything; Niko had become very well versed in how to comfort his sisters with his words instead of a hug. It was more natural for him, but now that he could touch Irina and be able to give her that hug he hadn't been able to since she was a toddler, was a wonderful feeling for him. Nikolai gave her a gentle squeeze as she leaned closer into him and began to cry more. He felt terrible. Niko had never been in any type of heartbreak before, so he didn't know what she was going through, but the most he could do was be her big brother.

"Oh stop it, it's just a shirt. I have plenty." He laughed quietly. Nikolai used his free hand to take a few french fries as she wiped her tears away but kept his arm around her. He wanted her to know that he was there for her, no matter what happened. Even if she did something to hurt Dan, (which he knew she wouldn't), but Nikolai would never turn his baby sister away for anything. He tilted his head towards her and shook his head, smiling. His hands went up to grab hers, and they wrapped around hers to give a small squeeze. "Irina Rose, you could never look a mess. You are stunning, crying or not."

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina let out a watery giggle as her brother claimed it was just a shirt. “I know, but I feel badly all the same,” she said, wiping at the damp spot fruitlessly with one hand. She sighed; her eyes felt dry and she knew they probably looked red. She was tired of being sad about it all; she knew that one day perhaps they’d get back together, but Daniel’s empathy was a huge thing he had to understand if he was going to be a partner in a romantic relationship. She supposed time would only tell, and there was nothing she could do about that. “Thanks Nik, you’re sweet,” she told him when he said she was stunning whether she was crying or not. “I just….I don’t know. I need a vacation from life, even if it’s just for a weekend getaway. Just...clear my head and get my thoughts together. Come out stronger in the end,” she mused, tucking a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. Maybe getting away for a few days was exactly what she needed. She didn’t really care where she went, somewhere warm, somewhere rainy, heck somewhere where a blizzard was raging. Somewhere that was not Hogwarts for a few days to get away from her relationship woes. That was what she needed really, and she was realizing this more and more.

@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

"Oh, stop it." Nikolai laughed, rolling his eyes as she began to pat his shirt. It wasn't all that wet, and like he had said, he had other shirts and this one would dry. She shouldn't feel too bad, it wasn't like this happened often. In fact, the last time Nikolai was able to physically comfort Irina, she was only four years old. "Oh, I know, Ri, thank you." He gave his younger sister a wink and smiled. He of course was just messing with her, but it was fun all the same. As she spoke, he put his elbows up on the table, and rested his cheek on his fist, watching her. Normally Nikolai wouldn't try to be so deciphering, but Irina looked genuinely upset. "How's my place sound? In two weekends from now. I can owl Professor Longbottom."

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina considered Nikolai’s offer for only a split second before offering him a small smile. “That sounds good, I fully expect a home cooked meal filled with comfort and a side of something that's rather unhealthy,” she said, then laughed a little. Her brother was an excellent cook, but Magi had let her in on the fact that he was cooking very healthy since she was expecting their child. That made sense; good nutrition was very important for a growing fetus, and she knew Niko was taking his impending venture into fatherhood very seriously. Still, everyone deserved a treat every once in awhile, and wasn’t the best cure for a breakup good family and good food?

Irina popped another fry in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I just have to remember that I am my own person; Daniel doesn’t define who I am or how I’m viewed to the world,” she said suddenly, looking at Nikolai. “I love him with all my heart, I do. But I think I have a lot of soul searching to do myself,” she admitted with a little shrug.

@jill9

[Deleted]

Irina Rose Krum
<3

"Well of course, Ri! What else would I possibly do? Friday night and Saturday night, don't you worry." He smiled. Nikolai was already planning a few things in his head, remembering her favorite meals and desserts. She'd have a complete relaxing weekend away with her brother and Magdalena. He'd make sure of it. "I know you love him, Irina. I do as well, we all do. I think some soul searching will be good for the both of you, and when you come back together, the love will be stronger than before." Nikolai was lucky enough to have met someone who made him a better person and also helped him along in the process with learning who he was and finding his own true soul inside of him. "What's important to me, is that you're both happy."