99 Luftballons -- Dominique

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina had wanted to take Alchemy during her seventh year at Hogwarts, but sadly it was scheduled at the same time as her Charms class.  She didn't understand why the two classes had to be at the same time, but since TimeTurners were a thing of the past (quite literally) and she needed Charms for Cursebreaking, Charms had won out.  Still, the professor let her borrow Alchemy books from time to time if she requested, which was her destination that day.  The Alchemy classroom was just a floor below the Gryffindor Common Room, so it was pretty easy for her to get to.  She browsed the professors collection, selecting one of the volumes that caught her interest, and heaved the book into her bag. 

As she left the classroom, Irina shifted her bag off her shoulder towards her other arm; the Alchemy book was a bit heavier than she had originally expected.  When she lifted it back up to her other shoulder though, she heard a loud ripping noise and watched helplessly as her books clambored down the stairwell onto the fifth floor.  Irina swore out loud as she raced after her books, picking them up and groaning slightly at the sight of her bag.  She was so preoccupied she didn't even notice someone else come over to her, presumably to help.


@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom was wandering the corridors again. Honestly this only happened when there wasn't enough time in between her classes for her to go outside, but to her it seemed like it happened constantly. The good thing about wandering the corridors was that it was easy to have other students distract you and want to talk to you, which was something she wanted at the moment. She felt like she was getting better at controlling her emotions and memories again (after those few days with Vic), but at the moment memories of Ethan were haunting her and she desperately wanted some form of distraction. 

The loud sound of something ripping, someone swearing and something that could only be described as books tumbling came as a great relief to Dom. Pulling herself out of her memories, she jogged down the hall, pausing when she saw that it was Irina Krum. They weren't particularly close, but they were the same year. "Hey Irina, want some help?" she asked, even as she bent down to help the girl. Asking was more to be polite than to get permission.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina's head snapped up as she heard the other person speak; Dominique Weasley, one of Anna and Lily's cousins.  "Hi Dom," she said with a small smile, then nodded gratefully at the offer of assistance.  "That'd be lovely, thank you," she told her, allowing the redhead to help her gather up her books.  "If you could hold these, I think I can go ahead and fix the rip," she added, pulling out her wand.  She muttered a few words and the bag sewed itself up.  She took some of the books Dom held in her hand and placed them gently back in her bag.  "I got a little too eager with the Alchemy books I wanted to bring back with me," she admitted, taking the last book from her and holding it in her arms.  "How are you?" she asked, moving her hair so that it was behind her shoulders.  She didn't talk too much to Dom normally, but she was nice enough at least.  Not the worst person in the world to have a conversation with.


@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom smiled when Irina asked her to hold the books while she fixed the rip in her bag. "No problem," Dom answered easily. She knew about having too many books in your bag. It was one of the curses that came with being a Ravenclaw that REALLY liked to study. Once Irina seemed ready, Dom held the books out for her, laughing at Irina's explanation. "I understand. I go through this sort of thing all the time," she said easily. At least, she went through it until she put an undetectable enlargening charm on her bookbag. That made things so much simpler and Dom loved it. She shrugged at Irina's question, "I'm good. Loving classes and everything as normal. And you?" 

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina smiled gratefully as Dom agreed to help hold her books for a moment. "Thanks," she said.  "Got any tricks then that have this happening far less often?" she asked curiously.  If Dom didn't have her bags ripping every other day due to the load of books she had, then she must have figured a new way to keep her bag in tact.  It wasn't all that often of course that Irina found herself with one too many books, since she was usually careful with which books she needed at some point.  Today though, was one of those exceptions that was unusual.

"I'm well thank you," Irina responded with another smile.  Really she did feel a lot better than she had at the beginning of January; she finally felt the clouds lifting from her head after Dan left.  Between spending time with her friends, making sure her grades were up to par for the NEWTs, taking yoga and playing music more often, she was really beginning to find herself again.  "I actually received a letter from my father this morning; he ran into your mum last week and I suppose they are discussing a party for us after we graduate," she added, remembering the letter as she put it back into her bag from the ground which it had fallen on.  Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour had remained happy friends since their Triwizard Tournament in the nineties, but Irina had always been closer friends with the Potters than the Delacour-Weasley clan for whatever reason.


@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom nodded, "No problem," and didn't really know what else to say until Irina asked if she knew a solution to that specific type of problem. "Ummm .... have you ever thought about using an undetectable extension charm?" She asked. She didn't want to tell Irina what to do, but that was the best way she knew to work around that particular struggle.

Then Irina mentioned the letter from her father and Dom smiled, "Oh really? Well that sounds like fun," she admitted. She liked parties. Heck, who was she trying to fool here? She loved parties! They gave the perfect opportunity to move around and socialize and really just have fun. Dom was always in the mood for a party. "Did he tell you what they're planning specifically?" She asked curiously. She knew her mother and her tendency to go a little overboard, so Dom was- naturally- curious.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina stopped stuffing her bag and looked up at Dominique, a bemused expression on her face.  "An Undetectable Extension Charm?" she repeated.  She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that before; so simple yet so brilliant.  Irina's face broke out into a smile.  "Perfect," she said, pulling out her wand.  She paused, then uttered the charm quickly under her breath and tested it out.  As she heard her bag have a sort of clanging inside, she smiled again.  "Success, thank you for the suggestion Dom!" she exclaimed, finishing putting in the books and marveling at how everything fit but it didn't buldge, threatening to burst at the seams.

"I think our mothers have more to do with it; likely the idea came up with your mum and my dad, my dad mentioned it to my mum and it just fired up from there," Irina admitted with a chuckle.  "I'm imagining a lot of food from their countries, and some sort of theme."  Her father didn't mind parties of course, but it was her mother who reveled in party going and planning.  Nikolai's own party had had a very Quidditch-y theme to it, with the nod to his recruitment to the Appleby Arrows.  Irina wondered what her mother had planned for her own theme; ancient history perhaps?  That didn't sound like something Elena Krum would come up with on her own.  "What are you hoping to do after graduation, if you don't mind me asking?" she asked the other girl curiously.


@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom smiled at Irina when the girl thanked her for suggesting the Charm. "No problem. You would have thought of it eventually, I just saved you time. Besides, I know what it's like to lose so many books because you're studying." Annoying! That's what it was! Dom hated it when her books ended up on the floor and she was planning on going somewhere. 

"Ahhhhh, I see," Dom muttered when Irina suggested that their mothers had more to do with the party. That made a lot more sense. At least that was good news. Dom generally liked the parties that her mother planned. Not necessarily the clothes she was supposed to wear to them, but she enjoyed the actual parties. Socializing was fun. She laughed when Irina asked the question that everyone was asking this year. "I honestly have no idea. I think I'm just going to try things out and find something that works for me. Once I find it, then I'll stick with it. I'm not really one for planning things out," she confessed, though that was hardly something that would surprise Irina, or anyone that knew her.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina chuckled at Dominiques reaction to the fact that it was Fleur and Elena’s idea to throw the party. “Something about the children of the 1994 Triwizard Champions all graduating at the same time, which means the Potters will be involved too.” Lily’s father Harry had of course been the fourth Champion, an outlier due to an imposter Death Eater working at Hogwarts. Viktor and Harry had remained close over the years as they had with Fleur, and Irina knew it was partly due to the death of the other Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory. Being the Champion of a Tournament where someone died and became the start of a War was not something one simply just gets over easily. “It’ll be fun, massive probably between you, me and Al,” Irina commented; she knew probably the entire Weasley clan would be there, plus other friends and family of the three of them.

She couldn’t help but give a small laugh of appreciation at Dominique’s outlook on life after Hogwarts. “See, I’m the complete opposite. I’m pretty sure I’ve known I wanted to be a Cursebreaker since...oh, second year?” she told her with a smile. “It just involves everything I’m interested in; travel, history and adventure,” she added. “But I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of stories from your Dad over the years,” she mentioned quickly, remembering that Dominique’s father was one of the more well-known Cursebreakers for Gringotts. It would be interesting to talk with him at this party their parents were planning.

@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom smiled at Irina, "Well at least with all of us there, we'll all be able to have a good time," she commented easily. That wasn't really a problem for Dom though. As a typical rule, she had a tendency to enjoy herself during parties and she was sure that this one wouldn't be any exception. She nodded, "Yes, between the three of us and all our friends and such, it should be quite a decent party," Dom agreed.

Irina explained her reasoning and how long she'd wanted to be a Cursebreaked, "Well it's good to know what you want to do too," she answered, though she felt the complete opposite. Dom was not one for planning. She liked to just go and do and see where it took her. Sure, the things that Irina mentioned (travel, history, adventure), she liked all those things, but Dom wasn't ready to chose a job based on that. She needed more information, as always. Then Dom laughed, "Yes, we've heard lots and lots of stories from Dad about his adventures," she agreed. "After we graduate and you've spent some time as a Cursebreaker we should get together so you can tell me your own stories," Dom suggested.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina nodded in agreement. “I’ll say, between you, your brother and Lily there there’ll be more than enough adventure to go around,” she said with a chuckle. Most of the Weasleys’ had an adventurous side, but those three happened to have the wildest streaks of them all. Just a few weeks ago she and Lily were climbing the rooftops of the castle, and she had heard rumors of Louis Weasley’s zipline from the Astronomy Tower down to the lake. The party would definitely not be boring, to say the least.

Irina grinned and shrugged nonchalantly. “I just feel like it’s my destiny, you know? Well, I know it sounds strange, but I feel as though it’s what I am meant to do,” she said, then giggled a little. “But it’s okay to be the opposite too; not knowing what you want out of life at eighteen isn’t exactly the worst thing in the world. I’ve heard that Muggles usually go to a sort of second school until their early twenties before going out into the workforce. So it’s definitely not just you,” she added, trying to sound reassuring.

@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom gave a small chuckle. "Yes and if there isn't enough adventure there initially, we'll bring it with us," she commented lightly. It was true. If either of the three of them got bored, they would definitely do something at the party to make it more fun for them. It was just the way they worked. She grinned at the Gryffindor girl. "Want me to come find you if it's boring? You can join in on whatever fun we come up with."

Irina started talking about how being a cursebreaker was her destiny and Dom nodded. She understood how lots of people knew what they wanted to do right out of school and that was cool for them. It just ... wasn't her. Then Irina started talking about how it was fine to not know what you wanted to do and Dom laughed outright. "Oh I'm not worried about it, Irina. Not in the slightest. I've been looking at things, I just haven't found what's right for me yet. Things like this always work out pretty smoothly for me." Dom wasn't trying to brag, but they did. She didn't have to worry about jobs because she knew that once she found the job that spoke to her, she'd get hired and do it. That was simply the way she worked. Nothing to it. She smiled. "Even if it was just me, I wouldn't be worried. I'm alright doing things on my own."

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina smiled at the invitation and nodded. “Oh yes; I’m sure my parents will want to invite all their Quidditch friends which would dazzle Lily for sure, but give me a good tree to climb or a waterfall to jump from and I’m a happy camper,” she said laughing. She didn’t think Dominique knew much about her adventurous streak; at school Irina was head of the Potions club and performed with the Orchestra club, and during the winter months spent most of her time reading History books in the library. Not exactly an obvious outdoors woman, but she knew Dom was, so that would give them something in common.

Irina nodded thoughtfully as Dominique explained that she was perfectly fine with not knowing what career she’d end up in after school. “Has your Head of House offered any ideas or suggestions?” she asked curiously. In fifth year, her Head of House had given all the Gryffindors Career advice, and though Irina had already known she wanted to go into Cursebreaking, it was nice to get the reassurance that she had the proper credentials for it. “Will you travel a bit do you think? See the world, maybe find out if there’s another country out there that you fall in love with?” Irina asked. Part of her wanting to be a Cursebreaker involved all the travel she’d get to do; since Dominique was even more adventurous than she, she wondered if that would appeal to her as well.

@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom smiled when Irina mentioned all the people that would be invited to the party. Then she said all she wanted was to be outside climbing a tree or jumping from a waterfall and Dom cocked her head to the side a little. She knew that she and Irina weren't particularly close, but how could the girl like being outdoors so much without Dom knowing about it? It was just strange. She thought hard, trying to remember seeing Irina outside, but nothing stuck out to her. "Well I'll definitely join you if you start climbing a tree or jumping off a waterfall," she responded with a smile. Finding people who were willing to join her on her antics was always a fun thing. 

Dom laughed when Irina asked if her Head of House had any suggestions for her. "Yes, my Head did, as do my parents, siblings, friends, acquaintances." She laughed again and shrugged. "None of it sounded right for me. I don't know what I'm going to do, but when I figure it out, I'll know." She knew that probably didn't make much sense, but it did to her. It was like when Dom was trying to figure out what she should do when she was bored. She went through a bunch of ideas and when the right one struck her, she just knew. That was how she made her decisions and she expected job finding would be about the same. She kept the smile on her face as Irina asked more questions. "I don't know. I might go traveling, that does sound like fun and I do like new places. I just ... I don't have a plan for it. Whatever is going to happen will happen and I'll embrace it when it does. I know most people don't do things that way, but it works for me." She watched her fellow seventh-year with a curious eye. Most people had a tendency to freak out when they realized how unorganized she was. 

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina’s smile widened. “Good,” she said, then glanced out one of the many glass paned windows. “I hate when its cold or wet outside; it makes climbing that much more difficult.” Difficult, but not impossible. She turned back to Dominique. “We have this massive tree in my grandparents’ backyard in Bulgaria, probably fifty or so feet in the air. Climbing to the top can be daunting to some, but the view is unbeatable.” Irina stopped talking for a moment, wistfully smiling at the memory of racing to the top of the tree with Dan. It was a good memory, but she knew if she dwelled on it for too long she’d just get sad again.

“Everyone has their own opinions on what we should be doing post graduation,” Irina agreed with a laugh. Merlin didn’t she know it; since first year her mother had been wheedling her to play Quidditch so she could follow in her fathers’ footsteps, but Quidditch simply wasn’t in the cards for Rina. She hadn’t immediately gone to Cursebreaking but it had been a few years since her heart settled on it, and she wouldn’t let anyone change her mind. “That’s one way of going about it, but you have to do what you want. Nobody can tell you otherwise,” she said, noticing that Dom was looking at her with a curiosity. Personally she didn’t mind that Dom had no clue what she was doing with her life after school; a part of her even envied her a little bit.

@dominique