Sister to Sister (Irina)

[Deleted]

There had been a lot going on recently - although thankfully not as much as there had been the year before. The previous year still haunted Raina a little, she had her worries about what was coming - this year had been a little better at least compared to last year but it had been busy with the Tri-Wizard Tournament happening. Which honestly had been rather interesting - Raina had been sending letters to their father more often than usual - filled with little questions about it. She really did hope he hadn't minded, but who would have been better to ask than someone who had been part of the last one that happened? 

With everything going on and Raina being the busy social bee she sometimes was, by the time the Tournament finished - the year was almost over. She had taken sometime for herself, relaxing out in the Courtyard with her old guitar, gently playing as she relaxed for a bit. She had come to several realizations this year - some a little personal, and others - well others just seemed to make her feel a little sad. She needed to talk to her sister. She had never done overly well with changes and so much had changed and was still changing. There had been a couple times this year where she had wanted to talk to her brother - only to remember he wasn't at school anymore, he was out in the world - and Next year Irina wouldn't be here either. That thought had been stuck on Raina's mind for the last week, as everyone spoke of the end of year exams and OWLs and NEWTs. Raina had remembered this was going to be the last year for Irina, and next year - was going to be Nevena's... after that - she'd have a year all on her own. The thought set her stomach in knots.

Her hand clutched a little tighter to her guitar, lips pressing together as she let her head drop slightly - her currently blue hair fell into her eyes. She had charmed it on a whim, an eager need for a change that she did have control over. The sight of the blue strands in her face made a smile tug at her lips before she let out a sigh, shifting the guitar as she checked the time. Earlier she had sent a letter to her oldest sister - asking Irina to meet her down here. She should be here any moment now. Quickly tucking her hair back she leans back slightly, fingers falling back against the guitar strings as she plays a few notes to herself, waiting for her sister to join her.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina had gotten a note from her baby sister Raina earlier that day, wanting to meet up to talk. She knew Raina was coming to the realization that, with the school year almost over, that Irina would no longer be at Hogwarts, but off breaking curses for Gringotts, or whatever Cursebreaking trainees did. It had been an interesting year at Hogwarts, with the Triwizard Tournament and the foreign delegates, Daniel having been one of them. She knew her sisters were all fond of Daniel, but perhaps not quite like Irina had been. It was nearly the end of the month of April, and though she had felt she was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for getting over her very first heartbreak, the snowglobe and note had sent her into a tailspin of all new questions and confusion. She hadn’t told her sisters about it yet, but she supposed now was as good of a time as any. So she carried the snow globe with her, tucked safely into her bag as she trudged down the many staircases to get to the courtyard. She assumed her sister had something specific she wanted to talk about first; Irina knew she had talked her two sisters’ ears off about her relationship woes over the year, so Raina’s conversation would come first.

As she walked outside into the sunlight, Irina spotted a girl clutching a guitar in the courtyard. She smiled; Raina barely went anywhere without that instrument. It made Irina miss playing the flute; when Andromeda left for the hospital the Orchestra had sort of fallen to the wayside, and she hadn’t played in awhile. She got closer and stopped short when she saw exactly what color her baby sister’s hair was. “Raina!” she exclaimed, then started laughing. “Love the hair,” she commented, taking the last steps forward and settling herself down next to her. She threw an arm around her sister's shoulders and squeezed tightly. “How are you Rai?” she asked.

@raina

[Deleted]

Change had never been something that Raina had dealt too well with, even when she was much younger - the move from Bulgaria had shaken her. She didn't remember as much of it, but what she did remember was following her sisters around - always one or the other had been nearby that first year. She remembered being worried about them leaving - why? She can't remember why not exactly at least - just that she had been scared they would disappear or go away. Her only conclusion she could think of was it might have been because that was the year their brother had started school - right after they moved he went off to school - for a younger Raina that was more or less him disappearing maybe. But - she was older now, she wasn't a little girl anymore - but there were changes happening again, changes that she couldn't stop - changes that while not bad - still were a little much for her to handle sometimes.

She was overwhelmed, and all she knew for sure was that she really wanted her big sister.

Irina always knew how to fix things, at least when it came to Raina - it was like a special kind of magic, sister magic maybe. If Raina was upset - Irina would know just how to cheer her up. If she was scared - Irina would be able to know how to make her feel braver or just fix the problem all together. It had been that way for as long as she could remember. Even when it was far worse than just thinking there was a boggart hiding in her closet.

Like when she fell from her broom and all she wanted was her big sister to make everything okay again - she had screamed and cried, refusing to be moved from where she had been on the ground, her school broom broken and the first year who had crashed into her was yelling that he was sorry and was crying almost more than she was - she still had nightmares sometimes of that day - that image of her arm with the bone poking through and god it had hurt. All she had wanted was her sister though - she remembered thinking to herself - Irina could fix it, Irina could help her. She was feeling like that same little girl all over again. That scared little first year, clinging to her older sisters hand as she had been carried to the Infirmary, she hadn't let go until her arm had been dealt with and that was only so she could cling to her sister.

But this wasn't like that, not really. Her hand pauses on the strings of her guitar, tracing the small drawings along the side with a fond little smile - it had been a gift that same day Irina had been waved off at the trainstation. When she got home from saying goodbye and flopped onto her bed, it had been there - tucked slightly under her bed in a shiny blue case. It was rare to see her without it when not in her classes. This year had been a tricky one - one that held a heavy hand of selfdiscovery for the youngest Krum. There were things she knew she wanted to talk about with her sister, maybe she could do that - maybe borrow a little of Irina's Gryffindor Courage. She had spoken about this with one of her best friends - who had encouraged her to seek out her sister. It was step one of a few, the end step being their parents if all went well. Another glance at her watch as her fingers dance over the strings and her face lights up as she hears a familiar voice.

"Irina!" Her whole face lit up as she turns quickly, laughing at the comment about her hair, one hand reaching up to tuck it back behind her ears, "You really like it? I wasn't sure on the colour but - I think I might stick with it for a bit," her hands gently prop the guitar beside her before having them free to wrap around her older sister - giving a small squeeze as her body instantly calms at the comforting presence. "Better now Rina, what about you? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages," the younger girl shakes her head, smile still on her face as she pulls back before forcing her face into a serious expression - her hands moving to her sisters cheeks, gently nudging her face as her eyes study her for a moment before dropping, giving the tiniest nod as she allows her smile back - eyes dancing at her playful little actions. "Yep - still you, no changes here - what about things I can't see? I want to know everything - except school - that we can talk about later, because its all anyone has been talking about lately."

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina couldn’t help but smile at the way her sisters’ face lit up when she spotted her. “I think you should keep it, it’s very unique just like you,” she confirmed, nudging Raina with a soft giggle. She knew her youngest sister was not fond of change - was anyone really? - but Irina took the changing of her hair color as a small step towards embracing changes. She laughed again with more volume as Raina mock studied her face and confirmed it was still her on the outside. “Well you don’t know that for sure, what if I’m someone else and stole some of Irina’s hair to transform into her?” she said faux sternly, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. “But here’s how I can confirm it’s me; you got that guitar the day I left for Hogwarts, and I was there in the hospital wing after your broomstick incident looking haggard and desolate,” she told her, confirming two facts that the one and only Irina Rose Krum would know.

Irina tucked her legs up in a cross legged position as Raina asked for her to fill her in on all the happenings in her life. Merlin, if Rai only knew what she was asking, she might have adjusted her inquiry. “Well, there have been two major things this past week other than my eighteenth birthday of course, which you already knew because you gave me a gift and wished me happy birthday,” she told her, giggling a little. Of course her sisters would never forget her birthday; it was her last one at Hogwarts, but she hoped that Rai had focused on the happy part of birthdays rather than the sad. “First,” she began, then spread her arms out in front of her with a wide grin. “You are looking at an officially accepted Cursebreaking trainee, as of three days ago,” she said, not bothering to hide how proud she was of herself. She had worked very hard to get into the program, including continuing on with Arithmancy when she wasn’t overly fond of the subject. Still, in the end it was worth it; she’d be working in London, so at least she’d still be on the same island as her family for the most part.

Irina’s smile faded slightly, but she hoped Raina didn’t notice too much. “Then, there’s the other major thing that happened on the evening of my birthday,” she said. She reached into her bag, and pulled out the snowglobe that Dan had sent her. “This arrived with Arthur from Daniel with a happy birthday note attached,” she said softly. Raina knew full well how long it had taken Irina to get over her breakup with Dan; she hoped her baby sister would understand how her thoughts were completely jumbled up in her head since receiving the gift. “I don’t know if I should write him a thank you note or what. It’s the first I heard of him since he returned to Durmstrang in January,” Irina admitted, something that was hard for her to do to anyone she wasn’t close with. Sometimes she hated having emotions, but she supposed that was what made her human.

@raina

[Deleted]

Hearing her sisters words made her smile brighten, bringing a hand up to her hair, "I thought so too - I like it," she spoke softly, she knew changes weren't something she was good with - but this one, this one she chose herself - a change she controlled. Her yes brightened as she moves her sisters face slightly before deciding it must be her, but as Irina speaks - Raina gives a faux gasp, her expression showing surprise even as her eyes light up with amusement, "Well if you were someone who is faking as my sister we will certainly need to have words." she mocks a glare before relaxing and reaching out to squeeze her sisters hand as she speaks up, facts only her sister would know.

"But here’s how I can confirm it’s me; you got that guitar the day I left for Hogwarts, and I was there in the hospital wing after your broomstick incident looking haggard and desolate,”

The mention of 'The Fall' still making her tense up even almost five years later. "I was so scared... but you knew just what to do to help me... " her lips quirk just a little, "I still kind of feel bad though - I refused to move from the ground until you were called - sitting there with a bone sticking out of my arm just screaming for you." Her hand moves, rubbing against the scar on her arm - it was the only outward sign left that it had even happened, magic had healed the rest. 

Quickly shifting back, Raina gets herself a little more comfortable, eager to hear about whats been going on with her sister while they have both been busy with their revising and studying for exams. "Of course other than your birthday - which of course I know about." she giggled and reached out, grasping her sisters hand before suddenly jumping up - an ear piercing squeal escaping from her, "Oh my god Oh my god!" The young Hufflepuff had gained some attention from nearby students as she had squealed - but none of this was noticed by the younger Krum as she launched herself at her sister, almost knocking them both to the ground as she hugs her sister, "I knew you would do it, I knew it!!" she giggled and hugged her sister a little tighter, her face bright and happy and she clings for a moment before pulling back, "This is amazing Rina!"

As Raina saw her sisters smile suddenly fade she pulled back, her own happiness suddenly fading, whatever else was going on - clearly was less happy than the previous news, her hand darts out, grasping her sisters - a silent support as she listens, brown eyes watching as the snow globe was pulled out, a little confused until she hears a familiar name. Her surprise obvious as her eyes widen, but she remains quiet - listening to her sisters words. After a moment she nods and speaks, "Well - its up to you Rina, you need to work out how you feel and.. " she pauses for a moment, giving a faint smile as she leans close, gently kissing her sisters cheek, "Whatever you decide - you know I'm here to back you up no matter what." her hand squeezed just a little more, wondering if she should fill her sister in as well.


Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina just beamed even wider and didn’t even mind that Raina’s screech may or may not have ruptured an eardrum. She knew it was her sisters’ way of showing just how happy she was for her. Irina was pretty proud of herself for standing up to their mother and declaring that no, she wasn’t going to play Quidditch like her parents, she was going to set her own path, walk her own destiny. At the time, she hadn’t even really known much about the Cursebreaking; all she knew was that Quidditch wasn’t in her heart like it was her blood. She was good at the sport, and pretty darn good at flying, almost as good as her father. She didn’t like what the sport brought out in her however; a nasty, competitive side that repulsed her greatly. Her mother never understood why, and Irina did have a hard time explaining it. Viktor at least seemed to understand where she was coming from, so he had taken Irina’s side when she finally decided she was hell bent on becoming a Cursebreaker. Briefly, her thoughts wandered to their old History of Magic professor, the woman who had talked to her about what the position was like, and made Rina realize it was exactly what she had been waiting for. She hoped the woman was well, wherever she had gone.

Irina closed her eyes briefly as Raina kissed her cheek. “Thanks Rai,” she said softly, her gratitude obvious that her sister would be there for her regardless. She had always been close with her siblings; they may fight sometimes but she loved all of them fiercely, and would defend them at all cost. She’d always felt a special sort of protective instinct over Raina though, especially after The Fall. She had gotten into a screaming match with her mother that had earned her a rather scandalized look from the school nurse, and her father had had to step in. “I just...I don’t know why now. I haven’t heard from him since the day he left to go back to Durmstrang, and before that when he gave me this.” Irina reached into the front of her robes and pulled out the heart shaped pendant she wore around her neck. He had given it to her the day they had broken up, and though there had been a few times where she’d wanted to fling it out the Gryffindor Tower windows, it stayed snug around her neck since then. “But...enough about me,” she said quickly, not wanting to get too deep into her emotions; she was finally starting to feel better about everything, and had convinced herself Daniel was just being a good family friend by sending her a gift. Of the time that they had...well, been a lot more than just friends in the igloo. Irina shook her head and smiled at her sister. “What about you? What’s new with you? Any new songs to sing to me?” she asked her.

@raina

[Deleted]

Raina was completely excited for her sister, she didn't even care that she was now being stared at - the news was something good, something utterly and completely good and exciting. It was practically one of her sisters dreams. Of course she was going to let that out! She was so proud of her sister, not that she wasn't always proud - but this was something she knew her sister had been working on, working hard to get to this spot - it was one step close towards her sister fully achieving her dream job. She was so happy for her and so excited for her! Raina couldn't hide the wide grin on her face, her eyes lighting up as she squeezed her sister once more, almost bouncing back to try and settle herself back beside Irina. She remembered when her sister had told their parents she hadn't want to do Quidditch - it had actually ended up helping Raina later on down the line, although in Raina's case  there had been more understanding due to that incident back in first year. They had come so far, both working towards their own dreams step by step.

Her hand easily grasped onto Irina, holding just a little bit tighter - she couldn't fully imagine what her sister was going through - but no matter what she was going to be there for her, just like her sister always was for her. "You're Graduating.. he must know that too," she gave a gentle smile, her head resting against her sisters shoulder for a moment, she knew there was always more to the story of him leaving - but she knew enough and wouldn't ask for more than what she was told. All she needed to know was he had left, and part of her sisters heart had been broken, "It's still a pretty gift though, Rina. And it must mean you're on his mind." She wasn't sure if that last part was good or bad but - that was up to her sister to decide right? For now Raina gave a little shrug, squeezing her sisters hand as she pulled back, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as the subject shifts to her instead. 

The subject change would be good to shift from her sister, but now it was on her and there was much she wanted - and needed to talk about. But now it was time to do so, her stomach clenched. "Well - kind of a lot is new with me, but also - not a lot? It's kinda hard to decide - but oh! There are a few little songs, or - part of songs maybe? I don't think I have a full song but more like.. a few different parts of different songs." She was avoiding, and Irina was going to notice that quickly, her eyes dart back to her guitar, her hand gently grasping the strap, "I kind of wanted to talk to you about something, but I'm not sure where to start.."

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina couldn’t help but continue to smile at Raina’s excitement over her acceptance into the Cursebreaking program. She had known this was the path she wanted to lead since her fifth year during her Career Planning session with her Head of House at the time, and the urge to follow this path had only grown after learning the previous History of Magic professor, which happened to be her favorite subject, was a former Cursebreaker herself. She knew her siblings would always be supportive of her, and that it had only been a matter of time before her parents followed, but she hadn’t expected her mother to put up that much of an argument against it. Viktor had been more concerned with the dangers that came with the career, which was understandable as Irina would be up against a plethora of curses, some so ancient they hadn’t been written down in any history book. Elena Krum however was more worried that Irina was ‘throwing away her potential’ to chase some treasure like in the stories. It was a mindset that had frustrated the Gryffindor to no end, and the source of her butting heads with her mother over the past few years. “Thank you for being excited, it really means a lot for me,” Irina told her, truly meaning it. “Don’t worry, I won’t move out immediately after graduation; I’ll give you some time to adjust,” she added, only half joking. At one point she had envisioned moving in with Dan after graduation, but now that seemed like a silly little dream and not at all a practical reality.

Irina felt the extra squeeze in the hand Raina gave her as she reminded her of the upcoming graduation. “Perhaps,” she said with a small shrug; while she loved her sister, she highly doubted going into detail of exactly why this snowglobe was so special would be comfortable for either of them. She was glad though when Raina took the topic change and began talking about her music. It had been Rina’s idea after all to convince her parents to get the youngest Krum a guitar, and the Hufflepuff had taken to it so quickly. Irina cocked her head to one side when Raina admitted there was something she wanted to talk to her about. “Oh? Sounds serious Rai,” she said, a tiny smidge of concern showing in her voice. She hoped it was nothing too serious, like a terminal illness or something, but she had to remind herself that if that were the case, she’d likely already know.

@raina

[Deleted]

Raina was more than excited for her sister, she had known for a long time how much Irina had wanted to get accepted into the curse-breaking program, and now here it was - happening right in front of them. It was the path her sister had been waiting for, and now she was on her way - making it up that ladder. After so much arguing about if it was the 'smart choice' or if it was 'too dangerous', or the worse one in Raina's mind - that she was 'throwing away' her life, a silly fantasy. She knew their mother wanted Raina to do something more than just follow her music, but what that would be - that was more of a struggle, still - Irina was making it and Raina couldn't be more proud if she tried. It gave her hope - that maybe she could also follow her dream, maybe she could make it too, maybe it didn't matter if her music wasn't a 'proper' or 'smart' job choice. 

"Why wouldn't I be excited Rina? This is your dream! The first step in making it, right?" Her eyes were bright, lighting up as she gently gave her sister another happy squeeze, she was glad that even with her sister graduating, that Irina would still be around after - it eased one of the many worries and fears running through her head these days. She knew the worst part of the following year was going to be the fact that she'd be missing her oldest sister so much. But it was a necessary evil she guessed - she couldn't very well just keep her siblings by her side forever.

She hated Daniel sometimes - it wasn't so much that he was a bad guy or anything, honestly - she was actually glad her sister had ended up with him back then, he had been nice - but the fact that even now - he somehow managed to upset and hurt her sister, that was why. It was a strange thing for the usually sweet girl, she rarely didn't like someone and even now - she didn't really hate him, just... he kept hurting her sister. And that she didn't like. Silently she hugged her sister once more before making sure the subject changed - keeping the topic away from the pretty little snowglobe even if this would now lead the subject to making Raina herself a little uncomfortable. She was just glad when she looked up from her guitar that it seemed those that had been watching her when she was freaking out over her sisters good news were now back to their own things.

"Well its not so much 'serious' and its not anything bad either so no need to worry your pretty head Rina." She gave a small smile -she hoped it was comforting as she sighed, still fiddling with the worn strap on her guitar - she was going to need to replace that over the Summer, maybe get one to match her hair - that thought made her almost giggle before she shook her head. "I just, I had a little.. well - I had some - self discovery this year and a few things have been on my mind - that... well.. that is all really." And yet again, she was avoiding.. she really was going to need to work on this.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina giggled as she squeezed her baby sister right back. The giddiness that was floating off Raina was intoxicating and made her feel really, really good. All she had ever wanted was for someone in her family to be THIS excited for her career path. Her mother would be fake happy, all while thinking ‘why didn’t she just play Quidditch’ and their dad would be...well, he’d be more genuinely happy of course, because he wanted what was best for Irina. Viktor Krum didn’t do...ecstatic emotions exactly, which, now that she thought of it was probably why Daniel had liked him so much. She was surprised she hadn’t made that connection earlier; even though Dan’s empath powers hadn’t shown up until later on in life (when he saved her in that cave as he told her), he had still been more in tune with peoples emotions than most. He probably loved Viktors’ quiet apathy; it was a stark contrast from Irina’s mother, whose emotions were worn on her sleeve. “I’m really, really happy Rai and yes, the first step is making it,” she agreed. “My orientation is near the end of May, then mid-June is when I start. My mentors’ name is Karen, and she’s from the States,” Irina rattled off, her excitement building back up again. Briefly her mind wandered; what had Dan decided to do with his career? He had tried out when the professional British scouts had shown up last fall, but in his state of depression she wasn’t sure if he had decided against that career path. If anything, he probably would sign with a German team, and she’d maybe see him if the Germans went against Bulgaria during the Quidditch World Cup. She sighed a little sadly at the notion, but didn’t want to think about it.

Instead, Irina focused on her baby sister. A curious look crossed over her face as Raina struggled to get out what she wanted to say. Not serious was good, but self-discovery? Whatever could that mean? “Hey Rai,” she started, resting her chin on top of her forehead. “Whatever it is, I’m here for you. Always and forever. You’re stuck with me,” she promised, chuckling softly. She lifted her chin and looked down on her. “But if you’re not ready to tell me, that’s okay too. I’ll be here for you when and if you are though, promise.” Irina gave her another smile; she didn’t know what was going on in Raina’s mind, but she hoped she could give her a little peace of mind knowing she’d always be there for her no matter what.

@raina

[Deleted]

Raina was still trying to calm herself down a bit, at least - she thought to herself, that this was a good thing she was worked up about. She was excited for her sister. Unlike when she'd get upset over something else - like that poor first year on the train. No. Quickly she shook that thought, she was still saddened by it and it still hurt to think about - but for now she was happy about something good. Something amazing, her sister was one step closer to having her dream job - this was a good thing, a happy thing and Raina couldn't be more proud if she tried. She knew that their mother would act happy, but their mother had other ideas she wanted her children to do - but for Raina... she just wanted her siblings to be happy. If they were happy, then she was happy for them. In some ways, Raina was a bit like their mother - she wore her heart on her sleeve, but unlike their mother - she'd never wish for someone to do something that they didn't fully and heartily wish to do. She only hoped that things would be okay, "I'm so proud of you Rina." her eyes lit up as she spoke, quickly moving to hug her sister once more as she giggled in joy, "You'll have to tell me everything you know - and have you met your mentor yet? Is Karen nice?" She began to rattle off her own questions before quickly closing her mouth - her own excitement fueling more from her sisters own building back up. She loved to see her sister all excited and giddy.

As her sister sighed, Raina became a little worried again - but she knew that tiny look, just a hint there - it was a look she had seen a few times, Irina had just thought of Daniel again. Her own stomach clenched, her feelings about Daniel were tricky - on one hand she adored him, he was nice and kind but - on the other hand, he had hurt her sister and she was sure there were feelings there still. But talking about him - she wished she could just fix everything but... this - she couldn't fix. Instead she just squeezed her sisters hand, hoping her sister knew that whatever was on her mind she was there if she needed to talk about it. For now - she'd do her own turn - it was her turn to talk.

It was hard though, even though she may or may not have actually practiced it. Okay, she had totally tried and practiced saying this - but she would never want to actually say that out loud, she was sure that her sister would probably realize that she had done so however, but that was a whole different matter. Her hand reaches up, twisting a few stray blue strands of hair around her finger - a nervous habit she had since she was a small child. "Y-Yeah I know Rina." Brown eyes meet her older sisters as she gives a small - slightly shaky smile, she was nervous. She knew she was loved - and she knew - at least she honest to goodness hoped - that there was no chance of losing her sister - she was still nervous. "I-I am ready. I know I am.. I .. I wanna tell you first anyways." She lets her guitar lean against the bench - one hand still playing with her hair - the other firmly clinging to Irina's own. Maybe she should just - say it, blurt it out! That always seemed to work - right?

There was a brief moment of silence before she spoke again, her words clear - although still a little quieter than the usual bubbly and hyper tone she had, "I-I've kind of been.. sure for awhile, but - I'm certain - I know its true and stuff now - I.." another little squeeze and she looks at her sister, the final words coming out in a whirl wind, "I don't like boys Rina. Like I do as friends but - I.. I like girls - like.. I like-like them as more than a friendly way a-and I don't want anyone to hate me or Mom and Dad to be disappointed but I just.. I don't want to date and kiss boys, I wanna do that stuff with girls.. I..I'm pretty sure I'm 'gay'.. or.. a lesbian.. thats the right word for it. P-Please don't hate me..." Her voice wavered - her eyes staring back at her sister - she was pretty sure her hand was squeezing a little too tight, but the thought of letting go was one she didn't think she could stand right now.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina giggled at Raina’s lightning bolt fast questions. “Yes, she came to do my final interview for the position a few weeks ago, and then offered me the Cursebreaking job,” she confirmed, answering the query regarding Karen. “She was really nice! Very professional, straightforward, which I appreciate. I don’t think I’d work well with indecisive people,” she added with another giggle. She didn’t understand people who gave others the runaround with important tasks, like jobs or exams. Just give it to me straight, that was Irina’s motto. She’d be joined by two of her classmates, Scorpius Malfoy and Diana Bainbridge. Scorpius was fine, other than him dating Rose Weasley Irina didn’t mind him. Diana though...they had been such close friends, but since the middle of last year the Ravenclaw had started avoiding Irina like the plague. It had hurt her deeply; she didn’t know what she had done wrong. She had wondered what would happen after graduation - would they just drift down their separate paths never to see one another again? Alas, as fate would have it, Diana was to be on the same path. She should have seen it coming; the duo had spoken of becoming Cursebreakers often over the past few years. With the way Diana had changed so dramatically though, Irina had assumed her career goals had changed as well.

Irina sat up straighter as Raina admitted there was something she needed to talk about to her, and wanted to tell her first. She could mull about her broken friendship with Diana later; her sister was always more important. Rai was struggling, she could see that, so she remained patiently silent while the Hufflepuff got out what she was trying to say. As it became clear what this was about, Irina found herself to be less surprised than she thought she would be. It was almost as if a part of her had recognized her sister would rather be with a girl than a boy, and had easily accepted it. Her eyes widened though as Raina pleaded with her not to be angry. “Angry?” Irina repeated, her voice soft and full of tenderness. “Oh, Rai. I could never hate you. Even if you murdered someone I wouldn’t hate you. Don’t ever think that not for one minute,” she cried, wrapping both her arms around her baby sister and hugging her tightly. “It’s okay to be gay you know, at least in my opinion,” she whispered, letting go and wiping the stray tear that had fallen from her eye. “Don’t worry, it’s a happy tear I promise,” she said quickly, giggling a little. “I’m just...I’m proud of you Rai. You knew how you felt, and didn’t try to change or conform. How could I ask for anything better for my baby sister?” she explained, tilting her head to one side. She gave her a small smile. “If you find someone who loves and cherishes you the way you deserve, then I don’t care what their gender is, if they even identify with one. Your happiness is what matters most,” she told her, looking her dead in the eye.

@raina

[Deleted]

She had to pause - giving herself an actual chance to catch her breath after so many questions tumbled out of her mouth. It was something she did often - when she was excited, or nervous - about something, it was like she couldn't stop talking, there was no pause button and she would just keep going until she ran out of air in her lungs. Which honestly could take a little while - with all the singing she did, she had some pretty strong lungs that was for sure. As Irina speaks again, Raina nods her head - listening with a wide smile on her face as her sister answers her - many - questions, "Thats amazing - so, you think you will get along well at least? I mean.. it'd suck to have to work with someone you didn't get along with. But.. I guess that can sometimes happen with work right?" she tilted her head, lips pressing together in thought. She did hope her sister would get along with who she worked with - any little thing that could help make things better and happier for her sister, she was all for those things. She hated seeing her sister - either of them really - stressed or upset. Raina was a bit of an emotional girl - sometimes it was as if she took on someone elses pain as her own, she cared so much - more so when it came to her family.

Right now though, this was about her - and in some ways, that made things a lot harder. It wasn't a lack of trust - far from it. She knew she could trust her sister with anything and everything  - but there was that tiny - itsy bitsy speck of doubt... of fear. If there was even the tiniest chance of her sister not approving - of being.. disappointed or - or hating her. The mere thought of it being possible brought tears to the girls eyes - she had been speaking with one of her best friends for the past week about this, it was pretty much thanks to her that Raina was even sure of her sexuality these days. Now here she was - getting those words out - saying them outloud -  was... it was - a relief. There it was - out there - she said it, she had told her sister.

Her body was shaking slightly, waiting for her sister to react - to say something. And then - there it was. With her eyes wide she stares back at her older sister, tears barely being held back when she felt arms wrap around her - pulling her into a hug - Raina quickly clung on, her own arms holding her sister as tight as she could, "You.. You're not upset?" her words were a little shaky as they finally pulled back again, a few stray tears of her own had escaped - she was happy, her sister didn't hate her - she was okay with it - she was ... proud? This past year had been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions and ...feelings. Trying to work out who she was - she had for awhile felt... extremely different. It was a strange feeling she had felt, like she wasn't like others - what was 'normal' - it wasn't her and working out why had been a bit harder than she had imagined. Now though - she was happy, she was - comfortable with herself. She knew who she was, at least that part of her - there was still a lot she wasn't sure of - like what she wanted to do after graduating but - that was still a bit further away for Raina at least.

Her own hands reach up, wiping her cheeks as she listens, smiling softly, "I was scared.. I mean.. I think I knew it was silly - but.. there was a tiny..worry - does that make sense? I was still scared even though I know you love me and... It was silly.." Raina shakes her head, giving a tiny laugh at her own silliness, "You're really proud of me Rina?"

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina could feel Raina’s tremors underneath her fingertips; her heart ached for her baby sister. She couldn’t imagine the thoughts that must have been going through Rai’s head as she wrote to Irina asking her to meet. The Gryffindor knew what it felt like to have someone they love disappointed in them, but not nearly on the level Rai had been worried about. It was as if all of Rina’s own troubles fell away, and all that was left was the darling Hufflepuff in front of her. “Of course I’m not upset love,” she said, pulling her into a hug and gently rocking her back and forth to try and soothe out some of her nerves. She left Raina pull away and smiled encouragingly at her. She could tell that Rainas’ emotions were starting to change as the fear left her. Irina would never, ever leave her sister; there was nothing she could do to make that stop. “Rai, you could murder someone and I’d help you hide the body,” she declared, giggling a little to ease out more of the tension.

“I know you were scared, whenever you reveal something that changes your life it’s easier to imagine the worst instead of the best. Why, the day Dan and I got together, I had convinced myself that this crush I had on him was completely one sided and...well, it wasn’t.” Irina flashed back to that day when they went swimming in the lake. She had felt so embarrassed that his empathy had revealed her true feelings towards him, and had never expected the feelings to be mutual. Her face fell a little, and she shook her head. How had the topic somehow get back to her and Daniels’ relationship? Was she really that sad? She sighed; there was one thing that could get her off the topic of her romance troubles, but she hadn’t told anyone in her family yet. Perhaps, perhaps now was as good of time as ever.

“Rai..since we’re revealing secrets,” she started, and took a deep breath. “You know I have always had some pretty...vivid nightmares right?” she paused, biting her lower lip. “Well….ever since last year, I realized that….some of them weren’t nightmares. Some of them happened in real life. And I don’t mean in the past, I mean after the dream. It could be days, weeks, months. Anything that I witnessed that was truly horrible in the dream happened. When our brother got stabbed, when Magi lost the baby….when Kings Cross was attacked.” Irina took another shaky breath. “It’s called Clairvoyancy, or being a Seer. I can see future events, future tragedies mostly,” she finally said. Well, there it was, out in the open. She waited, looking at Raina to see what her reaction to this news would be.

@raina

[Deleted]

Her heart was filled with such a relief, she had been afraid - she had known it was likely not needed for her to be afraid, it had still been there though - but now, now it had been spoken out-loud and everything was still okay. It was a slight shock to her body however, and Raina found herself tearing up a little - all the worries, all the fears and thoughts that had gone through her head in the lead up, as she wrote asking for Irina to meet her today, as she had sat out on her own - waiting and trying not to think more about it. It all caught up to her as she felt herself drawn into a hug. The gentle rocking and warmth and comfort of her sisters arms wrapped around her quickly calmed her down, the fear quickly fading away as she reels in her emotions again, a gentle giggle escaping her as she leans her head against her sisters shoulder, "I doubt I'll ever do that - but I'll make sure to remember that, you'd be the first person I call to help hide a body." it was silly, but it eased the remaining tension.

As Raina listens to her sister talk, her own mind went to a rather similar situation she had found herself in, although that situation for Raina was something she hadn't yet addressed and felt she was unable to do so yet. A certain girl, one of her best friends - came to her mind as Irina spoke of having convinced herself that her crush was one sided. She knew how that felt. But this time she didn't speak up, those feelings she was still sorting through herself - but maybe, maybe Irina could help her sort though those at a later date. For now her hand gently clung to her sisters - the talk of Daniel clearly was one still close to her sisters heart and Raina hated seeing her face fall like that. 

Raina lifts her head, brown eyes quickly rising to meet her sisters gaze as Irina speaks of revealing secrets. A Look of confusion crossing her face as she listens, "Well.. yeah - some of them are pretty... shaking really," there was only so much Raina knew of her sisters nightmares, but she knew enough to be worried - was Irina having those horrible nightmares again? She frowns but stays quiet - not voicing her concern just yet as Irina continued speaking. Listening though - Raina's eyes widened, taking in what was said. Her dreams were.... real? They actually happened? There was a brief silence before Raina shook her head gently, her arms wrapping around her older sister quickly, hugging Irina tightly before finally breaking the silence, "Rina...That is.. amazing.." a pause, "But so scary... Rina.. you actually saw them happen? Like.. in your dreams but - then they had actually happened?" she was surprised sure, but mostly - scared for her sister. Seeing such things - in dreams was scary enough, but to know they happened to people.. it broke her heart a little. 

"I always knew you were special.. and brave. This just proves it even more Rina." she gave a little smile, gently squeezing her sister once more before pulling back, "I.. I don't think I could handle having something like that.. are you okay?"

Irina Rose Krum