gold cage (irina)

[Deleted]

Adrian had only been back for three days and his cousin Daniel had informed him that he was leaving the country for two months with his girlfriend, Irina. Of course Adrian knew Irina as a separate entity from Dan as well, but he had admittedly gotten to know her better last year when the two started dating. Apparently they broke up for a while, but Adrian was gone during all of that so this all seemed pretty normal. 

He was at Dan's apartment now and had just seen his cousin off, before Dan left to go to practice. He welcome Adrian to just hang out -- saying Irina would be there soon if Adrian wanted to visit with her. As awkward as Adrian was with 'catching up talk', he knew it had to happened eventually with all of his old friends and Irina wouldn't be at Hogwarts, so this was as good a time as any.

When the door opened, Adrian looked up from his seat and waved, "Irina, hey."

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

It was finally the day that Irina and Daniel were due to depart for their European biking adventure. The Cursebreaker was positively tingling from excitement; weeks alone with Daniel, in a cozy magical tent provided to her by her parents (though she had noticed they had given her a TWO bedroom tent) adventuring around seven different countries, exploring the terrain, soaking in the culture, and of course engorging themselves on the local cuisine. Dan had his final practice with the Arrows today, but Irina had taken the day off to pack and prepare, as she liked to do before any travel. She wasn’t entirely positive on when practice ended - when she had asked her brother Ed he had given a vague notion that it could end ‘whenever the captain said it did’ - so she made her way over to her boyfriend’s apartment in the middle of the afternoon. Their first destination was pretty remote in the Irish countryside, so they could really get there whenever Dan was ready to go.

Irina let herself in with the key, and was slightly taken aback to see Adrian Lange on the couch waving at her. Dan had mentioned that Adrian was coming back from the States with all the Ilvermorny transfers, but it had been months since he had left for the school, leaving a very distraught Lily Potter behind. “Adrian!” she exclaimed, forgetting herself for a moment. She quickly regained composure, and crossed over to sit beside him on the couch. She didn’t go in for a hug; she recalled Adrian wasn’t entirely fond of them. “How are you doing?” she asked instead, folding her hands into her lap with a small smile.

@adrian

[Deleted]

Irina said his name when she entered, maybe a little... shocked, or something, to see him? She moved to sit beside him and he smiled awkwardly at her, sucking in his lips a little too much. She asked how he was doing and he nodded. And then nodded some more.... and then realized he should use his words. "Glad to be back, worried about leaving mum in America. Almost just dropped out of school instead," he admitted. Did she really need all that information? Well, Irina was one of the people who would understand him wanting to focus on family, right? She wouldn't think that his considering dropping out was silly... and even if she did, who cared what she thought?

He cleared his throat, "I see Dan has found his way here permanently. Not surprised his playing for the Arrows," Adrian said. He considered becoming a Quidditch player too but... he wasn't on the team this year and wasn't sure if he was going to make time for it. Plus, if he was going to go back to America to be with his mom after graduation then he really needed to just focus on graduating. Which was a strange sensation for Adrian, he hadn't really thought about school as a number one priority before.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina barely suppressed a smile as Adrian nodded quite a bit before relaying a barrage of information on how he had been in the past few months since she had last seen him. “Well...originally that was the plan right? To stay with Dans family while you finished out the year?” she asked before she could help herself, then laughed. “Sorry, it’s not really any of my business. But it is a little….ironic, don’t you think? You leaving for Ilvermorny, only to come back a few months later.” Irina paused again. “Ah, perhaps ironic isn’t the word for it.” It sounded too crass for what had happened at Ilvermorny. She was just thankful nobody had been at the school to get hurt.

She turned her focus back to Adrian, looking at him for a moment. Had there really been much of a time when the two of them spoke one on one? She raked her memory - there had been that time after Daniel had left that he had gone to comfort her. She was pretty sure he had been wildly uncomfortable with the situation, but he had done a solid job of cheering her up. “Well, I’m glad to have you back, and I'm sure Dan is too, though he might not outwardly tell you that,” she said suddenly, breaking out into a wider grin to match her words. She tucked a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear, wondering if she should say what she wanted to say next. “Have you...seen Lily yet?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as usual in the end.

@adrian

[Deleted]

Adrian nodded, "yeah. That was the plan..."he recalled. He had told Lily at the Yule Ball that he'd be able to stay, thanks to Dan. But then his mother was injured and things changed... and he was too big of a coward to be clear about that. He agreed with Irina, though. It was ironic that he was right back at Hogwarts now. "I think that it would have been better if I could have stayed there, obviously. I mean, I'm sure the American kids aren't thrilled," he sympathized. "But I guess it's nice to be back, show people around and whatnot." Not that he had really made that many new friends at the American school.

Irina said she was glad he was back and he nodded, smiling awkwardly. He chuckled at her words about Dan. "Yeah, well, he actually was a little more... 'lovey-dovey' this afternoon than I expected. Shook my hand and everything," Adrian shuddered, as if that was as bad as Dan giving him a big hug or something. Both of the boys weren't really physical beings, but it was nice to see Dan making an effort. Irina then asked what Adrian was dreading; if he had seen Lily. He looked down at his hands, "she doesn't want to see me," he assumed. "no, I haven't," he answered.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina looked at Adrian, her eyes sympathetic as he trailed off. She could still clearly remember Daniel striding towards his cousin, purpose clear in his bright blue eyes at the Yule Ball as he explained what he had come up with to keep Adrian from having to change schools so late in the game, and leave Lily Potter behind. She remembered the look on both Lily and Adrians’ faces as he had hashed out the details with them, before returning to Irina to let the two digest and rejoice in the news. Of course, Irina knew how it had really ended turning out; Lily had hid her sadness well, as she was wont to do. But she hadn’t been able to hide it completely. “You had to do what you felt was right, for both you and your family,” Irina said gently, touching Adrians arm for a moment before retracting her arm and heading into the kitchen area. Pouring herself a glass of water, she walked back over to the couch and sat back down.

Raising a brow, Irina tried to disguise a snort as a cough when Adrian described Daniel as being ‘lovey dovey’ when he had come around. “It’s been awhile since he’s had a true vacation Adrian, he’s probably just happy to not have to set an alarm for a few weeks,” she commented, trying to hide her own smile. “Maybe one day you’ll actually embrace each other,” she added, then didn’t even bother hiding the chuckle that came out after the words. She sobered quickly as Adrian said somberly that Lily didn’t want to see him. “Bull,” she said, surprised at the sharpness in her tone. “She wants to see you but she’s too stubborn to admit it,” she added, then smiled smally. “You know her well Adrian; she tries to act tough but when she’s hurt she’ll do her best to keep you shut out,” she reminded him kindly. “I’m not saying you should force your presence on her, mostly because she’ll probably hex you. But...don’t avoid her,” she suggested, shrugging slightly as she gulped down more of her water.

@adrian

[Deleted]

Adrian took the chance to look away, toward the window, when she said that he did what he felt was right. He wasn't sorry about what he did, no, he was just sorry about the way he had done it. Still, he didn't think he needed to get into that with Iriina. She touched his arm and he looked back at her, but then she stood to go to the kitchen. He didn't respond, using her brief moment of absence to brush off the topic of his leaving.

At the mention of Daniel, Irina spoke about how Dan hadn't really had a true vacation and was probably just happy to not have an alarm. Adrian smiled a little, nodding. But then she added that maybe her and Dan would 'embrace' some day and Adrian grimaced, "lord, I hope not," he countered. It was nice to see how amused Irina was at the boys relationship, though.

'Bull', Irina said as Adrian said Lily didn't want to see him. She guessed that Lily was too stubborn to admit that she did in fact want to see him, but Adrian knew that wasn't it. It was stubbornness this time with Lily. It was sorrow. he knew that because he was feeling the same thing. Irina went on though, saying how Lily trying to act tough but would shut him out if she was hurt. Sure, that was true, but Lily and Adrian hadn't even seen each other yet, so that didn't really apply. Adrian had a feeling she wouldn't behave that way this time. No, he had a feeling she would just... vanish when he was around.

"She wouldn't hex me. That'd be too easy," Adrian half joked, but no smile appeared on his face. But he was finding he didn't want to discuss Lily so in depth, especially since he hadn't even seen her yet. He cleared his throat, "Did you avoid Dan when he came back?"

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina snorted as Adrian commented how he hoped Dan wouldn’t become the hugging type around him. She wasn’t actually being serious about it; Dan wasn’t exactly touchy feely with most people, and Adrian DEFINITELY wasn’t. But the idea still made her laugh. “You Germans and your lack of hugging your relatives,” she mock scolded, shaking her head with a small smile. She was more of a hugger, but that was because her fathers’ side of the family was too. She supposed it just depended on how they grew up, or personal preferences.

Irina watched Adrians’ face carefully as he joked about Lily hexing him. There was something else there, some other emotion, but Adrian had always been guarded on such feelings. She wished for a moment that she could have Dan’s empathy powers, but knew such things came with a steep price. Speaking of Dan, Irina chuckled softly at Adrians’ question. Recognizing it as him not wanting to talk about Lily, she tactfully didn’t press him any further. “I didn’t really have a chance to avoid him per se,” she admitted. “I was at Quality Quidditch Supplies picking up new Keeper gloves for Edrik as a welcome home present, and Dan was...well, just there. He must have been signed to the Arrows shortly after Ed, but my brother decided it wasn’t quite time to tell me about it.” She had been rather shocked to see Dan at the shop, and she laughed at the reaction she had had. “I actually...I accidentally slapped him with the keeper gloves. He came up behind me and I whirled around so fast at the sound of his voice it just...happened.” She let out a short laugh, unable to help herself. “So no, we didn’t avoid each other I suppose is the answer to your question,” she finished, sipping her water before setting it back down on the table. “Avoidance never works out in the long run anyway,” she added pointedly, knowing Adrian would get what she was referring to.

@adrian

[Deleted]

Adrian was glad his disgust with the idea of hugging his cousin amused her. He knew that Dan wasn't really into that stuff either, so Irina was joking for sure. She chalked it up to them being German and Adrian smiled a little, shaking his head, "just the men, though. My mum'll hug anyone she pleases, so would Dans," he chuckled a little. "Granted, Louisa is another story... maybe mothers are the exception," he concluded.

Irina said that she didn't have a chance to avoid Dan, and Adrian perked up. Didn't have a chance? Maybe that meant Lily wouldn't have a chance either, once it came to school... Irina spoke of how her and Dan saw each other at the Quidditch shop and his eyes widened just slightly when she said she slapped Dan with the gloves - but then she revealed it was an accidentally slap and his shoulders slacked a little. 

She said avoidance wouldn't work in the long run and Adrian nodded, looking down at his hands. "Well, I'm glad you two are back together. Dan needs you," he commented, not daring to add that he needed Lily just as much. Well, at least he felt he did. He looked back up at Irina, "and just like that you were together again?"

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina smiled a little when Adrian said Dan needed her. “I don’t know if needed is the right word - he’s perfectly capable of handling himself now that he sort of...has a better understanding of his power,” she said carefully, but patted Adrians’ shoulder all the same. “It wasn’t just like that either - he invited me to dinner and I accepted, no strings attached. Well, I hoped there would be...but I didn’t hold my breath. The last few months had been...difficult, to say the least, but I didn’t want to just fall right back into his arms and forget it ever happened. I think you have to grow from heartbreak and tribulations in order to come out better on the other side, and that’s what we both did.” She paused, then chuckled. “Of course, we did end up deciding that night to give things another go so...well, here we are. About to set off on an adventure ‘round Europe. Pretty mad, isn’t it?” she admitted with a chuckle. She’d known Dan all her life of course from their parents being best friends, to her brother being his own. The romantic side of things hadn’t taken off until last year, which had been completely unexpected and yet...felt so right. In a way, it was sort of like Lily and Adrian, though it appeared it would take a lot more talks to get Adrian to admit it. “Well, Louisa is a special case in general,” she said fondly. She had always liked Louisa a lot; she had helped nurture her musical talents on the flute, and was always such a calming presence. No wonder Dan and she were so close. “So, when are you officially heading back up to Hogwarts? Before term ends?” she asked him, now curious as to when his return date actually was. Between Dan, Maria and Adrian, the studio apartment was beginning to get rather crowded.

@adrian

[Deleted]

Everything Irina said just made him thinking about Lily, and how he could have hope that they could get their friendship back. If they were never anything more again he could take that, but she was his best friend and he couldn't lose that. No way.

She mentioned the trip and Adrian nodded, "pretty wild," he agreed. She also agreed that Louisa was as special case, and Adrian nodded aggressively. Irina asked when he was heading back to Hogwarts. "Tomorrow I'll be going back," he answered. "And I have no idea how I'm going to handle Lily," he added honestly, just letting it slip out.

"How did you possibly forgive him?" he asked again, shaking his head in disbelief. 

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina’s lips pursed together slightly, both at Adrians’ admittance that he had no clue how to handle the fiery redhead that awaited him back at the castle, and at his next question. “Honestly?” she said, sitting back on the couch with a small sigh. “I wasn’t sure I could, at least the first few months after he left Hogwarts. I was a right mess; looking back I was an embarrassment to myself. But..I’d never had a real relationship with that kind of powerful love before, not really. Puppy love, sure but nothing like what I have with Daniel. I realized that I needed that time to wallow, to be pathetic if I was ever going to move on with my life.” Irina paused; she doubted Adrian was looking for this much detail, but she wasn’t going to just cut off now that she was on a roll.

“I didn’t hear from him for months you know. He had given me this locket and a poem and then he was just gone. As though he had never existed.” Irina fiddled with the golden locket around her throat. “Then, when I saw him at the Quidditch store, I felt such a flurry of emotions; I can’t really describe them all to be honest. He asked me out to dinner, and without hesitation I said yes. If anything, I needed to get everything I hadn’t been able to say, or had wanted to say over the six months we were apart out, and it seemed like an appropriate venue to do so.” Irina smiled a half smile, shaking her head. “Very quickly though, I realized that...I didn’t need to say the words I had been reciting in my head. I didn’t need to yell at him, to scream, to cry, to be angry. He took a hold of my hand and it all just...melted away. He did what was best for him yes, but in the end it was what was best for us.” Irina laughed a little, blinking back tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry to sound so melodramatic,” she apologized, grinning over at Adrian.

@adrian

[Deleted]

Adrian hung on every word Irina said. He couldn't help but smirk at the 'puppy love' words. Because... you know... werewolves. Adrian wondered if he needed to do that wallowing thing because of missing Lily... but in a way he had, at Ilvermorny. Maybe not obviously, but...

Irina went on about a poem and a locket. At least Daniel had the decency to do something like that, Adrian didn't leave Lily with anyone but memories. When she wrapped it up though, saying that she was melodramatic, he grimaced a little. Yeah, maybe she was being dramatic but it wasn't like it wasn't warranted. 

"She's gonna kill me," he couldn't see Lily just accepting him holding her hand and having all her anger just 'melt away'.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina looked him square in the eye. “She’s not going to kill you,” she said firmly, though privately she thought the idea may cross Lily’s mind when she first saw Adrian again. Lily was much more elusive with talking about her feelings about Adrian than Irina herself was about Dan, but she had seen how much the Potter girl had cared for the young man sitting next to her. Then with her dad disappearing and James following him….it was a lot in a very small amount of time, too much even for Lily in her opinion. “She might hit you though,” she added quickly, shooting her friend a small smile. She got up and stretched. “I’m going to make a pot of hot chocolate for Dan before he gets home, you’re welcome to stay and have some if you like?” she suggested, making her way over to the kitchen area and setting a kettle full of water on the stove to boil. She wasn’t sure when Adrian was planning on leaving for Hogwarts, but since school was currently in session she imagined it would have to be rather soon.

@adrian

I'd say we can end this

[Deleted]

Irina looked at him, and he felt a serious wave of something... sisterly, which he'd never really experience before the last to years with Jamie and Max. And occasionally Odette, sure. She said Lily wouldn't kill him and his shoulders slumped. Then she added that Lily may 'hit' him, and to that he looked down at his lap again and let out a relieved breath, a slight chuckle making it's way through it. "Gods, I hope so," he muttered. That would feel like everything was normal.

She said she was going to make some hot chocolate, standing up to do so. He nodded, "yeah, yeah I'll stay a little longer," he agreed, nodding. "Thanks," he wanted to elaborate on that part, but he'd never been very good at sentiment. He was glad to have a small moment with his old friend, and they enjoyed a much more lighthearted time together before it was time to go.

Now just to face Lily.

Irina Rose Krum