A quick rewrite of my first chapter, I feel it wasn't done justice, I may be posting a second chapter for the Philosophers Stone.
"Antonina, darling! Make sure your fully packed. Your wand, your robes, comfy clothes, pajamas." Alik Volkov was having a fit over his daughter as she stuffs a dark brown leather trunk decorated with a large royal purple crest, sewn into the center of the trunk. The crest was a shield with two large wolves in their hind legs on either side, in the center of the shield was a large V, and surrounding the wolves and shield were twists and turns, swirls of purple and black with hints of gold and silver.
"Father please! I have everything, I just need to get to the station tomorrow and everything will be fine!"Nina groans as her father had made her unpack and repack several times now to make sure she was fully prepared.
"Well you don't have everything." Vasilisa says with a coo in her voice, Nina's mother walks in and stands next to her father with her arms behind her back, a large smile across her face.
"Yeah I do, I've told you a hundred times. I've packed and repacked so many times!" Her parents look at one another with a knowing smile.
"What about a messenger owl?" Her father says crossing his arms over his lean chest, his long rectangular shaped head seeming over zealous as his overly curly brown hair was slicked back and streaks of grey sprouted here and there as for his short beard had a full skunk stripe down the middle, while his bronzed skin showing no signs of aging. His amber eyes piercing like hot metal, and warm like a sunflower in the middle of summer.
"An owl? I will just use Avalon and Azurell." She says clasping the trunk closed.
"Well your father and I have been talking. And we decided, a young witch old enough to use magic and go to school. Should have her own owl!" Her mother says and pulls a cage from behind her, a barn owl with a white face with hints of toast like colours line it's beak and up around its eyes, it's chest a dark golden brown that matches the top of its wings, the wings mostly matched the chest in colour but had dark chocolate patches covering the top of the wing, while the feathers themselves had many varieties of burnt browns and light and a soft creamy colours, each feather having the standard black diamond shape on each feather.
"Of coarse we will have to have the under sides of his wings tinted with purple like the rest of our family owls, but he will be ready for your journey to school." Her father says clearing his throat proudly as Nina runs to her parents and hugs them tight.
"Thank you Thank you!" She cries and hugs her parents tight, just as she says this her younger sister runs in whining.
"Why don't I get an owl!" Katrina says stomping and screeching "Why does she ge to go to school and I don't!" Nina and Katrina were similar in looks, but they acted very different, Nina was very proper and kind, she respected and treasured everything she got from her parents, while Rina would enjoy it for a few moments and then throw a fit about what she doesn't have. Nina would be polite to everyone she met, while Rina was very picky about who she would even look at. Nina would do what was asked of her, while Rina would weasel her way out of everything and get one of their house elves to do it.
Nina and Rina did not see eye to eye very often, in fact they should hold a celebration for when they do get along, it's that rare. Nina rolled her eyes as her sister stomped her foot. Her mother takes her sister from the room, placing the bird upon the vanity in ge corner of her room, drawing supplies, music sheets, quills, and other things scatter the table as it is the most used surface in the room and therefore the messiest.
"So what are you gonna name him?" Her father says crouching next to Nina who now sat at the vanity examining the bird farther.
"Well, he looks very proper. But he also looks very tricky. Not a prince but a lord…. A baron! So his name will be Barron!" She says happily, opening the hatch to the golden cage. She shows no signs of aggression as the bird looks slightly discomforted, slowly she strokes the birds feathers and it tilts it's head in suspicion of her but soon he relaxes.
"The perfect name for the owl of such a talented young lady." Her father says rubbing her shoulder lovingly. "Remember to take Marvanian for a ride before you leave. He will be devastated if you don't say goodbye. You should go before the sun sets, and be back before dark!" Her father than leaves the room, Nina sits in the brightly lit room. Her room was decorated most elegantly, the walls were white with gold wood carvings of vines and leaves thst semetrically lined her walls, the drapes and bedding was made of a expensive material only avaliable to the most wealthy of wizards were able to purchase the fabric from the vain and blood status crazed craftsman. The tones of the drapes were a rich brown and antique white, while all the wood was either white, gold or matched the brown drapes. Her four poster bed was gigantic and placed directly across from the door and the dark wood was elegantly detailed with engravings and pillars.
Dressed in her grey pea coat and black leggings she fastens her riding boots, standing and looking in her full body mirror she frowns, pulling at her stomach and trying to shape her legs she becomes agitated, her body was round unlike her mother who was tall and thin but was well muscled, Nina's face was round while her mother's was what most called heart shaped. Her mother was beautiful and was well known for her beauty and voice among both Muggles and Wizards world wide. Nina wished to make her mother proud by gaining the Romanov beauty. She had spent so much time growing out her hair that matched her mothers, it was long and full of loose ringlets and coloured in the most rare of way, it was a dark red that almost seemed brown but in the light it would flare with a almost unnatural cherry red, it was long and would trail behind her as she moved. Well at least it use to. A little over a year ago, a boy she had grown up with and use to be quite fond of had taken a pair of scissors to her hair.
It had been his birthday and her family had gone to celebrate, she sat at the table while their mothers stood outside the double doors with their backs turned, Nina had been swinging her feet that couldn't touch the floor, his father had fallen asleep leaning on his arm, exhausted from being woken so early by his son. She remembered hearing laughing from his two boys who were the sons of both fathers they had both met for the first time, their laughing got louder and as she turned to inspect the noise, the sound of scissors echoed through the room. He had cut her hair unevenly so it was just above her earlobe, due to the uneven cut she had to get it all the same length. Needless to say there was lots of screaming and loud angry parents, she hadn't seen the boy since and she honestly didn't mind, he took something important from her and gained her hatred. Now her hair hair hair had grown to her jaw and her bangs were straight across her forehead.
Soon Nina was skipping down the balcony that went over the drawing room and foyer, she skips all the way to the stairs where she runs down the right side of the imperial styled staircase, and she skips down the several halls until she is out the back door and running down the gravel path. Early crickets could be heard as the sun seemed to be going down quite rapidly, so she finally made it to the stables. Going straight to the back a bellow from a large stag echoes among the ruckus of the ten other pens were other creatures, who all became silent to their dominant. Marvanian was a Peryton, a large stag with great wings and antlers that gave him a majestic and powerful look, gaining respect from all the other creatures.
"Hey Mavi, are you ready to go for a ride?" She says happily as he stomps his hooves and flexes his great wings. His fur was soft and long, it was very heavy and thick upon his neck and breadst, were the fur tinted with white, grey blue and three thick navy blue stripes cross his rear, while his rear while his legs were pure white and vacant of hair until around the hoof where it had tuffs on the back over his ankles, his mighty wings matched the colour of his breast but faded to the same navy blue as his stripes while the underside was pure white. Placing the saddle upon his back she uses the step ladder to climb upon the back of the steed who greatly towered her in height. Slipping her feet into the stirrup she kicks and crys out, the great beast flexes his wings and begins at a fast sprint taking off into the sky as they exit the stables.
"Bye!" Nina hugs her father tightly from the door of the train, while her mother was catching up with a woman who's hair shone bright blonde amongst the crowd. The door shut and began down the tracks, she waves from the window and smiles brightly. Her parents had explained to her that going to school would be the most important part of her life, she would meet friends to last forever and she would also meet people who she would learn to get on their good side only to stay off their bad side. She would learn things to help her through her entire life, and she would be taught by the most powerful wizard of their time, Albus Dumbledore.
Nina had got on the train rather late, so she hadn't found a compartment yet, so now she was walking down the hall looking in each and each just as filled as the last. Finally she finds a compartment with two boys and one girl who seemed to be fixing one of the boys glasses.
"Hello, I'm Antonina Volkov. Do you mind if I sit here? All the others are filled." She says softly and the ginger sits up with wide eyes.
"Volkov?! You mean the pureblood family that owns the most magical creature reservation in all the world!" he says and she slowly nods. "Do you know my brother Charlie? He works for Alik Volkov, with the dragons in Romania." She lights up as she suddenly recognizes who this is.
"Ronald Weasley! Yes I know your brother, he spoke highly of you" She says smiling happily as green and brown eyes lock on her.
"I'm Hermione Granger." The girl says extending her hand and Nina takes it, shaking it firmly with a happy smile.
"Nice to meet you, are you excited for school?" She asks as she sits across from the girl.
"Yeah! I hope to be sorted into Gryffindor. I think my family would shame me if I didn't" Ron says with a worried look.
"My parents aren't worried about what house I am in, as long as I am doing my work and making friends." Nina says puffing her chest out and grinning proudly, a trait she received from her father. "What about you two?" Nina says looking at the nameless boy and bushy haired girl.
"Well I don't know too much about them" The boy with black hair says, his round glasses making his green eyes shine brilliantly, her eyes graze the rim of his glasses before she gasps loudly and points at his forehead.
"You're Harry Potter!"
"Soon, you'll find out that some Wizarding families are better than others." The sneer is seen clear by all who stand waiting for the older woman to return for them, his white blond hair like a beacon for all those around him. It wasn't like his attitude and cry for all to have eyes on him, he wasn't as she remembered. She remembered a boy who was intelligent and kind, a boy who she would butt heads with every now and then but mostly it was fond memories, of studies and trips with his parents while hers were busy with work. This boy now stood at the top of the stairs his eyes looking down and judging people he hadn't even tried to know.
"thanks but, I think I'll decide that for myself." Harry says shutting the boy with a pointed chin and nose, he opens his mouth to say something but she steps in front of Harry with narrowed eyes.
"Back down Malfoy" She says with an angered tone to match his, he looks taken back as their grey eyes meet. But the surprise lasts only a moment as his lips curl.
"Aw Ms Volkov, how brave of you to show up with hair as trashy as that." His teeth show as he feels he has cornered her.
"My hair only reflects the one who cut it, so you should be careful with your words." She says coldly and he goes to speak but the older woman returns.
"Follow me!" She commands and the group quickly follows.
Nina had stood there for quite some time before being called, since her name was at the end of the list since it started with V.
"Antonina Volkov" Nina made her way up the steps,
"head high, back straight" her head repeated the lessons she learned to be a proper lady and seem powerful and unbreakable, being the last she felt hundreds of eyes on the back of her head. Slowly turning she sits and she feels pressure filling her body and making her feel heavy as the eyes weigh her down.
"Ah, a Volkov and a Romanov. How interesting. Yes yes" The hat speaks in a low whisper that was loud in her ears. "Brave, dedicated, complex, pristine, and…" He goes silent for a moment "GRYFFINDOR!" a smile crosses her face as the gryffindor table erupts with cheers as they welcome her with opens arms.