"No, no, no!"
"Princess," Nikolai gave me a sigh.
"I will do no such thing," I shook my head quickly. "You cannot possibly think this is an okay thing to suggest!"
"Do you think it's something I want to do?" Nikolai argued. With a bit of a pause, he glanced behind him. "Because, I do. Yes. I definitely want to spend my Christmas at your mother's."
"You're not fooling anyone," his wife gave him a half smile, walking up to him. I turned my frown towards her.
"I wish I would have been told of these plans," I complained to her, knowing this hadn't been his idea. "I could have found a better time to come. I can't just show up whenever I fancy, you know."
"We know," my brother stepped forward, his tone a warning. His wife was already beginning to pout beside him. I gave them a sigh.
"I wanted to spend Christmas Day with you," I reminded, "not a muggle who does nothing but complain about you."
"Katerina, I know my mother can be… difficult, but she's just being protective. Your brother and I, we don't exactly have the most conventional relationship. Recently she thinks we've been avoiding her, because of the… magic you did on the house," his wife finished, wiggling her fingers at the word. I moved my annoyed expression to my brother, who was looking down at her with a small smile.
"That magic," I turned back to her, repeating the belittling motion, "is an incredibly complex, ancient spell, that we worked to place in this house to make you safe not—"
"Alright," Nikolai interrupted, stepping forward. With a sigh, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
It wasn't until the second I arrived that I was bothered to be told about the change of plans for the day. Her mother was apparently now insisting on having a family dinner, meaning she had to go. Meaning Nikolai had to go. Meaning, if I wanted to spend Christmas with my brother as planned, I would have to go. But why should I?
I crossed my arms, shifting my expression to the side. Nikolai turned to smile sweetly at his wife. Seeming to know what he was hinting at, his wife gave him a nod, before stepping out of the room. A moment after she left our sight her footsteps echoed near the staircase, she climbed up the stairs, leaving us downstairs. When he felt she was at a good enough distance, Nikolai let down his smile.
"Princess—"
"I'm not going," I insisted. Nikolai kept an even face, ignoring my interruption, and walked closer to me. Gently, he placed a hand on my head.
"What's wrong?" he asked with a frown. "You seem upset."
I paused, letting out a frown of my own. Of course he would notice. In truth, I was still a bit upset about my little talk with George. Both at him, for what he said, and at myself, for the way I had reacted. But he insisted on pretending I had no boyfriend, so I imagined it wouldn't be the best idea bringing it up. Instead I shook my head, giving him a sigh.
"I don't want to spend my Christmas, that was supposed to be with you, with some stranger," I argued not entirely truthfully. "Most notably, some muggle who you have never said a good thing about."
"That's her family, Katerina. She's my wife—"
"And you see her every day! When will be the next time I see you?" I called out, interrupting him again. But without meaning to, my words continued. "Father barely let me come to London; he's already suspicious enough of the time I spend here. The internship at St. Mungo's is almost complete, and shortly after I'll have to return to Hogwarts. How do I know when I'll be able to see you again?"
As his answer, Nikolai reached out to me again, pulling me into his arms. In his silence it was clear, that was a thought he'd had himself. But still, he didn't say anything. We stayed like that a moment longer, before he took a step back. Still close, he leaned down to kiss my forehead. Grabbing my face he turned me towards him, to meet his eye.
"I love you so much, but I have to go," Nikolai began. I rolled my eyes at him, causing my head to tilt back. But he turned me back to look at him. "I'm serious, I do, and I have to."
"You have to?" I repeated with sarcasm. Nikolai continued to look at me evenly.
"Yes," he answered honestly. "Daisy cares about her family very much, it's one of the most important things to her. If I don't go, she will, alone. With things the way they are, I can't let her do that. And I know it kills her not only how little she's seen of them recently, but that the few times we have I've complained, and rushed us out."
"You have every reason to," I defended, looking up at him. Nikolai gave me a small smile.
"Maybe so," he admitted, letting out a small sigh. With the same breath, he let go of his hold on me. "But, if the roles were reversed… If she were always complaining about you, refusing to see you when you came to visit… I couldn't be with her. No matter how much I love her, you are my darling Princess, and I could never purposely keep you away. Of course that's not to count any time you throw a fit, but I know that's how she must feel. I don't want her to feel that way about me."
At the pause, I didn't say anything in return. What could I say? Nikolai sounded so honest. He sounded concerned. This was most likely something he had been thinking about for some time, or something they had discussed after the Fidelius Charm had been placed. And as much as I believed he deserved better, for whatever reason he cared about her, and I wasn't going to try to purposefully make him unhappy.
"I won't make you go," Nikolai continued after a breath. "You can pretend Father has some sort of Precautionary Muggle Charm on you that activates any time you are in contact with more than one at a time."
"I'm surprised he hasn't thought of that already," I mumbled, earning me a half smile from my brother.
"Whatever excuse you make up, I'll agree with it. But I have to go," he continued, with a serious look to me. "Do you understand, Katerina?"
"Yes," I answered softly. At the reply, my brother's smile grew a little. With that, he gave me a nod.
"So what excuse will it be?"
"No excuse," I sighed, turning to grumble to the side. "I'll go."
"Really?" Nikolai asked, clearly not having expected that as a response.
"Yes, really," I snapped, not happy with the outcome of this conversation. Nikolai gave me a chuckle.
"Thank you," he smiled, leaning down to kiss my forehead once more. Then, after letting out a sigh, he leaned back. Turning away from me, he raised his voice a bit louder. "Daisy, love, we're ready!"
"But I can't be held liable for any 'accidents' that may happen," I added with a grumble as he stepped further away. But he simply chuckled as his wife came into view.
Nikolai turned to his wife as she handed him a bag, mumbling something about its contents. The two began walking into the kitchen, where I assumed the rest of their things were, leaving me frowning in the entrance hall. Not wanting to wait while they finished getting themselves ready, I made my way back outside.
Taking a look around, my frown didn't leave my face. There were plenty of muggles walking around, turning the corner from nearby spots or simply taking a stroll through the seemingly public garden across their property. One rowdy muggle family in particular seemed to be having a picnic on it, paying no mind or common courtesy to anyone around them. And while it seemed clear now that many muggles didn't have much in terms of grounds of their own, as shown by the number of children running around unsupervised, that was no excuse to be a nuisance for anyone else.
"Ready?" Nikolai asked, throwing an arm around me. With a sigh, I gave him a halfhearted nod.
"We're taking the train," his wife offered from beside him, though no one had asked. "We should go soon, don't want to keep mother waiting.
"We're going to King's Cross Station?" I turned up to ask my brother. "I don't believe I've ever had to use the muggle side of it. How far exactly is this muggle home?"
"All homes here are muggle homes, stop referring to them as that," Nikolai bumped my head lightly with his fist.
"And it's not actually King's Cross. That's too far North. Mother lives in Millwall, in the Isle of Dogs…" his wife mumbled off. But noting the confusion on my face, she continued saying words that had clearly no meaning to me. "Tower Hamlets… It's in East London. We'll be taking the South Western Railway London first."
"None of those words mean anything to me," I frowned, but not waiting for her to answer, my brother stepped forward and pinched my cheek.
"That's alright, you're a fast learner," Nikolai smiled down at me, but his eyes were serious. I pulled back and grumbled off to the side.
"Would it kill us to just aparate?"
"I'm sorry?" his wife asked, seeming like she actually didn't hear. My brother hit the top of my head again, this time a little harder, before turning to smile at his wife. Following his example, though with a bit more of a frown, I spoke up.
"I asked, so where does this train operate?" I crossed my arms, thinking the two sounded enough alike.
"You'll know it when you see it," my brother gave a look down to me. But seeming satisfied enough with that, began to lead the way.
The walk only lasted some minutes, but that was long enough to make me regret my decision to join several times through. Its path travelled adjacent to the grounds near the muggle house, leading us through more traffic than I'd hoped. During those seemingly endless minutes, we passed a few shops and several more residences. I frowned at a particular few, having been reminded of the first time I had come to visit their new home. They all were annoyingly similar, simply brick and mortar, with the occasional greenery here and there.
As the path transferred from homes to more public grounds, his wife began to comment on the many buildings as we passed. She seemed to have an anecdote for each. From the restaurants they frequented, to the local theatre, to a library we crossed on the path. Her voice continued without stop as I pretended to listen, only really retaining surface level information. It's not as though it was a plan of mine to ever visit those sorts of establishments. But halfway through an explanation of why the most recent restaurant was better than the previously mentioned, Nikolai stepped in between us with a frown.
"Are you cold?"
"What?" I asked blankly, though glad it wasn't the remark I had been expecting.
"Are you cold?" he repeated, though with a smirk this time.
"In the middle of winter? How could I be?" I glared ironically in return. And as though that were a signal to my body, I let out a shiver.
"Why didn't you bring a jumper?" Nikolai continued with the same smug look.
"I wasn't really expecting to go out, much less on a walk," I complained, with a barely suppressed look, not thinking it smart to outright glare at his wife.
"You could have said something before we left—"
"I'm fine," I snapped, though once again, the shiver forced its way through, into my voice. My brother gave me a snide smile.
Without a break in his step, Nikolai removed the outer layer of his muggle clothes. Silently he extended it in the space between us as a kind of offering. He wasn't outright handing it to me, but rather wanting me to admit I was cold and reach for it. I glared as he gave me a seemingly innocent smile in return. But with my shivering getting the better of me, I extended a hand to take it. My arm dipped down a few as it took on the weight of it, but bringing it closer to me, I made a face. Aside from the realization that it would be far too big on me, something I should have already expected, there was something else about it.
"What is this material?" I frowned, feeling the outside of it.
"Leather."
"This doesn't feel like any leather I'm used to," I continued, inspecting the garment.
"Faux leather," Nikolai continued with a shrug. I frowned up at him.
"Is that some sort of muggle creature? I don't think I've heard of it before," I mumbled, turning the coat over once more. Nikolai let out a laugh in return.
"Just wear it, would you. I could see you shivering if I were still standing in front of our home," Nikolai smirked over at me. I turned my glance down, realizing we weren't thinking of the same place as home anymore. Not wanting to follow that train of thought any further, I put the coat on.
As I had assumed, it was far too big on me. The arms hung a good few inches from the tips of my fingers, making me feel like I were drowning in the fabric. But it did help against the cold, and as of now it was my only option. Cloaks garnered too much attention around muggles, unwanted attention seeing as I wasn't supposed to be among them. It was annoying, and an inconvenience, but something I had to do for my brother.
"I would have lent you something, if I knew you didn't bring anything with you. I thought maybe you just had thicker skin that I have, like your brother. I saw your bag was a bit stuffed, thought maybe there was something inside you could use," his wife said with a motion, clearly referring to the bundled cloak inside. As though it were my fault. I tried to suppress a glare, although not too successfully this time. She gave me an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, I should have asked."
"She should have brought it up," Nikolai interrupted before I had a chance to agree.
Grabbing onto the loose fabric of the coat, Nikolai pulled me closer to him. At that he paused, stopping on the trail. Silently he turned to glance around us. Curious, I followed his gaze. Near us, many muggles seemed to have diverted from the path. Many were gathered to the side like we were, while others began entering and exiting a very particular building. Glancing curiously among them, that was when I heard a not so distant train whistle.
"I'll go settle our fare," his wife called, taking a step past us.
Nikolai reached over a moment, pulling her just long enough to give her a quick kiss. Not wanting to see that, I turned my gaze down again. Between us, my brother tugged at my arms. Taking the excess fabric, he began to roll the sleeve into itself, clumping it closer to my wrist. I frowned down at it.
"Can't we just shrink it to fit," I grumbled, shaking my wrist at the constricting fabric. Nikolai turned to look at me a second, before silently turning back, moving to work on the other arm.
"We have to use magic carefully around muggles, remember?" he answered, tugging at both of the sleeves once finished. I gave him a look back. Ignoring me for a moment, Nikolai turned up to look around us once more. "Besides, I don't exactly want you keeping onto this. I only own like three coats now, you know."
Ignoring his little joke, and the smile that accompanied it, I turned my frown behind him. Just as he had earlier, I began to look around. That was when I noticed. Among all of the muggles there seemed to be too many to count. With them constantly moving, it made it difficult to keep memory of each face. The thought made me a little nervous, and my brother noticed.
"They're not going to bite," Nikolai called, seeing me watching a couple pass close by. I shook my head at him.
"That's not it," I answered softly. Leaning my head down, I hugged the muggle coat tight against me. For some reason, the thought hadn't crossed my mind sooner. "What if someone recognizes me?"
"Is that what you're worried about?" Nikolai chuckled in return.
"Yes," I snapped, not appreciating the tone. "I shouldn't have come. If the wrong person sees me here, they'll not only recognize me but you too. They could tell Papa, or worse—"
"Alright, calm down," Nikolai smiled down at me, rubbing my arms gently. He turned one more glance towards his wife, before continuing. "Listen, we are riding a muggle train, in a very muggle part of London; anyone who would see us here has no room to judge."
"I suppose but—"
"And do you really think I look so different from before? Anyone could have seen me by now," Nikolai interrupted with a carefree shrug. "It wouldn't matter if you had come or not. But London is bigger than you'd think, with plenty of places to hide, if we really find the need."
"You are taking things too lightly," I frowned. In return, Nikolai gently tapped my head.
"Worse comes to I'll grab you and Daisy both, apparate back, and hide out at home. If anything it will be just the excuse I need to never have to leave home again," Nikolai gave me a grand smile. I couldn't help but give him a small smile in return.
"If you could have just apparated us both, why are we taking this train?"
"It's too conspicuous. Muggles spook easily, especially through that kind of sound. Besides, Daisy would rather I not. It's been deemed 'emergency only' magic," he answered jokingly. But my smile faded.
"I'm sorry, what was that? Emergency only? Does she also regulate when you're allowed to breathe?" I scowled up at him, but Nikolai simply laughed.
"What's so funny?" his wife called out, having successfully gotten whatever it was she ran off to do.
"I'll explain later," Nikolai answered, leaning in to give her a kiss, probably having no intention to ever do so. "We should get going, I know I'm already bound to get some blame for this. That means you too, Princess."
The whole train ride took far longer than I thought reasonable. Aside from the fact that the train itself looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years, we did far too many changes. We switched stations twice, boarding three different trains, and with each it seemed to take even longer. And just like on the walk there, his wife made sure to comment on every passing building, all the while Nikolai looked to her as though it were the most endearing trait in the world. After an hour, but what seemed like days, we finally arrived at the last station. But the trip didn't seem to end there.
"We have to walk, again?" I grumbled, climbing down the stairs of the station. Keeping my hands raised, I made it a point not to touch the dirt-encrusted handrails. "Why didn't we just take one of those muggle carriages?"
"It won't kill you to take a few extra steps," Nikolai rolled his eyes at me. Beside him, his wife swatted her hand against his waist.
"It's not that far," she turned down to me to assure. Ignoring her I crossed my arms, moving to stand closer to my brother.
"It's filthy," I grumbled, glancing around us. The water from the nearby stream was dingy at best, and there was garbage tossed onto the pasture along the trail.
His wife gave me an apologetic smile, as if that would help with anything. She continued forward just as I felt an arm wrap around me. Nikolai fixed his grip on me while his wife led the way. Steadily, we began to slow our pace. Noticing, I glanced up at my brother, as he continued to look at his wife. He watched her until we were a considerable distance back, then turned down towards me.
"One of your favorite subjects is Herbology. You have your own section of the garden the staff isn't allowed to touch. That's all to say, you're no stranger to dirt," Nikolai frowned down at me. "Do you really want me to believe you're that bothered by a little mess like this?"
"Well it's filthy," I mumbled down at our feet.
"You've been more vocal about Daisy recently, and not in a good way," he insisted, still not looking too happy with me. "Did Malfoy say something to you?"
"Why are you blaming Draco?" I asked, ducking from under his arm. Nikolai let go of his grip without a fight.
"I don't think I should have to explain that," he rolled his eyes at me. Looking down at his own hand, he began counting on his fingers. "That's the brat that called me a blood traitor. His father is a known Death Eater. You've said it yourself, you've been spending more time with him—"
"You're exaggerating," I narrowed a glare at him, pushing away the three fingers he was trying to shove in my face.
"Oh, am I? Tell me then, when was the last time you saw him?" Nikolai asked, trying to prove his point. Unfortunately, he didn't know how valid his point was. But he was waiting, and I had no choice but to reply. With a deep breath, I waited a few seconds before answering.
"This morning…" I spoke slowly down to our feet.
Already watching, I saw as his shoes stopped dead beside me. I stopped a few steps ahead, hoping his pace would catch up with me, but it didn't. Taking a breath in again, I looked up at him. He was standing still, a silent frown on his face. Waiting, I gave him a sigh.
"Tell me he did not spend the night," Nikolai spoke slowly.
"He didn't spend the night," I answered evenly. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"You're lying."
"You told me to tell you," I crossed my arms, turning my back to him.
"Fine, then tell me he didn't spend it in your room," he continued, in much the same tone.
"Well, are you going to lecture me for lying again," I mumbled, but apparently that was the wrong response.
"For fuck's sake, Katerina!"
Ahead, his wife finally noticed our absence. She paused looking between us. Nikolai smiled at her, and placed an arm around me again, beginning to walk us both. His wife took a step forward, continuing to lead the way, but it was obvious by the anxious glance she took she was aware of our pace. Noticing the same thing, Nikolai sighed harshly.
"Princess, you are too old to be having boys sleeping in your room with you, especially little parasites like that," my brother continued the lecture.
"Too old? I thought I was nine," I mumbled in return. From his expression, I could tell he did not appreciate the joke. In turn, I gave him a pout. "It was mum's idea, anyway."
"I've never understood what that woman sees in that little bastard," he complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"I just assumed it was because he was the son she always wanted," I mumbled to myself. Nikolai looked at me from under his hand. I couldn't help but giggle at his expression. "No offense intended, I should have said child. He might be obnoxious, but when was the last time you remember him disobeying his parents? And then compare that to us…"
"When you put it that way, I can see why they'd tolerate the git," my brother sighed. But, at the end of his breath, he gave me a smile. Nikolai reached over to me and tapped my head with his fist. With that settled, he quickened his pace, barely waiting for me to follow suit. "All I'm saying is, don't let him muck up that head of yours, alright?"
"He hasn't," I argued, trying to keep up with the new pace he'd set. "If you want the truth, fine. You have to see things are getting worse, and your wife isn't making them better for you. You may have your home protected now, but she's dragging you around, out of the safety of your own home, for some old woman whom you don't even like, and who doesn't like you."
"Hey," Nikolai reached a hand to interrupt. Grabbing onto mine, he slowed his pace. Looking down at me, he let out a frown. "Daisy is a muggle."
"Obviously," I rolled my eyes, in case the sarcasm wasn't clear enough in my voice. Nikolai managed a small smile in return.
"What I mean is," he went on softly, "she has no magic to use on me. Daisy has no access to love potions, she doesn't know any memory altering charms, and she certainly couldn't use any unforgivable curse. I'm here of my own free will."
"But—"
"If I thought we'd be in any sort of danger, I wouldn't have brought us, and certainly not you along. Everything is fine," Nikolai concluded.
"I'm tired of people telling me things are fine," I frowned up at him.
"Well, they are," my brother gave me a smile in return. "When they get catastrophic, I promise I will let you know. But, for now, be nice to the woman I love."
"Fine!" I pulled myself away from him. With a frown, I stomped forward. Nikolai silently followed.
Not having as many attractions to comment on this time, his wife stayed silent. Several more minutes passed before we finally stopped. Smiling up at one of the old buildings we passed, his wife pointed one out. It was still as weathered and grimy as any of the other dozen we'd passed, but I nodded at her enthusiasm. For one, I was happy to be done. But besides that, I had to admit, I was surprised at the result.
"This is bigger than I imagined," I commented, looking up at it.
"I'm glad you said that. Having grown up a bit, it always felt smaller coming back here," his wife called cheerfully. Next to her, my brother groaned, leaning close to me.
"It's not the whole building," Nikolai mumbled beside me.
"What do you mean?" I frowned at him. His wife looked confused too, though I suspected for seperate reasons.
"Daisy, love," Nikolai turned to smile at his wife, ignoring me for the moment. "I think I might need to explain some muggle things to my sister. Why don't you lead the way, we'll follow after."
His wife hesitated a moment but gave him a nod, taking a few steps faster ahead. I'm sure by now even she had to have noticed a pattern. But pretending not to notice he had repeatedly sent her away, she continued forward. Nikolai sighed, but slowed his pace, waiting until she was out of earshot. Once sure his wife could not hear, he turned down to me.
"It's not rare for different muggle families to share a building. You know that," Nikolai frowned down at me. "I know you know that, because it's one of those things the estate agent had mentioned having said to you, that you had shut down as an option."
"So how much do they own then? Half? A third?" I continued seeing as he wasn't answering. Ahead of us, his wife had begun to climb the stairs. "What, is it only a floor?"
"You know, Daisy's mother raised them alone," Nikolai commented, ignoring my question. "Most of their childhood, in fact. Her father passed some years back, so they didn't have steady income for a while. But they've managed, and as far as I've known her, they've lived here."
"What does that have to do with anything?" I argued with a pout. "Blaise's mother practically raised him alone. Not well, I'll admit, but money has never been an issue for them."
"Blaise who?" Nikolai turned to me, focusing on the wrong thing.
"Zabini," I rolled my eyes at him.
"Zabini?" he repeated, raising a brow. "You don't mean that black widow of a woman?"
"All I'm saying is, there are always options if you look in the right places. And, technically, nothing has ever been proven against her," I commented, making my brother roll his eyes. I frowned up at him. "Oh, but I suppose I can't expect the same resolve out of these muggles. What, because it's my fault they choose to live like this?"
"I love you, don't make me regret inviting you."
Reaching for my arm, Nikolai leaned closer to me, and kissed the top of my head. He let go and rushed a bit ahead, to where his wife was waiting for us. Her attention seemed to be focused across the way, as if she'd noticed something of interest. But hearing my brother's footsteps, she turned a smile between us. Not waiting until we fully reached her, his wife turned to open the appropriate door. But before her hand touched the handle, my brother rushed forward.
"Daisy, love, wait one more moment," Nikolai grabbed his wife's arm. Turning down to me, he let out a sigh. "Before we go in, I need you to promise me, you're going to be nice."
"Nick," his wife rolled her eyes at him, "of course she'll be—"
"No," I crossed my arms before she could finish. His wife gave me a surprised look, but my brother remained unphased.
"I've already spoken to you about this," he continued. "This is important. I need you to be nice."
"So you want me to lie?" I asked with fake innocence.
"Yes. As much as physically possible," Nikolai emphasized with a look. I gave him a sigh, but his wife spoke first.
"Nick, don't say things like that," she swatted lightly at his arm. "She should just be herself."
"No, she shouldn't, are we clear on that?" my brother asked, focusing the latter part on me. With a frown, I turned up to him.
"I'll be nice," I snapped, making a face at him. Nikolai gave me a nod.
"That's my Princess," my brother sighed, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I frowned in return, but he ignored the expression, turning instead to his wife. With a nod, he gestured her towards forward.
Following Nikolai's request, his wife opened the door. Taking only a couple of steps inside, we immediately entered what looked to be the living room. There was no entryway to lead us in. Not so far to the left the kitchen was clearly visible, making me question just how small the place could be. Not minding me, his wife continued forward into the room, as Nikolai closed the door behind us. At the thud, some shuffling came from the corridor up ahead. A face peeked out from one of the corners of the passage, smiling as it recognized those inside. But as the figure scurried over towards his wife, my brother stepped forward, blocking my view.
"Sorry we're late," his wife called, greeting the girl with a hug.
"How've you been, you little runt," Nikolai called out, turning the attention to himself.
"Well if it isn't the freeloader," she called back cheerfully. The girl rushed over from his wife to him, leaning in for a hug. "Long time no see, yeah? It's like you've been avoiding us."
"No more than usual," my brother assured, patting her head and giving her a smile. I frowned at the two, but before he could notice his wife stepped closer to them.
"Where's mum?" his wife asked, looking around the small room as if there were anywhere she could hide. Turning away from them, I began to unroll the sleeves of Nikolai's muggle coat.
"She stopped by the Jones's; took them some cookies since you were running a bit late," the girl shrugged at her sister. "I asked why she couldn't wait and she said, and I quote, 'Who knows when that one will decide to show up, if they come at all. You can't expect anything from someone raised like that'."
"By 'that one', you think she meant me?" Nikolai asked with feigned ignorance.
"Bingo," the girl giggled to herself before stopping abruptly. Her gaze turned towards me, still by the door. She must have noticed the movement as I finished removing the coat, having begun to fold it. I took a deep breath, having made a promise, and let out a smile.
"Hello," I greeted, trying my best to sound polite. The girl gave me a half smile back.
"Um, hi…" her answer faded as she turned to look at two near her. "Who's that?"
"My sister," Nikolai gave me a grin before turning back down to her. "You remember her? She stopped by our wedding last year."
"Don't think we met," the girl replied, still eyeing me curiously. His wife cleared her throat before taking a step towards me.
"This is my sister, Alexis," she introduced, unnecessarily gesturing at the muggle girl.
"Lex is fine," the girl rolled her eyes at the introduction.
"This is Katerina," Nikolai nodded his head towards me.
"I'd prefer Katerina," I stated, thinking of how their family seemed to like changing names. But, remembering I was supposed to be on my best behavior, I gave her a sweet smile. She nodded slowly in return.
"Did you start dinner yet? If not, I could help," Nikolai suggested, stepping further back, towards their kitchen. The girl turned back to my brother, giving him a far too comfortable smile.
"So mum was right, you did come to ruin Christmas," the girl called, making my brother laugh.
"Isn't that what I come for every year," Nikolai answered with a wide smile.
"Everything is out on the counter, like you wanted," the girl emphasized the last bit, turning to her sister. "We just have to wait to heat it up til mum gets back."
"Yet it will be my fault we eat dinner late," Nikolai gave an overly dramatic sigh.
I let out a giggle but stopped realizing the muggle girl had done the same. Trying to ignore their conversation, I turned down, placing the coat as neatly as I could into my bag. Mostly it was my attempt to not outwardly frown. He was far too comfortable here. I knew he had to be, to an extent, but hadn't realized just how much Nikolai had adapted to being near muggles. Sure he had lived among them for only five years, but that was half a decade. And seeing him making jokes, looking so at ease among them, was giving me a bad feeling in my stomach.
Taking in a steady breath, I leaned myself against a nearby wall. The two sisters continued to chat among themselves, but my brother took notice. Nikolai paused what discussion he was having with them and started towards me. But when he was about halfway, he stopped abruptly.
Between us, the main door swung open. Through it walked a woman I surely recognized, but not for a particularly pleasant reason. Although, at first glance, I might have thought I was mistaken. Her expression was calm as she lazily dusted off the ends of her coat. But that changed quickly as she turned up. The moment her eyes fixed on my brother they turned cold. Still standing perfectly peacefully, Nikolai smiled and waved freely. That only made her frown grow.
"Oh, good, you made it," the old muggle called out, though her tone suggested otherwise. As if to emphasize her distaste, she slammed the door shut behind her before walking further into the room.
"Merry Christmas," his wife called quickly, moving to intervene. At her daughter, the woman let out a genuine smile.
Closing the space between them, his wife pulled her mother into a hug. The two held each other for a moment, as though it would kill them to let go. Once again, she could have been mistaken for a perfectly calm, perhaps even pleasant woman. But stepping away from her daughter's embrace, her eyes noticed me. For a second they looked surprised, having not registered the uninvited guest. Then recognition set in.
"Mother, you remember Katerina," his wife gestured towards me, sounding like she hoped for the opposite. When her mother didn't reply, she continued. "She's Nick's younger sister."
"I remember. She's the little girl who called me old, said I wasn't good enough to be a part of her family, and then threatened me," the old woman spoke, narrowing her eyes at me. I gave her a smile in return.
"It's wonderful to see you again," I nodded politely. From behind her, I saw Nikolai fighting a smile.
"Wait, seriously? How come we didn't get introduced sooner," the muggle girl called, but her mother ignored her outburst, turning instead to her other daughter.
"Why is she here?"
"I had promised to spend the day with her, but then you threatened to call the authorities on me for kidnapping your daughter on Christmas… So we compromised," Nikolai gave the woman a casual shrug. From behind him, the muggle girl gave him a laugh.
"Aww, come on, you know she wouldn't do that again," the girl gave her mother a smirk, but this time it wasn't ignored.
"Lex, help me warm up dinner, would you," Nikolai's wife interrupted in a strained tone, giving her sister a look. Before the girl had time to answer, she was pulled by the arm into the kitchen.
"I'll come with you," the old woman called after them. She gave an unpleasant look to Nikolai, with a quick glance towards me, before following after her daughters. As they all somehow filed into the kitchen, Nikolai let out a snicker.
"Damn, I forgot you did that," he chuckled. Shaking his head at me, he closed the distance between us. "And here I thought you'd be able to pull off that goody act of yours."
"Does that mean I can stop," I asked hopefully. My brother gave me a smile, but shook his head.
"I still need you on your best behavior," Nikolai insisted.
"She's the one being a hag," I pouted, turning a look towards the kitchen.
"She's just overprotective," Nikolai defended, making me turn my look towards him. At that, he raised his hands. "Don't get me wrong, I still don't much like her, I just get where she's coming from."
"And where would that be? Hades?" I grumbled in response. Nikolai smiled down at me.
Silently placing an arm around my shoulders, he led me towards the nearby couch. Without warning my brother let himself fall against it, bringing me down with him. I frowned, not only at the rough material he had thrown us onto, but at the fact I was sure I had seen some dust rise with us. Nikolai let go of me, stretching his arms before resting them on the spine of the seat. Trying to dust off some of what had fallen on me, I sat myself up next to him. Ignoring my quiet grumbling beside him, Nikolai let out a long sigh.
"I used to live here, you know."
"What?" I asked, hoping I hadn't heard him correctly. Looking around, I saw the place with even less appreciation than before.
"It was a shock, for sure," Nikolai smiled, looking around the place too. "But I wasn't really in a position to complain. And grumble as she might have done, her mother did let me stay. Even after I couldn't find a job to help out. That's what having no prior muggle experience or documentation gets you, but try to explain that without breaking the statute of secrecy."
"But you couldn't find anything better? Really?" I asked, still with doubt. At that, Nikolai gave me a particular smile.
"I never gave it much thought, really, but I did have a few ideas," Nikolai mumbled, almost as if nostalgic at the thought. "For example, I considered finding an old, possibly sickly, muggle and adjusting their memories a smidge. Just enough to have them think I was their favorite grandchild. It would only have taken a few days to have them transfer all of their assets to me, and sending them off to live in the countryside or something. By the time their actual family found them, if they still had any, I could have easily sold any possessions I had, bought some property, and lived comfortably until I found something more stable to work with."
"Clearly you didn't give it much thought," I called sarcastically. Nikolai gave me a smile in return. "So, why not do something like that, then?"
"Well, I did mention it to Daisy, as a way for us to move out on our own. But according to her it was 'wrong', and 'unethical', and 'a horrible thing to suggest doing to someone even as a joke'," Nikolai quoted his wife before giving me a shrug. "Figured it was the safer bet to stay put than to make her mad at me."
"Or you could just admit you didn't think you could pull it off," I smiled, and my brother gave me a chuckle back. Settling into a smile, Nikolai turned a glance towards the kitchen.
"To be fair, my morals have always been rather grey, so it was probably for the best. Especially considering I have a sister with a knack for extravagant gifts," Nikolai gave me a smirk, resting his hand on my head.
Turning away from him, I glanced around us once more. Considering he had lived there for so long, the place suddenly looked even worse. It was definitely not good enough for him, not what he deserved. And to have subjected himself to that for years…
My frown paused as Nikolai stood beside me. Glancing past him I noticed the muggles were making their way towards us, finished with whatever work they were supposedly doing in the kitchen. Turning ahead I took in a breath, letting it out slowly before placing a smile on my face again. I had promised, after all.
"Dinner should be ready in less than an hour," his wife called, walking up to him. Nikolai leaned in to kiss her before gesturing down to the couch. With a smile, she took the seat on the other side of him.
"Still can't be bothered to help your wife cook?" the old muggle called, taking a seat a bit further from us.
"As if she'd let me. I've offered, but I suppose you want your food edible," Nikolai grinned between us. "Besides, with that new kitchen, she insists on cooking all of the meals."
"It was a nice house," the little one nodded approvingly.
"Yes, it's a shame you had to come here instead," the old woman called with a tone. "What, with that new kitchen and all."
"Mother, we've talked about this. They found some rotten wood in the inspection. It's a wonderful home, but not exactly the newest. It wouldn't be so nice inviting you while we still haven't fixed all of the issues it has," his wife answered, clearly lying. It was clear to her mother too, as her expression stayed unpleasant.
"And I believe you. Because you never lied to me before, why would now be any different?" the old muggle replied, turning a narrowed glare at my brother. Next to him, his wife quickly stood up.
"Why don't I make us some tea while we wait for the oven to do its job," his wife called to the room. At the suggestion, I leaned forward.
"I'll take some honeyed hibiscus tea with—"
"She's kidding, of course," Nikolai interrupted, squeezing onto my shoulder. A clear warning.
"Of course," I smiled, following suit. "I'll take whatever you have, thank you for offering."
His wife gave me a smile and nodded, before exiting the room. Well, as much as she could at least. She was still visible, only becoming half obscured by a hanging cabinet. But turning back I suddenly realized she had left us alone with her family. Noting the same thing my brother rubbed my arm gently before letting go. Nikolai opened his mouth to start, but was rudely interrupted before he got the chance.
"So, Katerina, was it?" the old muggle asked, looking down at me. I gave her a nod. "It's been a while. Threatened anyone new recently?"
"I do apologize for our last meeting, my behavior was out of line," I lied through an apologetic smile. "It was a stressful time for me, as I'm sure it was for you. I hope you can understand."
"That may be, but it doesn't excuse your behavior," the old woman replied, though the tone did seem a bit more restrained.
"She has matured a lot since then, even if it might not look it," Nikolai smiled, placing a hand on my head. He patted it, as if wanting to emphasize his point. I turned up to give him a stiff smile, making sure he knew he wasn't making this any easier. My brother gave me a smile back, being fully aware of that, before turning to the old muggle. "But even so, unlike another party present, she's never been one to get in trouble. Like oh, say, getting suspended?"
"It was once!" the little one called out from near her mother. She sat up and glared over at my brother. "And you said you would stop bringing that up! Besides, I was just a kid. I was probably the same age she is now when it happened."
"You two are nearly the same age, actually," his wife called from their kitchen before hiding herself again. The little one frowned.
"Really?" she mumbled, her expression turned towards me. I almost gave her a frown back.
"She's just short."
"I think you've mentioned that," I turned the same stiff smile up to my brother. He gave me a chuckle in return.
"You do look rather young," the old muggle called down skeptically.
"She gets it from our mother," Nikolai answered for me. "She recently went into her forties, yet people have always thought she could be my age. Most thought her my older sister for a while."
"It would be nice to meet this mother of yours one day," the old muggle called sarcastically, making me roll my eyes.
"I doubt that will ever happen," I mumbled under my breath. At that, the old muggle turned her gaze on me, as if she had heard. But before I could reply, Nikolai placed an arm around my shoulders.
"Our mother is a very private person," my brother called, squeezing my shoulder. "And they don't exactly agree with a lot of the choices I've made with my life, as you know."
"Like who you marry, because my daughter isn't good enough," the old muggle gave him a sarcastic smile. Though the comment wasn't directed at me I gave her a smile in return, fearing I would simply glare at her otherwise. Nikolai, instead, gave her a sigh.
"I've mentioned before, it has nothing to do with you personally," my brother insisted, looking like he was trying to hold back a glare. "Our parents just don't approve of life in the city. They're a bit antiquated, and do not approve of me living here instead of our home town."
"Is that so?" The old muggle turned to me suspiciously.
"Yes," I gave her a slow nod. Seeing as she was clearly waiting for a more detailed response, I watched Nikolai out of the corner of my eye, for any hints, before continuing. "Our parents have always had certain expectations of us and… Nick going off on his own, well it rubbed them the wrong way. It was only supposed to be a temporary stay but… he chose to stay here."
"My daughter's so awful they would rather kick you out?" the old muggle asked again. My brother let out a harsh breath beside me.
"I chose to stay in the city so they refused to support me. I married her without their consent, so they officially cut me out. It could have been anyone here, it has nothing to do with Daisy," Nikolai replied, a bit more hostile this time. From the defensive tone, I could tell this was a somewhat recurring conversation. "I'm sure if they met her they would think differently, but unfortunately they are too stubborn for that."
"How old fashioned are your parents that you still have to get their 'consent' to marry who you want?" the little muggle called out to interrupt.
"You would think they still write with a quill and parchment," Nikolai smirked back at the girl. I gave him a confused look at the comment. Seeing my expression, he gave me a smile and leaned down to me, kissing the top of my head. "Thankfully, this one is almost as stubborn as I am. She stops by whenever she can during her holiday."
"How far do your parents live?" the muggle girl frowned at me. "Can't you just stop by after school or something?"
"She goes to a boarding school," Nikolai answered for me. "It's based outside of England. A bit north, and far from here."
"Was it part of a behaviour management course?" the old muggle asked ironically. This time, I decided to answer myself.
"No, actually, the school is quite liberal with us students," I replied, giving her a smile. "There are still rules, of course, and coursework. But we still get to enjoy our free time, and I quite enjoy what I learn there."
"Don't give her any ideas," the little one grumbled at me. Beside her, the old muggle rolled her eyes at her daughter.
After taking her sweet time, Nikolai's wife finally returned with the tea. Using all different styles of mugs, she began distributing the drinks. I suppressed a frown, watching her do so. Already I could smell the brew. It was black tea. I had been craving something more herbal and less earthy. But having no choice, I took the drink from her with a smile. And immediately I reached for the sugar, to salvage my drink, if I still could.
"So, Katerina… All of that time away must amount to something," the old muggle commented, loudly slurping down her tea. "Since you quite enjoy it at this school, tell me, what exactly do you study?"
I stopped my cup an inch from my lips before looking up at her. I didn't see why it mattered. But, more importantly, I wasn't so sure I could answer her question. It was doubtful Potions was taught in muggle schools. Nor would Care of Magical Creatures be. It was possible Herbology would be, as there were non-magical plants, but they were very rarely used in lessons…
"Chemistry," Nikolai spoke, answering for me. Putting his cup of tea back down, he turned to give me a smile. "There's something about dumping mixtures in a container to get a reaction that she just adores."
"Chemistry," I mumbled in repeat. From the vague description, it seemed like a muggle alternative to Potions.
"Her school also offers lessons in Botany," Nikolai continued with a shrug. "She loves plants, and the study of them. Even has a bit of a garden of her own back home."
"Botany," I nodded in repeat again. It might be useful to try to remember those names for the future.
"Do you also attend this school?" The old muggle asked, noticing he'd been answering some of her questions for me. But Nikolai gave her a laugh.
"No, mine was much stricter," my brother answered honestly. "But, seeing as that clearly didn't work out the way they planned, they let her have a choice of where she went."
"But they do have a similar curriculum," I smiled in agreement. Still, she didn't look too happy.
"It would have been nice," the old muggle commented, pausing to take a drink, "if Daisy had been able to go to study abroad, like we had planned. I think it was a big disappointment for all of us when she didn't. Unfortunately, she had to work, to support… certain people."
"I was always working," Nikolai's wife frowned at her mother.
"And I have asked her to quit," he added, earning him a frown from his wife. In return, Nikolai gave her a cheerful smile. "Now that we don't have to think about saving up for a home, we don't need both incomes. But, surprisingly, she likes her job."
"Doesn't hurt to have that raise of yours either," the little one called teasingly. Nikolai gave her a smirk in return.
"Did you threaten someone for that too?" the old muggle asked, serving herself more tea. "I would assume that sort of behavior runs in the family."
"No, most people just find me charming," Nikolai answered with a smile.
I turned my attention down from him to my drink. It was true, people had always found him charming. A lot of what I had been taught about how to persuade others was from my mother's unnecessary mannerisms, but the rest had all been from Nikolai. I remembered, during those Durmstrang visits, there would always be people around him. He had never had trouble making friends. My brother was smart, talented, charming, and a good quidditch player, he had always grabbed people's attention.
Among that attention were a lot of girls. Though I never was a fan of any of them, on parchment they were good choices. Many were polite enough, attractive, and from good homes. A few even visited during summer holiday and met with our parents, garnering their approval. Yet he chose a muggle. And above all else, he chose one whose family couldn't even appreciate him for the blessing he was to them.
"Do you need more sugar in that tea?" Nikolai asked suddenly with a smile. But the look on his face made me realize I had started frowning. I put on a smile and gave him a nod.
"It is a bit bitter. I forgot to add some when I grabbed a refill. Thank you," I replied, allowing him to add the sugar to my drink. Once he was done, he patted my head. I turned back down to it as he turned to join the muggles in their conversation.
My attention drifted soon after. The muggles had moved onto not only things I didn't care about, but they were speaking of things I could barely understand. I assumed that was because they were all muggle related, but I didn't pay enough attention to be sure. I knew Hogwarts offered muggle courses, and I'm still not particularly interested in them, but I could better understand why they were taught. For the majority of the chat, through the remainder of tea, I continued to ignore the conversation around us. But eventually, we had to move onto dinner.
Everyone was seated together on the small dining room table, if it could be called that. The table was placed awkwardly between the kitchen and the living room, barely giving any room to the "dining" area. But I didn't feel it would be productive to mention it. Making the space even more claustrophobic, plates full of food were clumped among the center of the table. Without bothering to separate the courses, all of the dishes were scattered for anyone to grab. And, once the final person took their seat, dinner began.
The muggles all quickly filled their plates. Not following the usual protocol to offer the guest the first pick, they grabbed multiple servings for themselves. Frowning at the scene, I turned to the closest dish to me. Taking a spoonful of the assorted vegetables, I made a face. They were soggy, as if they had been steamed too long. With a fork, I pierced the end of some broccoli only to see it bend under the utensil. Noticing my look of distaste, Nikolai gave me a look of his own. After a shared glare, I looked back down at my plate and took a bite of the broccoli. Not a moment later I reached for my water and quickly drank from it. Somehow, they tasted like they had been undercooked and boiled too long.
Looking around, the others seemed to be really enjoying their meal. In between large bites, large enough to make me wonder how they hadn't choked yet, they would often make comments to one another. That sort of behavior might be fine among family, but not with guests present. Shifting my gaze my eyes stopped once they reached my brother, and he looked back. Nikolai gave himself a nod, seeming to have read my thoughts. Gently setting down his fork, my brother reached to grab a stray brussel sprout with his bare hand. Without a word he casually tossed the sprout into the air and caught it between his teeth. He gave me a toothy smile, showing me his little achievement, before biting down on it. His wife tapped a hand to him in protest, but it made me smile.
"They were able to send you off to study abroad, yet your parents couldn't be bothered teaching you manners?" the old muggle called ironically. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"You've got to be kidding," I mumbled down to my food.
After another bite, I turned up. Reaching for my drink, I noticed the old muggle looking disapprovingly down at me. Not sure if that meant she had heard, I took a drink and set my cup back down. With a smile, I turned to my brother's wife.
"This is a really good turkey we're eating," I spoke a bit louder than necessary, like I was repeating myself. With a nod, I took another bite of my dinner. In truth it wasn't awful, his wife had always been a decent cook, one of her only redeeming qualities. The real travesty came from the sides, which seemed to have been left for the rest of the muggles to prepare. "It is really well made. I actually quite like it."
"You must, considering how much you've mentioned it," Nikolai gave me a smirk, but his wife didn't seem to notice. Beside him, she gave a more genuine smile.
"I'm glad you like it," she replied happily. "It's a sort of tradition that every year I make the turkey myself."
"Remember the year you burned the bird and we had to fill ourselves with mum's slightly less burnt pigs in a blanket," the younger one called out. Her mother gave her a look and a shove, but it was her sister that spoke first.
"Well, excuse me for not knowing how to work the stove with a whole bird inside, by myself," his wife replied, giving a glare to her younger sister who was happy to return it. Chortling to herself, the old muggle reached a hand to her daughter.
"You insisted I leave you in charge, and we almost ended up without a meal," the woman laughed, as Nikolai's wife fought back a smile.
"In my defense, that old stove was rubbish. And I got nervous, it was my first time cooking something that big!" his wife spoke increasingly louder, trying to speak over the two laughing at her expense.
Frowning down, I focused on my meal. Clearly this was a conversation among just them. Yet somehow we were the ones without manners. It did make me wonder if this was some sort of tradition of theirs, or perhaps it was muggle custom that one waste everyone's dinner time with useless stories. At the very least they could try to think of one that was more interesting. But before my thoughts got too out of hand, I heard my name be called.
"Katerina," his wife called, smiling down at me. "You're more than welcome to grab more, if you'd like. We always make too much."
"I'm perfectly fine for now, thank you," I replied with a smile, before turning a quick glance down at the table. I wasn't sure I agreed with that statement. Aside from the completely average amount of food, with how her family was scarfing down their meals, there would barely be enough as is. Still, I had to be polite. "But I appreciate the offer, and I will keep that in mind."
"Unless, of course, it's not to your taste," the old woman mumbled loudly, the comment clearly not meant for just herself.
"She just said she liked it, mother," Nikolai's wife rolled her eyes, but the old muggle shrugged.
"She doesn't seem to be eating a lot, for someone who claims to enjoy it so much."
At the comment, I looked down at my plate. It was past half-eaten, a proper pace I would say. But when comparing it to them, who could soon be nearing thirds, the difference was noticeable. Still, that seemed to be more of an issue for them, not me. And once again, having to force a smile, I turned to look politely at them.
"I'm sorry if it seems that way, I did have a big lunch," I lied through my teeth. "But it really is wonderful."
"Yeah, and it's not her fault she eats like a bird," Nikolai laughed suddenly. Making me lose the fake smile, I spun around to face him.
"I do not," I frowned up at him. Nikolai raised his hand towards me, reaching ever so slowly closer, pinching the air as he went. Once, twice, he slowly closed the distance reaching for my face, before I slapped his hand away. "Stop it."
"She's always done that. It's part of the reason she's so tiny," Nikolai insisted on making his unfunny jokes. My brother chuckled, ignoring me swatting at him. After realising it wasn't going to do me much good, I gave him a sigh.
"Maybe you're just a giant freak," I grumbled into my fork.
"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't hear you from all the way down there," Nikolai called, leaning into me farther than he needed. With a laugh, I shoved him away.
"Stop being mean to your sister," his wife called out, intruding where she wasn't wanted. But Nikolai turned to give her a smile. "You hardly see her as is."
"Precisely. When else am I going to get a chance to make fun of her very obvious height impairment," my brother answered plainly, but didn't attempt to hide the childish smile on his face.
"I would think, asthe older brother, you would want to set a good example. But I suppose that ship has far since sailed," the old muggle interrupted as well, reaching over to cut a piece of bread with her bare hands. As she moved to place it back I frowned at her, for multiple reasons.
"I see it more as setting the bar as low as possible for her. Could you imagine the kind of pressure she would be under if I had lived up to my parents' expectations?" Nikolai gave her an exasperated sigh, slowly shaking his head. I gave him a giggle, which earned me a smile in return. "Instead, as the older brother, I gave her the freedom to screw up her life however she chooses. No matter what, I will always be the bigger disappointment."
"And, truly, I thank you," I giggled in return. With a smile, Nikolai raised a cup to me.
"God, I wish my sister had done that," the little one interrupted, being her turn to intrude, as if that's all these muggles could do. She turned over to her sister, making a very annoying voice. "Daisy managed to pass all her classes while still maintaining a job, Lex."
"How did you manage to fail English? You speak it," his wife frowned down to her sister. The girl rolled her eyes.
"Well excuse me for not living up to your high standards," the girl grumbled, making his wife now the one to roll her eyes. "I think that makes you not a very good older sister. I wish Nick had been my brother sooner."
With a frown, I turned my attention back down to my plate. Nikolai was my brother. He wasn't hers. He wasn't anything of hers. The little muggle already had a sister, she should be happy with that. Sure, with an overbearing family like this it was understandable why she would have said that. I could understand how she would want someone like him around. Merlin knows I sure needed him when he was home. Just being around him sometimes… it just made things better. Not that it was a choice I had been given…
"I think this is the last piece of bread. I guess I should be a good brother and ask if you want it first," Nikolai smiled down at me, but his eyes told a different story. Even with the muggles cackling to themselves next to him, his attention had still been on me. I gave him a smile before shaking my head.
"I'm perfectly fine. Really, thank you," I smiled. Taking a second to make sure the sentiment was genuine, Nikolai gave me a nod. With a bit of a smile of his own, he took the loaf of bread he was offering and took a large bite. Watching him struggle to properly chew it, I gave him a laugh.
"Shouldn't you have asked the rest of the table," the old muggle commented, watching him swallow the mouthful. She made the remark as though she hadn't just done the same thing. But ignoring the hypocritical remark, my brother gave her a nod.
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? Would you like some?" Nikolai offered, stretching the half eaten loaf towards her. She did not seem to appreciate the gesture.
"Oh, give me that," his wife smiled, reaching a hand towards him.
Without waiting for a reply his wife took the piece of bread and took a bite out of it. Nikolai smiled back at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Turning herself more towards him, his wife leaned closer to kiss him back. I sighed back down at my meal. If there were still any appetite left in me it was gone now.
After another moment, and after her family was done scarfing down the majority of the food, his wife stood from the table. Bringing each individual piece from the kitchen, she served the dessert. Out of usual custom, after serving her family before the guest, she placed my piece of dessert in front of me with a smile. The mound was lumpy, flaky, and an odd color brown. I gave her a polite smile in return, trying not to make a face as I poked the supposed dessert with my fork. Carefully I split the dish with the utensil, causing it to spill out dry crumbs.
"This is so good," the little one groaned, digging into her piece.
From the looks of it, the little one was already on her fourth dig. Looking around, the old muggle hadn't waited for Nikolai's wife to sit either, already a few bites in herself. I looked back as his wife began to finally take her seat, setting the last piece of dessert down in front of herself. Before taking a bite I turned to my brother, completing the cycle, but paused at what I saw.
Nikolai calmly took a drink, no dessert in front of him. I frowned, confused, but he noticed. My brother gave me a smile in return and took one of the pieces of roasted potato still on the table. Giving me a toothy grin, Nikolai threw the piece of vegetable into his mouth. That didn't do much to help my confusion. His wife, noticing my stare, leaned forward and gave me a smile.
"Since we weren't expecting you to join us for dinner, I only made four servings of Christmas Pudding," his wife began to explain apologetically, before her mother spoke up.
"Yes, it was a surprise visit," the old muggle grumbled down into her cup.
"It was a surprise for me as well," I smiled at her, trying to keep the resentment out of my voice.
"A welcomed surprise," his wife gave her mother a look before turning back to me. "But because I only had time to make a limited amount, Nick insisted you have his."
"I had more than enough samples when Daisy was prepping the batches," Nikolai smirked down at me. Reaching to grab one of the other choices of sides, he threw it up before catching it in his mouth again. But this time I gave him a frown.
"We can share," I insisted, but my brother shook his head.
"It's really good, I'm sure you won't want to, once you try it," Nikolai gave me a reassuring smile, waving his hand dismissively.
A frown still on my face, I turned back down to the dessert. It would be rude to keep declining, and I had promised to be nice. I had to keep reminding myself of that. With my fork, I cut into the Christmas Pudding and took a careful bite. Looking down at it, my frown changed into a different one. It tasted good. The flavour was unlike what I had expected, fruity. It was definitely better than it looked. Glancing up I noticed his wife watching me, waiting for a response. Taking another bite of it, I obliged.
"It is good. Thank you," I spoke down to the plate. His wife gave me a grand smile in return.
"That's the one thing I do miss about you, sis; your cooking," the little one called up from her plate, hers already empty. His wife rolled her eyes at her sister.
"Yet I don't get the chance to miss you, calling us every five minutes to beg for change," his wife glared in return. Beside her, Nikolai gave them a laugh. The old one watched her daughters with disapproval, as they made rude faces at each other. I turned away from them.
I hated it. This dinner now more than ever had made me realize just how much I hated all of this. I hated the remarks on his behalf. I hated how comfortable he seemed to be. And above all I hated the thought that, if I weren't here, he would still be laughing along with them, just like he is now. But, pushing down those feelings, I focused my attention on the dessert.
As our time passed from dinner to the rest of the night, it became more and more apparent just how dependent the muggles seemed to be towards each other. They continued to share stories they themselves were a part of, for seemingly no reason. Certainly they weren't saying it for either my or Nikolai's benefit, seeing as half the time they forgot we were there. Not to mention how coddling the mother seemed to be, in contrast to how spiteful she was to my brother. But instead of reciprocating like he normally would, he kept his mouth shut for the benefit of his wife, to whom her mother was nothing but pleasant to.
Unfortunately those overbearing traits seemed to run in the family, as if Nikolai moved more than an inch, his wife would be right by his side. The whole evening we barely got two seconds alone before someone interrupted. I had been looking forward to seeing him for some time, yet even with all of their complaints, they couldn't give us one moment of peace. It wasn't until it was time to go that we had some time to ourselves. Nikolai was able to step away from the muggles long enough to walk me downstairs, and say our goodbyes.
By the time we stepped outside, the sky had grown dark. Knowing it was much later than I should have stayed, I gave myself a sigh. A bit ahead, my brother leaned out, looking onto the road for the muggle carriage. Nikolai had walked the way down with me, but would unfortunately be staying with his wife. He was just seeing me off.
"You can't just use this as an excuse to leave?" I frowned. This whole day, and only now were we finally getting some time alone.
"Trust me, I tried," he sighed, leaning back to stand straight. But turning down to me, Nikolai gave me a smile. "I did, but Daisy really wants to spend some time with her family."
"Why?" I frowned, and my brother's smile grew a little in response.
"Well, I imagine it's for the same kind of reason I want to spend time with you, even if everyone always complains about what a pain you are," he smirked down at me.
"I am a joy to be around," I glared, emphasizing my point. Nikolai gave me a chuckle.
"No, you're not. But I still love you, my darling little Princess," Nikolai cooed, grabbing onto my face. I pouted up at him but didn't pull away. With a smile, he leaned in for a hug.
It was a long hug, not that I minded. I had refused to admit it to myself but I think we both knew; we couldn't be sure when we would see each other again. After this we would have to spend less time together. Having him back in my life, I had been over eager, I think both of us had. But we had to be more careful. We could probably try once or twice more, but after that it would be back to writing letters, not knowing how often—
"I almost forgot!" I quickly pushed myself free from him.
Nikolai gave me a confused look, but took a step back. As he did, I reached into my bag. Digging through more than I realized I had, I pulled out a roll of parchment. Unscrolling the two, I separated the sheets, before rolling one of them and wrapping it with a loose ribbon from my bag. With the other still in hand, I placed my half back into the bag, before presenting him with the other. My brother watched the sheet for a moment, confused, before slowly reaching for it.
"Merry Christmas!" I called, as he slowly took it.
"Thank you?" he asked, just as slowly. I smiled at his confused stare, thinking that's how I must have looked to Draco.
"I'm sure you saw my sheet," I commented, gesturing to my half-opened bag. "They're linked sheets of parchment. A Protean Charm was placed on them. If I write on mine it will be duplicated onto yours, and vice versa. Once you write your own message it replaces mine on my parchment. Hopefully a bit safer than owls, this way there won't be any reason to worry about interference, so long as we keep each copy hidden."
"Did you make this?" he asked softly, inspecting the sheet as if it would show him any markings that a spell was used.
"I bought it," I lied, expecting he wouldn't be thrilled to hear it was from Draco, given our earlier conversation. Nikolai turned to look at me, just as I turned to look down, not wanting to give away the lie. But, reaching into my bag again, I pulled out one more gift. This one was wrapped. "And also this."
"Tell me it's not filled with quid," Nikolai narrowed his eyes at me, bouncing the gift, noting the shape and weight. At my confused expression, he smiled. "Is there muggle currency in here?"
"No, but now that you mention it, that would have been a good idea," I frowned, mumbling down to myself. Nikolai chuckled at me, reminding me to turn back up. "I'll spoil the surprise, since it's not anything creative. It's a quill set."
"To go with the parchment," he guessed, and I gave him a nod.
"I would like to actually be able to read what you write," I commented with a look, "since it's clear muggles don't produce quality products."
"Not when they believe it's hundreds of years outdated, and you're shopping on a budget," Nikolai agreed but gave me a smile. Reaching towards me, he gave me a hug once more.
Engulfed in his arms I let him squeeze me tight. My brother held me for only a moment more before we heard the muggle carriage approach. A bright light shone from the front, making me turn away. It slowed to a crawl beside us, waiting at the edge of the road. Nikolai made a gesture to the coachman, acknowledging his presence, before turning back to me.
"I should go," I frowned, thinking of what was sure to be waiting for me at home. "I've already stayed later than I said I would, I'm sure I'll hear all about it at home."
"Let me know how it goes," he nodded, before giving me a smile, lifting up his gift. I gave him a firm nod, and a wide smile in return.
"I'll write to you tonight. Hopefully by then you'll be away from this place too," I mentioned, turning to look at the building behind him.
Before he could reply, a loud shrill sound interrupted us. I jumped, a bit startled, but my brother didn't seem surprised. Nikolai turned back to the muggle carriage, frowning at it. Taking a step towards it, he leaned down to give the coachman a certain look through the window. After a second he turned back without a word, but from the looks of it, that seemed to have calmed him down. With a sigh, Nikolai turned back to me.
"Take care, Princess," he called stepping forward. Leaning down, he wrapped an arm around me, kissing the top of my head. "I will see you again, alright? Even if it takes us a little longer than we'd like."
"Alright," I nodded, not quite liking the sound of it.
He was right, we didn't know what was to happen. All we could do was wait. But as I looked up at my brother he gave me a reassuring smile, and I couldn't help but do the same. Nikolai escorted me into the muggle carriage, reminding the man of where to go, before closing the door between us. Looking out the window as it started, I waved my brother goodbye. Nikolai waved in return, growing ever smaller as the carriage moved forward, holding his newly received gifts against him.