Hallucination

[Larissa Sedgwick]

There was an odd, yet, slightly welcoming atmosphere around Durmstrang as January swept in, bringing with it, a horde of well-rested and happy students. The local village was only open to the students, for another day, and Larissa decided to make the most of it. She pulled on a large, red coat with a fur trim. Perhaps this would keep the cold out better than the coat she had worn previously, had. The heavens were no longer showering them with snow, but the ground was slush and ice from what had been a beautiful, winter scene.

It did not take a great deal of time to walk from the water's edge where the boat had stopped, to the sweet shop. She had yet to look about the place as it had been closed, before, and so, Larissa stepped inside: It was warm, full of life, crowded with students and the scent of sweets, was almost overwhelming. Larissa had to force her way through the many bodies, arms and legs, which blocked her path. She managed to find a shelf and began browsing it. Well, they certainly had a lot of variety with strange sweets of different colours and designs. There was a purple one- which was probably pumped full of sugar- in the shape of a chunky cat. For some reason, this appealed to Larissa, and she went to pick it up- but her hand collided with someone else's. She withdrew her own hand, muttering apologies in German, before she looked up, staring.

 

[Liberty Kaelen]

Libby walked around the local village in the school holidays in her jeans and hooded coat. It was over her head at the moment, convering her hair and ears from the cool winds of winter. Libby had recently moved to Durmstrang, and although the people she had met were good friends to her, she couldn't help but miss those she'd left behind.
After buying herself a warm drink, she'd spent a few moments sitting outside, looking across the icey lake. She knew moving had been the right choice, but she wondered if she could sent a few owls to Hogwarts.

She stood up, trying to get the feeling back into herlegs as she brushed off the back of her coat, and made her way back down the stone cobbled pathway. Her trainers didn't do much for the weather, and she could tell her socks were going to be damp when she got back to school. She looked towards the shops, and remembered her job. She'd had to give that up when she'd moved too. She headed towards a small sweet shop, which had reminded her of Honeydukes, and was welcomed with the warm smell of sweets.

All around her were pops and magical candys, and she considered buying some things to take back for her freinds. Soon she would meet Zac's younger sister, and decided she would take a gift to her too. Her eyes fell on the stand of purple cat's, and Libby wasn't sure what they did or were, until she found out they had been full of sugar. She reached across, and accidently got in the way of someone else. Looking up, past her brown hair that had fallen close to her face, she saw someone she was regulary bumping into. "Even when i move schools i can't get away from you" Libby's voice sounded serious, but then her face broke out in a small grin.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa was still staring. Staring for a very long time. Not in her usual deadly glare, no, but a stare which matched her wide eyes and slightly open mouth. She took a moment to gather her thoughts; should she be mean to her? Should she continue her cold greetings? Or, should she give her a hug? Larissa decided to compromise, and gave Liberty another, long stare. Eventually, she spoke.. And it was in a shocked voice. "What are you.." She had started speaking in German, through habit, but quickly changed to English. "What the hell are you doing here?!" She exclaimed, eyes still wide. It wasn't exactly a pleasant greeting, but it was obviously not her usual, cold tone that she used for the girl.

Larissa grabbed Liberty by the arm, yanking at it and dragging her from the shop, so she could hear herself think. "Right.." She paused for a moment, checking that nobody was around; someone was standing outside the pub, staring. Larissa gave a loud "Hrmph!" before dragging Liberty round into the small gap between the sweet shop, and the next one over. "Liberty," Larissa said, the cold tone returning, only for a moment, before Larissa, awkwardly, opened her arms for a hug.

 

[Liberty Kaelen]

Libby herself had an expression that almost matched Larissa's. She was going to ask exactly the same thing when she began to pull her out the shop. She stuttered as she was dragged through the crowds of people. She wasn't scared as such. But she was a little unsure as to what she was doing here. "I..i don't go to Hogwarts anymore." she got out, thumping her arm against a small child "...sorry" she mumbled, and found herself back outside.

She turned to Larissa, who was now staring at someone who was standing close, and was dragged again further away from the shop. Libby expected some sort of lecture, why she was over here in Bulgaria rather than New Zealand, but when she saw her put out her arms, she sighed relief silently, and wrapped her own arms round the neck of her friend. Only then did she start giggling, realizing why Larissa had checked for people watching them, and that this was probably the first hug they'd ever shared. After a couple of seconds she pulled back, knowing that nether one of them wanted to over do it..

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa looked away, once the hug had ended, initially refusing eye contact, refusing to acknowledge that anything had happened. Finally, she looked back, seemingly cold as ever. "Right, now," she said harshly, returning to normal, but for the slight redness of her cheeks as her mind stored the memory of what had just been. "Why did you pick Durmstrang? Why not Beauxbatons or.. Or the Hogwarts in Scotland? Why here, of all places?!" Larissa folded her arms, frowning. She had grown an inch since they had last met, and she was still growing, fast. Her father had been very tall- She vaguely remembered him giving her a ride on his shoulders, and her looking down to the ground, which seemed miles away. She missed him more and more, everyday.

She hadn't written to Grakul in a long time and her step-father was probably terrified that she'd been killed, or something. And then, it struck her- The poor man didn't even know that his ex-wife had been murdered by Mark.. In fact, he knew nothing of Mark, or Adrianne's second child, or of Larissa's transferral to Durmstrang. She had much to fill him in on, but that would have to wait. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't have the rest of his life inside Azkaban.

 

[Liberty Kaelen]

It was almost comforting to see Larissa return to her cold self. It had been this side of her that Libby had seen most, dispite the fact it was the one that made Libby feel most unwelcomed. "I.." she was sure she had already told her about Zavier. "Firstly, i doubt anyone would want me going to Beauxbatons" she said, "Unlike you, i would have trouble getting into there" she was referring to the fact she wasn't pretty enough to be in such as school. "Second, i now live with my brother. Cedric and Natalie live with our grandparents. I chose to carry on my studies in magic. My brother moved here, and so the closest school was Durmstrang." she explained. "Lastly i chose to change to Durmstrang, because i have closer friends here" she finished. She may only have known a few people in her new school, but she was alot closer to them then she ever had been to any at Hogwarts. "I'm a prefect" she said proudly, "and finally got my chance to be keeper" she added. Since she was very young it had been her dream to play keeper, and up till now she'd always had to settle as an alternative. "I wouldn't go back to Hogwarts. Durmstrang feels, more like home" she said truthfully, looking up for Larissa's reaction. "What about you?" she asked back, wondering why of all places she too had ended up here.

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa forced her face back into a look of mild amusement. It seemed as thought Liberty had done a lot in between the time they had previously met, including becoming a Durmstrang prefect. Larissa wasn't interested in becoming one again, though, she would not turn down the opportunity, should she be given it. As for Quidditch, well, Larissa hadn't tried out for the team, yet, she'd been too busy seducing every male she met. Larissa's answer to the question of why she was here, however, was simple, and Larissa thought it obvious. "Mark." She replied casually. He was the only person she had, now, the only one she trusted to remain loyal to her.. Even though she was a hypocrite. "With two dead parents and a brother, a step-father in Azkaban, a Auror for a cousin and a half-aunt with two kids on her hands.. Not to mention an insane veela grandmother who just wont die, I thought the option of coming to live with Mark, was a lot more peaceful, regardless of his catty sister." She paused, rolling her eyes and tilting her head slightly to one side. "Wouldn't you agree?"