I've Got the Lines

[Alexei Mihaylov]

New Zealand was a strange and foreign place to Alexei, who scarcely left Russia except to accompany his mother on business trips and to meet Saveli Matveev. Still, now that he had the latter cause to visit the country, he'd found its quaint wizarding villages and rural charm had become quite the solace from his usual day-to-day life. He didn't get to see her very often - once or twice a year, perhaps - but their occasional correspondence kept them up to date on each other's lives. Saveli's, he thought, was infinitely more interesting than his, though this opinion may have been influenced by her ability to make even the mundane sound exciting in her writing.

Today he was meeting her in Brightstone Village, where he hoped he might find her a birthday present as they browsed the shop windows. Unfortunately, it being the holidays, the small streets were completely packed, small hands and faces clamouring at the most interesting window displays and making them very difficult to access. He sighed, leaning against the signpost beside which they'd arranged to meet, and scoured the crowd for a glimpse of Saveli's blonde hair.

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli was thrilled to meet with Alexei in Brightstone - perhaps it would get her mind off the complications of her current relationships - romantic or otherwise. The blonde walked swiftly, book clutched in her hand. She had told Alexei she would show him her flowers which were pressed neatly into the pages. This book was full and she'd just started another recently. pink heels clicked the ground gently as she moved, and her hair which was tied high swayed back and fourth, occasionally catching on the bow that adorned her ponytail. A smile graced her mildly chapped lips and she searched wistfully for her companion.

It of couse didn't take long to spot Alexei - he was tall. Though she was as well, wearing heels made her a little under 6' tall. Saveli raised a free arm and waved. "Lex!" She spoke, before jogging over to him, her knees wobbling slightly trying to adjust to the uncomfortable sensation of wearing heels. Though she supposed Prudence was right, she did feel like a goddess in them. An uncoordinated one at least.

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

It was no wonder Alexei didn't spot Saveli until she waved at him - her usually subdued attire had been replaced with a brilliant pink jacket, black dress, and pink heels. "Wow," he said, a smile lighting his face. "Hollo, Saveli. You are looking very pink. And lovely," he clarified quickly. He looked down toward the main street, grimacing slightly. "It is very busy. The holidays, I think. But I see you have your flowers!" The Slytherin had told him about her hobby of flower pressing in one of her letters, and Alexei had insisted she show him the next time they met. "Would you like to sit outside, or shall we find place to eat?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

SAveli's cheks and nose were dusted a rose color when the man said wow. That was a good statement she hoped. While Saveli was not wholly interested in Alexei, compliments always made her feel good. "Thank you. I got all dressed up for the ice cream we're going to get later." She spoke with a laugh. "I did! Here, you can look if you'd like." Saveli offered the book out, her delicate hands gripping it gently so as not to put pressure on the flowers within it's leather binding. "If you're asking about food maybe we could do both. Want to grab something and sit in outdoor seatng somewhere? I'd hate to waste this sun!"

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

Alexei didn't think Saveli needed to 'dress up' at all, but she seemed so confident in her outfit that he refrained from saying so. "Oh, ice cream?" he said, laughing. They hadn't arranged much else besides the flowers prior to meeting. "It is going to be on you, yes?" He shook his head, taking the leather book gently and turning it over in his hands. He didn't want to look at it yet, while they were standing around in the sun. "Yes - that sounds like a plan. We will go to... Three Broomsticks? And sit outside." With that they began heading in the direction of the restaurant. "How are you since my last letter?" he asked as they walked. "Have you been up to interesting much?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

The first mistake with Alexei's english threw Saveli for a loop and she stopped in her tracks for a moment - not long enough to be noticed. She held a hand over her mouth briefly, physically wiping the smile from her lips. When he spoke next though and asked in broken English if she'd been doing anything interesting she laughed aloud. "Oh Alexei, you need to spend more time with me." She joked. "Otherwise you're going to forget English completely." Save sat down once they reached the restaurant, waiting for wait staff to come over and get their drink orders. "Anyways, not really. I turned 17 last week i think I wrote right before that." While thinking the girl twirled the necklace Monty had bought her, the nightshade staying put. "Monty got me an aconite seedling. I'm very excited. And a new quill. It's augery feather! It can't write, but it's nice for show!" She smiled widely. "But what have you been up to?"

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

Alexei blushed, his grasp (or lack of one) on the English language being a sensitive area for him. Still, he knew Saveli only meant it in good humour, and so laughed lightly. "I don't know what you mean by 'forget'," he said. "I did not really know it well in the first place." When they reached the restaurant Alexei took a seat opposite her, opening up the book as she spoke. "Oh, yes - happy birthday!" he said, smiling. "That sounds very nice. I wanted to send you a gift, but I am not very good at gifts. Maybe we could walk later and you choose something?" The Russian looked down at the book, studying the pressed flowers as he answered her question. "Oh, not very much. I am working with my mother. I do not like it much, but it is experience. Wow - you have many flowers in here. For how long have you been pressing?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli chuckled. "Well then, you will not learn any more if you stay away from me too long." She giggled a bit more. The blush on Alexei's cheeks only further humoring the slytherin. "No! I don't need anything. Your company is enough." She spoke earnestly. Saveli was not very good at receiving gifts. She loved to give them, but felt awkward getting them. A waitress came by the table as she was about to answer the question about pressing and Saveli smiled, ordering something simple - a sandwich and a water. She then allowed Alexei some time if he was ready. Once the waitress left she began talking. "I think two years, maybe longer. I'm trying to remember when Monty gave the book to me." She laughed slightly. "I'm getting old so my memory is going." She looked around a bit and sighed contentedly. "So what was it your mom did again?"

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

Alexei looked a little pained when Saveli told him his company was enough. She was probably just being polite, which made him feel even worse for not having sent her a gift. Truth be told, he wasn't sure whether it had been acceptable to do so. The only time he'd ever met her father, he'd been helping her host a party in his house, and ever since he had been reluctant to send Saveli anything but the occasional letter. "Well, OK. But we will walk anyway," he decided for them, because he wanted to make it up to her. Alexei ordered a sandwich and a coffee for himself before returning his attention to the book. "If you are old, I am a pensioner," he said, laughing. "This is a wonderful collection. You must pursue it, somehow." The food came, and Alexei began to eat. "Oh, she works in Russia's law enforcement. It is not something I am very interested in." Especially not since his brother had joined the Scitorari. "Do you think you will have a career in flowers one day?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Sav gave a half snort half laugh at Alexei's remark. "I thought I saw some grey hair." She teased him. The blonde loked at the plants, painstakingly wanting to rip some off the pages - they were crooked even if he didn't notice. She was a perfectionist, a slytherin trait through and through. "Law enforcement for a sweet guy like you? I couldn't see it. Maybe a puppy wrangler yeah?" She asked, as the waitress set their food down and left. Before digging into it she answered his questions. "I'm actually hoping potions. When Monty retires I'd like to take his place." She spoke, though her voice was nearly a whisper, as if talking of her father's retirement was taboo. "What about you Alexei? Are you going to be an exotic dancer or something?" Once she had asked a question she bit into her food, waiting to hear any remark he might have.

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

Alexei laughed, glad to be spending the afternoon with Saveli and not his mother. He never laughed like this in Russia. "I do not know what that is," he admitted, "but it has the word puppy in it, so probably." He grinned, pausing to eat and listen to Saveli talk about her aspirations. "Hah! Does he know about this?" He asked, glancing surreptitiously around as if to make sure her father couldn't overhear. "You will be excellent at this, I am sure." Saveli's next comment nearly caused him to choke on his mouthful of sandwich. "Who told you about that?" he asked, feigning annoyance. "It was just a little thing on the side, I promise. Completely for the money." He grinned. "No, really, I would like to work in International Magical Cooperation. It is political, foreign affairs."

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Sav shook her head as answer to telling Monty. He may retire right after she graduates so she could teach if she told him - so for now she just spoke of being a potioneer. The blonde laughed alongside Alexei - and the time passed quickly as they idly chatted. Saveli couldn't help but feel so comfortable around someone like Lex - he'd been her first friend after Gabe. The first person with an outside view who gave her courage to stand up for herself. The blonde appreciated that, and whenever they talked she felt safe. This was perhaps why hours could pass and Saveli wouldn't even notice.

Saveli and Alexei had now been walking for a good hour. They'd gone into each shop and time and again Saveli refused to allow Alexei to buy her anything. If he decided to on his won that was him - but she gave no hints as she really meant that him coming to see her was enough. The blonde continued to smile as she walked. They hadn't spoken in at least ten minutes, but it was a comfortable silence. "Almost ready fro the ice cream?" She asked, bumping into him playfully, trying not to stumble too much from the impact.

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

Reuben had gone from feeling incredibly deflated to incredibly proud of himself that afternoon. After staring longingly at the Quidditch shop's window display for longer than he cared to admit, he'd bumped into a young Hufflepuff whose twin, it seemed, had been trying to convince him to try out for the team against his will. Reuben, not wanting to lose a potential player, nor force anybody to do anything that made them uncomfortable, had left Austin with some mature parting words he was still surprised had come out of his mouth five minutes later.

The pride, however, was beginning to wear off. He'd walked up and down the street three times now, and still he couldn't find Rudolf anywhere. They were supposed to be leaving for New York, soon, and he was beginning to worry they would leave without him - if they hadn't already. He sighed, turning one more time and heading for the joke shop, where Rudolf could reliably be found if not stuffing his face in a restaurant. In his search for Rudolf he almost absently passed Saveli by, stopping only when he had come within a few feet of her. And who was this? Not a Hogwarts student, that was certain. A graduate, perhaps, though his face wasn't at all familiar. Whoever he was, Saveli had just bumped playfully into him, which meant they were probably pretty close. The Hufflepuff blushed. "Hey, Sav," he said, thinking it polite to stop, considering he'd been keeping his distance ever since they'd kissed at her house. Was this guy she was with her boyfriend? What if he'd missed his chance because he was too cowardly to talk to her? Suddenly Reuben wished he hadn't stopped.

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli would be lying if she said she hadn't noticed Reuben - but she had ust planned to ignore him. After all it wasn't like he'd tried to talk to her since the night they'd kissed - so why should she put effort in? Again she heard the smallest whisper in her ear from someone she was trying so hard to forget. What about that night had brought on that toxicity. Saveli tried to shake it from her head and kept her eyes on Alexei. However she was unable to ignore Reuben when he spoke to her. Her heart skittered and missed in her chest. She forced a smile on her face. "Rue, how are you?" She asked, though not moving to offer a hung, instead standing awkwardly a hand on her arm. "This is Alexei, Alexei this is my year mate, Reuben." She spoke hoping to break the tension. Sure at some points she'd viewed Alexei as a romantic partner - but she'd never pursued and he knew nothing of the kisses she and Reuben had shared - still she felt awkward standing there.

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

"I was born ready for ice cream," Alexei said, and was about to push Saveli back when they were stopped suddenly by a boy several years his junior. He frowned, tilting his head slightly and trying not to read too much into Saveli's suddenly uncomfortable stance. "Hollo, Reuben," he said, offering a polite smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. Who was this boy? His clothes didn't look much, and nor did his hair. If he was annoying Saveli, Alexei would be the first to advise she tell him to leave her alone. "We are just walking. Perhaps we will see you later, yes?"

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

"I'm OK," said Reuben, which wasn't completely true, but he was sure that was what Saveli wanted to hear. He was about to return the question when Alexei interrupted, making a remark that couldn't have had a clearer message if he'd waved it around on a flag. He wanted Reuben to leave them alone. "Um," he said, glancing at Saveli. She looked as uncomfortable as he felt. "Right. Yeah. Have fun." He parted the couple with a pained smile, heading on his way to the Quidditch shop and trying not to release the tears he couldn't fathom were welling in his eyes to begin with.

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli wanted to call Reuben out on his lie. However Alexei made a comment that threw Saveli for a loop and nearly smacked her right in the ace. The complicated teen might have been reading too much into it - but suddenly she thought of what Gabe thought of all her friends. All the people that approached her - Felix. She had attracted the wrong crowd with that belly button ring he said. Was Alexei the wrong crowd. Saveli wasn't even watching Reuben, she was looking at Alexei with a curious look in her eyes. "What was that about?" She asked, questioning the remark that was obviously meant to make Reuben leave.

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

Alexei's relief when Reuben left was short-lived. The moment the boy was out of earshot Saveli turned to question him - as if he'd done something wrong. "Oh... I am sorry," he said, taking a small step backwards. "I did not know you wanted to talk to him. You were looking uncomfortable." If Reuben was, in fact, a close friend of the Slytherin's, Alexei had just made a terrible mistake. "Do you want to get him back, maybe? I am sorry, Saveli - really I am."

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Suddenly saveli felt guilty for questioning Alexei, and she sighed gripping the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She shook her head slightly. "No don't apologize it's okay. Reuben is just a friend of mine, sort of - we've not talked in a bit..." Saveli looked in the brunette's previous direction but he had slipped into the crowd. She then looked back at Alexei. "No, uhm it's okay. I do see him at school..." Sav rubbed her own arm. "Things have just been weird since we kissed." She admitted. "He kind of blew me off after so... but I don't want to ruin the day with that. Ice cream right?" She inquired, trying half-@ssedly to change the subject.

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

Alexei felt a little of the guilt fade as Saveli explained. She could do better than a kid who kissed her and then blew her off - and he didn't particularly mean himself. Whilst he supposed a year or two down the line he might consider her a potential romantic partner, at present he was simply her friend. "I am sorry. He does not seem that good for you," he said, attempting to console her. "I mean - perhaps he is lovely, but... well, ever since the whole Gabriel thing, I have worried about you. Maybe you are a little vulnerable? Well - he is just a kid. But I worry anyway. It is hard not to, when I care." Alexei shook his head, and smiled. "Hey, it is all OK. We will get that ice cream, now."

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli heard his words, and for a moment everything around the blonde was black and cold and she pictured herself in the corridor a few years ago. There she stood, Gabe gripping onto her arm to stop her from showing off her belly button ring. She could remember the way he smelled - same as he always did. The blonde felt the words he said sting all over again. And remembered Gabe always told her no matter what everything he said was because he worried about her. Saveli snapped back to reality jerking backwards as if She'd been held in place for a moment. "I can't..." She spoke, tears welling in her eyes. "Listen Gab - Alexei I have to go. I have to go now." And with that the blonde turned on her heels and moved to fight through the crowds, fighting her own tears. Why was there such an effect on her - what was wrong with her and why couldn't she get the thought out of her head the Gabriel was right. That she always attracted the wrong kinds of people. REgardless Saveli shoved through the crowds. She needed air, anything - somewhere away from everyone.

 

[Alexei Mihaylov]

"Saveli?" Alexei said, frowning as the Slytherin froze seemingly for no reason. For a moment she didn't seem to hear him, and then suddenly she was backing away, tears forming in her eyes. "What? Wai-" he started, but Saveli had already turned and began to flee. Alexei sprang into pursuit, weaving through the crowd for several seconds before suddenly it closed around him, blocking his path. And then her blonde hair was disappearing out of sight, away from him, so that he didn't even have a chance to ask what the matter was, or tell her he was sorry for whatever he had done. After a moment he sighed and shook his head. Never mind. He wasn't the best person to deal with this right now.

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Sav had never felt her heart beat this fast. Not when she was abandoned, not when she was fostered - not when she kissed Nicci or Felix, or even Reuben. Her knees felt weak, and frankly she had no idea where she was going, other than that she knew she needed to get away from everybody and anybody. Her knees were weak and finally once she broke free of the crowd and was alone Saveli stumbled and fell. Her tights ripped, knees sore. She pulled herself off to the side of the wall, leaning back against it. Her legs shook in front of her as did the rest of her body, and her breathing couldn't steady. She felt sick to her stomach and couldn't make all the sounds of the people not far from her just go away. Saveli brought her knees to her chest tucking her head in between them just wanting it to go away.

Saveli had never been an anxious person truly. Always calm and collected a true Slytherin - but at this moment she was weak and felt her heart was the same. She never wanted to feel like this again.

 

[Reuben Pendleton]

Reuben had meant to go and find his twin, but with tears in his eyes he just couldn't bring himself to do so. Not yet. He walked aimlessly for a little while, keeping his head bowed in case any more of his schoolmates happened to be shopping in Brightstone that day, and thinking about how little Saveli must have thought of him. He really hadn't intended to ignore her - he'd just been afraid. Afraid of what, exactly, was difficult to pinpoint, but after long reflection he had narrowed it down roughly to a fear of not being good enough, and an uncertainty about who he was supposed to be. These worries were not new to the boy, but they were new in context to his friendship with Saveli, and he had no idea what to do to overcome them.

After a few minutes the Hufflepuff finally made it out of the crowd, at which moment he looked up to see the very girl he'd been avoiding sat hunched against a wall, her face buried in her grazed knees. In that moment, of course, he couldn't run away, and no matter how his instincts warned him against it, he jogged up to her and crouched by her side. "Sav?" he said, a little nervously, tapping one of her knees with his index finger. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened? Did - did Alexei leave you?"

 

[Saveli Pendleton]

Saveli was shaking visibly, she could feel it in her bones and in her head, which was throbbing from the tears she'd been crying. She could hear gulls above her, children laughing - there was an adult somewhere cooing to a crying baby. Every sound around her seemed loud and impending as if everyone in Brightstone Village was walking toward her in that alley. Out of the mess of noises the blonde hadn't been able to pick up on the footsteps jogging towards her - and she hadn't realized they were really coming towards her until a finger tapped her scraped knee. Saveli jerked her head up, smacking it against the wall slightly. "Owowowow." She whined, sliding down the wall to lay on the dirty ground, one hand clutching her head the other still around her knees.

Saveli's eyes followed the source of the tap to see Reuben. "What was wrong with me that you wanted to leave after kissing me why does everyone want to leave?" She asked, obviously previously upset and not just by Reuben. Saveli closed her eyes tightly, tears squeezing from the corner of her eyes.