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| xx | 𝙵𝙴𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝟷𝟾, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 | 𝙿𝙰𝚂 𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙷é |
𝙴𝙽𝙶𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙷 | 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙷 |
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| xxx | 𝓑eauxbatons may not have espoused the same rolling hills, expansive forests and grand picturesque lake as Hogwarts, but it was not at all lacking in natural beauty. If anything, its vaulted mountain view with winding pathways and hidden caverns lent it an even more ethereal quality. It could have been a castle plucked right from the midst of a fantasy epic; and where it lacked dragons soaring the open skies, it more than made up with its herd of Abraxan horses. At no point in her six years at Hogwarts had Evelynn found herself feeling remiss with the opportunities she had been given. Not until arriving here. In another life, one where her mother and father had not parted ways and Evelynn had actually been raised from birth immersed in the magical realm, she would have been enrolled here. Instead, she could only spend the week afforded them for this unique visit absorbing what could have been. To that end, she found herself once again drawn to the French estate's incomparable gardens. It didn't have that same lulling crash of waves on rocks that the ebb and flow of the Great Lake's tide provided, but as fingers trailed along the long row of hedges leading towards the castle's gaits, she couldn't think of anywhere she would rather be in that moment. Ahead, the bronze pegasus statue loomed large. A suspicious glance cast its direction as she circled the small pond from which it rose, as though daring it to make a move. On more than one occasion, she could have sworn that it had blinked or bent a foreleg, but every time she doubled back, it seemed to appear exactly as it had been before. Still, she lingered on it, the majesty of its equine form drawing a veil of serenity over her features, flecked perhaps with a touch of melancholy. It had been some time since she had visited Cassiopeia, she reflected. Her visits home had not exactly afforded her the opportunity to make the trip to the stables. Well, that would change soon enough. She was seventeen now. Her return home in for the April holidays would mean getting her license, granting her independence from her mother's schedule. With one last glance towards the winged horse, Evelynn veered to the west side of the gardens, passing through the man-high hedges that marked the entrance of the maze-like expanse. Hogwarts really was missing out, she decided—not for the first time. Rays of golden sun passed through elaborately cut canopies overhead to dapple the grassy bed like a river of softly coloured coins. Fingers continued to trail along the foliage of the nearby hedges, chest rising in steady rhythms to take in the clear mountain air. It was grounding, calming in a way that Hogwarts with its sordid history could never be. She passed by several smaller spaces, some occupied with students conversing, or even—as at one point she would find herself momentarily transfixed—otherwise linguistically engaged. The impropriety of gawking would prompt her to move on post haste, however, rosy cheeks the only evidence that she had born witness to their intimacy. Eager to put the discomfort out of mind, she drove deeper into the maze, grey plaid skirt swishing around her knees with every step. |
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Pas Marché
english | russian
Interesting how different all of the schools were. Amina had traveled a lot in her life, given that her mother was a translator and interpreter for many languages. She had spent most of her teenage years in America and Ilvermorny until they moved back to Bulgaria. Hogwarts also was on the list of regular visits, but she never had been to France before.
She couldn’t help but feel a slight stirring of awe when she wandered through the beautifully composed garden next to the palace. All of the wizard schools had their own charm in her opinion. Durmstrang was a jewel in the mountains, a fortress braving the weather and the cold. Ilvermorny was more a castle in the clouds, towering over the wides of grounds on its small plato. Hogwarts was grounding and mysterious, more attracting knights and nerds. This place was more like another realm, a fairytale land, a palace of queens and kings. It had an ery vibe to it and Amina loved it. The child in her that always was doing a skit or a play was totally at home here. It provided plenty of opportunity for her restless imagination and lured her across the castle grounds, from one place to another, from one role to the next.
Her tour today already showed some check-marks. The halls, the caves - check. Now the gardens. She had been drawn here right away, but saved the best for last. So many hidden places to discover, adventures to be found and dragons to be tamed.
Gleefully bouncing strolling through the hedges, peeking into the hidden places she could find and making mental notes of the logistics. Maybe she should organize a scavenger hunt for her friends here at some point.
Careful not to interrupt the people she found studying or making out (finally a school that understood what fun was!) she never lingered if other people were around. The air was still crisp and cool and gently brushed her hair out of her face. The Durmstrang winter cloak was almost too warm, so Amina slid out of the sleeves and was wearing it more like a baggy cape instead.
When she arrived in a more sheltered area that had three more paths leading from it into the maze with a charming little well in the middle, adorned with two bronze birds on the fountain, Amina decided to take a break.
With reddened cheeks from the excitement and running around, she flopped onto the cool floor, stretching out arms and legs like a Durmstrang-starfish. For a moment she was just taking in the fresh mountain air and the scent of the area. She heard her heart pounding in her chest and pumping blood through her body. Closing her eyes, she focused on that feeling, the cold ground against her back, the grass tickling her exposed skin on her neck and hands.
Then, she picked up another sound that wasn’t part of nature or her own body: light footsteps approaching this very spot.
Amina propped herself up on her elbows, peering towards the entrance that she had come through herself. Just a moment later, a girl appeared. A vaguely familiar girl. Squinting her eyes, she tried to remember: red hair… A picture of the last winter-wonderland summer camp flickered through her mind. Was this the girl she had kissed? Winnie, was it? But no. Amina quickly discarded that thought - Winnie's hair was long and she seemed like a shy and a bit more passive kind of girl.
This girl on the other hand brought an aura that reminded her more of herself. Fearless, determined. Even her haircut resembled hers, although the girl had curly hair and apparently was a natural redhead.
However, she thought to recall her being at that same event and decided to make herself known - just in case the other didn’t glance down on the floor and missed her.
”Hello there! Eh - je ne parle pas français. L'anglais? Le russe? Allemand?” ”I don't speak French. English? Russian? German?" And that was the end of her French repertoire.
With a graceful leap, Amina got back on her feet like a cat and indicated a playful bow. Playing a hand on her chest, she introduced herself. ”Amina.” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and amusement. Hopefully that girl spoke a language she’d understand. She was in dire need of socializing and if French was the only language she spoke, Amina only could offer french kissing as entertainment, but maybe they didn’t know each other well enough for that quite yet.
Interacting | @Evelyn Decipio
Mentions | @Winnie Harper
Abilities | Muggle Condition | Fearless | Foulplay | Lovely Creature | Evasive Maneuvers I & II
Last edited by Amina Petrovic on 7 Jun 2025, 19:17, edited 2 times in total.
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| xx | 𝙵𝙴𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝟷𝟾, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 | 𝙿𝙰𝚂 𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙷é |
𝙴𝙽𝙶𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙷 | 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙷 |
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| xxx | 𝓗edges wound their way in complex patterns, the lioness ambling with loose purpose. Per her usual tactic of navigating a maze, she kept her fingertips lightly trailing over the left wall, always turning to the left when opportunity presented itself. Eventually, the way would lead her to the center, even if it did mean quite a few dead ends before she did. On one such turn, the path opened into a small clearing, the quiet traipse of heeled boots slowing as she spied the well at its centre adorned with two bronze birds. She approached it slowly, curious to know whether water lay within it and how deep it went or if it was purely for decoration. Before she could fully close the distance, however, someone called out to her, commanding her attention. Turning her head towards the voice, she caught sight of a figure laying on the ground, drawing a lofted brow from the lioness. To wallow on the cold mid-February ground was certainly a...choice. Though perhaps one that wasn't all that surprising given the figure's identity. It was the Durmstrang chaser, Petrovic. Even if Evelynn hadn't been acutely attuned to the foreign school's Quidditch team players, the way the girl had cozied up to Pericles at the Mistletoe Spin, going so far as to trick--however unintentionally--Evelynn into thinking the two of them had kissed would mean she wouldn't soon be forgotten. Despite dressing like a ballerina, she had come across bold during that event, the sort who danced to the rhythm of her own beat. "If not French, it will have to be English. I regret to say I only speak the two," Evelynn calmly replied, for the first time feeling a pang of insecurity for not having expanded her linguistic talent past merely French. Not that she'd ever even really had much of an opportunity to practice even that outside of study until this trip. She watched with grudging respect as the girl fluidly leapt to her feet. There was no question as to her athletic ability. The girl was agile. "Petrovic," Evelynn added after the girl's introduction, eyes wandering over her features and down her person to her feet before rising back up again. "I know who you are. You, Hexum and Fransson make for quite a dangerous trio. I had the pleasure of playing against your predecessors a few years ago," she smiled, recalling the exhilaration of that Battle Royale when three teams duked it out at the same time. "They were quite good." Though not quite good enough. She left the part unsaid about how she had snatched the snitch out from Schnell's waiting fingers. "So are you." Her head tilted curiously as she regarded the Durmstrang girl, it only really now occurring to her that she couldn't recall a time of ever having properly interacted with any of the foreign students during their visit. She wavered on how to introduce herself, habit and a kneejerk sense of misgiving towards the girl leaning her towards offering nothing more than her surname. But Pericles had run from both of them--for different reasons and under entirely different contexts. Still, perhaps that could mean some measure of unspoken camaraderie. "Evelynn Decipio. Hogwarts," she elected to say, holding out a hand in offer of a shake. Eyes deviated briefly towards the ground from which the girl had just sprung. "Did you observe anything interesting from down there?" |
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english | russian
As the familiar and soft melody of English reached Amina, she immediately sighed with relief. Still on the ground, she poured her heart out to the newcomer. ”Thank god, finally someone I can communicate with. Please teach me how! My French sucks! How do you guys do it, I mean… How? It makes absolutely no sense to me.” In exaggerated desperation, the Durmstrang ruffled her chin- long hair and gave the language-sorceress an exasperated look that screamed ’help me’. It really was beyond her understanding how anybody learned a language that wasn’t handed to them by birth. Her own american accent was clearly noticeable, now that she said more than a few words - a language she learnt from her family the first day she had opened her eyes. It was a trilingual household, because their mother insisted that this would make it easier for them later in life - a gift Amina absolutely took for granted. Even now, when she was struggling to communicate. ”Maybe I should hire you as a translator, because I am not sure what the people at breakfast thought I was telling them - but it sure as hell wasn’t what I intended.”
Amina’s eyes lit up as the girl completed her introduction, as she quickly dusted off her robe. She felt a slight stirring of proudness for being recognised. At first she had been sure that everybody knew all of the quidditch players in the league, but then she had learned the hard way that not everyone was focused on quidditch as much as she was. It was refreshing, especially that far away from home. However, the overall composed and serious demeanour of the girl made her instinctively hold her horses. She probably wasn’t a fan - she reminded Amina of her father’s head coach. Always observing, calculating and studying - presenting facts and conclusions, never feelings. So her reaction was a little more reserved at first, cautious, as if she was still testing the water.
However, the mention of her chaser family and their combined skill washed that caution away and made her burst with pride. ”Преследователи Фестранга” She grinned widely and raised her hands to the pale sky, palms facing up as to call onto her own divine, kindly translating it right away. ”The Fearestrang Chasers! Destined for their own chocolate frog card!” There was no entitlement or arrogance in Amina’s voice. In her opinion, she was presenting facts. Also, no thank you was provided for the acknowledgment of their skills.
Dropping her arms and her act, she beamed at the interesting girl that knew so much about them and then the rest of her words caught up with her. Now, her look switched to a more scrutinizing one and she mirrored the posture and process of the other from just a moment ago. With a tilted head and slightly squinted eyes, she was taking in every last detail of the girl, trying to put her to the Quidditch game she was referencing. Amina had followed all of the matches that Durmstrang had been involved in. If she was indeed a Quiddicht player, Amina should recognise her. But the only event that came to mind was the dance-kissing-game last summer.
And then, the girl introduced herself and put an end to Aminas mental scavenger hunt. With a wide grin, she reached out to the offered hand and gave her a firm shake, the rare sight of a respectful look flickering over her face. ”Ah, you know, I like to lie on the floor and feel the world turning under me and stuff. No oberservations to report. But not important!” The excitement made her brush off the question of the Hogwarts student fairly quickly. ”I know you too! Only by name, though. You are the one who snatched the snitch away from our Valentin. I heard all about it. What a shame I wasn’t in that game to witness it myself. I heard you are not playing anymore. How come? You are very good and I would love to face you on the pitch!” Knowing that Evelyn was a fellow athlete, all caution and reluctance vanished. To her, this was a familiar soul and so she was just blabbing her thoughts without considering if this might be a sensitive topic or not.
Interacting | @Evelyn Decipio
Abilities | Muggle Condition | Fearless | Foulplay | Lovely Creature | Evasive Maneuvers I & II
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| xx | 𝙵𝙴𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝟷𝟾, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 | 𝙿𝙰𝚂 𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙷é |
𝙴𝙽𝙶𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙷 | 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙷 |
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| xxx | The rather excitable manner in which Petrovic reacted to Evelynn's affirmation of English-speaking was...not what she had expected. Blinking, the lioness was left something at a loss for words, able only to give her a bemused furrow of her brow. Was she being facetious? Given the language options, the Durmstrang chaser was at least trilingual, which was a far cry more impressive than Evelynn could muster. So why she seemed so impressed by a handle of French was beyond her. True to her usual approach, she had simply elected to say nothing on the matter for now, offering little more than a polite smile. If it had been a dramatic insult, it would pass without incident. If the girl really had been asking for assistance, well...surely it would come up again another time. Nevertheless, introductions proceeded without incident, even going so far as to achieve what Evelynn could only interpret as a glint of appreciation at the girl having been recognized. Credit where credit was due--Evelynn might have expected her to take the recognition for granted. Durmstrang's quidditch team was certain infamous enough for it. At the mention of the Fearestrang Chasers, though, she couldn't help but loose an amused snort at how silly, yet apt, the nickname sounded. "I cannot say I have ever seen a student immortalized as a chocolate frog, but if ever there was going to be, I would not be willing to bet against you," she admitted, shrugging a brow. When the handshake was exchanged, Evelynn--more lithe than strong--lacked any show of power behind her grip, but kept it firm and respectful. Surprise crept onto her features when Amina expressed recognition of her name, however, the faintest curl at the corner of one side of her mouth the only hint of the unexpected feeling of pride that came with the fame. "That I am." The quiet confirmation of snitch-snatching was offered without boast. It had been a long time since she had mounted a broom in any competitive fashion, but it was nice not to have been forgotten. When asked why she was no longer playing, she could only offer an apologetic shrug. "It is complicated, I am afraid. For one, I was beginning to lose enjoyment in the game. Many of my teammates--to no fault of their own--were quite a bit younger and less experienced than myself. Quidditch is meant to be a team sport, but it was beginning to feel as though any hope of victory rested solely on my shoulders at times and that I was letting everyone down on those occasions when I could not catch the snitch swiftly enough. I grew weary of watching my team get picked off one by one until I was the only one left. It became a bit...macabre," she admitted, not really seeing any reason not to give her rationale. "Not all teams are as well-rounded as Durmstrang's, unfortunately." "But it was more than that," she continued, pulling her gaze from the girl to draw it thoughtfully back towards the fountain. "I had no intention of becoming a professional Quidditch player and it eventually felt as though I was wasting valuable opportunities to develop skills of which I would be making use. People around me were being attacked." Steps carried her forward towards the isolated stone structure even as her voice dropped to a melancholic cadence. "Students had died in a number of assaults. How could I continue to spend my time in leisure if I could instead be training myself to combat such villainous acts?" Fingers reached up to lightly touch at one of the bronze birds. "I exchanged Quidditch for Duelling to train myself to maintain concentration through pain. To master casting under pressure. To practice confronting those more skilled than myself and be forced to develop clever ways to combine spells to overcome such inequities." Withdrawing her hand, she lowered it to rest on the edge of the well and glanced back towards Amina. "I left Quidditch such that I might prepare for entry into a career." "What of yourself?" she inquired, canting her head. "Do you intend to play professionally?" |
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Pas Marché
english | russian
Amina’s smile deepend as the girl responded to her french-rant with a familiar neutral acceptance of praise - she didn’t seem in the need of answering her questions or patting her own shoulder for the advantage she had here in this school’s social life. There was just a polite smile offered to the Durmstrang and Amina took it with a respectful nod. She would seek the Hogwarts student out if there was any need of translation going forward.
She’d return that behavior just a minute later as the praise was directed at the chaser trio once more. Amina lowered her gaze in silent acceptance and gratefulness to the ground, indicating an appreciative nod, still beaming like the sun itself. It was nice to meet someone who recognised talent for what it was without them being a groupie or hateful fan of another team - someone who appreciated the sport and skill, independent of the banner they were pledged to.
With an unwavering gaze, she looked at the red-haired ex-seeker, the smile still lighting up her green eyes as she felt her petite hand in hers, the squeeze of a respectable athlete and warrior.
Although Amina’s empathy wasn’t her strongest suit, she still recognised the willpower and determination that was surrounding Evelyn, the seriousness that made herself take down her own carelessness. She didn’t seem like someone who was doing a lot of silly things to entertain herself. The other girl seemed to be driven by purpose and that was fascinating to the fake redhead.
Listening intensely to her reasoning, Amina didn’t interrupt her and tried to put herself in Evelyn’s shoes. She herself didn’t play on any other quidditch team before Durmstrang for exactly that reason: She wanted to be part of a capable team and not the sole person that was pulling the cart of the ice.
Just for one moment, she imagined how it would be without Greta and Mad and her stomach cramped uncomfortably. They all were great individually, but true magic was only reached by them working together.
With a bitter smile, the Bulgarian put her hands on her hips and shook her head sympathetically. ”I can imagine that this must have been tough. I myself didn’t join the Ilvermorny team either, because I was waiting for the right match. I can’t imagine playing school quidditch without Greta or Mad. Or any of the others really.” A shadow slid over her cheerful face and a grim hardness came to her features. ”Although soon we will have to figure out how to deal without Slava and Johannes…” The last sentence was more mumbled than spoken, a testament to herself and not others. She had pushed that fact away for as long as possible, but this year, it was time and it made her sad to see her two friends go.
When Evelyn moved on with her story, Amina was temporally distracted from her own sorrows, overshadowed by the story the girl told whilst slowly wandering towards the small fountain as she would move through time simultaneously, revealing one action that led to another, retracing the road that brought her from the broom to the duelling stage. Another confirmation of the character predictions she had made about the lioness. ”Fuck. I’m sorry, that’s terrible.” Amina was shocked to hear about the attacks and deaths of students. She knew that her teammates had been in trouble, but it didn’t seem that anybody ever carried a lasting damage. Hearing that students died and other students picked up the fight made her not only sad but also questioning the management at Hogwarts quite a bit.
Every question that she asked rhetorically hit Amina like a punch in the ribs, conjuring the same questions within herself and planting the seed for insecurity about her own choice. She herself never had questioned what to do in life, there only had been one option, one path. She only had a plan A, no plan B.
What actually triggered her was the fact that she related with Evelyn on some level: She wanted to protect those dear to her as well, but probably with a completely different approach. Amina wouldn’t take long to attack someone with fists or on the broom if they were threatening or bullying her friends or family. The Durmstrang would always choose the physical route over magic. And why? Because that was the only thing she could do. Everything else was past her abilities and she knew that.
Her self-reflection came to a grim conclusion when the Hogwarts student turned around and asked her about her future. Her arms automatically crossed in front of her chest - what was it with those Hogwarts students that they always made her think? Perciles had done the same. ”Naturally.” She nodded and there was no teasing or mockery in her tone. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued. ”It’s my only option. Quidditch is my life.” She paused and a faint smile curled her lips. It was hard to tell if it was defeated or hopeful, even for herself. ”There is nothing else I can do. It’s the only thing I’m good at.” There was no pride or self-pity in this statement, It was a fact and Amina knew it.
Finally the true joy returned to the girl's face and with a wide smile she nodded at Evelyn. ”If you’re even half as good at duelling as you are at quidditch I am sure you will be a damn good auror. Is that what you want to do?”
Interacting | @Evelyn Decipio
Abilities | Muggle Condition | Fearless | Foulplay | Lovely Creature | Evasive Maneuvers I & II