Winter Has Left Us PV Durmstrang Gang

London had been home to Nikolai for a good chunk of his childhood being that he lived in the wizarding world of The Swinging City for seven years after moving there from Moscow, Russia at the age of three. His time in London had obviously ended by now due to the Russian native living somewhere in the northern part of Europe for past the two years at Durmstrang Institute. All in all, Nikolai felt sort of disconnected to England, or London specifically. It was once his home, yes. But was it one that left good memories or the want to stay here for the rest of his life? No. Not even one bit. It was these grounds, the soil that might've been beneath his feet had their present been living in the past centuries ago, that left him with the eerie feeling of the ghosts of his past. The young Dragov had lost his father here. He had even lost his childhood friend shortly after, possibly the only other girl he would ever love in his life aside from his mother. They were the reasons why he pushed himself so hard at Durmstrang, constantly striving to be the top of his class in magical and physical prowess for them. Any bit of innocence Nikolai had in him was immediately swept under his feet all at once during his life in London and it left a sour taste in his mouth upon his return.

It was obviously weird to be back and roaming the streets of London, yes. Mainly Diagon Alley actually as it was rare that him and his family ever came here. His parents only ever came here for Gringotts but even then Nikolai never accompanied them there really. They might've gone to Quality Quidditch Supplies, sure – but that was it. So, seeing the narrow and packed alley for the shopping area was quite a spectacle as he seemed to pay more attention to things the older he got and now truly noticed it for what it was. They all seemed to have their own sense of exterior and interior style to their own shops, some even leaning a bit forward and to the side a bit as well. He missed the simplicity and organized ways of Durmstrang and the look he had got used to from the castle, the harsh winters even too. Despite them being outside of Durmstrang now and not an official event, Nikolai still proudly wore his red uniform just without the fur coat part of it. He felt the need to continue representing his school and making know just exactly where he came from, wanting to cut any preexisting ties with London altogether.

Unlike the others in his friend group perhaps, it was quite easy for Nikolai to weave his way through the many crowds and the long one way street of Diagon Alley to get to his destination. Nikolai made sure to give the best description possible of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour after Hanzo told the others of where they would all be meeting at. He just hoped they could find their way there and not get lost in the crowd of hundreds. Alas, they all came from Durmstrang Institute. Of course they would find their way to the desired destination. They went through a survival training at the beginning of the school year as First Years. This was nothing compared to that. It was simply just using your eyes and memory, hoping that neither would fail you.

Eventually, Nikolai arrived at their rendezvous, pushing the door open with slight ease and entering the parlour. The ever-present cold storm that brew within the hazel irises of his eyes simply scanned the faces of each patron already there, searching for his friends or one of them at least. Until finally, his hardened expression made itself known upon spotting Hanzo already seated at a good sized table for the lot of them. "I hope you know that I do not like London. And if the others get lost and show up on the Daily Prophet found dead in Knockturn Alley, I'm blaming it on you." He said rather straightforwardly, seating himself beside him and looking forward with a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth. Was it a grin trying to fight it's way through the serious expression he always held? Perhaps.

@Rafael D'Spacito @Lydia Cooper @Annie Morgan @Evelynn Decipio @Piérre Marchonné @Elena Jangleton

If someone would have asked Alexander how to describe London, he would have said it was chaotically beautiful. The big crowds mixing together along the busy streets, people walking next to each other, without really caring about their surroundings, too busy with their own lives to really care about what's happening around them. With the whole pandemic going on in the muggle world, Alexander thought that things would have changed, that people would have revised their priorities, but it looked like most of the people walking along the usually crowded streets of central London did not get the memo, too preoccupied catching up with their hectic lives, trying to make up for the time they had "lost" during quarantine.

Muggles were so weird, in Alexander's eyes; they weren't necessarily bad, just... they focused so much on the wrong things, like the latest technology or trend in fashion. He doubt he would ever understand them, his priorities way different from theirs. Taking off the mask as he walked inside the pub and going into the back, Alexander thought about how well he had gotten to know both the muggle and magical London over the years, its labyrinth of streets not that confusing to him anymore; in his past year his Grandpa had brought him to London several times, making sure that the young lad would get to know the city where a lot of, pureblood and not, important families had their homes.

Walking along the crowded streets of Diagon Alley during summer was both exhausting and intriguing for the young pureblood: the endless sea of witches and wizards walking around gave him a wide range of people to observe, to study, but at the same time it would get slightly tiring, dodging bodies that would eventually bump into him. It was definitely easier to do that back in York, where the amount of walking bodies was way less, the opportunity to just observe without being disturbed more accessible.

The ice cream parlour sign was hanging outside of the shop, and as he adjusted his brown jacket Alexander walked inside, the little bell jingling as the door opened and then closed. He had debated that morning if maybe he should have dressed with his Durmstrang uniform, but since he planned on walking to Diagon Alley, he figured that normal clothes would have helped him not standing out too much to the eyes of the muggles. His lips moved in a slight smirk, his eyes landing on two familiar faces: it looked like both Hanzo and Nikolai were already there, sitting at a big table. A wave of pride and kind of admiration filled the blonde guy, as he noticed that Nickolai had decided to wear their school's uniform; one of the many things he respected more than anything else was the immense pride that every Durmstrang student seemed to be filled with regarding their school.

With a small smile and a nod towards the owner of the Ice Cream Parlour, Alec walked towards his friends, pulling out a chair on the other side of the table and flopping down on it. "Hey lads, I'm glad to see at least you two didn't get lost," he said teasingly, as his chin rested on over one of his hands, his eyes fixed on his friends. Hanzo and Nikolai were two of his circle of close friends that Alec properly felt comfortable with; even if he liked being by himself and cherished the peace that came with it, nothing could compare to the feeling of being surrounded by friends. "And what do you mean you don't like London? I find it quite fascinating; just think of the infinite amount of stories these building could tell us if they could talk,"

The smirk on Alec's face turned into a playful grin. He knew well that sometimes he might seems slightly odd, his interest in history and studying wasn't too common among his peers, but he was being completely honest, he didn't care too much; the people that mattered to him accepted that part of him, and any other person that might have been useful to the boy didn't necessarily need to know about that side of him.

"Do you think the others will get lost? I wouldn't be too upset if we needed to fish 'em out of Knockturn Alley; I heard interesting things can happen there," he added as he playfully raised an eyebrow, the thought of all the different kind of dark objects he might be able to find there was quite intriguing to him; after all, he couldn't wait to properly learn everything he could about the Darks Arts.

@Adonis Thorn, @Rafael D'Spacito, @Annie Morgan, @Evelynn Decipio, @Piérre Marchonné, @Elena Jangleton.

The trip to London had certainly taken awhile or so it seemed to the younger boy. The blonde's curls bounced as he glanced around Diagon Alley. It was big with tons of shops and people everywhere. He made a mental note to not get lost in the beauty of the small area. He spotted a shop with brooms in it and went to tug on his Hanzo's sleeve to show him but he and the rest of his friend group had disappeared into the crowd. The boy stopped in his track and his heart froze. "Hanzo..? Nikolai? Alec??" The Durmstrang boy stretched on his tippy toes, for even though he wasn't short for his age, there were a lot taller witches and wizards in Diagon Alley. Luckily the boy caught a glimpse of familiar blonde hair. He pushed hurriedly pushed through the crowd, mumbling some apologies along the way as he bumped into other people.

The small Ding! of a bell tinkled as Milosh Rehnquist ran into an ice cream shop. "ALEX!! I almost got lost, don't leave me ever again!" The curly haired boy tried his best angry glare but it ended up turning into a cute pout. He knew he couldn't stay mad at him and sighed in defeat before spotting Nikolai and Hanzo at a table. "Niko! Hanzo! What flavor are you guys getting?" The tall boy's eyes lit up in excitement like a little kid as he skipped over to view the different kinds. He then walked back over with a small lip quiver and tugged on Nikolai's sleeves. "Niko can you help me order? I want the uh- Oreo one!" He pursed his lips together before whispering in Nikolai's ear. "Don't tell the rest but I want the big size!!" With the small cheeky comment the blonde bounced over to the waiting line, his eyes wide with excitement for his cold dessert.

Milo grinned and his dimples popped out. Besides the fact he nearly lost his group when arriving in London, he was getting a sweet treat. The boy was glad they decided to stop at the ice cream shop. The parlor held a calm atmosphere and not many people in there so he would stop getting weird glances. He wore a black baggy sweater and cuffed blue jeans and was proud of his outfit. Sure his school was known for a strict reputation but he could care less. Milosh was with his friends and was going to have fun while they were in London.

@Lydia Cooper, @Adonis Thorn, @Rafael D'Spacito, @Evelynn Decipio, @Piérre Marchonné & @Elena Jangleton

"Hanzo!" Greta gingerly turned the doorknob to the room where he was staying, wavy locks of straw slipping from her shoulder to drape across her arm as she leaned forward to take a peek around the edge of the opening portal. Brows pinched as an empty room bared itself to greet her. "Hanzo..?" The initially tentative statement turned questioning as seafoam eyes darted about to confirm that yes, in fact, the room was unoccupied.

[In Norwegian] "Oh you have got to be kidding me! You left without me!" she accused the phantom of her brother, head rocking back on her neck.

She stood there for a moment, staring up at a foreign ceiling in an unfamiliar building, wracking her brain to recall what had earlier been relayed. Only for a moment, though. With a whine of an exhalation through flared nostrils, she righted herself, slipped the door shut with a soft click, and turned about on her heel. She had thought they would be venturing forth together. But apparently not... A sinking disappointment settled into her belly and jealousy flared as thoughts of Hanzo off adventuring and exploring the streets of London and Diagon Alley with the rest conjured themselves to the forefront of her mind. Perhaps they hadn't quite left? The corners of her lips curled into the hint of a smile as hope reignited. Hope that was quickly quashed as a mad dash through the halls revealed not a single individual in whom she had any vested interest in that moment. Hastened steps slowed to plodding ones as reality set in. She'd been left behind.

At the exit to the street, her shoulders slumped, weighted by the forced acknowledgement that they could be anywhere. Like a lost child — for that was, really, what she was — she glanced first up one way, then the other, then back again in search of any sign of her brother or any of the others with whom she'd come. A sharp intake of air followed a flash of red. Only to be exhaled out again with annoyance as what she thought might have been the uniform of her school turned out to be nothing more than an eye-catching banner that had been lifted to catch a breeze. Fists struck themselves subtly against her thighs in mild outburst as a fresh wave of frustration overcame her.

A passing adult cast her a peculiar look, and said...something, she wasn't quite sure what, although she was pretty sure she caught "you" and "right?" A flush of rose flashed across Greta's cheeks as she ducked her chin and cast her eyes down, immediately stepping forward in a trot in no particular direction, but doing so with purpose. The last thing she needed right now was to make a scene and be accosted with a series of questions that she likely wouldn't be able to adequately answer.

Breathe, she thought to herself, taking her own suggestion and counting to three as she st her mind to focus on a breath. And then another. Really, this was hardly different than any of those occasions where he darted off while they were in town back home. She didn't fall apart there. So she needn't do so here, either. Granted, yes, this was a completely different country with a different set of customs and expectations, surrounded by people she struggled to understand. Another whine vibrated her lips at that last thought. Hanzo knew she relied on him to translate.

[In Norwegian] "Whatever..." Greta muttered, resigning herself to her fate.

All was not lost. She had a rough map to show her how to get to Diagon Alley, and once there, she would at least be back in the relative familiarity of the wizarding realm. Even back home, walking amongst the muggles made her uncomfortable. Like she had a target painted over her head. At the very least, her attire seemed to fit in well enough, having noticed several muggles wearing a similar style ("Lagenlook", unbeknownst to her). Then, as she passed one shop spouting wizard's robes in the window, and then another with a girl standing out front grabbing at the sleeve of what was presumably her mother's sleeve and pointing towards the door to what looked like a menagerie while chirping excitedly about something, she was struck with a recollection. Someone had made mention of meeting up at an ice cream shop. This served to perk up the dis-spirited girl. Given how warm the weather had been of late, a chilled dessert would be just the refreshing reward for suffering through her brother's impulsive antics. Plus, how hard could it be to find?

Turns out...rather more than she anticipated. The cobble streets twisted and turned and seemed to go on endlessly. There seemed to be a main drag, at least, but the side passages and branching shopping avenues to this Diagon Alley surprised her. There wasn't anywhere like this back home. In her excitement to take it all in, she almost even forgot to be upset. She also spied a Quidditch shop at one point and had to struggle with herself not to dip right in to take a look. But. She had a mission...

Eventually, she found it.

"Flo-ray-an For-tes-cue's Ice Cre-am Par-l-our.." Greta uttered quietly under her breath, sounding out the syllables. There was one thing she knew for certain. "Ice cream" sure sounded a lot like "iskrem". Almost instantly, a grin split her lips and she darted across the street to push the door open. Her belly fluttered with relief as a handful of familiar individuals, one even boldly wearing Durmstrang red, met her gaze: Alec and Nikolai sitting at one of the larger tables with her brother, Hanzo, while Milo stood up in line evidently awaiting his order.

[In Norwegian] "Hanzo!" She stage whispered, announcing her presence to the group.

[In imperfect Russian] "Good day! You all look content. Have you not ice cream, yet? Am I arrived just in time, then?" A genial smile turned to each of those present, quirking just a touch more as she spied Nikolai's surly expression, before turning back to her brother with a soured expression as she slid into the empty seat on the side opposite Nikolai.

[In Norwegian] "Why didn't you wait for me?" The accusatory tone she'd spouted to the empty room was back, coupled with a pout. "I wanted to come with you...You haven't already gone exploring have you? Did I miss it? Did you see the Quidditch shop nearer to where the pub is? Did you go inside?"

@Rafael D'Spacito, @Adonis Thorn, @Annie Morgan, @Lydia Cooper, @Piérre Marchonné, @Elena Jangleton

@Rafael D'Spacito , @Adonis Thorn , @Annie Morgan , @Lydia Cooper , @Piérre Marchonné , @Evelynn Decipio

@Rafael D'Spacito, @Evelynn Decipio, @Elena Jangleton, @Lydia Cooper, @Annie Morgan, & @Adonis Thorn

Finally; London. It seemed as if an eternity had passed since I last set foot in Diagon Alley, yet here I was, one Durmstrang year older... yet, still quite young for who I am at this point in time, a graduating twelve year old first year among ten year olds. Somewhat embarrassing, if I had to say something of it, yet quite an experience. I feel that if I had to stay at Hogwarts, I would have learned nowhere near as much useful knowledge that if I had attended Durmstrang. Besides, I am an intelligent student, I feel that it will not take long before I can be accelerated to more advanced classes. However... Italian can only get you so far in Latin... and then my Russian is something to be laughed at.

We-- I say 'we' because we are the school and the Durmstrang Quidditch team-- came to London for a Quidditch event against the Hogwarts Hufflepuffs. Quite a nice alliteration if I had to say so myself. Hanzo intended that we, a group of friends and study partners, got together for an ice cream at Florean's. However, being as we are as a rather... individualistic minded student populous-- inevitably and invariably, we each got lost in our own and splendid ways; myself being small like Greta and getting lost in the turbulent and every-churning current of London, as it was.

Of all of us, however, I would pride myself on saying that I know Diagon Alley the best, and that I quite possibly know London better than the rest of us. So... to put it lightly, I was keeping tabs on everyone else, making sure that none of them would accidentally slip down the wrong passageway or enter the wrong shop. I myself had some errands to attend to; Flourish and Blotts with their extensive books and some flamboyant quills that I had had my eye on for a while. In the end, I decided to pass, watching each of my companions find themselves in Florean's parlour. Hanzo...Nick...Alex... Milo... Greta, Hanzo's young sister that reminded me often of myself... and Jan. Nobody had gotten lost, thank goodness.

With one less worry on my mind, I threw my red cloak behind me, trying my best to ignore the heat that the wolf fur of my uniform offered me. It was June, for heaven's sake! A fur coat, in June? If you wanted something that ridiculous, I would recommend you call upon Piérre.

Reducio

Of course, I harbor no resentment towards my twin. What kind of person do you make me out to be? No, I simply say that because he is eccentric at best, and downright impish at worst. Yet, there is a delicacy in him that I wished that I could harbor. He is carefree, and I am studious. It is a perfection between the two of us, a sign that we truly do rely on one another. It had broken my heart to leave him... but that only made both him and me more excited when we saw each other again on winter break.

Pushing open the parlour door, I smile quietly as I spot my group gathered at a table, already speaking and interacting in the way that they did. Milo and Jan, already lightly jibing at one another, Milo waiting impatiently for an order. Almost like Piérre in a sense; they share that same energetic, unbreakable soul. Hanzo and Greta, or Hansel and Gretel as I like to nickname them appropriately, having a bother sister bonding time... Greta speaks Norse well... just as well as I can rattle off Italian. I've taught a few phrases, but with Latin and Italian being so alike... they know about the language very decently as it is. I find little to no fault in their dialect, though the accent will never quite be right.

"Ciao compagni! Hello comrades!" If my Italian greeting wouldn't be enough to alert the rest of my friends that I had arrived, then surely the strongly mixed British-Italian accent would. Though Piérre ended up with the stronger Italian accent, there is no doubt that I cannot do the same if I so desire. "Good to see everyone's alright. Sorry for my tardiness, I had some window shopping to do in Flourish and Blotts."

With a bit of a shy sigh-- I had never been exceptionally good in social environments-- I draw up a chair next to Hanzo, trying my best to fit into the fray and act appropriate to the situation. Yet, I had never been good at entertaining, and I had more than a few assessments to do still... and assessments to do well if I was going to have any chance of accelerated classes. A book of Dark Arts study written in Russian and a small Latin dictionary... two classes I needed to put some emphasis on.

Yew and Snallygaster heartstring wand... ten and a quarter inches... slightly bendy... the identical twin to my brother's, save for the blue designs that matched my eyes that was an opposite of the green that decorated Piérre's. This was the wand that I gently rolled between my fingers, keeping one ear on the conversation and both eyes on the Russian that I was mentally decyperhing.

"I slept rather well, thank you Jan." I say rather softly, my eyes flicking to him for a moment before returning to my studies. A beat and I glance at Milo, creasing my brows in slight concern. Did you have nightmares, Milo?"

Interacting With: @Adonis Thorn @Lydia Cooper @Annie Morgan @Evelynn Decipio @Piérre Marchonné @Elena Jangleton
Mentioning: N/A

[font=Goudy Old Style]Well, he supposed he’d been right. It hadn’t been long at all.

It seemed to be only moments after the boy had glanced down at his watch, that Nikolai had come through the door – the boy looked as stoic as ever, gaze hard and mouth set in a straight line like the serious child he always was. Though Hanzo knew better. Though the boy did little to prove his theory, the Norwegian Chaser? [will edit this once his position is confirmed] believed that there was a heart of gold somewhere within that tough exterior the other boy held. Whether or not his suspicions were true, he supposed he’d never know, but until he found out for sure, he would make sure he treated Nikolai with as much love and Hanzergy he could possible muster. His eyes immediately brightened at the sight of his classmate, a bright grin spreading like a disease over his facial features – without missing a beat, he promptly stood from his chair, legs carrying him over to his classmate with arms wide. Whether or not the other boy wanted a hug, he would be receiving one, Hanz’s arms wrapping around the boy’s arms in a friendly, albeit gentle embrace. “¹Ya tak rad, chto ty sdelal eto,” he spoke cheerfully, his voice naturally soft and kindly, his eyes shut tight, as if focusing all his happiness and zen onto the other boy. “²Ya nachal volnovat’sya. Nadeyus’ poyezdka byla legkoy?”


Before he could get a proper answer, however, another person had entered the parlour – Alec, the resident Brit. For Hanzo, it was a bit hard to describe Alec, in the way that he simply didn’t know the boy as well as some of the others. All that aside, the guy seemed pretty kind, definitely nice enough to hug in the least. Not that Hanzo had ever been stingy with hugs. His gaze jumping to the door, he couldn’t help but release Nikolai, immediately waving at the newcomer, his smile never-wavering. His attention was once again raptly taken, however, by the boy who’d entered right after – “Milo!” the blonde exclaimed, eyes going wide in excitement. So many people to hug. God, sometimes being Hanzo sucked. He hated disregarding Alec, but the tall string bean needed love too… he opted to hug the redhead, chin resting on the boy’s shoulder as he waved to Alec. “Alec!” Then, answering Milo’s question, “³Ya dumayu, chto daykiri sorbet?”

More company would soon inhabit the parlour, their names being the handsome Jan, strong and kindly Romeo, and… the boy’s smile wavered in the slightest, a disappointed gaze crossing his face. Greta had followed him? Didn’t she have other friends? Well, he supposed his sister deserved all the love that others did. Even if it was harder to share. He would banish any disdain or disappointment from his eyes, putting on another smile. “Jan! Romeo! “⁴Kak vy vse?”he asked in excitement, releasing Milo to wave at his mates. Then, addressing Greta in Norwegian, “⁵Jeg ville se meg om, ok? Jeg trodde du var rett bak meg!”A lie. “⁶Quidditch butikk så interessant ut, jeg skal innrømme. Kanskje vi burde sjekke det ut senere.”A peace offering, as much as it hurt to extend. She was his sister, so he had to be a good example. Being a big brother was exhausting.

He would allow everyone catch up for a moment, opting to take the time to purchase his ice cream – deserting the small amassed group, he trod up to the lovely counter of the parlour, dropping a few sickles onto the polished granite as he sent a friendly smile to the waiter. “Aym, one small ice cream cone in,” he spoke in English, furrowed his brow as his eyes trained themselves upon the label of the delicious dessert. No way in hell he was going to say that correctly. Rather than butcher the pronunciation, he opted to simply point, stating, “that flavor.” Then, when the owner of the shop would pronounce the name correctly, he would continue to nod enthusiastically, eyes dancing in joy and energy. “Yes, that’s it!” The rest of his time at the counter would consist of him staring in wonder as the owner scooped his ice cream into a cone neatly, shortly handing it off to the strange Norwegian boy. The interaction would end with an enthusiastic ‘thank you!’ from the child, and an odd look from the owner.

He would then proceed to plop himself down at the table they were to share, grabbing a napkin to wrap his cone around. To be completely honest, he didn’t feel too much like talking, and plus, it seemed as if everyone else was getting caught up themselves. He’d simply stay quiet, watching everyone go about meeting up with each other once again, wasting no time in starting on his ice cream. Soon enough, everyone else would find themselves with some dessert or other, so until then, he’d patiently wait, allow his thoughts to entertain him. When conversation would eventually call, he’d allow himself to speak once more… but until then, there was ice cream to see to. [/font]

–Translation–

1 || I’m so glad you’re here!
2 || I was starting to get worried. Hope the trip was easy?
3 || I think, daiquiri sorbet?
4 || How are you all?
5 || I wanted to look around, okay? I thought you were right behind me!
6 || The Quidditch Shop looked interesting, I'll admit. Perhaps we should check it out later.

An internal groan escaped Nikolai's lips as Hanzo came cover to hug the boy upon instantly spotting him walk through the door. Despite loving the group of friends he had, it was hard having to give into Hanzo's cheerful energy that somehow managed to always spread over to him and make the boy almost give in every time. Instead of a full two arm embrace, Nikolai just gave him two firm and hard pats on the back in return with an awkward look on his face. ¹"Da da tozhe," he spoke in a monotone voice, shaking his head in agreement to say the same for Hanzo as well. ²"Dobrat'sya syuda bylo legko dlya menya. YA, k sozhaleniyu, zhil zdes' sem' let, prezhde chem v kontse kontsov otpravilsya v Durmstrang-" Nikolai said with a grunt as he stopped his sentence upon Hanzo leaving him in that moment for one of their other friends. He wasn't sure if Hanzo had even heard part of the last sentence being that he was practically done with it. It was fine though as it was understandable for Hanzo, just wanting to show everyone love and whatnot.

His tongue instantly changed upon hearing Alec begin speaking in English, not being a problem to him since he was also fluent in it just like he was in Russian. He always spoke Russian in his house with his mother or whenever he was around her in general, but besides that he would speak English during his time in London. The second he went to Durmstrang though it was just mainly Russian from there constantly since it was what most kids spoke there. "It's none of your business. I just don't like London. Never have, never will. Simple. And it's why we're going to crush Hogwarts at the Quidditch stadium in London and win the cup on their home turf." Nikolai didn't mean to sound as harsh as he did in the first sentence but it came out defensive in a way when he did, clearly not wanting to explain himself. He didn't even want to think about the 'stories they could tell', it was a bunch of rubbish to him but he respected Alec's liking's and hobbies. So, he didn't bother to go any further into it. Niko was about to answer Alec until Milo came bursting through the door and into the parlour.

³"YA- ya yeshche ne uveren." Nikolai said in response to Milo at first until feeling the sleeve of his uniform being tugged on. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I can do that for you. No worries." Nikolai told him reassuringly with a slight soft tone to his voice, which was quickly masked by the sudden reappearance of a serious expression that presented itself once again.

The boy would then proceed to greet everyone else who walked in shortly after, each with their own firm handshake and nod in acknowledgement. He was about to head off towards the counter to order before he suddenly turned on his heels to face the others. ⁴"Kto-nibud' khotel by morozhenoye? Yesli tak, to kakoy aromat togda? Ne to chtoby ya zabochus', no... Nikolai asked his group of friends who hadn't gone up already. He would take their orders along with Milo's as asked earlier and would ask for each in perfect English. Upon receiving all of their orders for whoever told Nikolai, he would arrive back at the table and give them all their own, seating himself down at the table shortly after. He go his own double-scooped ice cream that was cookie dough flavor. One of his favorites most likely.

Translations

1. Yes, yes likewise.
2. Getting here was easy for me. I used to unfortunately live here for seven years before going to Durmstrang after all-
3. I- I'm not sure yet.
4. Would anyone like ice cream? If so, what flavor then? Not that I care but...

Interacting with @Rafael D'Spacito @Lydia Cooper @Annie Morgan @Evelynn Decipio @Piérre Marchonné @Elena Jangleton

As Hanzo greeted everyone with his usual joyful manners, the little group of Durmstrang students started to fill up. After the Yorkshire boy, a rather tall kid walked inside the Ice Cream Parlour, and Alec couldn't help the little smile that appeared on his lips. Milo was a walking oxymoron: tall and not too scrawny, his presence might have been uncomfortable, if it wasn't for the boy's face, with his blonde, curled air that framed two eyes the colour of caramel mixed with chocolate; if his body showed the kid's real age, his face on the contrary made him look younger - that, and the way he would get so excited about little things, like he was doing in that moment with the Ice Cream.

Pushing his chair away from the table, Alexander got up and gently patted Milo's shoulder. ¹"Izvinite, no posmotrite! Vy ne poteryalis'." he said to him in Russian, but before e could do or say anything else, Hanzo's sister entered the shop. Observing how the duo interacted was particularly interesting for the Yorkshire boy: growing up as an only child, he never properly understood what it was like to have a sibling, or how the dynamics between two brothers would work; he couldn't imagine sharing all of that time and life experience with someone else. In a way, it almost made him feel sad, but not for the reasons that most people would think: being the curios person that he was, Alexander could understand up to a certain point a situation without having to live it to further its comprehension, but of course he could not to that with the whole sibling topic. So he had decided that in this case, all he would do was observe and try to understand how his friends interacted with each other.

Right after Greta, the last two people of their group finally joined them. Jan looked as grumpy as always as he took off his cloak, while Romeo greeted them in Italian. The boy's attention however got stolen by Nikolai's response, his words harsh as he answered back to Alec; that didn't bother him, he knew that sometimes his words might annoy people, so Alexander was not that surprised by his friend's reply.
²"Konechno my budem; U Hogwarts net shansov protiv nas," He replied, his words full of pride towards his school's Quidditch Team. Then, holding up his hands almost as if he wanted to show that he would have not continued poking him, the British boy gave Nikolai a short, small, apologetic smile, before he greeted the rest of the guys with a nod in their direction.

³"YA poydu s toboy! Mne vse yeshche nuzhno proverit' eti aromaty," putting on a fake, charming smile, Alexander then started walking towards the counter, his focus on the dirrenet flavours on display. After a quick look he walked back in line, and once it was his turn, he directed the smile at the person behind the counter. "Hi! I'll have a medium cone, with the chocolate flavour at the bottom, and the salted caramel one on top, please." His words rolled off his tongue in a perfect English, heavy with his Yorkshire accent. Once he paid, he took his ice cream and walked back to the table, sitting down next to his friends.

They were quite an interesting group of people, all different but at the same time still with a lot in common. Feeling like he didn't have to pretend around them, Alec dropped the fake smile the moment he was with them again; he knew that his group of friends would not question his quiet manners or him being more the silent kind of person, and that was probably one of the main reasons why he got along with them so well. They all respected each other's boundaries and little quirks, and even though they might banter, they would still have each-others' backs - friends, together with family (and knowledge of course) were two of the most important things in the young boy's life, and he would do anything for them.

Translations

1. "I'm sorry, but look! You didn't get lost,"
2. "Of course we will; Hogwarts doesn't stand a chance against us,"
3. "I'll come with you! I still need to check those flavours out,"

@Adonis Thorn, @Rafael D'Spacito, @Annie Morgan, @Evelynn Decipio, @Piérre Marchonné, @Elena Jangleton.