The Devil’s Love Closed

Dialogue: X | Thoughts: X | Her Family: X

Outfit:

Reducio

Irina just woke up that morning feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. She couldn't fall asleep earlier last night because she was nervous for that day to come. She was so happy to go see her friend outside Hogwarts’ walls but his family scared her and how would they see her and her family. She knew about their ideals regarding blood status, and she was a half-blood.

Her mother was not particularly happy in letting a go to the Wesley’s manor. Ingrid Meyer was a proud woman, authorizing her daughter to go to a place where she would be looked down was leaving the tall blond woman in a very bad mood, saying displeased was sure not enough to describe Ingrid that day. She was sitting at one of the tall chairs at the kitchen island, a cup of coffee in her hands and her eyes were looking fiercely at the window. Daniel Sousa, her father, was at the table reading his usual newspaper. As soon as Irina walked in, he looked at her, picking over the large sheet of paper with a sympathetic glance. And she knew then, that she needed to prepare for what was coming. She slowly went closer to her mother, sitting in the chair at her right side. Nervously, Irina looked at her hands on top of the counter and started playing with her fingers waiting for her mother to take the initiative. By the corner of her eyes, she saw Ingrid turn her direction, so Irina decided to meet her gaze with her own. It wasn’t a good day to measure stubbornness or will with her mother, so she kept her expression humble and her eyes pleading, “Mum…I…” She started shyly, but Ingrid interrupted, “Are you sure you can trust that boy?” She asked sternly. Irina felt her chest squeeze, like if a hand was having a hold on her heart. Could she? Could she trust Lucian? Even after their conversation at the Great Lake, she wasn’t really confident about that. He didn’t seemed to had been convinced by her words. But he was her best friend…he deserved at least a chance to learn things differently. Perhaps one day she could prove him wrong…so she made sure to gather all her confidence before answering her mother, “Yes mum, I can trust Luci! He is my friend, we already talked about it, as I told you!” Irina looked expectantly at her mother, while the beautiful woman appeared to be pondering her daughter’s words. “Very well…I’ll not be the one forbidden you to go to that ball. But me and your father will go with you. And if I don’t like it…Irina, we will leave that place immediately! Did you hear me?”

And that was all that was needed to be settled before Irina and her parents headed to Lucian’s grandfather's manor that evening. She was wearing a green-silver long dress with golden flowered details. Her hair was braided with golden leafs and pearls. She had never been dressed like that before, not even for the Fall Ball at Hogwarts.

Wesley’s Manor looked like something out of a fairy tale. The room where they just arrived was richly decorated in white, black and gold. The floor was covered in a white rug with a pattern of black and gray flowers and the walls were paneled in dark wood. There was a huge fireplace, from where Irina and her family had arrived and across the room a piano played soft classical music. A small, skinny house-elf approached them, he was offering them a tray of tea when she finally saw him, Lucian Mornstern. He walked to them smiling broadly and Ree finally felt a relief in her chest. She couldn't wait for the moment she would leave her stressful and over concerned mother and just be with her friend. Lucian seemed to read her thoughts, that, or he just looked at her mothers fierce and stern expression and made the right assumptions. “Hey Ree,” he greeted her, "Hello" he said, this time towards her parents. "Hi Luci!" Irina shyly said smiling at the boy, "It's so nice to see you here!". She wanted to tell him about her first impression of the house, but a old man with bushy mustache and the mannerisms of a noble had came closer to them, by his imposing presence Irina imagined without a doubt that she was about to meet Adrian Wesley. “Excuse me, Michael, that is no way to treat guests,” he scolded his grandson. But the last words he muttered just seemed to hit her in the stomach like a curse, “-no matter how disgraceful they are,”. She knew it wasn't the old man's intention for them to understand that statement, he had spoken in German. "Ich nehme an, Sie sind Mr. Wesley?" I take it you are Mr Wesley? Her mother's voice came coldly from behind her, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She nodded in greeting. Is she not going to say anything else? Irina thought, feeling a bit panicked. But apparently showing him that she had heard and understood him was enough. Ingrid knows how to behave, after all she was raised by nobility too. Greta Meyer would never approve a scandal or indecorum.

Thankfully Lucian took the lead after that exchange of words between Ingrid and Adrian. The dark-haired boy extended his hand to Irina and she reached her own to hold his in a greeting, "Good afternoon Luci!" She said reflecting his smile. She couldn't avoid feeling proud of the boy's courage to make the same gesture towards her mother, “Afternoon Mrs Sousa, pleasure to meet your acquaintance,". Ingrid looked at him, her judging eyes slowly evaluating him from his feet until finally meet his gaze. What was she seeing in him? Irina never felt so much the need of being able to read her mother's mind. But the blond woman extended her hand towards Lucian, "Afternoon, boy." she greeted dryly back, her smile never came to her lips. She was being a protective mother, like a wolf, she would never leave her cub to the hunters. Great, now she's going to stay! Irina thought sarcastically. Lucian kept welcoming them, now his attention on her father, Daniel Sousa. But Irina's eyes were at Lucian's grandfather, like she was preparing herself for the next attack. Her attention was only diverted when Lucian invited them to take a seat at one of the white expensive couches and asked if they wanted something to eat. She carefully put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Can we go to a room where my mother will not try to murder you grandfather?" She then bit her lip looking at him with an apologetic amused expression.

@Lucian Mornstern

German: #3c071b
English: #3857a

Mother: #ff8648
Father: #ff7676
Grandfather

She put a hand on my shoulder and I jumped a little, my chest tightened as her breath enveloped my ear, her voice filtering in my ear like a song that cures all. “Can we go to a room where my mother will not try to murder you grandfather?” I laughed quietly. Irina bit her lip and looked at me with an apologetic expression.

I cleared my throat and shakily nodded, “Erm yes we can- can- can definitely do that!” I said, thankful to be able to leave.

“Where do you think you are going, boy?” his gruff voice going dark and gruff.

I stared at him with wide eyes, “Erm, uh to- to my bedroom? If that’s alright, sir?” I asked respectfully, looking him in the eye as I swallowed. I stared into his emotionless eyes, “Or- or not… if you have—”

“Leave then, Michael,” he interrupted, turning away to look at Irina’s parents. Relief flooded my body and I hugged him.

“Danke!” I then - and I have no idea where it came from, maybe I was just excited seeing as Ree would be the first friend I have ever had over that I like - I grabbed her hand and started leading her up the many stairs to my bedroom. Thank you

“Dokby!” I called when we were just shy of my door, my voice harsh and emotionless. That’s when a snap was heard and a small elf was seen, bandage on it’s leg and it looked like it’s ear was damaged.

“Yes master Mornstern— Ooh, hello miss! I has not seen you before?” Dokby said, bowing it’s head. It wanted to talk to Ree it seems. I pushed it away from us.

“Back off Dokby. I want you to bring us stuff up. Food. Some butterbeer—” it cut me off.

Its eyes bulged out it’s head almost, “Oh master Mornstern! Master knows he is far too young to be drinking butterbeer! Maybe you would like some hot chocolate?”it offered in return with pleading eyes. I glared at it and bared my fangs, fear shooting through its eyes but I tried to hide that bit from Ree.

“Now,” I turned back to Ree with a soft smile and opened my bedroom door. “Me casa es— uh… just welcome!” I looked at her again remembering from our encounter at the lake, she didn’t understand! “That means welcome. I’m surprised your mum speaks German to be honest, considering you don’t seem to know it,” I said suddenly, really did miss a bullet there! I led her in and said she could sit on the bed.

•••

Adrian watched them leave and turned back to the other adults, well, to Irina’s mother. “I am Adrian Thomas Wesley, I hope your daughter is respectful. She best not corrupt my grandson,” he told them with a dark glint in his mistrusting eyes.

Dialogue: X | Thoughts: X | Her Family: X | German: X

Outfit:

Reducio

She was looking expectantly at him. She was not sure she could have made such question, if that would be polite or even an acceptable behaved in a place like this. Her parents had told her about how to introduce herself, how to maintain a more intellectual conversation, but that world, Luci’s world, was completely strange for her. She had never been surrounded by so many wealthy people, with all their pride and pureblood status. There was nothing there, besides Lucian, that could make her feel welcomed. So when she asked for them to move to another room was kind of a desperate call for being able to breath, talk and act normally with her friend. That, and because she was having a feeling that her mother and Lucian’s grandfather were getting at each others throats at anytime. She didn’t wanted to witness it.

So it felt like a real relief when she saw the boy smiling at her, “Erm yes we can- can- can definitely do that!” He answered looking what it seemed to be a little bit nervous. But before they could leave, a gruff, dark voice came from behind them, “Where do you think you are going, boy?” It was his grandfather, Mr Wesley. Irina soon had learned that when the old man speaks in his mother language, it’s not a pleasant thing or a good omen, and judging by Luci’s wide eyes, the boy would think the same. “Erm, uh to- to my bedroom? If that’s alright, sir?” Luci said respectfully and anxiously. Irina felt her heart squeeze, did she got them into trouble already? She had just arrived! But Mr. Wesley, whatever he was thinking, decided to let them go turning his stare towards her parents instead. Great! Irina thought sarcastically, that was like looking at two brutal forces about to collapse into each other. Maybe it’s wise to leave, yes!

Lucian was quite happy with his grandfather authorisation, the boy hugged him and thanked him before holding her hand and starting to lead her towards the stairs. “Where are we going Luci?” She asked somehow exhilarated, it felt like they were running from a coming war, felt kind of exciting and like they were bending the rules in some form, “This house is huge! And it’s so beautiful! What exactly is your family’s history? To have all of this I mean?” She asked curious looking around at the beautiful walls and ceiling. The walls had several paintings and the whole house had been tastefully decorated with rare and magnificent pieces of art. She would love to be able to appreciate all of that from closer, but she knew it wasn’t the time for it.

When they got upstairs, Lucian led her towards one of the tall and big wooden doors. Once outside of it, he called for a name, Dorkby. How’s that? She thought surprised with her friend’s harsh tone of voice. But as soon as her thought had left her mind a small figure appeared next to her, “Yes master Mornstern— Ooh, hello miss! I has not seen you before?” The House Elf as said politely while making a bow in her direction. He looked kind and fragile. He looked badly wounded… Irina started to reach a hand towards the creature and was about to answer to him, but Lucian reacted first, pushing Dorkby away from them, like he was nothing but the piece of rag he was wearing. Rina immediately closed her hand and brought it close to her chest. She felt shocked with Luci’s ways towards the small House Elf, she always thought her friend kind towards all living creatures, somehow he looked different…it scared her a little, did she not knew her friend well enough? “Back off Dokby. I want you to bring us stuff up. Food. Some butterbeer—” he started to say in the same harsh and superior tone of voice, but Dorkby interrupted his master with concern, Irina felt shudder inside with what could be the boy’s reaction at being interrupted like that. So she felt she needed to say something, she simply couldn’t just stay watching the scene, “It’s okay Dorkby!” She said with a kind smile forming in her lips, “hot chocolate can be! I love hot chocolate!” She admitted while slowly she was closing her hand tightly into Lucian’s hand, like instinctively saying for him to go easy on the poor creature. The boy’s face was hiding from her, so she couldn’t see her friend’s expression, she just hoped her words had saved the poor elf of less pleasant consequences.

And she felt relief, when the only word Lucian said to Dorkby was: “Now”. She sighed deeply, after holding it for a while. Luci turned finally to face her again, a soft smile was playing in his mouth when he opened the door, “Me casa es— uh… just welcome!” Irina could not avoid the shy laugh that escaped her, while she shyly looked down, “That means welcome. I’m surprised your mum speaks German to be honest, considering you don’t seem to know it,” He felt the need to explain to her. She looked back at him in surprise. What would make him think that? Oh right…he doesn’t know my mother is German…she remembered biting her lip. “Well…you see, my mother is German too” she said with a timid smile, “ My middle name is Meyer, that’s why Beatrice calls me Mey!” She told him in a soft voice, “And I do understand German, what would make you think I don’t?” She replied feeling curious about the boy’s conclusion. That’s when a memory came to her mind, they were both at the lake and he… he had said…Oh yeah…I forgot I make him think I haven’t understood it! She entered the room sitting in his bed. She didn’t even took her eyes from the floor, her heart started racing and her cheeks felt so warm she swore she would combust in that instance. Would he remember that too? Merlin! She thought feeling the most embarrassed she had felt lately. She wanted to look at him, to see his reaction to her words but somehow she was also afraid of seeing it. "Please say something…" she whispered looking at her hands now resting in her lap and playing nervously with her fingers.

@Lucian Mornstern