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nikolas vaisey doesn't need a broom to fly ([info]besserwisser) wrote in [info]wished,
@ 2009-11-07 14:04:00

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Entry tags:!1997: 11, !incomplete, daphne greengrass, nikolas vaisey

!1997: 11, !incomplete, daphne greengrass, nikolas vaisey
Who: Nikolas Vaisey and Daphne Greengrass
What: Lunch at Hogsmeade.  So not a date.
Where: Hogsmeade, outside.
When: Noon, November 7, Saturday
Warnings: Unlikely to be anything crazy, really.

Why is it this had seemed like a better idea when he'd suggested it a week or so before?  Probably because he'd done it on a whim - invited Daphne to lunch at Hogsmeade, not long after their unintentional meeting in the Astronomy Tower.  Nothing had happened up there, of course, but it really hadn't been a horrible few hours.  He'd had fun, as far as he remembered, and she hadn't seemed so bad then.  There was the fact that they were both more than a little tipsy, so that probably made her seem more tolerable at the time.  Still.  He supposed he'd felt that he owed it to himself to try interacting with her under normal circumstances.

He was more than aware, though, that he did not want this to seem like he was attempting to take her out on a date - whatever their future was purportedly going to hold, Nikolas currently had little interest in trying to navigate through the psyche of Daphne Greengrass and winning her affections.  At least she was very pretty, and dressed well.  Not that he cared much for how girls dressed, but she knew how to make herself look appealing.  Too bad most of his experiences with her personality had suggested otherwise. 

So, the dreadful Puddifoot's was out, not that he'd ever consider bringing a girl there, date or no.   And though he would have been glad to go to The Three Broomsticks, that's where people always went on Hogsmeade trips, and besides he didn't exactly want to draw more attention to the fact that he was supposed to be spending more time with Daphne.  This created a dilemma, as there were no other decent places to eat - the night before, Nikolas had just given up and decided that they could eat outside.  In his haste he didn't account for the fact that it was November, and by now getting quite cold.

Nikolas stood outside of Gladrags Wizardwear, having purchased a set of hair clips to send to his sister for her birthday next week, and a new pair of gloves for himself.  It was nearly noon, now, and he'd come to the conclusion that yes, it was too cold for outdoor dining, but as he'd already acquired the necessary materials it would seema  waste not to.  He tugged at the scarf around his neck and readjusted his coat - hs jumper itched and annoyed him, but he thought this probably wasn't an occassion one went to looking as though they'd just been throwing a Quaffle around.  Tapping his foot, Nikolas raised an eyebrow and looked at his watch - she ought to be here soon.


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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-07 11:01 pm UTC (link)
Daphne decided she better take her sister's advice and try to give Nikolas a chance. Astoria was right, at least it wasn't someone horrid, like Goyle. Daphne wouldn't know what to do with herself if her parents tried to wed her off to the Goyles. In some respect they did have her best interest at heart, after all they could have set up a marriage to the Crabbes, or someone infinitely worse. It was that revelation that allowed her to consent to going to lunch with Nikolas. She was still a little bitter about being forced to spend winter hols with the Vaisey's, but if it meant bringing a bit of honor, and dignity to the Greengrass name then she would do it. Not that she was feeling very honorable, nor part of a family at the moment, maybe doing this would help her regain her sense of family.

Dressing warmly as per Nikolas' recommendation, Daphne headed to Hogsmeade alone. The girl couldn't recall there ever being a time where she was asked to Hogsmeade by a boy. Was she nervous? Just slightly. Did it show? No. Not at all. Holding that arrogant air about her, the girl headed down the path. The cold air sting her cheeks, and left her nose a slight rosy red. This sort of weather was not her favorite. Turning up the collar on her green wool coat, hands returned to the pockets. Dressed as impeccable as ever, the only thing visible aside from the coat was a pair of knee high grey argyle socks, and a pair of black heels. The ensemble managed to accent those sinfully long legs and make her at least four inches taller. Jacket cinched her slender waist and made those subtle curves on her body stick out. There was no denying Daphne was not pretty. On the contrary, if she could just manage to keep her mouth closed she would be quite the catch for any male.

Approaching Gladrags, a group of third years rushed past her, forcing her to grimace at their shrieking wild abandon. Blue eyes looked more like a steely gray in the sunlight, as sleek brown hair framed her face. Glancing at the store front, she managed to find Nikolas amongst the groups of students. At least she wasn't early, the last thing she wanted to do was be waiting for him. Wrinkling her nose just slightly to try and get feeling back into that part of her face, she began to wish she brought a scarf as well.

"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" The clicking of heels against the cobblestone walkway ceased as she stood before him.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-07 11:44 pm UTC (link)
Just as Nikolas began seriously considering waiting just inside of the shop behind him - after all, he'd be able to see her coming just fine from the window, and wouldn't wind up with a chapped face - he heard and then saw her arrival. His first thought was that he couldn't understand why girls liked to wear such noisy shoes, and then that at least it made their legs look even better. He briefly looked Daphne over, subtly, he hoped, and nodded at her.

"No, you're timing was perfect. I just finished here a bit earlier than I thought I might."

Giving a scathing look to a few younger students who nearly tumbled into him in an attempt to get into Gladrags, Nikolas moved away from the entrance and sidled up to Daphne. Having all but forgotten about the bag of foodstuffs in his hand, he now held it up, seeming almost embarrassed. "You'll have to forgive me...I completely didn't think about the fact that it's November and therefore...brisk. I thought we might eat outdoors?"

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-08 01:03 am UTC (link)
As Nikolas held up the bag she could see the embarrassment on his face, which made her smirk slightly. It was humbling to see he could admit mistakes, this was a mistake right? However that smirk faded as he mentioned eating outdoors. Was he serious, glancing at the bag of food once more, and then up at him, Daphne remained quiet. Outside? Maybe if it was June, and sunny and warm, but it was cold, and breezy and November.

"I suppose anything is better then stepping into that pink place," Inwardly, Daphne was praying he at least had something warm to drink in that bag. Wait a moment, was Daphne actually compromising? If worse came to worse she could cast a spell for warmth. At the thought of her wand, hand instinctively shifted in the pocket of her coat to feel for the slender wand hidden within her sleeve. Once satisfied, the girl pulled her hands out of her pockets to tugged on the collar a little more and prevent cool air from entering her coat.

"I really must apologize for intruding on your winter holidays, my mother was never too fond of keep boundaries." Daphne knew it wasn't completely her mother's doing, it was partially Nikolas' families fault as well. But Daphne was willing to take blame for her mother accepting the invitation on her behalf. No offense to Nikolas, but Daphne was looking forward to spending the winter break home and possibly with Audrina somewhere warm.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-08 01:45 am UTC (link)
"Oh, that." Nikolas sighed, starting off down the street toward where, if he remembered correctly, there was a small pavilion that usually went unused once the weather began turning. He gave a brief laugh at the thought that this could possibly have been Daphne's fault. She was mostly doing it out of politeness, he was sure, and he knew she was probably even more displeased than he was.

"It's hardly your fault, and really I'm sure my mother cooked this one up. My father's more invested in this than she is but I think the longer the idea has had time to settle in her mind, the more excited she's getting. Sort of creepy." He shoved his free hand into his pocket as a particularly brisk wind hit him full on in the face. "And I wouldn't worry too much, it'll only be a week, maybe a day or two more. After that the rest of us come back to England and leave my mother to finish her business up before she follows."

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-08 02:49 am UTC (link)
"Creepy, yeah..." Daphne's voice trailed off as she tried to fathom how the conversations between the two parents went. "Do you ever wonder how they arrived to this conclusion? How they decided that this was a good idea? I mean, I've been talking to Astoria about it, and she's as shocked as I am. Usually my parents are a little more reasonable." Pulling her hand out of her pocket she brushed hair behind her ear as the wind managed to just whip it behind her in the end.

"I hope you packed something warm to drink," Teeth clenched slightly as a chill ran down her spine.

"Is there anything I should be expecting during the hols? Any... family traditions I need to know about?" Glancing towards him, her lips curled into a playful little smirk. She was teasing him, hopefully he wouldn't take it personally. "I have only been to Sweden once or twice and that was to do some shopping in Stockholm. I'm going to assume it's cold during that time of the year," Blue eyes shifted once more to shoot him a curious, inquisitive look.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-08 03:12 am UTC (link)
He gave some thought to Daphne's musings on his parents' motives. They'd been vague about it, at best, and as he'd never known them to be unreasonable before he hadn't really given it much consideration before. However, of late he'd begun to wonder, and suspect, that it might have something to do with them perhaps worrying he might choose for himself someone who was, for whatever reason, not entirely appropriate. After what had happened last year during their trip to Sweden with Brigit Hackzell, harmless though he'd known it was, he thought perhaps they worried he'd go after someone they didn't see as up to par. Good as his parents were to him, they had their prejudices nonetheless. "No idea." he replied shortly, shaking his head.

Turning at the end of the street, Nikolas made his way down a narrower path with Daphne in tow. They'd likely reach the place within the next minute or so, and to be frank he just wanted to sit, and eat. His stomach had been protesting loudly since 11:30.

"As for the trip," he began, looking at her curiously, admittedly surprised that she'd been the Sweden before, "it is most definitely cold, I can't stress that enough. And...tradition-wise, well, we'll have to wait and see, won't we?" He kept his eyes focused ahead of him, but grinned nonetheless.

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-08 04:18 am UTC (link)
Daphne's parents flat out said that she had the social skills of a bug. There was no denying she wasn't the most social of creatures. Highly pretentious, and self righteous, Daphne was far too picky to actually consider dating a boy from Hogwarts. That led a lot of people to believing and talking about her. She wasn't like Parkinson, throwing herself at a boy. She wasn't like Tracey who flirted with every single boy in Slytherin. She was just Daphne, too good for the general population and thus ignoring the majority of them. Her parents "trained" her too well, not only was she selective about who she associated with, but she was TOO selective, and found everyone under her. The fact that her parents realized this, and are now trying to remedy it by selecting a husband for her forces her icy wall of solitude to come crashing down.

This entire situation forced Daphne out of her comfort zone, and into situations that she never experienced before. She was completely content to stay alone in her own quiet, private world, but now? Now that was all ruined. It wasn't that Nikolas was a bad person - Merlin knows she could have been forced into a marriage with Goyle. On the contrary, if it was under different circumstances she might take to the boy a little better. She couldn't tell what they had in common, he liked animals... she hated them. The only thing she did know that they had in common was their capability to hold alcohol, and play card games.

"I'll make sure to pack properly, then," As they reached the end of the street, Daphne finally realized where they were going to eat. It was the only suitable place to eat outside, unless he was planning an actual picnic with a blanket and sitting under a tree? He didn't seem like that type of person, though. Especially between the two of them, a blanket picnic was far too romantic, considering this was not a date... was it? No. Daphne didn't want to think like that.

"Wait... and see? I don't like the sound of that." Glancing warily towards Nikolas, Daphne wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Wait and see? For all she knew they could have some bizarre tradition that involved reindeer, or some magical creature that she didn't want to think about.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-08 04:39 am UTC (link)
Her concern over something as trivial as the possibility of being confronted with an unfamiliar family tradition amused Nikolas greatly. Automatically, he reached over to her and patted her on the back, between her should blades, the way one might pat a friend jokingly. "You're far too concerned about this. All families do something weird for the holidays. I promise you won't be made to do anything silly or strange, if you don't want to."

Nikolas seemed to realize he'd broken some sort of physical boundary that he hadn't really acknowledged as existing between them, and drew his hand back quickly, bringing it to rest in his pocket again. He coughed, sending a cloud of steam forth from his mouth - it made him think of pipe smoke. What he wouldn't do for that right now.

Thankfully, what he perceived might become an awkward moment was ended abruptly, because they'd arrived at their destination. Indeed, the pavilion was abandoned, and seemed to have not been used in quite a while. A sparse layer of autumnal leaves drifted to and fro on the two long tables within, and though it was open to the elements, at the very least he hoped the pillars supporting it might cut the wind a bit. "Ah, good, no one here. I didn't want to have to deal with relocating, because honestly I'm through with ideas."

He approached the table and set the bag down, wasting little time in unloading the contents, place settings and food. For once, Harold Dingle's odd connections had genuinely come in handy, as he'd managed to acquire some non-Hogwarts fare for Nikolas at the last minute - hot sandwiches, sweet potato soup, and, of course, Butterbeer. At least that might help with the issue of warmth. Nikolas was pretty sure there was dessert as well, but right now he was just eager to eat the food he'd already unpacked.

"Should we sit, then?"

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-08 07:30 am UTC (link)
It was like she was seeing him pat her back in slow motion. She wanted to smack his hand away, and break his fingers and tell him to never touch her again, but she couldn't dare herself to move. Instead she tried to swallow her pride and ignore that pat on her back. That was something she was not used to be. Being touched, she hated when her parents attempted to hug her as a child, and she didn't enjoy it now. It was just something she wasn't used to. Daphne wasn't the hug and kiss type of person. She never had a reason to be one, most people avoided her, and she avoided them.

Easing up slightly as the pavilion gave both of them a reason to ignore what happened, Daphne glanced around the structure. It was nothing spectacular, simple and probably a beautiful place during the summer. Pulling her hand out of her pocket, she brushed a few leaves off the table.

Watching him unpack the food, her stomach suddenly rumbled. She didn't realize how hungry she was until the food was laid out for her. What made that even better was that it wasn't Hogwarts food. At least it didn't smell like it. Nodding in agreement for taking a seat, Daphne sat down and wrapped her hands around one of the warm containers of soup.

"This looks good, where did you get it? I don't think this was being served at Hogwarts, it smells too appetizing." Lips curled into a smirk once more, as she pulled the container of soup closer.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-08 04:42 pm UTC (link)
"Hm, well, you know Harold Dingle at all? Probably not, he's in my year, Ravenclaw..." Nikolas began, sitting down across from Daphne and helping himself to a sandwich. He was glad he'd decided to charm the bag to keep everything warm before he left the school that morning. After swallowing some Butterbeer and enjoying the characteristic warmth that it caused, he continued. "He's always getting the weirdest things shipped to him by owl, I don't even know where from, but I thought he might be able to get some food if I asked him, and this morning her found me before we all set off and handed me this, so."

Truth be told, Nikolas had half been expecting the bag to be full of dragon dung, or some sort of powdered, poisonous herbs, but he'd checked in the Great Hall and the appetizing smell that had wafted out set any doubts aside. "You don't have any allergies, do you?" A moment later his mouth was full of bread and ham.

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-08 10:36 pm UTC (link)
"Harold Dingle?" Daphne shook her head, as she proceeded to open one of the containers of soup. The smell was intoxicating, and she had to close her eyes for a moment to enjoy how fresh it smelled. "No... can't say I have ever heard of him, then again, I don't really pay attention to others." Daphne shrugged slightly, and lifted up a spoon to inspect it. OCD, much? "He had ham sandwiches, soup, and butterbeer owled to him? Are his parents house elves?" Okay, so maybe that was a little rude considering Harold Dingle did get them this lunch.

Satisfied with how the spoon looked, she went to tasting the sweet potato soup. "No, I don't. Do you?" Daphne didn't have any allergies, but she was a finicky eater. She didn't like certain foods, mainly anything Hogwarts. Technically there was nothing wrong with Hogwarts food, but it was slaved over by disgusting vile creatures. At home, her family had numerous house elves, but none of them cooked. Her mother refused to allow a disgusting creature such as a house elf touch anything they were to ingest.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-09 04:20 am UTC (link)
Nikolas shrugged and grinned ambivalently. "Not so far."

He eyed the soup, not sure whether he wanted to bother - he'd never much liked sweet potatoes, though the steam rising off of it seemed particularly inviting today, and it probably didn't taste too much like sweet potato anyway. Then again, he didn't eat ham very often, either, and he had to admit the sandwich was very enjoyable. Belatedly, Nikolas snickered at the house elf comment.

"Well, he's quite human, but who knows? Like I said, he has very mysterious means of acquiring things he wants or needs." He swirled the butterbeer around in its bottle for a moment, seeming to ponder it, before putting it back down. Wanting to change the subject from how he had managed to get the food, Nikolas grasped at something that had come up earlier.

"So, you said you'd been to Sweden before? When was that?"

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-09 08:54 pm UTC (link)
Daphne actually reconsidered eating any more, especially since she had no idea where this Dingle boy got his food. "Why... would someone owl him ham sandwiches and soup?" Dipping her spoon into the soup again, she stirred it around a little half expecting an eye to bob to the surface, or something horrifying.

At the change of the subject, Daphne began to eat the soup again. It was warm, and tasted better then anything Hogwarts to could offer. It must be safe to eat... she concluded after three more bites. Blue gaze lifted from the soup to look at Nikolas as he posed the question, "Yes, it was the summer of my fifth year, mother wanted to do some shopping in Stockholm. That was the same summer where we spent a week at the Chateau in Marseilles." It was evident the Greengrass' traveled a lot. Why shouldn't they? Money wasn't an issue for them, and her mother was one of those typical socialites, traveling across the world without a care for expenses.

"I imagine that winter in Sweden is completely different then summer? Though, compared to Marseilles, Stockholm was bloody freezing in the summer." Was this considered pleasant conversation? Aside from her sister, and maybe Audrina, Daphne never really... spoke to people to the extent that she was speaking to Nikolas. Usually she was just flinging around insults to get people to sod off and leave her alone.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-09 10:54 pm UTC (link)
In all actuality, for once Nikolas could say with relatively certainty that he knew the origins of their meal - Harold's mother happened to be a very good cook, and enjoyed spoiling her son (and, if need be, his friends). Still, some part of Nikolas liked teasing Daphne and letting things seems dubious. She didn't seem to have any real problems with this, as she was continuing to eat.

The Greengrasses would go to different countries just to shop, wouldn't they? Nikolas just shook his head mildly, not indicating whether it was because he thought international shopping trips a bit ridiculous, or in response to her comments on the weather.

"Yeah. It's not too bad in summer, really." At least he didn't think so, though he'd been going for as long as he could remember, so he had to admit he was used to it either way. "When we're there it'll be much different, though...pretty consistently freezing out, actually. Although, we won't be too far north so it could be a lot worse. Might not be as much daylight as we're used to here, either."

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-10 12:15 am UTC (link)
He kept saying We and it made Daphne very uncomfortable. We. That meant duality. The two of them. She suddenly found it hard to swallow as she stared at her soup. The revelation that there was going to be a lot more we to come made her a bit nervous. Why? For one thing, up until that point Daphne was used to either me or you never we. She was used to being alone most of the time, and doing things on her own. Now? Now she was supposed to marry this boy she had absolutely no feelings for (or maybe she did? Daphne couldn't tell if it was just being forced into the situation that made her more tolerating of him, or if he was actually someone worth spending time with), and swallow her pride and be happy about it.

"Well, while we are on the subject of winter hols, I assume your family celebrates Christmas, yeah?" Lifting her gaze from the soup to look at him, blue eyes studied him for a while. Christmas meant gifts, and Daphne was sure as hell not going to show up empty handed. Her parents would be utterly mortified, and Daphne didn't want to be embarrassed like that. However, this brought up another dilemma, what should she get them? Perhaps Nikolas could enlighten her.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-10 12:58 am UTC (link)
Nikolas looked at Daphne as though she'd just said something absurd. He supposed it was a logical enough question to ask, after all not everyone celebrated the holiday, but he'd sort of taken it for granted nonetheless. "'Course."

Still debating the soup, he picked up a spoon and made as though to try some, but changed his mind at the last moment and put the spoon back down. He looked at a loss of what to do, having finished his sandwich in almost record time. He had been hungry when he'd gotten here, enough to rush through the first portion of his meal. Instead, he just held the butterbeer between his gloved hands - if it were a warm beverage, this would have seemed a sensible way to warm one's hands. But, since it wasn't, it just made Nikolas look fidgety.

"Why do you ask? Is this another tradition question?"

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-10 02:35 am UTC (link)
Nodding rather passively, Daphne stirred her soup once more and looked down at it. "Just curious," She said quietly, before pushing back the container and reaching for the other thermos of pumpkin juice. Watching him fidget, Daphne smirked behind the rim of her pumpkin juice. It was hard to tell if he was uncomfortable, or just nervous. Daphne felt awkward, especially since she wasn't drunk. She didn't know if she should be guarding herself, or just enjoying the lunch outside... in the cold.

Nodding towards the sandwich, she placed the thermos down and pushed the plate towards him. "Here, have my half, I'm full." Technically it was true, Daphne wasn't much of an eater. Just look at her! She was thin as a pole, mostly elbows and knees with subtle curves and legs to die for. She definitely took after her mother in the looks department.

"Tell me about your family, what are your parents like? You have a sister, yes? What's her name?" For once, Daphne seemed genuinely interested, or was she just putting up a front to seem that way? Her motives behind the questions were more selfish then they seemed. She was trying to figure out what they would like as gifts, winter hols were just around the corner, she would have to get creative to think of something for them.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-10 03:13 am UTC (link)
"Er." He stared at the sandwich she'd just shoved at him, not sure how to respond. There was no doubt he could easily eat it, and probably at least another sandwich, before he'd consider himself full. Still, sharing food seemed like something a pair of friends would do, and as far as he was concerned he and Daphne were far from that. Yet, anyway. Right now Nikolas still felt the awkwardness of this whole thing was palpable, and anything either of them said felt forced. "Yeah. Maybe?"

He pulled the plate to him anyway, in what he figured was a sign of goodwill, or something. "My family...hm. Dad's a law official in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I guess he spends a lot of time at the Ministry but when he's home he usually tries to think about anything but work. My mum...travels a lot and it pretty much made her life when I started showing an interest in what she does. But, you know, she's...a mum...she's always nosing about in my business and trying to make sure I'm eating enough and doing my schoolwork and not getting myself in trouble, and all that."

He paused and laughed a bit. "She likes being in control of things. And yeah, my sister, Astrid. She's eight, well, nine next week, but she's sort of annoying really but we get on really well. She just asks a lot of questions and is always moving about and getting into things she ought not to. I swear she's going to be either a Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor. She just...knows how to find out what bothers people and push their buttons."

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-10 04:17 am UTC (link)
Daphne didn't mean to make things awkward, she was just trying to do what Astoria and Audrina recommended. Just... make the best of a bad situation, and remember that it's better then being forced into a marriage with Crabbe or Goyle.

Nodding slowly, the Vaisey's seemed very different compared to the Greengrass'. Daphne being the eldest of her siblings was expected to hold her own without her parents doting upon her. She preferred to be left alone when it came to her parents, Astoria and Sebastian took to the doting better then she did. At the mention of his sister potentially being accepted into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, Daphne hid a sneer behind a sip of her drink.

"Or she could just be a highly manipulative Slytherin," Lips curled into a smirk as she placed her drink down once more, "Merlin knows we have plenty of those in Slytherin as it is." No joke there, it was evident that Daphne was a different form of Slytherin then the rest of her housemates. While they took to bending their beliefs for the sake of saving their arses, Daphne would much rather stick to her beliefs and not bend to anyone. Dark Lord or not. She was prideful, though, and incredibly sly and cunning. She had a smart head on her shoulders, far more intelligent then she let on.

"I come from a family of Slytherins. My grandparents were Slytherins, I imagine their parents were Slytherins, and so on and so forth. All of my siblings are in Slytherin," Shrugging slightly, Daphne watched a few leaves billow through the pavilion before continuing on. "They're a bit typical, mother busies herself by shopping, planning parties, living life like a socialite," Rolling her eyes, she watched as a left got caught on one of the pillars and slowly descended back to the ground just to get swept up into the air with another sharp breeze. "Father, well, he cares, he just has funny ways of showing it. He thinks love and affection can be bought through expensive frivolous things."

Her voice trailed off as she thought about the last owl from him. He mentioned that they gave her everything she ever wanted and the least she could do was do one thing right for them.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-10 05:16 am UTC (link)
"My dad was a Slytherin, as well. He'd hate to think that either of his children could possibly be in any other house, and let me tell you, Astrid knows that full well and constantly nags him by telling him she'll be in Hufflepuff. I don't think she'd fit in there at all. Might be good to have some variety, anyway."

Nikolas' eyes wandered down to the sandwich. It did look inviting...and that first one had been seriously good. With some reluctance he reached over to the plated half and took a large bite. He chewed for longer than was probably necessary, fixing Daphne with as scrutinizing look all the while she explained her own family's dynamics. He couldn't say he was especially surprised by anything she said. At the very least, it certainly explained a lot about the way Daphne acted towards others, and how she seemed to view herself.

He cocked his head to the side a bit, seeming genuinely curious now. "Is that what sort of life you are expecting to have one day? Typical socialite, I mean," he started, then suddenly jumped to another question without waiting for her answer to the first. "Actually, I was wondering this...were your parents...you know...'arranged', or whatever we'd call it?"

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-10 02:42 pm UTC (link)
"Well, yes... no. Somewhat? I would prefer the less social side of a socialites life." Daphne had to snicker at the irony of that statement, and Daphne would have reiterated what she meant had she not been interrupted with another question. Arching her brow slightly, more out of frustration of being interrupted she waited to see if Nikolas had anymore questions before answering him once more.

"No, they weren't," Glancing down at her drink, she shook her head. "Mother was the perfect little catch. Pretty, outgoing, pureblood, a daughter from the prestigious house of Nott." Rolling her eyes, Daphne, despite looks, was the complete opposite of her mother. At times she hated herself for being that way. She respected her mother greatly, that came with any proper upbringing, but she hated her mother for setting the standards for her children so high. That was probably why she insisted upon an arranged marriage. Daphne wasn't 'capable' of making proper relationships, and holding on to them like her mother was able to. Astoria is more like their mother, after all, look at who she is snogging during Prefect rounds. Draco bloody Malfoy. Their mother would be so proud, no doubt.

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-10 10:26 pm UTC (link)
Listening to Daphne as he fully committed himself to finishing the sandwich, Nikolas had to wonder what one would call a socialite who wasn't actually...social. He nodded when she explained her parents' background, though he supposed her mother's ideal pureblood trophy wife qualities didn't necessarily negate the use of an arranged marriage. A lot of pureblood families had done it for years, he was certain, though the practice may have been falling away recently.

"I see. Interesting." His brow creased. "Do they have similar plans for your sister?"

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started a new thread-thingy.
[info]daphne__g
2009-11-11 09:03 pm UTC (link)
"Not that I know of, I highly doubt they would do that to her," Daphne wanted to add that she wouldn't stand for any sort of treatment like that towards Astoria. Daphne knew she could handle anything thrown her direction, but Astoria was a different then Daphne. She was young, naive, and while Daphne knew the girl had to learn about life on her own, Daphne wanted to make sure that life went easy for her sister... even if she showed it subtly by beating up boys, or manipulating situations to make sure her sister came out on top. "Astoria has a lot going for her, she's very intelligent, pretty, and has all the social skills to succeed."

Folding her napkin into fourths she placed it on her plate and glanced up at him. "What about your sister? I know she is young, but do they have plans to wed her off to some rich heir?"

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-11 09:24 pm UTC (link)
Not knowing Daphne well, Nikolas of course knew her sister even less, even if she was the year below him and he'd probably had plenty of opportunities to interact with her given their shared Common Room. Still, he'd seen and heard enough of Astoria Greengrass to know that what Daphne said was true - the younger girl was considerably more willing to socialize, to get to know the right sorts of people, to play the part of the perfect daughter of a good family. Indeed, he thought, the only thing Daphne seemed to lack that made her less "desirable" than her younger sister was a social nature.

Nikolas tried to imagine his parents wanting to marry off Astrid. The girl herself had expressed to him that she'd wondered it herself, in her last letter to him. Though admittedly, the statement had been sandwiched between Astrid's news that one of the dogs had had a litter of puppies, and that she wished she would get taller soon. She was only nine, after all...her thoughts were elsewhere.

"Dunno. I mean, I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. I don't even know if they'd bother. I think they saw it as more important that I do so, if I'm to be heading a well-known business, I can't just go marry anyone I like. Or something like that, I imagine."

Reaching over to the bag, Nikolas tipped it towards himself and peered in, wondering if there was anything else to eat. Had Harold's mum packed...homemade biscuits?

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[info]daphne__g
2009-11-11 11:05 pm UTC (link)
Daphne had to scoff at what his parents were aiming for, "And they thought I was the ideal match?" Running a hand through her hair, she snickered. Her parents knew what they were doing, their daughter wasn't about to find a suitable partner in the near feature, or for that matter... ever. So, what did they do? Pushed the fact that she came from a pureblooded family, and made her seem desirable. All in typical Greengrass fashion, this agreement probably came along with a lot of cigars, handshakes, gracious smiles and nods. It sickened Daphne how much this entire situation made her seem like some sort of prize to be won.

"So, this entire marriage thing is actually going to happen, hm?" Sapphire blue eyes looked away from him as she watched the leaves get swept up by the wind once more. As they sat there, Daphne came to realize (in her sober state) that this was the person she was expected to spend the rest of her life with. "Did... this ruin any plans you had? Or... relationships you had? You mentioned that there was quite possibly another girl. Does she know about this predicament that our parents have placed us in?"

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[info]besserwisser
2009-11-12 04:48 am UTC (link)
"I hate to think that it's really set in stone, though that's probably because it's still a bit far off, and even now I still keep trying to convince myself they'll just sort of...forget about it, or suddenly realize that I'm not even seventeen yet and why should I even be thinking about marriage right now?" Nikolas said, his distaste for the situation clearly displayed across his face. He sneered, but simultaneously took a bite of one of the sugary biscuits, making the expression look fairly ridiculous. It was hard to look angry when you were eating sweets.

And then Daphne asked if he'd had...other plans. Had he? No, not really. That whole thing with Fancourt over in Ravenclaw in his fifth year had been, at best, fun for the first few weeks and then quickly grown old. Nikolas' thoughts instead drifted to the matter of Brigit Hackzell, the family friend he'd been quite keen on barely a year before. The matter that she was almost five years older than he was, was from questionable lineage as far as blood purity was concerned, and had clearly simply been amused and flattered by his attentions didn't really strike him as problematic. They'd snogged once or twice, but it never seemed like something that would be permanent - it was holiday, and they had both been bored and feeling impetuous. Still, he'd been subconsciously most other girls he interacted with to her since then, and had found them largely lacking.

So, was there another girl? No, not for the past year, anyway. But what if Brigit showed up again during this year's trip? Nikolas shook his head, as thought to physically eject the thought. He looked vaguely embarrassed by the question. "Well. No, nothing immediate. This hasn't effected it...anything, I mean."

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ooc; sorry i took so long to reply. e-mail notifs are all faulty.
[info]daphne__g
2009-11-13 05:30 pm UTC (link)
Nodding slightly, Daphne just remained quiet. She had no plans, there were no blokes lining up to date her. Not like she made herself known to the opposite sex that she was available. The closest interaction she had with a boy - aside from Nikolas - was the squid encounter with Thomas in Gryffindor, and that didn't end so well. Though, it did make Daphne notice the boy, but she wasn't about to admit to herself nor anyone else that she harbored any feelings for that mudblood. The mere thought as it crossed her mind made her shudder in disgust. Rolling her shoulders to shake that nauseating thought from her mind, she settled her gaze on Nikolas once more. He seemed embarrassed, was that embarrassment? What was he embarrassed about?

Legs shifted under the table to cross at the ankles and tucked them under her seat. "Sadly, I don't think my parents are one to forget these sorts of things. I'm sure they see this marriage as ideal, and of course, are thinking about themselves." Rolling her eyes, she looked at the container of half eaten soup, "Typically, I don't question their actions, most of the time I thought they had my best interest at heart. However, now? It's not that your a bad person, I mean, bloody hell they could have picked Crabbe or Goyle, it's just... I don't like being told what to do, nor do I like having things planned out for me without my permission." Daphne had to scoff at the idea of being married to Crabbe or Goyle. It seemed utterly ridiculous, she couldn't even fathom being married to one of those dim witted boys. She tried having a civil conversation with Goyle once, and it was like pulling teeth trying to talk to him.

"Just think your parents could have paired you up with Pansy Parkinson." A cruel snicker came from her, as Daphne tossed her hair over her shoulders. Pansy, no matter how much Daphne was nice to her had to be one of those most annoying girls she had ever met. The friendship between the two was completely and utterly superficial. Daphne couldn't stand her, the gossiping prat along with her little gang of Slytherin's bothered Daphne to no end. She was only polite and cordial, and for appearances sake friendly with Pansy to keep up faces. Who knows? Maybe one day Daphne might need a favor from the pug-faced girl, then her alliance with Pansy might come in handy.

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No prob!
[info]besserwisser
2009-11-15 03:48 am UTC (link)
"Well, that makes two of us. Though I really don't think that them asking permission to set this up would have made a difference. They'd still have done it."

Nikolas snickered at Daphne's postulation about Pansy. He supposed that would have been at least as annoying, if not more so, as the setup he found himself in now. Regardless, that didn't change the fact that this was supposed to happen, whether the partner was desirable or not.

Didn't Daphne spend a lot of time with Pansy? At the very least she seemed to consider the girl a friend. Or ally. Nikolas sometimes had doubts as to whether Slytherin girls, or most Slytherins, for that matter, really believed in friendship over convenient alliances. "I thought you two were friendly?"

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