The Perfect Place

Dimitri turned up his collar away from the wind and cast his eyes around. He wasn't supposed to be here. He was from Durmstrang, so it didn't make a lick of sense to even wander around a place so close to Hogwarts. He didn't even want to think of what would happen if he was caught. His mother and father would probably kill him, and then bring him back just to kill him again. He was smarter than this, and yet, he didn't care.

He slipped into a random shop, the person behind the counter paying him no mind. Probably thought Dimitri was just another kid coming in to buy something. Sighing to himself, he flattened his collar and turned around to see just what store he wandered into. It was glorious. Everything he could have ever wanted as a miniature artist was here. Paints, pencils, sketchpads, paper of all colors, and even more.

"Can I live here?" He whispered quietly as he lost himself in the aisles of pencils and sketchpads. He needed new materials after all, since he was almost out of everything. I'll have to look for a place like this near Durmstrang... He thought to himself, picking up a few of the pads and thumbing through the pages.

Vero entered the shop skipping around the paints and waving the Ms. Devante, the shopowner. She weaved her way through all the pastels that reminded her of the flouncing skirts that she once watched her momma dance in. Before they settled down in Bristol. She closed her eyes when she noticed another student in the shop she made her way over with a smile.

"Hello," she mumbled looking up at the boy with a loopy grin. "So you have a love for the arts too?" She asked.

Dimitri jumped slightly, fumbling to catch the sketchpad within his hands before it fell to the floor. That small crisis averted, he turned to the new one at hand. This girl had to be a student at Hogwarts. Had to be. After all, what sane Durmstrang attendant would venture all the way out to Hogsmeade just to wander the stores? I am so screwed. He thought, holding the sketchpad tightly. It's okay Dimitri, play it cool. Let's just hope she doesn't ask about your house.

Coughing slightly, he smiled. "Yes, I do happen to love artistic things. I draw myself, occasionally, so I just thought I'd come and browse the selection they had. I needed a few new sketchpads, in all honestly." He tilted his head at the girl. "What are you here for? Just looking around?"

Vero nodded. She thought hard. She hadn't been in Hogwarts long so she couldn't decipher if he was a student or not but she figured he was just another artist at the shoppe as well.

"You're an artist too?" She asked tilting her head still smiling. "Oh yes, I love painting. What's your medium?" She asked.

Dimitri inwardly relaxed, an easy smile coming to his face. She hadn't asked about his house. It wasn't very well like he could say 'Oh yeah, me. I actually go to Durmstrang, and I'm in Verstand. I'm a first year, and you are?' He thumbed through a few more sketchpads before gesturing to them with a slight chuckle.

"You're looking at it," he finally said, grinning at her. "I sketch, usually with any pencil I have handy. I've tried charcoal, but I'd rather use it for bigger projects. Which I haven't really attempted yet. And I've never actually done any painting. Is it fun?"

Vero smiled and took one of the sketchpads. Easels are better but cost more at other stores, she mused. She looked over at the paints.

"Well, it's funner when you're a kid and you do finger-painting. I truly do love it. I sketch before I paint and charcoal was always a little too messy for me." She stated honestly. "It is fun though plus I also like oil pastels. You should try big projects their quite enjoyable." She grinned up at him again. She always smiled as much as she could.

"Veronika Riel, you're not around from here are you?" She asked as she took note of the feel of small tension. Small but still recognizable.

Dimitri picked up a few of the sketch pencils, happily noting that they were on sale. I could get quite a number of these with the money I brought with me. I'll have to get a large board and some charcoal too... He thought, nodding to himself before turning to the girl next to him.

"I suppose finger painting as a kid is more fun," he murmured, smiling. "I personally never did it, but my little sister loves it. I've been using a pencil and paper ever since I was little. Luna isn't the same way though, but she seems to be joyful whenever I bring out the paint. I think I'll get a large board and some charcoal. It'll be a new experience to do a big project."

He froze slightly as she mentioned her name. Oh Merlin, what was he gonna do now? Is Derek a fairly common English name? She'll know the second I spout out the word Dimi! "Dimitrius Skaia. And no, I am certainly not from around here." He finally said.

Vero smiled. The air felt lighter. Gently placing hand on his Dimitrius' forearm she looked up at him.

"Don't worry, I'm part German. It's okay." She whispered stepping a little closer so he heard. "I'll call you something else so no one else knows okay?" She looked over at Mrs. Devante who was still focused on something else.

It was odd though. Normally around Germans she felt queasy and on edge but instead she felt eased. Perhaps because he was a student instead of an adult.

"Call me Vero and I'll call you Daniel." She replied before smiling hoping to put a little more ease into the conversation. "Who's Luna?" She asked releasing his arm.

Dimitrius blinked slightly. She was part German. She was part like he was! He let out a breath, instantly relaxing. She wouldn't tell his secret, which was a good thing. It seemed like she had her own to keep. He was just here for a little bit of supplies, while she had to attend Hogwarts day by day, convincing people that she was completely English. Dimitri half wondered if perhaps there was any at his school that were like Vero.

"Daniel," he said softly, nodding. "Yes, I think that'll do it." He cleared his throat and smiled slightly. He was still in awe at the fact that she was part German. "Luna is my little sister. She's about five years old now. She took my mom's blonde hair and my father's green eyes, so she looks completely different from me. But she's the cutest little thing ever. I think I'll do her for my big project, actually now that I think about it. Do you have any siblings?"

Vero smiled at Dimitri a wide one as she continued to feel the texture of the sketch pads. She was debating whether or not she should use her money on this. Since her family was made of gypsies she didn't exactly worry about money.

"Perhaps, it's a little fast but I come from a family of gypsies so I have a lot of siblings but their more like cousins. Chazi, Aurin, and Zaxiel all boys and working hard. Luna sounds very adorable by the way. What is your "home" like?" She asked putting quotation marks around the word home to indicate that she meant Germany.

Dimitri moved over to look at some canvas panel for his charcoal drawing. He poked at them before running the pad of his thumb over the top. Yes, this could work. Perhaps I blend it just right...yes. I think I'll get one of these. He looked over at Vero questioningly. "Gypsies?"

He shouldn't have been surprised. The war had brought out quite a number of people and creatures. Vampires and werewolves were much more predominant now, especially over in the more seedier parts of Germany. The parts he made sure to avoid when out with Luna. "Home life is good right now," he commented, smiling at her while he pulled out the canvas panel. "My family members, that is to say my parents and sister, are still alive, and the government seems to be taking more of an interest in keeping boys in Durmstrang than out warring." Which is what I really prefer after all.

"How's your uh 'home' right now?" He asked, tucking the canvas under his arm.

Vero nodded and continued running her hands over the pages opening them. She could presketch in the them and then put them on canvas. Yeah, that would work. She'd go to Flourish and Blotts later on to get different books about artists.

"Yeah, you know the dancing kind. Floozy skirts, colorful dances, vibrant songs all those mythical stuff I guess. We actually own a bar in Diagon Alley. Do you know where that is?" She asked tilting her head curiously.

"Wow, I'm sorry. I know it's a little tough right now so I think it's great that you're all safe and I'm sure the government is only considered with you guys' safety." She replied patting his shoulder.

"My home? Well it's-dark. It seems as though pureblood supremacy has taken it's toll on some of the people in your 'home'. One of my friends was so hardly taken toll upon but she's strong and bears it with a heart of gold. So perhaps home is a little alike for both of us." She replied.

Dimitri laughed a little bit. "Yes, yes I know what gypsies are. I was just surprised you mentioned them. In fact, I wouldn't even have thought you would have been related to any." He answered, shrugging slightly. "And yes, I do know where Diagon Alley is. It's my schooling, I must admit. World History has to cover the current time period at some point after all."

He lifted up a small box filled with pieces of charcoal. There were even colorful charcoal in this. Dimitri was delighted at this fact. He did like charcoal, but sometimes, black got to be too boring. Call him just a little weird, but he liked his drawings and works to have color. "It's not bad for my family," he murmured softly. "We're Purebloods, so we don't have anything to worry about. In some ways, I'm glad I'm Pure. My family is safe in that aspect, but it saddens me when I look at the others who are not Pure, and what they have to suffer through."

World History? Vero thought to herself wondering what it meant. It must've taught about different places of the world.

"Gypsies aren't exactly like that." She added though hoping that her risque description of gypsies. "It's just the easier description." She added smiling at Dimitri. "The only true blood relative I have is my mother in the family of Rizukias. She wanted to honor my real father, Torsten Riel." Vero bit her lip in thought. "I don't know if he's changed his name though since my mama left." Maybe adding so much wasn't as necessary though, she thought awkwardly.

"I'm only half Pure though. What's that got to say?" She asked bitterly before sighing. She didn't think it was fair to some though to be not born Purely. "Sorry if that sounded bitter at all." She mumbled looking down ashamed at her behavior.

Dimitri smiled a bit. She was a half-blood then. Not as bad as being a Muggleborn, but they certainly didn't get the best treatment like the Purebloods did. "I'm sorry to say that being a half-blood is no better than being a Muggleborn in certain cases," he added, grabbing another box of colored charcoal. "You certainly don't get called names, I'd assume, but you don't get the high respect from others unless you're pure."

He grabbed a couple black pencil boxes and sighed. "It's just how it works nowadays I guess. In my opinion, anyone who has magic, has it. Anyone who doesn't, doesn't. Just because ya might be a different blood type, doesn't mean you should be treated any different. If I got cut, and you got cut, it'd be red all the same." He grinned slightly. "And it would sure sting too."

He accidentally dropped one of the charcoal boxes and grimaced. "Verdammt. Ich glaube, ich bin ungeschickt..." Coughing slightly, he picked up the box. "I mean, I guess I'm clumsy today." How he could he have let his natural language take over? Especially in enemy territory! He mentally smacked himself and shook his head.

Vero looked away again and calmed herself inwardly. She wanted to hit him or someone. His next words made her feel calmer. It was true though. She sighed and looked back at him. She wasn't so quiet and normally exploded loudly at her own thoughts. Chazi would've been angry she didn't. He was always for her expressing her true self.

"Damn, I'm clumsy." She recognized the words and looked at his cursing with wide eyes before bending down to help him pick up the charcoal pieces.

"Calm down, Dimi," she mumbled rolling her eyes opening the box. "The shopkeeper doesn't have a prejudice about Germans. I can tell that there's something else on her mind by the troubling look upon her face. There is no one else in here and you're just peachy." She slapped his arm though and glared at him.

"Nie so sprechen in meiner Gegenwart," she replied using the language her mama taught her. Mama was beautiful and bilingual in the best of senses.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. So, she was bilingual then. Most kids were, nowadays, especially if they needed people in the spy network he had heard his parents whispering about late most nights. Dimitri had grown up on English and German, having to tell the difference between the two was the easy part. The hard part was switching languages, especially when he got poked in the forehead when he did it wrong.

He smiled slightly. "Vielen Dank für die Hilfe, Vero. I'm afraid I'm a bit nervous being in enemy territory, so to speak, even if I am a first year. There are many enemies who would love to get a hold of a Pureblood German. My family doesn't have money problems, so they could make quite a fortune." He frowned then. "Granted that they don't kill me or torture me for information first."

He shrugged and laughed quietly. "Nun ja! Das Leben eines deutschen Jungen!" He smiled widely then, like he didn't have a care in the world. Perhaps it had to do with the presence of the girl next to him. After all, she was part-German herself. He felt a sort of kinship with her, while around other English folk, he would surely be quiet and withdrawn.

Vero shrugged smiling and rolling her eyes as they fixed the box up. She was relieved that not a lot of pieces had broken or else they'd have to pay for it. She stood up straight and offered a hand.

"Well, perhaps I'm not an enemy. You'll be fine, Dimi." She smiled and rolled her eyes again at his next comment.

"Schön, du bist komisch hat jemand habe es Ihnen gesagt?" She replied back a raised brow and a joking tone in her voice.

Dimitri took her hand and smiled. "Thanks for all your help. It's also good that you're not my enemy now that I think about it." He laughed quietly and nodded his head. Yes, he could do with a friend in the English side. Especially since he didn't want to be fighting any wars anyway. He was an artist, and that's all he wanted to be.

"Ich bin lustig? Ich glaube nicht, dass ich bin, aber wenn du es sagst." He replied easily, looking up at the counter. He was still wary of the woman up there, but she seemed to be preoccupied as he noticed earlier. He hoped she didn't notice any German lilt. He didn't want to have to run for his life after all.

Vero shrugged and still grinned. She enjoyed having a German friend, this she was sure of. She could speak freely in one of her favorite language. She spoke Spanish too but preferred German over that and English. Her accent was hidden most of the time, to her relief.

"You're my age. There's no need to be so tense in England just be careful of your cursing some find it rude." She spoke pointedly yet playfully with a grin.

"Bevorzugen Sie sprechen Englisch oder Deutsch?" She stated before clearing her throat to switch. "Don't worry about Mrs. Devante; she won't hurt a fly. Unless you hurt one of her daughters. I don't know it personally but I do know so." She replied throwing her hands behind her head and looking at the colorful paints.

Dimitri stretched out his arms and placed his stuff in one of the baskets to carry around the store. The small stuff that is. His art board was left tucked under his arm. Sighing with relief, he picked up a few more things to place in his basket. He had brought more than enough money, but he hadn't expected to find a well taken care of artist shop. Or a new...friend? Especially in England.

"Don't mind my bad language," he murmured, chuckling quietly. "I get it from my dad. He's pretty bad about that most days." And his dad was. But he made sure to curse out of range of Luna. After all, he wouldn't want his little sister spouting off bad words, now would he?

"Ich ziehe es in deutscher Sprache zu sprechen. Es ist meine Hauptsprache, nachdem alle. Du?" He asked her, smiling. And it was true, he preferred to speak in German since he was born and raised there. That, and Luna just loved hearing German come from him, even though it was her native language as well.

Vero checked her pocket for the small bag of money her mama had given her. Mama always took good care of her yet treated her like an adult she smiled.

"Deutsch ist für mich in Ordnung. Sprichst du noch andere Sprachen?" She bit her lip. She wanted to speak French; it made them both safer but her new friend might now be able to speak it so fluidly. Vero rolled her shoulders back and sighed evenly and blew some hair from her face.

"Your father doesn't curse around your little sister does he?" She inferred quickly. Mama was quick not to curse in front of her yet she did it so subtly and often whenever she didn't believe Vero was listening.

Dimitri moved down the aisle and looked at all the colored paper. He could get a ton of this, but he didn't want to spend too much. It was rude, after all. Besides, he didn't really need all the colored paper. He could do without it, since he had his drawing pad. He preferred plain white or tan paper when drawing anyway. That way it didn't wonk it up in any crazy color way.

"I can only speak German and English," he admitted, smiling over at Vero. "My mother is trying to learn French with Luna at the same time, so then my little sister will be multilingual. It's working for her so far, but it's difficult for me to learn since I'm older now. And of course not. My father makes sure to watch his mouth when near my little sister. She is still very innocent after all."

Vero thought about her mother momentarily wondering if she'd like to add a new painting to the various ones on her mama's bedroom. She wondered if she'd like new paints to go with it. She shrugged mentally to herself and followed Dimitrius to the colored papers and other various things.

"Wie lange wirst du in England zu sein? Haben Sie etwas dagegen, wenn wir in Deutsch dann sprechen?" She replied smiling still. "That good that he doesn't do so." She murmured.

"Ich habe nichts dagegen, wenn wir in deutscher Sprache überhaupt zu sprechen. Ich bin mehr zufrieden mit ihm, nachdem alle." He answered, smiling at her. German was his main language first and foremost, and while he didn't mind speaking in England, he was German. So whenever he spoke in England, there was a lilt to his voice that most pure English citizens didn't have. So he could be found out quite easily, he thought to himself.

"Ich werde nicht in England lange bleiben. Ich war gerade spazieren, um zu sehen, wenn ich könnte, und ich zufällig auf diesen Shop zu stolpern. Ich komme wieder zusteuern zu Durmstrang bald, denke ich." He murmured, surveying all the items he had in his little shop basket.