Work yawn (Nerisei)

Subject: Work *yawn* (Nerisei) Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:49 pm

It was a Hogsmeade weekend -- much too early in January, if you asked Nikolai -- which meant that he would be given a hell of day in Quality Quidditch Supplies that day. With a Hogsmeade weekend came a tonne of Hogwarts students, trying to update their supplies for the Quidditch season. New broom handle polish, new secateurs to prune the broomstick tail back to a neat, aerodynamic shape. New Quidditch gloves for those who had managed to wear a whole through, or else the latest copy of Quidditch Weekly.

Nikolai disliked these weekends because it meant he didn't get to sit with his latest research book of choice for the day and ignore the world, whilst getting paid. Well, that was if Klaus wasn't around, of course. If Klaus was around it meant that he had to work really hard cleaning everything in sight, but for the most part, Klaus liked to pretend to be out on business whilst Nikolai manned the shop.

The fact the thirty something year old always returned at five o'clock just to shut up the shop, stinking of alcohol and some kind of floral aroma when he returned didn't fool Nikolai. The man simply walked down to the Hogs Head and got way too drunk. It wasn't hard for Nikolai to deduce such things.

Today, however, was not one of those days.

With the Hogsmeade weekend, Klaus always remained in the shop. 'Just in case someone tries to get their hands on the Nimbus range, Klaus always muttered. As if anyone could manage to break them out of the shop with the number of charms that were upon the state of the art brooms to ensure that they couldn't be burgled. Nikolai knew that it had nothing to do with that much, but because a certain seventh year always came to the shop on these days, looking over the supplies, and Klaus thought he had a chance with her.

Since nine o'clock that morning, Nikolai had not stopped running around the shop, out in to the back room, trying to appease all the customers with all their questions in the most timely manner possible. Most of them seemed to be leaving happily enough, and Nikolai had even made a couple of girls laugh along with his jokes. Whilst feeling somewhat tired from all the work, Nikolai was in a relatively good mood as the early afternoon crowd came in and out of the store.

Currently, though, Nikolai was refilling the shop with broom handle polish, which seemed to have been in high demand that day. His short sleeved, button up shirt wore the logo of Quality Quidditch Supplies to show him as an employee, and though he was pondering over the next Quidditch match at school, he was still quite aware of each of the other customers inside the shop.

After all, anything stolen whilst he was on watch would be deducted from his wages, and he simply would not allow his Giant Squid Funding pot to go short today!

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January was one of the months that gave Nerisei trouble. It was always the days after the Holidays were over that the worst things in her life usually happened. Returning home would have been so much easier, should have been so much easier, especially after her mother had decided to play nice and finally learn how to act her role. But after her father's letter during the summer, his attempts to track them down had become... frantic. Vladimir was a man who always got what he wanted, or that's what he managed to turn himself into, and no matter what her brother, Ivan, kept telling her, Nerisei was scared. The Russian Mafia was not something you wanted to get involved with, especially when they were angry. The witch knew well enough that if her father found them, they wouldn't be able to get away very easily, magic or not. And so did Ivan.

But so far, no signs of him had been seen, therefore Nerisei was relaxed enough to keep living her life. But she was always ready for war, if she had do. The Ravenclaw witch had asked her older brother to accompany her to Hogsmeade that weekend, but the prick was busy with a very busty Slytherin blonde, therefore he had turned her down, which meant that the brunette had to wander around Hogsmeade on her own, something that wouldn't have bothered her too much, if she didn't need to carry a shitload of stuff back to the castle. Because besides her own shopping, Ivan had 'kindly' asked her to drop by Quality Quidditch Supplies and get him a few stuff.

Prick.

So here she was, sighing heavily as she pushed the door to the shop open, trying to balance the six books she had just picked up whilst trying not to slip on the damn snow. "Hello?" She called out almost immediately, unable to really look around with everything in her hands. "I need some help finding a couple of things..." Nerisei trailed off, scanning the room for what she was looking for, and hoping that someone would come and help her before it was too late.

Subject: Re: Work *yawn* (Nerisei) Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:33 pm

Nikolai's stacks were making neat little pyramids on the shelf now, something a little quirky in nature, he'd thought, to make the boring product look much more enticing. Even if people just walked by and went 'ha, polish pyramid' it would be enough. But Nikolai wasn't sure that people really would find it as amusing as he did, the play on words... Ah, he gave up trying to amuse himself in his head, and put the last tin in place to finish that job off.

He was just about to crush the box that all of the polish had come in -- a medium sized box, not of much use for stock held for the majority of the shop -- someone came through the door, seemingly struggling with the load of books in their arm as they called out.

The first thing that Nikolai noted was the accent. The witch who had spoke was definitely not English, but much to Nikolai's relief, she wasn't American, either. European, he could denote quite quickly as he moved over with his box.

"Here, here, let me help you with those books!" The boy insisted, carefully taking the books from her arms and carefully laying them out in the now useful box he'd just been about to dismantle. His hands were careful with the books, easily denoting his fondness for books himself, ensuring not to crease any of the covers, or put large books atop smaller books and create uneven stacks. "That should make it easy to ca-" Nikolai's voice caught as he lifted the box up, only to see who he was actually talking to.

Nerisei Volkova.

Of course! Nikolai realised, Russian accent!

And Merlin's beard what an accent! Especially on this witch! The poor boy's cheeks flushed quite darkly in that moment, because every boy in the school knew Nerisei Volkova was beautiful. Intimidatingly beautiful, and Nikolai had two fully functional eyes.

"I..." The Slytherin began, blinking profusely to bring himself back to the present and the fact he was stood here, talking to one of the prettiest witches in the school, and she needed his help. "I mean... uhm.. what- what were you looking for?" Nikolai asked, trying to keep his mind from frying whilst in the vicinity of the Ravenclaw witch.

Whatever she wanted, though, Nikolai would make sure he delivered, including carrying her box of books around the shop for her so that she didn't have to struggle with them unnecessarily.

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Truthfully, Nerisei had not been able to spot the young male in her attempts to balance herself with all these books in her arms, but thankfully, help came quite fast and before she knew it, the books were lifted off of her arms and placed on a box nearby. The Ravenclaw witch let out a heavy breath, finally free from the weight that would definitely leave her arms sore for the rest of the day, before she turned all of her attention to the boy standing before her.

"Thank you. Very much. I really should have dragged my brother along, but he was.. otherwise busy.." Nerisei explained, without actually having to. She was sure that the male did not need to know about the reasons she was here, struggling with all of this, but she decided to share nonetheless, mostly because she wanted to release the tension. But when the male's eyes finally landed on her, Nerisei watched him go from normal to mute in less than a second. His eyes were glued on her, making Nerisei smile widely at him, unsure of what to do.

The young boy -his name was Nikolai- she believed, tried to speak up, only to fall mute again, and for a mere moment, Nerisei started to worry. Had she done something to scare him? Had her brother done something to scare him? She didn't know much about Nikolai, but they attended Potions and a couple of other subjects together, and she was pretty positive he was a Slytherin, much like Ivan. Which reminded her that Nikolai here, actually had the same name as her brother. Ivan Nikolai Volkov. Could this young Slytherin be Russian too? Nerisei actually wished there was another Russian in the castle. Being away from home was not ideal, and to have another piece of your homeland at Hogwarts was... important.

"I mean... uhm.. what- what were you looking for?"

Seeing the male -finally- talking, brought a wider smile on Nerisei's lips. For a moment there, she thought she had scared the boy, but thankfully, he was back in action, and now it was Nerisei's turn to explain what exactly she needed. "I would like some gloves and oh-um.. a broomstick servicing kit! Would you mind if I look at the broomsticks for a bit?" The witch politely asked, though she was already moving towards the beautiful broomsticks on display. Trying out for the Quidditch Team had always been a dream of hers, but she had never attempted it. Though, now that she was looking at the broomsticks, the thought was tempting her once again.

"Are you Russian?" Nerisei asked, staring at the new Nimbus model, which looked much too inviting. How was she going to carry all that back to the castle..? "Apologies, if I am being nosy, but you and my brother have the same name.." Worst case scenario, he would tell her she was making a mistake, and the discussion would end there.

Subject: Re: Work *yawn* (Nerisei) Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:14 pm

The information about a brother might have registered another time, but Nikolai wasn't capable of taking on board information in that moment. But he was much too taken aback by talking to one of the most beautiful witches in the school than what she was saying. Why couldn't his power of normally being able to tune people out be used to hyper tune people in?!? It was a question for another time, because it was simply enough to be breathing in that moment.

It took Nikolai a moment to realise his question had been answered, and yet another for his legs to move on after the witch. Another for his brain to catch up with what Nerisei had noted as her interest for the day, before he spoke again. "I can help you with that, quite easily." He assured the witch, following her to the brooms. "All of our brooms are made to order, the Nimbus range being our most recommended of brands ahead of any of the Firebolt models. They can be customised to each individual where necessary, if you want something bespoke. The manufacturer is very happy to oblige his customers in that way, though of course it comes at a little more expensive a rate than that of the standard models."

The explanation probably went a little too far, but Nikolai was just excited to be talking to a girl who didn't seem to want to blow him off almost in an instant. Still labouring under the weight of the box -- Nikolai had never been considered muscular, after all -- the boy kept up with Nerisei until they came around to the broom display, and he carefully put her box down on the floor next to her, waiting for any further questions the witch might have on the brooms.

Nikolai was thrown completely off guard by the question of his heritage, though, and the link of his name with her brother's made Nikolai momentarily confused by all this information. Even if it wasn't that much. "Umm... yeah, a quarter Russian. My grandfather was Russian, but I don't really remember him, to be honest. He died when I was very young. I don't know Russian, though. My grandfather never managed to get to teach me." He explained, preempting the question that was probably going to follow. "Nor have I been to Russia. But, one day, maybe." He added, again trying to guess which questions he was going to be asked as the witch took in the Nimbus before them.

"Which part are your family from?" Nikolai asked curiously. Not that he knew which places were better, but he knew a bit about Russia from his family. Mostly that it gone damn cold, it's views were still stuck back many years, but that it had the best alcohol in the world (apparently).

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Nerisei listened carefully as the young male explained all about their brooms, nodding at his words every couple of seconds and humming her approval. Indeed, there was quite a big selection to choose from, and to the young witch, all of the brooms looked inviting. Sadly, she wouldn't be able to carry everything back to the castle alone, at the moment, but she would definitely come back to buy something one of these days. She did, indeed, need an upgrade. Not to mention that with the right amount of money, she could actually get a custom made broom, just for her.

"Umm... yeah, a quarter Russian. My grandfather was Russian, but I don't really remember him, to be honest. He died when I was very young. I don't know Russian, though. My grandfather never managed to get to teach me."

That answer, though, caught Nerisei's interest, and the witch immediately turned towards him, a smile forming on her lips. Not because Nikolai had lost his grandfather, of course, but because he was indeed Russian. The Ravenclaw witch had not met anyone from Russia, since she had moved here, and even though the young male had no idea of his home country, Russian blood still run through his veins, and Nerisei... felt somewhat responsible to teach him all about it.

"Which part are your family from?"

"St. Petersburg. You remember from which part yours is? Also, you should definitely visit Russian, when you get the chance. Moscow is an unbelievably beautiful city. Enormous, actually." Brooms and supplies long forgotten, Neri had her attention fully on Nikolai now, the smile gracing her lips growing bigger and bigger. "Ever wanted to learn Russian? I could, you know, teach you?"

Subject: Re: Work *yawn* (Nerisei) Sun Mar 17, 2019 8:28 pm

The smile on Nerisei's lips as she turned her full attention to him made the boy's cheeks flush ever so slightly in that moment. He had the witch's attention. He. Had. Her. Attention. And, now that he did, he couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed. It usually didn't work quite so easily as this, usually the customers didn't care about him, and just what they were buying, but not Nerisei Volkova. She'd actually turned to talk to him.

Trying not to act like a deer in headlights, Nikolai concentrated on what the witch was saying to ensure he wouldn't make an idiot of himself when he couldn't reply to her.

"Yes, I do!" Nikolai replied, much too quickly to the question of knowing about where his grandfather had come from. "Moscow, actually, but he got moved here quite young. I can't remember what it was he did, to be honest, but it was work. Work brought him here." Nikolai explained, probably giving up much too much information than was necessary, but the flurry of words just seemed to not want to end as they came to his lips.

"Then, I will visit Moscow sometime. Though, not this summer, I'm going to Italy for the Quidditch World Cup, this year. But maybe at Christmas, or... I don't know, I'll have to ask my parents if we can go." Nikolai finished, frowning to himself because he didn't like how that sounded when it came out of his mouth. Too late now. "St. Petersburg always looks beautiful too, so maybe I'll ask if we can go there, too."

The offer to learn Russian, though, was one that surprised Nikolai. "I... umm, that would be cool! I'm not sure how well I'll do with languages, truthfully, but I could give it a try! Even if I just picked up on some cool phrases. Or, well, they don't have to be cool, necessarily, but useful phrases to ask for things would be great!" He conceded, looking hopeful at that prospect. "If you have time, of course, I know that you're probably busy with exams, and things like that, so I wouldn't want to burden you..." Nikolai finished, making sure to not impress himself on the witch's time.

"So, do you fly much? I don't think I've seen you flying..." He commented, motioning back to the brooms she'd asked to look at. Of course, he wasn't at the Quidditch Pitch all that much, he was normally found by the Lake in his free time, but that didn't mean he couldn't ask.

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The young witch was not experienced with males, when it came down to 'attention'. Truthfully, she was not an ugly girl. Her mother was a model, for Merlin's sake, and true enough, she had been gifted with good genes, but unlike her brother, Neri never made an attempt to take 'advantage' of that. Keeping a low profile was what kept her safe from her father, for the most part, especially after he had made it clear that he would find them. Therefore, she did not notice the slight tint on the male's cheeks, and instead focused more on what he had to say.

"Moscow, actually, but he got moved here quite young. I can't remember what it was he did, to be honest, but it was work. Work brought him here."

"I see." Nerisei said, giving the young male a small smile. Moscow was indeed one of the most beautiful cities to visit. Lots of theaters and museums. Every corner was a new adventure. But it was also a very dangerous city. During the night, hell, even during the daylight, there were dangerous people, who could potentially kill you in a milisecond and Nerisei's father was one of them. She knew that if she ever went back, her life would be in severe danger, but she still couldn't help herself.

She wanted to go back.

She wanted to visit home.

"Then, I will visit Moscow sometime. Though, not this summer, I'm going to Italy for the Quidditch World Cup, this year. But maybe at Christmas, or... I don't know, I'll have to ask my parents if we can go."

The Ravenclaw witch was ready to ask if Nikolai liked Quiddtch, but after realising that her was, after all, working at Quality Quidditch Supplies, stopped herself from blundering. "That's lovely! I really want to travel this Summer too. Perhaps I will visit Italy, since you'll be there." The witch said, winking playfully at the younger wizard. Some teasing wouldn't cause any harm, right?

At his comment about learning Russian though, Nerisei felt herself unable to hold back a small giggle. The young woman loved her mother tongue and to have the chance of teaching that to someone else felt... nice!"Oh, please, don't worry. I wouldn't have suggested anything like that, if I knew I didn't have any free time! Plus, I enjoy teaching." And it was no lie.

"So, do you fly much? I don't think I've seen you flying..."

As the subject changed from languages to flying and Quidditch, Nerisei glanced back at the beautiful brooms. She really wanted a new broom... "I love flying. I do play Quidditch, though I've never tried out for the team. Not really sure I am ready for that now, if ever, actually. But I enjoy flying early in the morning, when no one else is around. It's amazing how many things you can do in the dark..." The witch trailed off, her eyes now, once again, focused on the latest Nimbus model.

Subject: Re: Work *yawn* (Nerisei) Mon Mar 25, 2019 7:12 pm

The teasing that came from Nerisei at the idea of her going to Italy this summer because he was going made Nikolai's eyes widen. He hadn't expected that from the witch, that much was for sure, but now that she'd said it he was... a little bit hopeful? Of course, he wasn't sure she meant it, so Nikolai paused for a moment, trying to work it out. "Well, that would be cool, if you're going to be there, definitely!" He replied, quite obviously caught off guard but trying to hide it best he could.

"If you're sure, that would be great!" Nikolai finalised on the point of learning Russian from the witch. He doubted very much that he would ever be fluent in the language, but it wouldn't hurt to know a little bit, would it? At best, he could use it to impress people, and at worst, he would be able to muddle through a short conversation with a Russian, should the need ever occur. Especially if he ended up travelling the world to explore magical beasts, anyway!

Nerisei's explanation of how she flew in the morning before others woke made sense to Nikolai, and the boy tucked the information away carefully in his head. "That makes sense, a good fresh start to the morning is probably really good for productivity during the day. And, if you're good at Quidditch, perhaps you should try out for the team? I mean, the Ravenclaw team is... somehow kicking ass again this season so far, so you will have a lot of competition for your place, but competition is definitely healthy. I can't promise I won't aim a Bludger at you, though." Nikolai joked gently, following her eyes back to the Nimbus model.

"It's a real beauty, isn't it? I really wish I could afford one, it's said to be one of the smoothest rides out at the moment. Nero Whitehorn has a good head on him, that's for sure, the owner of Nimbus, I mean. His ideas are truly amazing..." Nikolai explained, clearly awed by the man before he spoke again. "Would you be interested in buying one? You know... because I have to ask for my job, but I'm not going to be pushy because I know that doesn't work. But, I could bring it up to the castle later for you, I know you have lots to carry back already, and I wouldn't mind."

The offer was genuine, he could see Nerisei was struggling, and what more could be expected of him in the realm of customer service?

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» Happy Birthday, Nerisei (Dimitri & Nerisei)
» Does the study work ever end? (Nikolai)
» The Day of Work ( Open )
» Getting down to work (Open)
» Weekend Work (Daniel)

Work *yawn* (Nerisei)

Work yawn (Nerisei)