Holidays Mean Family Time (Richardson Siblings)

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Holidays were meant for family, or, this was the argument Christopher had put up when his older sister had insisted that they stay for the Christmas ball. Christopher despised large crowds, and, of course, the ball would be full of people that he simply didn't wish to spend long periods of time with. He could have stayed in his dorm, but he knew that if he contemplated such a thing Verena would have dragged him down from the Ravenclaw Tower.

Because she was a bossy so and so that liked to get her own way.

However, Verena forgot one tiny detail. She might be their parents favourite daughter. But he was their only son, their heir, and that meant he held the power. Often, Christopher did not use this to his advantage, because normally Verena was not insisting he do something completely out of his comfort zone. But this had been different.

Seeing as she had left him with no other choice, Christopher had written home, asking his father to call all of them home so that he wouldn't have to endure the ball. And the night before the train was due to leave for Kings Cross, Christopher had received a letter (identical to those his three sisters would have received) stating they were all to go home.

A smug look had touched Christopher's lips in reading it - proving he was in the right house for his cleverness. Perhaps a Slytherin at heart with his cunning, but he had the smarts to make it work to his advantage.

They'd arrived home two days earlier, and Christopher had not said a word to Verena since, except for at dinner when they were made to talk. Today, he was in the squash court in the basement, practicing his game with one of their household staff. It was, so far, a good day. Quiet, but a good day.

And Christopher had a suspicion that the quietness of the day was going to be disturbed soon enough...

Guest

This was the worst Christmas of all times.

Everything was planned accordingly for the Slytherin Queen to attend the Ball, and she had also made sure Stephanie, her sister, and also Chris, even if he didn't want to, would attend the Ball. It was important for her image, but for her siblings' too. And Christopher knew that very well, when he decided to do the unbelievable, and ask their father to bring them home.

Truth be told, she didn't have proof it was his doing, but when the letter arrived, informing them they had to be home for Christmas, something that didn't always happen, Verena knew it was Chris' doing. He would be the only one to do something like this in order to get his way, and Verena was not happy. Not happy at all. All her plans, everything was destroyed, and she had to find a good enough excuse in order to maintain her image.

She had vowed to get Chris back for that though, and it wouldn't take long, neither was it going to be too hard.

He might be the heir of the Richardson family, which gave him more power than her, but she was still the diamond. She was capable of more than just persuasion. She was capable of destruction. And a very bad one too.

Christopher didn't dare to speak to her until when at dinner, where they both knew he was forced to speak. He couldn't allow their parents to think bad, or else it would be on him, since he was the one to ask their father to call them home.
Knowing that, Verena played her part perfect, as always. No signs of anger or frustration. Not yet.

But today, she knew from ladies in her care, her brother was down in the squash court, practicing. It was her time to face her brother and demand a good enough explanation. She loved Christopher a lot, even though she always spoiled Stephanie.
And that was why she just couldn't put up with the fact he did something like this to her, when he knew how important it was.

Dressed in a quite simple dress, but still elegant, because this was Verena we were talking about, she made her way down to the basement, heels clicking against the floor. Some people would find her dress style quite off, but it was Christmas and the house was open for visitors of the highest class. She had to be ready.

Seeing her brother practice sport made the older witch scowl. She didn't like sports, it was too violent and too dirty for her liking. But it provided a body she would like her man to have. Muscles, strength. An eye catch for sure.

Clicking her fingers, she motioned at the staff to exit the room, not even bothering to ask Chris about it. Right now, she was in a more powerful state.

"I will ask this once, and you better give me a good enough answer, Christopher."
Verena wasn't known to be kind and gentle. When she wanted something, she wanted it now.
"Why did you write to father to bring us home? You knew what the Ball meant for me."
Her tone was cold but calm. Verena didn't express feelings. Because this meant weakness. She only knew how to act. That was her powerful card.

Guest

Christopher had just won a very strenuous point, a point that had lasted much longer than necessary, but one he'd won no less. He was ahead of his tutor, but still not winning by enough to make the Ravenclaw happy about the game.

So when the clicking sound filled the room, the fifteen year old frowned, turning around to see who had dared to cut off his session. There were only two people that he wouldn't have got mad with, and the person standing before him was not one of them.

"Don't you dare go!" Christopher warned his man, but he simply apologised to the Ravenclaw, bowed and left the room with another bow towards Verena. That simply ticked Christopher off more in that moment. They were his people to command, not Verena's. She had no right and Merlin knew he was going to be speaking to their father about this when they were done. What good was being the heir to the Richardson name if his older sisters were going to rule the roost and make him look like a fool?

The use of his full name made Christopher roll his eyes at his sister. Since when were they on such formal terms. "Get on with it then, McKendra." He mocked her tone. Chris would play nicely when she did, which meant until she was calm, it would be unlikely either of them would be talking to the other in a civil manner.

With the conversation moving back to the Ball, Chris rolled his eyes, turning away from his sister to retrieve the squash ball and his racket bag. "It's only a Ball." The Ravenclaw replied tiredly as he zipped up his bag. "It would have been full of Muggleborns and Halfbloods, which, if I remember correctly, you dislike?" He returned, a slight smirk playing on his features as he turned back to her. "I did us both a favour, really. I didn't want to go because you know I detest crowded places, and you didn't want to go because you hate the world and everyone in it. As for Stephanie... well, that was perhaps a shame for her, she might have enjoyed herself. But at least we're all home together, right?"

He knew the answer wouldn't be satisfactory, but Christopher wanted to wind his sister up just a little bit more before he apologised.

Guest

Watching her brother get all riled up, threatening the stuff to not go made her want to laugh. Especially as they apologised, bowed before both of them and left the room, proving to her brother that she was more powerful than he had thought. He might be the heir of this family but Verena was their strongest weapon. Manipulative, and exactly what every Pureblood man would want. She was the best there was.

So when her brother used her tone in order to make her mad, she simply rolled her eyes, keeping in the little laugh that threatened to escape her lips. He was being pathetic, and Verena was here to teach him the opposite. He should never, ever act like that. He was a Richardson and he should learn to act that way.

"It would have been full of Muggleborns and Halfbloods, which, if I remember correctly, you dislike?"

He did have a point, but Verena wouldn't have attended the Ball in order to make friends or make amends with those low life creatures. No, no. She would attend the Ball in order to maintain the pretty image of the family and find out about the Purebloods that the family could have relations with. Something that was his job, but he was forgetting.

"I did us both a favour, really. I didn't want to go because you know I detest crowded places, and you didn't want to go because you hate the world and everyone in it. As for Stephanie... well, that was perhaps a shame for her, she might have enjoyed herself. But at least we're all home together, right?"

Waving off the cheap excuses, Verena walked closer to him, a dangerous look on her face. She was going to make him understand that what he was doing was not in his favor.
"Chris, listen to me. What you did is not that simple."
Verena had to choose her words carefully, but as harsh as she was, she remained calm, not expressing anything.

"It wasn't the Ball I was interested in, you little jerk! It was about the relations we could make. The people I could meet, the Pureblood people. And did you ever think of Stephanie? She has to learn the Pureblood ways, how to manipulate, how to treat a man. She has to learn that from an early age in order to develop to this!" She said, showing off herself.

"You know very well how good I am at doing that, and Stephanie has to be too, in order to survive. She is a Richardson and I will not allow your foolish little ideas cost her that!"

Maybe she had been a little too straightforward. But it was the truth and Chris had to learn that. Because Verena loved him too much to allow him to mess up both his and Steph's lives.

Guest

Chris simply raised his eyebrow in retaliation for what his actions may or may not have said. Did she think he was stupid? Because she would be so vastly wrong if she thought he hadn't thought about the cost of his actions. Of course, there were benefits, and if you did a cost-benefit analysis, in Christopher's eyes, the benefits outweighed the cost.

It wasn't simple. Nothing was.

"If you need a Ball to find the Purebloods of Hogwarts, perhaps I should ask one of the staff to write you a list?" Christopher replied, much too sweetly in that moment. Oh, he knew everything she was saying. How the Ball would have been a good help at making connections, but there were other Balls, and other methods of making connections at their disposal. She was getting way too caught up on something so trivial. But then, that was women (as his father said) they didn't think nearly enough to make sure they understood everything.

And Christopher was still at an age that he believed that to be true.

"Stephanie knows how to manipulate just fine. She has everyone wrapped around her finger. You included." Christopher responded, the evidence of distaste for that fact shown on his features in that moment. Christopher wasn't fond of his youngest sister. Mostly because she had been a girl, but also because she was severely spoiled by everyone in the family. Except him. Christopher didn't pay for her friendship like everyone else, because he refused to succumb to that.

"You know very well how good I am at doing that, and Stephanie has to be too, in order to survive. She is a Richardson and I will not allow your foolish little ideas cost her that!"

"Ah. But sister, don't you see. My foolish little ideas are not so foolish, really. If father agrees to them... would you care to go and tell father that he is a foolish man? Or should I relay that message to him?" Christopher asked, a triumphant smile touching his lips.

Guest

Serafina had been looking forward to a slightly more relaxing term end this year, expecting only to be home for Christmas and a couple days of interaction before going back to the University. There was to be their own party, of course, and she had her sights all set on a pretty boy that had been giving her side glances throughout her short time there. And then, of course, there were people to meet and social connections to build. At Hogwarts, she had always been the popular one, but here, she was starting afresh.

So, naturally, she was slightly irked when the letter from home came. But as she read the words, so carefully written by what was no doubt one of her father's helpers, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. No, the words were not of her father's own choosing; there was something - or someone - else behind the summoning home, and Serafina could already venture a guess as to whom.

This shall make for an interesting reunion, she thought dryly to herself, packing up her things at once and returning home. She might have been the rebel of the family, but when her father called her home, she did not dare disobey the head of the Richardson.

Christmas dinner itself was uneventful, although just below the surface of happy smiles and polite conversation, Serafina could sense something was lurking. Things were going to get messy between her siblings, and soon.

So when one of her maids came to her with news a day or so after Christmas that Verena had requested to be told of Chris' whereabouts, Serafina was intrigued. She would never directly involve herself in such petty affairs, but it never hurt to see where her siblings stood in their power. Tossing open her wardrobe, she contemplated between two dresses, before picking the newest one. It was unconventional and showed much more skin than her old tutors would have liked - a Pureblood woman has to have standards, they always said, and that maintaining a balance between attractive and just plain 'sexy' was pivotal - but Serafina did not really care.

After all, her parents had requested her to buy some clothes that matched their house colours, and she had done just that. It was practically the only red dress she owned, so they knew better than to complain. Serafina 1, family 0.

Walking to the squash court, Serafina stopped at the entrance of the place, just out of sight, but not far enough that she couldn't see and hear everything that was going on. And a lot was going on. It seemed that Chris and Verena were having a battle of wills - and words.

But at least we're all home together, right?"

Raising an eyebrow, Serafina wondered just how much Christopher meant those words. If there was one thing she had learnt about her brother was that he was very much like her in more than one aspect, with self-preservation being at the top of his list. It was why she made it a point to ensure that her remaining a Richardson was essential to Christopher's well-being. After all, he was the heir.

"You know very well how good I am at doing that, and Stephanie has to be too, in order to survive. She is a Richardson and I will not allow your foolish little ideas cost her that!"

A slight bubble of laughter rose inside her, but she very easily ignored it. Verena had a point, and while her delivery could have been slightly better worded, Serafina knew that was a good move to pull. But then Chris' answer made her raise an eyebrow.

Damn, she thought, not once concerned that Pureblood's weren't supposed to swear, as a smile lit up her features. Christopher had won that round, and she knew it. No better time than now, she very casually stepped out and into sight, moving towards them in no particular rush.

"Father is foolish, brother, or he would have never allowed himself to be manipulated by you," she said as means of greeting. No point in pretending that she hadn't been listening in; that would be a lie that she was sure no one would believe. She dipped her head slightly towards him, a respectful nod of sorts, then turned to her sister.

"I understand your frustrations; I had some people be so kind as to line themselves up for me, but this little family reunion has set that back. Use it to your advantage," she said, not quite spelling it out for Verena. If the witch could figure it out, good for her. If not, she would be forced to come to Serafina for help, and that would establish who was still the best sibling.

Family drama was never something Serafina enjoyed, but if it came down to it, she could play.

Guest

"Ah. But sister, don't you see. My foolish little ideas are not so foolish, really. If father agrees to them... would you care to go and tell father that he is a foolish man? Or should I relay that message to him?"

Oh, hell no!, Verena thought as she heard those words. He had simply won this round, and it was quite obvious to both of them. Something that Verena would simply never accept. She couldn't handling losing at all, and even more now, against her brother. She was older, much more powerful, and he would understand that, one way or another.

But she hadn't found an answer to that statement, which caused the witch to stay silent, not one to speak words without thinking beforehand. She was smart and cunning, and just like the snake she was, she knew exactly when to pick a fight and when to pull away. She had not yet surrendered. She was, though, smart enough to allow him to believe that.

The attack would have more effect if it was unexpected, after all.

And luckily for her, the perfect distraction came, taking all of Chris' attention, which meant Verena didn't have to care about what he would think. He would be too busy answering to their older, -less beautiful- sister. And Verena was positive it wouldn't be as easy to pull off.

"Father is foolish, brother, or he would have never allowed himself to be manipulated by you,"

A smirk touched the girl's lips, but she averted Chris' eyes, knowing that the anger would take over them soon enough. Losing to Verena was hard enough for Chris, but losing to Serafina was even worse. For both of them. Though, today, she wouldn't be the one to fight against the older sibling. Or that was what she hoped. One fight per day was enough.

Serafina, though, didn't continue addressing Chris. Instead, she turned her attention to Verena, deciding it would be better to comment something involving her as well.

"I understand your frustrations; I had some people be so kind as to line themselves up for me, but this little family reunion has set that back. Use it to your advantage,"

Sure you had..., the voice in her head said, the sarcasm obvious in her face. If Serafina had 'some people' line up at her feet, Verena had the double amount, or even more. Serafina, even if she was older, had lost the fight some time ago. Now Verena had the leading role, and she was the diamond their parents' were proud of. But she wasn't going to speak words of that. There was no need of stating the obvious.

"I'll be sure to do just that, dear sister."
Verena smiled at Serafina, the same cold smile she had been giving her since the time she had decided to stand against what their parents' believed. Against what was right.
She then pulled herself together and turned away from her sister, and back to her brother.

"But next time, please, make sure your little brother knows what he is doing."

Guest

"Father is foolish, brother, or he would have never allowed himself to be manipulated by you,"

Christopher swiveled around rather quickly at the sound of a second voice, and the triumphant smile that had been on his lips only a couple of seconds before slipped with a frown taking it's place only a mere moment later. Serafina had been eavesdropping it would seem, and that was not in any way something that Christopher liked to be done to him.

Especially seeing as now he would have to work his way out of two sets of arguments that had now started.

His jaw set at Serafina's words though, how dare she say such a thing? He'd outsmarted his father to get them all home, he'd played his cards well. And yet Serafina thought otherwise. As much as he might loathe to admit it, the opinion of his older sisters did matter. He wanted them to see how good he was at the things they had already mastered. They had age on their side, and sometimes they most definitely made that known.

But, instead of responding with words, Christopher simply shot his oldest sister a glare.

"But next time, please, make sure your little brother knows what he is doing."

Seriously? Christopher's glare moved to Verena a moment later, shaking his head at her. "You haven't missed anything, so stop whining." Christopher responded, purposefully whining at her to get his point across. "I don't see why it was of such interest when it's going to be full of Muggleborn and Halfblood people anyway.

"And, in case you haven't noticed, Verena, I'm your little brother too, but, better than that, I'm the one who makes sure you have a dowry large enough to keep your wardrobe up to date. So don't push me!" Christopher growled, moving across the court to collect the ball that he'd lost earlier and then returning to his bag.

"If my lessons are done for the day, I'll take my leave." Christopher prompted, looking between the two of them to see which one of the two of them would dare to try to stop him.

Guest

Raising a single eyebrow at the expression on her sister's face, Serafina hid a smile. Verena, she had known for a while, had replaced her as the gem of the family - the one displayed like some best-behaved dog - but Serafina had never been jealous. No, she figured it was only time before Verena realised she was being treated like some prized poodle that Muggles liked to put on display, dressing up in ridiculous outfits and parading as though they were the most unique thing in the world.

Serafina had come to the decision a long time ago that she wouldn't allow herself to be that, and when Verena came to this conclusion by herself, Serafina would be there to advise her further. But for now, she simply stood by and waited, making sure that she kept her younger sister in line with the occasional well-placed sentence; after all, Serafina was the oldest in the family, and respect was due no matter how unconventional Serafina may have been.

At the sentence about Chris, therefore, Serafina simply smiled. "He does," she commented lightly. "Don't ever forget he is the heir to the family, dear sister," she continued, copying the term that Verena had used moments earlier. "If he didn't know what he was doing, I would have left the household a long time ago. I have absolute faith that he has our best interests in mind, as any good leader - or future leader - of a family would."

Her words were chosen carefully, a slight poking at Chris as well, to make sure he understood his actions affected more than just himself. He was young, yes, but never too young to learn that. Letting Chris' comment about Muggleborns and Half-bloods slide - for now - Serafina instead let out a chuckle at his next words, watching him walk across the room.

Softly, so only Verena could hear, she murmured, "He has a point, you know. However, contacts are important. Choose your words wisely and an owl or two could turn this unfortunate circumstance in your favour." She said not much else, instead leaving this as it was. If Verena understood or not wasn't the point.

"If my lessons are done for the day, I'll take my leave."

"Are you a servant, Chris, that you need permission to leave in your own house?" Serafina asked, calmly. "Go or stay if you please. Never make the mistake of thinking that, since you are younger, you do not have authority. As you yourself said, you are the heir." She paused, gave him a coy smile, and held back a wink; it wasn't right. "Now lessons are done."

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