A Sister's Duty (Stephanie)

Guest

Serafina had, one way or another, watched all her siblings grow up. It was both the blessing and curse of being the eldest in the Richardson family, for she not only witnessed them but had a hand in their upbringing. That meant that while Serafina could shape them and instill values in them that she wouldn't have had a chance to otherwise, she also was forced to witness them make such foolish mistakes.

She was also expected to make sure they behaved, and anything that went wrong was partly her fault.

Chris had been somewhat of a success, and he was the one she put the most effort into, but only because he was the heir. She did have a soft spot for him - mistakes and annoyances and all - but if she were to be honest, she was the most worried about her youngest sister. Stephanie was... A handful, but this was mostly due to the fact that she tried too hard sometimes, not that Serafina would say as much.

Still, it wasn't anything Serafina couldn't handle (she managed Verena alright enough, and while she didn't mind her younger sister, there was something about the Slytherin that was hard to get along with), and that was why, one weekend a few weeks after school started, she sent one of the housekeepers to Hogwarts, to fetch Stephanie down to her house in Ireland.

Wearing a simple summer dress - for she planned on taking Stephanie out for a meal or something, if things went well - Serafina sat in the receiving room, waiting for her sister to arrive.

Guest

Looking through her clothes in her walk-in closet, Stephanie couldn't find a dress she felt like wearing. There were hundreds of dresses, and yet all of them felt ugly and old. With a sigh, she tugged at a dress she had not worn in awhile and decided it would do.

In the Richardson household, appearances were important above all, and Stephanie was off to see Serafina. The sister who was the most fussy about the clothes her siblings wore.

of course, Stephanie completely understood why. Even at her young age, she knew how important it was to look good. People judged you based on how you looked like, and more often than not, even the most idiotic people got away with whatever they did by looking good. Stephanie, of course, was nothing like those peasants - she had looks and the smarts to go with it, and soon enough, all of Hogwarts would see that.

The topic of Hogwarts was probably why her sister had summoned her. In order to avoid a lengthy lecture on clothing choices, etiquette and academic performance, Stephanie checked her reflection in the mirror to make sure she looked prim and proper. With a slight smile at her reflection, she walked out of her room and headed for the receiving room.

'Serafina,' she greeted as she entered the room, emphasizing the use of her sister's full name (and not the 'Sera' she used when she wanted something) to show her that she understood the seriousness of what they would be talking about. The smile on her face was sweet, though she was feeling anything but sugary towards the possible lecture she was about to hear. 'Good morning. You look lovely, as always.'

Guest

The housekeeper had let her know Stephanie was on her way, and Serafina waited for the youngest Richardson to arrive, sitting straight and poised as she should be, and was expected to be. With Chris, she tended to be more relaxed, showing him the side of her that no doubt irked their parents, and spoke a bit more freely, talking of ideas that would be scandalous to think about let alone discuss. But, that was Christopher, and she knew she had to be extra careful with Steph.

As the door opened, she turned to offer a smile to the girl. "Steph," she said, returning the greeting with a nickname, trying to show that she meant no harm - or, at least, no harm should the girl behave.

She let out a light chuckle at her comment, wondering just how much of it was said in truth, and how much was just to seem sweet and kind. "As do you, sister," she replied, the very slightest hint of dryness in her tone. If Steph could pick it up, though, was yet to be seen; she knew both Verena and Chris understood sarcasm well enough, but was this something their youngest sister learnt, as well, or was more training (of their kind, not the tutor kind) necessary?

Leaning back in a casual manner, she motioned to the tea cups in front of them. "A drink?" she asked, not moving to take hers just yet. After Steph responded, she smiled again. "So, tell me, how has school been so far? I know you've only been there a week, but I'm confident that's enough time for you to get acquainted."

Guest

The usage of her nickname did not escape Stephanie. If it had come from any other person, especially someone who was not a Richardson, perhaps Stephanie would have relaxed just a bit. Serafina, however, was not someone who used nicknames out of a desire to be affectionate. Feeling more defensive than ever, Stephanie steeled herself for what her sister was about to say.

She had to stop herself from smirking at Serafina's sarcastic reply. Smirking was not a weapon she preferred, anyway; around her sisters, she was made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Instead, she allowed herself to smile a little and nod. 'Thank you, Serafina,' she said, in response to both the empty compliment and the offer for her to have a drink. Stephanie knew that Serafina was testing her manners, and she was not about to fail her sister.

Of course their afternoon tea would be about Hogwarts. Stephanie had guessed as much. What she did not understand, though, was what her sister expected her to do so early in the term. It was only her first week, for Merlin's sake. If Serafina gave her more time, she would bring back news that would make Christopher die of envy. And maybe Verena, too, though she mostly preferred to stay on Verena's good side.

'It is as I expected,' she began, her expression a perfect copy of their father's aristocratic boredom. 'Classes are tedious and unimaginative. But I manage, of course. And how about you, sister? How are things on your end?'

Guest

Politeness was something they all learned to fake early on, and Serafina had made it a point to not just master that, but master the art of distinguishing between genuine respect and the kind that was put on for one's benefit. It was easier when it came to her siblings, for she grew up with them and had ample time to study their body language and memorise their tells, but it wasn't an easy thing when they were all so good at it. On one hand, that was a good thing in the long run, but that also meant she herself would have a harder time getting a read on them.

But, Serafina was quick on her feet and sharp in her thinking, and she saw it as but another challenge. Returning the smile, she raised a shoulder by an inch, indicating a shrug. "There's no need to be so uptight, Steph. You are not here for anything you have or haven't done; you are here because I wanted to see my youngest sister," she said, bluntly, deciding to deal with the elephant in the room head on. It could always have been used to her benefit, but that was not why she had asked Steph down, and so, the only option left was to get rid of it completely.

Raising an eyebrow at the reply - so formal and so...right - Serafina let out a chuckle. "Uni is challenging - much more so than school - and I'm enjoying myself. We've recently had a training operation involving undercover work. It was simulated, of course, but I got to seduce a man for information and then hex him after. It was interesting, to say the least."

Pausing for a moment, she smirked fully. "I'm afraid I didn't catch what you said, my apologies - how is school?" she asked, making it obvious in her tone and expression that she was expecting the truth and not some polite and forced answer.

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