The Edges of the Lake (Northside)

Darien made no answer, glaring at Boris.

Diana shrieked in frustration. "Well, your girlfriend isn't going to lie to you. You can watch this for your self." In a huff she turned to Boris. "Yes, I'll go to the ball with you." And stormed back into the castle.

Boris blinked in surprise at the sudden temper, and nodded his approval at her accepting the offer to go with him. From the corner of his eye Boris watched her leave, though he was now entirely focused on Darien.

Though Diana was nowhere in sight now, Boris decided he'd best get some practice in for this whole non-violence thing he'd have to put on while around the girl. So, he bowed very slightly and said, in a voice so drenched with victory and sarcasm it practically dripped from the lad's deep voice, "By your leave, Mr. Vaight."

However, Boris didn't move: he didn't trust Darien any more now then he did whilst at Durmstrang. After all, Boris was still the leader of the Conquistadors. Vaight would be doing his own former group a favor by getting one-up on Boris while his back was turned...

Darien fought to keep his mouth closed as shock hit him.
His anger returned to simmering and he turned his back on Boris and walked away.
As soon as he reached the trees, he leapt forwards as a wolf and continued running. He didn't want to stop until he really couldn't run anymore...

Nicolas appeared from the trees to congratulate Boris.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Nicolas smacked Boris on the shoulder. He was slightly worried there when Vaight showed up but it turned out to be the very thing Boris needed to get Diana to say yes.

Boris grinned broadly as he watched Darien go. So, now that the girl wasn't here Vaight no longer had interest in another duel? Interesting... he would have to remember that. But at the moment the information wasn't needed.

Considering the fact that it hadn't been too long of a gap between the appearances of others, Boris barely jumped upon Nick's approach and congratulations. "So, there's vhere you vere. Vaight thinks ve vere up to something. Don't know vot vould give him that idea..." Boris remarked with his trademark grin.

"And it vos brilliant... though, how can ve be sure she didn't say yes just to annoy Vaight? You remember Sasha Volkov, don't you?" The Russian girl mentioned had a tendency to employ the precise tactic Boris was talking about, and had been a very early girlfriend of his. The breakup of the pair had been made rather public on the Durmstrang grounds, much to Boris' embarrassment that day.

"I have no idea," Nicolas said with an almost straight face.

"She probably did," Nicolas said but he didn't sound worried. "If I know her, she's rather spiteful when she wants to be. But she won't back out on her word. Besides," clasped his hand on Boris' shoulder. "We just need Vaight out of the picture and put you in it. And that's exactly what you've done, mate."

"He has never really trusted either of us... perhaps he's delusional," Boris suggested in jest, his not quite straight face threatening to shatter his portion of the facade to pieces. "I mean, who vouldn't trust us?!"

Because Nicolas didn't seem too worried, Boris decided he probably didn't need to go after Diana. "Vell, I guess Vaight is learning the hard vay vot they say: Hell hath no fury like a voman's scorn," he laughed. Of course, Boris wasn't exactly one to talk: he'd been shown, but he had yet to actually prove he'd learned from the experiences. Perhaps something of that nature might just break through that skull of his whilst attempting to win Diana's heart... After all, Boris could be a gentleman when he really wanted to be.

"I would say so as well Boris," Nicolas nodded as if he was geniunely concerned.

"Ha, Hell hath no fury like a Spanish woman's scorn." Nicolas corrected. "But not to worry, I am sure this is not the last that we shall see of Dear Darien. We must keep an eye open."

"I vill be vatching - of that I guarantee you. It shall be just like old times at Durmstrang, da ((da = yeah, with his accent))? Only... this House thing... ve never had that," Boris said with a laugh. "Vy does it not surprise me, though, that Vaight vould choose the house vith a serpent mascot?" The Russian hadn't really been expecting an answer to that last question.

"Did you hear everything from vere you vere?" Boris inquired, clearly more than willing to regale Nicolas with the bits of conversation he hadn't heard. "For that matter, did you see Vaight's face ven Diana said yes?" The teenage Kaminski really hadn't changed that much since Nicolas's departure from Durmstrang Institute...

"I was not able to hear no..." Nicolas admitted. "But, I could make up what you were saying from your facial expressions."

Nicolas grinned. "Especially Vaights." He threw his head back and laughed a hearty laugh. "I think I just might keep that memory forever!"

Boris laughed along with his best mate. "So vill I! ...He's got himself in qvite a deep hole vith Diana: kept on saying he had a right to know ven his girlfriend vos lying to him, yet clearly stated that he didn't trust me. That veird look from him vos because I pointed out that if he had a problem vith me then vy vos he mentioning her, and I said something to the effect of that I vosn't his girlfriend in any vay, shape, or form; so that only left vone other person!" the Russian explained what he considered to have been the funniest scene before everyone split.

"Needless to say, if Headmaster Kazimir decides ve are to bunk vith the Slytherins, I'll definitely be sleeping vith vone eye open!" The guffaw of laughter that followed this statement showed he wasn't too worried about that little problem.

Nicolas laughed, clutching his stomach. "Typical! No wonder she looked so angry!"

"Well," Nicolas replied, "I'm sure you can bunk with us," Nicolas offered the Gryffindor Tower. "And if not," Nicolas smirked. "How can they stop us?"

"They can't," Boris replied automatically, not having given it a bit of thought. "Not even the professors at Durmstrang could stop the Conquistadors! The others can take turns betveen your common room and observing Vaight... they can handle anything that might crop up." There was a smirk on his face that almost mimicked Nicolas's right down to the precise muscle movements.

"Indeed," Nicolas said. "And we have Hogwarts at our side. There are several secret passages that make travelling from one end to the castle to the other like... well magic!"

Haydon plopped down angrily by the waters edge. He would never get the courage to tell her! Never!

Diana was headed to her favorite spot in the lake when she noticed someone already there.

"Haydon? Is that you?"

Haydon looked up, tears streaming down his face. He swiped angrily at them. "Who else, Diana?"

"Oh," she was hit by surprise at his tears. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to..."

"...Are you alright?"

He nodded, swiping at more tears. "Fine, just peachy!" He growled at the reflection. Picking up a rock beside him, he threw it as hard as he could at the lake, watching it splash.

Diana decided to near him, slowly.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

He snarled, "What's there to talk about? Zabby's my sister, and I don't have the courage to tell her?!"

Diana blinked and reeled. "Zabby's your sister?"

Haydon nodded. "Yeah. She is..." Another tear slid down his face. "Gods, I'm so melodramatic!"

Diana sat down next to him. "Haydon, look who you're talking to, it's me. I practically burst into tears for no particular reason." She joked.

"So, she's your sister? Wow... well, now that I think about it... yes, I think it makes perfect sense." Diana nodded. "So how long have you known?"