The Edges of the Lake (Northside)

"Not even slightly. I'll wait outside or nearby or something..." Darien stood up.
"Let's go."

((to the goblet?))

((I guess so XD))

"Thanks," she said giving him a kiss.

Darien grinned more broadly and followed Diana into the castle.

Diana sat down at the edges of the Lake to seeking the peace that the sound of the water gave her.

Boris happened to be taking a walk around the lake, certain his cousin would be watching the willow like a hawk. He was a Durmstrang - didn't he understand that risk was a part of everyday life?! Boris was a Conquistador, not a Coward!

The anger he had for Sevastyan Kaminski at this moment vanished when Boris noticed someone else decided to admire the lake: Diana Casillas. He felt a slight smirk tug upon his lips.

"Vould you mind if I joined you, Diana?" Boris asked somewhat gruffly, knowing what he would need to say and almost wishing he hadn't told Nicolas he would do so. This Kaminski never apologized to anyone in his life - except maybe his parents and siblings, on command to do so - and it was going to be like pulling teeth to get him to go through with it now. It wasn't that he didn't like his best friend's cousin - in fact, that was why he'd teased her so...

"I am... deeply sorry... for offending you. At the village..." he offered, slightly hesitant. Was his tone of voice sufficient? Would she even accept the apology? Boris wished he could anticipate these things. For all his confidence, he was rather unsure of himself at this moment in time.

Diana looked up from her current musing state. Surprised to see her cousin's mate standing right before her.

"Your sorry?" Diana said somewhat stupidly. She was rather taken aback as he offered an apology. She scrutized him, he didn't seem like a bloke who gave apologies left and right but... he seemed geniune enough.

"Y-yes," Boris briefly stammered, surprised she was taken by surprise. "I am... very sorry." He lowered his dark brown eyes to the ground with a bit of hidden reluctance. "I even bought you something, in the hopes you could forgive my rudeness and ve could start vith a clean slate?" It was a good thing none of the other Conquistadors were here to see this: they'd surely undermine his attempt at this by snickering behind their hands, if not openly for all to see.

Boris removed from the magically-enlarged pockets of his robes a box of assorted fine Belgian chocolates. A single yellow rose - symbolizing friendship - was magically attached to adorn the lid. Returning his gaze to hers, he held out the 'peace offering' Nick had suggested he bestow to his cousin, though the idea of a flower and chocolates was entirely the Russian's idea.

Diana looked wide-eyed at the gifts Boris was offering to her. "Thank you?" She said and left it as a question. It was very unexpected... it was almost too good to be true. Flowers and chocolate? No bloke in their right mind would be so apologetic right off the bat... there was something... fishy about this whole situation.

Then again... maybe they did start on the wrong foot. He was Nicolas' friend... maybe he wanted to be in good terms with her because of it - wait a minute she stopped herself before she reached for the gifts.

"Did my cousin put you up to this?"

"Do I look like the type to be svayed by peer pressure?" he countered mildly, giving her a rather hurt look for the briefest of moments before returning to a normal expression. "If I didn't mean it I vouldn't be offering, trust me. Or, you could even ask Sevastyan - my second cousin and your professor - for confirmation if trust is still a bit too far off."

Boris's arm was still extended in offering the gift, but he didn't complain of the slight discomfort of the position. Vaguely, he wondered if his response would be well-received, or regarded with further suspicion.

"That won't be necesary." Diana said holding her hand up. "I can figure out who to trust and who not to, thanks."

"Alright, so," Diana said crossing her arms. "why are you doing this then?" She was refering to the apology and the gifts. It really puzzled her. She thought she had him figured out.

'Is she alvays this suspicious?' he wondered, quirking a raven brow upwards in curiosity at thought and question alike. "I do this because I realize I vos... unbearably rude and insensitive. Can't I villingly admit this and hope for a fresh start?" Boris answered, deciding that a slow approach would work best.

"Besides, Durmstrang's being here is in a vay all about International Magical Cooperation, is it not?" Boris added, as if he'd just made a crucial point quite clear.

That sounded reasonable enough. "Alright..." Diana said. He did apologise... maybe she shouldn't judge people too harshy. "A fresh start then."

"Good," he replied with a kind smile and a nod at her agreement for them to start anew. Given the kind of people Boris hung around with, benevolence wasn't exactly nonexistent but it could be present. He wasn't all bad... despite what he'd like certain people to think.

"So, are you actually going to put your name in the Goblet?" Boris asked curiously.

Diana did something that resembled a half-nod. She didn't quite like how he worded that question but she decided to let it go. "I'm not one hundred percent sure I will. I'm still on the fense about it actually."

"I see. I vos just vondering... you know Nicolas and some of his tall tales," Boris answered, explaining his reason for asking but withholding the fact that he too told some rather questionable stories of his own. "I already have, as it vere." he added proudly, but didn't even think of including a blatantly rude secondary remark this time. Normally, he would have. But this wasn't exactly a normal situation for Boris.

"Do you come out here often?" the Russian inquired, gesturing to the lake and its banks. "It seems like a nice place to sit and think about things..."

"Yes, I've decided to listen to exactly 50% of what he tells me. Though, I can usually tell when he is lying to me..." Diana said.

"Yes I do actually..." Diana smiled."I like the water."

"I'm just curious, what's your animagus form?"

Boris wasn't quite sure how to take her response in regards to Nicolas. He let it go, simply because it had been he who brought it up. "I like the vater as vell. Especially ice svimming," Boris added, also smiling. It would have shocked anyone that attended Durmstrang to see that it was 100% Mischief-Free. Well.... more like 99.9 percent.

He tilted his head a little to the side at her question, intrigued by the curiosity. "A Siberian Tiger. Might I inqvire vot form you take?" Boris asked, sounding slightly boastful about his own form but straightened out into courteousness shortly thereafter.

"A siberian tiger?" Diana raised a brow. She'd keep that in mind. Animgus forms says a lot about the character of the person. A bit like how a patronus would.

"I'm a hawk." She replied.

"Interesting. Another vone of my cousins - Alyona - can turn into a hawk as vell.

"And yes, my form is a Siberian Tiger," Boris nodded. "I take it you vould like to see?" His tone was not accusing a lack of trust, and miraculously enough not quite as overwhelmingly cocky.

"Yes, it isn't very useful for fighting, but it gives you a wonderful view of the world." Diana said wisfully.

"...No, it's quite alright, I trust you are a tiger." Diana said.


--

In the distance covered by a shield of trees Nicolas watched the two with a smile on his face.

"It must be a freeing feeling: to be able to fly vithout any aid," Boris offered intuitively. Though he loved Quidditch, he found it just a little cumbersome to have to juggle both maintaining his grip on the broom and keeping an eye on everything in the game. But it was the challenge of doing this that made up part of the fun for him.

He had to laugh congenially at her comment about believing him to be a tiger. "I vill take that as a compliment... The form has its uses, but it does absolutely nothing for me ven out in the snow. The orange fur tends to give avay my position." Since they seemed to be doing personality analysis by animagus form, Boris secretly wondered precisely what made Diana believe his claim. It was true, yes, but what caused her to believe him? First she was suspicious, now she seemed to trust his words... Boris had to hide the snicker that threatened to escape, seeing a familiar tactic. It was all very cute - in a good way.

"Are you ... excited about the tournament?" Boris asked conversationally, though wasn't sure 'excited' was the right word for what he wanted to convey.

"Well, I'm sure if there was anyone on your tail, identifying you would be the least of their worries. Cats have a tendency to be rather... well I'll call it brave." She said poking fun at her own house.

"Yes actuallyMy mother said it was a real spectacle to watch." Diana said hugging herself a little. There was a cool breeze. "I just hope no one dies this time."

Darien wandered near the lake, and noticed a familiar figure.
Diana.
But then he noticed Boris.
What was the Durmstrang boy doing here? Why was he talking to Diana?! Darien walked briskly into the trees, trying to hear what they were saying.

((lol is this okay with you, sub? If not, he can stand at the edge and be moody, he doesn't mind. Well I don't, and I control him so who cares what he thinks anyway?))

((It's fine, Eupa - no worries!))

Boris laughed, bordering on the boisterous side, not sure whether she'd meant the 'tail' reference but he found it hilarious at any rate. "Sorry - you said 'tail' and I just found that very funny," he explained his actions, the humor in his voice completely drowning whatever true contrition might've been there. "And I agree vith you: cats do have the potential for bravery. But it is fun to be able to sneak up on people too... but the orange fur has no potential for camouflage in the snow." A softer laugh punctuated his last remark.

A raven brow furrowed in concern at the gesture commonly used to warm oneself. "I have only heard rumors myself, but from vot I understand it is a magnificent event," he contributed enthusiastically to her reply. Boris nodded once in response to her afterthought as he slipped off his fur-lined robe, revealing a pair of black jeans and a black tee shirt that tucked into them. One of the sleeves of his tee shirt seemed to have been purposely rolled up, a the form of a squarish box protruding from the folds. A moderate-sized silver-plated skull belt buckle showed that he must've also included that accessory, but that like the rest of his wardrobe was of a very dark color. On his feet were knee-high leather boots that looked like they belonged to a motorcyclist.

"Here," Boris offered the robe to her. "I am a little too varm at the moment, anyvay. The fur lining is charmed to provide extra varmth the moment vone puts it on... and not just because I vore it last." The friendly smirk he gave her in response to that very last bit, combined with the lightheartedness in his eyes, showed he hadn't been too serious. But... was he joking, or attempting to flirt already?

Diana was slightly embrassed that he noticed her discomfort. And even more so when he offered his robes to her.

"Oh... umm..." Diana hesitnated. If she took it, it might give him the wrong idea. But if she didn't... well she was really rather cold... She decided to accept it. "Thank you."

It was either that or pretend to be fine when she obviously was not.