Give a little more [Vlad]

[vladislav k. krum]

They swayed to the song in the privacy of their own little world. No prying eyes here, no meddling friends; even time didn’t matter here. Vlad and Zoya could stay here and dance and have reality just pass them by, if they wanted. Vlad wondered if he wanted to. It was better here, in this meadow, in the Room of Requirement. But it was a fantasy world, and Vlad knew this wouldn’t last. The everlasting night Zoya wished into existence would hold them until they left, giving no hint of how much time has already passed, but eventually, they had to venture back into the light of day. No doubt there would be surprised or even angry looks from their friends, unwanted advice, whispers as they walked by. Krum and Zoya were somewhat of a high-profile couple: the Russian princess, Quidditch team captain, with a stare that said “I own you.”; and Krum, pureblooded, rich, mildly famous, and impossible to miss even in a crowd. Subtlety might have been a strength of Zoya’s, but Krum tended to stand out even if he was quiet and in uniform.
Zoya’s arms around Vlad’s waist, stepping and spinning, they kept dancing until all the bad memories faded into the background. Until all the hurt feelings and all the harsh words didn’t matter anymore. At some point, they would need to clear up a few points, before the lies spun out of control again, aided by people like Bakalov. But at least for now, all those things just fell away.
Vlad and Zoya were a love story for the ages, that much was for certain. Vlad could only guess at how he made her feel, and he knew better than to ask. Why try to pry through her tough girl exterior to hear that she needed him? Vlad had already gotten to her heart, after all. He loved Zoya, and he still would even if she didn’t return the feeling. But there she was, with him in a dark meadow, alone, wands lay forgotten, defenses down. She obviously felt enough for him, and he didn’t need to know every detail.
The song faded off with the last few romantic notes, and the pair came to a halt. Zoya got closer and Vlad felt his senses heighten. He could feel her breaths on his skin now. She was so close that he thought he could actually feel the atomic gravitational force between them… or maybe it was just the way Zoya always pulled him towards her with no effort on her part. But she didn’t stop until he felt her soft lips pressed against his. Vlad closed his eyes, shutting out all the unnecessary senses. Had he kept them open, he would have seen the stars gleam brighter against the deep black sky, as though the room could feel all their passion that was released in that kiss.
One at a time, Vlad’s senses came back to him as they separated. It was as though he had to start up his brain all over again. His eyes opened to see Zoya smile. It just happened to be one of his very favorite things. Then she performed some tricky bit of magic, creating a curtained-off area for herself to change behind. Watching her create all these things with just her will and her wand was another of Vlad’s favorite things, and something he had no talent for himself.
Still, his stomach began to feel jumpy. Zoya had style, no doubt she was changing into something sophisticated and stunning for the evening. And there was Vlad, wearing that unflattering gray school sweater and yesterday’s jeans. Wishing hard for at least half-decent attire, all the room delivered was his dirty blood-red button-up shirt he had worn to the party. What a disaster. Panicking, Vlad tossed the beer-stained shirt and the sweater into his existing pile of clothes that sat on top of his shoes. Barefoot and clad in jeans and an undershirt, Vlad hoped to try again for something up to Zoya’s standard. This thought was interrupted, however, when Zoya stepped out of her makeshift changing room.
And what a sight she was. A black rose adorned her blonde hair, back in an elegant hairstyle that cascaded down her spine like water. She moved gracefully, her blue eyes, accentuated by a new color of eye-shadow, turning Vlad to mush on the inside. A small smile played on her lips, tinted a light pink, luring him in for another kiss. Zoya now wore a fitted black dress that directed Vlad’s gaze, from her nearly exposed shoulders down to the plunging neckline that Vlad dared not focus on for too long… At least, not directly. The fabric didn’t just hang right on her – it accentuated every curve of her body. Zoya looked just as a girl – a woman – should.
Vlad stood dumb-struck like a deer caught in the headlights, looking like some field worker in his undershirt and faded jeans, while Zoya was ready for a ball.
I-… er, I mean… Wow. He stammered out awkwardly, gulping down his embarrassment and trying to recompose himself.

word count › 856
tagged › Zoya
notes › sorry about the shortness, I'm a tad sleepy still XD

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....


Zoya felt her cheeks reddened at Vlad's embarrassment. "Is this too much?" she murmured. Twirling a lock of her blonde hair around her index finger. As she glanced down at the black fabric that clinged to her body in all of the right places on her petite frame. "I can change into something else if you'd like...." her voice trailed off.

It was true that Zoya Andersen fell somewhere in the middle when it came to what type of girl she was. She liked to wear comfortable clothes. Sometimes, she could be a tom-boy, yet there were times were she liked getting all dolled up. Mostly those where the occasions on when she had gone out with Vladislav. She didn't feel like she had to prove herself around him or anything. She just liked looking nice around him for some reason that she never truly understood. No matter how much she tried to.

She glanced him, up and down, a smile appearing on her features. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed up his neck. Her fingers ran down the length of his arm. "So, Krum.....I miss us....and I miss you..." a small smile appeared upon her lips. Zoya took a few steps back and then ran down the hill. Laughing, her hair flying every which way. Cloaked in darkness and standing out by the shimmer of the stars that emblazoned the midnight sky above them.

She sat at the edge of the meadow and dipped her feet into the stream. The strap of her dress fell down just past her shoulder. Zoya waited for him because Vlad was probably following her. This was just what she wanted. That passion and fire that they had once shared as a couple for two years was slowly starting to regain it's spark. Zoya didn't know what she was doing. Certainly she was by no means leading him on. Truth be told, she was anxious about where the rest of this night (technically, day - outside the Room of Requirement - it was still early or late morning) The outside world didn't seem to phaze the seventeen year old right now.

She was confused and her head spun. Her emotions seemed to be all over the place, but not in a bad way. She welcomed this new-found confusion. She wanted his attention, his affection, and whatever happened. Well, happened. She supposed. Glancing over her shoulder. Her head raced. That jet black hair accompied by those dark eyes that she tended to get lost in whenever she stared at them for too long. No matter if she tried to break away. It was as though Vladislav Krum always had some hold on her far greater than any hex or imperius curse. Zoya knew that deep down she loved him. She wouldn't be given him this second chance if she didn't.

Though, Zoya didn't admit these types of things to herself. When they had been dating - before this whole rift between them - she could often see herself married to him. It felt right. The two of them just understood the other completely.

Besides, Zoya Rodelle Krum had a lovely ring to it. Many of the girls at Drumstrang used to tease her about that back in her fifth year. Though, Zoya wasn't the type of girl to fantasize about things like marriage and she didn't scribble Zoya Krum all over her pieces of parchment or anything ridiculous like that when she dated him fourth, fifth, and the beginning part of her sixth year. Zoya Andersen didn't really believe in things like fate, but if it did exist. Well, then this was just a bit of proof. Aganist all odds - here she was - with him. Zoya truly believed that Krum was different around her. There wasn't this image that he had to live by and he had no one to prove himself to either.

Things were just different. Simpler even.

WORDS 779
TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

Vlad wasn’t used to seeing his life as something ordinary, normal, or similar to those his peers led. Sure, he had friends who were more or less in the same boat, family-wise. There were purebloods, firstborn sons, legacies -- guys whose fathers pressured them into carrying on the family name, and carrying it well. They were heirs to sizable monetary fortunes, expected to work in ministries (or rather, cooperate with and donate to them) like their fathers. Everything about them said “I own this room, and I own you”. A majority of them had some sort of dark history they didn’t want to share. Vlad might have been rich, a pureblood, and pushed to excellence… but this category of people didn’t fit him at all. People didn’t part for him and his father when they walked down the street out of respect, they pointed, cheered, and shook hands. Vlad had no horrible secret, either… Just an encounter with a woman smarter than he was.

In any case, Vlad always had trouble with friends. It wasn’t that he was particularly unfriendly, or difficult to get along with. But, as physically large as Vlad was, he couldn’t contain his even larger personality. In Durmstrang, that trait was quite the double-edged knife. On one hand, the normal Durmstrang student was… clever. Knew what to say and when not to speak at all. There was always something on their minds that was private, some hidden motivation or secret that nobody else was allowed to know yet. Being clever worked well for them, until Krum joined the group. Loud, brutally honest, and full of outlandish statements that his fellow students just couldn’t respond to or reason with, he was a bit of a wild card. Sure, some of them had tempers to rival Vlad’s. But theirs were not so unpredictable.

Maybe it was the fact that he was such a volatile person, or maybe it was just that Vlad couldn’t understand what being broken felt like, but he was always a bit of an outsider, even when he was surrounded by friends. But when Zoya came along, he suddenly wasn’t the outsider at all: everyone else around them was.
But then, they did see each other in a way Vlad suspected nobody else could. Spitfire Zoya, asking Vlad if her dress was too much, if she should change it. The girl who would tell you where to go and where to stick it if she didn’t like the comment you made, asking for Vlad’s input. And the oh-so-confident Vlad stood blushing and bumbling about how nice it looked. Good thing nobody could see.
An involuntary shiver ran through Vlad’s whole body as Zoya’s lips touched his neck. Of course, she’d know how to electrify him like that. They’d had plenty of make-outs in dark classrooms and clock towers for her to know all his weaknesses. She smiled at him, turned, and ran for the stream. Vlad counted to five in his head, making sure to give her enough of a head start before running after her.

She sat near the water, her shoulder just a little more exposed. Of course, with spaghetti straps, it wasn’t a huge difference in the amount of skin he could see… But there was still something so much sexier about it draping the side of her arm, rather than her shoulder. And ultimately, it wasn’t about how much you showed, but how you showed it. A decent-looking girl could appear in nothing more than a necklace (although Vlad hoped very hard nobody else would appear in any level of nakedness), and she still wouldn’t get the same admiration as Zoya did with her bared shoulder.

Of course, that wasn’t because Vlad was so incredibly attracted to Zoya (which he was). The way he loved everything Zoya did was also a contributing factor. As he came bounding over the hill toward her, Vlad felt himself slip back into this blissful, dazed state that only Zoya could stir up. Thinking even less than usual, he sat down beside her, sticking his own feet into the cold water. It sobered him up a little, bringing him back to reality a little. He would be content just sitting here with Zoya, watching the stars and talking… But Vlad was a little bit afraid that anything they could talk about at length might dampen the mood. Instead, he decided to keep the situation more playful and in the moment perhaps the only way he knew how.

Vlad cocked his head and smiled his mischievous, tell-tale smile. Giving Zoya only a moment to process it, he lunged in her direction, scooping her body into his arms and rolling the both of them further down the hill, stopping himself just short of the edge of the water. These sorts of surprise “attacks” weren’t uncommon for Vlad the first time around: but now, as they were both older, getting that close seemed just a touch less innocent. Vlad himself ended up on his side, one elbow in the grass, and the opposite arm planted on the ground to keep Zoya from rolling into the water. Zoya came to a stop nearly laying on her back, one strap still hanging off her shoulder, hair surprisingly neat, but a lock or two falling seductively out of place. Vlad leaned in closer, brushing a blade of grass out of her blonde hair.

I got grass in your hair… Sorry… Vlad muttered, tossing it aside, but looking at Zoya rather than her hair.

word count › 921
tagged › Zoya
notes › awkward Vlad is awkward!

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....


"It's all right," Zoya assured. She felt the tips of her ears begin to redden considerably. She allowed herself to lay down flat on the grass and then glanced up at him. "Islav..." she whispered. Zoya didn't bother with trying to brush the few stray hairs that were falling seductively down into her eyes out of the way. She did wonder as to why he was staring so intently at her. Perhaps, she was reading way too deeply into things, but then again, she didn't think that neither. She leaned on her side and then propped her head up using the crook of her elbow. That strap still hung loosely down at her arm, but it didn't seem to phaze her in the slightest.

Zoya then scooted over closer to him and placed a hand lightly on his chest. Brushing his dark mop of hair out of his eyes as she slid up aganist him. A grin found its way onto her features a moment. Her lips found his again a moment, but then she did something very uncharacteristic of her. Her right hand went to the left spaghetti strap of her dress and she pulled it down past her shoulder and a little to her arm to match the state of the other one. Exposing the grey straps of her bra that had originally been concealed by the straps of her dress. By no means was she teasing him. No Zoya had not a clue as to what she was doing really. She was well aware that she was by no means messing with his head though. She would just see where this evening (this technically morning) but in the Room of Requirement. Time didn't matter. What mattered was this second first date of theirs. What mattered was that Zoya really felt something for Vladislav Krum and for once she wasn't using her head.

If she had started to think. Maybe she would have gotten a bit embarrassed at the brash move she had just made. Maybe she would have pulled away when she felt the heat of his breath on the base of her neck, but she didn't. Zoya pulled herself closer to him. Kissing up his neck again and then back down. She knew him too well. She knew his every weakness. It wasn't as though she was trying to weaken him. She was just as vulnerable aganist him as she supposed she was when it came to him. She snaked a hand through his dark black hair. Facing him. Blue eyes, bright.

Zoya knew that deep down girls like her weren't the types that ended up being married to blokes like him. Those blokes who had pedigrees and pure-blooded statuses. Vladislav Krum wasn't of any important status to her save the fact that he was the bloke she had fallen head over heels for within the last two and a half years and then well - now. Though to the Wizarding World. He was the son of Viktor Krum. It wasn't like Zoya had much of anything to offer him. She was a half-blooded witch which dulled in comparson to his pureblooded family and the fact that she was pretty certain that his family wanted him to marry off to some girl of the same pureblood lineage. She would probably have to be Bulgarian - like him - Zoya was very much Russian. Born and raised in St. Petersburg. Another thing. Zoya didn't come from a prominent family. Sure, her mum's muggle side of the family was wealthy and her father worked for the Russian Ministry, but Zoya lived with her brothers and Sergey had looked after her and Alexei since Zoya was around fourteen. As far as prestige and pedigree went. The Andersen children didn't have any.

This didn't matter to Zoya, but this is what she worried about. She was afraid that pretty soon Krum would ditch her for some trophy wife and all she would be is that girl that he once dated a long time ago back in school. Nothing more. It was rather silly of Zoya to think this way, but she did. At the moment, Zoya wasn't thinking of anything too caught up in the moment. Too lost in those dark eyes of his. Mesmorized. Why did she always feel like a foolish little girl around him. Suddenly, she was five years old again with long golden ringlets throughout her hair. Suddenly, she became self-conscious. It was hard to balance these anxious feelings combined with elation and an odd desire to let everything go when she was around him.

A part of Zoya was also afraid to speak. Too afraid that everything would somehow be ruined or that she would wake up back in her dormitory and all of this would be merely a dream. A dream that was too surreal because this already felt too real and perfect. Something bad had to come out of something this wonderful. Zoya never got exactly what she wanted. She shook her head of this thought and just continued to kiss him. Her head felt like it was spinning. Light-headed and a bit dizzy. She leaned forward and breathed in his ear.

"I'm yours, Vladislav...what now?"

WORDS 1001
TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES Awe! I love them and Zoya is acting quite bold moreso than usual for Zoya standards.
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

For someone who had a reputation as a bit of a player; knowing how to act, what to do, and what to say to get a girl out of her pants, Vlad found himself surprisingly lost. Okay, the rolling move was something he would normally congratulate himself on, but this time, he was just being playful. After so many tense and almost violent exchanges between Zoya and Vlad, it was hard to imagine something like this would be happening. In fact, even if the pair somehow got caught by some lucky person who knew exactly what to ask of the Room of Requirement to discover them, and told the school… Who would believe it? Zoya and Vlad, not just friendly, but really friendly, dancing, kissing, rolling around on the dewy grass? Impossible, they would say. The two can’t even talk to each other.

Not that the opinion of other people ever really mattered to Vlad. He didn’t think he was some sort of inspiring figure from which all future men should be molded, but he was very okay with who he was. Maybe he thought he was right on many occasions that he was not; maybe he greatly overestimated his own abilities more than he’d care to admit. But what he was, and how he chose to live his life affected him more than anyone else, so he didn’t bother to cover up any aspects of it. Of course, if he stuck to this philosophy fully, he wouldn’t have danced around Zoya (figuratively speaking) all these years.

Quite the opposite of making Vlad second-guess himself, or question the “rules” he made for himself, Zoya really reaffirmed a lot about him. He never needed to act like the other guys at Durmstrang, for one. He didn’t need to fix his personality flaws. Despite how very imperfect Vlad was, today he had everything he wanted.

So why was he so nervous?

Zoya said something, but her voice sounded distant, as though they were in two different rooms, as opposed to mere inches apart. She kissed him in the way only she could. There were fireworks. Vlad saw Zoya pull down the other strap. It was so impulsive, so in the moment, so… sexy (Vlad’s stomach gave another leap at the thought), and so right in his wheelhouse it took Vlad aback. It was not a question of whether or not Vlad wanted to take it further, or whether he liked it or not… Because he wanted to, and he liked it. But there was a voice in the back of his mind whispering uncomfortable things to him.

Most of the time – well, all of the time, except with Zoya, actually – Vlad didn’t care where things were going, not in the long term. He cared what would happen in the immediate future, and he always made sure there would be no long-term future. That’s just the way things worked. Vlad didn’t want to be tied down, especially with his future so uncertain, and his future came first before any girl. But Zoya wasn’t just any girl, and he didn’t feel tied down. If anything, he was finally free.

But where were they headed, exactly? Vlad didn’t care too much, as long as they headed there together. But at the same time, there was the issue of falling into that specific pattern Bakalov accused Vlad of having. Hit it and quit it. Zoya wasn’t one of those girls, though. Vlad wanted to be with her, not just now but the day after that, and next week, next month… Next year…

One thing he never told anyone – not his parents, not Bakalov, not even Zoya – was how he spent a very scary sum of money on a certain ring for a certain specific person. It wasn’t like he was going to do anything too crazy while he was still in school. In fact, even for Vlad, buying it was rash and a little extreme. Even he couldn’t figure out what exactly possessed him to do it, especially since they broke up so soon after. But he still had it, magically sealed to protect it from any stray curses or curious eyes, at the bottom of his trunk. Surely it was only a matter of time before he would… Well… Ask her the scariest question a guy could ask a girl.
Vlad thought back, reminding himself of all the times he’d said to himself, what’s the worst that could happen? and why wait? That line of thought always served him well. But him and Zoya… They had all the time in the world. Unless he messed things up, somehow.

But thinking was getting to be so hard, with Zoya’s lips pressed against his, her hand running through his hair, her dress not fully on. Nobody could fight it for this long. Vlad closed his eyes and pulled Zoya closer, kissing her harder. If this took a turn in an unfavorable direction, he could always stop, right? Another line of thought that’s always served him well.

word count › 839
tagged › Zoya
notes › I was totally giggling half the time I was writing that. Sorry about the length, I had a meaty paragraph but then my power went out. Stupid hailstorm. Anyway, I won't lead you on, either: the next posts (yours and mine) is going to be actual action, one way or another, instead of this build up.

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....



Zoya wasn't expecting him to continue to kiss her harder. She wasn't expecting these kisses to turn into a passionate snog. She felt him pull her closer to him. Zoya didn't make any move at resistance. As they said it was furtile and why would she want to pull away from a snog session with Vladislav Krum? In the back of her mind Zoya was a bit anxious that this might turn into something more serious than snogging and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

According to the rumor mill and some of the girls at Drumstrang. Well, she knew that Vladislav had a reputation from being a hit and run kind of bloke. It wasn't like he was like this around her, but she didn't want to be just another one of those girls that had slept with Viktor Krum's son once in their lifetime and nothing more. She didn't want that kind of stigma. Not that she was trying to villianize Vladislav or anything because she wasn't. Zoya exhaled. She really needed to stop thinking so much. She was starting to feel more and more self-conscious. Pulling away for a moment in order to be able to catch her breath.

This snogging session seemed to be a whole heck of a lot less innocent than the ones she and Vlad had back at Drumstrang when they were fourteen and fifteen and when they had just turned sixteen. Of course, they were older. They were adults now and that being said they could do whatever the heck they wanted. There weren't any rules to consider. Except maybe Zoya's personal one that she had made to herself long ago.

Then again a part of her wanted this. Whatever was going to come from this evening. If she gave herself to him well so be it. Right? It didn't make her any less of a person. She did love him. She had never told that to his face for the pure reason that Zoya was afraid to show her true emotions the majority of the time, but she did truly love him. The thing of it was that she also knew deep down that there might be a chance that he'd hurt her again.

She survived the last time, but then again, this had never been a factor in the equation. This was never even a variable to consider until. Well now. I wonder what the heck is going through his head right about now.. Zoya pondered. She bit her lower lip a moment. She also didn't want Vlad to think her a tease because she wasn't one. Her lips found their way back to his.

Her fingers slid to the buttons of his shirt and un-did them. Her hands slid down the sides of his torso as she pulled his shirt up over his head. She knew that he was built. The guys always took off their shirts during a hot and heavy day of Qudditch practice, but this was different. She was pushing even her own boundaries and she knew it. Smiling - a little. She ran a hand down his chest. Deep down, she had made up her mind already because she wouldn't have pulled down her other strap of her dress had she not. She wouldn't have taken off his shirt either.

She figured that Vlad would just follow suit and before she knew it. This would all be over and done with. She was secretly terrified. Zoya hoped that it didn't show all over her face as she moved closer to him and felt her small body aganist his as they just laid there facing one another side-by-side.

"Say something..." she paused. Say anything....tell me I'm doing the right thing.....tell me ...that you want to go through with this....and we will ..right? ....

WORDS 792
TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES And all I can picture is Vlad looking like a deer in head-lights. HAHA.
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

Vladislav Krum was not the smartest transfer student into Hogwarts. While seemingly all the other Hogwarts students could boast exceptional OWL and NEWT scores, Vlad’s were barely decent. The other students could proudly say that they were intelligent, sharp-witted, forward-looking… Vlad’s heard many expressions for it, and it was definitely not a strong point of his. It came as a bit of a surprise, then, when he found himself so incredibly close to sealing the deal (which, incidentally, was a strength of his) with Zoya… And holding himself back.

One thing that guys did not enjoy was being teased. Vlad had realized a long time ago that this was a very major difference between the sexes. For the most part, girls really liked hot make-out sessions, hands and mouths exploring each other’s bodies but then stopping just short of going anywhere particularly… exciting. This tension, this… build-up… It drove girls crazy in the best way possible. But based on locker-room talk and the occasional conversation over a butterbeer, an overwhelmingly large percentage of guys downright hated that. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that girls were always teasing guys, so it was never anything new and thrilling. The chase itself, and all that time that they weren’t intimate, was build-up enough for guys. Girls, on the other hand, always wanted more than that.

Not that it was always about what girls wanted. Hell, there wasn’t any way of really knowing in the first place. But Vlad tended to be dominant and aggressive in his pursuits, and it has served him well. A lot of girls – even those that claimed they didn’t – turned out to like that. Most of the time, the wants and likes matched up, so Vlad didn’t have to go out of his way to make “it” happen.

But what was happening now? Here Vlad was, with the one girl he wanted (in all meanings of the word) most, in a romantic, secluded location of her choosing. Their heated kissing began to gain momentum, it should have been getting harder to slow down, let alone stop completely. Zoya’s fingers found the buttons of his shirt, her nails grazing his chest and shoulders as she pulled it off his head. Everywhere she touched Vlad, she left a trail of pleasure. As soon as Zoya would stop kissing him, or take her hand off of his bare skin, he instantly started missing her touch. Oddly, it was not the usual purely physical desire. Whatever it was, it went so deep that Vlad lingered a little longer in every moment, as though his body was memorizing what Zoya felt like.

Say something, she said, bringing their activities to a halt.
Vlad breathed out a happy sigh, as though he just ran a considerable distance, and threw his head back. Every part of him wanted to get physically closer still. But this time, this one time, he gathered up all the willpower he had and stopped himself. Not now, not like this. Vlad tried to think why he wasn’t following his animal drives this time. She was ready, or as ready as a girl can be for losing her virginity. But Vlad? He was not so sure.

Something was just a little off about the setting. The girls Vlad didn’t care about, their encounters went similar to this one. One day they would just be acquaintances, maybe he would be a friend of her friend. The next, there she was up against a wall in some abandoned classroom, letting Vlad tear her clothes off. The day after that, maybe they would eat a meal together, if that. They would just go their separate ways.

Then there was that conversation he’d had with Bakalov. He called Zoya and exquisite flower, or something similarly flattering, followed up by “I can’t believe you didn’t try to tap that.” It angered Vlad. From Zoya, sex would be… a gift, a high privilege. Not just because her partner would be in a very exclusive club, but primarily because it was Zoya. Not some girl, Zoya Rodelle Andersen.

Suddenly Vlad felt a combination of feelings toward his history with girls that took him by surprise. Guilt, disgust. He didn’t deserve her. After all that, he was just a common dog, and she was… what was it? An exquisite flower.

Shaking the hair out of his eyes, Vlad propped himself up on his arms, putting one hand near Zoya’s, so that their fingertips touched.

I think we’re going kind of fast… He said quietly, forcing himself to make eye contact, no matter how awkward and unnatural those words sounded coming out of his mouth. But at the same time, Vlad felt safe here, with Zoya, being as ridiculous as he wanted. It’s only our first date, after all. Vlad grinned at her, secretly very nervous. His mind was racing. Did that really just happen?

word count › 814
tagged › Zoya
notes › poor Vlad, totally out of his comfort zone in all this "love" business XD Also I hope I didn't cross any lines for writing inappropriate things... this post isn't that steamy or anything I think >_>

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....

"Well, okay-y." came Zoya's answer. There was a part of her that felt a bit relieved at the fact that Vladislav had stopped her from going through with what she had planned on going through with. She wasn't ready for sex yet. A part of her still longed to save herself for her husband. Marriage. Hopeless romantism and her husband. Things of that nature. She bit her lip and pulled up the straps of her dress onto her shoulders again.

"If you think we're going too fast. That's fine." she exhaled. Still, Zoya was a bit hurt by Vlad well, rejecting her. What made her any different than any of the other girls that he had been with. Was she somehow less worthy because she was a virgin. Was it the fact that she was unexperienced in this department and he wanted a girl who had been there and done that already. Zoya rubbed the back of her neck and stared at him a moment. Pulling herself away from his close promixity.

She started to walk back up the hill and took the black rose out of her hair as she did so. Her lips were chapped and so she sat up at the top of the hill and conjured herself up a bottle of water. She was a bit aggravated, but Zoya would manage to stay collected over the whole thing because that's just how she was. She understood his side of things somewhat. Why.....? she thought lamely to herself.

Zoya could see his tall silhouette in the distance as he started up the hill from where they had been laying by the stream so close to being physically together that it was a bit terrifying when Zoya thought of it like that. She really needed to stop thinking. It only lead to trouble in the form of utter confusion.

"What the heck, blame the girl, we're easy targets." Zoya teased. A small smile on her features as she saw him, but her eyes always tended to give away how she was truly feeling. Hurt and confused by it all. She set her water bottle off to the side beside her and then laid flat on her back in the grass. Her eyes sliding close a moment in an attempt for her to gather her thoughts.

"Sorry that was wrong of me," she paused. "I was going way too fast and this is our first - second - first date." Zoya managed a small laugh. Trying to ease the tension that she felt reasonating in the air and they weren't even fighting. It was like a warning of what was to come or something. Zoya and Vlad? Peaceful for always. Well, Hell no. Something was going to come along and mess that one up. Something always did and then it would be back to the insults and the 'he said, she said' that always drove Zoya mental.

WORDS 722
TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES No. I didn't find any of it inapporiate at all, but then again, I'm used to that talk it's all I hear at lunch from my friends is things of this nature. By no means did it cross any boundaries. Yes, I did use a Bartok quote from the cartoon Anastasia I modified it to fit Zoya because I'm just that awesome. I feel bad for Zoya right now for some reason.
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

The feeling of the room (or rather, their own private starlit meadow) changed quite suddenly. Exceedingly hot and passionate mere minutes ago, Vlad felt like the temperature plunged down a whopping ten degrees. Zoya seemed unhappy. Of course, it was possible Vlad was overanalyzing things, but he thought he saw a shadow of disappointment behind Zoya’s eyes. Some disappointment was natural, of course, things were just starting to get exciting, and stopping that fast was a let-down, for sure. But what Vlad thought he saw wasn’t your run-of-the-mill “aw damn, no sex for me today” sort of disappointment; there was more to it, and for the life of him, he couldn’t fathom what it was.

Zoya, clearly feeling the change of mood (and temperature) herself, pulled her dress back on. Vlad slipped back into his shirt, fumbling with the buttons, still a little disoriented from what just happened. But it was Zoya, she wasn’t just a one night stand. She would know what Vlad meant, surely it was obvious. Then again, Zoya’s feelings and motivations weren’t exactly obvious to Vlad ever (and especially now), why should it be different? Well, he tried to reason it out, she is smarter… And she’s the one who wants a real relationship, not just sex… Vlad looked thoughtfully at Zoya for a minute. No, that wasn’t right at all. I want the relationship, he thought to himself, biting the inside of his lip a little. She wants sex.

She pulled away, and let the black rose that decorated her hair fall freely, picking up a bottle of water. That’s what they came here for, to drink water? Sometimes, Vlad just couldn’t figure girls out. Zoya smiled at him, but given the way she was acting, Vlad didn’t believe it. She made a joke that he just found… Off-putting. A cleverly disguised passive-aggressive attack on what he just did, perhaps?

Feeling more lost and confused than ever, he just sat down next to her, resting his elbows on his knees, looking at her with his eyebrows slightly raised. He listened to her apologize. Take the blame for it. Obviously, she wasn’t the one who took it too far. It was all Vlad. So why apologize for his actions as though they were hers? A guilt trip, probably, Vlad decided. That sort of thing always made him irritated, when people weren’t just… upfront about things. On the other hand, he wasn’t all that upfront with Zoya. But what was Vlad supposed to do, just stop and tell her how he regretted all the times he’d been with other girls? Tell her he wanted it to be special, not like everyone else he’s banged this year? Yeah, none of those things were mood killers at all.

Wait, it wasn’t you at all, Vlad tried to reassure Zoya, but sounding a little frustrated nonetheless. But there’s no rush, we have all the time in the world… His voice trailed off and he looked at her a little sadly. He was thinking, of course, of that ring he had stashed. Of all the ideas he’s had for a proposal, once he knew for sure what country he would be living in in the foreseeable future. Of waking up and seeing Zoya next to him, and of her being the last thing he saw before he drifted off to sleep each night. With all the promises the future held for them, Vlad didn’t see why they had to have sex right here, right now. Alright, so it was pretty damn perfect. Romantic, secluded… And they’d already waited a long time. But it wasn’t their honeymoon, which Vlad imagined would be more special than a hidden chamber at their school.

It… means that much to you, Zoya? Vlad asked quietly. Zoe, he wanted to say. Zoya sounded too distant, too formal. Like he was pushing her away. But if he’d called her “Zoe” now, she might associate it not with the happy times they’ve had, but with this awkward non-sex situation.

What was it, exactly, that upset her, Vlad wondered. Here he was, turning down sex with Zoya, for crying out loud, he should basically be getting a medal for showing a strong sense of morals and remarkable willpower. Instead, he had an unhappy girlfriend. If she even was his girlfriend. Maybe all she wanted was to be treated like a piece of meat, the same as the horde of slutty girls that Vlad had somehow accumulated. Maybe the only reason Zoya wanted to try again was to claim him as a trophy, show Vlad that he was powerless to her, give him everything he wanted and then take it away for a second time.

word count › 785
tagged › Zoya
notes › I believe you ordered Vlad being dumb, with a side of emotional retardation? coming right up!

thanks for the reassurance, though, I was kinda like... I mentioned sex so many times in that post, I bet someone will take offense to it XD

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....

"No," she shook her head. "You're right. You and I have all the time in the world, but I just - I don't know. Forget about it." she exhaled. Running a hand through her blonde hair. "I suppose that we can just talk or ...erm star gaze." Zoya murmured. This was definitely awkward. She bit her lip and then turned to face him.

"Why can you have all these other girls, but when I want you - then suddenly I'm not good enough?" Zoya Andersen snapped. Her blue eyes seemed to darken. She hadn't meant to snap, but she didn't know any other way to get her point across and she hated the fact that she felt as though Vlad had just out-right rejected her. "I'm not a prude - you know. I'm also not a child, Krum. And I would apperiate if you treated me like your equal. I have needs too.." she paused. "No. I didn't mean it like that I mean I don't know what I want....." her voice trailed off. Shaking her head as Zoya attempted to avoid his gaze.

Well, this was extremely awkward on multiple levels. "What I suppose I mean to say is that I'm an adult and if you want - well....then I suppose I am ready to ...I thought I was...am. You know what Krum. Maybe I should just stop speaking entirely right now." She ran a hand over her face. Confusion and hurt showed all over her face no matter how skilled the Andersen girl was at concealing her emotions. She was faltering and even she noticed it, yet she did nothing to disguese this.

WORDS 471
TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES I'm so sorry that this post is so short, but Biology test tomorrow and so that is the reason behind why I am a slacker on this Zoya reply. These two need to have an epic fight again..
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

There was just no understanding girls – Vlad had long since come to terms with that. Most of the time, that fact had no direct effect on his life. One could make the argument that Vlad had to understand something about them to have decent game, but all that he really understood was that girls liked to stir up trouble and then play the victim. As a firm believer of direct aggression, Vlad, of course, took issue with that.

In fact, the more Vlad learned about the female psyche, the less he tended to like girls. Despite being very into girls in the sexual sense – as his reputation reflected – and even having a few female friends, there was just something he dreaded every time one of his relationships went in a direction he didn’t approve. A girl would mistakenly assume she and Vlad were dating, or something equally unlikely, and Vlad would have to make a choice between two very unpleasant things: he could not bother correcting her and enjoy the benefits, but all the while endure the demands and complaining; or, he could tell the girl it wasn’t anything serious and end up being yelled at or slapped, which didn’t matter in the long run because they’d likely not see very much of one another again. Very good with one-night-stands, friends with benefits (enemies with benefits, even), and short relationships, Vlad was very unsure of himself in serious or long-term relationships (although him and Zoya were really “together” less than 24 hours this time, Vlad wanted to think of it as a continuation of their previous relationship).

It didn’t help that Zoya seemed to be the one that just wanted sex, this time. Vlad had a feeling he’d hear her reasons, or at least parts of her reasons, in the fight that would inevitably follow. Confrontations weren’t the best way to handle their disagreements – even Vlad thought that what started out as a neutral discussion tended to blow up right in their faces. That was just Vlad and Zoya, always in some sort of fight. Always starting out with the best intentions, and ending up misinterpreting each other horribly. Too bad that Vlad wasn’t well-versed in psychology. Although, in their case, a bomb squad might be more useful than a shrink.

As if to illustrate the point, what began as a decent enough of an exchange between Vlad and Zoya quickly escalated to the usual and seemingly unavoidable level of conflict. Vlad just sat and listened, too shocked and confused to speak. Was that really what it was all about, Zoya not feeling good enough? He shook his head and laughed a little – not a happy laugh, but the laugh he always used when nervous, angry, or… Well, there wasn’t a word to describe how he was feeling now, but it was not on the positive side of the emotional spectrum. Running his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath and tried to catch her eyes again, but she avoided eye contact, and he desisted.
And there was the fundamental difference in the way Vlad talked things out, and the way girls talked things out. They always left Vlad guessing if that’s exactly what was wrong, they always wanted to say something clever and accusatory or painful, then look away and blame themselves, talk about how hard it was for them, or how confused they were. The first part, the insulting one, rarely landed – but this was Zoya, and Vlad couldn’t help but feel her words hit. The second part, no matter the context, just always irritated him. “Maybe I should just…” was a phrase that never had anything at the end that Vlad wanted to hear. So she wanted to control him, to make him chase her and apologize for being a gentleman. Well, it was easier to be the victim, but two could play at that game.

Another fundamental communication difference was the level of civility the two parties kept. Zoya, no matter what she felt, had exceptional control over herself. Perhaps not at this exact moment, as her emotions showed clearly across her face, but in general, she was very good at maintaining a calm exterior. Vlad, on the other hand, liked to drive the point home, rarely considering the fact that it might do more harm than good. So he swung a leg over her knees, his hands in the grass at Zoya’s sides, kneeling over her, face-to-face.

This is what you want, to be like all the other girls? Just say the word, I’ll make you forget your name, Vlad almost snarled in her face. In the heat of the moment, he forgot his hatred of hypocrisy, and was failing to notice all the ways he was being unreasonable himself. Pushing off the grass, he sat back, still at Zoya’s feet -- because let’s face it, Vlad wasn’t ever done talking that soon after he got himself all riled up.

All of sixth year, I thought you were disgusted by me, from all the rumors about me going around. Hell, that’s what we broke up over. Now I find out you want to be a notch in my bedpost? Vlad spewed forth his own speech, then began to regret it, slowly. He couldn’t see Zoya this hurt, it just tore him apart inside. This is why he was never allowed around anything delicate.

You’re not just another girl to me, I didn’t want to treat you like it. Zoya, I know you’re an adult. I just thought that before we did it, you’d want to be-… Vlad cut off the phrase, feeling more and more stupid by the minute. Why had he resisted at all? Zoya was saying she was ready, and she wanted to, but there was some hesitation from them both when they were making out in the grass. Maybe she was just nervous. Besides, what was he going to say now? “You’d want to be married first”? That certainly was very upfront. It would just scare Zoya off. And either way, why had Vlad thought that in the first place? He tried to think, sort through his memories, to a time where Zoya specifically told him that she was saving herself, but came up with no results. Maybe he’d just heard it from someone. Vlad and Zoya, victims of another rumor.

word count › 1061
tagged › Zoya
notes › no problem at all! finals are important. sorry about the length and the... all-over-the-place-ness of my post. my cat needs to not wake me up 4 times a night, lol.

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....

"You arrogant arsehole!" Zoya sat upright and just glowered over at him. "I don't want to be just another notch on your bed-post. When you talk like that. Well, it's sickening really.." she rolled her eyes. She could feel herself going red in the face. She murmured something under her breath in russian to the equvilant of you ignorant self-centered pig and then continued on with her rant. "I want you - not like this - I want you eventually...and I was afraid that ....well forget it." She bit her lip. Zoya wasn't trying to play the victim. She also wasn't trying to immedately make Vladislav Krum the villian, but he just didn't understand. She was tired of him jumping to conclusions. She didn't just want him for sex. Zoya wanted a long-term serious relationship with him. Had he agreed to having sex with her. She would've changed her mind or panicked at the last second because she did want to save herself for marriage and she wanted to be married to him. One day. In the future. Waking up next to him and Vlad being the last person that she saw at night. Having children. Being able to see parts of him in their face, physical statue, and personality. It was probably a pipe dream, but at the moment, Zoya was too angered to really think about the what could be aspect of her future.

"I never said that all I wanted was sex. In fact, all I want is you! Sometimes, I don't even know why!" Zoya exclaimed. Running a hand through her blonde hair as she got up and decided to walk down the hill a-ways before sitting back down. "Why? Me. I'm the furthest thing from any girl you've ever had this push-and-pull is constant. One minute, we're fine, the next it's like an impending third wizarding war! And I don't like standing at opposite ends of a battefield with you, Krum!" she shut her eyes. "What do you want from me? Are you sick of me. Do you think I'm a tease now. Have I lost all decency because I feel - because no matter how hard I try I can't stop loving you!" Zoya's voice cracked. She buried her head in her hands and willed herself to not lose it completely in front of him. In the heat of the moment. Zoya Andersen had actually confessed she loved him. She wished that she could have done that moments ago when they had not been in a conflict, but now, it was out in the open and there was no way that she could take the words back even if she wanted because Zoya did mean them.

WORDS 592
TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES Sorry if this post is all over the place.
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

Vlad’s viewpoint on Quidditch often surprised those few people who heard it. As a beater, his primary job was to harass, disrupt, and unseat other players. But the bludgers were just tools. On the other hand, the quaffle, drawing most of the team’s attention, traveled from one end of the field to another, being passed between teammates or thrown toward a far end of the field to give the opposing team a disadvantage. With eight of the total fourteen players in the game directly engaged with who had it and where they were heading, it wasn’t hard to see why the quaffle was the main focus of the game, not only for the spectators, but more than half of each team. The snitch was worth a lot of points, and it ended the game, which was significant. But if the beaters or the seeker didn’t pay enough attention to what the chasers were doing, they would be greatly undermining the ability of their team to score – catching the snitch was a one-time thing in a game, but scoring with the quaffle could give the team some much-needed points to get ahead in their league. Winning the single game was exhilarating, and of course, very important. But Vlad had seen promising teams end up suffering by focusing too much on winning the game, rather than moving ahead in the tournament.

Vlad couldn’t help but be reminded of Quidditch during his fights with Zoya. They threw insults back and forth, paced or walked back and forth restlessly, rarely staying in place. Sometimes there would be the physical aspect – a push, a shove. Frequently one would get in the other’s face, to make sure not only their words were understood, but all of the feeling behind them. There was a need to… win the argument (well, they wouldn’t be arguing in the first place if they agreed on something), so they did their best to come out on top. It wasn’t as though they intentionally wanted to bring the other down, but such was the effect of all fights with couples. Lately, however, Vlad wondered if it was worth it anymore. Whether or not he was right, Vlad wasn’t every satisfied with the outcome. Why even bother, when in the end, all the reward he got was a Zoya who wasn’t speaking to him and a deep sense of regret? So as he watched Zoya fire up yet again, travel to another spot in the literal field, and cool back down, he was hit with a very strong realization, one that he instantly wished had come months sooner.

Vlad didn’t want to be right, he didn’t want to be the victor of their conflicts. He just wanted to be with Zoya.
It was something that should have been obvious, such a long time ago. Vlad sat down next to her yet again, crossing his legs and picking at the grass. He deserved being called an arrogant asshole, it did fit him. How could he have been so stupid not to put himself in Zoya’s shoes? Vlad tried to consider Zoya’s perspective every time they bickered, and yet… somehow, each and every time, that empathy got lost in the heat of the argument. He always thought he was a decent enough guy, but with this change of perspective, he really began to wonder if he was the guy Zoya deserved to have.

But love was inherently selfish. Whether or not Zoya deserved better, whether or not he was the kind of person she wanted to spend the rest of her life struggling against, whether or not she wanted him to, Vlad would still love her. And she even agreed. It took a minute for Vlad to fully absorb her words. She loved him, even after all of that? Temporarily lost for words, Vlad sat in silence for a moment, letting Zoya hide her face from him. Zoya never showed herself falter, she never showed weakness. Vlad respected her enough not to go looking for it.

I love you, too. Vlad blurted out. It was strange to hear himself say it out loud. He had practiced saying those words to Zoya in his head, but he hadn’t counted on his voice sounding so... Non-defensive, non-aggressive, non-heroic. It was as though all their masks and walls had been pulled down, and all their fighting was stuck outside the door to the room of requirement with the rest of the school. Vlad always imagined it sounding more impressive and epic, but he just sounded like Vlad. Still, something about those words had a sweet taste, a warm sort of feeling.

After a minute or two, Vlad ran his hand through her hair, pushing it behind her ear, his fingers softly brushing her cheek. He had opened his mouth before he realized he had no plan, no carefully-chosen words. But at least whatever he said would be raw, honest and genuine, rather than picked apart and perfected.

Zoe, I’m sorry, I went too far. I don’t want to just screw around, Vlad said quietly, turning red. Of course, he meant “screw around” as his habit of doing stupid things out of boredom and lack of concern, but after the words came out, Vlad realized they had a second meaning, also applicable to him. I want something more serious. Specifically with you, Zoe. Vlad looked away for a second, gathering up the courage to explain, at least a little, of how he felt.
I could never love anyone as much as I love you, Zoe. You’re my world, I start and end with you. I don’t exist as myself when we’re… You know, fighting and… apart… Vlad picked at the grass some more, staring intently at the ground. It was difficult to put feelings into words. You see all our friends from Durmstrang, or Hogwarts, even. Each of them is engaged to one person, loves another, and is sleeping with a third. Of course, “each of them” was an exaggeration, but Vlad hoped Zoya understood the main point. It’s bull shit. I don’t want to treat you like that. It’s nice, spending time with you in a secluded part of the castle, nothing but the stars watching us, Vlad continued, motioning towards the sky. But we are still at school, instead of a honeymoon suite on some tropical island, or a lodge at hot springs in the far North… He trailed off, now watching Zoya, looking to see if she understood that he understood what she had said, and if she saw where Vlad was headed with this thought, what topic they were more or less dancing around right now.

word count › 1105
tagged › Zoya
notes › their whole being honest-and-open thing could be a great segue into a fight over the veela chick, and then the epic Quidditch thread that will happen. we don't have to take that route, of course, it's just a suggestion :)

[zoya r. andersen]

• Zoya smiles like Zoya doesn't care....•
she lives in a world so unaware....

"or a private library with wide french doors and my back pressed up aganist a book case as you seduce me....out of that white dress..." Zoya mused. Her face crimson as she thought back to what she was illuding to. Sure, she knew what Vlad was mentioning. Marriage. Being committed to one another forever. Things such as honeymoons, her first time - where she'd give herself to Vladislav Krum forever and always be his. Sure, it felt as though they were dancing around the subject of it all entirely, but then again, it felt nice to talk about the future. She leaned her head aganist his shoulder.

"You know. I just told you my sexual fantasy a moment ago.." Zoya blushed deeper crimson as she breathed in his ear. She reached her hand up and then tousled his dark jet black hair. "I'm a horrid hopeless romantic. Shocker, eh? Zoya Andersen. In love with the idea of love. Regardless of how unrealistic that maybe. I am well aware that love isn't a fairy-tale and that you have to work tooth and nail for something to really work." Zoya exhaled. "I'm willing to work and fight tooth and nail for you. Always. "

She paused and then nodded. "So...I have decided that from this moment on we should be open and honest with one another. " She folded her arms over her chest. Pondering over something a moment. "Last year, Bakalov kissed me full on the mouth and I didn't tell you because I was terrified that had I told you. You'd break off our relationship. Even though, I didn't kiss him back and the very thought of it all still has the same nauesating effect on me." she swallowed. Zoya hestiantly glanced over at him. She didn't know how Vlad would take her confession.

"That scratch on your broom...." her voice trailed off. "That was my doing when I thought that you had cheated on me in sixth year. I didn't do that with my wand. I used my key to Sergei's apartment." she bit her lip. "That's why you couldn't get it off. I watched you try from afar. Multiple times. And I'm sorry for that by the way." She remained silent for a little while. Her gaze adverted from him and fixated on the grass. Plucking a few blades of grass off of the ground and tossing them off into the distance.

"I tend to get jealous of all of those lovers you have had..." her voice just above a whisper. Rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean....why have causal and meaningless sex with girls that don't have the decency to respect themselves anyhow. I just don't get your whole hit and run view that you once had." Zoya was being honest. Though, she felt like maybe she was being a little too honest or that she had somehow crossed a line somewhere. She found herself replaying what she had said in her mind. Making sure that she wasn't being too critical. There was a part of her that feared that Vladislav Krum thought her to be this bitch that always wanted her way and tended to jump to conclusions, or make assumptions that weren't true. Even though, she knew that this wasn't the case at all.

Reluctantly, her blue eyes met with his dark brown ones. She forced a small smile. Feeling very much like a bitch right now. "Go ahead," Zoya sighed. "Be blunt, be brutal. Confess to anything that irks you about me. I deserve it." she paused. "You can be honest with me. I think that we should be able to tell one another anything. I mean if you can see yourself spending your life with me then we need to be on the same page. No secrets. No blocking the other out. Right?"

WORDS 782 TAGGED Valdislav
OUTFIT mentioned above
NOTES The posts were get longer again. Sorry. I have to get my head out of the numb mode from finals week. I have a feeling that this shall lead to confessions and another famous Zoya and Vladislav fight. Oh, how we love those. xD. They've become infamous.
CREDIT PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[vladislav k. krum]

Zoya and Vlad did not always see eye to eye, not even close. They were not the same person, or two slightly different versions of the same personality, like some couples. But Vlad nonetheless preferred him and Zoya just the way they were. Their personalities, in their own weird way, complimented each other perfectly. They were part of a greater whole; Vlad wasn’t so sure that he was complete without Zoya. There was a sort of explosive harmony between them – they brought down the heavens when they fought, and they ascended to a higher state of existence when they loved. Unpredictable, wild, and ever-changing, their relationship ignited the senses like nothing else could. In all likelihood, most people pictured a more tame, traditional, fairytale romance when picturing their perfect life. A blissful and calm nirvana, free of all those insane ups and downs… But Vlad knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this – whatever it was that Zoya and him had – was exactly what he wanted, and he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Although the two weren’t always on the same page, there were moments, thoughts, and feelings that they seemed to share without having to say the words out loud. And it was very difficult for Vlad not to smile, hearing Zoya continue his own train of thought. It was understood that what Vlad had said earlier referred to their future together. Of course, there was still a way to go before that happy ending. Or rather, before that happy beginning. Already, Vlad learned Zoya’s fantasy, and that was a good start. He searched his mind for a suitable place. It couldn’t be anywhere in Bulgaria. As beautiful as the estates were there, the scene Zoya set in his mind’s eye was more fitting to a portion of a French palace.
These happy thoughts faded into the background as the entire mood of the room suddenly became more serious. Openness, honesty… one could not have a real relationship without those things. Anything worth having is worth fighting for, Vlad decided. He dreaded the idea of confessing the thing that’s been eating away at him every time he saw Zoya. With how high tensions were between them, pushing his guilt to the back of his mind wasn’t too taxing. Making excuses, not shouldering the blame, that always came easy – and what he had to do now was anything but.
For a while, Vlad just listened. He didn’t want to interrupt what Zoya had to say, especially when he couldn’t find a way to word his biggest secret. There wasn’t a trace of anger or sadness in his face now, despite what he was hearing. Bakalov, well, he was always a bitch. Not even a bastard, though he was overqualified for that title as well. Bakalov seemed to spend all his free time meddling in other people’s personal lives. His own interests always came in direct conflict with the people he affected. An annoying gossip, caught up in ultimately meaningless bullshit for his own amusement – it was hard to believe that the tiny yappy dog that bit at everyone’s heels almost brought down Vlad’s entire future with Zoya. Then again, Vlad might not need Bakalov’s help for that, with everything he had done himself. He tried to push that thought out of his mind.
On the other hand, it was Bakalov who set the wheels in motion. Zoya implied it was Bakalov who said that Vlad cheated, after all. It wasn’t so hard to believe, when Bakalov took every opportunity to sabotage what they had. Besides, when Bakalov stood to gain something in a situation that went bad, you could bet he was at least partially involved. Well, he was no small-time irritation that Vlad had to deal with. In a way, Bakalov got what he wanted. He kissed Zoya. He got Vlad’s broom damaged. He got Zoya to dump Vlad, and consequently he got Vlad to become the person he wanted Vlad to be – the kind of person Zoya would not want to be with.
But all those one night stands, was that really Vlad? Sure, it was wrong to just write off all his sexual adventures as a result of Bakalov’s actions, but Vlad couldn’t deny that he was in a… dark place at the time. Is this what it felt like to be like the other Durmstrang students, all carrying the weight of a scary past on their shoulders? Vlad screwed up, big time. But he was done with his man-whoring and the guilt following him around. It was time to come clean and face the consequences, whatever they might be.
Typical of Bakalov… As for the broom, I’ve always wondered how some scratches could keep it grounded… Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? Vlad smiled a little. Maybe Zoya didn’t curse the broom, but she certainly put her heart into keying it. In a way, it was actually impressive.
The girls, they weren’t ever… His voice trailed off. ”They weren’t ever really people.” No, that was bad. ”They were just bodies to me.” That was even worse. Worst of all, during his brief Casanova stint, that was what he truly thought. Vlad searched for the right words, but was there a good way to apologize for having been a man whore? For ruining himself for Zoya? I don’t have an explanation for you… If I could go back and change what I did, I would, regardless of whether or not we’d had this talk.

[/color]
Vlad tried to keep his breath steady. His heart was beating out of his chest. Here it is, the moment of truth.
There is something you really have to know. I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier. It was always a bad time to bring it up, but… W-well…[/color] Vlad stammered, his tongue turning to led, his brain becoming uncooperative. Had he not felt almost paralyzed by his nerves, he might have noticed the veins in his head were deafeningly loud in his ears.
I don’t know what Bakalov has told you about a veela, but… there was something like that.[/color]
Vlad’s palms sweating profusely, he hid his hands in the pockets of his robes. He felt shaky.
The summer after – I mean, during the break when we weren’t together, I had to do this press event with my dad… There was a girl, a huge fan of my father. I don’t know exactly what happened, we saw each other a few times… hooked up.[/color] Vlad swallowed, the words stung in his throat. She took a bunch of things from the house. Dad’s Quidditch, er, memorabilia? And then she disappeared. Some of it was returned, but last I heard, she had…[/color]
Vlad paused, waiting for the storm of fury to descend upon him. He started to say, “she had a son.” But a voice in the back of his mind stopped him. To be fair, it might not even be his.

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word count › 1160
tagged › Zoya
notes › longer than necessary again >< Well, I will leave it to you to decide if he'll reveal the kid here or if Bakalov will slip the photo and letter somewhere Zoya might find.

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