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sweetpinkpixie · #1 (**permalink**) 02-08-2025, 04:37 AM

Nestled on a secluded cliffside in Kenmare Bay, Zinnia Skeres' home is more than just a mansion: it's a masterpiece built from the ground up by her husband, Ramiel. With sweeping training grounds for Quidditch, an airy pottery studio, and a wood workshop brimming with wandcraft and furniture, itâ€™s the perfect retreat for skill and self-discovery.

This holiday, Zinnia - renowned Quidditch player turned U-17 coach and aerialist - welcomes her 'niece', Elena Petrova, for a training session in the skies. With a shared love for aerials and flight (and maybe a few heart-to-hearts about the future), itâ€™s the perfect chance to train, unwind, and just enjoy each otherâ€™s company over a nice cozy warm beverage.

This is a closed, one-off scene set during the winter holiday of 2115

CHARACTERS
Zinnia Skeres - sweetpinkpixie
Elena Petrova - littledhampir

sweetpinkpixie · 02-09-2025, 01:42 AM

Zinnia led Elena through the open archway of the living room, the scent of warm spices and crisp herbs teasing the air as they stepped inside. Ramiel had outdone himself yet again. A polished tray rested on the low table, laden with delicate finger foods - honey-drizzled goat cheese crostini, savory tarts with hints of rosemary, and a neat arrangement of fruit and charcuterie. Zinnia, on the other hand, was lucky if she could ever treat her husband to a spaghetti dinner without burning the pasta or overcooking it so much that it turned into a giant lump of soggy carbohydrates. The golden glow of the late afternoon sun spilled through the grand window, stretching long across the wooden floors and illuminating the vast grounds beyond. Her gaze flickered past the food to the grand window, where the cliffs stretched wide and wild while the sea glimmered, restless and eternal. The manicured green stretching out toward the private Quidditch pitch effortlessly pulled her gaze every single time, the towering hoops standing tall against the endless blue of Kenmare Bay beyond.

This home, it's land, all of it shaped by will and care.

A home built with her own hands...well, Ramielâ€™s hands, but hers in spirit and as a consultant. A life, a sanctuary, shaped from the bones of everything she had fought for. And now, Elena was here, standing beside her, taking it all in. It was a quiet kind of fulfillment, unexpected yet deeply gratifying.

"I hope you're hungry," she said, laughter curling around her words as she gestured toward the spread. She rolled her shoulders, shaking free of the heavier thoughts that threatened to weigh her down. Her niece was here, so there was no time for such nonsense. "My husband," she added with a amused shake of the head and brief rub of her forehead, plucking a crostini from the tray. "...always the overzealous one when it comes to hosting." Though Zinnia could hardly deny that trait ran in her blood as well. A trait she had learned to make it her own, turning the dutiful hostess into something of her own making. It was a role she embraced now, not as a chore, but as a way to share the warmth she had once been denied.

littledhampir · 02-09-2025, 09:31 PM

Elena was overjoyed to be visiting with Auntie Zinnia over the Christmas holidays. She'd been over to her house before, of course. As a friend of both of her dads, Elena had grown up considering her as much of an auntie as her actual aunts and uncles. And when Elena heard a story about how she did aerials, she had demanded to learn. It intrigued her, the grace and the artistry parallel to dance in her mind. And Elena loved dance.

Her tatko dropped her off, and after some chatting among the adults she shooed him away, insisting that she would be fine and promising to behave and whatnot. She was ready to get on with it. And for some girl time.

Elena was immediately drawn toward the food laid out, even before it was offered to her. How could she resist it? "It smells good!" It wasn't unfamiliar; a kitchen filled with yummy smells and good snacks. Her daddy liked to cook and bake and she was always happy to taste. Elena was most intrigued by the crostini. She wasn't positive what was on top of it, but it looked delicious so she was eager to find out. She bit into it and sighed in pleasure. "Delicious," she declared with her mouth full. Oops. She gave a thumbs up and finished eating before speaking again. "I love it."

sweetpinkpixie · 02-12-2025, 06:36 AM

Zinnia watched Elena with quiet amusement, arms crossed as she leaned against one of the wooden pillars framing the space. There was something so familiar, so deeply comforting, about seeing Dragomirâ€™s (Oliver's too, but Zinnia had known Dragomir since diapers and, naturally, there was a more intimate history between them to reflect upon) daughter in her home. It was a rare thing, this kind of closeness, the kind that had nothing to do with blood and everything to do with choice.

She smiled a bit more as Elena dug into the crostini without hesitation. "That good, huh?" she teased, noting the full-mouthed declaration and deciding not to be that person and point out manners. "Ramiel will be pleased, he takes his kitchen victories very seriously." There was a warmth in her tone, but her sharp gaze was already scanning Elenaâ€™s frame, assessing. She was still growing into herself, but there was an athleticism there, a fluidity in how she moved, a keen sense of awareness. A good foundation for aerial work and just maybe...

Because Zinnia had never been one to dawdle, she clapped her hands together, eyes bright with purpose. "Once we're done chit chatting and eating, weâ€™re out there," she smirked with a firm thumb jab out the window, settling into a seat next to Elena. "And I wonâ€™t be hearing any complaints about being too full to practice." She meant it as a playful tease, but there was a harsh edge of seriousness to her tone as well - perhaps a reminder to herself as well since, well, she had been eating a fair bit more than usual recently.

Still, before they got to that, she had to check in. Auntie duties and such. "So, first term just about halfway done," she said, tipping her head slightly. "How's it going? I only had a few years at Hogwarts since your tatko and I transferred in a bit late, so we never got the sort of experience you and your brother have. And try not to leave any of the good stuff out." Truly. Zinnia had barely had a childhood to speak of, so pardon a woman for living somewhat vicariously through her niece. She wanted to know how she was settling in, how she was handling the shift from home to Hogwarts, from childhood to the steady pull of something bigger.

littledhampir · 03-05-2025, 01:21 AM

"Very good," Elena agreed. She happily finished off the rest of the crostini, but didn't reach for another one. As good as she thought the food was, it wasn't the purpose of her visit. She was very excited about the aerials, and she was eager to get started. She bounced on the balls of her feet and nodded rapidly. "I'm ready. Not too full."

Chatting about school wasn't quite as fun either, but she did enjoy telling people all about it. She had sent a lot of letters to her family members, but she still always had more to say. "It's good! My dormmates are really nice. I knew some of them already from primary school, but some of them are new too. I like meeting new people, and there's a looooot of new people at Hogwarts. But-" She frowned, like she always did when she thought about this topic. "I don't like that Alexei and I aren't in the same house." It had been long enough that she was used to it, sure, but she was still not very happy about it. "AND there's no dance club. But there is a theater club, and that's been really fun."

sweetpinkpixie · 03-29-2025, 10:47 AM

Zinnia listened intently, her smile warm but layered with quiet reflection. She admired the way Elena spoke so freely, the light in her eyes as she shared her excitement for the things she loved... things Zinnia had been denied the privilege of openly enjoying when she was Elena’s age. Her mind drifted for a moment, to a time when her own passions had been forced into the shadows. Quidditch, her greatest love, had been a "ghastly" pursuit in her grandmother’s eyes, a pastime deemed entirely unworthy for someone of Zinnia's pedigree. Now, she felt a surge of something that was almost healing. The freedom in Elena’s voice, a joy that she had longed to experience in her own youth, and the little Hogwartian being so unapologetically herself felt like a soft balm on Zinnia’s own old wounds.

"You’re right," Zinnia said, her voice steady but with a deeper warmth as she finished off her snack. "It’s never easy when those closest to us aren’t right there with us, but you've got to trust that you're right where you need to be. You've got this incredible ability to shine, Elena. And being surrounded by new people? That’s where you’ll find the magic, the connections you didn’t even know you needed." She gave Elena an encouraging smile, as if offering a little piece of herself...something she hadn’t been able to share when she was younger. "Alexei may not be in your house," Zinnia continued. "But remember, you’ve got your own path to carve. And if that path doesn’t have a dance club, well," she added with a playful teasing tone, "then I think you’ve just been handed the perfect opportunity to blaze your own trail and start a dance circle of your own. I have a classmate, also a Gryffindor, who did that very same thing. Suppose you Gryffindors have that sort of legacy going for you that transcends the years." Zinnia gave Baylen a cursory consideration in that moment, rubbing her forehead in recollection of how boisterous that boy was down to his fashion - so much neon - before turning her thoughts back to her niece. "I occasionally send players I coach to his studio for lessons. Dance does wonders for quidditch skills, you know."

Zinnia rose then, ready to shift the mood and lead her niece toward something more tangible and active. "Enough talking and nibbling," she nodded, fingers reaching for a scrunchie from the basket on the coffee table to tie her hair back. "Let's take to the air, yeah?"

littledhampir · 04-27-2025, 02:55 AM

"I guess so," Elena responded. Even though she was not very pleased about being separated from Alexei she had been managing fine. And had still been carving out time to spend with her twin of course. She knew that they were different people, and that their paths were inevitably going to diverge, but she wasn't quite ready to come to peace with it. "Really? He made his own dance club?" Her eyes lit up at that. It certainly sounded like an intriguing idea. "I've met some other students who dance too. So maybe there would be enough interest to start something." She wasn't sure if she was the best choice to start something, though. She was just a first year after all. Just figuring things out. She didn't really know how one would go about starting their own dance club. But if no one else was going to maybe the responsibility really would have to fall to her.

"Does it?" Elena stretched her legs out in front of her as she contemplated the idea of dance translating well to quidditch skills. She could see a sort of similarity. Flying was a bit like a dance in the sky. Elegance and carefully timed movements. She didn't have as much experience with the latter, but it did sort of intrigue her. Though what intrigued her most was the reason they were there. Flying of a different sort. "I'm ready!" She said eagerly. Her own hair was already tied up, in the same sort of tight bun she might wear for ballet. She was also prepared with pink and white polka dot leggings and an athletic top.

sweetpinkpixie · 04-30-2025, 06:11 AM

Zinnia couldn’t help the small grin tugging at her lips as she caught the flicker of intrigue on Elena’s face. That glimmer—half ambition, half uncertainty—was all too familiar. "He sure did," she laughed under her breath, fingers moving to her forehead for a much needed moment of rubbing. "Started it with only three mates, if I recall, and a half-broken gramophone he found in the Room of Requirement. By the end of the year, they had a whole informal spring showcase with glitter spells and ghastly neon decor. It was dreadful in aesthetic but wonderful in essence.” Zinnia glanced back over her shoulder, an impish gleam in her chestnut eyes. "Very Gryffindor overall." Hair tied back she walked slowly toward the wide glass doors that opened to the expanse of greenery beyond. "It was a lesson in not exclusively needing to know how to start something, he was pretty bloody clueless but made up for his lack of sense with his enthusiasm, to start up something...but rather you just need to care enough that it exists to do so," she reflected as she flicked a finger toward the bun and the bounce in Elena’s step, "and it sounds like you're already well on your way to starting something."

Even if it never got it's official heyday with faculty sponsors and all that, Baylen had managed to pull together among peers with equal interest and as loud as the corridors got with music and whatever other noises came out of those empty classroom practices...she could at least admire the dedication.

She paused to open the door, letting in the crisp scent of sea wind that always curled through the cliffside estate. "Okay then, trailblazer, brooms are waiting inside the shed just across the meadow there. Let’s fit you with one, shall we?" Zinnia nodded toward the low stone path that wound past the training circle, boots crunching gently on the gravel as she led the way. The breeze off Kenmare Bay tousled her little whisps of that hadn't quite made it into her ponytail, but the air was brisk in that energizing, promise-of-flight sort of way. The shed came into view—a modest word for what was, in truth, a well-enchanted outbuilding with reinforced walls, charm-sealed hooks, and rows of gear neatly organized by size, model, and speed range ― yet another one of Ramiel's handyworks. "I keep a few of the U-17 team’s practice brooms here," she said as she unlatched the door and swung it open. The scent of oiled wood and broom polish greeted them immediately. "Nothing too wild—no Thunderblasts or experimental prototypes today—but solid builds. Responsive. Reliable. Good bones."

littledhampir · 05-12-2025, 10:26 PM

"I guess maybe I could try to start something. I do miss performing too. If other people wanted to join maybe we could put on a showcase or something." Practicing was something that she could do on her own, though she liked the idea of having a club of people to practice with. But performing was something that was harder to do on her own. Unless she just invited a bunch of people to watch her do a solo. But that wasn't as fun. "I'm looking forward to go back to my dance class this summer. Even though I don't think there are any productions going on. I wish I could have been in the Nutcracker this winter." When she was old enough to audition for Clara!

Elena happily followed Auntie Zinnia along the path toward the broom shed. "How do you know which broom is the right one?" She asked curiously. She supposed that size was a factor. She would likely go for a smaller broom than adult. She was smaller than average for her size anyway. But she was sure that there were other factors as well. Elena had no idea what made a broom faster or easier to handle than any others. When they reached the barn she stepped in and looked around at the brooms. "Which one is the fastest?"

sweetpinkpixie · 06-02-2025, 07:00 AM

"I think you've got your answer right there. You’re meant to keep dancing. So yes, try. Start something. Even if it’s just a few people in a dusty classroom with a wireless and mismatched socks, it’s a start," she encouraged as she nudged the shed door wider with her hip and stepped into the even cooler shadows inside. "As for how you know which broom is the right one…” She chuckled, pausing at the rack. “It’s a bit of instinct combined with trial and error―not all that different from finding the right pair of shoes for dance and ballet...just instead of support, flexibility, and comfort you're looking at balance, grip, and most importantly," she turned, eyebrow arched and paired with a playful smirk, "one that doesn’t buck you off midair."

Zinnia crouched and reached for a narrow-handled broom with subtle golden filigree along the bristle binding. "This beauty here is fast and light, a Kenmare special model from last year’s league batch. But let’s not throw you onto the Golden Snidget of brooms first thing, yeah?" She passed a different broom to Elena, one that was sleek, balanced, with a soft leather grip. "Start with this one. She’s nimble, easy to control, and steady in a crosswind. If she likes you, you’ll know."

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