Scoping It Out

Zhanna walked away from the castle on her own, a tiny, lone figure strolling through the beginnings of snow. She was used to the cold back home, so this frost was little to nothing to her. She plucked her large coat around her and continued on, curious to explore all the hype this little village was getting.

All she had heard from the Hogwarts students when she had asked, rather prude-ishly, if there was anything good to do for fun around the school was "Hogsmeade this" and Hogsmeade that." Their eyes seemed to glaze over with some sort of awkward, delusional ecstasy, particularly the younger ones.

Zhanna could see that the village did deserve some of what was said. It was... cute. Quaint. Simple. But Zhanna had not traveled across the continent for cute, for quaint, for simple. She had come for adventure, for excitement, and so far... the school and the village had failed miserably.

She turned and walked into a small pub, her pixie head bobbing as she did, her slightly slanted eyes scanning, her lips pursed. She stepped inside and the pyromaniac immediately walked to the barstool closest to the fire. The crackling alone could soothe her if she got to wound up. She ordered a Firewhiskey, using some charm, and began to sip the drink.

As Mariana finished her shift at the hospital and said good bye to a few of her collegues she saw among the way out, she stood in the center of london for a moment to get a good idea where to go today. Her house was out of question as it felt rather depressing being on her own in the evenings so she tried to evict it. After all, Mari was a type of person that wasn't peaceful on one place for long.

For those who knew her, if they wanted to hang out with her it was obvious they would need to change at least a couple of places to make it intresting. If she wanted to stay at one place, she would stay at home. It was rather freezing outside so she wrapped under her cloak and cap and apparated towards Hogsmeade.

Fresh evening air stroke all her senses. It's been rare the occasion when she would come here as she stopped being a student last summer. Original plan was to go to three broomsticks though when she saw a little pub, the plans changed. Nothing was ever certain.

"Firewhiskey, and double one please." she said to the waiter who marched behind the bar to get it. While she was taking off her jacket, she noticed someone student like sitting close to her. It had to be a student since everyone else hardly ever came to Hogsmade. "Hogwarts is it?" she asked curiously as she observed the girl though it was clear she had no hogwarts robes.

A girl a year or so older, by the looks of it, sat next to Zhanna, but Zhanna paid her no mind, too busy enjoying the warmth of the fire, the sounds of it fizzling and cracking... Fire. Her one vice, her one pleasure. She was not an arsonist or anything, but she always carried her lighter with her. She liked to light things on fire and just watch the flames, feel all the torment inside her wash away... Well, more like burn away...

A voice pulled her out of her reverie and she felt a small wave of irritation wash over her. She turned and saw that the other girl was looking at her, asking her if... she attended Hogwarts. Zhanna scrunched her nose slightly. Please. As if she could be compared to the scruffy hooligans who tramped along that school, screaming and rough-housing. They lacked discipline. They lacked dignity.

Zhanna, on the other hand, exuded them. She had the mindset of a soldier, though she had the appearance of a porcelain doll. She answered the girl with a voice just on the edge of irritation, "No. I attend Durmstrang. I am here for the tournament. And yourself?"

Mariana watched as the waiter with a sharp look put 2 glasses in front of her and started to fill them up with firewhiskey from the bottle as she waited for her "new friend" so saying to reply. She was expecting yes for an answer since she mostly forgat what didn't intrest her when she read it in the daily prophet. The tournament was not in her special intrest since once she was a participant herself.

As the girl finally spoke up she could clearly recognize Bulgarian accent flying through the air. Now it was clear, she was bulgarian and though she didn't have nothing against Bulgaria or Durumstrang it slightly cut through her mind. "Oh right the triwizzard tournament i forgat about that. It's been a while since i quit the ministry so i don't save too much information through the news." she replied as the idea of the tournament finally hit her head.

"Oh i was a hogwarts student, but i graduated in june this year. Now i work at St. Mungo's" she replied as she took a sip of firewhiskey before she would say something else. Mari wasn't sure about what impression did she give to the girl and though her accent was more american then british, it still wasn't close to bulgarian which sounded a bit weird to Mariana. "So are you here as a champion, spectator, cheerleader what?" she asked trying to start less tense conversation.

Zhanna did not know how the girl had forgotten. It had been fine she had not recognized her as a Durmstrang-ian, even though she was sporting a book bag with the school's crest on it, but to say that she had forgotten... it pained Zhanna. She had been hoping to find that the rumors of the English being fools were wrong, hoping for one person to be the exception...

She had yet to find that person.

She nodded slowly. So the girl had attended Hogwarts... Well, that accounted for her obliviousness then. She asked why Zhanna was here and Zhanna once again winced. A cheerleader? Zhanna was independent. The only reason she would support her champion was to support her school. If her school got glory, so did she. "Vell, I signed up to compete but I shall be spectating. I plan to stay for the entirety of the tournament."

Mariana started to wonder how offending for a stranger it can be when you mix them up with British like herself. It was better to skip this topic as it seem unpleasant for both the girl and Mariana. "Don't be too sorry you're not competing. It's not that fun trust me i should know." she commented as she remembered, she participated in this tournament 2 or 3 years ago.

This new girl seemed like a rather challenge for making her chat a bit. But Mari was very persistant by nature so it would be hard to make her stop doing something even if it was acoss the limit. "Nevertheless, pleased to meet you my name is Mariana, Mariana Diggory." she said suddenly changing the topic as she offered the girl a hand hoping that was same in all countries.

Zhanna did not know what made the British so amicable and, even worse, so dedicated to getting the foreigners to talk. If someone did not respond to her, she rolled her eyes and passed them off as someone not even worth her time or consideration. They, however, seemed to take it as a personal challenge and pushed to get her to open up. As if.

She felt her hand wrap around the lighter in her pocket. Ah, sweet serenity, sweet sweet relief. Fire always calmed her down, always relaxed her. The girl offered a hand and then gave her name. Zhanna slowly reached out one of her cold hands and gingerly shook it, saying. "Zhanna Charkov."

Mariana was particulary confused about the girl's actions. As they shaked hands, Mari did her best not to show she left coldness from them and successeded. "Well pleased to meet you Zhanna it is then." she said once again only using the girl's name she just managed to figure out from two words she said.

"So tell me about Bulgaria. I heard it's very cold over there is that true?" she asked still not giving up on trying to start a conversation which might seemed a bit apsurd, but she decided to try for a little longer. Sitting in the pub after all was more intrested when having a company.

Zhanna's cold eyes penetrated the warm pair of those of the girl's across from her, Marianna. Ah, a Diggory, then? So the tournament was in her blood? A name like Diggory meant a few things. It mostly meant fame. Fame meant money. Money meant power. Power meant prestige. Prestige meant that Zhanna was going to find a reason to warm up to this girl very quickly.

Marianna asked about Bulgaria, and Zhanna usually would have stared at her before giving her a cold,condescending look. But now, now that Zhanna knew that this girl was not completely and utterly useless to her, she would say whatever Marianna wanted to hear. "Oh yes, it is, but it does make it more pleasant here." As if it were pleasant here... "Tell me a bit about... here. I don't know much."

Zhanna's attitude slightly changed. Mariana did not know if she hit where she should or this girl was simply a mood changer. "Oh you must have heard about my uncle i assume. His name was Cedric." she said not changing tone or expression staying rather indifferent about everything what she was saying.

"Well i am not a big fan of cold, but i could spend a week or two in your country. It would probably be a good expirience." she commented as Zhanna answered her question. "Here? Well there's not much to say. Ministry is in crises, school is not what it once was, even people are becoming tense. Does ministry in your country function better then in mine?" she asked though the question was obvious since british ministry was the bottom of the bottom.