I Don't Believe in Russian Fairytales | Eira

[Tigran Razi]

Last Week of Summer
A Small Eatery
Brunch

Unlike some jobs St. Mungos was a place that was all hours, which meant he got shifts that were scattered about - though kindly with gaps long enough he could sleep.  Which combined with the fact he didn’t complain about later shifts meant he got more later shifts - nothing to him considering prior jobs he had were on third shift making second shift seem almost early.  Though what was originally planned to be lunch quickly change to brunch - he was thankful Eira accepted considering how short a time period she had before returning to the castle.

He wanted to check up on Eira.  Admittedly, he wanted to check up at the beginning of summer but that went so quick and with everything else he hadn’t gotten to.  After all, he wasn’t the type to believe in fairytales like long lost family finding and taking in a lost child and so forth.  Especially so late in the game as if a family thought they had a missing relative watching the first year rolls of Hogwarts, or the news articles on quidditch and dueling would have logically found Eira earlier.

In his opinion Eira was top notch, and any family that waited this long to find her was suspicious or incompetent.  Or she was hidden from them for a reason which made him more curious.  A curiosity that stopped quickly in his head due to the name of the family the Zdravkova family.  They were new to Britain, one of the newer criminal families entering Britain to fill the gap that the Razi family was leaving  in various criminal enterprises due to there instability and individualistic nature of many of his more esteemed relatives causing some of there businesses to be less profitable.  If Eira was hidden the distance disappeared, and if they were incompetent it would be better to pull someone like Eira into the family fold earlier as an ally.

The Zdravkova family was smart and maintained a reputability in Russia that they brought to Britain that made him not even want to mention some of their underpinnings.  What to say to Eira twisted in his head as he ordered food for himself and said he was paying offering Eira whatever she wanted on the brunch menu.

In the end once food was ordered and drinks arrived he cast an audible Imperterbable Charm as he looked around thankful they'd gotten a table a bit away from others.  Then he asked lightly " How are things going with the Zdravkova family?  

It was still public so not everything could be said, but he knew how to listen for the clues of trouble from years of having witnessed or been in various troubling situations.

[Liliya Eira Zdravkova]

Eira was spending the few days remaining until term started in London with her aunt, doing last minute shoppings and enjoying various trips across town, having dinners and getting excited for her return to Hogwarts.

Tigran's letter had conjured a smile on her face, asking her to meet him for brunch in one of Diagon Alley's cafes. The older boy had quickly become one of Eira's early friends, their shared fates as orphans being one of the reasons Eira had began trusting where there had never been such a thing before. There hadn't been much time for them to hang out the past year, with him studying for NEWTs and her unravelling a coil within herself to evolve into someone new entirely. She had missed their hangouts though and was eager to see him.

Naturally, Eira had let her aunt know about her plans, the mention of the name Razi eliciting an intrigued raised eyebrow on Nadežda's face. If she were honest, Eira had been something close to shocked when she found out about how deep the Razi's fingers reached into criminality in wizarding Britain. It had occurred to her then, to wonder about Tigran's immediate family and how he wound up where he was, considering the name put after his first.

A smile grazed her lips when Tigran offered to pay, hiding away the urge to decline his offer, considering the amount of Galleons her aunt nonchalantly gave her every time Eira went out alone. But she had been taught to accept offers as such, regardless of potential disbalances in funds.

So she ordered without complaint, taking a sip of her drink, stilling briefly when Tigran cast his spell. Odd.

"How are things going with the Zdravkova family?"

Eira sat down the glass, curiosity spiking.

"It's going pretty well", she began, unsure of what Tigran was out for. "They're all really nice. I've had all sorts of lessons and stuff and I'm sure I still don't know the half of it all." She grinned at him over the table. "But I guess that comes with being thrown into a new family after fifteen years." Eira had learned a good chunk of the Zdravkovas background and history, their businesses and their workings. And like all pureblood families, hers was scheming and manipulating right along with everybody else, pushing or pulling however needed to get them what they wanted. Eira could slowly feel herself becoming a part of that as well, gingerly roped in by the members of her new family.

"Why?", she added after a moment of thinking.

[Tigran Razi]

He was happy to hear the word well in her description of how things were going.  While he didn’t believe in fairytales he’d love to be wrong on that account.  Though the word lessons made his breath catch slightly as she said it as he remembered his own.

He also remembered lessons were very much based on station in the Razi family the contrast between having squib parents and being the grandson of the Head of Family as a child meant he saw the range.  A range most didn’t see or understand as if more had perhaps the balance of the Razi family would have been better maintained.  Even if he thought that some of the lessons he received due to being at the lower ranks of the Razi family were cruel.

The catch were Eira said the lessons involved knowing which might be different from his experiences.

He said “ Are the lessons knowledge or training experiences? “

Then he realized how odd his words were so he said instead “ I’m not trying to learn the Zdravkova family secrets.  I could care less about there businesses.  However, my family had lessons too and I was in an odd spot where I got to see both ends of the gauntlet.  The lower end was unpleasant to the point of cruel.  In many ways the lower end was aimed at building someone who could be no better than a lackey if they were foolish to let those lessons put them in that place.  Which in my family it was oddly part of the test to not let someone place you in that position though they did take advantage of those weak enough of mind to be used as a lackey by saying how good they were at it. “

That probably made less sense.

He said “ I just want to make sure you’re ok.  With orphans like us people look at what’s most convenient for them and if a place opens up they’re happy to send you to it without caring sometimes if it is good or not for us. “

[Liliya Eira Zdravkova]

Her gaze dropped for a moment as Eira listened to Tigran. She hadn't even considered such a possibility. That maybe she might be formed into something expendable, something to be used in whatever it was the Zdravkovas wanted at any given moment. In a sense, she knew exactly that that was her new life now. She was part of something bigger and she had to do her part alongside everyone else. But maybe she had underestimated just how calculating pureblood families could be.

Tigran's words were proof enough of that.

And Eira had suspected all along that she was being tested of how capable she was, what she could take. It had all been easy, nothing as cruel as Tigran suggested. Lessons, socialising, understanding the ways of their circles.

Eira's eyes found Tigran's again, a smile on her lips. "Thanks Tigran, I appreciate that." And she truly did. Others had obviously asked about her new home but no one had expressed any concern for her. "So far it's been mostly theoretical lessons. You know, stuff like etiquette, history, business. Things like that." There had been practical lessons too but those had been rare, mostly containing instructions in how to best manipulate others to get certain information.

"I'm not saying they only brought me back because they love me so much." Eira shrugged once. "I know they want to use me to achieve their goals, like they do with every member." The more people, the better, after all. "But I don't think I need to worry. They treat me well. Like family." Which she was, she supposed.

What she didn't say was the fact that even if they were making her into something they could use, Eira wasn't deterred by that in the slightest. Quite the opposite. She wanted to become a part of them, wanted to prove herself and be something important. She wanted to belong and she would do what was necessary.

[Tigran Razi]

He nodded. 

The mention of etiquette, even if boring a subject, was in his mind a good one.  Low level lackeys didn’t need etiquette.  In fact, for low level lackeys etiquette could almost hurt them as once one started talking in the higher circles one would start gaining more ambition.  That and the realization that they were the muscle that fueled the success of those higher than them.

At least Eira had some reality in the situation, but there was something to be said for being treated well and like family.  He missed it even from his own family that had ditched him.  It was the reason he still helped Brutus out on occasion and would occasionally sit at the bar with his cousins listening to them yammer on about things foolishly.  There was a bond with family due to shared experiences that even if he didn’t like them for the most part it created a sort of truce.

With a small smile he said “ I get it.  There’s a weird bond of that family has that doesn’t seem to work outside of it.  A collective goal that families like ours have. “

He understood the temptation.  Brutus’ father had even offered him a job and a place to work for him multiple times since his parent’s death - the only one who had in his extended family.  The catch was he knew that place.  He’d spent a large amount of time at Hogwarts trying to lift Brutus from being the lackey he was becoming now that he graduated.  As he knew, unlike himself, Brutus was too soft and would just end up tossed aside unless Brutus’ father protected him.  He also knew he was one of the ways Brutus' father was trying to protect Brutus.

Then he smirked as he said “ I’ve never seen pawns taught etiquette beyond the basics to fool them into thinking they’ve been taught it.  Brutus is a good example of that. “ 

Then he looked around and said “ Things like the connections you can get from having good etiquette and learning the circles, good grades on you exams, and reputation for being skilled can be both good insurance policies and help you mold how you’re fit into that puzzle. “

He knew most didn’t think about the influence they had on their own position.  It wasn’t something he’d thought about till he’d reached rock bottom on the streets realizing how much he could influence others perception of him and used those childhood lessons to do just that.

Then he said " What do you want to become? "

[Liliya Eira Zdravkova]

It was true, what Tigran said. About families like theirs having a special kind of bond, one that Eira had never experienced before. And it felt too good to be a part of than to ignore or reject. Instead she did what she was told, did it as best she could and worked to gain their trust and respect and love. To help in achieving that goal every pureblood family had. Power, influence, money.

She didn't do it just for her own ego, to become someone important herself one day. A good portion of her motivation lay in the fear of being abandoned again, or, like Tigran had suggested, being made into something expendable.

His next words eased that thought though. Her classes had exceeded well past the basics, had taken up most hours of her days. Eira had also seen Brutus, had experienced first hand what kind of person he was and it made sense that his family made him into something less intellectually trained.

She nodded when he explained how being good at these things could bring her even more advantages and propel her forward. It made sense. The better integrated she was, the more connections and information she collected, the more valuable she would become. And the easier she would find her place in all this.

"What do you want to become?"

The glass in her hand halted midway and Eira set it back down. She hadn't gotten that far yet. "I don't know, honestly," she shrugged, contemplative. "Maybe something like my aunt. A business woman. She is responsible for certain branches. And some more on the side." Truth was, Eira didn't know enough about how things ran to name something she specifically wanted to become. She did know what she was right now though.

Another shrug and she added, "Some of my family specialise in Legilimency. Maybe I'll do that."

[Tigran Razi]

He understood not knowing what one wanted to become at the age Eira was.  At this moment before his own fifth year he’d been in St. Mungos being forced into the wizarding social service system after deciding he was done with the wizarding world complete with a muggle job lined up.  That muggle job was going to be the what he’d become an accepted what that would work on the docks and railroads till he could get into one of the unions which would make the decision of which for him. 

Being tossed into the wizarding system and back to Hogwarts before his fifth year had changed the course of his life and made him reconsider his wants.  Wants that reverted back as close as wizardingly possible of the dream he had of becoming a muggle doctor he had before he’d even gotten his Hogwarts letter.

He nodded as she mentioned wanting to be a business woman like her aunt.  He wondered if anyone had stepped in when he needed it with a good example in the wizarding world if he’d of wanted to be like them.  Though the mention of legilimency was an interesting note, one that showed a failing in whatever lessons Eira was being taught.

He debated mentioning his own interest and pursuit of the subject, but stopped considering the eagerness he suspected Eira had to please the Zdravkova family.

He said “ It’s interesting legilimency.  I’ve always looked at it as one of those things people claim to have the ability for as way to say they know something they found out through some other connection they don’t want to admit.  Though, I’ve also read some interesting medical journals about the wizarding mind relating to it as an expansion of how we can hear ghosts but muggles can’t hear them.  Like a trainable extension of ones senses opposed to a gift of divination ability such as seers are.  If you decide to pursue it I’d be happy to point you to some good references I’ve found over the years. “

His words lies as he knew legilimency was something families like theirs, and those who got high in the ministry ranks specialized in for the advantages it gave them to read peoples mind.  It was the whole reason he was interested and working on learning occlumency so he’d not be those peoples stepping stone - and to protect his own thoughts.

He hoped if Eira did pursue it she’d mention it to him in the future, but he was smart enough to know Eira was an open book to the Zdravkova family at this time.  An open book he'd rather be an uninteresting footnote in if his name were mentioned to them.  As he was truly uninterested in the Zdravkova or even his own families enterprises at the current time.

He continued “ I heard more talk of psychometry growing up, which is reading the history of objects, being pursued due to the practicality it has in many lines of business.  When, I was working as a bartender last summer at the Snake Pit and it was entertaining how often people would try to sell things off and use enchantments to give off an energy they claimed was something else.  Psychometry got me a good extra tip one night when someone folded quickly after I was asked to look at an weird object.  Still not sure what it really was as they ran quick. “

Then after a pause he asked “ Did you have any idea of what you wanted to become or your goals before the Zdravkova family?  Obviously, things have changed but …“ 

He let himself stop before finishing that sentence curious how the blank would fill itself.