Rip & Tear | Nadežda

[Nabih Al-Azma]

Last week of Summer Break 1974
Wednesday, Early Afternoon
Inside "Alles Saugt - Tea and Rare Books"

The boys were off shopping in Diagon Alley. One of his elves was with them, but keeping his distance, while Nanoot was in here with Nabih.

Nael and Benji had come back from camp in silence and that silence had not disappeared. The tension between the boys was a constant at home. Benji took himself out of it, riding around outside a lot with his skateboard and only coming home to eat and sleep. Nabih let him, knowing he would be able to find the boy if he wanted to. After his stunt with Elliot, Nabih had put the same spell on him as he had on Nael. Neither boy could just disappear, even if they wanted to.

Nabih was not entirely sure he wanted to know what was going on and even if Julia had found out, she had not told him. He was not worried though. Boys fought sometimes. It was normal. Maybe shopping together would help them clear the air.

Nabih Al-Azma had other things on his mind than his boys. There was a book he was after and a little bird had told him where to find it. It was not always easy getting the things he wanted, mainly because by now it was known he was a cog in the ministry wheels. But he made it work anyway. His ties to the ministry were to serve his family and to gain more power. His marriage to Julia had cemented that as well. There was no pureblood Britain without Al-Azma in it anymore. And that was good.

"Reliquiae Tenebris! I was told you have a copy." The clerk behind the counter gave him a wary look and then pointed over to the a set of tables to the side of the shop. "Sit, have tea, someone will be with you shortly." Of course, the usual. No one gave out a book like that just to anyone who asked.

Nabih strolled over to the tables, a familiar figure sitting at one of them. "Nadežda Zdravkova," the name rolled off his tongue with ease, as he stopped next to her table. "Enjoying some tea, or doing business?" Hers was not a face he expected here, especially not unaccompanied, but here she was.

Seeing her, reminded Nabih of the letter he had received shortly into the summer break. Headmistress Ivansko seemed to be under the impression that her opinion mattered to Nabih. Curious whether Liliya's aunt had received a similar letter, he pointed to the chair at the table. "Mind if I join you?"

[Nadežda Zdravkova]

The tea here was better than the pitiful brew they served at the hotel she and Liliya stayed at, even though Nadežda had picked the most expensive stay she could find. She had complained about it to one of the staff but apparently these people were simply too incompetent to get it right. After one failed attempt of improvement, she had ordered the too thin, too light tea taken back, dismissing whoever offered her compensation with a wave of her hand.

Finding this place had been a pleasant surprise, provided that the rarer books could be found here, along the better kind of tea.

'Umbrae Vitae: Secrets of Soul Manipulation' was laying in front of her, opened to a later chapters, binding her focus. This was one of the rarer books to come by, very much banned and forbidden everywhere, as far as Nadežda was aware. Coming in here and asking for it anyway had been a long shot, one she had gotten rewarded for.

She had been on the look for this specific book for years now, its contents extremely valuable to the family business and a perfect addition to the part of the library solely dedicated to mind-magic. Father would be pleased. This stay in Britain was already paying off. Still, nothing in this country ever seemed to compare to home. Things were dull here. Dreary. She couldn't stand it, but her duty was more important than her pleasure.

"Nadežda Zdravkova."

Her head snapped up, eyes locking onto the man standing next to her, gaze hard but softening once recognition set in. "Nabih Al-Azma," she echoed in turn, the name springing to life instantly.

"Enjoying some tea, or doing business?"

"I like to combine the two." She graced him with a faint smile. Those were typically hard to come by but she supposed the man who had fit the last puzzle peace was deserving of one.

"Mind if I join you?"

While her left hand casually closed the book, her right gestured at the empty chair across from her. "Not at all. Please." She slid the book to the side for now. Not because she wanted to hide it. They were both in a sketchy shop on a sketchy marketplace, likely looking for sketchy literature. She didn't know how the Al-Azma's made their money or gained their power. But undoubtedly is was just as cunning as the Zdravkova's and at least in part very illegal.

Her eyes followed his movements as he settled down. "What brings you here?", she asked, interested to find out more about.

[Nabih Al-Azma]

Nabih’s eyes fell on the book the woman had in front of her. Definitely business, combined with some good tea. It seemed they were alike when it came to this. The book she was reading was none of his business and they were not aquainted enough for him to ask her about it either.

Just because he had helped her with something she probably would have found out by herself a few weeks later did not mean they were friends. Nabih did not make friends - especially not with women.

Nabih sat down in the empty chair across from her and an elf appeared, serving him steaming black tea. At the offering of milk and sugar, Nabih just waved his hand at the creature and it disappeared again. Black tea was black for a reason. There was no need to spoil it with milk or sugar.

"What brings you here?"

Nabih looked back toward the clerk before resting his eyes on Nadežda. He raised his teacup to his mouth and took a small sip. "Same as you. A book." He already knew he would not leave here without it, so whatever the clerk was checking out, it did not matter. Nabih usually got what he wanted and today he wanted that book on relics.

"Did the family reunion go well? Liliya seemed happy the last time I saw her at school. Are you sending her to Durmstrang?" It would be sad to see such a talented witch go to another school, but it did make sense. But then this letter from Ivansko made it seem like Liliya Zdravkova would continue her education at Hogwarts.

Nabih observed the woman across from him for a moment longer. Had she taken this letter serious? Nabih certainly had not at first, but then he had thought about the match. It was not a bad one, although a rather risky one. Besides he had never been a fan of arranged marriages. It was simply what was done, but Nael still had some time.

Still.

"Did you receive a letter from Headmistress Ivansko concerning your niece and my son? Did Liliya say anything about what prompted this? Nael had no idea about it."

[Nadežda Zdravkova]

The minute crinkle of her lips hid within her cup, raised to her lips to take a sip before putting it down with delicate hands. Of course he wasn't going to tell her whatever it was he had come here for. A book. Just as her. No need to elaborate.

"Did the family reunion go well? Liliya seemed happy the last time I saw her at school. Are you sending her to Durmstrang?"

"She will go to Hogwarts," Nadežda stated without further explanation. It had been a discussion point of great importance. The girl needed to learn a lot more and a school like Durmstrang would have been the perfect place but the value of having her stay in Britain among the children of the high society the Zdravkovas were looking to join was not to be understated. It opened up an opportunity to wrench their foot into the door, to use the connections and rapports she had already established with her peers. Although some of those were more questionable than others.

But she had been warned.

"The reunion was good. She is very clever, very resilient. But she needs to learn much more still." It had surprised everyone, the fervour with which Liliya had taken on the amount of tutoring that had been loaded onto her shoulders the moment she had come home. She had taken it all without complaint, had been prim and proper and on time every single day, had excelled in every class. Nonetheless, there was a naivete about her that needed to be eradicated as soon as possible.

Nadežda already had the perfect thing in mind.

With time though. The right moment would come.

She saw the path Liliya was choosing to walk, knew the way she would eventually and inevitably fall and crash and break her pretty little head. But Nadežda wouldn't stop her. Let her break and burn a little. It would only serve her development in becoming what she needed to be.

"Did you receive a letter from Headmistress Ivansko concerning your niece and my son? Did Liliya say anything about what prompted this? Nael had no idea about it."

Nabih's voice broke through her thoughts and her interest spiked once more. "Yes, I did and she has." Her finely manicured fingernails tapped against the table, one after the other, once. "She has told me this woman is quite intense. Shallow. Not the kind that should lead a school as esteemed as Hogwarts." Ivansko had the right intentions but an interjection in other family's businesses like that still rang unbidden.

Although her suggestion had been an interesting one.

The Al-Azma's were big, powerful. With connections spreading wide and deep. Worth to entertain the thought.

"Liliya mentioned the woman has an unhealthy obsession with her students' relationships." An eyebrow arched in disapproval. "I do not know if she has any particular reason for pairing your son with my niece. She does not seem to the type to think too deeply." But maybe she had struck some form of gold.

There was no way her niece wouldn't get arranged at some point. No need to tell her this yet. Better to not overwhelm the child right away. She would find out soon enough.

"What did you think of this?"