How Long Has It Been

Yasha walked through the gardens, listening to music by 'Matchbox 20' on his ipod. He was meeting up with Kallie. She was one of the only people he trusted during his time at durmstrang. She didn't mind his horrid russian. It was hard for him to transition from the swedish he spoke at home to the russian he spoke at school, and Kallie understood that. His russian had improved quite a bit since then and he could speak it fluently now. He was happy to be seeing his old friend once again. It would be terriffic. He was dressed in black jeans, a red t shirt and his grubby old denim jacket.

Even in her private time, Kallie could never seem to let go of the thought that she needed to look 'presentable'. It was a problem, she knew, that had born her lost of ridicule during school, even if by the later years, none of the students would say it to her face. She couldn't help being the way she was. It had always irked her a bit that other children couldn't see that. Kallie was never sure if it was herself, or them that had forced her to the outside of most social groups.

Depending on the day, she could be prone to blaming either party. Maybe the truth of it was that it was both of them together. Neither willing to see things from the other perspective.

Either way, the habit of presenting herself well through her dress had stuck into her adulthood. So, although she had not been in the office for a week or more, choosing instead to stay at home with Ev - not that the child noticed or cared - the woman still looked ready to work in a trim winter caught, and pressed jeans.

She had been surprised to hear from Yasha, the younger boy had been someone she had befriended so to speak - Kallie was still unsure she had ever made any 'friends' after Brock - when she had gone back to school. After Evelina was born, and the girl had to attempt to get her life back together, if for no other reason than to forget her pain, she had spent more than a few years back at Durmstrang, helping one of the professors while she attempted to work her way through an part time, underling ministry job. The two jobs had pulled at her, but even then she had held her ground.

And being so young still herself, she managed to still naturally gravitate towards the students - or as naturally as she had ever gravitated towards other people. She had always been awkward and the ordeal with Ev - which she hadn't told a soul about - had left her even more so.

Still, she had managed to make some semblance of a friendship, strong enough so, it seemed that the younger man still wished to see her.

As she walked across the garden, she felt a slight weight lift off her. This might have been the first time she had been out of the house in a week. Eli was right, she needed to get out more. A smile slide easily onto her face as she saw a familiar figure. Amusement crossed her mind at how differently they were dressed. Again she wondered how she had managed to speak to anyone let alone make relationships.

"Hello again," she called out in Russian. "It has been a long time, yes?"

Yasha turned around pulling his headphones off and grinning broadly.

"hello kallie, it has been forever" he chuckled a little "its very good to see you" he was speaking swedish but didnt notice. it happened more times than not. He didn't really care, but it bothered some people.

"i've heard you've done quite well for yourself, hm? minister of magic eh? sounds pretty fantastic. I can honestly say i envy you. I am the hunting professor at durmstrang and the head of hrabrost, but niether compare to you. That is just so wonderful. What else has happened in your life? with me, i finally met a girl, and we're thinking about going steady. She's one of the kindest women i have ever met.."

The boy was speaking Swedish again, a language she had only half picked up. There were slight gaps in her translations of his words, but she figured she had gotten the main point.

"I see you still favour Swedish," she teased lightly, sticking her hands in her pocket, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "Oh, there is nothing that great with where I am. Its just a job, like anything else. A professor sound far mightier to me. You help the next generation. I just tell people what to do."

Her face light up with genuine joy, she always enjoyed hearing other peoples good news, "Congratulations, really, it is always nice when we find someone. I remember..."

She trailed off, shaking her head slightly. It did not do well to dwell on what she remembered. The past was the past, maybe she should start endevouring to keep it that way.

"Well, I'm engaged," she held out her hand out of habit more than anything else. She loved looking at the way the rock settled on her finger. "He's a really... amazing man. English, but what can you do?" she gave a little laugh at her own half joke. "I never thought after..." bring up Brock at the moment just confused everything all over again. "I didn't think I'd love anyone again until I met him."