Not so much as strangers

Quinn got to the lake on the hot day. It was still summer and she was glad that she was still on break. She didn't want to return to Hogwarts where she only had a few friends, she wanted to go to back to her school but could not. Quinn would just make due on what she has and she will be reunited with her friends and boyfriend once again when xmas break comes. Right now she was living in the now and trying not to think of how many more days, weeks, or months she will return to Hogwarts. Quinn heard a branch break and looked to see a familiar face.

Detouring. That's all he was doing. He hadn't been to this part of France before, then again it was a muggle area. Tobias and his Uncle Vlad allowed him to go out for a bit, to get out and about instead of being stuffed up inside the big castle.

He took a path through a large forest that led to a lake. He could smell the water from a distance, as well as the scent of people. It was a hot day, Demetri took notice, but it didn't bother the half vampire, not that much.

As he neared the lake, he caught the scent of someone he was sure he had met before. Walking closer, his foot caught on a branch and as it snapped the girl who stood a few feet away, turned and Demetri's assumptions were right.

"Hey, you're Quinn, right?" he asked walking up to her, a small smile on his face.

Quinn saw Tobias's cousin Demetri standing there. She was relieved it wasn't someone else, someone Quinn was hoping she didn't see, like ever. But knowing him he'd show up just to annoy the crap out of her. Quinn nodded to him.

"Yeah it's Quinn and you're Demetri, Tobias's cousin" Quinn said more of knowing who he was then question wise. How could she forget her boyfriend's cousin? Anyone from his family she'd never forget who was who. "I'm a little surprised to see you here" Quinn stated.

Demetri stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded. "That I am." he said with a sigh, but he still smiled. He was still not over the fact that he had found extended family, and that he was able to live with them. It made him feel at home, well more than he ever had anyways.

"Just detouring. Haven't been to this part before. Plus it's hot, and there is water here." he said gesturing with his head towards the water. "I don't know if I'll swim, but, I may cool my feet off or something." he said with a shrug.

Turning his head towards Quinn, he asked, "So what brings you out here?"

Quinn offered him a small smile when he confirmed who he was. When he told her why he was here she listened to him and looked at the water and back to him. "Yeah it is hot" Quinn agreed. She swore that if this wasn't normal, she'd totally blame mother nature for making it really hot out.

Quinn shrugged and answered his question. "Well I was home alone and I didn't feel like being in the air conditioning anymore and wanted to walk and when I felt how hot it was outside I decided to come here to be near the lake in case I wanted to cool off or something".

"Ah. Fun. So do you live around here? or...?" he asked looking around. He was sure that Quinn went to Hogwarts, and if she lived in France, he wondered why she didn't go to Beauxbatons. It didn't matter to him, really, he was just curious.

Looking up to the sky, he squinted into the sun, and smiled. He was actually beginnning to enjoy the warmth. It was oddly too cold in his uncle's castle, and so to be outside, in the warm heat of the summer, it made Demetri happy.

Quinn nodded to him. "Yeah I live in France but I go to school in England for reasons" Quinn said to him. Quinn saw him look up to the sky and she took notice that he was enjoying being outside. Was Tobias and Mr. Count bad? No, they weren't. She knew both of them for almost two years.

"Enjoying the breeze" Quinn teased. She didn't want things to be awkward with the two of them. She wanted to get to know him.

"Well, France is nice." he said, smiling. He didn't question her on her reasons for going to England for school. In fact, he himself used to live in England and then went to school in Russia, so it was no different, aside from their reasoning.

Demetri let out a low chuckle, glad that she wasn't feeling awkward talking to him. He could sense in her emotions, that she wanted to get to know him better, and he felt the same. She was Tobias's girlfriend, and they would be seeing a lot of each other, which meant that they should get along.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself. What are some things you like to do?" he asked, trying to get the conversation going.

Quinn smiled and instantly agreed with him. "That it is nice, I recommend the effle tower when it's dark out, the lights are so gorgeous and it's absolutly breath taking" Quinn said. Even though she had that one bad experiance, it wasn't going to stop her from going back up there and staring at the lights.

Quinn thought about his question for a moment. Well what could she tell him about herself that wasn't boring. "Well I like to hang out with friends from France and England, I read when I get bored, I swim, go on walks, use the bond that Tobias and I created to my advantage" Quinn grinned at that. She looked at him and continued. "I just like to keep busy, the more I do the less I am to be bored" Quinn explained. "What about you? Tell me about yourself?" Quinn asked.

"Oh, well I'll be sure to check it out." Demetri said nodding. He hadn't really had time to get out and explore France, well not all of it anyways. So he hoped one day soon, his uncle and cousin would take him out.

Quinn seemed to have her hands full of things she liked to do. Then again, he supposed everyone did. "Well for starters, I like to duel, though I admit I am crap at it. A friend of mine agreed to help me with it." he said with a slight laugh.

"Er, I like to hang out with my friends, and my new found family. I like knowledge, so reading, I suppose and...flying!" he finished, bouncing a little on his toes. "Oh, I guess you could add blood but you probably already knew that." he added with a small laugh.

"That's good" Quinn offered him a smile. It was nice to talk about something other then school for once or just being home in France for that matter. It made her a little upset to be completely out of her element.

Quinn couldn't contain her giggles. "How can you be bad at something, I'm shocked, but then again you're nothing like your cousin, he is more confident in things he does and sometimes he is a pain in the ass but you gotta love him" Quinn smiled. "So who is the friend helping you?" Quinn was curious.

Quinn watched as Demetri got excited when he say the word 'flying'. "So you like to fly? That's cool, what position do you play on the Quidditch team?" she assumed he was on it. "Yeah I do know that already, but you could add that, that is still considered something to do" Quinn guessed.

Demetri shrugged at her question, and even laughed a little at how silly it must have sounded for a vampire, well half, to be bad at something.

"He is very much more confident in certain things, and even though I still have yet to know him, he is a little pain in the ass." he said with a grin. "But he's a nice guy, that's what counts." he said with a nod. Though he still didn't know all that much about his cousin, he had to admit he had his days of good and bad, but overall he was a great guy.

"A girl at my school. Blake Estrella." he said smiling. His newest friend, and one he was grateful to have.

Raising an eyebrow at her assumption, Demetri felt his cheeks heat up in embarassment. "I'm er...not actually on the team. However, I do prefer to be a Chaser." he said with a nod and a grin.

Quinn had to agree. "Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks that, yes he is an ass but he is a good guy" Quinn smiled just thinking about her boyfriend. "But if you want to know more about him you can talk to me or Tobias's best friend Adam. He is a werewolf and Tobias's partner in crime if I am to be honest with you" those two were bad together.

Quinn noticed the smile. "I'm guessing by that look she is your first friend?" Quinn asked. He could lie but she could only imagine what it was like to be in his position and have people not accept you.

Quinn was a little shocked. "Demetri, if you want to be on the team than be on the team. People need chasers and what not" Quinn was trying to encourage him. She wondered if it had to do with the fact that he was afraid because of who he is.

Demetri laughed and nodded in agreement. "He is a good guy, otherwise he or my uncle wouldn't have taken me in." he said. As he looked up at Quinn, he noticed her smile, and he could sense her emotions, her love for Tobias at even the mention of his name.

"Not the first, but one of the only people who actually accept me." he said, smiling and then shrugging like it was no big deal. Even though...it really was. It was hard for him to find someone who didn't care about what he was, and accepted him. But at least he had Roxanna. Even if no one else could accept him, she could.

Giving Quinn a shake of his head, Demetri looked her in the eyes. "I really don't want to be. That's the one thing I'm sure of. I love to fly, but I've never had an interest in joining the team." he said firmly, and truthfully. He really never cared for joining the school team. It wasn't something he wanted to do, too much commitment. 'Maybe one day.' he thought.

Quinn had to admit he had her there. "You see, I would have to agree with you there" Quinn agreed. Quinn tried to wipe the smile off her face for thinking of Tobias while talking to his cousin. Quinn shot him an apologetic smile and listened to what else he said.

Quinn didn't know what it was like to be Demetri or Tobias. She didn't know what it was like to be a half vampire, half human. "I'm glad she did, that just means she is worth keeping around" Quinn said.

Quinn nodded at his response. "Good because if Beauxbatons and Durmstrang ever go up against each other, France will win" Quinn joked. Even though Quinn got sent to Hogwarts and she was no longer apart of Beauxbatons, she'd always root for Beauxbatons, it was and always will be her home.

Demetri felt Quinn's apology in her smile but also in the way her emotions were flowing. He didn't know why she was apologizing. Tobias made her smile and that was a good thing, he didn't mind her thinking about him. It shows that she loves him.

"Exactly." Demetri replied nodding and smiling. Blake was a good friend, so far anyways. And he knew somehow they would become great friends in the future.

Letting out a good humoured laugh, he looked at Quinn in the eye. "Perhaps. I know the french are good, but the Russians have their own talents." he said grinning. Though he wasn't Russian, he had gone to Durmstrang his whole school life, and it meant something to him, though he was still English at heart.

Quinn knew that he felt the apology smile she sent to him, which was good. She didn't want to be talking to him and be rude for thinking about his cousin. Quinn shook the thought from her head.

"But it is still nice that you gained a friend" Quinn replied. Everyone needed a friend, even if they were the meanest people in the world, you need someone with you.

Quinn nodded. "I see, well if they ever do go up against each other, I think you and I should make a bet because clearly you don't know the French" Quinn teased.

Demetri nodded his head, and smiled. It was true, it was nice to have a friend he could trust in. Blake at least seemed like that kind of person, once he got to know her better. "It is. It's always nice to have that one person you know you can trust in."

"Alright," Demetri said with a small smirk. "It's on."

He would love to see where this went. He was horrible with bets, but he would try, for the sake of trying.

Quinn nodded. "It is always good to have a friend like that, even if they are of the opposite gender" Quinn stated. She had a friend like that. Camille. Adam was also someone she could trust but it was more Camille since she knew her longer.

Quinn agreed. "Yes it is, if they go against each other you and I will go to the game and I will even bet you money that the French will win. I'm that generious" Quinn grinned.

Quinn would bet her whole savings if it mean't Demetri being wrong but Quinn would be stupid to bet ALL of her money, so she'd just bet a good amount if the French and Russian did have a match against each other.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed with a sharp nod of his head. Demetri had very few friends, Blake being one of them, along with Quinn now. He was certain he could count on her to be his friend.

Demetri laughed. "Alright. Next time their up against each other." he said grinning. He would agree to the bet, but wouldn't put everything he owned into it. A decent amount.

The half vampire oddly enough was looking forward to this, he had never done bets, at least not often, so this one he was sure was going to be at least one that was fun.

Quinn nodded and offered him a friendly smile. Quinn knew that after today, she would make a new friend. Demetri was a nice person and Quinn could actually see herself being friends with him. Even if he wasn't Tobias's cousin and she met him, she'd be friends with him.

Quinn grinned. "Than it is on Lancer" Quinn agreed with him. Oh it was so on.

Demetri grinned, and then laughed. He was so ready for this bet, whenever it happened. It wasn't like he wanted to show her up, he just liked the idea of doing something new, something he had never done, with a good friend.

Turning then, Demetri gestured for Quinn to follow as he began to walk around a little. He found if he stood in one place for too long, he got antsy. "So, looking forward to school? I am, more or less. I like school, and now I get to look forward to, hopefully going somewhere over the holidays." he said grinning.

He couldn't wait. For the first time in years, he would have a place to go over the Christmas Holidays, and that made him happy.

Quinn knew that he was excited about the bet. To be honest she was as well. A bet against someone for a Quidditch match, it was going to be exciting. Watching the game and cheering on the French and lets not forget rubbing it into Demetri's face when they one. Now Quinn was just believing the French would win.

Quinn followed Demetri when he gestured to her to follow him. Quinn couldn't blame him. It would be kind of boring sitting in one spot talking to a fellow friend. Quinn shook her head. "No, I'm not ready to go back to school. I mean I like the fact that I'm going to be a fifth year and I'll be two steps closer to leaving but I hate that I can't see Tobias, Camille, and Adam until holidays or summer" Quinn confessed.

"Why are you so excited to go back? Does it have to do with a girl" Quinn teased.

"Yeah, I guess school isn't always as much fun as summer vacation, but at least there is a guarantee to see your friends." he said as they turned and began walking down a dirt path. He wasn't quite sure where they were going, but he just wanted to walk. If he stood in one place for too long, he got stiff and really antsy.

Demetri glanced down at his feet in slight embarassment. He knew he was blushing a little, but he didn't care. "Maybe." he said looking back up and grinning at Quinn.

"Well, yes, actually. I get to see my girlfriend." he said, his grin widening at the thought of seeing Roxanna again. For once in his life, since he had met her, he felt happy and she accepted him, which made her a whole lot better.

Quinn nodded. "Yeah I guess and I know I will get to see them, it's just so far away and it never seems to go by quick enough, it goes by slow but when I'm not thinking about it, it goes by so fast. Like what is up with that?" Quinn hated when that happened to her, from now on she wouldn't think, she'd just do. They walked down a dirt path. Quinn didn't care where the two went, as long as she wasn't sitting down where she was at.

Quinn nudged Demetri a little bit. "I knew it" Quinn teasingly sang.

"Well, well, well Demetri, who knew that your girlfriend would be lucky to have a catch like you".