The Orlov family name was one which struck fear into the heart of many a Russian; muggle and wizard folk alike. To any other, it was just a name which, after the initial pique of interest at it's foreign sound, would blend into the background like t...
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CHAPTER X | A Very Black Christmas
"That was amazing!" Odessa enthused, discarding her empty box of popcorn in a bin as her and Lily walked out of the cinema.
Lily laughed at how easily impressed Odessa was at what, for her, were just everyday things. "There's another movie coming out on the 26th that I want to see - Jaws; it's about sharks. Can you come?"
"I'm at Sirius'," Odessa said mournfully.
"We can just go another day," said Lily.
The pair had been to the cinema that evening to see a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was the first time Odessa had ever witnessed a film. In fact, Lily had introduced Odessa to many muggle things and the pureblood witch was in awe of it all. The new friends had spent every day of the Christmas holidays together so far and the first time Odessa went to Lily's house she received a fair few shocks. The hairdryer, for one, certainly gave Odessa a fright.
"I wish I'd taken Muggle Studies!" Odessa moaned. "I thought it would all be so boring but here I am being proven wrong."
"Well, you were right since Muggle Studies is actually quite boring. Instead, you have me to show you all the fun muggle things and skip over the boring ones." Said Lily cheerfully.
Bright and colourful lights were strung above them as they walked down a bustling London street. They turned into the first quiet side street they saw and Odessa stuck her wand arm out, summoning the Knight Bus. The purple triple-decker materialised and came skidding to a halt in front of them.
"Evenin' ladies," said the conductor once the doors opened with a hiss. He was a balding elderly man with a kind face and a hunched back. "Where will you be needing to get to then?"
After telling the old conductor their destinations and handing over the correct sickles and galleons, Lily and Odessa took seats at the back of the bus. They chatted animatedly about the film they'd just seen and the presents they'd bought that day, and Odessa forgot about her dreaded trip tomorrow. But in another part of the same city were some who most definitely hadn't forgotten about Odessa's visit the next day.
"Walburga, there is nothing left to do." Orion Black tried to soothe his wife, leaning across the table and taking her hands in his. "The entire house is spotless, there is absolutely no way she could find fault with it."
"The girl is an Orlov and a Lucchesi," Walburga snapped, snatching her hands out of her husband's grasp. "She will be accustomed to certain standards, and I will not have her feeling unsatisfied with her stay."
