OUTFIT

---

The past months spent in Brasov had been all but a nightmare -- especially for that negotiations had failed left and right. Nothing had been resolved as well as that the one person that could be trusted left right as something had been so closed to being finished. He called it a 'dire emergency', but Gabrielle knew better than to trust her own father on this matter. She had needed him so badly, for once to stand up and be there for her when his own Ministry of Magic was starting to fall back into being picky on other Ministries, including London's. She had failed to let Dreogan and the others, including Marcus, to know what precisely was happening and this in return caused only confusion upon her arrival back into London.

Her return back into her division was met with suspicious looks, a few mutters of disapproval and certainly there were those who showed their relief to see a familiar face return. Entering her office was, at best to say, not tidy. Letters and newspaper articles lay strewn across the entire perimeter and soon, Gabrielle had it back to some standing order as she was able to turn on her wireless and listen to classical music as she began to look over what she had been missing.

It was evident Covi and Marcus had needed her on the lycan ordeal and she hadn't been around to assist them and she felt more than dumb when her eyes laid upon the article about Kabir. She had called her father a 'liar' and now was going to have eat those words back into her mouth like poison. What a fool she had been, eh? She had now much work to do and so little assistance at the moment. She would have to check up on Kabir and little would she know now at the moment, her own father was here in London himself. Oh, the agonies. . .

Hearing the soft strains of classical music, Vlad was tempted to just turn around and leave. Gabi was going to kill him...

She had been highly indignant when he left right in the middle of negotiations, but there were times that personal matters must take precedence over professional concerns. The near-death of a friend was one of those times.

As for the Romanian Ministry, once an Obteil always an Obteil; never mind that it was fifty years ago. Sometimes Vlad thought all witches and wizards should be forced to go live like ordinary people for a year or two after graduation, to get over the idea that they were special. Being a Muggle was much more difficult.

As for why he had not told Gabi what was going on...it was for her own protection. Ahmed had come to England as part of an investigation involving the international Black-Marketing not only of Runespoor venom but the creatures themselves, as well as many other live magical creatures, and the various products associated with them. A number of these creatures were now endangered due to that trade...

Since the International Confederation of Wizards was trying to keep a lid on how much they actually knew about the trade...and since apparently someone knew that Ahmed was working for them as well as the Indian Ministry...Vlad had not wished to discuss the case with Gabi. After all Ahmed’s knowledge had almost got him killed.

Vlad did not wish Gabi to become as endangered as the Crumple-Horned Snorcack...

Sighing, he let himself into the room, waiting for his daughter to notice that he was there.

^{(( TIME SETTING'S BEFORE KNOX'S ATTACK, SHORTLY AFTER THE MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE))}

The all too familiar sighs that would befall her ears told her almost immediately who it was. Typically, Gabrielle would acknowledge them with a smile to uplift them, offer a cup of something warm and bring an inviting atmosphere into the room -- this time was different as her eyes glanced up at her father only for a brief moment. She was certainly her father's daughter as well as a Murray; presently, she was showing her Romanian-Italian heritage, which meant to give off a cold and icy persona in the hopes to make the individual feel worse off, then to attack them with words.

She hardly found herself boiling mad at him, but he truly had done it this time -- leaving her with her own people without some form of telling her what was going on and then only to find it out what it had been once she returned back to the land of her birth. The scribbling of the quill against the parchment was scratchy and drawn out which indicated a sense of annoyance, which happened to be just it at the time. Gabrielle finally stopped in the middle of her writing to look up at him, which probably would make him see not only himself but his beloved Mina (in a sense) staring back at him. "Köd jutasz belsö (shadow take you)," she began, her eyes flashing pure determination to make him feel guilty.

"Do you know how it is to go overseas, that is, to the place of your father's homeland, hm? Probably, I have no doubt. However, do you know how it is then to take stances and proceedings to ensure a lasting and enduring relationship with a nation that already is on edge when they look at you and know that you are a descendant of a supposed bloodsucker? Perhaps. However, none of that would bother me as bad as this: A highly respected Romanian Ministry official leaving his child to ravenous wolves all because a man is attacked by Runespoors, of which I would highly sympathize for him indeed, but . . ." Her eyes flashed momentarily to what would almost seem red as she stood up from her desk, aimed her wand towards the door which slammed and locked instantly.

"YOU left me there. Alone. Explain yourself. Better yet, tell me why I should even have begun to really believe you were beginning to change after all these years, father. Are you playing me for a fool? I would hope not because I'm not going to sit around and be toyed around with. I needed you, London's Ministry needed you . . . and worst of all? I thought after all this time, you'd mend up your old ways by being more open with me. You sting me sorely, father, very sorely." Her glance never once left him and now, they awaited a convicted father's response.

Well...and who had she learned this cold and icy persona from? Vlad was not the sort to put up with recriminations, even from his own flesh and blood. To be more precise...especially from his own flesh and blood. After all she was not ten years old any more; she knew his life had been no bed of roses, no more than her own.

"Do you know how it is to go overseas, that is, to the place of your father's homeland, hm? Probably, I have no doubt. However, do you know how it is then to take stances and proceedings to ensure a lasting and enduring relationship with a nation that already is on edge when they look at you and know that you are a descendant of a supposed bloodsucker? Perhaps. However, none of that would bother me as bad as this: A highly respected Romanian Ministry official leaving his child to ravenous wolves all because a man is attacked by Runespoors, of which I would highly sympathize for him indeed, but...”

Vlad smiled faintly at the slamming of the door. He might have been tempting to flee while he could, before she acknowledged his presence, but once she started in on him  that was that, she would remember that Papa could give as good as he got.

“I,” he told his daughter calmly, without raising his voice, though there was an edge of ice in it, “am no more to blame for my ancestry than you are; and while yes, I had something to do with giving you life, I do not think you have yet objected to being here. As for ravenous wolves...” he couldn’t help smiling at the imagery, “are you telling me I have not raised you better than to go walking by yourself in the Carpathians, during the full moon? And as for the man attacked by Runespoor, he is not just a man...he is my friend. Colonel Kabir. I believe I may have mentioned him to you.” In fact he was certain he had, because Gabi had not yet found the right man, the Colonel was widowed, and...

"YOU left me there. Alone. Explain yourself. Better yet, tell me why I should even have begun to really believe you were beginning to change after all these years, father. Are you playing me for a fool? I would hope not because I'm not going to sit around and be toyed around with. I needed you, London's Ministry needed you . . . and worst of all? I thought after all this time, you'd mend up your old ways by being more open with me. You sting me sorely, father, very sorely."

“I did not intend to sting you,” said Vlad, relenting a little. “Nor am I playing you for a fool or toying with you, do not act like a child. I am sorry I did not notify you but I had to act quickly. What happened at the airport was not a random incident, it was an assassination attempt. Ahmed was gravely hurt, I did not know when I left whether he would survive, and I knew if he did that he would still be in danger. And remember...this is a man who has no family left. Except for myself, not one friend came to see him in St. Mungo’s. No one else from our Ministry, except for Law Enforcement, who treated him more as a suspect than as a victim. Not even a representative from his own Ministry...”

He hoped Gabi would see that Ahmed had needed him, and indeed that he had paid her an offhand compliment by leaving her in charge. He suspected she would. But whether she would admit it...?

A smirky look appeared on her features when he explained about poor Kabir Ahmed. Vlad couldn't say that to begin with, friends? Apparently not, so that made her simply want to laugh at her father, but she was a sympathetic soul for someone in dire danger. "It isn't too hard, Father, to at least send me a notice that someone was in trouble, but all that is over for now," she said as her face gave way to a smile finally. "I wish I had been there for the man, you must realize that. Had I know he was being hounded, I would have instantly left Romania as well. It's most surprising that no representation from India was to be found. Hm. I fear we're going to have ourselves a retribution sooner or later," she commented.

Her mind was still thinking about the 'ravenous wolves' notion and finally decided to speak up about that pointer. "Well, I had the best father available to teach me how to take care of the darker, more sinister wolves in the mountains of Carpathia. It's not them that I worry for: It's the ones who know that Vladislaus Dragulia's sole child is most unwed and highly favorable to escort on an evening stoll. They really find the best ways to get at me when you're not around."

Gabie was less angered now that she knew the entire truth, but still found herself with an injured pride: IT didn't matter any longer. Her father knew her often better than she knew herslef. "Well, now that I'm less able to blow us to smithereens, how shall we have a cuppa? If not that, whatever pleases your tastes, yes?" If her mother had taught her somet things prior to her death, one was to be forgivable, even if your anger was great. No one needed to live their lives always so bitter. "Aside tea, we have a great deal more to chat on."

Vlad saw his daughter’s smirk and the corners of his own mouth twitched. It was absurd to quarrel over something that happened almost a month ago.  "It isn't too hard, Father, to at least send me a notice that someone was in trouble, but all that is over for now."

Vlad nodded. He considered promising to notify her next time he had to go haring off, but he could not in good conscience make such a promise. The future was just too hard to predict. 

"I wish I had been there for the man, you must realize that. Had I know he was being hounded, I would have instantly left Romania as well. It's most surprising that no representation from India was to be found. Hm. I fear we're going to have ourselves a retribution sooner or later."

“Yes...it is very odd that his own Ministry did not seem to care whether he lived or died. In fact it is downright suspicious.” Vlad grinned. “A retribution? That sounds interesting. What did you have in mind?” He was sure that between them, he and Gabie could come up with quite a horrendous Howler, complete with sound effects. But somehow that seemed insufficient. Perhaps something from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, to go with it?

"...I had the best father available to teach me how to take care of the darker, more sinister wolves in the mountains of Carpathia. It's not them that I worry for: It's the ones who know that Vladislaus Dragulia's sole child is most unwed and highly favorable to escort on an evening stroll. They really find the best ways to get at me when you're not around."

Vlad grinned again. “Is there anyone I need to hang up by the toenails?”

"Well, now that I'm less able to blow us to smithereens, shall we have a cuppa? If not that, whatever pleases your tastes, yes? Aside tea, we have a great deal more to chat on."

“Tea will do.” He grinned again. “But made in a samovar, not that dreadful weak British stuff...” He often used to say that, just to get Mina going...

_{Samovar | Blood Orange Puerh | The Radio}

A samovar? Gabrielle thought momentarily about it, trying to remember at the moment what precisely what he meant. How embarassing indeed, especially that she had been well taught her father's family ways. What exactly it was came soon enough as she headed to a dark oak cabinet near the vintage cathedral radio that she was given shortly after Carmina and Stefan's passing. The classical music was constantly broadcasting to individual tastes according to whomever was in the room, thus the music was now playing Shostakovich's Galop and likely would stay in similar tastes since her father was around.

""Yes, I seem to remember Mother mentioning once or twice about your 'humbled' nature about the British Isles way of procuring tea. Luckily for you, I know that way and your own, Papa. I have some Blood Orange Puerh that I recently acquired -- should that please your delicate palate," she remarked with the smile never once leaving her face. Tapping the samovar, it sprung into action, warming itself up while she began to look for something to pair it with. Luckily enough, she remembered some of his favorites: Sweet biscuits with caraway and walnuts. "Just one moment, all right?" she commented as she left the room to let the secrectary know where to find such a bakery that fixed them. She was back rather quickly, taking a seat to her chair.

"No worries about those hounds in Romania. They know very well that you and I would easily dismount them from their lofty horses, yes?" she said, laughing at the mere thought of doing such things. "I sent my secretary out for a moment to bring you something back, so wed'll have to wait for that and then we'll enjoy the tea. Until then, have you anything to speak about to me?"

"Yes, I seem to remember Mother mentioning once or twice about your 'humbled' nature about the British Isles way of procuring tea. Luckily for you, I know that way and your own, Papa. I have some Blood Orange Puerh that I recently acquired -- should that please your delicate palate.”

“Excellent. And by the way that samovar is magnificent. Wherever did you find such a beautiful thing?” The samovar handed down through his family since the days of Ivan the Terrible had been confiscated during the People’s Republic days and now sat in a museum in Bucharest. Vlad could have demanded it back after the fall of the communist regime but it seemed to him that would have been ungenerous.

He smiled when his daughter tapped the samovar and it began to warm itself, humming quietly. It had been a long time since he had tea prepared the way he really liked it.

"No worries about those hounds in Romania. They know very well that you and I would easily dismount them from their lofty horses, yes?"

Vlad smiled faintly. Yes, the young men back home would definitely think twice before attempting to take liberties with the daughter of Dragulia. Sometimes being a rumored bloodsucker had its perks...

"I sent my secretary out for a moment to bring you something back, so wed'll have to wait for that and then we'll enjoy the tea. Until then, have you anything to speak about to me?"

“Well...yes. Now that Kabir is recovering, I thought it would be nice for the three of us to have dinner.” He looked at Gabie warily. It is true, the last time he attempted to play matchmaker had been a disaster...

How was he to guess that the man would show up in drag?

The samovar . . . Gabie stared over at it as if was something of a lost relic, trying to recollect where exactly she had obtained it in her adventures. No, not from that man who had believed he was descended from Persian royalty and that he swore she must've been related to Lucrezia Borgia. Nor was it that most irregular Istanbul female who had thanked her for Gabie ending the reign of terror in Turkey. Who was it from really? "You know, Father, I can't remember truthfully. Perhaps it was from someone in Belarus or then again from Croatia, even Moldovia. A most thankful individual is what I can rightly recall," Gabrielle remarked as the door opened. Her secretary handed her the brown paper wrapped package, remarking to say something about it taking 'bloody forever' to translate and then headed back out to the front office.

A grin appeared on her face as she opened it -- "Help yourself as I get the tea for the both of us. It's your old favorite, mind you: sweet biscuits with caraway and walnuts. I think there's also some rum cookies as well as a Baba Romania for later on." Grabbing two rather large tea cups, she poured some of the tea into each before heading back, inhaling the intoxicating scent of an orange. Placing one before her father before herself, Gabrielle took the seat next to him rather than going behind the desk this time around. Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major with a bouzouki instead of the usual mandolin was quite interesting indeed. She was soon smiling at him, even as he spoke of having Kabir over at her abode for dinner.

The look on his face said something -- perhaps to do with an Aubrey Bailey? She had the tea cup behind her face but was grinning nonetheless. Vlad had been quite embarassed and slighlty appalled (as she recalled somewhat), whereas Gabie had simply been understanding but a little shocked too. "Aubrey was a good man, er lady, if that 's what's on your mind. However, so is Kabir -- I wouldn't mind to have him for dinner, but then again, I'm not your monther entirely. I don't have people lining up in hoardes to come over for dinners or parties for that matter. That was her specialty, if I recall. After all, she gave one heck of a hoopla when I graduated from Hogwarts, right?"

"Help yourself as I get the tea for the both of us. It's your old favorite, mind you: sweet biscuits with caraway and walnuts. I think there's also some rum cookies as well as a Baba Romania for later on."

Vlad smiled. Gabie had not forgotten his sweet tooth, which used to infuriate her mother because no matter how many sweets he devoured he never gained weight. “Heavenly,” he murmured, inhaling the steamy fragrance of the tea. Gabie had chosen just the right treats to go with it; and Vivaldi’s Concerto in C Major was one of his favorite pieces. As of course she would know since she had heard him play it often enough. Though he preferred the lute. His was an antique, from Venice.

Vlad had been horrified by the way Aubrey looked when he showed up for dinner that night. In fact he had wondered ever since if Cindi Lauper was a woman or a man, since there had been marked similarities...

"Aubrey was a good man, er lady, if that 's what's on your mind.”

“Yes he is,” Vlad agreed.  "But not as a son-in-law," he thought.

“However, so is Kabir -- I wouldn't mind to have him for dinner, but then again, I'm not your mother entirely. I don't have people lining up in hordes to come over for dinners or parties for that matter. That was her specialty, if I recall. After all, she gave one heck of a hoopla when I graduated from Hogwarts, right?"

Vlad chuckled. His ‘sainted’ mother had invited every pureblood family from Moscow to Milan, Istanbul to Archangelsk, to that party. The only requirement was that they have available sons between the ages of thirteen and forty...

He grinned, remembering when Pietro Domanini, suave and  handsome but also a notorious womanizer and fortune-hunter, descended upon Gabie. Vlad had been on his way over to make it clear that if Domanini laid a hand upon his daughter, the Italian would find himself missing a limb or two.

But he needn’t have worried. When the smoke cleared, Domanini was running toward the nearest exit, fast as his legs would carry him. Something about him didn’t look right...

The topic of Aubrey Bailey ended as the two went off talking about other things. It seemed, however, that her father was enjoying the brew (desserts as well -- of course, as was with her mother, Gabie knew the key to a man's heart) and brouhaha of her life at the moment. She too, found comfort in the tea, however something also told her that he was up to no good. Naturally, her own assumption predicted quite true as a grin fell upon her father's features.

She missed often enough of seeing him smile: It was a feature Gabrielle recalled seeing some of the time growing up, the other times not seeing it at all. Such was the case when Mina had passed -- shaking her head, Gabrielle turned from such thoughts to return the smile back at him. "I like, no, *iubire when you smile. It really makes me feel a bit more at ease, especially with all the troubles that seem to be occurring as of late in the world, hm?" she finally spoke as she finished her cup of tea. Her eyes glanced across the room as something had her distracted -- in fact, she was. The thought of troubling herself with Kabir in the hopes to make her father happy really did have her worried. After all, hadn't her parents aoided a prearranged marriage, denying what their own parents had set for them?

Indeed they had. Now she felt that she had to do something to appease him adnt aht was to go ahead with this planned dinner escapade. "So, since you're persistent without saying anything, Father, when should I be ready for Kabir?"

Checkmate.


_{* = love; sorry for the shortness}

"I like, no, *iubire when you smile. It really makes me feel a bit more at ease, especially with all the troubles that seem to be occurring as of late in the world, hm?"

“I am glad you feel more at ease with your old Papa,” replied Dragulia. “I would like it to be so with us from now on.” He spoke in his native language, which he knew she would understand.

"So, since you're persistent without saying anything, Father, when should I be ready for Kabir?"

Vlad chuckled. “I thought I had said quite a mouthful already. But as for when, it depends on how formal you want to go with this. I had thought more of a small family dinner, to get to know one another. That would not take so much in the way of preparation.  But...if you would prefer something bigger, I suppose it is time Ahmed started learning how to deal with the diplomatic community. After all he is a mountain chieftain, not a Maharaja...”

He wondered if Gabie was in touch with her half-brother...and whether Spence would come to a family dinner if he knew Vlad would be there. If Spence could be convinced, it might actually be better if there were more people around, for insulation...

As for Gabie’s other suspicions, Vlad would never try to arrange a marriage for either of his children. But how would she know Kabir wasn’t her type, unless she met him?

“What do you think?” he asked his daughter.

 Checkmate.

When Day Is Done (the Song <3)

As if the situation could have gone any farther from what it already had, her father kept some of it in check as he spoke back in Romanian. It was comforting very little since she felt as though there had to be a check in balance. A big gathering in the hopes it would help Kabir out? Ye GODS NO. She was not going to thrust the Indian into a scheme of politics, foods and potential disaster in one filled evening. Her own memories of a such ordeal had not gone over too well: Albert Jonas or “AJ” Simmons had placed into his sentencing at Azakaban, her father was in a celebratory mood and well . . . every Ministry worker from Point Barrow, Alaska to Caroline Island, Kiribati. It had caused her brain to almost explode from all the names she had to remember for acquiring – she had not quite forgot about the whole ordeal and even now found herself trying to reconcile with it entirely. Shaking her head to rid such thoughts, Gabrielle poured another glass of tea for the both of them even as the radio crackled as it began to play an all too familiar song. Her heart fluttered in both warm and cold thoughts of the past. Really now,  she thought as the teacup was placed between her lips.

“My honest opinion, Pap—Vlad? I know very well of his situation and I know he isn’t a chieftain, but I would desperately hate for Kabir to come to the gathering and simply be more prone to attacks, either physical or verbal. After all, don’t you . . .” She stopped the thought there, refusing to continue these banters of ‘you did this,’ ‘you did that’ to me ordeals. Gabie knew she was much older than that, especially for the fact she was no longer some seventh year student or even an ickle firstie. Of course, about Quincy? She had not spoken to him in almost a month or so because of all the ordeals occurring in the wizarding world. Gabrielle knew he was all right and although it was somewhat all right with her knowing just that, she longed to see him again.

“What else have you on your mind other than dinners and Kabir? You look ragged. You’re not running yourself thin again, are you?” She hoped not.

“My honest opinion, Pap—Vlad? I know very well of his situation and I know he is a chieftain, but I would desperately hate for Kabir to come to the gathering and simply be more prone to attacks, either physical or verbal. After all, don’t you . . .”

Vlad grinned. He knew perfectly well what Gabie was thinking about...the Simmons party. Yes...that sort of function would be a bit much...actually, a lot much. And Gabie was right...even if no one came after Ahmed with a poison dart, at such a gathering there were bound to be those who would consider him a suspect just because he happened to be there at the time of the Robards murder. In fact Vlad was surprised that Rita Skeeter wasn’t accusing Ahmed of being the one who Imperiused Spencer. After all Vlad had messed up her little game of posing as  Samia St. James, and by now she would surely have found out that Ahmed was a friend of his...

Vlad didn’t take the ‘you did this,’ ‘you did that’ ordeals to heart, at least not with Gabie. With Quincy things were a bit different. It wasn’t that he didn’t wish to make amends with Quincy, but he seldom had the chance to even try. Whenever Vlad tried to establish contact, Quincy would agree to meet him, and then not show up. Vlad sighed. After all he couldn’t send an Auror to collect his stepson and drag him to dinner. 

“What else have you on your mind other than dinners and Kabir? You look ragged. You’re not running yourself thin again, are you?”

“Running myself thin?” he asked, smiling bleakly. “I don’t see how that could happen. I mean, yes...there’s the backlash against werewolves, after the fire at Hogwarts. And of course the rebellious Rusalkas. And the giant Vampire Bats in Belorus, the Water Horse in the Firth of Forth, and the Incubus in Cheapside...not to mention the two American Muggles he enticed, who wanted to keep meeting him. And there’s always the Runespoor smuggling. And whether the Katz abduction might be part of an international conspiracy against Muggle-Borns. You know how it goes...same old, same old...”

He waved his hand, to dismiss it all. “So...if a big kebbie-lebbie is out...” He’d learned the Scottish expression from Mina, of course... “How about just a small dinner? I hear Covadonga is back...”

Covi was back? Her eyes lit up hearing the name. It didn't matter to her at the moment how the devil he knew about her friends (though she suspected he only knew that they were just workers, then again, he was her father, right?), but it was best to just drop the scenario all together. "I hadn't heard that, hm. I suppose she'll be glad to be back home -- after all, Covadonga remains one of the few people I believe makes sense in this world and I respect her opinion. The two of us were working on werewolf legislation before I went to Romania and now that she's back, I have no doubt that we'll be working on that again."

It seemed that her own problems were trivial compared to her own father's. "You know, you could ask for help. Why not ask Elias from Greece? He's supposed to be here either right before Halloween or the day after. It seemed that he had a lot on his mind and well, apparently he's more willing to talk to me than his own supervisor?" Gabrielle didn't mind it, but being the savior at times really were worse than a thorn in her side.

"We could do a dinner, if that's what you'd really like to do. Kabir, Covi, her brother, you and me?"