It was Hogsmeade weekend, the last of the year, and Dominik Wiedman's fifth-year cousin who had lived with his family the majority of her life was to be greeting him in the new bakery that had opened at the beginning of the month.  Dominik had yet to see the new establishment, so when he came upon the bubblegum pink front doors and cutely scripted sign, he had to stop in his tracks and stare momentarily.  Dressed like a bat in his casual black robes, he looked humourlessly upon the store front.  He hoped dearly that Liviana's threat of showing him off to her teenage friends had only been a cruel joke, because he wasn't quite sure he could survive a crowd of fifteen years old girls hopped up on sugar and who knows what else was in those cakes. 

It was probably better to just go inside rather than spend too much longer standing outside of such a place, not to say that there was anything wrong with the shop, per se, it was just not the best place for a Wizard with as dark and dangerous a reputation as his to be found, surrounded by pink and sugary upbeat warmth.  Dominik went in finally and had to half-grimace at the cheerful welcome he received, making his way to as close to a back corner as he could manage where he stole a seat at one of the tall tables there, draping his cloak against the back of a high chair. 

It did certainly smell pleasant inside.  It was warm and the atmosphere was gently inviting despite the powdery pink walls and clashing prints hung at random throughout the place.  Dominik looked down to see a vase of white flowers at the center of the table.  Quaint.  He pulled a folded Prophet out of his pocket and started reading.  He'd wait for Liviana; he had little interest in perusing the glass cases of treats himself.  Dominik was not overly fond of sweets.

There was something about the prospect of seeing her "brother" that had Livi walking on air. Her life was very insular as of late. She saw the same people, had the same conversations, the same catty encounters with her "peers"; with the exception of Lucas there was nothing in her life particularly new or happy. She wasn't unhappy as such; she just felt suffocated. Her family, though, that was something all together different - despite the pressures placed on her by Aliec and Dianora they were a never ending source of happiness for her. Even with Donimik, who so often was portrayed as beastly in the media (because in some regards he was) Livi found his softer side.

Picking her way along the cobbled street in a pair of heels that were sue to draw some reaction from Dom; she considered his letters and her subsequent conversations with Lucas about all possible future plans for the famous beater. She had considered "showing him off"... but in the end was too selfish. In the last year she had been hard pressed for Bruv time and she needed it. She needed something unattached to the bloody Monarchy, to the inherent girl competition that waged whenever her so-called friends were around. She was lonely and she needed time with just Dom to just be little Livi. As much as she cried foul part of what she loved so much about Dom was that he never wanted her to grow up; it felt safe.

She passed by the bakery window and from the corner of her eye caught sight of him reading the paper. He looked so comically misplaced in the bright and cheery bakery. That was the epitome of love to Livi; being willing to step into a place you didn't fit for the sake of someone else. There was a certain level of pride that welled up in her looking at him for that fleeting second. Her brother was Dominik Fracking Wiedman and he loved her enough to sit in a bright and sunny bakery when he was more suited to dark corners and Knockturn Alley. Complicated as their family was, complicated as her life felt - there was this one truth that run through fifteen years of her existence.

Pulling the doors open she left the idea of being "cool and aloof" on the street; right along with the notion of poised and stylish and what her friends might consider and excessive display of emotion. For a girl in heels that could double as weapons she moved quickly and easily through the sunny space to throw her arms around her hulk of a brother. He smelled so familiar, like tobacco and fire; the pitch and something that she could never name but was elementally him and so comforting.  She hugged him without a word for what seemed like ages but was more like two minutes before finally pulling back, "For a man with many issues you look surprisingly well rested and content Bruv, this pleases the Court".

Dominik hardly had time to stand before he was tackled in a warm and tight embrace from little Livi.  He hugged her in a most fraternal way, deeply and with great affect.  He always felt a sense of homecoming when he hugged Liviana after a long time apart; there was something about her relationship to the family that made him hurt for her when she was separated from them.  His embrace was filled with the attitude that all was now aright, that big brother Dominik was here for her and she was safe now.  He had missed her terribly, for little Liviana was in many ways his strongest connection to the purity of childhood.  In a sense it didn't matter that she was gradually growing up - she would always hold that place for him, of innocence and faith.

"Ohhh," said Dominik, feeling the hug tighten just as they started to turn into limp noodles again.  It felt very much like the times when she was younger and had clung to him like he was her favourite teddy.  When she finally pulled back, she was casual as can be and charming, too.  Dominik grinned.

"Is that right?" he said, amused.  "I can't believe how tall you are - Salazar, you're as tall as me!"  Putting aside the fact that he was not marvellously tall himself, Dominik was quite astounded at how the top of her head matched his... but, wait... was she was taller than him?!  "Blimey, are you - what kind of shoes are you - blimey, Liv!  Where'd you get those nad-kickers?"  His expression was pure astonishment.  Little Liviana was better off in ballerina flats as far as he was concerned.  He cocked a brow at her, as amused as he was disturbed at her different demeanour.  He should have been getting used to it by now, but he clearly wasn't, quite.

He dipped into his pocket and took her hand, dropping two galleons in her palm. 

"Oy, can you be a doll and order me as strong a cup of coffee as you can manage?  Have anything you like for yourself, pet.  Maybe I can take you shopping or out for a walk or someat.  And we can plan our mischief for the Summer, yeah?"

Liv felt like giggling, all her trouble with Lucas and Gracie was nearly forgotten. It couldn't be completely forgotten of course, anymore than the impending doom of the crowning lunch they'd be having with Maeve come Monday. Thoughts of that nature constantly ticked through her head, even when she was in the midst of studying for whatever exam was coming up or writing whatever twelve feet of parchment was due; there were little nagging voices in the back of her head. They pushed her to do better, to be better, to be more or in some cases less of whatever it was she needed to be more or less of - but just standing next to her brother made it feel mostly melted away. For all his brooding ways (and if there was anyone in the world who could brood, it was her brother) Dominik had always been a source of calm for Livi.

It was, perhaps, the simple notion that if her father tried to take him away Dominik would have snapped the other man in half. He'd never said so (and point of fact he was not the one who usually coaxed her out of her hiding places when Father Durin had gone) but Liv knew how fiercely protective he was. She knew without a doubt, no matter where they were she was never safer than when she was with her brother. It was a strange sort of adoration she held for the man. She knew by now the things of which he had been accused, she also accepted the reality that the list of actual crimes was likely twice as long. She could be acutely aware of this and yet it didn't change the way she loved him. There was a separation of knowing who he had been to the world and who he was to her.

No matter how old either of them got she would always see him as the brother who donned their mother's best Sunday hat for play tea parties in the gardens. Of course this should have made it more understandable on her part as to why he was always shocked to see her in anything but flats and pinafores with massive ruffles. She gave him a bemused peck on the cheek and just shook her head, "I think these might have come from a certain lady friend we have in common. Be glad her feet are bigger than mine or I'd have nick'd those choice snake heels she's always wearing," Liv was only half joking. If the divine Miss. St. James had been closer to her size the sassy fifth year would have made off with half her shoe collection by now. Unfortunately she could only hope to be doted on by the Novelist - which probably suited Dom just fine.

At the counter she ordered a tea for herself and the strongest black coffee one could manage to get in a pastry shop decorated in various shades of pink. She also decided that the scones looked particularly tasty and bought one for she and Dom to share. Liv didn't have body issues so much as she was acutely aware that Kitty and the other girls would notice the second her uniform got a little snug. That meant no sugar binges, besides swimsuit season would be upon them soon...even if the sun rarely came out in Wales. Sliding into the seat across from Dom she pushed the coffee toward him and the scone brown eyes focused intently on his face, "Alright I've been a very long time and I've been a very well behaved little sister. Are you going to finally tell me what's going on with you and your major life decision or do I have to take the coffee back and start scaring you with talk of boys".