"Yes, Mama... Yes, Mama... Yees, Mama... Yes! Alright!" Tito had to cut his grandma off before she really got going. When she gave out orders in Italian, she could hit such a tempo that you could barely understand what she was saying. Tito glared down at the old lady who was a foot shorter than him, yet who scared him more than most things. Well, maybe not more than Papa Tito, but close.

The limousine stopped, and Tito got out, along with his grandmother, sister and two bodyguards. They made quite the sight as they stepped into the Laky Cauldron. The only ones not wearing a suit were Arianna and his grandmother, both of whom wore black dresses instead. Even though it was a very tight dress, Tito knew that his sister, a Hogwarts graduate, hid at least two knives somewhere in there...

"Pushy little..." Tito mumbled as he put a cigarette in his mouth, gritting his teeth. So what if he had to repeat fifth year due to truancy? Couldn't they just have kicked him- Tito's thought process was interrupted when a burning pain appeared on his cheek, courtesy of Mama's slap. She started cussing him out in Italian, and Tito reminded himself that he wasn't allowed to smoke in Mama's presence. Not until he became the Head of the family, anyway...

The five of them made their way into Flourish and Blotts, where Tito took advantage of the crowd to slip away. If Mama wasn't family and a woman, Tito would have used the brass knuckles in his pocket on her... Leaning against a bookshelf, Tito took a deep breath, held it for a while, then exhaled. Alright, so maybe going back to Hogwarts was good for at least one thing: He wouldn't have to deal with Mama for a while...

Nike sighed and buried her face back into the book she was reading, intent on ignoring the world. She had just exited Knockturn Alley, and much to her dismay... it was boring as hell. For some reason, most people tended to think that the place was dangerous. She didn't understand that. I mean, it was dangerous, but at the same time, it seemed to lack excitement.

I mean, don't get her wrong, a lot of things happened there. For example. There was that Lady who was going to sell her to a Pureblood as a pet, then the bar fight, then the attempted rape, then the- well, you get the point. It was exciting, just not her type of exciting... oh well. Does it matter? She was going to compete in the TriWizard Tournament... at least she thought she was. It would be fun.

Anyways. She was on her way to a book store in Diagon Alley. She was suppose to meet her... acquaintance at the Apparition Point... but she didn't want to. He irked the shit out of her, excuse her french.

So, stopping in front of the only book store in the damned place, she was nearly sent to the floor by some of the more enthusiastic customers... she shrugged. I wonder if there is a magical equivalent of manga? Nike thought in slight amusement, not really expecting there to be any and walked through the doors, feeling the magic drift over her.

"I wonder where to start looking." Was the last thing she said, as she started her scavenger hunt.

Tito leaned back against a bookshelf, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He didn't really know what to do with his newfound freedom. He supposed he could go to the Leaky Cauldron and try to get the bartender to sell him some alcohol, but he'd just get chewed out by Mama later. Either her, or Arianna. So, he decided to just stand there for a while, away from anything that might annoy him.

"I wonder where to start looking," he heard a voice to his right say, and he looked over to see a girl, definitely not a bad-looking one, looking around by her lonesome. Tito looked around, and saw that no one was with her. That was a good sign. Adjusting the fedora on his head, Tito walked over to the girl, his head tilting to the side as he looked her over.

Definitely not bad-looking, he decided, before he spoke, making sure that his Italian accent was evident, "You know, they say that the first sign of going insane is talking to yourself," he said pleasantly. It would be good to talk to someone. It would take his mind off the fact that he was dying for a cigarette.

"I haven't seen you before. I take it you're not a Hogwarts student?"

You know, they say that the first sign of going insane is talking to yourself.

The voice was a little to her left, making her eyes widen. "And I thought I was alone." She murmured, turning. The boy... teen maybe, was about a little younger then her, though he looked older. And if she wasn't mistaken, and she rarely was... when she was trying, he was Italian. Not that deducing that was very hard, considering his voice was obviously accented.

I haven't seen you before. I take it you're not a Hogwarts student?

"Wow. Zat waz ze deduction of ze month." She blinked, and shook her head, realizing she was being a little too sarcastic. I mean, it wasn't his fault that she was having a bad day. She cocked her head to the side. He was handsome, that much was certain, but she had enough with the empty headed blondes at her current school. So she hoped he was at least semi-intelligent. She snorted softly and smiled somewhat amicably, speaking before he could talk.

"I'm zorry. I vas rude." She held out a hand and bit her lip, a habit she found calming when she didn't know what to do. "Mine name eez Nike. Nike Amzel. I go to Beauxbatons. It eez a pleasure to meet yoo." And she grinned brightly, finding you gained more flies with honey, then with vinegar...

"Wow. Zat waz ze deduction of ze month."

Tito felt himself twitch slightly. A little too much sarcasm for his tastes, and she was lucky she was a woman, for if she was a man, then that comment would have gotten her acquainted with Tito's brass knuckles. Luckily, she was a woman, though, and Tito just swallowed the scathing retort he had at the tip of his tongue. "I'm zorry. I vas rude."

I'd say, Tito thought, but he didn't say it out loud. He wasn't one to make enemies with women unless they really annoyed him. Or if they were from a rival family. She held out a hand for Tito to shake. "Mine name eez Nike. Nike Amzel. I go to Beauxbatons. It eez a pleasure to meet yoo," she spoke, her accent making it painfully clear that she was French. Tito usually didn't like the French, mostly because he thought their language was fruity, but coming from a woman, it was sexy.

He shook her hand. "Tito Quintilliano Lentini the Fifth," he introduced, giving his full name, which he was very proud of. "But people just call me T, or Little T." He smiled at her. "So, what are you looking for here?"

Tito Quintilliano Lentini the Fifth

That was a mouthful. Though when he smiled, he looked a little more friendly, then when she said her little sarcastic thing.

But people just call me T, or Little T. So, what are you looking for here?

Nike bit her lip, noticing he still hadn't let go of her hand, but didn't say anything. He seemed a little intimidating, not that she cared much. Life at Beauxbatons taught her it was what connections the family had to make a person. Again, she was apathetic to those reasonings, knowing that the decision made her the odd one out.

Huh. She didn't know what to say. Should she say she was looking for muggle manga in a magical store, or maybe a book on advanced charms to make herself look better? That was what most girls in her school did when they met foreign boys... it was stupid and complicated.

She finally decided, releasing his hand. "I am lookeeng for ze..." She hesitated and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Comic... books?" She bit her lip once again, looking down at her feet. Did reading manga make her weird? She thought inwardly.

After a moment of thinking, the girl, Nike (A very strange name, in his opinion), let go of his hand and spoke once more with her heavy accent. "I am lookeeng for ze..." she said and seemed to hesitate, her hand moving up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Tito would bet that her hair was soft as silk. "Comic... books?"

Tito couldn't help but chuckle. Even as a Muggleborn, he knew that there were no comic books to be found anywhere in Diagon Alley. "Well, you're out of luck, lady," he said with a smile. "In this store, you'll find nothin' more than a bunch of dusty old tomes and magic books. I think the closest you'd get to a comic book would be the illustrations in Tales of Beedle the Bard."

Not that Tito had ever read that book, but his dormmates seemed to think that book was the greatest book ever, even though it seemed to be filled with nothing but stupid kids' tales. He heard his name being called and saw his grandmother glaring at him, shouting at him in rapid Italian. Anyone who spoke Italian would blush at how much Mama swore.

"Mama!" he yelled angrily. "I'm talking to someone here, alright? Lei è francese, in modo da andare via!" He made a shooing motion, and Mama, cursing him out one more time, walked off, mumbling to herself. Tito turned back to Nike. "Sorry about that."

Well, you're out of luck, lady, In this store, you'll find nothin' more than a bunch of dusty old tomes and magic books. I think the closest you'd get to a comic book would be the illustrations in Tales of Beedle the Bard.

She sighed, and looked down to the floor, crestfallen. "I knew zat." She grumbled slightly, blushing and looking back up at the taller male. "Eet waz a delusional hope." She bit her lip, starting to talk under her breath about the people in the Wizarding world. "Who doesn't zell comic books een zis world? Even Knockturn Alley didn't have ze books." She shook her head and smiled slightly.

Then there was a shout, and the most vulgar language came from the woman standing outside the window, and she seemed to be aiming her ire at the teen in front of her. "Mon dieu." She breathed, wide eyed at the... most creative swearing she's heard since she visited that French restaurant last week. I mean, she didn't speak Italian, but she knew enough to know swearing when she heard it... and how to translate it.

"Mama!" Oro? That was his mother? Surprising, but she heard from a friend Italians had tempers. Sounded like fun. "I'm talking to someone here, alright? Lei è francese, in modo da andare via!" He made a shooing motion, and she was amused to see the woman swear at him a bit more, before walking off. Tito turned back to her. "Sorry about that."

Nike shook her head and smiled slightly. "Non, non, eet ees fine." She slipped the book she was holding into one of the many pockets her coat held, before biting her lip again. "Yoo are not from here... are yoo?" She asked hesitantly, cocking her head to the side. It seemed she was back to asking stupid questions, for as soon as that question was out, she hung her head with a sigh.

"I knew zat," the girl grumbled with a cute blush on her face. "Eet waz a delusional hope. Who doesn't zell comic books een zis world? Even Knockturn Alley didn't have ze books."

Tito chuckled at that. "I'm afraid these witches and wizards aren't too big on comic books. Y'know, it's not really their thing. I don't think they see the point of it all. You'd need to go to a Muggle shop if you want comic books. I'd recommend that store run by a Turk just down the street from the Leaky Cauldron. Just tell him Tito Lentini sent you, and you should get a discount."

After all, almost every shop in London, Muggle, that is, was paying protection money to the Lentinis. Tito may not have had considerable influence in the magical world, but he had a lot of it in the Muggle world. Nike looked shocked to hear Mama curse Tito out, even though she probably didn't understand what the old hag was saying. She shook her head and smiled when he apologized.

"Non, non, eet ees fine." The way she bit her lip, he had to admit, was very attractive. "Yoo are not from here... are yoo?"

"Not really," Tito said with a chuckle. "I'm an Italian born and raised in New York, and moved to England. And I take it you're born and raised in France?"

"I'm afraid these witches and wizards aren't too big on comic books. Y'know, it's not really their thing. I don't think they see the point of it all. You'd need to go to a Muggle shop if you want comic books. I'd recommend that store run by a Turk just down the street from the Leaky Cauldron. Just tell him Tito Lentini sent you, and you should get a discount.

The way he said that, so confident, made her wonder. Though she didn't really stop and think about it all that much, she was just happy that she would be able to buy her books somewhere while she was here for the Tournament. It would be hell to keep going back to France just to buy them... ugh. Portkey sucks.

She giggled softly and smirked lightly. "Oh? Do yoo geeve everyone ze zame treatment?" Though the words were teasing, she was insanely curious, not use to not knowing something. Who was he?

"Not really," She smiled slightly when he laughed, he was very handsome when he did that. "I'm an Italian born and raised in New York, and moved to England. And I take it you're born and raised in France?"

She bit her lip again, a habit she was going to break... sooner or later. "Oiu. Mes- Mine parents," She corrected, hand clenching unconsciously at the thought of them. They had left her alone, but since they still sent money from wherever they were, she wasn't an orphan... yet. "Mine parents travel, so I stay with mine surrogate muzzer (mother) in Reims."

She shook her head, not wanting to get both Tito and herself depressed. So she tried to think of something to change the subject with. But- she was drawing a blank, not use to talking so long with a person... erm boy. She looked up, eyes hiding behind long lashes, an admittedly attractive boy at that, she thought with a small, almost unnoticeable blush.

She gave him a delicious smirk that made Tito happy that he'd given her the directions to the Turk's store. "Oh? Do yoo geeve everyone ze zame treatment?" she asked, and Tito laughed. He had the perfect answer to give her.

"Not at all, only beautiful girls like yourself. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to meet one on your level yet," Tito said with a smirk, giving her a once-over. "I take it Beauxbatons is more of an attraction to girls with your looks, eh?"

"Oiu. Mes- Mine parents," It was cute, the way she stumbled over some of the English words, he had to admit. It was always fun speaking to foreigners. "Mine parents travel, so I stay with mine surrogate muzzer (mother) in Reims."

"Ah, Reims," Tito said, nodding slowly. "I would have guessed Paris. You strike me as a Parisian. I've never been to Reims before. Is it nice there?"

"Not at all, only beautiful girls like yourself. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to meet one on your level yet," Ah. He was one of those Casanova types she'd read so much about in her books. But the look she was getting, was not what Nike was use to. "I take it Beauxbatons is more of an attraction to girls with your looks, eh?" She frowned at that, feeling both complimented and insulted. She sighed, guess she was just 'one of the girls'.

She bit her lip and nodded once, feeling sort of uncomfortable.

"Ah, Reims," He nodded slowly, looking as though he knew what he was talking about, though she had a feeling he was just a bit lost. "I would have guessed Paris. You strike me as a Parisian. I've never been to Reims before. Is it nice there?"

Her face brightened, happy to find something she knew all too intimately. "Oiu." She said with some enthusiasm. "Zere ees ze Domaine Les Crayères. Though, most of ze étrangers," She frowned. "Mine mistake. Ze foreigners vizit because of eet's champagne. C'est délicieux. At least, what I've heard."

She gave a pessimistic smile, "I am not yet old enough to drink the drink yet." She tilted her head to the side curiously. "Yoo are from ze New York-" Her words stumbled a bit. "How ees eet over zere?"

It sounded like a dangerous place, at least, that's what her only semi-friend Synn said. She frowned inwardly. The idiot.

"Oiu. Zere ees ze Domaine Les Crayères. Though, most of ze étrangers... Mine mistake. Ze foreigners vizit because of eet's champagne. C'est délicieux. At least, what I've heard."

Tito had to bite his tongue to keep from yawning. Her broken English was slowly going from cute to mildly annoying, but she was very beautiful, so he endured it, and made sure to keep a charming, interested look on his face. "I am not yet old enough to drink the drink yet." Hm, was the age of maturity over 17 in France? "Yoo are from ze New York-" The New York? That was the first time Tito had heard it called that. "How ees eet over zere?"

"Oh, it's pretty interesting," Tito said evasively. He didn't want to divulge too much information regarding his family's past in New York. "I was pretty young when we moved away from there. My grandfather felt that it was too dangerous a city for his grandchildren to grow up in."

Tito smiled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. This little trip to Diagon Alley wasn't bad at all. Well, it was pretty bad, to tell the truth, but this moment was enough to make Tito ignore that little fact. "So, how long will you be staying in England before you go back to France?"

Synn gave a small huff, head staring up into the sky as he contemplated his boredom. Usually when he was this bored he'd go and bother his brother, Kahin. But, considering where he was- that wasn't very smart. He sighed and enjoyed the sun on his face, listening to the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley... the place where the TriWizard Tournament was being held. Obviously not in Diagon Alley, but the place place.

He trying to see if any entertainment was going to show itself, but it seemed to be as calm as any day. Huh. This place was really peaceful, and god only knows how peaceful it's going to be when the tourny starts up. It'd be fun to be chosen, though he doesn't really want to enter. Weirdly enough.

He was just about to leave, when he heard a really familiar voice, that reeked of french ancestry. The other voice was Italian if he heard right, not that he was doubting himself, it just didn't hurt to make sure. As he rounded the corner and ducked under the door to, 'Flourish and Blotts.' Tch. Europeans and their weird names. He saw a very... surprising sight.

Nike Amsel, the most anti-social girl he's ever met, the one who shot a stinging hex at him just because he was in her way, the one who- Synn could go on forever- but here she was, in Diagon Alley (Europe) talking to a slightly suspicious looking guy who reminded him of one of the men his Father brought home a few months before. Huh. Nike attracts the most irritating people, doesn't she?

"So, how long will you be staying in England before you go back to France?"

That one was still suspicious to him. So he snuck up behind them, and wrapped his arms around Nike's neck, who started and glared harshly at him. "Who wants to know?" He growled, amused, but still a little worried. (Not that he cared, it's an automatic response, really)

She was over thinking, something she did a lot, but the way he said it, "I was pretty young when we moved away from there. My grandfather felt that it was too dangerous a city for his grandchildren to grow up in." made her think it sounded a little too rehearsed, something he's said a lot. But she didn't have time to think it over as a second later, her heart almost stopped.

Nike nearly screamed as arms wrapped around her neck, a face next to hers as a deep face growled out a simple question. "Who wants to know?" And only then did she realize that it was the one person she disliked the most, almost more then licorice. A harsh glare settled in her eyes. "Vhy are yoo 'ere, Rowlandz?" She questioned, trying to subtly squirm out of his hold.

Damn. And she was enjoying herself for once. In the place filled with books, and knowledge. And somewhat decent conversation with a boy who didn't think the world revolved around him. She bit her lip and pouted sulkily, blaming her uncharacteristic behavior on the one standing behind her, the one that made her want to grab her wand and use a curse her friend told her... the castration curse. So don't blame her if you say just a tiny bit of venom in her eyes.