The Rose Bushes

Viper winced as the cold water soaked into her robes, waving her hand, drying them both. Smiling, she picked up Edwin. "And how have you been?"

"Gwet! Esy let me have hwt chwoco and swgar." Ewin exclaimed, kissing Viper's cheek. Esis groaned.
"That was suppose to be a secret, you little imp." she chuckled.

Viper raised an eyebrow at Edwin. "Ooh, your mother's going to be mad..." she whispered, the corners of her mouth twitching.

She turned to Esis with an amused look. "You don't have quite so much in common with your cousin, do you? You both seem so different."

"No she not!" Edwin chirped, looking innocent.

"Yeah, well who said relatives have anything in common besides blood." She pulled her hat off to let her head cool down.

"I second that" said Kiara she had nothing in common with her family absolutly nothing.

Viper said nothing. A few weeks ago she would have agreed but at this point she didn't really have a right to say anything. After all, she and her family were closer than ever before.

"So, did you enjoy your...um... holiday?" Esis asked, hoping it had been a holiday instead of sick leave or something.

Viper stiffened and shot a glance at Kiara. Clearly this woman had been left in the dark. Forcing a smile, she replied. "Indeed. It was...riveting." she said, placing Edwin gently unto the ground and folding her arms across her chest defensively.

Kiara winced, she hadn't gotten to mention why Viper had been on leave.

Esis immediately began to wonder if there was something she was missing. Viper seemed...she just could not put her finger on it...

"I hate to bring this up but... There was too much damage for it to have just been a troll and an assailant. I mean I found traces of wolf blood on her clothing and her hands were coated with an ash. She has been horrific nightmares begging me to stay away from her and then she'll start saying things about...um...He-Who-Is-Dead..."

Normally, she would have asked to speak to Kiara privately, but Viper seemed to oddly fit into the picture.

Viper raised an eyebrow, keeping her face neutral. "Indeed?" She felt slightly sorry for Eglantine, but the emotion quickly faded, for it was the least Eglantine could get for murdering Dracovan.

"All I am saying is... maybe some sparse details about what happened would be nice. I can't help her if I have no idea what happened..."

Viper sighed. How does one tell another that their cousing murdered their informer's brother? Deciding that she didn't feel like making an elaborate design of an explanation, Viper replied rather bluntly. "She killed my brother. He attacked Edwin and she fought in self-defense. The reason for my absence is because I have been in Viper Manor settling a few affairs."

Figuring Esis might jump to conclusions with Vipers blunt explanaion Kiara continued.

"She wasn't in control of her actions she doesn't even remember doing it for the most part... she was posessed at the time"

Very softly under her breath, Viper muttered what suspiciously sounded like "So she claims..."

Esis blinked once and then twice before responding. "All right...um...that was not the answer I was hoping for." She bit her lip. Viper's brother? Wasn't he in prison? She was possessed? Or at least she claimed she was? Apparently she did not know her cousin as well as she had thought.

"She was possessed? By what? Eglantine has strong wards against things like that."

Viper took a step backwards. "I'll let you take it from here, Headmistress." having no desire to explain everything.

Kiara sighed.

"Yes Eglantine has remarkably strong wards, but some time ago Voldemort used an elixir of hers connecting them mind body and soul. Eglantine used it to "defeat" Voldemort but the evil fragments of his soul remaind in her and created a evil version of her. There were times when that part of her took over her mind and magic. Resulting in the death of Dracovan Viper"

((hey it is a long story i went with the condenced version))

Darien shuffled his feet uncomfotably.
"Um...well... after the whole hospital wing incident, Ana's told my parents about us and...they've demanded to meet you...so I'd really appreciate it if you'd come to my house for dinner...some time..."
He waited in silence for Diana's reply, knowing he really could have said that better.

((you did a fine job))

Esis sat down on the bench behind her. "Goodness!" she breathed. "I had no idea she had not given it up."

Kiara raised her eye brow. "Given what up?"

((I'm heading off to bed, Good night!))

((okay, sleep well))

Esis sighed. "It's a long story, actually. You see, Eglantine's parents were deeply devoted to You Know Who in both his first and second reigns. And so naturally they raised their children, when they finally had children, to be his servants as well. But they were not around enough to really instill anything into their son and daughter. Eglantine raised herself and her brother. I suppose she was at first angry at her parents, but slowly that anger faded. The way she tells it...she began to delve into the dark arts soon after meeting Him. Voldemort actually requested several things from her father and he spoke with her about something. She, I suppose, fell in love with him. Staying out of the war, she taught at Beauxbatons until she met her husband. Strangely, she set aside all the dark arts she was researching for him and even left the wizarding world. Gave up a promised place as Voldemort's queen, I guess." She cleared her throat.

"Eglantine was so happy. I visited her and had never seen anyone so content. She was working at a muggle university and seemed completely happy. Until the ministry decided to imprison or kill anyone who had actively supported Voldemort without recanting. Eglantine's father was one of those people.
So they traced him and found her instead. They dug around and found out about the many many dark potions, spells and experiments Eglantine had been involved in with her father. It was suppose to look like an accident...but they survived. Eglantine's husband saw several things he should not have and they obliviated him before killing him. Eglantine escaped, and warned her father and mother."

"Then she gave up the dark arts. She claimed they had killed her husband. So she fell into a depression and went to live with her brother and his family. She taught her nephews until just recently and then came here."

Kiara sighed not really nowing what to say.

"When she is stronger I will talk to her about those nightmares I want to make sure the seal I put on Cerise it holding right"

Eupa wrote:

Darien shuffled his feet uncomfotably.
"Um...well... after the whole hospital wing incident, Ana's told my parents about us and...they've demanded to meet you...so I'd really appreciate it if you'd come to my house for dinner...some time..."
He waited in silence for Diana's reply, knowing he really could have said that better.

Diana thought about if for a moment. Dinner at the Vaights? Well that hardly seemed comfortable but if Darien's parents wanted to meet her... who was she to refuse. "Alright. When?"