Several Metres from the Whomping Willow...

"I'm sorry..." Nicolas said his back stiffening. "But my hold on that still stands. I won't interfer."

Amy nodded although she was disappointed.

"Very well, your choice, but do think about what I said Calista Vaight did not ask to be saved, your uncle gave his life to save her, be a shame if he did in vain...." she said it softly gently but honestly.

"I will see you later" and with that she kissed him on the lips once quickly and on the forehead.

Then she trued and headed for the Castle.

((Continued from Dangerously Close to the Whomping Willow...))


"More than everything, it seems, sometimes..." Sevastyan muttered with distinct irritation for his relation. "The little...." he said a word in Russian that didn't sound too pleasant, and would not be willing to translate because of its obscenity.

He nodded his understanding as Kiara spoke of her cat. It was a good thing all that happened was that the feline got stuck. Not so great that Kiara had been badly injured, however; but she was still here and in one piece.

"Vell, I am glad you apparently keep some vith you. Had the ordeal vith Kazimir turned out differently..." he trailed off, not really wanting to contemplate who would be the worst off in an impromptu duel. Why the Headmaster thought the way he did confused Sevastyan to no end. "And, if it had been difficult to make, I vould of course offered my assistance to make another batch of it."

Suddenly, something happened to occur to him. "Does the fact Saturn's species of phoenix is rare mean that the healing properties of her tears are heightened?" he asked, for no other reason in tone or intent than semi-academic curiosity. Sevastyan wondered how one caused a phoenix to weep, but didn't think it to be an appropriate question.

Kiara nodded "Yes, it is because of them I am still alive, and always carry afew batches with me. Never know when my lungs will deside to stop working... It is a nessesity I always have some"

She didn't mention of course she had given him her last phile. But saturn was near by should something happen, so she wasn't worried.

"Anyways, I am glad you are alright, even more relived now you and Kazimir didn't duel, you should know all of us will back you up should Kazimir try anything... lets say after you left neither Eglantine nor I liked the way he was speaking. I will not have him baggering a member of my staff becuase his messed up defination of loyalty" the look in her eye was serious, she was starting to feel protective over Sevastyan that much was certian. She had no doubt Sevastyan could handle himself in a duel, but she would rather not see him or anyone else be hurt becasue of one.

Sevastyan nodded in understanding. She had mentioned in detail how she had been injured and subsequently forced to retire from her former position as Captain of the Auror Department. It all made sense, how she would naturally have such a potion on hand. Moments earlier, when pain had muddled his mind, he'd had no idea how she produced a healing potion so quickly. True, Sevastyan would have healed in time, but his threshold for pain had been exceeded and he needed to get out of there. His dignity would not have allowed him to be levitated away from the scene, and thank Merlin it hadn't come to that!

"I have endured vorse, but it has been a long time ago," Sevastyan stated simply, his eyes darkening at mention of Kazimir and how the conversation had changed after he had departed.

"Let me guess..." Sevastyan sighed, obviously irritated by the Durmstrang Headmaster, "... he still refers to me as though I were his student and a child despite the fact I am a full-grown, fully qvalified vizard, and seems to think I vill be 'disloyal' to others just as he claims I vos disloyal to him? .....Expect him to be the same vay about others he vos teaching, not that you vill likely be meeting them vhile in Kazimir's company. It is normal, for him." An unspoken addition to his lengthy prediction seemed to remain lost in the air around him: 'Vich is to say not very normal ... for other people.' "He still thinks me an impudent boy, and I still think of him as a cruel old man. Old habits die hard, I suppose..."

Then, however, Sevastyan smiled. "It is good to hear that you vould all stand beside me on this. I vill do vot I can to distance myself from Kazimir's gaze... but Boris is vone of his star pupils," he said, allowing the statement to hang in the air. Despite how much of an insolent brat Boris was, it was clear that Sevastyan did care about his kin.

Kiara nodded to what Sevastyan said about Kazimir. "Yes, we were rather annoyied by his acusations of you, but you will be happy to know Eglantine told him off for you. I think he will be more careful what he says around us now. Quite a interestiong sight know that I think about it, she practically lectured him." she said with a smile.

As Sevastyan talked about Boris Kiara nodded in understanding. "I understand, and I can plainly see you care about him. Else you would not be at the most violent tree in britan trying to save him. Too bad he wasn't more grateful though, he reminds me of the Drumstrang Champion when I was in the tournament"

"He needs a good telling off, but you didn't hear that from me," Sevastyan said in jest, smiling at the image Kiara's statement had conjured. While he'd never seen Professor DeLanquar in much of a mood - that one bit about the Excessum wand aside - he could clearly picture the witch giving Kazimir a lecture. "I only vished I could have been present to see his face." A laugh punctuated the statement, though it was merry as opposed to cruel.

"Indeed," Sevastyan agreed in regards to Kiara's comments about Boris. "It is sometimes a tough love, ven dealing vith Boris. He reminds me a lot of myself, ven I vos his age..."

He wasn't quite sure whether or not to laugh at the comparison Kiara had made, so instead gave another one of those noncommittal noises he'd been rather prone to making these days. "Do you remember vot the Champion's name vos?" Sevastyan asked. It couldn't have been him, as Sevastyan was most likely finished with school by the time Kiara had been named Hogwarts Champion. It was no secret in the family that if Sevastyan were a good 17 years younger he and Boris could have passed for twins.

Twins... now, there was something: what if it had been one of the twins he'd hung around with? All the boys in the group certainly behaved like Boris, now that he thought of it... The twins were even very close to Kiara's age, and certainly would have put their names into the goblet. The only thing puzzling him was if it had been Alexei... or Kuzma? Of course, it could have been neither of them, for that matter.

Kiara though for a moment "It started with an A... Alex..Oh Alexie Dmitriev that's it. He was quite player, we were tied most of the tournament we started the last task at the same time tied for first, Only reason I won was because the cup was surrounded by fire, as I am resistant to fire I got through it without a problem. Did you know him?"

"Ah - Dmitriev! Yes, I knew him. Very much like Boris he vos, indeed!" Sevastyan remarked with a grin. "Though, I daresay ve all vere - the crowd I vent vith vos qvite the rowdy type. He actually feared fire, believe it or not. Then again, if you vere unexpectedly set on fire as a child by a disgruntled sibling's magic, you vould fear it, too..." he elaborated. All the boys in the group used to mercilessly give Alexei heck for being afraid of fire, including Sevastyan, and this thought widened the grin. Those were the days of the very young and exceedingly foolish...

Kiara laughed, "Really? well perhaps that is why he didn't like me very much" to demonstrate she tossed a fireball back and forth in her hands.

'Then again he beat me miserably in the first task, he was a fish in his last life?... me and cold water don't mix. I turn in to a icicle, at least I feel like I do" she admited.

Sevastyan laughed in regards to Kiara's demonstration. "That vould do it - ve teased him mercilessly about his fear vonce ve learned of it," he explained the sudden outburst of merriment. "I do not know about his past life, but he loved the vater. He vould often dare us to race him vhile ice svimming - it involved making a hole just big enough in the ice and jumping in, and svimming avay from it and back again. First vone out of the vater that vosn't frozen to the skin vos the vinner. He alvays von." Sevastyan did his best to suppress a shiver at the thought of the fun and discomfort all of the participants experienced.

"The odd thing vos, though he hated fire, Alexei enjoyed spicy foods and candies. His tvin brother - who favors the element of fire, like you do - couldn't tolerate anything of the sort. Are you the same vay?" he added, the question conversationally curious.

Kiara laughed at his description of the race "I would be horrible at that.." she shivered at the thought, cold water would be her undoing. She was dreading the on set of winter.

Kiara struggled "I don't mind hot candies, like Cinnamon, but can't stand pepper though, most of the food I eat is actually physically hot though, you wouldn't want to drink my tea right away as it is almost boiling. Once winter comes you will never see me without a hot drink "

"Vinter is vone of my favorite seasons - I vonder if the students might be surprised if a professor actively joins in their snowball fight this year?" he replied, the question light-hearted even before the laugh punctuated the question. "Personally, I like spicy candy and foods - cinnamon seems to be a rather common ingredient for a kind of candy I still enjoy. It had a phoenix on its wrapper, but I can't recall the name. It vill come to me eventually...

"My sister has a friend from England who introduced her to this vone Muggle-style sveet but I either have not been looking in the right place or they are rather rare..." Sevastyan slightly changed the topic. "Do you by chance have any pink lemon drops - or know vhere I might find some?" he asked curiously.

Kiara laughed at his comment about the snow ball fight. "I bet they would be shocked, Viper might join you, may make her happy to throw things at students and not have me yell at her."

Kiara smiled "Well if it is a muggle candy you may find them in the muggle world" she suggested.

"You have sister?" she asked out of plain curiousity.

Sevastyan felt a smile widen across his lips. Given what he knew about Amaranth and her feelings toward the student body this seemed about right. He vaguely wondered what would happen if, while having a snowball fight with the students, one of the snowballs he lobbed just happened - entirely by chance - to find its way to the Head of Slytherin? "I might do that, just to see the looks on their faces," he finally said with merriment at the prospect. In fact, if Sevastyan worked things right, he could make it a part of one of their Defense lessons. Now, that was an idea...

"All I know is that they are Muggle-style, but I vos not sure if that meant they vere entirely of Muggle creation or if it vos a vizarding variant of the original - hence vy I asked," Sevastyan replied. "I vill try looking there sometime."

The Russian professor thought for a moment, trying to remember the particulars of his family he'd mentioned and to whom he'd mentioned them to. As it stood, it would seem the only one aware that he had a sister had been Viper. "Yes, a 'baby' sister you vould say. Her name is Svetlana, though ve just call her 'Sveta'. I vould guess she is around Professor Viper's age - early tventies - and follows the occupation of Healer," Sevastyan obliged without hesitation. Of all the living relatives of the Kaminski line, Sveta was clearly the most innocent adult of them all at the present time. But Sevastyan didn't think making such a statement would have been wise, so he kept it to himself.

Kiara nodded "She sounds nice, I wish I have sibling, but my father was rather old when I was born so never happed, You know it is weird, when I went to muggle school I was always the oldest by at least 2 years. I was always the older sister you could say. Now I am always the youngest, next to Viper anyway.... It a odd feeling, espesally with people like Lasharna "looking down on me" because I am uncommonly young to be running Hogwarts." she said with a annoyed tone in her voice as she thought about the tall french Headmistress.

"She is - you vould get along vith her vell: the both of you have very much in common," he confirmed, though wasn't sure how to respond to her wish for siblings. "I am sorry to hear that. Siblings can be a help, and a hindrance - and I say this from experience," he offered sincerely and presented his in-a-nutshell analysis on his experiences of being the eldest brother.

"I am the oldest of the three: two men, vone voman. I daresay, though, that if you had to endure Grigoriy and myself as children... you'd probably vish you vere an only child again," Sevastyan added lightly, the comment clearly intended as a mild jest.

He listened to her speculation about age, and her admission of how awkward it was to be around the Beauxbatons Headmistress due to the drastic difference between their years. "They - Kazimir and Headmistress Lasharna - vere likely raised in an era vhere the numerical value of age matters more than vot vone has been through. Perhaps they are testing you in their own... unique... vays," Sevastyan offered, attempting to be polite in regards to the two currently absent academic Heads. By the sounds of Kiara's description of how she was being treated, though, it seemed more to him as though that was just Headmistress Lasharna. He hadn't been in the Beauxbatons Headmistress's presence long enough to glean any sort of first impression, however.

((Different Timeline))

Kiara was back doing her paper work on a transfigured bench. She was wearing her winter robes that were enchanted to warm her even in bitter cold.

Looking at the willow she sighed when it wasn't hitting you it was a beautiful tree.

Ethan was on his way back from a nature hike of sorts through the forbidden forest. The wild-grown plant he'd been searching for hadn't been within a safe distance and therefore he decided to head back. It was at around this time, heading up to the castle, that he noticed Kiara sitting at a bench and admiring perhaps the most violent tree known to wizard kind.

With a smile on his face, the wizard of forty-something years approached the Headmistress's bench. "Good day, Kiara!" Ethan greeted her the moment he was within hearing range. "There room for one more, or are you expecting someone?" the wizard inquired, gesturing to the bench. It was his way of asking if he could sit with her.

Kiara looked up and smiled "Not as far as I am aware, Have a seat I was just getting some paper work done as usual. I never ends" she said with a laugh.

"What can I do you for Ethan?" she asked.

"I know the feeling - it really does never end... especially when a particularly nasty legal struggle over who gets half of what ensues," Ethan remarked in order to contribute to her sentiment, though laughed lightly not long afterward. Of course he was getting at the only never-ending stack of paperwork that stuck out vividly in his mind: Divorce Court paperwork.

"A story idear for my next book would be nice... but I don't reckon that's quite what you mean considering I'm on a hiatus of sorts from the world of literary creation. And it's more something I do on me own at any rate..." Ethan replied, entirely out of jest. "Honestly I can't really think of anything else other than the pleasure of your informal company..." he answered a bit more seriously.

"Any plans for the Yule Ball?" Ethan asked curiously. "Decorations? Theme? That kind of thing?"

Kiara laughed "I see and sorry I am out of any idea for a book at any rate. I will enjoy your company as well Ethen thank you, this paper work is driving me mad, I need a break form it"

Thinking about his question toward the yule Ball she replied, "Well to tradition it is a Christmas ball, so the only theme I can see is Christmasy, and decoration again to due with Christmas trees, Red Green, enchanted snow and Ice that sort of thing." she said.

"I see," Ethan acknowledged, eyeing the stack of paperwork curiously but not prying. "Anything I might be able to help with?" he offered.

"Sounds like a spectacular event! If you need an extra pair of hands setting up, you know where I am," Ethan said with a bob of his head. His hair didn't quite go all over the place this time as it was held securely in place by a black knit cap.

"I asked Juria to go to the Ball with me the other day..." Ethan told her, not quite sure where he wanted to go with his words. "She seemed shocked someone would ask her..." He had no idea where he was going with this...

Kiara eyed the paper work, stuff for Calista's court case, no can't help with that. More nonsense babble from the ministry... can't help with that other telling them to go to hell soo.

"No, thanks for the offer though" she said.

" And I will be asking all the staff and prefects to help set up for the yule ball, it will look awesome" she said.

Kiara's simile widened when she said who his date was. "Well I bet she loved that, Juria is really sweet, I am glad she is going with someone. I can't say I am surprised she was surprised, she had been on her own for a long time without many friends" she explained.

"That is unfortunate: I expected someone like her to have an extensive social calendar. She's quite a delight to speak with... simply sunny! Why... erm... scratch that... Would it be out of place to ask you why that is? About Juria?" Ethan inquired, rather "sunny" himself despite the weather being so cold. "Or should I be asking her that?"