Underground Kitchen and Pantry (with archway leading to Dining Hall)

Rossa sighed " That is just the thing, your concern for me made you forget about the pot...." she pointed out.

She vaugly wondered why he had been so concerned for her, he had seen her deal with a burn before, this was no different.

When she finished healing his hand she nodded and smiled at his thanks, feeling better about it now that she had repaired the damage she had caused.

"Aye, Ya welcome, it was no problem

When he took her hand in his she winced slightly, as the heat from his hand aggrovated the burn.

"Second degree, nothing a burn relief potion and a bandage won't cure..." she answered as she looked at her red, and blistered hand.

Fiddleing with the golden veil around her neck she said.

"A side effect to this is it slows magical healing in me, so I have to heal the muggle way, mostly" she explained.

"I tend to get rather concerned when my... friends are injured," Demyan explained in return, though had to stop himself from saying the word 'girlfriend'. It didn't seem like they were quite that close yet, even though he wished they were. This time really shouldn't have been different than the others... but it was. "Don't worry about it."

His lips curled up in a smile at Rossalyn's response to his thanks. Raven brows furrowed when he noticed her wince. The only thing he could think of was the one thing he couldn't completely feel: his own body heat had irritated the now-sensitive skin where Rossa had been burned. "Sorry," he murmured, shifting his grip to her forearm instead of her hand. Whether he was apologizing for the heat of his hands or the fact that her magical healing was slightly bogged down due to the object she carried was hard to tell. Demyan was actually sorry about both.

Demyan took a moment to reach into one of his pockets and pulled out a phial. He handed it to Rossa. "You healed my hands... least I can do is offer you this. Mum's take on a burn healing salve. She... she always tried to make sure I had some on hand just in case, and I've tried to keep up with making sure it stays that way," he explained with a slight smile.

Rossa smiled, "Well alright, I thank ya for your help.... it was sweet of you.. thanks" she said with a nod.

At his apology she said " It is okay" in in a sincer voice to show she really didn't mind.

When he offtered her the healing salve she looked up in sight surprise, "Are you sure? I mean you will have to make another one..." she asked just to make sure.

"I don't want to cause you anymore trouble..." she attempted.

Demyan's smile widened when Rossalyn said it was sweet of him. He was going to remember this part of their conversation forever. Definitely!

The teen couldn't help but let out a good-natured laugh. "Trouble?! You're not any trouble! I love making potions - really, go ahead and use it. Making another one really is more a joy than a burden," he confirmed, still holding out the vial to her.

"It... it reminds me of mum... whenever I'm working on a potion," Demyan said, lowering his gaze to the floor for a moment. "I do just about everything I can to remember her these days..." the boy added, meeting her gaze again with emerald orbs that were perhaps slightly brighter than their norm.

Rossa smiled, "Well if you are sure, I thank you again" she said as she reached out with her good hand for the veil that lay in his hand.

She applied the salve on to her hand, and felt the effect start to work almost instantly. She conjured a bandage over her hand and she sighed in relief as the burning sensation was finally soothed.

"It works really good, you have your mothers talent for Potions I take it..." she smiled.

"It... it reminds me of mum... whenever I'm working on a potion, I do just about everything I can to remember her these days.."

Rossa nodded "Aye... I understand" she said quietly. "I do that a lot meself to lately..."

"Umm it is just a offer, but if ya ever want to talk about your mother, I would be glad to hear about her. I don't recall much about her me self...." she knew of the tension created between the older Kaminski siblings over there parents, Demyan may want to talk about it with someone who would just want to listen.

"Only if ya're comfortable with it of course...... I understand if you wouldn't want to...." she said, who was she to offer such a thing anyway?

Demyan couldn't help but smile upon hearing that the salve worked well. He never really could tell how fast it worked, with his condition as it was. "That's what I've been told," he replied, attempting to be modest.

The lad nodded: he was fairly certain everyone did their part to remember those who had fallen.

Emerald eyes blinked in surprise for a moment. "No, that'd be great... Lara's not too fond of her and Lynn... well, I know she loves them both but it can be... hard to discuss with her sometimes. I don't want to upset her," Demyan agreed congenially. "She was only four, so she really doesn't have a whole lot to go on... A lot of times she wants to hear about someone else though. Someone I'd rather not discuss. I figure that's Lara's job." There really wasn't any mystery as to who this 'someone else' was...

"Um... likewise, if you want to talk about your parents, I'd gladly listen. If you want to, that is..." Demyan offered, though glanced away briefly. He wasn't sure how Rossa would appreciate a reciprocated offer. The word 'parents' seemed odd in his mouth: rarely did the teen mention both mother and father in the same breath...

"Maybe we could both go on kitchen and sentinel duties together," he added with the start of a grin upon his lips, thinking that those times in particular would be even more perfect for story-swapping. The fact that they would be relatively alone during those times had crossed his mind, too... sort of but not quite like a date...

Rossa gave Demyan a small smile, she was glad he agreed with the offer, it was a rarity that most kids around the keep to really want to talk about there parents, it brought up bad memories.

"I would love that" she said smiling wider.

Then her face sobered "Tav doesn't like talking about them to often... to painful and Edan doesn't really say much about them cause it brings up sad feeling around people. Which isn't something he likes to do...."

"I don't mind talking about them, the way I see it, it ensures that they aren't forgotten... that makes sense.. doesn't it?" she asked.

She smiled again at his suggestion, "That's a perfect idea I think, gets lonely while on sentinel duty alone sometimes. Won't seem so much like a chore then, It would actually be nice hmmm?... Yeah I like that idea a lot" she said gladly.

"And kitchen duty wouldn't be so bad either I am thinkin, this one went by rather quickly after you showed up... Injuries aside of course, I would enjoy your company" she earnestly, she really meant it.

"Great," Demyan replied, his smile widening as well. However, it was short-lived upon hearing about Rossalyn's brothers. "Yeah, that makes sense... though sometimes I'd rather not talk about the past for those reasons, too. So, if I go kinda quiet that's why..."

"Yeah, it would be nice..." he agreed. While the alone time had its merits on certain days, others it was indeed more a chore than anything. "I'm glad you like the idea. And that way, neither of us are by ourselves. Surely Tav'd cut you even more slack with that, right?"

"And I can help out if need be. I mean... cooking's rather similar to potions, isn't it? With the cutting and the boiling and all? I gotta admit I never paid much attention," Demyan offered with a bit of a laugh. He honestly didn't remember his parents cooking that much... unless one included Viper and her potions or the occasional camping trip where Demyan learned to cook over an open flame. "And I'd enjoy your company, too..." he admitted.

Rossa nodded in understanding, "Yeah same for me as well... I have good days and bad days, when I'd rather not say much" she said as she recalled the nights when she dreamed her parents were alive, only to be woken up at the curliest moment. It was those days that were they worst.

She laughed at his comment about Tav "Yeah I suppose so, if he doesn't I will hex his knees together until he lets me" she said with a spark in her eyes.

"I think you will find cooking easier then potions, it not nearly as complicated, my only problem is I have bad luck and am a bit of a kluts, so I always end up hurting meself. However the end product if the food is always good." she said as she glanced a the pot still on the stove.

"Speaking of food that still needs to be put away, I am not in the mood to be burnt again..." with that said Rossalyn took out her wand and waved it at the pot, she levitated it to a plastic container and poured the contents in to it.

"There a lot less fuss that way.... and I would appreciate it if ya didn't tell Tav I did that... I am supposed to do it the muggle way for some unknown reason" she said sheepishly.

"Hmmm.. are ya hungry? you can have some if you want.." she said rather shyly.

Demyan laughed upon hearing that, and could clearly picture Rossa hexing her brother's knees in the specified manner. Which, of course, made the whole statement even funnier.

He listened at watched her while she spoke about cooking, nodding every so often to show he was listening. The moment Rossa mentioned 'luck', the teen started patting down his pockets in search for something. Considering his pants had pockets at sides, thighs, kneecaps, and shins, there were several pockets to search. Finally, Demyan found what he was looking for and extricated it from the pocket it had been resting in. He released it, though, upon noticing her gaze being directed to the pot on the stove.

Demyan nodded. "Sure is always good!" he agreed with a wide smile. Though he clearly had the Viper looks, this smile in particular was unconsciously identical to his father's. He watched as she magicked the contents of the pot into a container.

The corners of his mouth twitched into a grin. "I won't tell if you don't," he replied with amusement. "That is odd, though... I mean, we are witches and wizards. Not like you're gonna duel with the stove or somethin'." Demyan laughed at the thought of one of them dueling with the kitchen appliances.

He opened his mouth to reply to her answer, when his stomach beat him to it: a loud, long rumble clearly heard in the relative quiet. Emerald orbs widened at the sound and his cheeks got rather pink. "Um... yeah: bit hungry, actually..." he muttered sheepishly. "Are you going to have some, too?" Demyan asked, not particularly keen on eating in front of someone that wasn't eating.

The teen could be a kind and thoughtful young man, when he wanted to be.

Rossa laughed at his statement about the kitchen appliances and dueling. "Yeah wouldn't that be a sight eh?" she said with a giggle.

At the sound of his hungry stomach she gave a small laugh, not wishing to embrass him further. Although he was cute when he blushed.....

The though actually made her blush, so she quickly turned around and summond two plates and put some Pelmeni on each. "Yeah.. I am gonna have Some"

"I hope I made it right...."she said picking up the plates.

She walked over to small table, and sat them down.

"Ya want ta taste first? this it the first time I made it" said with a smile.

Demyan grinned and nodded, happy to hear Rossa giggle. There were times when laughter was in particularly short supply...

A slight deepening of the color on his cheeks ensued at the slight laugh, but he tried to force the entire blush out. It was a normal bodily function... no need to be embarrassed...

But he was. Slightly.

"Good. Er, I mean, Cool," he replied, glad to hear that he would not be eating alone. "Looks and smells good..." Demyan offered encouragingly as the plates were set between them.

"Sure," the teen agreed, his own smile widening a bit. Demyan wasn't sure why it mattered who had the first taste, but he wouldn't question it. He took up a spoon and gathered a couple of the pelmeni, which looked like a miniature pirogi, onto it. For Rossa's first time making them, he thought she did well. Without stalling he led the spoon to his mouth.

The pelmeni was rather good! It was neither over- or undercooked, and the filling spiced just right for his taste. As he chewed, Demyan realized that there was absolutely no one in the dining hall, and there certainly wasn't anyone else in the kitchen. It was very quiet in this part of the Keep.

They were alone together... having dinner...

'Like a date,' Demyan mused with an inward laugh of joy at the circumstance. With the purgers constantly looking for them, it made it rather difficult to do much of anything without taking some rather large risks. Tav and Val were rather overprotective of everyone under the age of seventeen... whether they were family by name, blood, or whatever. Val certainly wouldn't have condoned Demyan's part of it, and Tav likely wouldn't have allowed Rossa to go anywhere without an escort either...

Realizing he had yet to remark upon the food, Demyan nodded to her and swallowed. "It's very good, Rossa," he told her sincerely, grinning.

Rossa smiled as he seemed to blush even more when she turned around with the two plates on her hand.

"He still looks cute when he does that...."she thought to her self as she walked toward the table.

"Looks and smells good..."

She beamed and waited for him to taste, since he had had it before he would know if she had made it right.

She crossed her fingers and waited for the vertict. It briefly crossed her mind why did she care about his opinion so much? normally she didn't care what someone thought of her cooking.

"So why is this any different?" She wasn't able to think any further along that line of though when Denyam gave his vertict.

"It's very good, Rossa,"

She beamed again "I am glad you like it" she said with a slight blush of her own.

"oh want something to drink? I am getting some lemonade" she asked as she waved her hand and two glasses floated toward her. Her mother had taught her how to do the floating charm wandlessly before she died. It was the only spell her could do wandlessly and she could only do it to small things so far without getting tired, but is was very usefull sometimes.

Demyan grinned in return, unconsciously noting mentally that Rossalyn looked rather cute when she blushed. Upon realizing what he was thinking, though, the teen almost started blushing again as well but forced the color to remain hidden.

"Um... sure," he answered as she levitated glasses toward her. "I'll have lemonade as well, since I think we ran out of pomegranate juice?" A slight chuckle escaped his lips, mostly because it was likely he that caused said juice in their supplies to run out. It was his favorite beverage, though made a habit of only having one or .... okay, three very full glasses a day.

Copying Rossa, Demyan wandlessly summoned the lemonade from the fridge for her. Unlike Tav's no-magic rule for Rossa, Demyan was encouraged to use magic as a child so long as it didn't to irreparable damage to anything. "Think Tav'd be flipping his lid if he seen us using magic right now?" he asked mischievously.

Rossa chuckled when he did and pour there drinks and made note of the prefered drink of her friend.

"pomegranate juice huh? I will keep that in mind" she said.

Sitting back down at the table she laughed " Ah I think he would have given up by now" she said with a wink.

She took a small bite of the pelmeni and smiled "This is good, just about worth the burns making it" she said with a laugh.

She wondered why she was so cheerful all of a sudden, usually she didn't laugh or smile this much.

"Perhaps it is the company I have" she thought with a small smile.

"Yeah," Demyan nodded. "Never could keep too big a supply at one time... mum really liked the stuff, and then I found out I liked it too."

The teen laughed, though felt a slight blush creep onto his cheeks at her wink. Was it supposed to mean anything... in particular? Or was it just a standard wink? Demyan decided to store the expression in his memory for later, and see what becomes of the rest of this dinner date.

He smiled, and laughed along as well. "More than worth it, if you ask me. You cook really well, Rossa."

"Maybe you could help me with cooking, and I could help you with potions," Demyan offered, with a very slight undertone of teasing in his voice about the potions. Unfortunately, he was rather serious about the cooking: growing up in two aristocratic manors with House-Elves and a Russian grandmother that seemed as though she could supply at least four bakeries with all the cooking she was capable of doing in one go, there was never a need for Demyan to learn how to do so. Like his mother before him, potions tended to take up much of his time. Perhaps not quite as much time, but a good share of it.

Demyan had no idea why she smiled just then, but was happy for it all the same. Rossalyn McConn had a rather nice smile... and really pretty eyes... pretty everything, really...

Immediately the blush was back. The lad tried to counteract that by keenly observing the pelmenti as he ate. Though, he couldn't resist glancing at her. "So... um... this is your first try making pelmeni?" he asked, trying to find something else for them to talk about, in addition to giving him a different topic to think about. Not that he didn't like thinking about Rossa... just that thinking about Rossa made him blush a great deal.

Rossa smiled and blushed at his complement, "Thank ya... tell that to my hands Aye" she said sheepishly, while trying to hid her face behind her cup of lemonade as she pretended to take a drink.

At his offer she smiled again, "Thanks, Potion isn't my strong point... well it is like cooking I can make the potion right but it is my hand and arms that pay the price" she said with a small laugh.

"Charms are more my area of expertise" she said as a add on after swallowing food.

She nodded at his question, "Yeah it is, first time eating it to..." she said shyly. Glancing at him she noticed his face turn red, and she though for a moment trying to remember if she had said something to enbarass him... She couldn't think of anything, and he didn't say or do anything of that sort.

"Ummm... are ya alright? your face is all red.." she asjed with a bit of concern as she looked at his face.

Demyan grinned at her reply. Hidden by the table, he reached into his pocket for an object. Would she want it if he offered or gave it to her? There was only one way to tell. “Perhaps you just need a good luck charm,” he suggested playfully. At the same time he held out his hand to show her an ovular, ornately carved and polished opal.

“Val’s dad gave this to me... said he found it in his garden in Australia and it brought him good luck ever since finding it. Now I want you to have it,” the teen explained, the emerald eyes warmly surveying the girl before him. “... Even if it is probably just superstition.” A slight laugh followed his afterthought, but other than that he was completely serious.

He nodded his understanding. “They’re sorta similar to... what’re they called? Pot-stickers? Only a bit different,” Demyan commented, observing one on his fork before putting it in his mouth. “My babushka never seemed able to make enough of them whenever I went to visit her!” It was a fond memory that had come to mind, of a winter that seemed so long ago: he and his mother were in the kitchen sipping hot chocolate, and his grandmother was busily working on several foodstuffs at once – notably pelmeni. It was ‘notable’ because Demyan got to help cut out the little circles of dough. At the age of five or six, it was a task of great amusement and fun! Of course, he got flour all over himself...

"Ummm... are ya alright? your face is all red.."

Demyan swallowed the mouthful of pelmeni he had, very slowly becoming paler as he hesitated. “Yeah... I’m okay. Just thinking...” he murmured, copying her move to hide behind his glass of lemonade by getting a drink that was both pretended and legitimate.

Rossa looked in awe of the stone for a moment, "Oh Demyan it's beautiful" she said as she slowly took the polished stone in the her hand to look at its beauty more closely.

"It diffinatly looks like a good luck charm alright, aye?" she said.

Then she shifted her eyes to Demyan, "Um are letting me have it? she asked.

Rossa nodded her head, "hmmm I was looking for something different that looked good and that is what came up. I didn't know you like it so much.. I am glad it turned out alright" she said.

Rossa blinked her blueish green eyes curiously, "Oh... Penny for ya thoughts?" she asked.

"Oh hey when is your next Sentianl watch? mine is in two days.. you can stay up with me keep me company if ya want?" she asked.

Demyan forced the blush down and beamed at her exclamation. He nodded in agreement shortly thereafter, feeling that it certainly had leant him luck when he'd needed it. His green eyes rose to hers at the question, surveying her expression as he nodded again. "Yeah: I want you to have it," he reassured her, pulling his hand away slightly to indicate the passage of ownership of the 'charm'.

"Yeah, it's great. I wouldn't have believed this was your first time making it if you hadn't told me..." Demyan reaffirmed for her, smiling charmingly.

For the briefest of moments, Demyan wondered what the smallest unit of muggle currency had to do with anything. Then, he remembered that it was a common expression. "Um... well, I've had a lot on my mind lately. Who hasn't?" he began, stalling for time, but still managing a friendly demeanor. "I was just... embarrassed for a moment that you'd probably think Ethan's good luck stone was just some stupid superstition..." he lied. It was one thing that worried him, but wasn't exactly the cause of his coloring.

When talk turned of sentinel duty, Demyan looked rather thoughtful. "I had sentinel duty two days ago... But sure - I'll do that. Even if I'm not supposed to be on duty," he replied with a grin. Demyan liked the sound of that idea quite a lot...

Rossa smiled, she was glad she had made it right, if Demyan was happy she was happy.

She smiled kindly, "No need to be emarrased by that Demyan...it is the thought that counts right? and I am honored ya would give me something that belonged to Ethan, I used to call him Uncle Ethan when I was younger, he always made my laugh, he was so fun" she said with a small laugh.

Rossa beamed when Demyan said he would go an sential duty with her, "Really? Cool, I look forward to it" she said.

The idea of talking with Deyman under the stars alnight, and the romantic feeling was not lost to her.

Demyan reciprocated the smile, glad to hear that - one, she found the excuse legitimate; and two, she genuinely liked the 'good luck charm'. "That's what I've always been told," he nodded with a bit of a grin starting to form.

The teen chuckled at Rossa's anecdote regarding the eccentric Head of Ravenclaw that was his mother's friend, college, and at one point tutor in Herbology if he remembered the stories correctly. "Yeah, he was a fun guy... kinda odd he kept on referring to us as 'sprouts'. Mum says that's just the way he talked... Always tried to make people smile even in the darkest of times. I wonder if that was just him as well or if that started before all this?" he said, partially thinking out loud.

"Sure - of course I'll go on Sentinel Duty with you," he confirmed, while mentally adding an 'And I'll be looking forward to it as well,' onto the end of that. It would be another chance to be entirely alone with her... and sort of under the stars, no less. Peace, quiet, the stars, and Rossa... in short: a recipe for a blissful night that would normally be a chore. Demyan certainly wasn't ignorant of such a thing!

Hopefully the purgers would decide to stay the hell away for the next few days/nights. After all, they've managed to leave them alone so far...