Forbidden Forest

Viper’s smile widened as the thestral rested her head on her shoulder, reaching out her other hand to gently stroke it. She gave a small laugh as the creature nudged the bag of treats and immediately dumped the rest of the contents unto the palm of her hand, offering them to Morana.

Breaking her gaze from the thestral, she turned to Sevastyan, acknowledging his statements with another smile. “Is she close to many members in your family?” she asked curiously, surprised and flattered that the thestral had immediately reacted with such sweetness to her. “I do hope she’s happy here at Hogwarts. It is quite different from Russia.” She mused, especially considering that the Holidays were not very far away and the thestral was no doubt, accustomed and most likely fond of especially cold climates

Morana took the treats gratefully, being careful not to bite the hand that was feeding her. The creature glanced at her handler with a kind of triumphant look on her reptilian yet equine face. Once the final few crumbs were gone, Morana walked off a short distance and reclined on the cool floor of the outer edges of the forest. She was still close by, but wasn't exactly crowding the pair either.


Sevastyan's smile widened. "Not many, no. I'd say she's really close to only four, maybe five people. Vell... three: my cousin Nikolai vos vone of the four, before he vos killed," he explained. "So far, I daresay she is very happy. Perhaps a little confused vy no vone comes to see her except those that can see thestrals, but that's to be expected: almost every Kaminski can see thestrals, so she vos used to that."

"I know I am certainly enjoying my time here..." he added in a slightly different, but still pleasant tone of voice.

Sevastyan's tone change did not go unnoticed to Viper, who quickly grew thankful that it was still fairly dark outside that Sevastyan wouldn't notice the blush spreading through her face. Viper hated her pale skin at times such as this...

She smiled at the wizard, determined to keep her composure. "I'm glad to hear that. It is rather refreshing to know all the rivalries, ghosts, Peeves, and of course the occasional colleague spat hasn't driven you mad and make you wish you've never even heard of Hogwarts." Viper joked lightly with a laugh, at the same time complimenting his patience, for she could name several people would snap in sheer frustration and annoyance after just half of what Sevastyan had gone through.

"Peeves puts me in mind of all of the Durmstrang students in my year manifested in vone entity!" he laughed, choosing to ignore what part of the blush he could see. It wasn't much, and thus he thought it merely a trick of the light. "Is it odd to find somevone that cannot adapt?" Sevastyan inquired, genuinely curious.

Noticing that Morana had laid down and was now watching the two, Sevastyan had an idea come to mind. Observing Amaranth for any sort of reaction, he asked her, "How does an early-morning ride on the back of a thestral strike you?"


Practically the moment the word 'ride' had been uttered Morana's head, which had been in a resting position, moved to examine her handler curiously. A ride? A flight? The thestral gave a whinny of sorts that clearly indicated she would be willing if Viper wished it.

Viper shook her head. "It's difficult to say, but I know far too many quitters out in the world...so many that give up right on the brink of something out of impatience and fear."

At Sevastyan's question, Viper raised her eyebrows in suprise before a smile slowly formed on her face. "I'd like that." she replied softly, having been reassured by Morana's reply.

"Vell, this particular Kaminski is not a qvitter, I can assure you of that!" he declared with pride. Perhaps it wasn't entirely true from certain standpoints: after all, he did quit delving into the dark arts; he did quit by mutual consent in his relations with Roxane. But neither of these things were out of impatience, for his part. Fear drove the first, though: fear that the rest of those whom he loved would follow in Nikolai's steps. Sevastyan decided to shove these thoughts aside.


His smile turned to a grin at the acceptance of his offer. "Since she reacted so vell towvards you, everything vill be fine," Sevastyan extended his own verbal reassurances and strode over to Morana. With a kind of masculine grace he swung himself onto the thestral's back without creating a disturbance. There was enough room on either side of him for Viper to climb up either in front of or in back of him. "Front, or back?" the Russian inquired, gesturing to either available location.

Viper stared at Sevastyan's movement with suprise, impressed by the grace he managed to climb on top of the thestrals back. She pondered his inquiry for a moment, pondering which position would be best. Whe she reached a decision, she met Sevastyan's gaze.

"The front." she smiled.

Sevastyan returned the smile. "Very vell," he said and moved down along Morana's back a little further to allow an adequate amount of space. "Just vatch out for the vertebrae: it doesn't hurt her or anything, but it can be a little painful to sit on. You might even vant a cushioning charm..." That stated, he gestured for her to climb on up and offered the same hand for a means of support while she got situated.

Viper gladly took the hand offered, for she was willing to bet her inheritance that she wouldn't even be a fraction as graceful as Sevastyan was when climbing the thestral.

She smiled reassuringly at his advice, knowing that it wouldn't bother it that much if not at all. "Promise you won't let me fall?" she asked in a light-hearted tone, tinted with laughter.

"I vould sooner be ripped to shreds by a manticore: I promise you von't be falling off... until ve dismount," he replied jovially as he helped her up. Though the tone was light-hearted and full of the same laughter, it was clear he meant every word.

"Now, as you have the front-most seat, I advise ven holding on that you grip vith your knees just under the ving-joint..." he advised. Summoning a fallen branch, Sevastyan transfigured it into a kind of leather harness and spelled it to wrap around Morana's chest and shoulders, securing itself in place with a kind of handle within easy reach of Viper. "You can either use the leather handle to hold on manually as vell, or you can use her mane," he offered and explained at the same time.

"Ven you're ready, clicking the tip of your tongue three times against the roof of your mouth vill get her to stand up," Sevastyan added, and made an example noise.

Viper turned around and stuck her tongue out playfully at Sevastyan's statement.
She nodded in comprehension to Sevastyan's advice, listening carefully.

When the witch was situated, she mimicked the clicking noises Sevastyan had demostrated. However, as soon as the thestral began take off and launched into the air, Viper instictively grabbed Sevastyan's hands ((assuming they are at her side)) instead of the handle or mane previously offered to her as they went higher and higher over Hogwarts.

Sevastyan merely grinned in response to the playful gesture, for he had deliberately left out what would happen should Viper begin to tumble upon dismounting. Particularly what he would have done the moment he noticed Viper fall at that time. The Russian didn't think it would have been appropriate to say he'd be right there to catch her in his arms, because that could clearly be interpreted on a few different levels. No: it was best to let those things happen on their own, if they happened at all.

As she positioned herself, Sevastyan made certain that his hands hovered at her sides within a reasonable distance so there was no way it could be interpreted as a possibly unwanted advance. Only after it became clear that Morana was preparing for take-off did he actually make physical contact. It had been years since he took the "back seat" on a winged horse of any kind, but he knew his best bet was holding on top the front-most rider by the sides and gripping the horse with light but firm pressure with the knees.

Sevastyan started briefly the moment Viper made a successful grab for his hands, though recovered enough to grip one of her hands reassuringly whilst the other was held loosely. He'd had to lean forwards a little to grab the leather handle, and finagle his grip to accommodate both the reassuring hand-holding and the grasp on the leather handle. Once they were up in the air and gliding they'd be fine.

"It's all right, Amaranth: ve aren't going anyvhere Morana is not," he attempted to sooth calmly, his bearded chin gently resting on her shoulder so he could be heard and he could see whereabouts the handle was. There was a necessity for the closeness that he could use as a viable reason in the event she should ask, though felt rather... different... being this close to the woman while both of them were still in their pajamas. It wasn't a bad feeling; just one Sevastyan hadn't felt in quite some time. Not since he and Roxane mutually called off their engagement several years ago...

Viper closed her eyes as she felt Sevastyan come closer and rest his chin on her shoulder. Normally, being a fairly claustrophobic person, she would loudly object to such actions but with him...Viper felt safe, as though nothing in the world could ever hurt her being right beside Sevastyan.

She tilted her head slightly towards Sevastyan. "I trust you." she whispered.

Sevastyan tilted his head and regarded her with a sideways glance. "And I you," he murmured. Now that Morana was mostly in glide mode, he released his grip on the handle to better hold her other hand. Because he wasn't quite sure where would be a good place to let their entwined hands rest Sevastyan allowed the muscles in his forearms to relax, settling naturally once again at Viper's sides. The fact that he was not all tensed up indicated, in his opinion, that if she preferred a more comfortable position she was welcome to change their present pose.

Raising his chin from her shoulder, but clearly choosing to hover nearby so they can maintain a conversation, Sevastyan asked, "Is this your first time riding on a thestral?"

Viper smiled as she noticed that Sevastyan did not release her hands, and instead held onto it more. She leaned back slightly, her form relaxing, clearly comfortable by their positions.

At Sevastyan's inquiry, she nodded with a soft laugh. "Yes, it is. I'm sorry for panicking during take off." she tilted her head, smiling apologetically.

Sevastyan noticed her lean back a little. Thinking she may have been testing his reflexes by feigning a feeling of falling, he adjusted his posture to accommodate and equally became comfortable with the situation. However, for the moment, Sevastyan refused to acknowledge that their positions were anything more than necessary while being astride a thestral in midair. Or, at least, that what he would have liked to think. A spark at the back of his mind, however, thought and felt rather differently. That little spark practically jumped as the nightmare, now gone, had been replaced by something much more tangible and pleasant.

He glanced toward and practically grinned at her. "It's qvite all right. I should have asked about that first," he replied, sounding infinitely happier than he'd been when he first arrived at the entryway to her chambers. "Perhaps ve should start doing this more often..." he suggested with a chuckle, "... that is, if you are enjoying yourself of course." Sevastyan was unable to deny such a thing, but couldn't be sure whether it was the flight or the company that was quickly making this particular ride a memorable one.

Viper raised an eyebrow at his suggestion, her smile turning into a brighter one as she leaned back a bit further, completely comfortable and at ease with their positions, more than she had been ever.

"If you're a willing driver than I am a willing passenger." she replied, suprised that he would want to have an encore ride with her. Or more encounters at all, really...

She nodded, confirming that she was indeed enjoying herself. "It's beautiful up here..." she breathed out as the first rays of daylight began to rise.

Sevastyan was thoroughly at ease knowing, or rather assuming, that Viper was comfortable with being this close. He continued to maintain a venue of support for her so it would not seem as though she was falling, her shoulders almost resting against his chest. After the nightmare he'd had, knowing that she was near and unharmed was a great comfort.

"Morana reqvires daily exercise, and since I started handling her at home I have alvays loved a good flight. Your company vould make the routine even more enjoyable," he replied, not really picking up on her surprise for the time being. Sevastyan was too in the moment to consider that some of the locals would not have offered the same invitation.

"It is magnificent," he agreed with his own soft exhalation, nodding his agreement.

Viper grinned in response. "Well, flying high up in the air on a thestral with you sounds liked a wonderful way to hide from all the students." she laughed softly as she leaned her shoulders against his chest, enjoying the view.

((You guys are done right? hehe I got bored, so I decided to write this and see what happens))

Kiara walked along the ground with Lav on her shoulder.

She sighed and rubbed her neck, she had mountain of paper work to do for Calista's case and the ministry was bugging her over the issue with the 4th selected champion. And she had been at is all day, she needed a break.

"And to think Kazimir and Lasharna were bad enough. Now the ministry is nagging me, really I don't know what they hope to accomplish, other then driving me insane that is" she said to Lav who was on her shoulder. Seemingly listening to her talk.

Lav also need to get out of her quarters for a bit and get some fresh air. This was the last place in Hogwarts grounds Kiara expected to find Lasharna so she she didn't see the harm in it.

Kiara was tired with all the stress and problems at the school now Kiara could feel her self wareing down with the added work load.

Sighing she said "Just need to make it to the end of the tournament and Calista's case, and then you can finally get a full night sleep she mumbled to Lav. It always felt good to talk to the kitten seemed to actually listen to her. When she wasn't telling her what to do anyway.

One good thing was that now at least she was being left alone by her dreaded nightmares since talking to Sevastyan. She had only one or two of them on bad days and even then they weren't nearly as intense.

Then Lav saw something move in the forest ans of course being a curious little kitten she had to see what is was. So she jumped off Kiara's shoulder and took off the forbidden forest.

"Lav get back here, the forbidden forest is no place for a kitten" said Kiara as she ran after the small cat

She arrived in the forbidden forest slightly winded but not to bad, is was a few days after new moon so her lungs had afew more days left before they started to really bother her. It also reminded her needed to tell Ciaran about it, which was something she wasn't looking forward to. She didn't want to worry him, she could tell he had already been throught the pain of loosing his wife. She didn't want to add worry to him about her lung condition. Which could be lethal if she wasn't careful.

Seeing Lav claiming a tree Kiara rolled her eyes.

"Oh not today my little friend, this is the forbidden forest, no little kitties allowed." she lectured as she waved her had and leivitated Lav into her arms and kept her there. Not trusting her to behave her self with all the trees around them.

While walking back to the castle Kiara suddenly felt as if some or something was watching them. She tured around almost not seeinf anything, she wouldn't have if it weren't for the slighest big of movement out the corner of her eye.

Flying fast at her head was a Black Pheonix it talons out strechted toward her face. Black Pheonix's looked like normal Pheonixes only they were Black and very agressive for no appreant reason. They were immune to many types of magic which made them very dangerous to fight as they were quick and had long talons that were incredibly sharp.

Kiara ducked just in time to avoid being sliced in the face by the dangerous bird. Letting Lav go to run back to the castle Kiara faced the Pheonix and armed her self with her Blue fire.

(Lav will appear at the entrence hall door, it someone wants to let her in)

Her fire was the only thing she could fight the powerful bird with as it was Pheonix magic as well. Kiara manged to hold her own in the fight for 30 minutes ad slowly work her way to ward to grounds, before first blood was drawn.

Kiara was getting desperate and tired she couldn't keep this up.Then she got a idea if she could grab on to the pheonix when is flew at her she would be able to burn it if she was quick enough and able to over power the wild bird.

Her powers would be stronger then that of a wild Pheonix because of the bonding with Saturn.

"It has to work or I am done for" she thought as she leaned on a tree she was terribly out of breath and exshusted.

Carefully she waited and watched for the bird to fly at her and wait for the perfect moment to grab it.

Then it came flying quickly at her and she manged to grab on to its legs. Then mustering what energy she could, she fire flared to life and heated up at a fanominal rate.

The Black Pheonix faught her magic and her hold in it, stabing her in the arms with it's beak and useing its own magic against hers.

Kiara bit her lip agianst the fresh wounds that now bloodied her arms and robes, concentrating on the fire's heat she made it as hot as it would go. With one final scream and push of energy the Black Pheonix turned to ashes.

Kiara droped to her knees and sighed in releif, she was covered in ashed and blood but alive. What was more that could be said of other attack victims of Black Pheonixs.

Taking out her wand she cleaned the ash off herself and conjured somebandages around her arms. She would need to clean them in her office onc she got back to hogwarts.

On shaky feet and legs she got up and using the many trees for support headed back to the grounds.

((Finally going to the grounds now... hehe sorry 2nd time writing this))

Kiara walk out to the forbidden forest to where she knew the unicorns were.

She waited by a large tree, tears courseing down her face.

She said nothing as she watched the heard. "You knew what is strange... I almost don't know why I am so against Eglantine doing this" she said quietly.

Horatio sighed. "You want to protect her, Kiara. Just like I do." He too had his blue eyes trained on the herd. "The older one there would be best." he murmured.

Kiara nodded "S.so how do we do this?" she asked one could already feel the tremer in her voice.

Horatio patted her shoulder. "You must use a knife to kill the unicorn and it must be male. But it is not dark magic, Kiara. Ancient, yes. A ward used in long ago times to protect valuable objects. I'd say our students were more valuable than any object..."

With a nod of her head she pulled out a dagger that had been hiddin her rodes.. one never knew when a muggle blade could be useful.

"and the people we love as well"

Through watery eyes she wipped the tears away, as she looked at the old male unicorn.. the former leader of the heard.

"If you could watch for centaurs that would be helpful.... they are vowed to kill anyone they find killing a unicorn" she said her voice now hollow as she made up her mind that she would do it, and she trusted Horatio to watch her back.