Viper Manor ~ April 11, 2027

Demyan Kaminski couldn’t help the supercharged excitement flowing through him. Today was his fifth birthday! Goodbye ‘Mister Four’ – Demyan knew thee well. Now, he’d be able to stretch all five fingers from his palm and declare, “I’m this many years old!” with that playful little smirk that always made his mother giggle happily at him. He wasn’t quite sure what it was about his actions that made her laugh, but Demyan could care less: he knew he was loved, and so long as that still remained his Mummy could laugh all she wanted at him. Everything in this incredibly humongous world was good in his book, knowing that his Mum was happy. He didn’t like to see her sad...

The newly-turned five year old managed to dress himself in emerald green robes, navy blue pants, and a crimson knit sweater-like top with a golden bird on the front. The word ‘DURMSTRANG’ was displayed below the bird, but Demyan couldn’t remember what it meant. He thought it had something to do with his father...

If it was one thing to be said about birthdays, the highlight of this day was surely the presents! Not that Demyan was exactly a greedy little thing, but because that was what usually came about at some point or another. As it stood he had no idea what his parents had in mind for him on his special day, but knew presents would be involved! Pretty, multicolored paper and bows... just waiting for him to shred through in order to find the gift beneath the wrappings!

But where would they hide his birthday presents? That was the next thing. Demyan knew they had to hide them somewhere! And both places he called home were rather big... certainly big enough to hide presents anywhere! Knowing his luck it’d be a place up high that he’d have to use his magic in order to get to.

It was at that particular moment that one door intrigued him the most. Demyan had never seen either parent go through it before... but it had to lead to someplace, didn’t it? That was just the way houses – even big ones like both of his – worked. With a giggle of excitement in thinking that his presents were surely somewhere behind the door, Demyan ran forwards and opened it, slightly toddling his way in.

The little boy found himself face to face with a flight of stairs, but that would not deter him from his goal! Immediately he climbed, and climbed, and climbed some more, until he finally reached the corridor. However, a familiar sight met his eyes upon crossing the threshold...

Demyan pouted hugely, for one parent or the other had put a really big ward in his way. He had seen wards before, and at his tender young age had been instructed about them. A furrow knotted his fine raven brows, his mind trying to find a way around this minor setback. Surely the presents must be there... for such a big ward to be here!

He just wanted to see what the packages looked like all wrapped...!
He could wait until the proper time to open them...!
Maybe... or maybe not...

Glancing around to make sure he hadn’t been spotted, Demyan approached the ward to get a better look. Perhaps there was a way around it...

Though the sun had barely risen, Viper had been up for a while, wide awake in bed, filled with excitement. Much to her amazement, today was her son Demyan's fifth birthday. It had been 5 years, 260 weeks, 1825 days since he was born. "Where has the time gone?" she mused to herself, wondering just how her baby boy had turned into a child who's years on this Earth took a whole hand's fingers to show. She could imagine just how adorable her son would look now that he’d be able to stretch all five fingers from his palm and declare, “I’m this many years old!” Especially when it came with that little smirk he had managed to possees that Viper was positive could make the Snow Queen herself melt into a gigantic puddle.

Feeling as though she would simply burst with excitement, Viper slipped from under the blanket slowly as to not wake her sleeping husband, giving him a soft kiss as she rose from the bed, conjuring a small wrapped box. It was a little something she picked out for Demyan that she knew he would love, considering she had seen him glancing at it more than once during a trip to Hogsmeade.

While Viper would never admit it, she tended to favor Demyan over his sisters. It wasn't that she didn't love her daughters as much as she loved her son. Oh no, far from that! Viper loved all her children and husband more than Shakespeare had words to describe. She just had an incredibly soft spot for Demyan, considering he was her only boy and so much like his father: the eternal keeper of her heart.

Deciding she had stalled long enough, Viper transfigured her nightgown into her normal, home-robes, and headed over to Demyan's room, opening the door slowly.........

........Only to find an empty bed instead of a sleeping angel.

Panic quickly replaced Viper as she took a moment to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. Remembering the added charms she and Sevastyan had cast on the children to ensure safety and allow the parents to know their child's whereabouts at all times, Viper waved her hand, activating the charm to locate Demyan. A bright blue bubble formed into a map of the layout of Viper. The witch inhaled sharply as her son's location was revealed: The Caelestis Tower. Also known as the forbidden tower. While the kids were generally free to run and roam around the tower, provided they abided by a few common rules, the tower was strictly off limits, for reasons only Viper and Sevastyan knew.

Turning suddenly, Viper raced down the halls, blindly running past numerous doors and hallways until her green eyes landed on the familiar sight of her son Demyan. Or rather, her son trying to infiltrate the wards of the forbidden tower.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?!?" Viper breathed out in a voice blended with worry, fear, relief, and a not so subtle hint of anger for her son disobeying her in the one rule she had made clear that he was always to follow.

In Demyan's excitement of the moment, he'd forgotten what was where and that this tower was the one both his Mama and Papa told him and his sisters not to venture in. Even if he had remembered, the boy wouldn't have been able to resist at least a quick poke around. After all, 'forbidden' started with an 'f' and ended in an 'n'. Just like the word 'fun'!

However, this ward sealed up the area tight. Demyan decided he probably couldn't even get a hair from his favorite teddy bear through this one! Perhaps his presents weren't up here... this seemed like too much trouble to go through in order to keep him away from a few birthday gifts.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?!?"

The five year old practically leapt out of his skin, metaphorically speaking, as he whirled around to find his mother standing near where he had just come from. Emerald orbs were wide in surprise at having been caught. Taking a closer look at his surroundings, Demyan realized where he was. Well, not precisely where he was but rather that this was unfamiliar territory and hence not where he was allowed to be.

"Uh-oh..." the little boy thought to himself. "Um..." came the tiny reply. In all his young life, Demyan knew that his mother was surely quite displeased with him at the moment. Words needed to be chosen carefully. "Sleepwalking?" he offered sheepishly. It was probably a better excuse than saying he was looking for his birthday presents, and likely wouldn't upset his Mama even more than she already seemed to be.

Staying out of trouble was of supreme importance at the moment... and it was very early in the morning, judging by the nearby window's faint light.

If Viper's blood hadn't been boiling with fury and if breathing hadn't been so difficult, the witch may have smiled and giggled softly at her son's reply, for it was done in a rather cute, loveable manner. After all, her was her son and still retained that small child adorable-ness. However, given the circumstances, smiling and laughing were the farthest thing from Viper's mind.

"Sleepwalking? Well that's certainly interesting, given the fact that you've never sleepwalked before, your bedroom is on the other side of this Manor, and the area you have wandered into is forbidden." Viper inhaled deeply, despite her self-control, her green eyes narrowed slightly. Not too much to scare the life out of Demyan, but enough to warn him she was not kidding. "Demyan Elessar Kaminski, I want a straight answer from you now! What are you doing here?"

Green eyes blinked in surprise as his mother shot down his excuse with three reasons why it wasn't true. 'Fake sleepwalking more often,' Demyan mused, though he was far from enjoying this moment. Between the sharp intake of breath and Viper's narrowed eyes, it seemed as though a fairly innocent search for his birthday presents was about to take a very big turn for the worst.

"Demyan Elessar Kaminski, I want a straight answer from you now! What are you doing here?"

The little boy winced at hearing his full name. If he hadn't already known he was in trouble, this confirmed it without a shadow of a doubt. Vibrant emeralds lowered guiltily to the floor. A sock-covered foot made a motion that, had Demyan donned shoes, would have left a black streak on the surface if given enough force.

"Es'plorin' for presents..." replied the child truthfully, his tone of voice so soft it was nearly a whisper. Demyan's demeanor immediately shifted from excited birthday boy to something repentant and far from cheerful. 'Was there a no-punishment policy on birthdays?' the boy wondered, though not exactly in those same words.

Large green eyes decided to risk an uncertain upward glance to see if his Mama liked this more sincere answer any better...

Viper felt a twang of sympathy over Demyan's soft reply, and nearly ran over to hug him and tell him it was all right. Nearly. However, the anger over what he had done, the one rule he had disobeyed, regardless of the innocent motive behind it still rang clear as a bell in her mind. She could vivedly imagine all the repercussions that could have risen had luck not been on their side, and none of them were positive.

"Go back to your room, Demyan." she replied in a low, icy tone, devoid of the warmth and affection it usually carried when speaking to her family, particularly Demyan. She beckoned him to walk ahead back to his room and not to dawdle, yet opted not to wait for him, trusting him to obey her now as she made her way at a quick pace downstairs.

'Great... now I did it,' Demyan thought miserably, lowering his eyes again upon hearing his mother's words. He had feared stating the truth would only make his mama angrier, and he had been right.

Though he seen the gesture to move he didn't immediately comply, keeping still for just a few seconds. The lack of affection in her voice made him feel as though he'd committed the worst crime a boy his age could achieve. Sure, he'd tested his limits before... but this seemed very different to him.

While he hadn't worried about being alone before, the notion certainly frightened Demyan now. Before, the corridor with the ward was interesting - now it was scary. He couldn't define the change or why it had happened. "Mama!" the boy whined and ran from the hallway, going as fast as his legs could carry him to catch up.

"Prasti..." Demyan murmured the Russian apology shakily as he grasped the stairway railing.

Viper winced upon hearing her son's call for her cadencing towards her, followed by his racing footsteps and shaky, murmured apology. She honestly wanted nothing more than to go back, hold him close to her and tell him it was alright. But she couldn't...

So many things could have happened: Demyan could have injured himself trying to penetrate the wards, he could have run into one of the acromantulas or other magical beasts Viper knew hung around the tower. Why, he could have even ran into his ancestral ghosts!

While Viper embraced her roots, she didn't want Demyan or any of her children to be exposed to that portion of their heritage. At least, not yet. When they were older it was their choice on who they choose to associate with. For now, she strongly preferred they retain some form of innocence. After all, they weren't even on double digits age-wise yet!

Proud and content with who she was despite of her own childhood, she didn't want her children following her path. She didn't want her children to endure Viper Clan beliefs and preachings. No, her children deserved the best she could offer and that certainly wasn't anything you would find spouting out of a Viper ghosts mouth! That was the whole reason she was so insistant on wards: to protect her children and get the most out of their childhood, their era of pure joy and innocence...

She took a long glance at her son, taking in his features, a perfect blend of her's and Sevastyans. Despite her intense longing, she resisted the urge to run and comfort him, and walked away, towards the living area downstairs, away from Demyan.

Demyan waited with baited breath, wondering how his mother was interpreting the offered apology. He hadn't really meant to break the rules, this time at least... though even more he hadn't meant to get caught on his search regardless of where he was. The boy sought comfort and to know that all could be forgiven. Emeralds brightened by emotion gazed into another set of emeralds that were so similar to his own...

The child blinked in surprise at how his mother simply walked away without so much as a word, startled into allowing a single tear to cascade down his cheek. Demyan felt... odd... about having his apology seemingly ignored entirely. Had she not heard him? The five-year-old could not think of any other logical reason for it, and headed down the stairs as fast as he could. "PRASTI!" he called after her again, a moistness in the practically-begged request for forgiveness.

Despite the echo, Demyan had no idea whether he had gone unheard a second time or not for he'd taken the last few stairs at a tumble. A surprised 'oof!' escaped him as he found himself sitting on the landing with a slight bump on the head. "Mmm..." he moaned, almost crying out for his mother, but he stopped himself. Demyan figured fall or no fall she probably wouldn't have heard him, or otherwise continued to deliberately ignore him.

With a moody 'hmph' directed the stairs, Demyan picked himself up off the floor and took a completely different route back to the bedrooms. But, in slight defiance, Demyan wasn't headed to his own room...

* * * *

Demyan opened the door to his elder sister's bedroom and snuck in. "Lara?" he whispered, wondering if she too was awake or sound asleep. The child maneuvered around the toys and assorted stuff that was typically in a girl's room. "Lara?" he called again in a whisper, "Are you awake?"

Mere inches from Lara's own face, Demyan asked in a quiet but other wise normal voice: "Lara?!"


- - - - - - - - - - -

Sevastyan had slept on in bliss for several minutes after being given a soft kiss by his wife as she rose from their bed. But, before too awful long he decided it was probably best for him to do the same. If he knew Demyan, the kid was likely up and running from one side of Viper Manor to the next in his excitement.

It wasn't every day a boy turned five years old, after all. The kid had a thing for proudly declaring his age, and the ages of everyone else in the family. Sevastyan himself had just turned a whopping forty-three a little over a month ago...

... where had all the time gone?

The Russian wizard sat in the rocking chair he or Amaranth used to soothe one of their three children when they were infants, and continued to do so occasionally even to this day. However, at the moment there was no child in his arms. Everything was quiet, and serene...

As he closed his eyes, Sevastyan wondered where precisely his lovely wife had gone. It wasn't like her to just up and leave, but Demyan was also missing. 'Probably a mother-son outing...' Sevastyan mused with a smirk and a sigh of comfort. He rather enjoyed the rocking chair about as much as his children did...

Viper bit her lip upon hearing her child call for her once more, this time his voice dripping with emotion. She hesitated taking the next step, even going so far as to turn around mid-way before stopping. No, she couldn't. Not yet. She needed a moment to calm herself and her mind, basically cool off so she could explain herself without giving away too much. The thing was, what exactly would she say?

She contemplated the possible explanations she could offer as she made her way into the next room, noticing her husband sitting on the rocking chair. She smiled softly at the sight, thinking of all the memories the chair had, and all the ones yet to come. "Hey stranger." she offered in greeting though her voice sounded quite solemn. She gave Sevastyan a quick kiss on the cheek before laying on the couch with a pensive expression. "Demyan tried to access the tower..." she whispered softly, as a way of explanation to her grim mood on this would-be happy occassion.


- - - - - - - - - -


Lara stirred slightly in her sleep upon hearing her door creak slightly. She made a mental note to ask her daddy to fix it before rolling deeper into the covers, snuggling into the blanket. Unfortunetly, the creak was soon followed with her name being called repeatedly by an all too familiar voice.

Shr groaned in protest, hoping Demyan would take the hint and go away, only to be denied as she heard his voice louder than ever and opened her eyes to see his face mere inches from her own.

She sighed before replying in an annoyed tone. "Yeah, yeah, we know Demyan, it's your birthday. We get it! You're five, Lynn's two, Daddy's forty-three, Mummy's thirty-one, and I'm seven. Happy Birthday, and good night!" she plopped her head under her pillow.

Gray eyes opened halfway at the greeting, a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. However, it immediately faltered upon recognizing the tone used. Sevastyan forced himself into wakefulness as Viper kissed his cheek and went to sit upon the sofa. "Good morning, love," Sevastyan replied softly in German. He was about to ask if there was anything wrong due to the solemnity of her voice, when the answer was given to him almost automatically.

The wizard looked pensive for a moment, mulling over the possibilities of what could have happened. "Is everything all right? Did anything happen?" he asked calmly, though was instantly betrayed by the lines of worry that suddenly etched themselves into his forehead. They had always been there, but tended to become more pronounced when he became concerned.

In hopes to comfort her in some shape or form, Sevastyan stood and padded his way toward the couch in his bare feet. True to form, he was wearing emerald green pajama bottoms and a very light overrobe that hung open. Without need for words he scooped up her legs, sat down, and placed said limbs across his own. A comfortingly firm but gentle hand rested somewhere in the middle of her knees and ankles. "Vot vos he trying to accomplish by accessing the towver?" Sevastyan queried.


- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Demyan sighed in irritation at his sister's own annoyance. Had the chain of events that had just happened not transpired, he probably would have stated those very same statistics. "But it's morning..." the boy whined, attempting to pull the pillow off his sister's head.

"Did'jyou know there's a really big ward in the 'Kay-lest-iss' tower?" he asked his big sister neutrally, pretty sure he once again mispronounced the proper name for the Forbidden Tower. However, he couldn't bring himself up to acknowledging just how 'forbidden' it apparently was. Nothing in Demyan's memory had ever caused his Mama to ignore him before...

"D'you wanna play? ...Other than dolls, dress up, and tea party? I'm bored!"

Viper offered a small smile, barely a tilt of the corners of her mouth at Sevastyan's German greeting. Over the years she had been married to Sevastyan and spent most holidays and many weekends in Kaminski Manor, Viper had managed to get a rather good grip on German and Russian and was now fairly fluent in it.

She noticed the lines of worry deepening already, just by the tone of her voice and immediately felt a stab of guilt over causing such a rapid change of emotion on her husband's face. Times were troubled enough as it was, what with all the purgers running amuck. In fact, Viper could name roughly a dozen of pureblooded witches and wizards she had known as a young child, allies of the Viper Clan who had been eliminated by the Purgers. An intense feeling of self-loathe filled Viper as she realized this: here was her husband in a rare moment of relaxation in the rocking chair, more serene and happy than he had been in months, and here she was slaughtering that atmosphere with a hissy fit! Surely it was a justifiable hissy fit...

......Wasn't it?

Viper reached for Sevastyan's hand, shifting slightly so she could entwine her's and his together, taking comfort in what others outside the Manor would deem a rather simple gesture. However, to Viper, holding hands was anything but! To her it was symbolic, and meaningful: it was tangible, demonstrative proof that she had someone at her side, fighting the same battles day after day, always. However, a small demonic thought whispered into Viper's mind. Would that be the case now?

True, Sevastyan was tougher on Demyan than he was on the girls, and Viper understood his reasons, though she herself did not pull the same rearing over him. If anything, she put a dent in his efforts by spoiling the kid rotten. However, like any great parent, Sevastyan knew when enough was enough. He knew when to be tough, and when to love. He knew where to draw the line. The question was, did Viper? Had she crossed the line between strictness and comfort?

She bit her lip nervously, trying to find the words to describe what had occured mere moments ago. "Demyan woke up earlier than I had. He wasn't in his room when I entered. Naturally, I panicked for a moment, before activating the charms to find his location," she paused, attempting to swallow the growing lump in her throat. "H-He was in the Caelestis Tower, a-and I lost it. I dashed over there as fast as I could and I saw him poking at the ward, a-and just lost it... I was furious, terrified, and just couldn't control it all, so, so I just walked away." she bit her lip harder, to the point where blood was drawn. She didn't notice, however, for her green eyes, identical to the son she knowingly had hurt, filled with tears.

"He called after me, and I just... ignored him. I didn't even look back!" she gasped, a few tears making their way down her face as the full magnitude of what she had done, the storm she had created out of simple childhood curiousity, one she wholeheartedly encouraged, hit her. She sniffed, giving a soft sob as she added the final nail to her cross of self-loathing. "And all he was doing was looking for birthday presents..."

What had she done? All her little boy wanted to do was look for his presents, thats all. And here she went, ruining his birthday, the birthday he had been looking forward to for so long... all because her child was being a child, doing what children do best.


- - - - - - - - - - -


Lara glared as she felt her pillow tugged away, revealing her raven locks. "Fine..." she sighed. After all, it was the kid's birthday. The least she could do was not strangle him or lock him in the closet... again.

She looked at him in puzzlement, sleep still addling her mind. "Kinda..." she offered, though she rolled her eyes at the mispronounciation, although she held off the smart alec comments that were starting to become her trademark. After all, truth be told, she couldn't really pronounce the name herself. "Mama and Daddy always say it's forbidden, isn't it? If its forbidden it's gotta have a ward, right?"

The seven year old scowled as many of her favorite pastimes were shot down before smiling a mischevious grin. Perhaps there was a way to get what they both wanted: a game for Demyan, and sleep for her...

"Ok. Let's play hide-and-seek!" she beamed, proud of herself for coming up with what she deemed to be a sneaky plan.

Sevastyan noticed her reaching and closed the distance between their hands, entwining her fingers with his. It was a gesture that had meaning for them since before Lara had been conceived and meant so much without the need for fanfare. Hand-holding was perhaps a bit more tolerable to the public eye than being engaged in a lip-lock of epic proportion. To Sevastyan personally, holding hands with Amaranth had a meaning too deep for words to convey properly. Symbol became meaning, and the meaning became a manifestation of some rather strong emotions. Love, faith, and loyalty were the main feelings he felt were demonstrated in the simple act of holding his wife’s hand. He loved her, believed in her, and wouldn’t let her go unless she demanded (and even then it depended upon the circumstance) or if death caused his grip to slacken.

However, there were times when he did admittedly get annoyed at the spoiling of their son. And the coddling. He would say something about it every so often, but such instances became rarer and rarer with the growing threat of purgers looming over their heads. How could his son become strong enough to fend off a purger threat should something happen to them, if he was nothing but a pampered little prince getting everything he wanted practically handed to him on a platter? However, such a notion was a bit hypocritical, he realized, due to the way he doted on his daughters at almost the slightest whim. How could he question her parenting methods, when he too practiced very similar techniques?

He supposed a large part of his doting was due to the fact he had no real idea how daughters were to be raised in any other method. Sveta always got the best as a child, and in the event Sevastyan got the best he always voluntarily traded Sveta later provided it was an appropriate trade and one he could live with.

While he didn’t want to admit it, Sevastyan’s relationship with his father helped define a lot of the lines he lived by in rearing his son. Though, Maksim had a hard time determining when enough was enough; when love was supposed to conquer even strength... By being on the receiving end of these teachings, Sevastyan based the scale on when enough was either enough or too much on his own tolerance levels. So far, it seemed to work rather well.

Though Healers claimed he would likely need glasses in another decade or two, Sevastyan was no slouch on the observation. He noted the lip biting, acknowledging that it was often a common signal of guilt, but listened without passing judgment. How could he judge her, without expecting to be judged in return? He nodded at her admission on being panicked – he would have done the same. Any parent would have panicked. Stormy irises turned thoughtful and curious when she said she’d lost it, for there were a wide variety of interpretations. Eventually, though, he inclined his head in a nod. Furious, terrified... Sevastyan could certainly understand both in such a situation. However, he blinked upon hearing that she had just walked away. Of all the outcomes, he hadn’t expected that one.

Compassion filled his features at seeing his wife’s further worry and guilt. With a free hand, Sevastyan ran his thumb over the injured lip and murmured a healing spell to repair the damage done. He would deal with the tears in a moment...

"He called after me, and I just... ignored him. I didn't even look back!"

An empathy only love as deep as theirs could provide filled the gray orbs. The hand gently hovering about her chin rose slightly to wipe away the tears that had sprung forth. “Shh...” he murmured cajolingly, in an attempt to soothe her worries. To ease them from her mind. Sevastyan hoped that perhaps he could provide her with some of his earlier tranquility. Somehow...

"And all he was doing was looking for birthday presents..."

With gentle ease Sevastyan extricated himself from the grip of their entwined hands just long enough to pull her fully into his lap, returning his hand to one of hers once he was certain she wouldn’t fall. His other arm wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. “It’s okay... just try to calm down. You vere only trying to make sure he vos safe...” he whispered, caressing the length of her back in a soothing manner. Sevastyan placed a kiss upon her cheek despite the fact that said area was slick with tears.

“Amaranth, if it is vone thing I have learned as a father and as a teacher it is that children are resilient. In your place... I vould likely have done something very similar. He knows not to go there, present-hunting or not,” he murmured quietly, unconsciously rocking her every so often. The action was something he always did when Lara or Lynn were upset or fussing, and thus was practically a second nature for him. “Do not torture yourself... Demyan vould not vant to see his mother upset on his birthday.

"...You are and vill alvays be loved, no matter vot.” Sevastyan pressed his head against hers, placing another gentle kiss upon her hair. “I promise.”

- - - - - - -

Demyan’s face practically split in two with a grin at her acquiescence. At least she hadn’t seen fit to lock him in the closet like the last time he’d disturbed her from slumber! He couldn’t remember if he’d returned the favor, of if he was still plotting out his revenge. The excitement of it being his birthday, and the trouble he’d recently gotten into, rather drove that thought entirely from his mind for the moment.

“Well... yeah, I suppose...” he replied to her returned questions, wincing at the word ‘forbidden’. “But I’d never seen one so big ‘til today...”

The boy had to hold back a laugh at his sister’s reaction to him immediately vetoing some of the things he did not consider fun at all. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her grin for a moment... but the moment he heard the words ‘hide-and-seek’ a pair of emerald orbs lit up in approval. “Okay!” he verbally acknowledged his desire to play that particular game.

Now, where would be the last place Lara would think to look for him if he hid?

... and where would be the last place he’d look for Lara?

Demyan was giving both questions a fair amount of thought!

Viper closed her eyes briefly upon feeling Sevastyan's thumb skirt across her lips and the warm sensation of a healing spell, followed by his gentle touch wiping away the tears she had shed. She gave a small half-sigh of relief seeing that Sevastyan still stood beside her without judgement. He really was an amazing husband. While several marriages smidged as both bride and groom managed to break at least one of their marriage vows, that had yet to occur, and for that Viper was eternally grateful that such a travesty had never taken place, for she doubted she would be able to handle such a thing. To show her acceptance and gratitude of this gesture, Viper leaned into the touch, brushing his the digits he had used to wipe away a tear, though a few more spilled down her face.

She allowed herself to be lifted into Sevastyan's lap, snuggling into his chest, seeking the warmth and safety always present whenever he was near, but especially when he held her to him. The soothing feeling soon warming her heart intensified at the gentle caress running up and down her back, the calming whispers cadencing towards her, and the light kiss upon her damp face, though it did little to alter or abolish her opinion.

"I should have shown more patience... He's a little boy, my little boy and I treated him as though he was, he was, I can't even explain how I treated him!" she breathed out shakily, before adding in a softer, pained tone. "I-I have treated cretinous colleagues and employees better than I have treated my own son..."

Viper shook her head at Sevastyan's reassurances. "No, you wouldn't have. You would have been far more patient, more understanding, more loving than I was. Let's face it, I'm a horrible Mother..." she choked, more tears cascading down her face. "They were all right... I was and never will be fit to be a Mother. And this just proves it..." she added in a whispered tone. The thoughts that had crossed her mind when she first found out she was pregnant with Lara echoed loudly through her mind once more.

Back then she had been terrified when the potion she had brewed glowed a golden color, confirming her suspicions. Not because of how her life would become with her becoming a Mother to a child, but because of how a child's life would become with her as it's Mother. Today had confirmed her early, forgotten fears, motherhood and Viper were never meant to be. Or at least, they shouldn't have been in the same equation at all...

"Well I shouldn't be." she replied to Sevastyan's declaration, leaning away from the comfort and affection. Upon seperation, she was filled with an icy emptiness but forced it to the back of her mind. "How can you love someone who treated your child they way I did?" she asked in a sorrow drenched whisper.


- - - - - - - - - - - - -


Lara's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You saw it?! When? How? What did it look like?" Her mind raced with questions as curiousity took over. She had to admit, the kid had nerve. While she often wondered why the tower was forbidden, she never tried to find out why.

She smirked inwardly at Demyan's acceptance. She had him right where she wanted. "Since it's your birthday, I'll let you hide first, 'kay? I'm gonna close my eyes now and count." she placed her hands over her eyes, getting prepared. "Ready?"

While Sevastyan had wanted to counter her statements immediately, though he wished he could melt away her grief and anguish with a single word or gesture instead, he decided it was best to just let her get it out of her system. However, to prove he wasn’t just going to sit here and have her wallow in those emotions, the wizard gently tightened the grip he had on his wife, holding her closer still to him.

That was, until she leaned away from him. Stormy gray eyes turned curiously thoughtful, wondering if he’d said something wrong. He’d only spoken the truth... As he gazed into the twin emerald pools that were the eyes of the love of his life, Sevastyan couldn’t help but also feel her sorrow. It tore at his heart to see her hurting so.

“Amaranth...” he sighed, not sure where to begin. “It is because you did not cast curses on him, belittle him, or physically maim him and then left him to pick himself up that I love you still. There are vorse things than vords, or lack of them, that could have been done. It is not unforgivable,” Sevastyan expressed, pouring his very heart into the sincere statement. “Ve are only human: hardly infallible. I think if you speak vith Demyan, explain to him vot he absolutely needs to know... you vill find that love is often unconditional.”

His thoughts, though guarded, immediately turned to an incident some eight years ago in which Boris attempted to go around as Sevastyan’s double. The young wizard had done quite a bit of deliberate damage to his cousin’s relationship with the woman now sitting on his lap. And yet, through the sorrow and the anger, the depression and the confusion, Sevastyan loved Amaranth with all his heart. It broke his heart when she’d left for Finland, but these were old hurts long since mended over.

Because she had leaned away Sevastyan rested his head upon his wife’s shoulder, kissing the bare skin along the neckline of her robe. “You are not a horrible Mother, my love... the fact that ve have three marvelous children proves this to me. I certainly did not, and could not, raise them on my own,” he continued, keeping her in a loose embrace.

“...Vhere did you send Demyan after the incident in the towver?”

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

“I accidentally found it this morning...” Demyan confessed. “Es’plorin to see where Mama and Dad kept birthday presents...” The boy hoped his sister wouldn’t want to know too much more about the details of that little misadventure. “It looked like this huge, green, glowy spider web – it was actually kinda pretty! But... there was no way gettin’ by it. I doubt ‘Kolai could even get a hair in!” Demyan explained, referring to his Teddy bear – which he’d dubbed with the name Nikolai, to his father’s slight discomfort – by a shortened name.

The five-year-old nodded his agreement to her suggestion of hiding first. “Ready!” he stated happily. However, he didn’t make a move yet even though her eyes were covered. Demyan would wait until she started counting before slowly creeping out the door...

As their eyes met, Viper dropped her gaze instantly. She listeened intently to his words, seeking and absorbing the comfort and emotion in them. A few more tears cascaded down her face before she made eye contact once more "What do I tell him? How do I explain something to a five year old that took me a lifetime to realize?" she sniffed, her voice pleading for an answer to a haunting question.

"Unconditional love has nothing to do with forgiveness. Sure, Demyan could still love me, should I be that lucky, but that does not mean he will forgive me..." She choked as more tears fell. The thought of her little boy, or any of her children, for that matter, hating her hurt her more than she could ever imagine.

Viper breathed shakily upon feeling Sevastyan's kiss on her neck, giving a dry laugh. "You give yourself too little credit..." she whispered, leaning her forehead against Sevastyan's. A Mother couldn't ask for a better father for her children than Sevastyan. Growing up, Viper wasn't entirely sure exactly what purpose a father held besides being responsible for the conception of the child, but Sevastyan made the definition of a father more than clear. He brought it to life. Despite a rather hectic and busy working schedule at Hogwarts, Sevastyan always managed to make time for her and the kids: running and playing with them, Teaching them valuable lessons for both academics and life in general, tucking them in at night, singing to them, telling them stories. Everything. Every action of Sevastyan's held an intense amount of warmth, love, and tenderness.

"To his rooms." she sighed, wincing at the memory.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lara nodded in comprehension with a look of wonder in her eyes. "Wow! It sounds awesome! Maybe we should try exploring again sometime..."

She fought back her giggles as she closed her eyes and began to count. Soon she would be off in dream world once more, dancing in her cotton candy garden without any pesky brothers disturbing her or taking her candy.

Sevastyan was quiet for a moment as he contemplated her question, his eyes reflecting her pain but not the tears. Once again he wiped the droplets away with a tender caress. “Explain to him that there is danger in the towver – you need not specify if he is confused, leaning on the ‘nighmares’ excuse... and illuminate for him how you vould feel if he got hurt. Even if it is that you cannot describe how that vould be,” Sevastyan suggested, knowing that Amaranth would rather not tell the children what lay in wait up in the ‘Forbidden Tower’.

Gray eyes lowered for a moment, knowing his wife had a point: unconditional love and forgiveness were two separate things. After several seconds, he returned the gaze. “He is too young to truly hate anything or anyvone, especially his mother. Vhere there is a heart able to love, there must also be room enough to forgive... vouldn’t you think?” Sevastyan asked. He forgave her for assuming (wrongly, he might add) that he would snog a student, and for returning a love letter in far worse than mint condition – unread – and still found it in his heart to keep on loving her. After all, the perpetrator had been polyjuiced to look like him. Hell, if Sevastyan had hated Amaranth he certainly wouldn’t have married her, shotgun wedding or not.

“As do you...” he murmured upon feeling the familiar presence and weight of her head against his. “It is you who ultimately gave them life. I just helped a little.” There was a slight chuckle upon the last five words, but the first sentence was entirely sincere. “They vould not be here othervise.”

The Russian realized he’d caused his wife pain by asking such a question, and snuggled into the embrace. “Do you vant me to speak vith him? I honestly don’t think Demyan vould vant a birthday celebration vithout his mother...” Sevastyan wanted to say something along the lines of the quicker they resolve the problem the better both parties would feel. However, he found through playing the dialogue in his head that that would sound insensitive and cruel: two things he did not do to people he cared about since having reconciled with his brother.

So, without making mention of it, Sevastyan decided to let his wife determine the next move: continue to seek solace and affection while wrapped up in his arms, or speak to Demyan.

- - - - - - - -

Demyan winced at the thought of exploring for it deliberately as opposed to running into it by accident. If accidental location of the tower earned him total silence from his mother, what would deliberately seeking it out cause in terms of punishment? However, he didn’t comment. The boy doubted his elder sister would believe what had happened, and didn’t want to be labeled a chicken for not wanting to go back.

As soon as Lara started to count, Demyan crept out of his sister’s room and back into the hall. But now where to go? His room would be far too obvious. So, he decided to sneak into Lynn’s room to hide...

Viper thought for a moment, nodding slowly and silently. It was a good idea and would make an explanation. At least, for the meantime, though Viper had every intention of telling him the truth when he was older. "I could do that." she agreed softly, mentally formulating her words.

"You're probably right." she nodded in a dry voice, taking a deep breath to compose herself a bit more. "As usual." she added with a twitch of the corners of her mouth blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm just terrified he won't understand, no matter how much I try to explain it all. I couldn't bear it if you or one of our children ended up resenting me..." Viper confessed in a soft, barely-above-a-whisper tone. While she could handle the whole world hating her, it was an entirely different quidditch field when it was someone she cared about.

She couldn't help but laugh softly at Sevastyan's murmur, raising an eyebrow. "A little? I seem to remember you showing me immense patience throughout all three pregnancies and helped in every way you could once they were all born." she replied affectionately, smiling softly at the memories while gently tracing Sevastyan's features.

Viper sighed softly as she shook her head. "No, I'd like to apologize to Demyan and explain everything myself." If there was one thing Viper wanted her children to learn from her was to not be afraid to speak their minds and be able to say the truth without fear. She would look like the biggest hypocrite in wizarding society should she demonstrate otherwise by having Sevastyan apologize for her.

"Thank you, though. It is a sweet offer." she added, kissing Sevastyan lightly, curling into his chest.


- - - - - - - - - - - -


Lara grinned as she heard her brother leave the room, closing the door with her magic. She snuggled underneath her covers with a content sigh, drifting back to her cotton candy garden.


- - - - - - - - - - - - -


Upon hearing her door open, Lynn shifted in her crib in her disturbed sleep. When it became apparent that she couldn't regain her comfortable position and go back to the world dreams, she rose into a standing position, crying through the bars of her crib and activating the alert charms her parents had charmed around it.

Sevastyan smiled softly, glad that she no longer seemed to be beating herself up over a simple scolding. Admittedly, to a five year old it could seem like the end of the world. But what something seems like and what something truly turns out to be were two very different things sometimes. At her dry responses Sevastyan said nothing, favoring instead the simple act of continuing to caress her back in a soothing manner. He was not one to go about saying ‘I told you so’ at every twist and turn where he had been correct. Nor did he think it.

A noncommittal noise of comprehension left the back of Sevastyan’s throat upon hearing her confessed worry. To counter her fears, he briefly squeezed her tighter. “He is a smart boy – all three of them are intelligent in their own vays...

“And I too vould find it hard to go on, if you or any of them hated me,” the wizard replied quietly, lifting his head to look her in the eyes. “You are not alone, there. Or at all, for that matter, because I vill alvays be here,” Sevastyan reassured her calmly. With the purgers on the rise he wasn’t so sure he could keep that promise in the strictest possible interpretation, but then again he hadn’t specified. What he wanted to say was he’d always be there in flesh or spirit, but he didn’t want to upset his wife any further with speculative notions.

The laugh did wonders to ease his worry over her gloomy musings. A smile tugged on the corners of his mouth at the raised eyebrow and affectionate words, about the most he could do without moving too much. The caressed tracing, which would look so simple to outside eyes, meant almost as much if not a bit more than the action of holding hands. It was something he cherished dearly. Sevastyan had helped out in every way he could think of, and more than once he thought for certain he was annoying his wife by repeatedly asking this and that every so often during her first pregnancy. He’d been worried that because Viper couldn’t feel pain that there was a chance the childbirth might not go so well. It was perhaps the first time he was torn about the decision to have children.

“Point taken,” he compromised, feeling she had done a majority of the ‘work’ involved in having all three. That was just how human anatomy worked. Sevastyan wasn’t a seahorse, after all. “Vot I mean is you also give yourself too little credit. Vithout you, they vouldn’t be here. Or anyvhere.”

Sevastyan contemplated Viper’s refusal of the offer a very short time before nodding, the stormy gray orbs radiating affection. As he was not exactly present when it happened, the wizard wouldn’t really know what more to say other than the very basics. Also, it would prove a lesson to Demyan at least: it was no one else’s place to apologize but one’s own, and that they shouldn’t be worried about speaking their minds without worry. There was a time for tact, true, but there were also occasions where candidness was equally appreciated.

He met his wife in the light kiss, and deepened it slightly in order to show rather than tell Viper just a small portion of just how much he loved her, and would continue to do so for as long as he lived. As she curled into him, Sevastyan shifted very slightly to make sure they would both be comfortable. “You’re velcome,” he sighed contentedly, glad the upset and tears seemed to have been banished for now.

- - - - - - - -

Demyan crept as quietly as he could into the room, closing the door behind him. He thought he’d heard his two-year-old baby sister shift in her crib, but decided to ignore it for now as he surveyed the room for a good spot to hide. The boy was about parallel to the crib, starting when he heard her cry. Immediately he trotted to the front of the crib. “’S’okay, Lynn... just me,” the five year old attempted to soothe his sibling. Surely Lara would suspect he was in here if she heard. Not to mention there didn’t really seem to be anything wrong with her. Perhaps she was hungry? Demyan suddenly realized he was a bit hungry, too.

- - - - - - - -

As Sevastyan sat there with Amaranth curled into his chest, he noticed that the tattoo he had gotten some seven years ago was starting to glow. As was his wife’s... they were only meant to glow if their children were in need of something or distressed. Immediately after he acknowledged the glowing mark upon his skin a holographic image slowly floated before both their lines of sight: Lynn in her crib standing and crying, and Demyan standing in front of it, clearly not certain what to do.

During any other time, Sevastyan would have said something witty or in some other way comically made comment on what they were both seeing. However, he didn’t this time. In fact, he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “At least he is near his rooms, I suppose...” was about the only thing that didn’t sound tyrannical, insensitive, or too terribly annoyed. This private moment between him and Viper could always be continued later in the evening... and after what Amaranth considered she had put their only son through, he didn’t have the heart to sound too angry with the boy for not having waited to be released from his punishment.

The moment their eyes locked, Viper felt a familiar feeling of solace and safety she often felt when gazing into her husband's eyes. While she knew that their future was uncertain, especially considering the circumstances with the ever-growing purgers, but stil. His words gave her comfort nonetheless. "The same goes for you, love. Not even Nissy and her house-elf army could keep me away." She replied in a light tone, with love and sincerity woven into it.

Viper felt her heart speed up upon seeing the smile appear on her husband's face. Like the caresses, looks, words, and gestures between them, it always felt fresh and brand new, despite the number of years they had been together. Although, Merlin willing, may their be many more to come. Viper was dead serious when she said she wanted to spend her life and grow old with Sevastyan. Although with a hint of vanity, Viper sincerely hoped "old" didn't look too old.

"What Mother doesn't?" she shrugged lightly. After all, is there ever a point where a Mother is fully satisfied with how she raised her children? Never doubting herself or wishing she had done one thing dfferently?

She accepted the deepened kiss, curling into Sevastyan's arms in content, her tears and fears quieted for the moment. At least, until she noticed her and Sevastyan's matching tattoos glow shortly after Sevastyan did and the holographic images following. Like Sevastyan, she wasn't entirely sure what to say, though by no means was she angry.

"She's probably tired or hungry. Or both. Can you take care of Lynn so I could have a moment with Demyan?" Viper asked, pulling back slightly so she could make eye contact.


- - - - - - - - - - - -


Lynn recognized her brother immediately, her cries softening slightly, though tears still splashed down her face. "D-yan, D-yan! Up! Up!" she pleaded tearfully, raising her arms up, begging Demyan to lift her.

Sevastyan couldn’t help but laugh pleasantly the moment Nissy was mentioned. The House-elf in question did seem to have a lot of ill feelings toward him and Amaranth’s relationship when it was first starting to bloom. Further words of reassurance didn’t seem necessary at this point, so Sevastyan merely reveled in the closeness and silence.

“Hmm,” he uttered in neutral agreement, supposing she once again had a point. The same could be said of fathers: there was doubt whether there was just the right balance of love and toughness in the way he dealt with his son, or the conflict of gentle doting versus stern discipline when it came to his daughters. Looking back, certain instances should have been handled a little sweeter or a little tougher. There were a few things he, too, would have done differently. And he was certain that, as the teenage years approached, there would be several more instances of such worry etched into his forehead.

"She's probably tired or hungry. Or both. Can you take care of Lynn so I could have a moment with Demyan?"

As emerald green met stormy gray, Sevastyan’s smile widened. “Of course,” he replied automatically, though poured into those two words all the love and sincerity he could muster. He positioned Amaranth in his arms and lifted her from his lap as he stood up, then put her upright to walk on her own. They would get there quicker that way. If he continued to carry her, Sevastyan felt he’d probably end up carrying his wife to their bedroom out of habit, instead of Lynn’s.

Entwining his hand with hers, Sevastyan began walking toward their destination.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Demyan grinned at the fact his sister’s cries had diminished some upon seeing him, happy that she was neither angry nor annoyed with him. However, at her plea, Demyan didn’t know what to do. The crib itself was taller than him, though he came up slightly more than two-thirds of the way. Or, so he thought.

He glanced around for something a bit higher up, and spotted the armchair next to the crib that his both parents often sat at for to read to one if not all three of them. Without delay he climbed up into it and approached the side of the crib nearest him, holding his hands out for his sister. “Ready?” he asked, smiling.

Viper smiled softly as Sevastyan stood with her still in his arms. That vain part of Viper which had, thanks to years of "growing up", lessened still considered the fact that despite being pregnant three times, she was still the same size she was when she and Sevastyan still met,, and therefore in a state where Sevastyan could still lift her without injuring himself, quite a victorious feat indeed! And if she let that vain part of her take over, Viper might even say she was slightly thinner than she was before, considering she spent quite a deal of time chasing after and playing with her children and her husband.

The smile grew as Sevastyan placed her down on the ground to walk herself. She understood the reasons for it, considering his habits and couldn't help but smirk inwardly, squeezing his hand lightly as they made their way upstairs.

With her free hand, she opened the door slowly...


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


At the smile on her brother's face, Lynn couldn't help but grin in return, her tears beginning to halt. "Da!" she exclaimed, slipping into Russian as she bounced slightly in her eagerness for Demyan to pick her up.

Demyan reached for Lynn like he'd seen his parents do, making sure he had a decently good grip on her before attempting to hoist her out of the crib. His initial worry of her possibly smacking her knees on the crib's guard vanished when it seemed to lower as if by magic. The difficult part was concentrating on his footing while holding onto Lynn, for the armchair's upholstery was soft and kinda wobbly to stand on. It was like skateboarding on an overgrown sponge.

By the time the door began to open, when he'd only just gotten Lynn out of the crib, he slipped. The good news: wherever he would land, Lynn would be landing mostly on top of him and thus wouldn't have to bear the full force of meeting obstacles.

The bad news........... Demyan's current course would lead him to falling a bit like a slinky: first impact being the seat of the chair, with a follow-up crash to the floor....

- - - - - - - - -

The moment the door opened wide enough, Sevastyan noticed the crib's gate had been lowered. Without explanation, the wizard released his wife's hand and slipped in just in time to witness his son thumping into the seat of the chair with his baby sister in his arms. Out of pure reflex, Sevastyan thrust out his left hand to wandlessly cast a levitation charm on his youngest child for to protect her from injury.

"Amaranth - Demyan!" Sevastyan called to her upon noticing that Demyan had already landed on the floor, flat on his rear end. The boy looked rather confused and teary-eyed.

Sevastyan levitated the two-year-old Lynn from her spot of hovering in midair towards him. In no time at all he was able to release the spell and hold her in his arms properly instead. "Aren't we up early this morning..." Sevastyan murmured to his baby girl in Russian and gently leaned forward to kiss Lynn's forehead.

"Dobroe utro," (Good Morning) he said a little more clearly this time to his daughter. It was Sevastyan's goal - one of many, he might add - to raise his children to understand different languages. With any luck, they would be fluent in English, Russian, German, and Parseltongue. He decided to wait until receiving some sort of go-ahead from Amaranth to leave the room with Lynn. Demyan didn't need to think that he wasn't trusted with handling his baby sister on top of everything else.

Upon seeing her son fall on the floor, Viper instantly felt her heart race with nervousness, worrying if her son was alright as she noticed his eyes were getting tear-filled. She turned to her husband, who was now carrying their daughter and gave Lynn a quick kiss on the forehead in greeting.

"Hey, butterfly." she breathed out, still shaking slightly as she smoothed her daughter's bangs before making her way to her son. With a reassuring nod, signifying a go-ahead to Sevastyan and Lynn, Viper slowly bent down in front of Demyan. "Are you all right?" she asked in a whispered tone before opening her arms so Demyan could come to her. "Come here, bunny..." she asked in a gentle tone, hoping he wasn't too mad at her to the point where he wouldn't even want to go to her.

Seeing the nod, Sevastyan inclined his head ever so slightly and stepped out of the room with Lynn in his arms. He made sure that the door gently clicked closed.

- - - - - - - - - -

Demyan had heard his father seem to shout his name and wince. The only time he'd heard his name spoken like that was when he was in trouble. He looked to both parents, wondering what was going to happen now and how he'd fallen from the armchair to the floor.

"Are you all right?"

The boy blinked in surprise to have seen his father walk out of the room with Lynn, and his mother approach. 'Is she still angry with me,' Demyan wondered? He hesitated. Would she be even angrier after she learned he was okay? That the chair's upholstery cushioned him from any major hurts, even though the points of impact were a bit sore? People weren't angry with people when they learned they were hurt... but yet lying to his mother wouldn't likely get favorable results, either.

"Come here, bunny..."

A very brief moment in silence passed after her request was stated, which allowed Demyan to process what had just been said. Everything from the way she stood to the way she spoke had absolutely no anger in it. Immediately the five-year-old scrambled to his feet and into his mother's arms, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I was just trying to get Lynn to stop crying like I seen you and Daddy do, Mummy - I swear!" Demyan practically wailed. "Lynn's not hurt, is she? Please don't be mad!"