Defense Office

Sevastyan laughed at the joke whole-heartedly. "No, not unless you vant to help me make sure the... fortifications, let us call them... are still in place sometime? I first started the project in two-thousand and seven," he answered, also lightly. "You might even be familiar vith some of the spells: they're not exactly the Ministry-approved variety." Sevastyan knew he had a unique understanding about the Dark Arts when it came to discussing them with her. Not that the others wouldn't understand, of course. It just seemed.... Sevastyan couldn't really describe the feeling.

"It is lucky then that ve have befriended vone another," Sevastyan said, though the statement was more to the snake. Addressing Amaranth immediately afterwards, he asked, "If it is not too personal a qvestion: is Drakon a pet of sorts, or more along the lines of a familiar?"

The Potions Mistress pretended to think for a moment, keeping her tone light and happy. “Well, the Ministry has never quite gotten off my back so if I am already guilty of the crime…” She stated, jokingly referring to the fact that she never strayed too far from the Ministry’s watchful eye.

Viper stared at the Defense Professor for a moment, nodding at his statement. “Very lucky.” She agreed, not quite sure whether he was addressing her or the Drakon, but fully agreeing on both accounts.

“To be quite honest, I’m not exactly sure what category Drakon falls under. I suppose he is more or less along the lines of a familiar, considering we are quite close and he is rather protective, but he’s more independent like a pet, considering he does like his alone time.” She bit her lip in thought, for she had never really thought of what to classify Drakon as.

"They don't really trust anyvone, do they?" he asked and shook his head slightly, maintaining the jovial banter. "A qvestionable spell here, an unauthorized portkey vith a rather shifty destination there... and before you know it you're being vatched like a hawk!" The falsely innocent tone of voice he'd attempted to project was reference that he had done both of such things, but had also done worse.

"I see. Though I own a thestral, she is not exactly my familiar either." he replied, noticing that she had bitten her lip. Sevastyan vaguely wondered what thoughts caused the action. Had it been too personal? It didn't seem so, for it wasn't like he'd demanded an answer and he was pretty sure that if it had been that Amaranth would have told him candidly that it was.


((I wonder... do the professors know of the Tournament yet in this part of the timeline?))

((Good question...I'm not too sure...))

Viper smirked, playing along with their banter. "A few illegal ingredients ever now and then, the occasional magical creature smuggled through the border and before you know it you're flat is now under Ministry surveilance!" Her tone indicating that she had understood the message he had conveyed, responding with her own confession of sorts.

"How long has she been with you?" Viper asked curiously, never having encountered someone who owned a thestral.

A grin stretched across his face at the returned comment, and nodded in agreement.

At the question, Sevastyan clearly had to consider how long Morana had been in his care. "Ve have had thestrals on the family property for qvite a long time, apparently, but I didn't start seeing them until eleven years ago. She has been vith me since for almost as long. My father had named her Morana, a mythological name of Slavic origin."

Viper nodded, not needing to think on how it was that Sevastyan could now see the thestrals. "Morana...the goddess of death, bringing all winter thunderstorms, chill, ice and death?" she guessed, having read a mythology context in one of Malachite's Dark Arts Books.

"Precisely!" Sevastyan veritably beamed with pleasant surprise. "At first I thought it vos a bit of a cruel name to have given her, vot vith the connotations surrounding thestrals and death. But, it has grown on me and I could not think of a better vone. She is actually how I arrived at Hogvarts."

Another rather pensive look crossed his features. "Are you able to see them? ...Thestrals, that is?" Sevastyan asked curiously, though was fairly certain he could guess. Morana would probably leap at the chance of making another friend, provided there was ever an occasion for Viper to wander over to where the thestrals stayed.

"It is a lovely name," Viper agreed. "That is a wonderful way to make one's entrance. I am only sorry I was not there to see it. Very epic!"

She nodded to his inquiry on whether or not she could see thestrals. "Yes, since I was about four, when my father died." her tone did not indicate any sorrow or sadness, after all she loathed her father then and even more now. "I am quite fond of thestrals, though. Very misunderstood creatures, they are. It annoys me to no end when such narrow minded people pass judgement on them."

Sevastyan nodded, though had to laugh as he recalled the race he’d had with Mr. Casillas. “And probably pretty hilarious entrance, for those unable to see thestrals. Mr. Casillas and I had a little race out on the grounds – I can only imagine vot he must have seen... or rather had not seen!” Humor practically drenched the words.

A ‘hmm’ of comprehension left his lips in response to her answer. Considering she didn’t sound too stricken about her father’s death, Sevastyan assumed the two must not have been on good terms. Another similarity, for he too was not on the best of terms with his parent either.

“It is annoying, to endure the connotations declared by some people,” he agreed whole-heartedly on the misconceptions surrounding thestrals. “They are qvite intelligent as vell, just like any other horse; vinged or not. Morana is a bit more social than the other thestrals here, I’ve noticed.” Sevastyan surmised that not many people here could see thestrals and hence the creatures kept to themselves. However, almost every living Kaminski – with the exception of the really younger ones – have seen death, and thus the thestrals were treated just like they were any other animal in their care.

“Perhaps I should introduce you sometime,” he offered congenially. If she had a fondness for thestrals then she would certainly like Morana.

Viper laughed along with Sevastyan at his anecdote, glad to see that he got along well with the students.

"It is quite suprising to see just how few students are able to see thestrals. A good thing, I suppose. The only problem being is that their ignorance, innocent or not, leads to foolishness and idiotic rumours and assumptions about what they do not understand." Viper concluded.

She smiled brightly at Sevastyan's offer. "I'd like that." she replied genuinely.

Kiara walked over to Sevastyan's office she had been debating with herself on weather to talk to him or not. Or was he that last person she should talk to? Every night she was plagued by her nightmares. She couldn't sleep at anymore even though she was exhausted. She discovered dreamless sleep potions were addictive.... she need to deal with the nightmares now and the best way she figured to deal with a nightmare was to tell someone.

She wasn't sure who to talk about it though, she saw everyone in her dreams all of them dead and blaming her. it was stupid she knew but Sevastyan had been there and saw her if telling him her nightmare, Her worst fear didn't make the nightmares go away nothing would.

Quickly she raised her arm and knocked before she changed her mind.

Sevastyan was only half paying attention to the Evening Prophet's crossword, eyes half closed and looking nigh ready to drop off to sleep at a moment's notice. He really didn't want to allow sleep to give in... another nightmare like he'd had the other night, even though it tended to recur in different forms, was not exactly his idea of a pleasant evening or a full-night's sleep. He'd already walked in a daze from his quarters to the dungeons... Merlin forbid he start sleepwalking, especially if Kazimir caught him at it!

Though it was technically evening, Sevastyan was still wearing a set of navy blue robes, with his repaired red Nehru jacket and a pair of black slacks beneath. One leg was crossed over the other, the foot covered with a heavy boot. The Prophet was propped onto the crosswise leg, the better for him to write down his answers without using his desk. There was nothing wrong with his desk, it was just that he didn't want to give up his semi-reclined position.

Eyelids just nicely flitted closed when a knock at his door startled him from the possibility of slipping easily into a dream. Just as well, he supposed, because that was the whole point of this exercise: not sleeping. Sevastyan eyed the door suspiciously with his left optical bundle of nerves, as the right one had the tiredness rubbed as far out of the line of sight as possible. Unfortunately it didn't do any good: hints of dark circles were present, and only made worse by the action.

The Defense professor stood and placed the crossword and quill on his desk with the greatest of care, then silently made his way for the door after placing a quick silencing charm on the soles of his shoes. Standing clear from the line of sight, Sevastyan opened the door and stood directly behind it in a move to catch the visitor by surprise. "Enter," he called congenially enough, though had his wand ready just in case Kazimir managed to find out his location. The heart within his chest pounded, his mind uncertain as to whether he was really up for another duel. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case...

Kiara blinked and slowly walked into the office, she knew Sevastyan was behind the door. Turning her head she looked behind the door. She could understand why he was suspicous, with a wacko like Kazimir want revenge for something.

"Sevastyan, umm are you busy?" she asked, hoping her asking the simple question would let him realize it was her, and not Kazimir.

The withdrawn wand was quickly returned to his pocket as his eyes met the Headmistress's. "Not at all," he replied automatically and made to close the door now that his visitor was inside. "I hope I don't come across as completely insane by that. I vos anticipating a guest at this hour to have been an... unfriendly vone," he added in explanation for his actions.

"Please, sit. Can I get you anything: Tea? Or perhaps something stronger...?" he offered, gesturing at the comfortable-looking seats in front of his desk. It seemed clear he wasn't going to sit down until she did: a courtesy perhaps a bit outdated in some places, but it had been drilled into his head by his grandfather at a very young age.

Kiara nodded "Thank you, and I don't blame you being a little suspicious, never know what could be going on in Kazimir's head. So no I don't think you are insane"

At the offer of coffee Kiara was tempted but she had been running off coffee recently. She didn't kneed any more coffee.

"Oh no that is alright, anymore coffee and I will go crazy" she replied as she sat in one o the chairs.

"That's good.... at least now I know it is not just me," he remarked with a bit of a chuckle. "Sometimes, I vish I did know vot he vos thinking... but at other times I think I vould be happier just as I am: not knowing."

"Oh?" Sevastyan inquired at the claim of going crazy if one more cup of said beverage was consumed by the Headmistress. "Very vell..." with a wave of his hand he had a hot beverage in hand that looked like a cappuccino. He had asked because he had contemplated getting something to drink.

Normally, had this been a student calling, the Russian would have sat behind his desk. But for Kiara, who was like a sister to him, Sevastyan sat in the seat across from her instead. "Vot can I do for you?" he inquired, concern flitting across his face.

Kiara bit her lip suddenly wishing she hadn't come, but it was to late now.

"Well it is silly, I probably shouldn't be disturbing you over it, its just ever since that day I can't sleep.... "

Kiara swallowed and adverted her gaze her hands.

"....Nightmares"

Then a image of Sevastyan from her nightmare came into her minds eyes.

Shaking her head, she lost her nerve, what little she had left.

Then almost like someone flipped a switch or she couldn't stand it any more she made a move to get up.

"I am sorry I shouldn't have come because of a stupid nightmare. I am sorry for disturbing you Sevastyan" she said quickly as she got up.

Sevastyan listened patiently to what she had to say, and didn't make any big deal about the shifting of eyes. In fact, the moment she said 'nightmares' he did the very same thing and set his coffee-like drink on his desk and commented, "It is not qvite as silly as it seems... to me."

The moment she stood, he got to his feet as well. "You are most definitely not disturbing me; unless by disturbing you mean vorrying," Sevastyan reassured her. "I am not busy... and everyvone has nightmares. After Nikolai's death... I had qvite a few," he added. Sevastyan didn't really want to discuss his nightmare with her because she was having ones of her own, and he didn't want to worry her any further. It was bad enough with Kazimir vampirically stalking about, and a certain secret Kiara knew nothing of at the moment, without her worrying over his having nightmares in response to killing her ex-husband. No, she didn't need to know about that...

"I find that talking about vot is bothering you seems to help..." Sevastyan offered gently, though withheld precisely how recently he'd done just that.

Kiara breathed, "I know, and sorry for worrying you, as for my dream..... it's to do with a recurring theme.... people I care about being put at risk...because of me"

Kiara sat back down, party because she wanted to talk, mostly because she would probably fall down if she didn't sit.

"and it isn't just because about what happened with Daniel..... it is more like my worst fear then anything... In the dream I see everyone dead, only as ghosts.... and they blame me for there deaths. Despite the protections I have set up around the school and the staff. I still put people in danger or be the reason some gets hurt" she paused.

"Every night I see Eglantine, Horatio, Viper, Juria... you. All of you dead because I was to useless to stop it" she said as she swallowed the lump in her throat. There she said it. she told someone. Maybe now it would leave her alone.

She glanced a Sevastyan wondering about is reaction.

'Sounds familiar...' Sevastyan mentally chuckled in a dark manner. He had those kinds of nightmares rather frequently. When Kiara sat, he copied the move and returned to his own seat.

As he listened, a look of empathy and that he knew precisely what she was feeling crossed his face. "Kiara..." Sevastyan began and placed a firm but tentative hand on her shoulder, "as a friend... please trust me ven I say that you are not useless!" As if to solidify his emphasis, the Russian applied a slight pressure to his grasp. "None of us are going anyvhere... not Professor DeLanquar... Amaranth... not even me: ve are here for you, and I believe ve all know you are likevise there for us. I have a great doubt that any of us vould blame you for anything... vorry over you not getting enough sleep - now that's another story," he added, chortling slightly at the very last bit to show he was trying to lighten the mood a little.

"The vay I see it is if you attempt to save the life of a friend, you still did the right thing no matter vot the outcome," he added. He was aware he'd basically summed up what Viper had told him, only in a very different scenario.

Kiara sighed "Still if anything happened to anyone I don't think I could forgive myself"

She paused for a moment and gave a small smile. "I thank you, you are a good friend,...more then you know"

Then deciding to change the topic she said " Has Kazirmir left you alone since last night? He better have or this time I will send flaming howler into his office and have it chase him around for a hour and will be nothing he can do about it " she said pushing the thought of her nightmare aside for the moment.

"You are wearing the pendent I gave you last night right?"

"I understand... perhaps more than ve both realize," Sevastyan replied solemnly, eyes closed three-quarters of the way as he nodded. Basically he'd meant to say that if anything happened to Kiara - or anyone else here - he'd feel the same way. His smile at her thanks showed both that he was thankful that she thought him a good friend, and that he felt extremely relieved that she seemed to be feeling better.

"Surprisingly, he has left me alone. I doubt he vill try anything for... a good long month, at least. Then again, I also doubted he vould attack me vhile my back is turned, so," Sevastyan replied, rather willing to allow a change in topic. The mental image conjured by Kiara's idea of an hour-long howler chasing Kazimir about made him laugh heartily. "Now, even I vould pay to see that!"

Instead of answering her question immediately with words, Sevastyan undid the single button that held the tall Mandarin collar of his jacket in place and reached for something along his collarbone. What he pulled out was a black leather cord, with a rather familiar shape - a pendant - threaded onto it. A pendant in the shape of a phoenix...

"It has not left my person since you gave it to me... vith only vone obvious exception," he confirmed verbally.

Kiara laughed slightly as well at the thought of Kazimir and angry howler.

Kiara nodded when he showed her the pendant "Good, if Kazimir tries to pull that stunt again he won't find it so easy to sneak up on you, if he can. The spell placed on it is my own making, made to protect the one wearing it. If the shield should fail however, there is a healing property in the metal, so it should come in handy"

"Had a little take with Kazimir this morning in my office, he could be up to something, I know he is. He may not be so fast to attack you again, but he may still intend to cause..... trouble. He kept on asking me odd questions about Daniel, he was a favorite student of his apparently. I don't like it"

"Trust me: I've been on my guard since then. If my paranoia doesn't keep me out of danger, then this vill. I don't recall if I thanked you for it, so: thank you," Sevastyan replied and tucked the pendant back into place. He left the collar unbuttoned, though.

A look of surprise crossed the Defense Professor's face. Clearly he hadn't anticipated the Durmstrang Headmaster to head back into the castle so soon after being set with an unforgivable curse. The speculations Kiara made caused his countenance to darken with agreement. "I vould not put it passed him... Kazimir tends to greatly favor certain students: I vos vone during my last year, but as you can see that has greatly changed. ...This could be potentially... troublesome. Vot kind of qvestions, might I ask? That is, if you feel like discussing it?"

Kiara sighed "It really isn't question he said more like the reasponse to my answer.. He asked how he died... I told him it was out of self defence casue he attacked me... and apologized my loss. Which I am puzzled over, then he made rather smart allik remark, this was shame he couldn't have been restrianed. Like he didn't listen to a word I said"

Kiara paused for a moment.

"I didn't like the way he said it... he has something in mind I know it, and we are not going to like it"