Defense Office

The defense professor's countenance darkened. He didn't like the sound of this either. "He could have been... digging, so to speak... for something. Kazimir did say a few things to me that I didn't like, before Peeves alerted the entire castle. I do not mean to be a pessimist, but I believe you might be right and that ve von't like it vone bit..."

Suddenly Sevastyan laughed heartily, "You know: sometimes I vant nothing more than to wring Peeves's neck... but if it hadn't been for him, I might have taken a shortcut from the tower to the castle grounds! I vonder if he thought about that vone...?"

Kiara nodded and frowned concerning Kazimir "there is another thing you should know... He tried to "convince" me you were to blame for the duel late last night. When I defended you he why I did so. Which I odd I though anwser would be obvious"

Kiara smiled "Hmm I will say this once NEVER ask peeve for help, it will always back fire no matter what... well it did for...... Cashmere anyway.." Kiara said with a wink at the supposed joke name of the drumstrang Head.

"That's... rather disconcerting," Sevastan commented, "The asking vy, that is. I'm not surprised he vould try to tvist the chain of events to suit his needs. Unless he vos expecting a unique answer... did either vone of them - Kazimir or Boris - do or say anything strange before they departed? I confess I vosn't really paying much attention." A small laugh punctuated the confession, as though he were lightheartedly mocking himself for the inattentiveness.

The Russian nodded as he laughed in a heartier manner at Kiara's statement. "I've observed this first hand, I assure you. I daresay 'Cashmere' vill not be doing that ever again, no matter how desperate!"

Realizing suddenly that they both had said the one thing the mentioned headmaster hated, Sevastyan's eyes widened and the mirth that glimmered within them expanded to accommodate. "Did you actually call him that?" he asked good-naturedly. After the incident atop the astronomy tower, Sevastyan had a feeling the joke name might just "slip" from someone's lips before the Triwizard Tournament was over.

Kiara chuckled "No I didn't let that one slip I assure you, he was none to happy with me as it was, I wasn't exactly wanting to be on the receiving end of a curse from him. However he inquired about Viper as well. If he said the wrong thing to her, which I can imagine he would. She would have no qualms calling him that."

Then she smiled add one last thing "And Sevastyan, considered your self the luckiest man on earth that Viper likes you.She can be a remarkably difficult person sometimes, and is quite picky over those she is nice to"

"He vos probably none too happy to have gotten the answers he didn't vant, and hence he vos likely digging for something..." Sevastyan said, his eyes contemplative as a finger rested across his chin in thought. The moment Viper was brought into the equation, the gray orbs snapped from their musing position and into acute attention. "You don't think he's after you two as vell now, do you?" he wondered aloud calmly. While such a vendetta wouldn't look good on a Ministry report, it seemed clear that Kazimir was willing to forget being under scrutiny when angry enough.

As the conversation switched to Viper - more commonly thought of and referenced by him as 'Amaranth' - Sevastyan shifted positions in his seat. The 'luckiest man on earth'? A small chuckle escaped him. "She did say that she is not exactly considered the approachable type..." he offered, at an utter loss as to what to say. Thinking back to the night previous, Sevastyan just vaguely recalled when Viper had been whispering to him, and the Headmistress's semi-awkward sounding reply. "Дерьмо…" he practically mouthed the word. "I... you seen her vispering to me, then?" Sevastyan somewhat stammered. Kiara had been looking their way during that part of the evening, after all... there really wasn't any sense in denying that they'd been holding a secretive conversation.

Kiara mused " I don't think he would attack, like he did to you... I do have the threat of telling the ministry hanging over his head if he goes to far. However he could use gathered information against us, could explain the questions he asked. You should speak to Viper next time you see her. Kazimir may have sought her out after he left my office..... He asked if Viper had history with the dark arts. I of course basically told him it was none of his concern, but he probably went to see her himself."

At his stammered question of her seeing Viper whispering to him she nodded "Yes I did, don't worry I think it is quite sweet. Never seen Viper act that way before, you seem to have good influence on her... Oh! that reminds me.. your cousin may have saw to.."

Sevastyan nodded, his expression clouded. "I vill... and I've no doubts he probably did try to find her. I don't blame you for not liking vot he vos asking... it's suspicious," he replied, the tone slightly darker towards the end of his statements. "He might see just how far he can get, as a challenge to test the limits of vot he can get avay vith. It's like dealing vith a..." Sevastyan slammed on the breaks to his running mouth. He'd been about to say 'child'. "It's like trying to train an animal that clearly doesn't vant to listen," he rephrased. There, that sounded better: Kazimir was little more than a stubborn old goat to Sevastyan, anyway.

It seemed to be getting a little warm in the office when Sevastyan heard the confirmation, but dismissed the sensation when it became clear she wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. The Russian averted his gaze slightly. "She is generally the opposite, then?" he queried curiously. Of all the times he'd either approached or seen her she was for all intents and purposes pleasant. Perhaps slightly nervous when Drakon was stuck in the plumbing but that was reasonable, wasn't it?

Cousin? ... Boris! Sevastyan's gaze immediately re-aligned itself back to Kiara's with a kind of alarm. A Russian curse of the non-magical variety left his lips. "You do know that Boris, my own cousin, has taken up the position of Kazimir's favorite pupil? If he saw anything that could be claimed as odd or tvisted into such a vay as to seem to be more than it appears..." Sevastyan left that sentence hang, an uncertainty in his eyes. It was pure speculation: was there anything to misinterpret? Would Boris actually make up some entirely false story to present to his Headmaster? Or was Sevastyan just being paranoid?

Kiara sighed "He better not go to far.... another attempt to duel anyone here at Hogwarts will be his last, and he knows it..... I made sure he knows it"

"As for Viper, it is hard to know what she is thinking and she has "bite" you could say. but she is different around you, so I am thinking that is a good thing. She had me worried since her brother died" she said with a smile, personally she hoped they did get together, Viper seemed happy again.

Kiara nodded at Sevastyan's statement about Boris. "That is why I wanted to warn you, would Kazimir start rumors? or things to discredit us for something? why else would he ask these questions?" Kiara sighed.

"Now I remember why I don't like the tri tournaments.. doesn't help cooperation but more rivalry. Something Hogwarts doesn't need as I am sure you can see" she said.

"Knowing him, he likely has... other means of testing the vaters. If anything, he vould likely try to provoke somevone into attacking him in order to justify anything that vould remotely be associated vith dueling. Vone of the downfalls of him being vone of my former teachers is he knows my limits, just as I am avare of his," Sevastyan somewhat assured her.

The Russian couldn't help but laugh at the amusement he found between Amaranth's surname and being told that the woman had "bite". "I've experienced the difficult-to-read part already, if I am not mistaken," he said, the mirth still coloring his tone. However, Sevastyan grew somber the moment the woman's brother was mentioned. "Yes... I've heard about that... it vould seem she and I both had a vayvard sibling," Sevastyan offered, remembering the conversations he'd had with Amaranth and Professor DeLanquar.

"He's up to something, but I really vish I knew vot..." Sevastyan veritably growled as their attentions returned to Kazimir... and Boris.

The Russian nodded in agreement. "Vell, at least the attempt is made. I did have to break up a duel betveen Boris and vone of our students - a Slytherin, I believe. Mr. Vaight, in fact... either vay, you do have a point there."

Kiara sighed "That doesn't surprise me unfortunately, probably a former class mate he came to settle things with. Mr Vaight used to attend Drumstrang, you had to break it up I presume? No one was hurt were they?" she asked a with some concern behind her voice.

"I just hope no one messes with Lashanra's students, especially her daughter. Lashanara will blame me for it." Kiara said with a sigh.

Then she looked up and saw the time.

"Merlin it is that late? You weren't sleeping or anything when knocked were you, if you were I am sorry. I had no Idea it was this late. I should have checked" Kiara said apologetically.

"Boris seemed fine. Mr. Vaight had a slight cut on his arm, and had to be subdued vith a stunner. I put up a magical cage in an attempt to get him to vork out his anger, but Miss Avalon's method of stunning him had more of an immediate effect. I revived him, naturally, and had the tvins send him back to the castle vhile I dealt vith Boris. It is strange... I've never seen an animagus form that vorked on emotion," Sevastyan explained, though he didn't exactly sound impressed.

Sevastyan nodded his agreement, though he hadn't known that the other Headmistress had a child. "You vill probably be... pleased to know that Kazimir does not have any children in school. In fact, I think they're a few years older then me by now..." a slight laugh occurred to him at the thought of Kazimir having a son in school at his age.

At the question of the time, Sevastyan glanced up at the clock. Wow. He knew it was late but not that late. "I suppose it is..." he began. "And I vosn't sleeping, not to vorry. I've... been avoiding it myself, actually," Sevastyan explained, the tone of his voice and the fact that he once again slightly averted his gaze hinting that he was attempting to evade something.

Kiara nodded solumly "Mr. Vaight is a natural animagus, he transforms according to his mood. when he is in a bad mood the wolf part of him takes over" she explained.

She nodded at his comments to Kazimir having teenage children, it was a scary thought.

At his explanation to why he hadn't been sleep at the god forsakan hour, kiara looked at him in slight concern, and it didn't take genius to figure it out.

"You have been having nightmares to haven't you?" she asked softly concern lased in her voice as well.

"I see. That could be... potentially dangerous. Has he turned into a volf any other times? Is he getting any help to control his abilities?" Sevastyan asked, clearly concerned for the boy and any that happen to unwittingly come upon him at the wrong time. The smile had faded from his face to be replaced with concern.

He knew it wouldn't take her long to assume, and assume correctly, why he hadn't been asleep after saying that. The worry he detected in her voice caused him to slowly nod once in a kind of stoic manner. Sevastyan didn't want to create another burden for Kiara by showing he'd been bothered by his own nightmares; images conjured up in his mind meant specifically to torment him, it seemed. "Vone or two," he acknowledged verbally but a bit vaguely as well, dragging his gray eyes back to her eyes so she could see the truth within them. "But it vos for the most part a recurring vone ever since Nikolai's passing. The scenery and the list of those... affected... are the really the only major two things that changed these past few times. The first night I have the... nightmare... is alvays the vorst."

Sevastyan suddenly feigned interest in the arm of his chair, feeling just as foolish for mentioning he'd had nightmares as she must've felt earlier.

Kiara sighed, feeling bad here she was dumping her dreams on Sevastyan when he had is own to worry about.

"I am sorry, if there is anything I can do to help, just name it. even if it is to have someone to talk to. You gave been a great help to me over these last few days, if I can return the favor in anyway it would help me feel better anyway. To Know I helped you......." Kiara stopped moving her head so he could he she eyes, to show what she said was sincere.

"Don't be," Sevastyan reassured her. "I don't know vot help I could possibly suggest, though I vill keep your offer in mind..." Yes, on one hand he was doing the 'tough guy/wizard' thing; but on the other his mind was completely blank.

"But perhaps, since ve are both attempting to avoiding sleep, ve could talk?" the Russian suggested, a slight smile coming to his face at the thought that they'd been doing the same thing pretty much since the evening they both washed their hands of Daniel Lestrange. He'd had no idea... not really having seen anyone about it since he'd paid a visit to Viper at what was likely around this time in the wee hours of the morning.

"It is odd, in a vay, that you should mention your nightmare featuring those you care about... vell, for all intents and purposes no longer vith you in the land of the living. My most recent nightmare begins vith me entering my classroom here at Hogvarts - in my pajamas - to find a classroom of children-turned-Inferi, and somevone that looks and sounds like me but is clearly an impostor..." he began hesitantly. Sevastyan hadn't gone into this much detail with Viper right off the bat, but he wasn't quite this awake or aware of what precisely had bothered him save the very end part that had woken him. Perhaps by sharing their nightmares, the both of them could sleep in relative peace by the time they reached their respective chambers...

Vone can only hope... mused Sevastyan.

"Anyvay, vonce I enter the classroom all attention turns to me - the real me, not this other man. I am shocked to find them learning some rather Dark Magic - things I vould never think of teaching here, or to anyvone these days. The Impostor then orders them to attack. Vithout a vand I somehow find myself utterly useless and I run..." Sevastyan trailed off again. Clearly this wasn't the ending of his dream, but it was all he was going to share for the moment. This was mostly because he had to remember what happened next even though he knew the nightmare like the back of his hand.

Kiara listened as Sevastyan explained his own nightmare, from what he told her, she couldn't blame him for avoiding sleep, the mere thought of inferi made her shiver.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to sleep after seeing that, not in the least" she said as she shook her head.

"Sounds like a bad one, from what of it you told me. Inferi's... They are nasty, dark works of magic... have you.... had experience with them before?" she used the word experience, after all she didn't know quite how far Sevastyan had delved in the dark arts in the past.

She had fought inferi once before, it had been the reason she had been sent on that secret mission to Germany, where she met and served with Sevastyan's friend.

The incident gave her Nightmares for almost a year, it was for that reason she hadn't wanted to take dreamless sleep potion. She had nearly become addicted to it last time she used it.

The smallest of smiles, grateful in nature, surfaced at her comment. "It's a constant staple of the recurrences; only the faces change to take on the forms of those I currently teach, it seems..." he explained, as if Kiara had been present every time he'd had this dream and wondered at the spans of time he'd push himself to the limits of sleep deprivation just like he was doing now.

For a few moments Sevastyan appeared rather mortified at the question, as though Kiara had asked him something equally frightening and embarrassing to contemplate. About twenty seconds later, however, he nodded. "Oh, yes. I've plenty of... experience... in dealing vith them. Too much experience, to be qvite candid vith you," he answered, a slight shiver coming over him at the mere surface thoughts of what he knew.

"They didn't truly bother me until aftervards.... ven I decided to break avay," Sevastyan finished the explanation with a kind of weary sigh that clearly stated he was not proud of having acquired the knowledge about Inferi that he'd accumulated. It was part of his past that he felt would take a great amount of time to atone for... if it was even plausible to be forgiven in the first place for delving as deeply as he and his brother had.

"I suppose I can assume that, as an Auror, you have dealt vith Inferi before as vell?" he asked curiously, genuinely interested and hoping to re-bury a few stray thoughts Sevastyan didn't want to remember.

Kiara saw the look of mortification on Sevastyan's face at her question, she regreted asking almost immediately and was about to apologize for asking and he didn't have to answer her. When he did she got a hint of how far Sevastyan had gone, but yet just how far Sevastyan had come back as well.

"I see," she said not wanting to pry any more in to Sevastyan obviously painful past.

Kiara nodded at the question as to her fighting them before, "I have, It was my first mission as Captain, there was a emergency with them in Germany a few years ago......" she trailed off it had been a long week of fighting and defending people from inferi, the very same mission she had met Ingolf Rosenberg. It was hard to forget, they never did catch who did it.

Sevastyan nodded his comprehension, though looked a little troubled. "Ven my students had holidays, I vould often attempt track my brother's activities in an attempt to keep him out of trouble. I never vos very successful in stopping him, though... he vos alvays vone step ahead of me.

"But I do know my brother did a lot of business in Germany, even after I qvit vorking vith him," he offered. "I can assure you it has been a good decade since I even thought of Inferi, the nightmares aside." While the last thing he wanted was for his brother to be killed in pursuit, perhaps this would be a lead for the Auror Department in the event that the case was still open. Sevastyan doubted it was, though: Kiara did say it happened a few years ago.

A kind of silence pressed on his ears as he tried to find something else to talk about...

Kiara sighed "I was not in charge of tracking who was responsible for their creation. I was only sent because of natural defense against them" she said as she closed her eyes and the blue flames surrounded her hands.

"It is quite effective, how if it was your brother, I am not saying it was. Who ever did create them was very busy, even with my fire it took a few day to take care of all of the inferi. It was chaos......"

"And it never crossed my mind that you would be involved with the inferi, I trust you when you say are no longer involved with those things" she said honestly.

Sevastyan nodded his understanding. He'd seen Kiara glow blue with phoenix flame once before, which needless to say had been a shock at first. "My brother is in a vay like Peeves: he loves chaos, and practically thrives on it," Sevastyan muttered somewhat bitterly. Though he cared about his brother, there was a tangible overtone of animosity.

"I am avare that you trust me - something for vich I am very grateful. They are not so villing to trust a Kaminski in Russia. In fact, some don't even trust anyvone, though I can't say I blame them. I myself rarely trust people... though I have found myself rather more comfortable here at Hogvarts," Sevastyan explained. "And I clearly trust you and the members of the staff I have met... elsevise I vould not have said all I have." The corners of his mouth lightly curled into a small smile.

A curious countenance crossed his features. "Had your injury fully healed... do you think you vould still be an Auror? Or vould you still have accepted the position of Headmistress?" he wondered.

Kiara thought about the last question, "Well I probably wouldn't have been asked if I hadn't been injured. But if I been asked anyway..... honestly I don't think I would. I know that sounds strange, coming from me. But I was a natural at what I did, dueling, the feeling of knowing I did something good in the world. I would have been honored with the offer of course. But I was the captain to the alpha auror team, people counted of me, i wouldn't have left if I didn't have to."

"However, if by some miracle my condition is fully healed one day, I would stay here, for as long I have someone counting on me here I could never leave. I wouldn't want to. I have grown close to the staff at Hogwarts. Far closer then I ever thought I would, my family is here. My home is now Hogwarts" the tone in Kiara's voice told she meant every word.

Sevastyan nodded solemnly: whatever property Kiara had owned via her marriage to Daniel would likely go to his current spouse, provided he had one. And, given what she'd said about her family... well, Sevastyan could understand even though he'd grown up under very different terms. "It is not strange... you vere happy vith your employment. Sort of like Professor Viper, from vot she has told me of her own background," Sevastyan more or less mused aloud so that Kiara would know what he was thinking.

"And that is sort of me, as vell: I vos paid for my delving into the Dark Arts on behalf of clients searching for... answers, I guess you could say. I von't deny that, back then, I enjoyed vot I did despite the hurt it obviously caused along the line. And vhile it still fascinates me, I have remained determined to distance myself from being too immersed."

Suddenly an idea came to him. "Vot if you thought of that feeling you described before falling asleep? A mental exercise, if you vill? Perhaps it vould help in eliminating the nightmares..." Sevastyan suggested, going out on a limb with this inspiration.

Kiara nodded in understanding, "I admire your determination, not many people can turned there back on there dark arts so completely especially while being involved with them for as long as you had been. Straying to far in to dark arts and they can alter the mind, if used to long."

She smiled at his suggested idea "Excellent idea Sevastyan, I think I will try it, I do hope you take your own advise. We can't have an exhausted Defense professor now can we? "

Sevastyan gave a half bow of thanks from his seat. "It has not been easy..." he admitted, trailing off, wondering if his acquiescence to hide and subsequently destroy the Excessum wand constituted delving into the Dark Arts or into its defense? "But, I personally vould like to think that this thick skull -" Sevastyan paused to comically knock at the side of his head twice, "has helped in some vay, at least." Yes, he was only kidding. Lack of sleep helped bring out his sense of humor even further.

"No, that vould not be a good thing - for me to be exhausted on the job," he replied with a laugh. "I might try it, though I vosn't exactly an auror and unfortunately cannot draw upon the job satisfaction I possessed. Too much temptation... I vill have to see vot my memory conjures up for me to use." Sevastyan's smile at the discussion's turn of events waned slightly.