My Office

Eglantine said nothing as she reached out to take Kiara's injured hand. Her own shaking hand went to her mouth as she saw the cut. "I felt your life fade." she whispered. Ciaran's eyes darkened at Eglantine's statement. "What did you do, Kiara?" Eglantine repeated, her green eyes locked onto the cut hand and then focusing on the baby bird.

Kiara started to look increacingly uncomfortable at Eglantines statement and she cast an apologetic, reasureing glance at Ciaran to show she was alright.

"Does it really matter Eglantine? I am fine now" she said quietly while bring her injured hand up the same pheonix. With a single tear drop it was healed.

"I had something to take care of" she said rubbing her hand on the phoenix.

If Sevastyan had been slightly pale before, his complexion was practically ashen now. He immediately regretted waking Amaranth from her sleep: what if the remaining purger had been the one who had killed Kiara, and recognized that a second target was within his or her grasp? The answer to that was simple: Sevastyan would have leapt in front of the oncoming curse or tried to pull Viper away from it.

As Professor DeLanquar and Ciaran entered the room, Sevastyan took a few paces away from the three of them. The Russian had played his part: it was time to diminish to the sidelines if such a thing were possible. Amaranth’s appearance provided just the two things he felt he needed most: the woman he loved, and a way to sidle into the sidelines without it looking suspicious. Not that he had anything to be worried about, really... Before striding over to her, Sevastyan caught Kiara’s look and nodded. Her death and resurrection was, in his opinion, Kiara’s prerogative to share if she so wished. Sevastyan could understand her reasons for keeping it secret.

The Russian took his place at Amaranth’s side, entwining his fingers with hers as a hint of worry creased his forehead. If she was indeed on the purgers’ list...

Instead of getting involved in the impending emotional conversation, Sevastyan turned to Viper and whispered, "So, who is the girl?"

Eglantine released Kiara's hand and looked up at Kiara's face. By her facial expression, one might have thought that she had been slapped. "What did you take care of?" Then she blinked and it all seemed to make sense... "You...challenged Charles! Do you have any idea how dangerous he is?" her soft voice rose slightly and she was shaking violently from fear and anger.

"He could have...he did kill you, didn't he?" Whatever blood that remained in her pale face drained and Ciaran reached out and caught her as she fell.
"Good thing I came along." Ciaran stated, attempting a bit of levity.

Kiara looked shocked a second before swallowing nervously again. This was going to be a long day. But thanking the heavens They hadn't walked 5 minutes earlier... if this is how they would be reacting now, she couldn't imagine what it would be if they had seen it happen.

Kiara sighed. "Perhaps..." she whispered not at all looking forward to the upcomeing topic. She had hoped to keep her "advanture with mortality" a secret knowing of Ciaran's sensitivity to... well her mortality.

With a wave of her hand she conjured a bed for Eglantine to lay on. If she was going to be yelled at she prefered it be one at a time.

Looking at Ciaran sadly with a mixture of guilt in her eyes at being caught, she turned her gaze away.

Ciaran gently laid Eglantine down on the conjured bed, taking the time to conjure a pillow and place it under her head before rising to turn his attention on Kiara.

"One question, love." he stated, calmly. "Did ya do what had ta be done?"

Kiara sighed, lying would get her no where in this case, Eglantine somehow has sometype radar on her or something and would reveal her action soonr or later.

"I took the purgers off her back... thats what" she said quietly.

Ciaran stiffened. "Ya mean ya took on me former boss?" Ciaran's eyes widened considerably and he went closer to Kiara, wrapping his arms around her. "Ya sacrificed greatly, lass." he murmured, kissing her forehead. "That was so brave." tears shone in his eyes and he bent ever so slightly to kiss her full on the mouth.

To say Kiara was shocked by Ciaran's reaction was a understatment, tell her that was reckless and to risky, yes she expeacted that, not this. Kissing him back but aware of the company in the room the also had she pulled away after a moment.

"Well I didn't exactly take him on, but let me assure you since I got his oath to leave Eglantine alone now. He will have hell to pay should we ever meet again. So he was you former boss huh? no wonder her irked me so much. And I scacrifced nothing, I am alive arn't I?"

Ciaran chuckled. "He should be shivering now. Ya wraith is not a wee one, love." he smiled. "Next time, I'm wanting to be there too. Right by ya side."

Kiara nodded, "He won't stand a chance then" she supplies though she dearly hoped they would need to. She wouldn't beable to bear him getting hurt.

"I may be hearing from him again soon, to warn you,,, I highly doubt he will be thrilled that I am alive, and maybe more then a little baffled as to how" she warned just in case. An angry purger wasn't something she wanted to grab him by surprise.

"Maybe, maybe not. Aye let's hope not." He sighed.

"Shall we be waking her, lass?" Ciaran asked, turning to glance at Eglantine.

Kiara put her head on his shoulder, "Oh alright, time to face the music huh?" she sighed.

"Very well" she said with a nod and with a wave of her hand she cast a revival spell on Eglantine.

Ciaran smoothed Kiara's hair with his hand as she laid her head on his shoulder. He loved having her near him.

His blue eyes remained on Eglantine as she slowly opened her eyes. She coughed violently, as her ribs were still healing from her latest incident. She slowly sat up and reached into her pocket, her fingers curling around Excessum. Almost immediately it gave her enough energy to levitate herself.
"I have a class." she stated softly, heading for the door. Obviously she didn't want to think about what had happened before she had fainted.

Kiara winced, she was reileved beyond words that Ciaran wasn't mad at her for risking so much. And she couldn't bear to have Eglantine mad at her though.

"Eglantine... please don't leave like this. I wanted to protect you, are you really surprised by what I did? I didn't want you see you in danger."

Eglantine turned to look at Kiara. "I am not surprised, Headmistress. Nor am I an invalid." There was a coldness in her tone that left very little room for misunderstanding. Ciaran stiffened beside Kiara.

"Aye, ya strong, Professor. And lucky. Ya should be being happy Kiara was willing to give her life for ya." His voice was approaching dangerous and he gritted his teeth.

Eglantine fixed him with an even colder glare than the one she had given Kiara. "I should be happy that she nearly left this school without a Headmistress? I should be grateful that she nearly was left to die in some hidden plot? No, Mr. McConn, I am neither happy nor grateful. She would not allow me to give my life for her if the chance arose and I am not going to allow her to think for a moment that I accept this." Her voice was soft and hardly a whisper as she finished.

Kiara's clenched her fists, the words hurt yes, but she wasn't surprised for a moment by Eglantines reaction.

"It is alright" she whispered to Ciaran before looking at Eglantine through darkened eyes.

"I didn't think you would accept it either.... I would have been very surprised if you did...." she said her voice equally as soft.

"However, I didn't just do it for you.... I made an oath long ago to do what ever it took to stop the purgers, no matter what it took. When I heard they were targeting you I had to stop them.... had I heard they had targeted anyone else I would don the samething" she stated. She didn't bother to mention Eglantine had nearly got herself killed to save her..

Eglantine looked away from Kiara, her emotions hard to read behind her carefully constructed mask. She was so very angry at Kiara for allowing Charles DeLanquar to nearly take her from the world. And yet, she was proud of the young woman as well and grateful and happy that she loved her so much... but she could say that, couldn't show that. It would mean allowing Kiara to place herself in that position again.

"My last vendetta ended with the deaths for twenty people, Kiara. Be careful." she opened the door that had been closed and left the room, not bothering to close the door behind her. In a small way it was a gesture that subtly gave Kiara the knowledge that the conversation was far from over.

Kiara felt a shiver go through her at Eglantines statment...

"As long as the people I love are not harmed, I shall not harm anyone" she whipered.

She knew this issue was far from over, but no matter what Eglantine said or did her oath still stood.

She would protect her family no matter what, she had to it was in her magic and in her nature, st difficult cominaton to stop.

Only once Eglantine had left the room did her left a tear or two fall. but if one looked closely enough they could see her hand shaking and her jaw was closed tight..it was obvious dhe was holding 90% of her emothions back and saving them for later.

Then taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and a second or to later the tears were gone, she would talk to Eglantine about this alone later.

She gave Ciaran a rather meek smile and sliped her hand in to his, he had been sweet to defend her for her risky actions, but Eglantine had every right to be angry at her and she new it.

However For now she had other things that required her attention.

"Sorry about that, perhaps I should have let her go and talk to her later... Any ways Viper you were saying about our mystious clocked figure? you found out who she is?" she asked.

(( sorry I completely misread Eglantines statmernt merci...it is true over tiredness does effect to the mind works))

Noticing the intense paleness overcoming Sevastyan's complexion, Viper couldn't help but feel as though she had missed something ocurring just before she had entered. However all questioning would be saved for much later when she and Sevastyan were alone. And there was not an epic drama occuring a few feet away.

As their fingers entwined, Viper noticed the worry creasing Sevastyan's features. Before beginning her tale of all that had happened, she gave Sevastyan a quick kiss in an attempt to banish those thoughts. Leaning closer to Sevastyan, Viper whispered into his ear "She claims to be Professor Delanquar's niece..."

It was only when she heard Kiara call her name that she turned to look over to the other room's occupants. "She's in the dungeons, locked in the Stores Room with Drakon." Viper replied. "She claims to be related to Professor Delanquar."

Sevastyan observed the conversations between Kiara, Mr. McConn, and Professor DeLanquar feeling very much like he was watching a three-way tennis match. He glanced to Amaranth, feeling very much like an outsider looking in and wondering if she felt the same way. The Russian gently squeezed his love's hand, comforted slightly purely by the contact. Her further gesture of affection had managed to banish all but one line of worry between his brows. Sevastyan loved Amaranth too much to lose her...

A sharp intake of breath was the result of his reaction when Viper whispered the information to him. If the girl was Professor DeLanquar's niece... that meant the purgers sent after Professor DeLanquar were her family, and they had little care about doing away with one of their own.

... and here Sevastyan thought certain members of his family were a bit off...

When Kiara called Amaranth's surname - a gesture of respect, he'd learned about in his discussion with her one day - Sevastyan returned his gaze to the Headmistress. He hadn't missed the tension in the room as Eglantine was none too happy about what she appeared to surmise had happened, though he could hardly blame the other woman. It was odd how one could see both sides of an argument... the Russian thanked Merlin that he didn't need to choose a side on this one.

Sevastyan turned his head to Amaranth the moment she spoke. Raven brows rose slightly, though the look in his eyes showed an unyielding trust as he nodded. "Drakon vould not harm her vithout cause, right?" he asked, remembering his own friendly encounter with the snake. The wizard remembered the comment Kiara had made shortly before Ciaran and Professor DeLanquar had come in...

"Did she give you her name?" Sevastyan asked further. Though he didn't know much about the other professor's family, he was curious. After all, they couldn't just go about calling her 'the girl' or 'DeLanquar's niece' could they?

Ciaran relaxed slightly when Eglantine left, crossing the room quickly to close the door. "Woman's having an icy temper..." he muttered under his breath, returning to Kiara's side.

"A cloaked figure? Ya captured one?" he asked, looking at Viper and Sevastyan in turn.

Kiara nodded, her and Eglantine were similar yet different, her temper was more... firey.. if someone actually mangaged to make her that mad. Charles DeLanquar came very close.

Pushing those thoughs away she waited for Viper to tell them What she found out about the girl, and what had she been doing to her body when she had "died".

She was surprised to hear the girl in question was Eglantine's neice.

"She would be Charles Delanquar's daughter then, he is Eglantine's husbands Brother." she said.

"What was she doing when you got there? she asked Viper and Sevastyan. Contemptating the almost fatal mistake on her part.

And of course she was curious what the girls first name was as well.

Viper shook her head immediately upon hearing Sevastyan's inquiry regarding Drakon. "No, not at all. I specifically told him not to and he can't disobey me. However, she was quite frightened of him, panicking at the sight so he'll find delight from it and torment her. Nothing more than that."

She wondered for a moment if what she had done to the girl was a topic brought up between Sevastyan and Kiara before she arrived. However, the thought was soon relinquished at the trust standing strong in Sevastyan's silver orbs. Viper could care less about what the other's thought of her, just as long as Sevastyan stood beside her.

"She said her name was Eleutheria Delanquar. I have her wand but I haven't had a chance to run verification and trace charms on it." she replied, withdrawing the wand she had confiscated moments ago.

Viper pondered for a moment, remembering Eleutheria's movements when she and Sevastyan had arrived on scene. "Nothing, really... She was just kneeling over you, looking at you." Viper shrugged, not really noticing anything, though she looked to Sevastyan for confirmation, for it was possible she was mistaken and had missed something.

"She vos there ven ve arrived... A bit young as vell: I'd say no more than sixteen or seventeen years," Sevastyan explained to Ciaran. "She... didn't exactly put up much of a fight. Then again, vith two vands trained on me I guess I vouldn't be doing much of anything aggressive either."

A small semblance of a smile appeared on his face at Viper's response concerning Drakon. He knew he could trust her, and was glad to hear it confirmed by her tale. Because the girl was potentially an enemy he had no sympathy for the fear. A bit cold of him, a reminder of his upbringing one could say. Heck, this 'tormenting' that Amaranth specified could even be interpreted as play. Sevastyan was almost certain Drakon would delight in it: animals could sense and would feed on fear similar to a boggart, though they didn't intend to be scary in certain cases.

The Russian had to get a running start to even mentally pronounce the new name. It was entirely unfamiliar to him: there were no students to his knowledge attending Hogwarts with that name. "She might even have a second vand, as a safeguard..." Sevastyan suggested when it came to the implement being used to determine identification. Though, he supposed, even a secondary wand would bear at least some sort of signal as to who its owner was. Because he was standing right next to Amaranth, Sevastyan needn't ask for the wand to examine it with his own eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't know much about wands in and of themselves.

When his love looked to him for confirmation, Sevastyan nodded. "Yes, that is about all I saw as vell. I did not hear mutterings of spells, though, so I doubt she vos really doing anything more than observation," he reported seriously. "Her face vos entirely covered by the hood she vore."