My Office

Valerio Addams resumed chatting with his sisters about this giant squid and how cool it would be to see it up close... they clearly didn't like his idea.

Laura watched patiently as the Headmistress scanned a sheet of parchment. This was most likely the student roster for the year 2019. When she heard her children were on the list, Laura nodded happily though was startled by a pair of high-pitched, excited screeches as the girls jumped up and down hugging the other. Valerio looked slightly put out by their excitement, what with being so young.

"I am sure Professor Addams will quite happy to hear this" Kiara stated and gave her a wink.

Laura looked as though something she drank went down the wrong 'tube'. "Excuse me: did you say Professor A-Addams?" she asked. No - it couldn't be, could it? Was this the reason why he wasn't home?! Laura truly hoped that this was entirely a fluke, that her husband - ex-husband, that is - was just out on a book signing run...

"Can't I start early? Dad said I learn quick..." Valerio offered, looking hopeful.

Before anyone could answer, the door opened and in burst a wizard with blond hair, spectacles, brown eyes, and a set of tye-dyed robes. "Headmistress, might I bother you for....." Ethan had managed to get out of his mouth before stopping dead in his tracks.

Laura's mouth dropped open in shock to see precisely the man she'd been hoping this 'Professor Addams' wasn't. "You?! A... a... Professor?!" she choked out.

Ethan glanced briefly from Kiara, to Laura, to his three similarly-dumbstruck kids, and back again, blinking. The children were speechless for a completely different reason than Laura, he could tell it in their eyes. A kind of darkness crossed his own orbs when he returned eye-contact with Laura.

"Aye - it's me," he replied with a forced grin and a semi-flamboyant bow before straightening. "Surprised to see me, I take it?"

There was a tension in his voice that even those who'd only known him for five minutes wouldn't be able to miss... and it wasn't because he'd only just found out his name was on the List of the Damned merely hours earlier.

Kiara looked from both Ethan to Laura. the tention in the office grew .

"Now... erm will you take a seat Professor Addams?" she asked not really knowing what else to say.

Kiara's words made Ethan snap out of the staredown he felt he was having with his ex-wife. "Of course, Kiara. Thank you. So sorry to have... intruded upon something here," he replied with a nod that held some of his former cheeriness.

"DADDY!" three voices cheered. Three yellow-haired blurs zipped across the room before Ethan could so much as take a step and immediately flung themselves at their father. With a loud thud, Ethan was forced to take a seat upon the carpeted floor of Kiara's office. By the muffled cry that escaped him, he didn't really sound as if he cared where he was sitting right now: all that mattered was hugging his twin daughters with one arm, and Valerio with the other. A small round of high-speed, animated chatter ensued between the children and their father.

Laura, still reeling from her shock, sunk into a chair. "W-what subject d-d-does he teach?" she asked the Headmistress breathlessly while the other four people in the room carried on as though they were in their own little world of long-winded conversation.


"So: did you find her or did she - surprisingly enough - come to you?" Ethan chimed in with curiosity. By the words and the fact he was looking to the Headmistress, it was clear Ethan had addressed Kiara. He did not make any further eye contact with Laura at the moment.

The kids had just told him they never received any of the letters he sent. That could only mean one or two things: either Laura was hiding or destroying them... or the purgers were intercepting his correspondence.

Ethan didn't like either of those conclusions.

Kiara smiled slightly as the kids knocked in to Ethen and she turned her gaze to Laura.

"He teaches herbology" she answered.

Turning to Ethan she simply said "She came here to simply enroll your daughters into hogwarts Ethan." she stated, not really sure if she should say anything more for the moment or not.

"I am sure the two of you have questions.... if you will sit down." she said as she conjured another seat for Ethan

"Oh. I should've known... he would never leave the rosebushes alone..." Laura commented a little weakly.

Upon hearing Ethan's accusation, which stung even though she knew she was to blame, Laura's countenance turned defensive. "And what is that supposed to mean, Ethan?"


Ethan had ignored his ex-wife for the time being. He positively beamed at Kiara's information and looked back to his daughters. "Simply wonderful!" the wizard exclaimed as he released his children so they could all get up off the floor. "I thought perhaps she might."

"And what the bloody he... what do you think I mean, Laura?!" Ethan asked sourly, placing his hands defensively around the three kids that immediately flocked to be near their dad.

"I am sure the two of you have questions.... if you will sit down."

"Your bloody right I have questions... personal ones, if anything..." Ethan mumbled under his breath while giving his ex-wife a look that clearly said he was none too happy at being kept away from his children for so long. With a smile plastered to his face, however, Ethan nodded his thanks and took a seat in the conjured chair. Erica and Heather immediately scrambled into his lap. Valerio was content to clamber onto the arm of the chair.


"...How long has... Professor Addams... been teaching here, Headmistress?" Laura asked innocently. She honestly didn't know how long it had been.

Kiara could feel the tention grow and grow.. in the room as both ex's asked question to each other, but neither answered.

She bit her lip and stopped her self from rolling her eyes, really hadn't she had enough drama for one day!? ((lol... yeah))

"...How long has... Professor Addams... been teaching here, Headmistress?"

She heard Laura ask.

Sighing she answered, as she seemed to be the only one giving out information.
"Just over a month and a half... sound about right Ethan?"

She felt like she was in a damned marriage counceling session....

"I am right over here, you know, Laura... just in case you by some odd-ish malady St. Mungo's has never even heard of haven't noticed," Ethan retorted in the time between his ex-wife's question and Kiara's answer.

The children watched their mother and father argue, their previous happiness fading slightly at the turn the conversation had taken. Erica fidgeted on her father's knee; Heather glanced downward as though she'd been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. Valerio's blank expression clearly told onlookers that he was confused.

"Yes, that'd be about right... give or take a few days," replied Ethan. After he adjusted the position of his glasses, he suggested, "If Laura intends to take this conversation where I think it's headed, might there be somewhere the sprouts can go so they don't have to hear this? No need for them to be bored..." Both girls immediately wrapped their arms around their father's neck after he'd said this, causing him to murmur an 'awww' of fondness for the pair.

"Old habits never die with you, do they, Ethan?" Laura scoffed. "They just realized you're here and now you're going to send them away to another room..."

"They don't need to hear this, Laura... and I wasn't asking for your approval either. My inquiry was for Kiara," Ethan replied quietly. His girls' ears were practically parallel to his mouth. Not exactly... but practically.

Laura looked as though she'd just been force-fed a whole lemon...

Kiara sighed and leaned back in her chair, she starting to feel like a bridge for the 2 aduts to converse over.

Personally she did agree, the children didn't need to hear there parents bicker at eachother.

She noticed the children attempt to distract them selves on there fathers lap, and was actually going to suggest the same thing.

"Alright...you two are getting no where this way, and sending messages through me is not helping the currant situation" she said tapping her fingers on her wooden desk.

Instead of answering Ethan question, it self she merely turned to the children.

"I will not ask you to leave the room, you are perfectly welcome to stay with your father,it is up to you. However if you find your selves becoming bored.... of the current topic of converstion..." she paused and waved her hand over an object on her desk, transfiguring it in to a chocolate brown Labrodor Puppy.

"You are also quite welcome to go and play with him in the back of my office if you want" she said to the kids ignoring the two aduts of the moment, as she picked the puppy up. (((<<< click to see the puppy, cute))

"I wasn't sending messages through anyone..." Ethan muttered, though his daughters had ignored the statement and had returned instead to their former positions on his knees.

Three pairs of large brown child's eyes settled on Kiara when she spoke again, as well as two other pairs that belonged to the adults in the room. Though it wasn't their first time witnessing magic, the twin girls squealed excitedly in reaction to the adorable puppy. Valerio had already left his father's side and approached Kiara and the puppy.

Erica and Heather glanced between their father and the puppy. Ethan gave them both a kiss on the forehead and a small nudge in approval. They would be best kept away from the bickering. Also, if the topic is brought up: the List of the Damned. It was one thing for Laura to learn about it, but quite another for his children. He'd rather have his heart ripped out with a rake of rusty nails then have to tell them he was suddenly a wanted man.

Heather looked to Erica, and Erica to Heather, before they climbed down and joined their brother at Kiara's side to 'visit' the newly-transfigured puppy. "Can we go play with him, please?" they both asked in unison.

Laura remained silent through the exchanges of words, not quite sure what to say.

Kiara smiled to the 3 children and nodded and she handed them the puppy, and pointed to a lounge type area in the back of her office. She also conjured a tug a war toy for them to play with the dog with.

"Just go through there dears" she said.

Once children were in the back room she cast a one way siliencing charm, meaning the parents would be able to hear them, but the children could not hear the parents.

"Alright why don't we start this over hmm? It is nice to meet you Ms. Amello, I assume you know Professor Addams? Good.. Now Ms Amello, Ethan had a valid question, what happened?" she asked assuming it was obvious enough what she was asking.

Heather took the puppy gently, giggling as it licked her face. Erica looked slightly jealous, but knew she would get her turn with it soon enough. So, instead, she led the charge to the office's back area with a polite 'Thank you!'. Valerio accepted the doggie toy and followed both sisters after echoing his own thanks.

Laura and Ethan both nodded when they were prompted. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Headmistress," Laura began, slightly taken aback that Kiara seemed to know something about the recent past. Precisely how close Headmistress and her ex-husband were crossed her mind. "Whatever do you mean, Headmistress?" she asked, wondering if her suspicions were valid.

"Laura, please - don't play stupid," Ethan sighed with exasperation. "I told her about the kids' ... how shall I say this? ... absence ... for the past month without so much as a word from you despite the fact I sent several letters!"

Laura blanched at this news. "I'm dreadfully sorry, Ethan. I... was not well. I had sent the children to live with their grandparents in Italy for a few weeks. I thought Mr. Sykes would have owled you... regarding my condition." She bowed her blonde head apologetically.

Kiara looked between the two, starting to figure out what happened, so Larua had been ill, and it was a miscomuntication that casued the problem.

Hoping Ethan would be understanding of it she turned to him, and sighed.

"Perhaps this is a good time for some Tea?" she asked she softly. Athough she would have none her self, the thought of anything in her stomach at the moment did do her any good.

Waving her hand a tea set floated on to the desk with a box of many varities of tea in it.

"Thank you, Headmistress." Laura had spoken, and selected the tea she preferred.

"Thanks, Kiara," replied Ethan. He selected Japanese Green tea from the variety box. As they made their respective tea, all chatter had died down to a kind of silence. A girl's squeal of delight, a small boy's laughter, and a playful bark or two could be heard from the next room.


"I don't understand what could be so dreadful as to leave you unable to at least get someone to send word... do you realize how close to contacting Sumner I was, Laura?" Ethan asked of his ex-wife. Though a twinge of resentment still remained, it was clear he felt bad for not knowing what had happened.

"Ethan, you don't understand..." Laura sighed. "There was also an... an accident, while I was recuperating. And I didn't think you really wanted a letter from Jason. Ever since..." Laura paused again and averted her gaze away from Ethan's. "... well, the two of you haven't been very good friends for half a dozen years."

"I wonder why," Ethan replied sarcastically. "So, tell me: how is - what did you call him that one time...." he paused for a moment and appeared to be attempting to think. "Ah yes: Jay-Jay?" the wizard finished, the nickname escaping his lips with a distinct sweet-yet-highly-acidic sing-song voice.

"Ethan, will you please just drop it?" Laura asked, looking to him. "I doubt the Headmistress really needs to hear any of this."

"Apologies..." he muttered, lowering his bespectacled eyes to his knees. "So... the girls have been enrolled here, then?" Ethan asked, glancing to both women to see who would answer first. "What of Valerio, when he comes of age?"

Kiara looked away when they started talking about something that seemed rather personal. Though she was curious what the accident Ms Amello mentioned.

At the question of the enrollment of the children Kiara answered.

'I don't see why not, lets see, shall we?" she said as she took out the list enrollment list again and went a few years down the line.

"Ah yep, there he is. On the list to receive a owl on his 11th birthday." she said.

Showing them there sons name on the top of the list for the year 2022.

Ethan nodded at Kiara's suggestion of checking the list, though had done so purely out of nature rather than distrust in regards to Laura. He practically beamed at the news that his son was to attend Hogwarts with his sisters. The wizard would have had choice words for Laura if she so much as thought of splitting up the kids like that. Not that they'd likely be in the same classes, but still...

"Ethan... Professor Addams, I suppose I should say... has weekend visitation with his children, as I'm sure he's mentioned. Perhaps, if I can appeal to the court, they could make... longer visits?" Laura suggested hesitantly. She really didn't like the idea of leaving the children with their father for too long, particularly when he got into one of his writing sprees. "Here at the school?" she added, addressing Kiara.

"And here I thought I'd never hear you say something like that..." Ethan muttered.

"Ethan - please! I really don't need your sniping right now," Laura huffed.

"I'm not sniping!" Ethan defended, though knew he was.

"I'm still not feeling my greatest, Ethan, and I don't want them to see there's something wrong. Now will you please consider longer than just weekend visitation?"

"I don't need to consider anything - you ought to know I'd gladly take them. You were the one that fought for the restriction in the first place," Ethan replied indignantly.

Laura ignored him for the moment. "If the children decide to stay here with their father for a while, Headmistress, it would not be a burden?" she queried, referring to today in particular.

Kiara listened to the two, and felt happy that Ethan could spend some time with his kids, but wondered what had befallen Laura for her to want to give the kids over to him more often.

Kiara smiled at Laura "No it won't be a burden at all Hogwarts is a big castle, 3 more children won't be problem. There is younger boy here staying with is dad, Tavish McConn he is the same age as your son. I think they will get along " she said with a nod.

Laura nodded her thanks, and smiled, glad to hear that there would be someone Valerio's age for him to get acquainted with. She had been worried that her little boy would feel like the odd one out, being the likely youngest child there. Perhaps the two would become good friends: by the way Kiara spoke of this Tavish, he sounded like a nice young boy.

"Are you going to be okay with all three of them staying with you?" Laura asked her ex with more than a little bit of worry.

"Of course! They're our children, Laura - why in Merlin's name wouldn't I be all right?" Ethan asked her with a degree of incredulity. Then enlightenment dawned on his face. "I'm not writing anything at the moment - hiatus..."

"So you claim," Laura retorted, quirking a brow in the hopes that he'd remember one particular memory without her having to bring it up in public.

"That was different, Laura..." he trailed off, though by her returned countenance it was clearly not the right thing to have said.

"My other questions are a bit... personal," she stated with a pointed glance at Ethan. "And I'm starting to feel unwell again, so I think... I think I will leave now, after seeing what the children decide to do of course. Thank you so much for checking to make sure the children were enrolled, Headmistress," Laura added and stood up.

Ethan, however, made no move to follow initially. He was trying to figure out what could have happened to make Laura want to give him more visiting time... unless... no. She wasn't even on the List of the Damned... that he and Kiara knew of. Eventually, though, he stood but kept his distance from the blonde witch.

"May I...?" Laura inquired, gesturing to the back room where the children could be heard playing with (and in one of the girls' cases cooing over) a rather happy puppy.

Kiara looked back and forth between Laura and Ethan, feeling like she was missing something, but felt it wasn't her place to ask.

At the statment she wasn't feeling well Kiara looked at Laura in concern, the thought of the list of the list of the damned came to mind and she cast a glance at Ethan.

When she asked to go back into the next room Kiara nodded and brought down the silcencing charm had up with a wave of her hand.

"Of course, go a head" she said with a nod.

Looking over at Ethan, she walked over to him.

"What do you think is up? for her leave the kids with you so suddenly?..... hmmm...Ethan..... there may be there is a chance she is on the Real list and not on this one..... " she whispered.

"Thank you," Laura replied, though her blonde brows were furrowed as though she was coming down with a wicked headache. As Laura walked toward the back room, the witch pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to alleviate the headache-like pain. She opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind her.


As Kiara approached him, Ethan noticed the concern on her face. He had to confess himself also worried about this latest development. The wizard shook his blonde head in complete bafflement. "Nothing good, whatever it may be... it was her what imposed the restriction in the first place," he offered, though this was already-known information. "And I won't deny that, at the time, she had reason to..." Brown eyes immediately turned regretful, saddened, but guarded.

"Wh-what?!" Ethan stuttered, alarmed that she thought the same thing he'd been thinking. "That can't be. She's not done anything... except marry me. Is that really enough of a crime to warrant..." he'd begun to ask he thought he heard Laura turn the doorknob. After a few seconds, when it became apparent that someone must have simply bumped into the door, he continued, "...to warrant an execution? Because of former marital affiliation? She would not come back to me even if I swore to wear pink underwear with lace on the waistband for three years. And I personally am not one to be taking her back, either... or do our beasties not really give a damn about that?" Ethan prattled on. Though neither parent of the three children seemed willing to go back into a relationship, the wizard was at least concerned about her welfare. Especially because it wasn't her who had done anything wrong.

Kiara didn't miss the look of pain that crossed Laura's face "perhaps she wouldn't mind a Headache relief potion on her way out" she thought.

Kiara raised her eyebrow at his statment, but didn't comment, wasn't really her buisness to ask, and he for once Ethan didn't seem to opened to talk about it.

At his exlcamation that Laura did nothing wrong she shook her head, "Remember I mention when a name is writien on the list it can't be taken off? it could have been writen on after you married. I am sorry Ethan, even Marriage can land the name on it.... I am just saying it is a possiblity. One of Sevastyan's cousins was killed to day and he did nothing wrong either"

The panic stayed in his eyes, but he nodded anyway. "That is... most dreadful," Ethan offered in regards to Sevastyan's cousin, though he knew he should be saying that to the man's face himself. "I should probably tell her about the List, but... but what would she do with the kids if I did? Surely when or if she knows I'm wanted by assassins she'll whisk them away again... for their safety. Though I want them to be safe... I still want to see them," Ethan chattered quietly so as not to give hint to those in the next room that something big was being discussed.

"And if we're not prime targets right now... there's really no need to be worryin' her, right?" Panicked, pained brown eyes looked to Kiara with a silent plea for advice.

Kiara breath and faced Ethan "First, Ethan look at me and calm down... alright you won't do your kids, Laura, or your self any good by having a panic attack" she said as her worry know shifted to Ethan himself.

"Now there is no need to worry about the Purgers here anymore alright? hogwarts is secure.. no one who wishes to cause harm can get in. If there is any place safest for your kids from Purgers it is Hogwarts... I now it is up to you Ethan, at the moment it is you and maybe Laura who are targets, not them they will be fine"

She personaly thought Laura should know she was in mortal danger, not being behind the safety of old magic she could be a easier target if the Purgers make their move when ever they want. But then agian she know what is was like to be a over protective mother...... she had taken her child away from her father, not that it did any good in the end....

It was quiet a dilema.

"If you don't wish to worry her in her currant state that is your porrogitive Ethan, just she should find out sometime" she said

She sighed

"Well if it's not you I'm looking at who the bloody hell am I talking to?" Ethan replied rapidly, attempting to infuse some comic relief into the situation. However, his delivery sounded more like a whiny dog worrying about everything and anything. Calm was something he hadn't quite achieved yet...

Unable to say much of anything due to the tightness in his throat that came with worry, Ethan nodded. Despite his chatterbox nature he really didn't have much to say.

Nor did he get much chance to as the door opened. Ethan trotted over and gently prevented Erica from slipping out of the room. "Can they stay in here for just a few more minutes, Laura? I need to speak with you about something else. In private. Please?" Ethan whispered, hoping the kids wouldn't hear the urgency in his voice.

"Ethan, I'm really not feeling well..." Laura murmured. Not only was she not feeling well but she was also tired of Ethan's sniping.

"But it's really important. Not something to be discussed by owl or Floo... please," Ethan practically begged.

Laura gestured for the kids to go back into the room, and closed the door behind her. "Don't you dare tell me you can't take care of them, Ethan. You just said you would!"

"That's not it, Laura... this is about me, and possibly you-"

"There's no chance we're getting back together. You know that."

"Yes, and I don't need a reminder. Thank you," replied Ethan as he walked her back to Kiara's desk. He didn't need a reminder because he'd found someone new... or at least he fancied her. Ethan wasn't quite sure how the school nurse liked him, but he found her rather attractive.

Once they were back to Kiara's desk, and with the kids well out of earshot, Ethan launched into a rapid cliffs-notes summary of the purgers and the List of the Damned, and how his name was on there as a target. Laura, who already was feeling and looking rather woozy, was now attired with a mortified expression.

"And you would take care of them, knowing there are hired killers after you?!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

"Hogwarts is safe... and I'll even make me home as safe as I can," Ethan offered before going into detail about the ash weave and what that basically was, and went into great detail in describing how he intended to fortify his own home. Laura, for her part, seemed marginally comforted but not quite at ease.

"M-may I see the copy available to you?" she asked the pair of them, wondering if any of her own family were on the list due to her being associated with Ethan...

Kiara winced and looked away when Ethen attempted his comic relief, Had her mind been in a different state of mind she would have found the comment amusing, Unfortunately that was not one of those times.

She had been able to apologise for her rather stupid remark, when Laura came out from the back.

She went back to her desk with Ethan and Laura, and waited for Ethen to finish his explanation. Willing to fill in any gaps or Questions Laura might have.

She also fiddlled with a headache pain relief potion in her hand she would offer to the woman. Surely she must be in quite abit of pain with all this knew information.

When she nervously asked about the list Kiara nodded her head and handed it to her.


"This is a very partail list, majorly only concered wth the staff at hogwarts. Oh and here is a Pain releif potion if you want it" she said as she handed the items over.

Laura listened with a rather pained expression on her face. The agony in her head, on top of the wealth of information Ethan had babbled did not make her feel any better. She didn't have any questions at the moment other than what she'd posed already, but that was because it hadn't really sunk in yet. The tale sounded like something Ethan would have added to one of the stories he'd written. Not because it sounded like rubbish, but because he had plotted something similar in one of his stories, and then rewrote the whole thing for some unknown reason.

Feminine brown eyes grew wide as Kiara handed her the list. The black parchment and blood-red ribbon clearly stated that whomever had sent it meant business... her hand shook as she accepted both items and murmured a rather uncomfortable, "T-thank you." For the moment she placed the potion in her pocket and, with a glance to Ethan, unrolled the parchment.

"Ethan... this is blank..." Laura murmured. Had her mind not been addled by pain, she would have known why.

"That's because you're not on this copy... only those on the list can see it. Right, Kiara? I'm listed right... right here," Ethan explained, though couldn't help but swallow nervously when he pointed out his own blood-red name.

"Why would I be on this list? Are there any other members of my family on here? My maiden name is Amello... Do they wipe out entire families, for that matter?" she asked, bombarding both Hogwarts staff members with the questions. Laura kept herself together better than Ethan did, as her voice was calm and collected. However, the speed in which she spoke proved she was anything but how she appeared.

"They might - might, mind you - have you listed. We don't know. But you might be on there because you're married to me. I... I've done quite a few things I shouldn't have in my life love, certainly you know that..." Ethan replied, chagrined. Though he didn't really love her as he once did, he still used the term of endearment.

"And on this copy, no: there are no Amellos or other Addamses... again on this partial, duplicate copy," he added, though had no idea how to answer her other question. Therefore, Ethan looked to Kiara for information on that one. With careful hands he pried the list from Laura's fingers and placed it back down on Kiara's desk.