Professor DeLanquar's Personal Chambers (located in Gryffind

Slowly Viper nodded, the tattoo on her lower back heating for a moment, serving as a reminder.

"I never thanked you personally for taking care of Edwin. You made a good impression."

((day after Kiara's visit, and just after Esis's arrival))

Kiara approached the portrait

"You know the dirll, I know she isn't well enough for visiters, but this isn't a socail call"

Then she turned to Esis and give her the password to Eglantines quarters so she could enter whenver she wanted.

"Thank you very much, Kiara. Shall we?" Esis asked, entering the rooms. "So what is the boy named?"

Kiara smiled, "Edwin, I find he is a easy child to take care of. He is a sweet child."

Then kiara frowned

"I am worried though wiith Eglantine being so sick, It is hard to tell how it will effect him. After what happened last night I am surpised he fell asleep at all"

((Viper's Visit))

"Oh, it was no trouble, really. He was well behaved..." a thought struck Viper and she frowned. "So who shall take care of him now?"

Esis bit her lip. "I'll see what I can do." she said seriously, setting her suitcase down. Heading into the bedroom she went up to Eglantine's bedside.
"Is there a professor here?" She whispered down to Eglantine. Eglantine muttered something unintelligible and opened her eyes.
"Esis?" She moaned, blinking. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she went limp again.

Looking back at Kiara, Esis shook her head. "You weren't exaggerating..." she muttered.

_________
((Viper's Visit))

"I plan to send a letter to my cousin, Lachesis Genses." Eglantine murmured. "She owes me a favour, I suppose."

Kiara sighed and looked sadly at Eglantine, "I wish I was, thing is she has gotten worse. yesterday she was at least talking, able to hold a conversation, but since last night she can't even keep her eyes opened.... She has me very worried"

((Kiara))

Esis moved past the bed speaking softer than normal. "No need to be worried. She'll be back on her feet, glaring before long, if I have anything to say about it." Peering into Edwin's bed, she gasped.

"Merde!" She exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth. "He looks just like Richard. And those eyes. Green as his mother's."

Kiara smiled, "Yes, as I said an ingenious potion. Though he has a lot of Eglantine in him, and he so sweet"

Viper nodded, her gaze returning to the window. "How fortunate for you to still have family you may depend on." realizing the impact of her words she quickly added. "The Viper's were never a 'there for each other' type of clan."

Esis giggled. "If he is anything like his mother, he'll be a quiet and very reserved baby. With a mischievous streak 7 kilometers wide, due to his father..." She reached down and picked up viper, which had somehow fallen from the death grip. "I'm surprised she's letting him have this. Eglantine is terrified of snakes, especially since one bit her."

_______

Eglantine's eyes fell to stare at the sheets. "Neither were the Rosiers." she returned, wishing that Viper had said anything but what she had said before adding the final statement.

Viper nodded. "And yet she is willing to come all the way out to assist you. You are very fortunate, Eglantine, to have such a caring and loving family. Even if that dream was shortlived." she sighed.

Eglantine cringed at Viper's words. Choosing to ignore the "short-lived" comment, she chuckled softly.
"Edwin adored you playing with him at the party."

Viper shrugged. "He's not the only one. I'm sorry to say its the first time I've ever played with a child." she didn't add that it would most likely be the last.

"Would you be sorry if it was the last time?" Eglantine asked gently.

Kiara blinked "She was bitten by a snake? What bread?" she asked out of curiousity.

"An asp or a cobra...I forget. It was when they lived in India." Esis took off her hat and pulled her hair from its pony tail. Her mud-brown hair reached to just touch her shoulders. Finger combing it really quickly, she tied it back from her face again.

"Well the couch is big enough." she commented. "I'll be fine here."

Kiara nodded.

Then not being able to resist and longer she asked.

"Err mind it I ask you something? Umm the bird you sent has the Malfoy crest on it, yet you look nothing like a Malfoy and act nothing like one if I may say so..."

"Well that's a relief, I will say!" Esis joked. "I am a Malfoy, but I live by my own standards, which are thankfully a bit higher than my esteemed cousin, Lucius. Eglantine and Lucius are both first cousins... he is on my father's side of the father and she is on my mother's side. But pureblood families are always confusing, since in the end we are all related. Marriage, blood and last names...one and the same. I married an American wizard but divorced him after a year... liked the last name better than Malfoy though. How about your family?"

Viper stood silent, not quite knowing the answer.

"Thank you for coming to talk to me." Eglantine said very softly, her eyes becoming heavy with sleepiness. Juria had given her several potions that were suppose to help her sleep and she had been fighting them for too long. "Will you return to Viper Manor to think?"

Viper laughed. "I highly doubt my trip to Viper Manor will include time to gather my thoughts. More than likely I will be with my dearly beloved parents." she said dryly before sighing. "He was their favorite child..."

Kiara bit her lip.

"I come from a long line of Muggles, Amara my mother and Alexander...." Kiara paused. Was it such a big deal she was cousins with Voldemort? She was beinging to wonder.

"Riddle.... My father"

Eglantine nodded. "Do they know I killed him?" she asked, curious.

___

Esis looked impressed. "Muggle and Riddle to boot. Don't be ashamed of your family history, Kiara. Muggle-borns are twice the witches us pure-bloods are and as for the Riddle family. To quote my dear cousin, "You cannot burn a tree for a single fallen fruit"."