Professor Viper's Office ~ End of 2028 School Year

"Are you absolutely sure?" inquired Phineas Montgomery, the Head of Potion-related Affairs in the Ministry. "This isn't a decision easily reversed. Not to mention the Potions Committee will want a rather detailed explanation of why you are dissolving your Potioneering License. It's not as though you are a shadow in the Potions World, Professor..."

Viper rolled her eyes in irritation, taking a gulp of the vodka goblet she had been indulging in far more often these past few weeks. "Yes, I am absolutely sure!" in a lower voice she added, "I haven't lost my mind to that extent yet..."

Stabler stiffened as he heard the muttered bit from Viper. The other ECHO members had told him of the recent events ocurring in Viper's life so, upon the first opportunity, he had jumped at the chance to visit her during his business trip to London. So far, much to his dismay, all his friends had reported about Viper proved to be true. Despite only being with her for an hour at most, he could already see she wasn't the person she was mere months ago who he had visited during another business trip. Her dry humour and wit, once a source of amusement, had become a nightmare to be near. It was like being with a knife that would stab at you repeatedly, sneering and splattering you witth insults after every breath you took. Granted, he knew hostility was a symptom of Huntingtons, but he also knew Amaranth Viper. There was much more to this current scenario than a simple disease.

"Professor Viper, you are a prominent figure in Potioneering-"

"Is that still the case? I was under the impression my image had dwindeled since ECHO's demise. Particualrly since the Ministry had seen it fit to place restrictions on the items I may purchase." Viper retorted harshly as she rose from her seat towards the window sill, lighting her eighth cigarette for the past half hour.

"That isn't the point! Professor, regardless, you are a watched figure in Potioneering! Your work is regarded with the highest respect and admired! Waltzing in one day annuouncing your dissolution of your Potioneering license and, likely, resignation from your Hogwarts post is unheard of! The Potions Community, myself included, demand answers! And one that elaborates beyond 'personal reasons'!" He declared, rising from his seat in front of her desk, bellowing with rage at irritation at the woman before him, seemingly unfazed by her decisions, puffing away at her cigarette.

Emerald orbs turned into slits as she reached for the goblet at her desk and furiously threw it at the older wizard, missing horrendously as the goblet made contact with the wall behind him, the liquid leaving a lond streak. "Get out!" she hissed in pure rage. "I gave you my reasons for resignation. I told you and all the other nosey bastards demanding an answer that it was a personal matter that I would strongly prefer not to discuss, so it wasn't though I was dropping all of this on you on a whim! I gave you all fair warning and signed all the numerous paperwork." she more or less screamed as she threw the file of papers she had spent hours filling out and signing, formally announcing her withdrawal from the Potioneering World. "Get out!"

It didn't take another warning from the raging witch for Montgomery to get a clue. With a muttered spell, he picked up the scattered papers and fled, not looking back once.

"Can you believe that bloke? Disgusting!" Viper remarked to Stabler with another irritated roll of her eyes and a long drag of her cigarette.

"Honestly? I find it much harder to believe your behavior..." Stabler remarked with a neutral expression, though the disappointment contained in his orbs was blindingly obvious, as well as his tone.

A raven eyebrow arched sharply. "What are you on about?" she inquired with a neutral tone, planted with seeds or irritation waiting to blossom into full-fledged hostility. "In case you haven't noticed, Stabler, I'm the victim here. I'm the one who's losing everything. Loads of people have to choose between family and career. Ha-ha! Guess what Stable, I'm losing both!" she exclaimed as she summoned another tray of goblets, draining one after another.

This time it was Stabler's turn to roll his eyes. "You are unbelievable..." he shook his head coldly.

"What the hell is your bloody problem?!?" Viper exclaimed, slamming her hand on the window sill in frustration.

"You! Do you have any idea how selfish you are being? Here you are moping on and on about your 'wretchedly horrid' life when in reality, Princess, you've got it great!" he made his way around the desk towards Viper, grasping her hands with his. "Look, yes, it's wrong and unfair for you to have to go through this, for you and your family to be affected by this, but... Princess, that's life. That's how the cookie crumbles, that's they way chocolate frogs roll. I don't know how else to expain it."

Viper scowled in response, attempting to move away until Stabler grasped her shoulders, forcing her to stay put.

"Listen to me. You have a husband who loves you with all his heart, three beautiful children who adore you and look up to you. You're avoiding them, faking smiles and laughter while you hide in your office and corners isn't helping them. It's hurting them." With a hesitant note, he added. "Addison told me about the divorce papers..."

Viper stiffened, looking at Stabler with her fiercest glare. "She did what?"

"You heard me. Honestly, what goes through your mind, Amaranth? Going to your best friend, asking for divorce papers so you could run away, leaving your family to pick up the pieces? Did you really expect Addison to help you with that?"

A snort escaped her lips. "I expected her to respect my wishes and judgement. I know what's best for my family, and it certainly does not include sitting around, tweedling my thumbs until complete idiocy robs my mind and turns me into an invalid!"

Stabler mirrored her snort, his grip on her shoulders tightening to the point where she would have bruises later on. "You think being abandoned by their wife and mother is best for your family? Lie to yourself all you want, Amaranth, but don't lie to me! You're not running for their sake, but for your's! You're afraid, afraid that you're abandoning them with your illness, afraid that they'll hate you so you're trying to push them away, push them so they leave you and can't blame you for anything!" he countered in a soft tone, getting to the heart of the matter.

He was right, of course. Along with all that fear, frustration, and pure anger at fate was a heaping helping of guilt. Unlike her predecessors, she took her marriage vows very seriously. The moment her children were born she swore to never abandon them. In her mind, by getting ill, withering away and eventually dying, that would be exactly what Viper would be doing: leaving her family all by themselves, abandoning them by dying.

But she didn't want to admit it. Not to him, not to her children, not to her husband, and especially not herself. So instead she did the only thing she could do: deny everything.

She raised her right hand and brought it to contact to Stabler's face, a loud smacking sound echoing through the office. "Get out you son of a bitch!" she spat out, pushing her old friend away as tears threatened to cascade down her pale face.

Slowly, in stunned silence, Stabler nodded. He hadn't come all this way from the U.S. to be treated this way, and if Viper didn't want to be helped or consoled, there was very little he could do. "Fine." he said in a dry, cracked voice. "Stay here, rot from all your booze and chain smoking. Have a blast from your ****ing pity parties! Screw your husband and children. It's not like they matter when you're over here dying, eh?"

"Get out!" Viper screamed as tears ran unabated down her face as various objects went flying towards Stabler.

Slowly, he made his way out the door, flicking away the levitating objects. "How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?" he inquired softly, taking a quick glance at the mirror hanging on her door before exiting out the room and Viper's life forever, the door slamming loudly, causing the mirror to rattle shortly.

More and more tears made their way down Viper's face as she contemplated all Stabler had said. Everything was true, of course. And looking into the mirror... well, it wasn't a task Viper was fond of.

Rising slowly from her half leaning, half sitting position at the window and stood in front of the mirror. She had stood in the exact same spot numerous times during her time at Hogwarts: right before her first class, when she first found out she was pregnant, a few stolen moments before she and Sevastyan had eloped, and when she found out she was pregnant with her other two children.

Back then she had been able to look at her reflection with a serene expression, neither overly pleased or self-conscious outlook on her appearance, but now... it was over. Now whenever she happened to glance at her reflection, she saw her future. Gone were the days she could view her reflection with a smile, for all she saw now was an image of herself: broken, deranged, and longing for death.