S/V Quarters [June 2019]

"You know, when you invited me over here for an outing, this wasn't quite what I had in mind..." Dracovan muttered in mild irritation as he hoisted the seventh, and final, large silver chest, engraved with the Viper Clan Symbol and adorned with small emerald jewels, upon the coffee table of his sister and brother-in-law's Quarters.

The Viper Chests were an assortment of the Viper Clan's most valuable treasures; ones deemed far too valuable to entrust in the care of 'dirty goblins'. The Chests had every protection spell placed upon them, including one that, in Dracovan's opinion, was the worst: a magic-proof jinx. No matter how heavy the chests were (and they certainly were, if Dracovan might add), anyone wanting to move or open the chests had to move and open the chests the muggle way, for any levitation charm, or accio charm would be negated.

"I told you I'd help you carry it. You wouldn't let me." Viper replied with a shrug from her position from the couch, as she fiddled with a dagger to open the lock upon the chest closest to her.

Dracovan let out a dry laugh, wincing as he attempted to ease the pain in his lower back, a result from carrying about ninety pounds down the stairs from the attic of Viper Manor, through the floo network, and to the coffee table seven times. "Oh yeah, because your husband, who is almost twice my size, would take so lightly with me having wifey help me carry all these bloody chests. Eh, its no big deal. Gives me a chance to show off my biceps, right?" he replied in a grin as he flexed his "muscles".

Viper rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Indeed. Your absolutely amazing muscles which allowed you to drop each chest at least five times, and have one end up falling down the stairs. I wouldn't be surprised if these things ended up having dents on them."

Dracovan stuck his tongue out in reply. "Hater..." he took a seat on the floor next to a chest, watching as his sister sorted through various journals, jewelry, and tapestries in one chest. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"An answer." she replied as s started scanning through an old journal that belonged to her Mother.

"An answer to...?"

"This!" she exclaimed exasperatedly, gesturing to her three-month, swollen abdomen. Despite technically only being at the end of her first trimester, it was as though she was much farther along. She was already quite a bit bigger than she should be, and according to the books she had actually began reading, all those she had been experiencing lately: the baby's incessant kicking and movement, the bigger bump of her abdomen, etc. And she was positive her dates weren't off.

Dracovan snickered with a smirk, replying cheekily. "For shame, Amaranth. If you need an answer as to how that happened, I can't help but worry. Surely Sevastyan-" only to have a black tapestry flung at his face by a glaring Viper.

"Cretin. I meant I'm farther along than I should be!" she retorted with another roll of her eyes.

Dracovan stared at her for a while. "So, in other words... I nearly broke my back because you can't deal with the fact you're getting fat?" he ventured, only to be met with a few journals aimed at his head.

"Screw you." she muttered as she flipped through the old journal, scanning each page.

"Don't hate the skinny people...." Dracovan snickered as he unraveled the tapestry his sister had flung at him. As emerald eyes scanned the thrown piece of cloth, a sad, soft smile illuminated the wizard's face. "Hey, Amaranth, check it out. It's the family tapestry."

The witch sighed in irritation. "Yes! I know, I get it! Back then I was all cute petite, and now I'm the size of a warship. Thanks for point that out..." she retorted.

"No, no. Really, its not about that. Get over here." Dracovan urged his sister softly,

Viper raised an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering what had happened to get her brother so serious. Shifting slightly on the couch, she pushed herself off the couch with a bit more effort than she would have needed previously, courtesy of her burgeoning abdomen. "What's wrong?" she asked as she gently eased herself unto the floor next to her brother.

"Look..." he whispered in a emotion-filled voice as he handed her the tapestry: a cloth-formed photo of the Viper Clan. At least, the members who made it into their adult years and were still regarded as having kept their honor and weren't disowned or shamed. Viper had six other siblings, and yet, it was only herself, Dracovan, and their late elder brother Leviathon featured upon the photo with their Father, Uncle, and Grandfather.

Out of all the Viper children, it could be said that Levi was the one who suffered the most. As the eldest son and heir to the Viper fortune, all pressure had been on him. He had no life beyond that of service: service to his Father, service to his Grandfather, and service to Voldemort. He only wanted his parent's pride and happiness, and for that he was condemned to a fate not like his ancestor's merciful death, but a far worse one: the Dementor's Kiss.

"He wanted to be a painter..." Viper replied softly as she blinked back tears, gazing at the photo of her brother.

Dracovan could only nod in reply. "I need to head off for now. Sveta'll be back soon." he uttered as he gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before heading off to the floo.

Viper nodded silently in reply as she took the tapestry in her hands. She gazed at it for several moments before rising slowly and spelling it unto a free spot on the wall. As she stared at the face of her ill-fated brother, recalling painful memories of watching as dementors feasted upon his soul, she promised then and there to never have her child or any other child she and Sevastyan may have in the future to experience the pain and loneliness she had felt as a child.

With a hand over her abdomen, she swore that she would do all in power to, unlike her ancestors, be a parent to her child, and have her baby grow up with all the love, comfort, and security she had been denied.