A local Cafe in London (2046)

Damon Highever entered a cafe where he was to meet a old firend and colleague and now hopefully future ally in his current challange. He actually interested in what Amaranth Viper... well Kaminski had to say.

Going to a booth he got a water, waiting for his firend to get there before ordering anything else. He wore a dark robe and kept his hat on to ware off any nosie on lookers. While waiting he took out a paper and quill.. enchanted to remove ink form his supply at his manor. He started writing down a sudden idea for an improvement for the Potion treatment for the Drain illness... if only he could find away around the immunity glitch... His wife Sarah was already immune to the potion and had rely on magic stolen from others.. durring raids. His son Henry was taking longer to become immune to it.. mostly becasue he was still a small child... and require less and not as often. The would change as he got older though.. when he started doing magic more often and it became stronger..

Damon sighed and rubbed a hand over his face... he was stuck.. the potion was as good as it could get for the moment... in the mean while those immune to it would have accept the magic taken from others...

The action normal people frowned on him for... ture he guess he could not blame them, taking another witches or wizards magic was a conciders as bad as rape in the magical world... but he wondered what would any of them do if there spouse and child suffered chronicaly from magical exhastion... Wouldn't thay got to the extremes to end there suffering? even avoid morals?

Taking a deep breath, seeming with renewed viger, he started writing a new formula.. for a exploding type potion that drained the magic.. not only from Live witches and Wizards but from but everything... that held magic.

"For a Greater good.." he muttered one of his favorite sayings.

Amaranth Viper made her way through the streets of London with a long coat, her face covered by sunglasses. It seemed that once again the peace and tranquility of the world around them was drawing them to an end and it would soon plunge to danger and chaos once more. However, the witch couldn't be sure what alarmed her more; the fact that life and all that she cherished once more was threatned, or the fact that once again, she found herself on the other side of the playing field, supporting chaos begnning.

She had turned a leaf when she had married Sevastyan, she swore to have nothing more to do with the dark arts, making a promise to herself and to her children, when her eldest two had been born. She meant those words then, truly she did, but... old lies die hard.

This time, the motives were different: understandable, justifiable. Witches and wizards were losing their magic. And not just your average witch or wizard, mind you. Typically, the victims for this new magic were ones Viper considered to be the brilliant ones, the ones with the ability to reshape the world around them, and held the fate of it all in the palm of their hand and research: potioneers, curse-creaters, transfiguration masters... Brilliant minds whose magic and use were fading, gone to waste from the ravages and curse of fate.

Viper couldn't let that happen. She couldn't watch as dedicated Professors, Potions Masters and more were left to fade, dying with their research as their magic was sapped away from their very core. She knew it was wrong, she knew she was breaking multiple promises to multiple people...

But it was all for the greater good, and in the end of the day, to the Potions Mistress, the ends always justified the means.

The witch continued to walk with added haste in her steps, finally arriving at her destination of a cafe, where she was to meet a ghost of the past, and a possible phantom of the future with the alliance she hoped to establish. A soft, pleasant smile lit her face, as she noticed her old friend and colleague.

"Good afternoon, Damon." she greeted quietly, removing her shades.

Damon smiled and lifted his head form his paper at the familiar voice, from his friend from his early days. Placing his quill down he stood from the booth upon seeing her, " Amaranth Viper.. or should I say Kaminski now? " He said motioning for her to take a seat.

"Happily married are you?" he asked a hint of flirtation, but mostly jest. He was shocked to hear that the young woman he knew had married and had children… she had changed from the woman he knew… but perhaps a part of the Viper he knew was still there… At least he prayed it so.. He would hate to have to take his friend as his newest subject for magic striping… should her loyalties prove false.

" You look well Amaranth, the years have been kind to you I see, and a professor now I hear.." he said smoothly as his gray eyes seeming scanning her well being... and she honestly did indeed look good. "It was a pleasant surprise to hear from you Amaranth I must say. I didn’t expect a offer of meeting, I think we have much to catch up on. Though you already know the basics of what I do, don’t you.. Otherwise you would not be here” he said as he fingered the formula he had been working on before her arrival.

“ You my full interest Amaranth… not to mention curiosity” he said with a chuckle..

A soft laugh escaped her at the greeting as she abided by his motion and sat down. "Amaranth, Viper, Mrs. Kaminski... Call me what you wish. Wedding ring or not, I daresay you will find me to be the same exact witch you knew years ago." she replied in a light, friendly manner, hoping her first few words would provide hints that despite the years and changes, there was no need to look upon her as though she were the enemy, for she was very much the opposite.

"Quite so, I'd like to think." she replied light-heartedly with a smile, thinking that he, like many of her former colleagues would be suprised to her that she had married and had children, for it went against her character back when they worked together. "And yourself?" she inquired politely with slight curiousity, for while she had heard the occassional bit of news of Damon business-wise, personal news was a different matter.

"Thank you. And if I may say so, the same goes for you." she replied in kind, meaning it. Damon had always been a good-looking man with strong, distinguished features, and time seemed to only grace them. "And yes, that is semi-true. While I do still teach the upper classes, I along with a few others have just reinstated the revival of ECHO." she paused a moment adding with a knowing look and a suggestive raise of her eyebrows that allowed clues to the future and alliance she would offer him. "I'm sure you'll see that it is quite beneficial. Particularly when it comes to ingredients..."

She hesitated a moment, allowing her words to formulate mentally as she worded them in her mind, buying time for herself by taking a sip of water the waiter had brought her. "I have heard whispers." she admitted quietly. The Potions Mistress' eyes followed Damon's hand to the paper with his formula, her years of experience allowing one quick glance to tell her what the potion would be. "And now I see that for once, gossip proved to be true."

"And you have my allegiance and support." she answered rather frankly, getting to the heart of the matter. With their history and her overall agreement in Damon's crusade, she saw no need to beat around the bush, whispering sweet nothings, and wasting both of their time. Particularly with the events circulating around them, for time was of the very essence. "I've come to offer you, what you so generously gave ECHO, all those years ago. That is, if you see it fit to do so." Viper added, playing with the straw in her beverage as her eyes met his, showing that she was in no way decieving him.

A small smirk came to his face at her inital comment, "Ah it is good to hear the witty ingenious Slytherin is still there.." he said. His smirk turned into a smile at her next few words, " Ah I thought so, it shows. I am happy for you Amaranth... they are all well I hope" he said and meaning it, having a ill wife and son himself it wasn't what would imagine one Amaranth Viper.

He nodded, "Same, Married.. we have one son" he said, though there was a edge in his voice... to hint that things weren't as happy as they should be. Perhaps he would tell Amaranth later that his wife and son were one of the first to catch the Drain, hence his obsession with finding its cure, but not yet...

Intrigued by the mention of ECHO having come back from the dead, he had been quite disapointed when is had been pushed down by the ministry. "Yes.. quite" he said with a nod. "The possibliites can be endless, It please's me the ECHO is up and running again. The ministry made a mistake in shutting it down."

His eye brows raised a fraction, at the news that essentaily she would fulfill his potion ingrediant needs as he had done for ECHO, way back when.... " I am honored by the offer Amaranth... and even greater so for your Support, I suppose you can imagine I don't get all that much of it from Still healthy people.. But then you always were someone to see the bigger picture where others saw only the own little world " he said before taking a sip of water.

"I am glad you are on my side, Merlin knows you are not a person to have as an enemy" he said with a snicker. He could see in her marvalous green eyes of hers that she held no malice to him.

"What say we seal this allience with a toast? and discuse its terms as well, of course" he said as he flagged down a waiter. "What will be your drink Amaranth?" he asked.

A soft smile lit the Potions Mistress' face, coupled with a small smirk of her own. "I could say the same about you. It's not everyday you find one still holding to the true values of our ancestry." Her gaze dropped slightly at the mention of her family, as emerald eyes focused in on the ice of her water glass, slight bouts of guilt fluttering within her. Her family... what would they say if they saw her here, fully supporting the antics of her friend? For the past twenty, almost thirty years, she had managed to conceal the dark side of her, the darkness within her mind that bred and festered within her as the obsession of "saving" all with new discoveries, exploring new horizons possessed her. It had fallen asleep when ECHO had fallen... But like every monster of shadow, they always returned, more often than not, with a vengeance."They have been lucky. We all have been" she admitted with a nod. "What of your's?"

The smile on her face grew as the recently formed guilt gradually faded at Damon's satisfaction. The revival of ECHO had caused much controversy, regrettably moreso of the negative kind, so it was rather refreshing, much like a breeze on a hot summer day, to have a supporter. Particularly a supporter in an old friend. This right here, this very conversation, was a perfect explanation of why there was much understanding between the two, why they were, and are allies: they had the same thought process.

It took a good Potioneer to be able to see the consequences of their actions but it took a great Potioneer to be able to overlook them, to see the greater good.

She nodded, mirroring his sip. "It's a skill and way of thought that I am sorry to say most Potioneers of late lack, but... I personally think there is to other way to think. I mean, how else can you do anything of use if you worry and fret about every little detail, and quiver when you stand right before the chance to truly change the world around you? It makes no sense at all to me, to worry about the loss of a few lives, when you can save countless ones..." Viper admitted quietly, with a pensieve expression, struggling to comprehend exactly why her and Damon's thought and actions were considered so wrong, yet seemed and felt so right.

A soft laugh escaped Viper as she nodded in reply, meaning it. She knew the brilliant and powerful wizard Damon was and admired him for it, knowing that with their alliance, only victory and success would be their's and for the world around them, whether they could see it or not. "Likewise," she replied as she ordered her standard drink, vodka. Looking to Damon, she raised her glass. "To the greater good

Damon nodded in respect and thankfulness to her words, he raised an eyebrow at her sudden fastination with her water after he asked of her family, but said nothing on the matter.

"Ah good to hear" he said in civil tone.

Then it was his turn to look at his water at her returned question about his family... "As good as can be expected I suppose..." he partly muttered..

He looked at Amaranth again and sighed, "Both of them fell pray to the drain years ago...." he said in short explaination.

He nodded at her assement, "Right you are, I have yet to understand it... everyone is begging for a cure for this illness.. a illness that could destroy wizarding society as we know it.. yet all of them can't stomach the ways of getting such a cure..." He said with a shrug.

He smiled at her proposed toast, and he lifted his favorite drink, whiskey..

"To a Greater Good, and Alliance" he finished a he clicked glasses with her.

"As a tokin to this new Alliance, I shale make the very best so that you and yours are not in harms way, with the future... research" he said with a nod.

Viper nodded in reply to his mutter regarding his own family. Within the network of potioneers and such, she had heard whispers of his family's true condition and their unfortunate fate, though was still unsure of whether to hold them as true, or if she should even know, for it wasn't quite any of her business. Considering his mutter, she decided to let the topic slide. If Damon chose to confide in her his family's condition, that was his right, and in the event such took place, she would be there to support and assist him as best as she could.

As such, the event took place, as a few seconds later, her original suspicions were confirmed with added whispers from Damon. An imperceptible wince of sympathy twitched through her as she nodded in comprehension. "You have my sympathies. And support if there is anything I may do to assist you further." she declared breaking from her habit of
stirring the ice within the beverage with magic emitting from her black painted fingertip to make eye contact with her old friend.

"Indeed. It's pathetic quite frankly. Potioneers, Masters and Mistresses of Potions... we sacrifice so much to make advancements, unlock puzzles unknown to wizard-kind, and yet, when it finally happens, after yeas of work and hardship, all we worked for is ours... we have nothing but guilt. No thank, no admiration, no glory. Just guilt and ridicule for the means we took to strive for it all, in spite of it being for the greater good." she uttered honestly, digging her nails further an further into the table with each word spoken, her anger at the world and their viewpoints, evident to all. Viper just couldn't understand why they couldn't see things the way Potioneers did...

She dropped her gaze slightly at the additional mention of her family, nodding in reply. "Thank you." she hesitated a moment before making a confession. "Damon... I have another favor to ask of you: our alliance is to go no further than this. I will be at your service any moment you shall ask for it, go to where I must, do what I must, but I ask that you keep my family out of this. They cannot know of my allegiance in this matter."

She bit her lip slightly before adding. "They wouldn't understand, Damon. They're not like us." she shrugged, wondering if and how she should elaborate more.

Damon bowed his head at her sympathies, " Thank you Amaranth, though for now they are doing as well as they can be" he supplied.

He blinked as he could clearly see the anger radiating from one Amaranth Viper, he personally didn't care what everyone thought of his work, they didn't like it, so be it. Though he was willing to chance just about anything that just about all those people who reject them now would go crawling to them for help if them or there loved one got the drain.

"Amaranth, you shouldn't care what they think... what they say and believe doesn't really matter. It is people like you and I that make this world change and grow. All the people who react our way the way they do will eventually come to us for help when they need us. So they are all hypcrites whoes opinion means nothing..." he said quietly for the decent part in him didn't wish to see Amaranth angry for no reason.

"Don't stress over nobodies, it is the way they are"

Damon listened to her favor and nodded, "Very well Amaranth, as you wish, I will do all in my power to ensure your family is remains in bliss concerning this arrangement.... this I swear" to show he ment it a blue glow surronded him for a second....

"No need to explain, family is family.... you wish to protect them from all things. As do we all" he said before swirling his drink and then swallowing the shot. The thought went through his mind to ask Amaranth if she was sure she wished to do this... for he was not all powerful or all knowing... mistakes could be made, clashes could ensue, people got hurt. He could not godly ensure someone she cared about would not get hurt.. but she knew that didn't she, and had made her choice as had he.... now they simply had to play there cards...