My Office

Eglantine listened intently, her face not showing any emotion as the story unfolded. It was tragic, horrific and sad.

"What of the girl?" Eglantine asked, softly, almost afraid to ask.

Kiara smiled.

"She was perfectly fine, A bit tramatized though, but the ministry had her and her families memories of the event modified. Almost hit a stray dog indeed"

"Well that is nice." Eglantine said thoughtfully. "You were very brave to save her. And your injury...is a testimony of courage."

Kiara blushed and merely said "I was doing my job..."

"anyway I wasn't captain of my squad for nothing, I am quite good at dueling I think I can handle Professor Viper... So now that that is out of the way was there anything else you wanted to talk about at dinner earlier?"

"No not really..." she paused and then corrected herself, "Yes there was. I think I should tell you about my husband's death. Even if it will only clear up some things; I have only spoken about his death with Professor Viper and her comments did not help."

Kiara nodded

"I had a feeling that was the case when I spoke with her earlier...(sigh) When ever you feel comforable professor". she said waving her wand making a chair similar to the one she conjured eariler that morning in her office.

Eglantine took the offer literally and said nothing for a good five minutes. The thought of actually telling someone what she was about to was terrifying. Finally she began in the story telling fashion that her father had used when she was a child.
"It was a very cold day. Richard hated the cold and spent the whole day complaining about how the road would be frozen. I remember laughing at him. We had been invited to a faculty party, since we were both professors at the university and Richard insisted we go. I reminded him of the frozen roads and that it was almost dark, but he told me I was being too careful. We set out just as the sun set and the road was a forever sheet of white. Richard drove carefully and the ice did not seem to be a problem until we reached the intersection." She paused for a moment and then continued.

"We were discussing a history test that several of his students had made 100's on and he was very happy. The light turned green and we continued across the road. Halfway across another car, driving much to fast, hit a patch of ice and slid into us. The impact forced our car off the road and we rolled down a steep bank.
I was crushed when the car hit into us and Richard had gone partially through the windshield as we rolled." Again she paused, tears forming in her eyes.

"His blood was everywhere...everywhere. I could not move and my wand was in my briefcase in the back seat. Richard started to come to and I could hear him asking me to be strong and continue on with my life. I pulled the seat adjuster down and was able to move my arm just enough to grab my briefcase. But I had no strength." She began to sob as the flood of memories assaulted her.

"I had the power to save him and I didn't. I was too weak, too cowardly. He begged me to help him and I couldn't open the case. Then I blacked out and when I woke up, he was dead. Several mediwitches got me a transfer from the hospital into the magical one, but they would not help him because he was a muggle."
Barely pausing, Eglantine hurried along, as if afraid to stop.

"I left the hospital as soon as I was able and returned to America. Richard's funeral had already taken place and our family and friends had all had their memories altered as if I had never existed. Richard's tombstone said "Beloved Son, Brother, Professor and Uncle". The students and staff at the university didn't even know who I was."

I returned to England and lived with my brother and his family for seven years. They had a room in their house that they charmed for me and I lived in complete solitude until I nearly died of a combination of depression, lack of sleep, malnutrition and dehydration. I went from there to Beauxbatons, but the new Headmaster didn't have an open position for me."

There, she had done it. Told the whole story to someone. The tears soon followed the last word and within moments, she wept bitterly.

kiara listened through out the entire story she didn't dare interrupt.

The story brought tears to her eyes, the woman had lost everything most precious in her life.

By the end of the story Eglantine was fully crying. Feeling like she needed to do something, anything for the poor woman.Kiara sat beside her and put an hand on her shoulder.

"It is alright, let it all out"

Eglantine sobbed for another few minutes and then pulled out a lavender handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
"I am very sorry Headmistress." she stated, once the tears and sobs had subsided.

Kiara shock her head.

"Whatever for? if this is the first time you talked about it with anyone willing to listen, it is no wonder you had all those emotion bottled up inside you. From the sound of it you lost everything in your world. The way I see it you have nothing to be sorry for"

"Thank you very much." she sniffed back a few more tears and straightened in her chair.
"I'm afraid I hexed Professor Viper during a student's detention." she admitted suddenly.

Kiara turned a shocked face to Eglantine.

"You what?" she asked although it wasn't really a question she needed an answer to.

Sighing she leaned back in her chair, To much drama in one day could be quite tiring.

For what seemed to be the third time that day she said.

"Tell me what happened"

"I gave Miss Diana Casillas, a Gryffindor, a small detention for her entering the Forbidden Forest. Mainly for an example to the younger years. After she cleaned the Muggle Studies board and the DADA board, Professor Viper entered and told me to tell Miss Casillas to clean her potions board as well. I had just finished telling the student that she could be finished after cleaning the DADA board. I refused to tell Miss Casillas to do anything and Professor Viper said I was trying to get on your good side and something else like that. After arguing with her so long, I snapped and told her to get out of my presence or I would hex her. She didn't and I did."

Groning she placed her head her hands.

"Slytherins for some reason find it fun to get under other peoples skin"

Taking a deep breath and asked.

"What happened after that?"

Eglantine sighed heavily. "She easily blocked it and when I asked her to leave again, cheekily allowed me to leave first. "Age before beauty". I made my way to the potion's classroom and cleaned the board while she gave me instructions."

Kiara looked up, shocked.

"Wait you cleaned her board why in Merlins name did you do that?

"To not give her what she wanted. But it did not work. Honestly I do not know how to deal with Miss Viper. She has a tragic past and believes that everyone is out to hurt her. I try to be understanding, but I'm beginning to see why everyone might want to hurt her."

Kiara shook her head once again sadly.

"I have no doubt Professor Viper has a tragic past, but i believe when it is to her advantage she will use it to make you feel guilty. With a quick wit, that i am sure Professor Viper has. She will try to manipulate you to do what ever she pleases. She may not have gotten what she originaly wanted, of you going back on your word to a student. But she got something even better, you actually cleaning her boards... you didn't do them the muggle way did you?"
She asked suddenly getting a bad feeling.

"Of course I did it the muggle way. And I do see your point about her using me." She sighed deeply and ran a still hand over her pale hair.
"The war may be over, but there repercussions of it still tear this world apart." Her side hurt still from the strain of reaching the top of the board and for the first time in her life, she wished she was taller.

Kiara frowned.

She normaly never became angry, but what Viper did was just cruel and uncalled for.

Clunching she fists she turned to Eglantine and said firmly.

"I strongly advise you not to let her treat you like that, you are not a student for her to bully boss around. What she did was cruel and uncalled for" Taking a deep breath, she paused, there was another reason why she never became angry, it could potentaily cause another attack.

"She did nothing." Eglantine said quickly, sensing that the Headmistress was becoming stressed. "It was my fault for hexing her and I did go to clean the board by my own volition." She rose slightly from the chair, but was forced to sink back down as a violent tremor made its way up her side.

Kiara's face softened as she noticed Eglantine discomfort, but it did nothing to lessen the fustration she felt toward Viper at the moment.

Getting up she moved over to her desk and pulled out a vial of pain relief potion.

Setting back down beside Elgantine she handed her the potion.

"Here it is a mild pain relief potion, It will last an hour or so, but i am afraid it will wear off quickly when you walk."

Pausing for a moment she sighed "Try not to let Viper get under your skin, if you don't give her the reaction she wants it is actually possible to get along with her. I found that out this morning in her office, she has quite a quick wit about her, the things she said left me shocked, I admit i almost gave into her..."

Eglantine took the potion and slid it into her pocket. "Thank you and your advice is good. Perhaps we should both apply it." She rose from the chair and carefully gripped her cane.
"You are very wise for your years, Headmistress. I shall greatly look forward to getting to know you better in the years to come." Curtseying as low as her pain would allow her, Eglantine then turned and made her way to the door. Turning ever slightly to say over her shoulder. "Sleep well."

Nodding Kiara replied.

"Yes you to, Sleep well...."

................................

The next morning

Kiara walked into her office, It was still quite early in the morning, if she wasn't going to fall asleep by now a few hours wouldn't make a difference.

She looked like hell, bags were under eyes and her face had no colour. Sitting at her desk she read the letter again.

"i hope it wasn't Miss Vaight's brother.."

Viper knocked on the Headmistress's door absentmindedly. She had just flooed Reginald and was about to meet him in the 'Hog's Head' when she received the letter.She stood outside the Headmistres's door, tapping her foot impatiently.