Professor Viper's Personal Chambers (Located Nearby Slytherin Common Rooms)

Viper bit her lip nervously as Sevastyan examined her gift to him, or rather, one of them, to be exact. While she wouldn’t openly admit it beyond her innermost, private thoughts, she was more than a little nervous about Sevastyan’s reaction to her gift. Considering this was her first Christmas, or holiday, really, with her in a relationship, she honestly didn’t know what to get him. Many hours were spent with her pondering and mulling over what to get the man of dreams that would show him just how much she loved him. Not that she didn’t already show him her feelings from her actions, but Viper wanted something more: something that wasn’t her, but would bring her to his mind and heart whenever he looked at it or held it close.

It was during an evening spent with Sevastyan, a moment of pure bliss and relaxation for Viper with both of them on the couch: Sevastyan sitting on it with Viper laying down with her head resting on his lap, calm and serene, that brought the idea to the Potions Mistress.

She beamed at his response and the promise that followed. “I’m glad…” she breathed out happily before their lips met once more, and Viper matched all the emotion given, running her hands gently through Sevastyan’s hair.

To Viper, the ring was much more than a simple accessory.The two serpents gently entwined demonstrated devotion and unity, just as their hearts were united with love. The emerald jewel, graced with their image, symbolizing eternity, the unending emotion, unwavering love Viper had for Sevastyan, no matter the passage of time. And lastly, the engravings only he could see: a symbol of how, only in his arms, could Viper be herself. Her true self. Not the stubborn, snarky Potions Mistress, or smart-mouthed, independant Professor. In his arms, she was a woman in love. So while the world sees Professor Viper, Sevastyan sees Amaranth, and for some odd reason, loves her for just being that: Amaranth Viper.

The ring was a promise. An omen. A wish. One Viper hoped with all of her heart would come true.

Sevastyan shifted so that one would have a difficult time getting a sheet of parchment between him and Amaranth as she ran her hands through his hair. Once he was blissfully comfortable he somewhat mimicked Viper's move, one of his hands cupping the back of her head and getting slightly ensnared within the raven locks. The other rested itself at her side and trailed downward at a deliberately slow pace. He paused briefly at her hip before continuing to trace the contour of her body, halting altogether when his hand was parallel to the boxed gift.

Inside the box lay a silver locket, with an emerald jewel in the center.

The decorative front was slightly larger than the heart-shaped locket itself. Upon opening the compartment music reflecting the owners mood would play. There was a photograph of the pair of them on one side, and a lock of raven hair in the other. It was now more than ever that Sevastyan was glad he had long hair, for the smallish snipped could easily go unnoticed.

He had a matching locket tucked away - like the gift for Viper had been - within the depths of his pillow.

"I hope you vill like it..." he half-whispered upon reluctantly separating from the lip-lock and allowed his gaze to trail in the direction his hand had gone; an indication that her emerald orbs should follow. Now that he looked at the satin bow in comparison to her eyes, Sevastyan realized they nearly matched perfectly. He wondered how averse she would be to him tying her hair back with the bow once the gift was unwrapped.

A soft sigh of pure bliss escaped her as Sevastyan shifted even closer to her as she closed her eyes in response to his touch, shivering in delight at the light tangle of his hand within her raven locks and the almost achingly slow trail his fingers made. She opened her eyes when his caress ceased, noticing the nearby box. A beam of excitement illuminated her features as, without breaking or shifting away from their embrace, she reached for the box, opening it.

She gasped upon seeing the stunning locket, gently tracing the jewel's design with her free hand before picking it up, placing the now empty box beside her. Tears filled her emerald orbs as the contents of the locket were revealed to her: a picture of them with their eyes locked, and what appeared to be a lock of Sevastyan's hair allowing with a soft tune cadencing.

"It's perfect..." she breathed out with a smile, blinking back tears of happiness as she leaned forwards, brushing her lips against his, deepening the kiss to show Sevastyan just how much she loved him and his gift.

Viper wasn't really one to show emotion, other than anger, of course, preferring to bottle it and keep it to herself. And she definately wasn't a weeper. But, with the thought and love Sevastyan had clearly poured into the locket, who wouldn't be touched by such a gesture?

Sevastyan couldn't help but be both nervous and excited. Would she like the gift? Was it too personal? Was it the wrong style? Should he have chosen a different image of the pair of them together? He wasn't really much of a jewelry person these days. The two little words he heard upon the air between them were all he needed to be reassured. The wizard noticed Viper's eyes were shining brighter than they normally were and was about to comment when her lips met his.

Any worries he may have had melted away as Sevastyan met her wholeheartedly in the kiss. As much as she demonstrated her love for him, so too did he display his love for her. He felt complete just by being near Amaranth. As their gifts to each other symbolized, Sevastyan hoped that this love between them would never end or fade. Whatever would he do, without her by his side?

“I am glad you like it,” he whispered once it became necessary for them to pause and take a moment to breathe. “There is a matching vone for me, beneath my pillow,” Sevastyan explained as he pressed his forehead to hers affectionately. A part of him was almost ready to explode from excitement and bliss that he was feeling in this moment. But another part was entirely tranquil and reveling in this personal time with Amaranth.

“How shall ve spend our first Christmas morning?” he asked with a hint of flirt, giving her the option of either getting around now or waiting just a bit longer.

As their lips and every emotion was met and matched by the other, Viper wondered what she had done to deserve Sevastyan. Never in her life had she been this happy or felt complete, as though she truly belonged where she was: in Sevastyan's arms. Not Viper Manor, not the local nightclubs, not even ECHO could begin to match the happiness she felt when Sevastyan was near.

Emerald eyes flickered closed for a moment, savouring the gentle pressing of Sevastyan's forehead against her's, opening slowly upon hearing his explanation of his own matching locket. Her smile brightened upon hearing that, the pure bliss of the moment threatning to take over, temporarily affecting her ability to speak. "Really?" she managed in the same whispered tone, reaching her free hand to lightly brush a stray lock away from Sevastyan's face, caressing his cheek as her hand drifted back to it's original position.

Her right index finger gently traced the locket's intricate design, her gaze reluctantly breaking away from Sevastyans to marvel at the locket, completely mesmerized by its appearance, and its symbology. Her gaze only broke away when she heard her love's flirtatious inquiry.

With a flirtatious half smile and half smirk of her own. "A snowball fight?" she asked jokingly, laughing softly before pressing a kiss against Sevastyan's cheek. "However you would like to, love. I have no preference as long as I am with you..." she uttered softly into his ear, kissing the spot beneath it.

Sevastyan made a noise of confirmation at her question, savoring the caress. “Really,” he articulated before muttering a summoning spell. Sure enough, a matching locket floated from beneath the pillow and into his hand. With careful dexterity he opened it. A sweet melody issued from the locket, and the same image could be found on one half of the locket. The other side had nothing in it. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate a haircut...” he trailed off with a light chuckle, indicating why his locket didn’t have a lock of hair within its second compartment.

A laugh issued from the wizard at the light-hearted suggestion of a snowball fight. “A snowball fight actually sounds fun...” Sevastyan snickered as Viper kissed him on the cheek. Other notions filled his head at the response murmured into his ear, and the kiss that followed.

“Vell, it vould be a bit difficult to sort gifts under the tree if ve stayed here. Much as I vould rather...” Sevastyan trailed off with a grin and a touch, kissing the corner of her mouth. “But ve can do that later this evening, providing the ‘snowball fight’ doesn’t tire us out beforehand,” he added with a wink. Whether they would actually go out to play in the snow was yet to be determined, but that was beside the point.

A soft laugh escaped Viper at Sevastyan's explanation, understanding his reasons. She appreciated his reasonings, as she had a feeling she probably wouldn't have taken too kindly to have a lock of hair chopped off without a proper reason. Though she add to admit, it was a rather comical thought. Perhaps it was because she and one of her friends used to pull a similar gag on roommates. Regardless, the smile already present on Viper's face remained unwavering as she thought of the happy moment in the past, and savored the blissful moment in the present, vowing to remember it forever.

Wanting the lockets to be identical right down to the very core, Viper summoned a small pair of silver scissors, shifting away from Sevastyan slightly to reach for a lock of hair. While she had had long hair for almost all of her life, she was particularly glad for her long locks, for it ensured that a short lock would go unnoticed. A light snipping sound cadenced through the room as Viper gently slipped the raven lock into Sevastyan's locket, smiling at Sevastyan as she did so.

She never knew Christmas could be like this: blissful, memorable, and meaningful. All from simply spending time with someone you loved with all your heart. If Viper had to pick a moment to live over and over again, it definately this moment in time.



A raven eyebrow rose flirtatiously at the innuendo, though emerald eyes fluttered closed briefly at the affectionate contact, as a mini fire of delight tingled where Sevastyan had kissed her. "I doubt we would ever be too tired for that..." she replied with her own wink followed by a flirtatious smirk as she tapped Sevastyan lightly on the nose, letting her finger trail down to briefly trace his lips and chin before returning to their original position by her lap.

"So to the tree then?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head, the flirtatiousness that had been present in her previous statements, still lingering.

Sevastyan raised a curious eyebrow as Amaranth summoned a silvery... something... to her. He hadn’t seen it long enough for the item to register in his mind. The Russian couldn’t explain the grin threatening to take over his face as she shifted away, other than the notions running through his mind to shift in the same direction. Confusion briefly contorted his features at the snipping sound, enlightenment dawning only as she tucked a raven lock of her hair into his locket. Leaning towards her, Sevastyan placed a kiss upon her cheek. “Now it is even more perfect,” he commented, gazing at the locket for a moment in pure contentment before carefully snapping it closed.

Christmas had hardly been like this with Roxane... the woman of his past that was now no more than a faint memory. At least, so long as the country Czechoslovakia was kept out of the conversation, anyway. And even then it would’ve been merely his own dissatisfaction at what had been done, not necessarily because he couldn’t live without Roxane. Sevastyan realized that now. Amaranth, on the other hand... well, it was getting harder and harder for him to imagine a day without her in his life. No, they weren’t married, but they practically lived together these days.

Admittedly they lived together based on the flip of a coin, causing various items of theirs to go missing at odd times...

If it were at all possible, Sevastyan grinned wider at the flirtatious smirk and the words that preceded it. He went briefly cross-eyed as Viper tapped him on the nose. While her finger traced, Sevastyan kissed any portion of her hand he could reach before it traveled to his chin, and then returned to her lap. “Last vone there...” he began, though decided to whisper the conditions of their little contest into Viper’s ear instead of actually voicing them. Sevastyan waited a moment to see if his terms would be accepted, or if Amaranth had a further twist to add to the game.

"Just like you." Viper replied playfully, her eyes closing briefly at the kiss upon her cheek. Green orbs followed his gaze at the locket before the locket was gently snapped shut. After that, it returned to it's former place: locked to Sevastyan's grey ones, staring with affection and love.

Viper had always considered herself a "now person", someone who lives life by the day as much as one could, not planning anything in regards to the future. She was a firm advocate in living the moment, and playing it by ear, using one's instincts to determine the next move on the spur of the moment. Yet, despite her life's philosophy, a small part of the Potions Mistress couldn't help but wonder what next year's Christmas would be like. This year, despite it being only morning, was already proving to be blissfully indescribable. Surely it would only get better with, Merlin willing, Sevastyan still by her side. The question was, where would their relationship stand? Casually boyfriend and girlfriend, as they were now? Domestic partners? Or maybe...?

Regardless of the circumstances, for once, Viper cared not for what title would be her's. As long as she and Sevastyan were still together, still as in love, if not moreso, that was all she would ever need.

Though she had to admit, she hoped their living situation would be slightly modified. It wasn't that she disliked the coin in anyway. In fact, if anything, it added an extra spark to a burning flame. It was just becoming slightly irritating to have various possessions become lost.

Delightful wisps of fire spread through her, accompanied by light shivers down her spine as Sevastyan showered portions of her hand, unable to control a light giggle from escaping her at the sensations his touch was invoking. She listened intently to Sevastyan's terms. His whispered voice sent a new wave of shivers through her, followed by a warm sensation, like melted chocolate cascading, embracing her as she closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation. When the breath upon her ear ceased, she opened her eyes, widened slightly with excitement. She was definitely game for this, though with a slight modification.

"It certainly sounds intriguing..." she replied a bit breathless with a light tinged flush to her pale complexion after his simple, yet nonetheless effective actions. "However, I do have a slight twist I'd like to throw in..." she half smiled, half smirked flirtatiously before mimicking his previous actions of whispering her additions into his ear.

"What say you, Professor?" she asked in a teasing, flirtatious voice, whispering into his ear, before kissing the spot beneath it. Though before Sevastyan could properly respond, she slipped away from him playfully, sliding off the bed and running out of the room, towards the living area. True, technically it was cheating but she was a Slytherin. Need one say more?

She tilted her head slightly, her laughter lightly cadencing through the decorated room, to see if he would follow, for she had one very important and special gift for him, waiting to be revealed.

Sevastyan wasn’t so sure he was perfect, but wasn’t about to argue with his significant other. Especially not on Christmas, of all times! He was too absorbed in the moment, the seemingly-eternal bliss of this Christmas morning with a woman he loved in his arms. The affection within those emeralds matched that which was displayed in his own orbs.

A wide smile tugged at his lips at her breathless reply and the sudden rush of color to her features. Sevastyan found Amaranth’s blushing to be an endearing quality. It amused him in an entirely positive way that all he had to do was look at her a certain way, or say something just so, to cause it to happen. This amusement had always been present since he’d taken an interest in the opposite sex, but in this moment the delight was so much more than that felt in his school years. Perhaps it was because he was older... however Sevastyan believed it was due to present company, and just how much he was falling – and had already fallen – in love with her.

Additions? Twin raven eyebrows rose in interest, a smirk playing about the Russian’s face as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. Her breath upon his skin was as a flame of passion attempting to consume all, causing a vivid tingle to shiver from his ear and down his spine then shoot right back upwards again. If he hadn’t had gifts under the tree for her, Sevastyan would’ve been content to give her the gift of a morning without the need to leave her bed until well into afternoon.

"What say you, Professor?"

Sevastyan snickered slightly at the title and the tone of voice in which Amaranth had uttered it. A shiver of pleasure rippled from where Amaranth had kissed him, effectively stunning any ability of speech for a full second. “I think Slytherin should – hey!” he called after her and extricated himself from the various sheets and blankets as quickly as he could. The moment bare feet hit the carpet the wizard took off in playful pursuit, laughing in reply to her echoing merriment.

The raven eyebrows arched in interest, followed by the smirk coerced one upon Viper's face to follow. She could feel her heart beat faster and the sparks so common between them start to fly throughout the room, begging to be lit, fed, and quenched into sated satisfaction. A part of the Potions Mistress was sorely tempted to step up her persuasions of having the two of them spend the better part of the morning here in her room, upon her bed. She almost did too, as she began a soft trail of kisses along Sevastyan's neck, though she halted in her advances reluctantly, remembering the gifts she had yet to give to Sevastyan. Particularly the ones that couldn't quite be done in their current setting, unless some major transfiguration was involved.

As she raced through her quarters, light cadences of laughter echoed through, heightening as she noticed Sevastyan following after her. "You can't catch me!" she added teasingly, adding to the playful atmosphere, sticking her tongue out jokingly before jumping upon the couch and turning to Sevastyan with a smile, leaving a space for him upon it. "I win."

"So do I get my prize, or will I have to... persuade... you for it?" she asked with a flirtatious tilt of her head. Keeping her attention focused on Sevastyan still, she discreetly levitated her gifts, the physical, material ones, that is, nearby for easy access, as she laid back upon the sofa, waiting for Sevastyan to join her.