Professor Blackthorn's Office

[Kelly Black]

"Well, i lied a bit. i'm nt actually an animagus. I'm a werewolf" she was afraid of Kaiia's response.

She listened, when Kaiia told her his husband had died in a battle. "I'm sorry to hear that." she herself had participated, but not voluntarely. it was something she didn't want to recall.

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

"A werewolf? I imagine that makes life complicated." She wasn't going to condemn Emilia for it - she'd had less choice in her fate than Kaiia had in becoming a Death Eater - and that hadn't been much. It had been an unusual reception - in between the speeches and the cutting of the cake, the bride had the Dark Mark burned into her arm!

She nodded briefly, suprised that Emilia did not seem to be put off by her admission that her husband had been a Death Eater. But then, as a werewolf, Emilia would understand what it was like to be shunned. She frowned slightly, recalling something she'd heard after the battle, but had paid little attention to at the time.

"There was talk that it was a werewolf - fighting on the side of the Order - that killed Damon. Frankly, it seems unlikely. I saw Damon's body, and it looked as if he'd been killed by a blast." She shook her head. "There were so many rumours and strange stories going round after that battle, it's hard to know what to believe."

[Kelly Black]

"Yeah, it's quite hard to live with it, but a student here, 7th year Gryffindor comfort's me sometimes. " she wasn't about to got to details how they fought in the forbidden forest.

When Kaiia told her about the death of her husband, she froze "I'm sorry. I don't know if it could have been me or not. I can't even recall who's side I was on. I just remember waking up in the dungeons. It isn't my fault I'm like this, but I apologize still" she lowered her head.

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia shook her head. "If the story is true as I was told it, it could not have been you. I was told it was a male werewolf, who was in human form at the time of the battle, and was later killed. Not that it makes a difference. Knowing who it was doesn't bring Damon back."

She fell silent for a moment, wondering why she was talking so freely about it. Perhaps it was just the right time. She looked up at Emilia again.

"It must be difficult for you - not to know what side you fought for, what you did." Kaiia's own situation was, at least, unambiguous. She sighed, and added, "There was to have been a child, too, but the shock of Damon's death caused me to lose it." No need to mention the horrific story of her first two babies.

"I hope I'm not depressing you too much," she said abruptly. There she went again, considering someone else's feelings. She wasn't used to thinking this way.

[Kelly Black]

Kelly listened to her heart warming story. "It sure doesn't bring him back, but my heart would be satisfied, if I knew, that whoever killed him, got what they deserved." She took a deep breath. "Ofcourse, it's hard, not knowing whether I was a bad or a good guy, but I've learned to live with it. One more thing, I just can't change, even if I want to." She smiled slightly as Kaiia expressed her consern about her feelings "I'm quite fine, you just say what's bohering you and I'' be here to listen."

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

"It was a war, after all. At first I wanted to know - I had some idea of revenge on his family, I think. But I had to let that go, if only to keep my sanity. I began teaching at Durmstrang, and it helped me to have the responsibility. Somewhere along the way, I discovered that I actually enjoy teaching."

She listened as Emilia talked about her own experience. She nodded. "Yes. Sometimes you have no choice but to accept what has happened, and move on." She found herself smiling in response to her offer. "Thank you. And I'll listen if you need to talk." Kaiia lifted the teapot. "Would you like some more tea?"

[Kelly Black]

"Oh, yeah" Emilia sighed. "At times like those, it's hard to keep one's sanity. After all, it means losing everything and everyone you have." She took a deep breath. "I actually wanted to keep far away from the battle, cause I lost a ceratin someone, who meant everything to me, some while before the battle" she felt a tear on her cheek, but she continued "my brother was the right hand of Voldemort and ended up strangling himself to death. Moving on is always hard and most things just keep on haunting, but one has to be better than those memories." Emilia smiled slightly "I've already talked too much, but I won't say no to tea."

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia frowned slightly. Of course - Pettigrew. She recalled her husband's scathing opinion of Peter Pettigrew - weak, cowardly. A man who betrays his best friends can never be completely trusted, Damon had said.

But Emilia couldn't help who her brother had been - any more than Kaiia could change her own brother. Loki had been all right - barely a year apart, she'd been very close to him when they were children. Unlike Aegir - the whole family had been wary of the ruthless, sadistic young man. It was actually rather a relief to have him locked up in Azkaban for the rest of his life, if only Loki wasn't sharing that fate.

"I'm sorry you lost your brother. My own brothers are in Azkaban now." She refilled Emilia's teacup. "I don't mind listening, if you find it helps to talk about it."

[Kelly Black]

Kelly sighed "I guess it's worse, having them alive and losing their minds, then having them dead. But that's only my opinion" she added when Kaiia filled her cup. "I'm not really proud of my brother though. He never listened to me, when I tried to change his mind. He was a coward." she looked on the forr and took a zip of tea. "What about your parents? Are they alive?"

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia shrugged. "I have no idea. As soon as Voldemort was dead, they fled - most likely to the continent. They were at the battle, you see, so they would have most likely ended up in Azkaban too. So they left the rest of their family and ran. I was never very close to them - I was raised mostly by nannies and governesses. So I can't say I really miss them." She paused and sipped her tea, then asked, "So, how long have you taught at Hogwarts?"

[Emilia Pettigrew]

"It's sad, that your parents were like that." Emilia paused for a moment. "Oh, I came here a year after the battle. So I'd say it's about 4 years or so. Not so long, but there's no other place, I'd rather be." she smiled at Kaiia.

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

"I wasn't sure how I'd feel, coming back here. But somehow, it's almost comforting. Perhaps it Hogwarts just reminds me of being a kid, when my biggest worry was being late with my homework. Which reminds me..." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "The deadline for my class's astronomy homework has passed, and not a single one of them has handed it in! Apparently I didn't - impress upon them the consequences of missing assignments."

Kaiia was not impressed. She was quite understanding of students who had no aptitude for her subject, so long as they made an honest effort, but the fact that none of her class had bothered with the assignment was something she was not going to tolerate - as they would find out during the next class!

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

Kaiia walked briskly into her office, leaving the door open behind her, then turned, waiting for Caeleb. She had a feeling that the interview would be an exercise in frustration, but she had to point out to him how foolish his action had been

[Caeleb Dracus]

Caeleb strolled down the corridor to Professor Blackthorn's office and knocked in the classic "shave and a haircut" fashion. He forced the smirk off his face and waited to be granted entry. He was going to enjoy this.

[Kaiia Blackthorn]

"Come in." Kaiia watched as he walked into the room. She felt doubly-exasperated as she saw the confidence - no, arrogance - with which he strolled in. She flicked her hand impatiently to close the door. It would hardly help to have this conversation overheard.

"Am I to understand that you are a complete imbecile?" she inquired acidly.