Ivory House

[kumainpink]

Marigold was going to stay with Maxwell, but upon seeing his suspicious glance, decided it would be wiser to go with Boot. Later on, she could claim that she was trying to understand the girl. "I think I'll join you." she said, smiling. "I'll see you later, Maxwell."

"As you wish." Maxwell said coolly, his gaze never leaving her. "Enjoy your breakfast, ladies. And thank you for bringing us ours."

[Chameleon]

"It does," she agreed. She didn't know if anyone of them had known her husband. They seemed after all to be much older than her husband had been, but she didn't want to mention them. "I just think we need a clean house. These creatures get more and more power, as the years go on, and we just let them," she said with distaste. "How about you?" she said pleasantly.

[G. Novella]

Veronica stiffened at Jamie's question. It was a true sign that Jamie hadn't been in England for a long time. Her story was something considered a tragedy that she'd overcome within the ministry. She considered avoiding telling Jamie, but then, everyone knew.

"I lost a son," she said stiffly, unconsciously taking Cassalina's hand at the memory of Dimitry, "Many years ago to some wild creatures that weren't policed properly. So I know best why we need to clean things up around here."

---

Alice moved away with Marigold, leaving Henry and Maxwell alone again. Henry sipped his tea, watching the two women.

"Pleasant girl, Alice," said Henry to Maxwell, awaiting his reaction.

[Chameleon]

Jamie's stiffened by Veronica's mention of losing her son. She knew the pain of losing a child to these monsters. She wondered if she should mention it, but she hadn't mentioned it after all. She noticed Veronica taking Cassalina's hand, and sighed. If Veronica managed to say this, then she could say it loud about her family.

"I wasn't entire truthful in my reasons for wishing these monsters dead," she said and looked remorsefully away from them. "My husband and son died for a few years ago. Killed." It was the first time Jamie had mentioned her husband and son in long time, and she fought the tears behind. She wouldn't break down in front of these people. Alone was okay, but not in front of them.

[kumainpink]

Cassalina gave Veronica's hand, knowing how hard this was for her to speak of. She knew there was nothing she could say to make it better, so she did what she could - silently offer her love and support.

---

Maxwell smiled as he watched her leave. "Yes, she is."

[G. Novella]

Veronica met the woman's eyes, and knew how troubled she was by it. Sighing, she realized there was no way she could hate this woman who had suffered just as she did.
"I'm sorry," said Veronica sincerely, placing a hand on Jamie's shoulder, "I truly do wish you'd never had to go through that. May I ask how old your son was?"



---

Henry raised an eyebrow at Maxwell's reaction. Well, this should be fun.
"So, where were we before your pleasant girl interrupted?" asked Henry in a light teasing manner.

[kumainpink]

Maxwell's smile dropped. "We were talking about the not so pleasant woman that has apparently done something I should care about." His anger at Olivia hadn't faded since the funeral.

[G. Novella]

"Ah, right," said Henry with a nonchalant nod, "I met her the other day you know, we had a lunch. It seems she's angrier than ever with you. In fact, she's so angry, that she's gone to the extent of getting more support for Hogwarts. All my hard work is down the the drain now."

[Chameleon]

Jamie smiled tightly, although she was comforted by Veronica's comforting hand on her shoulder. "Five year old. The sweetest boy in the world."

[kumainpink]

Maxwell scowled, his tone laced with bitterness. "I see. So after seventeen years of staying on the sidelines, she decided that now she wants to be involved?" He clenched his fists against the sudden burst of rage he felt. "Well then, I suppose we'll have to fight fire with fire."

[G. Novella]

"Oh, that's so young," said Veronica, clutching her breast, "Dimitry was eleven, soon to be twelve. Do you keep a picture of him?"

---

"She's starting her own group to rival the Purists, she calls them the Equalists," said Henry, "And she's hell-bent on targeting you. In fact, she asked me quite a few questions about you, including who your newest ally was."

[Chameleon]

"I'm sorry about yours son," Jamie nodded sadly. "But these ... animals don't care how old you are," she hissed angrily, before she calmed slightly down and nodded. She had always a picture of Kent, and pulled one out of her robe. The picture was in good shape, as she always put a spell on them. It showed a happy five-year old with blonde hair and gray eyes, who blew on his birthday cake, with his dad beaming at him. She looked at it hesitantly, before she showed it to Veronica and Cassalina.

"Byron and I adored Kent ... "she trailed of sadly.

[kumainpink]

If Maxwell was angry before, that paled in comparison to what he was feeling now. A burst of his personal magic flared, knocking over one of the Ming vases. It fell on the marble floor and shattered. The heliopath flame roared within him. "If Olivia does so much as give Alice a dirty look, I'll rip her in two. Make sure she knows that."

[G. Novella]

"Oh! He's adorable!" said Veronica, eyeing the picture with a warm smile, "Kent, you said? He's so cute, he looks like you, but he's got his father's smile."

Veronica's resolve steeled seeing the little boy's image, he was just so cute. She pulled out the picture of Dimitry in her pocket, and handed it to Jamie. It showed her, back when she was young and in her twenties, with a nine-year old boy/ His brown hair was being blown by the wind, and his eyes twinkled with mischief as he hugged her around the neck from behind.

"That was my Dimitry," she said, swallowing.

---

Henry eyed the broken vase. Well, that was interesting. He couldn't wait to see what Olivia did with this information.

"Of course," said Henry as he sipped his tea, "I had no idea Alice was that important to you. So, have you made things official with her yet? Is she someone else I need to protect for you?"

[kumainpink]

Cassalina envied them. Even if they had both lost children, the fact of the matter was that they'd actually known the joys of being a mother. In truth, the mere thought of giving birth terrified her. All that pain, and of course, growing a large stomach. Her body would be ruined, and someone like Veronica would never want her. Even so, she thought she'd make a very good mother, given the chance.

---

"I have had my reservations." Maxwell said, forcing himself to calm down. It wouldn't be a wise move to destroy his own home. "But after this battle, I'm going to ask her to be my lover. I just hope that she accepts me."

[Chameleon]

Jamie took the picture and looked at Dimitry and Veronica. He looked so adorable. "You two look very happy," she said with a smile. "He's looks so sweet out. He looks like you," she said with a small smile, before she gave the picture back to Veronica.

"How long is it, since he died?" she asked and looked at Veronica.

[G. Novella]

"Almost nine years," said Veronica softly, "Makes me feel old, just thinking about it. Makes me even more regretful, he would have been a grown man at this age. How long for you?"

---

Henry almost spat his tea out at that. Instead, he hid his own excitement, and smiled at Maxwell. "Oh, I don't doubt she'll accept, she seems to adore you," said Henry, "Would you excuse me? I need to tell Selwyn that I've reached my new clients. Why else would I have brought Fawkes?"

[kumainpink]

Maxwell nodded. "Thank you, for keeping me updated, Henry." he said, before turning away. Now he would start the painful process of occluding most of his emotions back, in order to retain a sharp focus. He still had preparations to attend to.

[Chameleon]

"You aren't that old," she said gently with a small smile. "It has been five years for me. Kent would have been ten year old. Hogwarts next year," she said with a shaking laughter. "Difficult to think that I'm never gonna see him off at the train..."

[kumainpink]

"You're a vision of beauty, Veronica." Cassalina said, kissing her cheek, trying to comfort her. "And you always will be." In truth, she felt awkward and out of place here. She had never known the pain of losing a child, and it wasn't something she could comprehend. But still, she wanted to be there for her lover.

[G. Novella]

"I sometimes wish I hadn't sent him to Hogwarts that year," laughed Veronica, "It would have meant more time with him."

She squeezed Cassalina's hand, before saying, "But losing him makes me value my new relationships even more. You never know how much time you'll have. I'm glad you found Henry after all that time. I wasted nine years being miserable, don't waste your time like I did."

[Chameleon]

"Oh. Yeah that is understandable," she said and sighed. She wished for more time with Kent, although he had been with her in entire five years. And Byron, of course.

She winced slightly, by the mention of Henry. They weren't even dating, and Veronica believed they were. Not for the first time she wondered if she should mention that they weren't even dating, before she just put a bright smile. "Exactly. I know Byron would have wanted me to be happy again. He would probably made me promise him that, if he had known he would die," she said softly.

[G. Novella]

"Your lucky, to have had the both of them," said Veronica with a smile, "And once today is over, we'll have finally made a proper attack on those creatures who took away our families!"

[Chameleon]

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I've always considered me lucky for having them." It would be sweet, the revenge.

"If you don't mind me ask, what kind of creatures killed your son?" she asked curiously. She completely despised the werewolves, and wondered what had killed Dimitry.

[kumainpink]

Cassalina nodded. "Octavius and I were in school when we lost our parents." She said sadly. "Werewolves ravaged them, and all we could do was watch in horror." She gripped Veronica's hand tightly. "If not for Maxwell's family, we would have been homeless." She didn't mention that the other families were all too happy to steal the Yaxley money and power, leaving them with absolutely nothing. Not even a family home.

[G. Novella]

Veronica nodded, squeezing Cassalina's hand. "I lost Dimitry to a troll. We had no idea there was one looming nearby. Cassalina was one of the first to understand my loss, since she lost her parents to wolves. What about you, Jamie, what beast took your family?"

[Chameleon]

"Oh I'm so sorry," she said to Cassalina understandingly. "It was werewolves," she said bitterly. "Byron had decided to take Kent on a camping trip. Kent loved it. Had only been once before. I was so worried, when I heard nothing from Byron the next morning ..." she said sadly.

[kumainpink]

"Werewolves are nasty, disgusting creatures." Cassalina said, her tone sharp. "My skin crawls just being around them. That's why my brother got involved with the Ministry in the first place. One day, I hope to see every last one killed. Unless they beg to be cured, of course." Like she had with Odin, she would gladly make deals with other self-hating werewolves. Her latest notes for the cure were back in her potions lab. Along with an extra few vials of the potion she had sent to Olivia.

It didn't hurt to have extra.

[Chameleon]

"I agree," she said viciously, although she then frowned. "There isn't a cure, is there?" If there was a cure, she would ... She didn't know what she would do, but if there had been a cure before Byron and Kent got killed...

[G. Novella]

Veronica stiffened at the mention of the cure. "There is no cure, but Cassie's made some impossible deal to discover it," she said with a scowl. Why did her sweet Cassalina have to get involved with Wolf-Boy?