(no subject)

[arachnoble]

I'm not going to bother informing you that school is close. I'm certain you're all very aware of that fact, and no, I'm not assigning any last minute work. Even if I would greatly appreciate it if you arrive at school at least having read the first chapter of your books.

I do have an announcement, however.

Dumbledore has recently informed me that I have been granted the position as Slytherin Head of House. It's not unexpected, seeing as I'm the best option, but I'm pleased all the same.

[The next bit is filtered to just Vriska.]

I've got all your books and other supplies, as well as some new robes waiting at our home. I also got Nicholas a new terrarium.

And I have a few spare eyepatches if you want one.

Comments

perma-filtered;

[quasistellar]

Why, Sybille, dear, why would I ever try to do that? I'm merely trying to understand what went on.

I know you're an intelligent woman. I know you're theoretically capable of being very good at the job, even. I just wonder what will happen if you get bored and decide you're going to 'make things interesting'. Call out students in the common room and threaten them? Perhaps put your students up to duels for the fun of it?

We've all seen what you've done to Murdoc's son. What if it was our daughter?

[The typo goes unnoticed.]

[arachnoble]

I'm glad you think so little of me. Truly, I am. It means that when I best you it will be well worth it. You think your words will hurt me, but I'm afraid you're wrong. Unlike some, I don't live in the past. I look towards the future.

[Then she reads the "our", and she's at a lost for words. It...can't be true, can it?]

What do you mean by that? I haven't heard of Murdoc Donoghue even having another child.

[quasistellar]

That isn't what I'm saying. You're a brilliant woman, Sybille, and I meant that. You just can't go after any students the way you have been this summer.

[That is a very large inkblot on the paper, followed by several illegible sentences that have been scratched out and started again.]

The truth was going to have to come out sooner or later. I concealed it from the world myself for years, until I came back here. No sense hiding it further. Murdoc is my daughters' father.

[arachnoble]

Yes, I'm sure that's not what you're saying at all.



Interesting choice, Peixes.

[quasistellar]

I'm being perfectly serious.

...choice? It wasn't an affair. It was a night. And then he got married, my family made damn sure I was before the twins were born, and life went on.

[arachnoble]

You still made the choice to sleep with him. Hence my use of the word.

[quasistellar]

I did. There's hardly any sense in denying it at this point.

[arachnoble]

Though, at least you can take comfort in the fact that you weren't the only one to make that mistake.

[quasistellar]

I wouldn't call it a mistake. Yes, I got pregnant as a result, but I still don't call it a mistake. It's a thing that happened.

[arachnoble]

Some could consider your choice in partners a mistake.

[quasistellar]

And by 'some would consider', you mean 'I would consider'?

[arachnoble]

Of course. Not that I have much room to judge you for sleeping with Murdoc.

Granted, I was 17 and didn't get pregnant.

[quasistellar]

So you're going to judge the fact that I was 22 and did?

Things happen. Contraception fails. If you're trying to say that I intentionally got pregnant, then you're wrong.

[arachnoble]

You could have had a man who would have been so much better.

But you didn't tell Murdoc about them, did you? Not at first. So perhaps he would have been a good father to your girls.

[quasistellar]

Do you know what happens if you suddenly fall pregnant in my family? If you can, you rush a wedding to the father.

If for some reason - let's say the father is married to someone else - then you still get rushed into a wedding, and quick, so you don't show. And that man is magically your daughters' father. Do you want to hear all those sordid details?

[arachnoble]

I wouldn't. Of course, my family looked down on me for not settling down and having a million pureblood babies, so perhaps the same would have happened to me if I didn't but I. Well, let's just say it doesn't matter now.

[quasistellar]

What you're saying is that you don't know what you would have done in that situation, then. But you want to attack me for it.

I know that I made mistakes. I've been working to start making amends since I came back. I can't go back and change the past, Sybille. All I can do is face what I did and handle it.

[arachnoble]

I know what I did in that situation, but I don't know what my family would have done. Being estranged has its perks.

I look forward to it.

[quasistellar]

Look forward to what, exactly?

[arachnoble]

Seeing if you can make amends.

[quasistellar]

I haven't done a thing to wrong you, so far as I'm aware. Why is it your business now?

[arachnoble]

I enjoy a good story.