Chapter 15- Please Don't Burn My House Down

Silandra held a pack of ice to her forehead as she reclined in her favorite chair in the library. Truly the party at the Longbottom's had been a disaster. Eight duels, three fist fights, nine pranks and a goat had been the result of her latest foray into Terran society. Serana had snuck off with the elderly Lord Goyle who had turned up at St. Mungo's with severe anemia later that evening and Sirius Black had made an utter fool of himself trying to win her affections, Lydia had punched the Lord Malfoy into unconsciousness and Jordis had rendered the lord Woodsworth unable to procreate until he saw a healer to deal with the ruptured organs in question.

She sighed and leaned back, trying to press the ice deeper into her migraine, hoping and wishing it would help. Aela had sent in a report the other day that she had managed to force a transformation out of Lupin, though it had taken almost four months to get the stubborn wizard to shift. He had apparently tried to establish dominance before being beaten harshly back into his place within the pack by Aela and Farkas. Laughter emanated from the entryway, heralding Seranna and Aralas, the latter of whom was pink cheeked from the cold and both of who had snow in their hair and clothes from the furious snowball fight they had just engaged in. "Mama! Mama! Aralas cried bouncing into her lap and wrapping his arms around her.

"Aunty Rana said you're going to pick up the terrans for the New Life Festival soon, is it true" he asked/demanded and Silandra swallowed a sigh, opening her eyes to smile weakly at her child. He looked up at her, large forest green eyes trusting and concerned. "oh course little one" she reassured, lifting a hand to pat his head in weary affection. He smiled and burrowed into her chest, humming in happiness.

She hugged him back before giving him a nudge, "why don't you go clean your room, I know you've just exploded all over it and if you want to show your friends then it should be clean" she told him and the child pulled back nodding before he dashed out of the library, thundering up the stairs to the family rooms on the upper floor of the main hall. With her son gone she turned and raised an eyebrow at her friend who was leaning nonchalantly against the door frame with an apologetic smile on her face, well aware of the reasons behind the ice pack that rested on Silandra's forehead.

"Don't worry Sil, Lady Augusta said that there was no harm done and that such things were completely normal for a wizarding party" she comforted, pushing off her door to drape herself across the couch across from her friend.

"Yeah, but it still seems like we were the cause of a lot of Chaos. I'd hoped that for once we could attend without nearly causing an international incident" Silandra sighed before she sat up a little, and settled the ice pack on a nearby table. "I've also had to hire some help to get the manor ready to host New-life" she grumbled and Serana laughed, reaching out to grab the ice pack, refreezing it with a frost spell. "You inviting everyone?" she asked and Silandra nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"All the factions under one roof. Something I swore I'd never do after Aralas' sixth birthday" she sighed and Serana winced at the reminder of that debacle. It had taken several months to rebuild the east wing and there was still a patch of scorched earth where the mages had gotten a little out of hand. "Please tell me you will have some ground rules? And are you inviting the Dawnguard?" she asked a little concerned at the thought.

"Yup, Isran will never forgive me if I don't, and I know Valerica is coming because she can't resist spoiling her grandchild. Seriously she makes a great, if terrifying grandmother" Silandra chuckled and Serana giggled in agreement. "She does, never thought I'd see the day when she would voluntarily look silly before Aralas came along" she snickered thinking back to the early days when Valerica had visited to see what had taken her daughter away from their ancestral home and ended up making funny faces for the giggling infant as she cuddled him.

"The brotherhood is coming too?" she asked and Silandra nodded, rubbing her temples. "Nazir, Babbette and Cicero" she confirmed and Serana winced again. "Cicero? At a party? With Children? Are you sure?" she wondered and Silandra sighed exposively. "Of course I'm not sure, but Babbette says hes been getting restlessand feel neglected by his "dear sweet listener"" she told Serana with a faint snarl.

"Well he always was four ingredients short of a potion" Serana agreed.

"Babette has promised to keep her "mad uncle" from causing trouble however, so that's something" Silandra added, picking up the ice pack again to return it to her forehead. "I'm assuming Brynyolf, Karliah and Saphire from the guild?" she wondered and Silandra nodded "plus the pack and Remus, my housecarls, the Jarls, the teachers, then Rikke and the centurions, Delphine is probably going to show up, Parthunax and Ohdahviing so we know that there will be at least one fight, I'm sure Illndi, Ataf and Jorn will be showing up, and then Elsif mentioned she would try to come for the hunt."Silandra listed off, closing her eyes as she tried to settle the pack over her eyes. Serana let out a long slow whistle. "that's a lot of people" she observed and Silandra heaved an agreeing sigh.

"Everyone wants to come to the Dovahkiin's New life festivities, and since I consider most of those factions my family, and the fact that there will members of the Terran wizarding society, the Jarls want to network. So they called in my Thane status to them and I can't just invite one, so there we go" she told her friend sourly. Serana shooke her head at her friends political juggling. "the only thing we're missing is a Thalmor Ambassador" she remarked dryling which caused Silandra to groan.

"Thanks, for reminding me. Ondolomar is coming" she sighed and Serana fixed her with a firey eye. "What?" she demanded in a low voice. Silandra peeled her ice pack off her eyes and met Serana's glare. "I had to invite one of them since the celebration turned political, and he's the only one I can stand even if only a little." She shrugged and heaved herself to her feet.

"Well, no use just sitting around" Silandra decreed as she moved her ice pack from her head. "Hope the Terrans don't mind the cold" she mused absently as she wandered out of her library, idly tossing the ice pack up and down in her left hand as she went, leaving Serana to sigh deeply and follow, getting ready to help host a group who had every reason except for Silandra to hate each other under one roof for five days.

Remus panted harshly as he sprinted through the snowy forest. The scent of prey was strong in his nose, it's fear and exhaustion a heady mix that called to his wolf like a siren's song. Behind him he could hear the other wolves of the jorvasker pack tailing him. They had all but demanded he perform this hunt alone before they would let him return to civilization for their version of Christmas. He poured on the speed, letting his fore paws hit the ground as he sprinted forward, a howl tearing from his throat as the wolf reveled in the chase. The elk was in sight now, its flanks heaving in fear and effort.

The whites of its eyes visible from where he ran, terror in every line of its body. He lunged jaws wide and teeth flashing and clamped them sharply on the elks back leg. It squealed in pain as he reached his clawed forepaws forward and dug them into the elk's haunches. There was blood on his tongue as he released it's leg and used his new grip to launch himself up and forward, teeth catching around it's throat. Hot blood poured from the bite, staining his grey muzzle crimson and flowing down his throat in a torrent. He growled and clamped down harder, giving a hard shake as he did so. There was a crack and the elk lay still.

He held on for a few minutes before releasing and throwing his head back to howl savagely at the twin moons overhead. The other wolves approached and he backed away from the kill, pinning his ears and exposing his neck as the auburn female strutted forward. The two bulky males stood just behind her as she inspected his kill. She nosed it's three injuries before stepping back and nodding, letting him have first choice with his kill. He dove in happily, tearing at the chest to reach the still warm heart and liver, reveling in the taste that he had once felt revolted at, though mostly for social reasons. He thought back to how drastically his life had changed in the past few months. He had been sent out into the wilds under Aela's lead at the end of October and now it was approaching the end of December. He had changed, he knew this.

The scars he had carried for most of his life were fading as his wolf repaired the damage, fading them to pale silver. Aela had told him that the wolf harmed him because he fought it. Tried to chain the spirit to the mind of prey, thus the wolf fought and became feral. After all, a caged beast fought, scratched and bit its captor. Now it filled him, melding and merging with his human soul, not separate but not entirely in control. Aela called it Synergy, the state of harmony between wolf and man. A state so few reached because they failed to accept themselves, or if they did, they went to far. He shivered at the thought of Greyback.

He was a classic example of one who allowed the wolf complete control. He had heard whispers among Aela and the twins of teaching 'the savage fucker' a lesson and he knew that he wanted to be a part of that hunt. He lifted his head to the twin moons, his muzzle wet with blood and let loose another bloodcurdling howl. He would have his revenge. For himself and for every other child that had felt that demon's bite, this he vowed to Hircine.

Hermione bounced on her toes, quivering like a hound on the scent. Her parents watched her with smiles from where they lounged on their couch. Their bags containing the essentials sat near the coffee table while their daughter practically bounced around the room. She was in what she called her "training gear" and fiddled with the large dagger that was laced onto the leather belt around her slim waist.

"Calm down Hermione" her mother sighed from where she sat on the couch with a large book about dragons she had "borrowed" from Hermione who had in turn "liberated" from Aralas' stash. "Do you know what their festivities consist of" her father wondered and Hermione shook her head. "Aralas refuses to say, though he mentioned gift giving" she admitted, looking toward the pair of neatly wrapped presents that sat on her mother's suit case.

"I remember Aralas saying something about a hunt, so there is that" she added after a moment of thinking. Her father's reply was cut off as a purple vortex appeared in the living room, an accompanying crash, woosh filling the small space. Hermione focused on the portal with laser intensity and smiled when Serana elegantly stepped through, brushing imaginary dust from her spotless black cape. "Hello Hermione, Ser and Lady Granger" she greeted with a polite nod and a smile that revealed her rather vicious looking fangs.

"Pardon for the delay but I had to stop my mother from draining Isran. He got a little… venomous" she explained before shaking hands with Hermione's father. "No worries" he replied, letting go and bending down to pick up his luggage. Hermione scrambled to do the same as her mother stood and gathered the presents and her suitcase. "All ready!" Hermione exclaimed, bouncing on her toes while Serana smiled indulgently at her young charge. "Have everything?" she asked of her passengers, when they nodded she picked up an amulet from her pocket and held it up by the chain.

A burst of purple light sparked in the amulets empty socket and exploded outward, forming into the portal that had brought Serana. "All through" she told them cheerfully, herding the Granger family towards it. Hermione saw her parents grip each other's hand tightly before they walked into the purple light. The feeling was indescribable, even having gone through it once, hermione still felt nauseated as she fell and flew at the same time. Her body shrank and grew and twisted as existence melted and whirled in every direction simultaneously until she stumbled out of the purple light and into the warm amber of candles and the sound of shouting, singing and laughter.

Vision returned and she was confronted with a massive three story wooden hall with balconies ringing the upper stories. A massive stone chimney rose at one end with a massive fire roaring like a hungry dragon with an entire boar turning on a spit. The center of the hall was filled with a long wooden table that was filled with an eclectic mix of people. At the far end a woman with flaming red hair, emerald eyes and war paint in the form of three slashes across her face was in the middle of an arm wrestling contest with a dunmer woman with pale violet eyes. Both were being cheered on by bulky men. A red head with a mischieveious smirk for the dunmer and a pair of massive, dark haired twins for the red headed woman.

On the other side of the hall stood a brooding, dark skinned man who stared around him with a paranoid expression, his gaze returning frequently to the stately woman with paper white skin and burning red eyes who lounged on a throwne like chair near the fire. Aralas was perched on her lap, chatting animatedly with a tall, blond woman in a beautiful red tunic. The boy's presence somewhat ruined the queen like air the woman carried, but she was smiling indulgently at the young elf, her fangs glinting in the light.

A group of robed individuals were standing in a huddle, debating something with the vigour off scholars defending a thesis while several tall and well muscled individuals stood solidly in a group, most gesturing widly with their hands while phrases like. "…took it clean off in one swing" and "bled a lot for a guy offering regular blood sacrifices" floting through the air. Hermione took off almost instantly, making for her friend who caught sight of her and launched himself from his perch, tacking hermionie in a flying hug that knocked them both to the ground.

"HERMIONIE!" he cried, hugging her till her ribs began to creak. "Need Air" she weezed and sucked in a greatful gasp as the tiny elf boy was heaved off her by the blond woman who held him up like a kitten by the back of his tunic. "GACK! Runa! Lemme go!" he protested, struggleling vainly in the tall woman's grip "Oh no squirt. Not till your friend can breathe again" the woman informed him, giving him a little shake that caused him to squawk in protest.

"I thought I taught you better than that" the other woman added, caching all three pairs of eyes as she raised an elegant brow at the now thoroughly chastised boy who slumped in the blonds hold. "Sorry grandmother" he apologized before he straightened as much as he could in his hold. "Hermionie granger, I would like to introduce you to my older sister Runa Fair-Shield and my grandmother Valerica Volkihar" he rolled his eyes to look at the woman "Grandmother, Runa, this is a fellow classmate: Hermionie Granger." He continued formally. The two women, smothered smiles and the blond woman hauled the boy up and cuddled him under one arm and stuck out the other. "well met Hermionie, like the trouble maker said, I'm Runa, his older sister" Hermionie took Runa's hand and shook it, smiling at the information.

"I didn't know Aralas had siblings" she offered with a smile and Runa snorted, ruffling the young boys hair, causing him to yelp in protest. "Of course he didn't, but yeah, he has three. Myself, Sofia and Lucia. We're about fourteen or so years older than this little runt here. Mom adopted us during the civil war and raised us until we could find our own way in the world. She pointed to a tall, equally blond woman with laughing blue eyes who was speaking with a collection of heavily muscled warrior types, gesturing frequently and causing laughter to spark often. "That's Lucia, just came bac from an excursion into Blackreach, shes a member of the companions and they were hired to take some explorers down there" Runa explained before turning and gesturing to a quieter woman with a long scar marring her face. Her hair was dark and her skin tanned from long exposure. "Sofias been running around Tamriel, she just got back from Elsewere, she likes to treasure hunt mostly" she added with a fond smile at her sister.

"And you?" Hermione asked, curious. Runa grinned and returned the now subdued Aralas to his grandmother's lap and leaning against the river stone firerplace. "I'm in the thieves guild, I work with Brinjolf mostly." Hermione smiled and Runa returned it before pushing off as something caught her eye.

"Hold on, I think mum needs some help" she told them, hurring over to the sound of shouting. Hermione looked after her and saw Silandra wrestling a thickly muscled orc to the ground while a red headed man roared from where Serana held him in an arm lock. She looked on a little wide eyed as Runa lunged forward to tackle a thin, but lethal looking bosmer to the ground and perch on his back.

The the sound of a haunty sniff drew her attention to Valeriaca again who also watched with disapproving eyes. "Savages, the most of them. Serana is lucky she made friends with perhaps the only tolerable mortal in skyrim" she informed Hermione. Aralas looked up at the woman with large, pleading green eyes. "Am I tolerable Grandmother?" he asked innocently. The woman's brimstone eyes softened as she looked down at him. "I find you most tolerable indeed little one" she told him, cudling him close and bopping him on the nose. Aralas giggled a little and hugged her back. " Come sit Hermione" he invited, turning his attention back to his friend.

"Maybe we can get grandmother to tell us about how mum and aunty Rana killed Harkon. Mum rarely tells it fully" he added, looking imploringly up at Valerica who struggled valiantly to stay strong against the childs look. But not even Molag Bal himself could have withstood them. "Of course" she replied, settling a little more into her seat.

Sirius hopped through the portal ahead of the longbottoms, his satchel full to bursting with presents and booze. He hit the ground running, catching sight of Remus standing on a stretch of trmpled snow wearing heavy red wool tunic and a thick fur cloak. "Moonie!" he yelled happily, running forward and throwing his arms around his friend. Lupin grinned and returned the bone breaking hug, "good to see you Padfoot" he exclaimed, heaving the mch lighter Sirius from the ground. Sirius made a gurgling gasp as the air was forceably expelled from his lungs but returned the hug with every ounce of his strength.

Finally the werewolf set him down and he got a proper look at the other marauder. He looked good. His hair was still greying but the scars on his face had calmed. His eyes once more laughed like they had in school, the heavy sadness that had lived in them expelled by fresh air, good food and acceptance into a pack. "damn you look good Moonie" he told his friend and Remus laughed. "I feel good too, better than I have in years" he admitted hapilly and Sirius grinned "I'm glad" he told his friend before he was interrupted by a haughty clearing of throat by the formidable woman behind him.

"I assume you are here to welcome us?" she quieried and Remus straightened quickly, tucking hi hands behind his back like he had been trained to as a child. "Apologies lady Longbottom, Harbinger Silandra is sorting out a slight altercation and I was asked to be ready for your arrival" he infirmed her. "Oh enough with the lady Longbottom nonsense Remus, I remember you as a child getting Frank in trouble, you will call me Augusta like you used to" she informed him bruskly.

"I am also glad you are looking well. It seems that this world agrees with you" she added with a smile before looking down at a quivering Nevile, who looked like a hound on the scent, ready to run nd find his friend. "Better get us inside before he combust in excitement" she informed them with a small smile as her grandson blushed and looked down a little.

Before they could do much more than chuckle, the front doors of the meadhall burt open as a massive body was hurled through them. The newcomers scattered as an elderly, armour clad man with dark skin tumbled down the steps and into the snow where he scrambled to his feet.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT, YOU DEMON!" he roared, reaching and drawing a dagger from his boot as he raged back toward the house. A tall, snow pale woman with burning orange eyes with a familial similarity to the woman who had attended her ball, watched him with a arrogant expression that was slightly ruined by the young boy who was clearly Aralas, perched on her hip. The tiny boy watched with bright forrest green eyes and a big grin of the innocent as the woman flicked her hand and tossed the violently swearing man to the left where he disappeared into a particularly deep snow drift.

"Go Grandma!" he cried and she smiled lazily. "Hardly a challenge little one" she informed him smugly and the boy giggled before catching sight of the newcomers. "NEVILE!" he yelled and the woman quickly put him down, reconizing her sugar fueled charge's desire. The boy was like a homing spell, dashing down the steps, across the snow and launching a hug at Nevile. Both laughed with glee and rapidly vanished back into the boisterous hall with promises of more friends, leaving the dark haired woman to greet them and ignore the armoured people retrieving who was clearly their leader.

"Greetings" the woman introduced, striding forward with the grace of a highborn lady. "I am Valerica Volkihar, Aralas' grandmother" she introduced herself, inclining her head and Sirius gaped at her, she looked far to young to be a grandmother, but then he noticed her resemblance to Serana and gulped, realing that any woman able to be related to a vampire would likely be one herself.

"Sirius Black ma'am" he introduced with a gallant bow, noticing that Remus bowed as well and averted his eyes.

But Augusta met her fierce gaze head on, inclining her head, one matriarch to another. "I am Augusta Longbottom, I am Nevile's grandmother" she greeted. They locked eyes, burning embers to steel grey, a silent battle of wills that caused the very air to grow tight.

Sirius held his breath and Remus fought the urge to find a place to hide or expose his throat and hope they accepted his submission.. The tension rachatted higher but then was broken by the loud laughter of children as Aralas, Nevile, Hermionie and several other children in furs, wool or parkas dashed out followed by a collection of adults bearing steaming mugs and a larger muscled man holding a massive cauldron that smelled of mulled wine exited.

The sight of their respective grandsons rolling around in the snow, flinging furious snowballs in a furious free for all softened them both. With the silent acknowledgment of a truce they parted, Augusta to deliver hers and Nevile's belongings to the house and Valerica to snag a lrge chalice and to take her throne on a nearby fallen tree. Sirius' eyes lit up and he dove into the snowball fight, dragging a protesting moonie with him.

The other adults laughed until a snowball smacked Silandra in the face. The party froze for a moment, everyone watching the dragonborn blink the snow from her eyes. Then she grinned, a ball of snow forming in her hand and striking Serana square in the face.

After that it devolved in to a full on Melee. Sirius found himself hunkering down down behind a large snow wall with a red haired man and a blue skinned woman with purple eyes wile their compatriots popped up from behind their burm to throw snowballs with yells of "FOR THE THIEVES GUILD!" and dodging volleys that were accompanied by cries of "VICTORY OR SOVERNGARD!" and "TAKE THAT YOU RIFTEN SKEEVERS!" more war shouts came, one that hit the red head accompanied with "FOR WINTERHOLD!"

He peeked over the top and surveyed the battle filed, the mages had created a magnificent fortress, parapets, crenelation and even a murder hole over the gate with the robe clad mages creating and fireing snowballs like rain. Silandra had a similar structure, with the ladies from the party and a handful of others leading an attack on the mages, the children sheltered under their shields and wards. Silandra lead the charge, Aralas right behind her, shouting weak ice and snow at her oponents.

Valerica was still lounging on her rock, but surrounded by eight skeletons that were blocking the snow with shields and hurling them back in defence of their mistress, he shuddered a little but quickly ducked down as the companions lead a strike against the Legion, barrages of snowballs spattering against the large shields that were locked together and also using their own shields to stave off shots. A dark girl and a few others in red and black were darting around the edge of the field, sniping and dodging with no aparrent order other than, defeat everyone not them.

Sirius flicked his wand, building his team's ewalls higher and sending a rapid barrage to the elderly man and his compatriots who were focusing almost exclusively on Valerica who lazily summoned another skeleton and then a monster made of ice and snow that began to send blizzards their way.

They all trooped back in a good several hours later, soaked to the bone, chilled (those who could feel it) exhausted and happy. Their wet outer clothes were draped next to the roaring fire and mulled wine was passed out for the adults and mulled apple juice for the children. Sirius was pressed up against the warm stones and listening as Silandra and Serana dragged out a pair of lutes and began to sing a story to the wide eyed children and smiling adults.

They both had beautiful voices, clearly trained and they both handled their harps like proffesionals. The story they told was wonderful, tales of dragons and adventures, describing what he realised was her own story, The pair trading harmony and melody as the wove the tale of the defeat of Alduin, mentioning the many who had aided her on her journey. People puffed out their chest and smiled proudly as they or their faction was mentioned, proud to hear their exploits paired with a hero's tale. Food was served, with meat cut from the roasting boar and handed out, plates ladened with roast meat of many different animals, breads, cheeses, pastries and puddings.

Everyone dug in, some, like the Jarls, Augusta and the mages sitting at the tables while others ate with their plates on their knees. Eventually yawns became more prevalent, the children sent in early for the next morning's excitement. Around midnight, everyone made their way to bed, ready for the next days hunt.

Morning was greeted with the roars of a pair of dragons swooping over the meadhall and settling on the stone outcropping that bordered the hall. Sirius yelped and fell out of bed before scrambling out of the hall in only his sleeping pants, wand out and ready. Needless to say he was laughed back into his room and clothes when he found out that this was perfectly normal for the mad house he was now staying in. This day was filled with sleigh rides across the frozen lake, skating, another snowball war that suddenly became a faction based war, this time however Serana led one faction whilest Silandra lead the other.

The two dragons sided with Aralas, Nevil and Hermione who formed their own faction and periodcally raided both sides, aided by Valerica's skeletons and random dragon attacks. Delphine and her order arrived around noon and while the younger blades joined the fun, the scowling ex fugitive hung to the side glaring at the dragons and ignoring Aralas' attempts to make her smile. Evening came and with it, entertainment. Valerica had once again been holding court near the fire when Augusta had swept forward and entranced the nearby children with her own stories, accompanied with illusions from her wand to add excitement.

Valerica had sneered, most politely of course. But the reult was a story off, a battle of the grandmothers. Each one striving to be seen as the most skilled, most awe inspiring and affectionet. Nevile sat next to his grandmother with a slightly woebegone expression, trying to understand why his grandmother was suddenly so insistant to tell stories. something he had little experience in. He learned more about his grandmother in that evening then he had in his entire life. Aralas was no help, blissfully ignorant to the competition, and laughing happily at the tales of misspent youths and erstwhile family.

Serana had stood by and laughed, untill her mother had dragged out the embarassing childhood stories, causing the supernaturaly pale vampire to turn faintly pink. The Vampiric version of turning beet red.

Silandra had hung around snickering, ignoring the capering Sirius in favour of her best friend's acute discomfort and the show the more elderly members of the party were unintentionlly putting on.

Dinner was a feast similar to the first night, and the evening after filled with mirth and competeing grandmothers. A good second night to a week long celebration.

A/N- Hello! I am so sorry for this delay. I feel so bad about the time it took to get this to you all. My life is settling down and I'm so thankful for the love and support you have all shown me. I'm now in my fourth year of University and it is a bit of a struggle to find time. I hope you all enjoy though, and thank you for keeping faith in me. I feel humble to know you all care.

Safe travels, Trojan Seeress