The Last Little Hatchling

Alexa sat near the fire as she placed Fade's very late egg down on the cushion. Fade had told her that there was a lot of movement. It's brother and sister had been born last week and Alexa was a afraid that there was something wrong. But she had cast a spell over it and nothing seemed wrong.

She needed Zephan here really. Ciar also might want to watch the egg crack. Alexa was giving this special little egg to Zephan. She snapped her fingers and got her wand out, swisjing it as her patronus came out. Her green eyed Phoenix bowed to her and she smiled.

"Summon Zephan and Ciar please, pronto." Alexa said as she watched her Phoenix fly out of the room. She waited and watched her snake wait as Fade nudged the egg.

"Máthair", Ciar questioned as she strolled into the room dressed in a form fitting green tunic with black leggings, Phelan striding sedately behind her. "Is there something the matter? Why do you draw both Zephan and myself from our studies?"

She lowered herself gracefully onto the plush rug in front of the fire in one fluid movement, legs crossed and back straight. Phelan stretched out beside her with a slight twitch of his tail. "Zephan hurry up," she called with a roll of her eyes.

Scurrying into the room with Marcus, the Great Dane, following at his heels, Zephan smiled sheepishly at his sister. In his hand was clutched a fresh cinammon bun from the kitchens. He had been right behind Ciar until he had gotten side tracked by the delicious aroma.

"Quis 'iniuriam, Matris," the boy asked, practising his Latin skills. He took a nibble from his warm treat. "Is there something you needed or are you just happy to spend time with us some more?" His childlike grin seemed to light up the room as he sat in front of the fire.

"Cheek, kiddo. I summoned you both here to watch Fades little 2 weeks late Hatchling. This Zephan is your late Christmas present. Me and Ciar talked about it once last term." Alexa smiled as Fade slithered around the egg. The heat from the fire helped the egg as Alexa heard a crack. Alexa waited paciently as she heard muffled hissing from within the shell.

"Finally," Alexa clapped her hands together as a small red tongue slithered out to taste the air around. The whole shell started to shatter as a small purple spotted cobra slithered out of its shell. Welcome to the world little one. Your master is over there. Alexa hissed softly Fade nudged her young.

Marcella ... Marcella ... The name is. the snake saw Zephan and she slithered to the boys legs and she raised up, looking at the boy. Alexa smirked.

"She is called Marcella, a Latin name I believe. Would one of you like to tell me what her name means? Alexa asked as she watched Fade slither around Ciars neck.

A crooked grin appeared on Zeph's face as he looked at his mother. He had never had this back when he had still lived in Ireland. The casual family atmosphere that allowed him to loosen up a little and be the kid he was meant to be. Now he was getting a pet of his very own. Everything was perfect in his mind. The three of them didn't need anything else to be happy.

His smile widened as his sparkling grey eyes fell on the cracking egg. He was actually going to see a baby come into the world. Then he heard it as the tiny snake slithered from its shell. He heard the hissing with his ears but in his mind the words were clear as day.

"Marcella," he whispered, eyes wide in wonder and shock. "Warlike, strong," his hand stretched out and as he touched the snakeling's head with a finger a small jolt of magic travelled between them, "my little warrior."

The hatchling slithered into his hand and Zephan smiled softly as he shifted to lean against his mother. "I can hear her, Momma. I can hear her in my head. From what she's saying, I think she likes me." He looked up at Thorpe. "In my head she says I'm strong and I'm going to be a great man someday." His brow furrowed. "What's a familiar?"

"A familiar is a animal that has an intiamate and affectionate bond to a human. More than just a pet. Fade is my Familiar, I connected with her straightaway. Its a sign when you are able to talk to them through mind connection, which has all ready happened to you Zephan. On the contrary, a familiar has its own name, personality, and independent desires and thoughts." Alexa chuckled as she looked at the snake, then to Zephan.

"And you will be a fantastic, strong man someday. I will make sure of that. Fade is a special breed of magical cobra, which she can read emotions. I won't be surprised if Marcella here has some kind of gift. A Familiar will also try to protect you in anyway they can." Alexa said to Zephan as she felt Fade slither around her shoulders.

Leaning back against Marcus' side and rubbing Phelan between the ears Ciar had to smile at her brother's enthusiasm. It was nice to see that her family could exist in such a happy manner. Thorpe had been the best thing that had ever happened to their little family and the teen found herself being happy. She rubbed Fade's head before the snake slithered over to Thorpe.

"Phelan and I can operate as one unit. We share our own unique bond. We can't talk to each other but we always seem to know what each other is thinking," she said. Moving off the Great Dane she joined her mother and brother, arm snaking around her mother's waist and head leaning against the woman's shoulder.

Alexa smiled and felt a arm snake around her waist, looking down to see Ciar snuggling against her. She put a arm arounf the girl, kissing her forehead. "I can say the same for me and Fade. It's nice to see her have a couple of hatchlings for her self." Alexa said as she watched the snake slither onto her lap.

She looked at Zephan and offered her other arm to him, seeing as his sister had the other one. "Anyway, news I have for you. I'm not the Transfigurative Arts Professor anymore..." She let the sentance trail off as she looked at both of her children.

Holding his little hatchling delicately the boy couldn't keep the grin off his face. He had a familiar like his mommy and his Cici. It made him feel like he really belonged with the two formidable witches. He shifted until he was tucked up against his mother's free side and snuggled with her, hearing his sister's hum of contentment from the woman's other side.

"Does this mean you ain't going to teach anymore," he asked, looking up at Thorpe, innocence reflected in his grey eyes. "Cici will be all alone at school if you stay home with me. I thought you liked teaching." Zephan sat the snakeling on his head as he put two hands on his mother's thigh to look up at her easier.

"And I do love teaching. I'm still going to be a Professor, but in the art of Dueling. Your looking at the new Dueling Professor, Zephan. Plus I want be at Durmstrang when you start there. When I finished my Auror training, I was the best in my dueling class, earning a masters in that." Alexa smiled and ruffled the boys hair.

"So, what would you like to be when you leave school Ciar? And what classes are you looking forward to take Zephan?" She asked them both, wondering at the thought of her question.

Dueling. Her best subject apart from Transfiguration. Was the woman trying to make a point or had it just worked out that way? The girl glanced over at her brother and gave a soft smile. His own familiar and a mother that loved him. He really didn't need her anymore but she would stick around just to make sure he was safe.

Ciar's eyes seemed to dim slightly at her mother's question and Phelan walked himself forward on his belly to lay his head in her lap, sensing her inner discord. "I don't know," she whispered. "I was never given a choice if I wanted to make something of myself. It was always expected that I'd get married and hand over all my responsibility to my husband or Zephan. I... I don't know what I want to do with my life."

Shooting his sister a worried glance after Marcella had slipped down around his shoulders Zephan returned his gaze to his mother. He was glad she was still going to be teaching. As much as he wanted her with him during the year he knew that Ciar needed the woman more when she fell back down the slope she had brought herself out of.

"Cici's gonna be the best at everything," the boy said with a grin. "And I'm going to be just like her." He drummed his hands on Thorpe's thigh. "I want to take Battle Strategies, Transfiguration, Poisons and Antidotes, Creatures of War, and Mental Magics!" His excited grin elicited a grin from his sister when she saw it. He knew all the classes at Durmstrang thanks to Ciar buying all the books the classes required for all the years just to add them to the library.