Altercations

[Kiera de Auvergne]

Kiera walked through the passageways of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her cloak billowing behind her back. It was late evening, most of the students were obviously in their common rooms. The faint reddish-orange light of the sun setting was still visible through the large stone windows, as the stone braziers mounted on the wall burned brightly. It truly was an impressive school, one among the best in the world.

Kiera walked briskly up the moving staircases, whirling around the corner to find herself on the fifth floor. At the far end of the corridor, a stone gargoyle was visible, the entrance to the Headmistresses' Office. As Kiera approached the gargoyle, it immediately jumped aside to reveal a grand mahogany door.

Kiera could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on as a result of the sure-to-happen impending exhange of jabs and insults with Madam Romain. Kiera wished she could simply have asked her price in Cruor, but that was neither the time nor the place. The woman had her grudging respect yes, but Kiera found her ego intolerable. Not that she didn't have any of her own.

Kiera raised a fist and knocked on the door.

[Briony Romain]

Briony heard the knock on her office door, and she knew that it must be Kiera come to collect the painting or book that she wished from the school's collection and she was running a little bit frantic, trying to get all of this paperwork done with her baby crying in the background.

Sighing she flicked the door open, shoved her hair up in a messy bun and dashed off to get Raven, patting her back soothingly as she waited for the woman to enter, hoping that she would be quick, after all Raven needed her feed before bedtime.

"Greetings greetings, come in. You've found me in a tight spot at the moment." she sighed again as Raven tugged at her hair, giggling happily "Yes you giggle you little monster you."

[Kiera de Auvergne]

Kiera blinked rapidly as she saw the Headmistress hold her daughter in her hands, getting her hair pulled on. The always impressive woman looked like any other woman, loving and getting frustrated by her bundle of joy at the same time. Kiera couldn't quite stop the slight smile on her lips.

"Hello." she said shortly, and sat down on the chair in front of the Headmistress's desk without waiting for permission. "Since you're obviously quite......preoccupied, I'm not going to take much of your time. I'm here to collect my payment for the Amulet of He Roh."

[Briony Romain]

Briony nodded her head, she knew why she had come and she did not know what she would have wanted to did not know which selection to bring into the office for her to pick from, so she had merely gotten all the interesting books that she could think of.

Gesturing to the other desk by her pensieve she smiled very lightly and almost wanted to slap her hand to her face when Raven licked her cheek, which of course was the height of professionalism.

"Of course, take anything you wish from that selection over there, I did not know what you would be interested in so, brought a few of everything along for you." she elaborated on the collection over in the corner, hoping they would not have to trail down to the library.

[Kiera de Auvergne]

Kiera stared incredulously at Madam Romain for a few moments. Then she burst out laughing.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me. I admit I let you believe that I would be satisfied with a book or painting, but did you actually think I was telling you the truth? Unparalleled speed and brute strength, Madam Romain. When I said it, I meant it. I almost bled to death in Egypt trying to obtain the Amulet and you think I'd exchange it for a mere book? No, Madam Romain. I want something else.

Kiera looked at Madam Romain directly in the eye, "I want the Mirror of Erised."

[Briony Romain]

Briony smirked and she looked at Raven in her arms, this woman was making a big mistake, not only did Briony have the amulet and had no intention of giving it back, but she had her child in her arms and to make such an offer to her while she had Raven, was no way to go.

Standing up she walked over to the closed window and couldn't stop a laugh;

"No." she said simply "You may not have it. Try to take it by force I'll defeat you, I'm head of Hogwarts for a reason and that reason is that I'm the second strongest witch in the country however much your ego wants to disagree with that."

Flicking a piece of dust from her chair Briony continued;

"To make such an offer and to attack me now, would endanger my child, that makes this my husbands business, and any ghost of a chance you have of suriving a battle with me, is extinguished when my husband and I fight together. You agreed on a book or a portrait, you will take what you agreed."

[Kiera de Auvergne]

Kiera smiled lightly, "I know I can't beat you in an outright battle, Madam Romain. I'm egoistic, but not stupid. Besides, attacking a mother when she's holding her child would be utter idiocy and I flatter myself to think that I'm not such an idiot."

"I am a weapons master Madam Romain. And a business woman. Such a person does not generally hand over her bargaining chip before the payment is done. The Amulet you have with you is a powerful one, which is why you could detect its aura when you checked it. But," Kiera paused, the smirk on her face a mirror of Briony's, "It is not the Amulet of He Roh. And it's not with me here."

"I'm not asking you to hand the Mirror over to me completely. I'm an expert at duplicating artefacts, even things that are generally not considered to be duplicable. Thats why you'll find many pieces of the same weapon lying around in my shop. I am also quite helpful in wars, because I can duplicate wands and wand signatures. Now imagine the condition if the German Minister were to be attacked by the wand signature of the Durmstrang Highmaster......" Kiera trailed off meaningfully.

"Anyways, I don't want to fight you Madam Romain. Lets make it a mutually benefitting deal. You give me the Mirror, lets see if I can duplicate it or not, I give you the Amulet and return the Mirror."

[Briony Romain]

Briony merely looked at the woman and she turned to face her, the shadows gathered around her and the room grew dark, this was exactly why she did not trust people, she did not trust them because they turned out to be slippery eels that deserved nothing else than to be gutted.

"Get out." she said plainly "You shall not have the mirror. I shall be taking this business to the courts, you've messed with the wrong witch Kiera and you will find this out the hard way. We agreed on a book or a painting from Hogwarts as payment for this artifact, you then cheated me out of what I have bargained for, and now wish to increase the value of our agreement, sounds like a law suit to me."

Shrugging her shoulders Briony smirked;

"I don't give a damn whether you're good at wars, I'm good at them too, and with this memory anyone will now be able to see you're untrustworthy and if you seek to duplicate and frame me or anyone close to me, this memory will disprove it automatically."

"I do not appreciate this slippery and underhand deal. I cannot trust what you have said because you broke your word the first time Kiera. You have not made a wise choice in going against me. You may duplicate the mirror here and now, and I want the Amulet now. Can't do that? Too bad and I'm taking your ass to court."

[Kiera de Auvergne]

"Courts? Lawsuits? Really?" Kiera casually flicked her hair away from her face. "You and I both know Madam Romain, that British lawsuits are something of a joke. As for calling me slippery and underhanded, thank you. I shall take that as a compliment."

"As far as my trustworthiness is concerned," Kiera withdrew her wand from within her robes and pointed it at her throat, "I, Kiera de Auvergne, swear on my magic that if I am unable to duplicate the Mirror of Erised, I shall give the real Amulet of He Roh to Briony Romain for free. If I am able to do so, I shall keep the copy and give the Amulet and the Mirror to her immediately." Kiera put her wand away and smiled sweetly at Briony, "Will that be sufficient Madam Romain?"

"Now, if you please," Kiera stressed on the word ever so politely, "Could you have the Mirror brought here now?"

[Briony Romain]

Briony's eyes flashed and she raised her eyebrow it seemed as if the woman was still not getting the message, she was not going to be taking this to muggle court, it would be tried in the Wizenmagot, who most of which were her friends.

"I will be taking this to the Ministry for Magic, and it will be tried under the Minister herself, I wish nothing more the be said on the subject, and it is a low person who takes those adjectives as a compliment."

Shaking her head Briony said; "No, it will not be sufficient, get out before I call my husband and he will remove you from my office by force if need be, I do not take kindly to people who mess with me and my ventures." she said with a bored tone to her voice.

"Last chance, give me the amulet, right this second, and I will allow you to take your agreed payment and leave, if not, I will have to take this up with my friend Adele Luna." Briony said, with the same sweet smile on her lips.

[Kiera de Auvergne]

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[Briony Romain]

((OOC: I will not be responding to this thread any more, this thread is making me upset to reply to, as a result this is being taken up by the disiplinary part of the admin team in order for the issue to be dealt with as impartially as possible.))

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