“This,” he offered hesitantly in his native Russian, “is your stepmother, Ustinya Volyainichna Sleptova.”

Nikolai Sleptov was not certain how he managed to hold his breath while speaking, but the wizard was keenly aware of the fact that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ustinya’s introduction to Eva had gone…poorly, to say the least, and it was only her visiting a friend that had allowed Petra’s to be made separately. Though the Ravenclaw was the milder of his two daughters, Nik was still not convinced it would go over as well as he might appreciate.

Petra had looked confused at the woman’s presence on her arrival; he hoped to see that expression shift to one of welcome, or at least acceptance, rather than anger.

He smiled warmly, encouragingly, from one witch to the other.