Professor McKevin's Office

"That wand she never lets out of her sight..." Horatio muttered. "That could have something to do with it. That and this bit I found out." His blue eyes stared directly at Kiara. "Edwin is not Eglantine's son. But I think you know that. Who is he, Kiara?"

Kiara head shot up at the mention of the wand, "She has it on her?!.......Eglantine are you....doing..?" then Kiara took a sharp in take of breath.

"She wouldn't, not by her self would she?.... Something goes wrong..." she whisperd, and trailed off..

Kiara bit her lip at Horatio's question, she had sworn never to tell a living soul who Edwin really was..

"You are right he isn't her real son... he is connected to her through Excessum" she said giving a rather big clue, but not out right telling him.

Horatio nodded, his grey head bobbing slightly. His eyes seemed haunted for a moment, and a fatigue seemed to drape its arms around him.

"I promised I would stop asking questions..." he muttered. "But Eglantine has so many secrets, how could anyone remain silent about so much? How could she love and yet hate? What wouldn't she do that she hasn't already done, Kiara. That is the question I ask myself."

Horatio closed his eyes. "Through Excessum...how I wish I had never developed that elixir. Though it was only the base for Excessum, it may have prevented the Rosiers from creating death."

Kiara bit her lip and looked at Horatio appologeticly, for adding the burden of Excessum on to his shoulders, and with Eglantine not telling him anything she could imagine the strain he was under. For the first time since she met him she felt worry for him.

Sighing she answered as best she could.

"She believes it is her responsibly to handle it even if it is to much... even for her. And she keeps it to her self to stop the worry of the others... us, even though sometime like this it does the opposite."

Taking a breath she continued, full moon was edging closer and she ran out of breath easily.

"As for being able to love and hate at once, that isn't as uncommon as you may think Horatio. If one can love they can hate just as much as much. Love can lead to hate, and hate leads down a path I turned away form years ago, in to darkness..."

She could still see in her minds eyes the hatred in Daniels eyes when he tried to kill her. Eyes that once opon a time held love, and she prayed she would never see that look....from some she loved ever again... she wouldn't beable to bare it.

She shivered at the thought.

"As for what she would and wouldn't do that is hard to say.... she isn't the most truthful indivatual about her past either."

When she heard his almost regretful statment about Excessum, she looked at him with obious worry this time.

"No don't blame your self for this Horatio, there was no way you could have predicted this out come...." she said as she got up from her seat and conjured a chair next to him.

"Umm are you alright? you seem... tired? she asked with concern in her voice.

Horatio was silent through Kiara's explanation and attempt to soothe him. He looked at her and shook his head.
"I am tired, my dear. But physically I am fine. Emotional fatigue and mental anguish are my dearest companions nowadays."

He stood from his seat to glanced around the room. "Eglantine's mother. I believe that the letters are from her. I know nothing about the woman, except that Eglantine does not speak of her. At times she will mention her father...but never her mother."

Kiara sighed "I am sorry I dumped this on you... perhaps I shouldn't have." she said with a bit guilt and regret.

She nodded to what he said about Eglantines Mother... she never spoke a word of her form what she knew.

"Your right I don't recall her ever mentioning her before either... but why do you think it is her?" she asked.

Horatio sighed. "She is the only one left, unless I am mistaken. Her brother for some unknown reason hates her, her father is dead, and that only leaves her mother."

Kiara nodded, but bit her lip, she didn't want add to Horatio's worry load any more then she already had. She of course had a hunch why Edmond hated her... and the was one member missing from his list of known releatives... when she felt a moment of dread..

"Severus...? it could be her nephew as well..." she suppied.

Did Eglantine not tell him about them either? did she tell him anything?

"Ah yes, her nephew. Apparently they are not on speaking terms either. So I doubt the young man would take the time to send her a letter much less five." Horatio pulled his pipe out of his pocket and worked it into his mouth. Ward already in place he puffed out several normal bits of smoke.

Kiara sighed, what if he had found out about the wand? and asked Eglantine about it.

Then again it could haven been from Charles, or this unknown mother, then again it could haven even been some one else entirely. With Eglantine involved it was hard to say, really...

"He could found out about the wand, but that it just a theory... I am not sure either" she said with a sigh.

"Severus Rosier... What would he do with a wand such as Eglantine's?" Horatio asked. He remembered that Eglantine had said just enough about Excessum to make him never desire to see it in action.

Kiara sighed "Why else would he want it Horatio?.... Power"

Shaking her head she "This is useless, all this theroising and worring over something that may not be true...... jees I feel like Mongavon, that annoying laywer" she mumbled the last part assuming Horatio would have no Idea who the irriatiation lawyer was.

"We could try talking to her about all this..... it would better then sitting here worring about what she is up to" she sugessted.

Horatio looked at Kiara. "Mongaven? You know him?" he sounded surprised.

Kiara blinked "You know him to?"

"Not really, I fought against him in court recently, for the death of Daniel Lestrange" she said.

She wasn't sure how much Horatio knew on the subject of her ex-husband.

"Ah, so that's where Eglantine met him. I was wondering about that. Terrible the things they said at that court case... Eglantine told me about that. I guess she failed to mention that my nephew was going against you." He sighed. "When you get to be my age, your family branches out to the four corners of the world..."

Kiara nodded "I see.... yes the things he said I couldn't believe at first all those theories... with "proof" for each of them."

"Yes all three for us were happy be able to leave that court, we just happy it was over"

Horatio nodded. "Maybe we should speak to her together..." he muttered. "Couldn't hurt anything at least."

Kiara nodded "Worst thing she could do is lie to us."

"Where is she now? Her office?" she asked standing up.

"I have no idea." Horatio confessed. "I believe she might be." He walked around the desk and opened the door. "Shall we?"

Kiara nodded "yes lets go see what we can find out this time" she said as she walked out the door.

Many worring possiblies as to what Eglantine was doing ran through her head over and over agian.

(Different time from above)

Horatio leaned back in his chair and set his cold sockless feet up on the *gasp* desk. Yes, he knew Eglantine would disapprove. But he had just had a trying walk and was feeling the need to pamper himself.

"If only Edwin's dog would stay still." He had thought himself a great saviour, telling Edwin, Eglantine's three year old, that he could keep the puppy and would walk it for him. Ack, if only Horatio could have taken those words back... Four in the morning! Was Eglantine trying to kill him!?

It was cold... the dog had been walking at the pace of a cheetah and Horatio had lost his slippers. In his haste to grab the dog after the leash had snapped, the older man had forgotten he was a wizard and had walked all the way back to his office barefoot and freezing.

Edwin had been thrilled... Eglantine had all but questioned his sanity, not that he blamed her. Who in their right mind went walking in the snow? Well, Esis did it every morning, but... he wasn't about to go down that path of thinking.

Viper stood in front of the door to Horatio's office with tears streaming down her face, still in shock over what had happened barely an hour ago, and the scene she had stumbled upon. The wounds from the betrayal ran deep within the shards of her broken heart, leaving the remains to drown in it's own blood. She couldn't breath. In this maelstrom of agony and heartache, she sank, further and further, drowning in her sorrow and all the tears she cried.

She felt pangs of guilt thinking about how here she was a woman scorned by love, trampling and raining on the parade of a man who was lucky enough to be blessed by love's kind side, and fortune, and prayed the wizard would understand her reasons for coming to him. At the vulnerable state she was in, she felt Horatio was one of the few people she could trust and hoped he would be able to grant the small favor she asked of him. Not to mention, he was one of the few she truly would miss and wanted to say good bye and thank you to...

With a quick glance at the mirror, she erased the evidence of her tears, with the exception of her now-red rimmed eyes, for there was nothing she could do about that except pray the kind, older wizard would not notice them. Softly, she knocked on the door, hoping he was in.

Horatio chuckled as he made his next move; a brilliant stroke of pure inspiration in his mind. The bishop laughed wickedly as it smashed the Abraxas' pawn into the chess board.
"And I believe that is a check." He beamed, looking over at his fellow centurian and professor. Hot mugs of steaming liquid sat beside each wizard and both held smoking pipes and hunched low in their seats... the picturesque image of two dueling hermits.

Sighing at the knock at the door, Horatio rose from his seat, his joints cracking slightly from inactivity.
"No moving my men..." he chuckled, heading to the door. A student was no doubt in need of assistance or comfort and he was more than willing to pause his approaching victory for a brief intermission... victory tasted sweeter when delayed. Although that was ignoring the fact that there was a 50/50 chance of Abraxas pulling the trophy as well...

He opened the door and smiled broadly, the visage of his youngest colleague was always a pleasant surprise.
"Ah, Amaranth dear. Come in, come in." he ushered. "That is if you don't mind the dank air about us humble hermits." he chortled. Her red-eyes then caught his attention and he did is best to not immediately show concern.

Abraxas was beginning to think that the words 'bishop' and 'sadist' could easily fit into the same sentence as the little chesspiece assaulted his pawn. "Hmm..." he muttered in reply to Horatio, dividing his gaze between board and friend. For those that didn't speak the clipped language of hermits, such a 'hmm' could mean a variety of things, but in this instance meant, "Well... this is a fine pickle now isn't it?" Yet despite their fluency in hermit-esque utterances the Arithmancy professor stated the playful inquiry anyway, punctuating it with a good-natured chuckle. "Good show."

They were both hunched over the board, pipes and mugs billowing swirls of smoke and steam alike. Abraxas took a sip from his mug while he mused about his options. There were a lot of good moves, but none of such moves were feasible for getting out of check. At least... not immediately. The wizard knew the pair of them would appear, even from a distance, like the hermits one often seen in paintings: highly engrossed in their game with the basic necessities close at hand without the need to go and fetch something. Then again, as wizards there was little need to physically retrieve anything... the flick of a wand would do just as well.

Abraxas was shaken from his musings by a knock at the door. He watched as Horatio rose, hearing clearly the sounds associated with prolonged postures finally moving. "Falling apart, old man?" he asked wryly, though knew if he were to stand there would be a similar series of snaps, crackles, and pops... and no, we're not talking about the cereal.

"Wouldn't imagine such a thing..." Abraxas chuckled in reply to Horatio's own playful remark. Once the head of Hufflepuff wasn't looking, however, Abraxas gently pushed the board so that his pieces were on Horatio's side and Horatio's pieces on his. No - he wasn't cheating! Just having a little fun with his long-time friend, is all... without even disturbing 'the men that shan't be touched'. And, truthfully, the arithmancer wasn't really losing: both wizards had equal opportunity to win the game provided they played their cards right, so to speak.

Like Horatio, Abraxas assumed it was merely a student at the door. For young minds seeking knowledge, he was content to put the game on hold for a brief intermission. Though, if it turned out to be a fellow professor on the other side of the door... an intermission was still welcome. The duel of the Hogwarts Hermits could resume whenever they were ready to return.

The wizard turned in his chair and puffed on the pipe firmly held in his left hand upon hearing who was calling. For a fellow Slytherin, he was more than happy to rise from his chair - sure enough sounding off a choir of popping knees and vertebrae - and extend his own welcome, even if this was not his office. Abraxas smiled to the young Head of House. "Wonderful to see you, Amaranth," he greeted her, despite having a small amount of pipe clamped between his teeth as he massaged the muscles of his pipe-holding hand. "Please, do join us," he ushered her subtly, after Horatio did.

"Humble until proven victorious, at least..." the centurian commented once pipe-free, intending to infuse the conversation with some humor. Yes, he'd noticed the younger witch's reddened eyes. It was another reason for humor: after all, it is often said laughter is one of the best medicines in this world...

"Good evening, Professor McKevin." she greeted with a soft, weak attempt at a smile as she stepped into his office. An equally weak laugh escaped her as she shook her head. "Not at all, Professor. In fact, I may even join you..." she added as an afterthought, conjuring her own pack of cigarettes, lighting up, and joining him. With her normal rather over-the-top, unhealthy drinking habits, Viper was generally careful about her smoke intake, as it was a well-known fact that excessive drink and smoke spelled an early death. However, judging by how the witch was eagerly inhaling the smoke, it was clear such a thought hardly phased the witch, as each and every potentially hazardous action of her's was done recklessly, for at this point, she had no care of her wellbeing.

After all, the witch thought, if she couldn't even keep her own lover satisfied, what good was she?

At the sound of another wizard's voice, Viper turned her head slightly, for the first time noticing Abraxas' appearance. "Likewise, Professor Magnus." she replied, nodding her head in a gesture of respect. Another weak laughter escaped her at Abraxas' comment as she nodded in agreement with her fellow Slytherin.

"I do hope I am not interrupting anything. In fact, this will only take a moment." she looked at each man, making eye contact, knowing she would miss both in Finland. She would miss many people here at Hogwarts, to be certain, but especially the two men before her. She had a strong feeling that Ethan would visit her in Finland, and made a mental note to invite the two men to do the same, for she certainly didn't want to break contact with them.

Horatio had always been so kind and so patient with her, always armed with his optimistic outlook and bright smile, even on the days when she was in the worse of moods and spat nothing but venom, nonstop. And Abraxas had always made an impact in her life, starting off as a role model and inspiring her to go into Potioneering with his research, and later on as both a friend and colleague.

"I've just... come to say good-bye. I'm resigning and leaving for Finland as soon as possible." she stated with a sad smile, mentally willing herself not to completely break down in front of the two older Professors. While they were both exceptionally kind men, she wasn't too keen on bursting into tears and spilling her heartache out. After all, she had already obviously interrupted them. She felt that it would reach a whole new level of rudeness to unload all of her problems unto them, not to mention perhaps not all that appropriate.