Palaver Park ((December 2027))

The park is blanketed in snow, but there are enchanted places magically kept green and lush.

Kiara walked throught the snow, her fire licking her skin the whole way as the bitter winter wind blew in her face.

Conjuring a hair tie she pulled her long hair into a pony tail so the wind would stop whipping it around and in her face.

"It is me or does it get colder every year?" she mumbled to her self casting a warming charm on her robe and clothes underneith.

Rossa laughed, "Ya always say it is you Mommy...." she said still on Horatio's shoulders.

Kiara chuckled " So I do.... it is probably true to... you warm enough up there Rosie?" she asked.

Rossa nodded "Ya Mommy, I am" she said hugging tightly onto Horatio's forehead, not realizing one of her clip on mittens had slipped off and was hanging right infront of Horatios left eye.

Kiara sighed and laughed in amusment as they walked into the entrance of the park.

To be safe Kiara took out her wand and waved it in a complicated pattern, putting a strong protection spell up around the park. It was fairly powerful, but temperary, it severed there purpose.

"Welcome to Palaver Park everyone" she said pocketing her wand once again with a smile on her face.

Horatio chuckled at Kiara's statement and with ease ignored his granddaughter's mitten clip in his line of vision. Running up ahead, Edan and Edwin could be seen laughing and shoving each other into the snow banks along the cleared path.

Eglantine felt the cold as well, her cane tapping a gentle beat against the cobblestone path. Horatio had cast a warming charm on both Rossa and her, but she still shivered in her thick cloak. More from memories than the cold though...the cold was as death.

Ciaran wrapped an arm around his wife, as she announced where they were.
"Perfect place for a picnic, aye?" he murmured, kissing her cheek.

Horatio conjured a table for them to sit at and them cleared the snow from around it with a powerful heating charm.

Kiara smiled up at her husband, "Yes that is my dear" she say hugging him back as they walked in to the park, savoring the warmth of his closeness.

She kept a watchful eye on the two boys who were still full of energy and chuckled "where do they get it from?" she asked as she motioned to her son and younger brother.

As she walked she noticed Eglantine shivering and she sighed. Moving up to Eglantine she gently placed both hands on her shoulders, letting threads of her Phoenix magic flow around her. She smiled hoping it brought some comfort to the woman she thougt as a mother.

((I am trying the concept that fire represents life so it should help Eglantine feel slightly better. But if you have other plans I can edit^_^))

Eglantine sighed as Kiara comforted her with Phoenix heat. "Thank you, dear." she sighed, patting her daughter's cheek. With Horatio's help, she sat at the table.

The basket was set onto the wooden table and Rossa soon after it on the charmed to be warm bench. Eglantine wrapped an arm around Rossa's shoulders and pointed out a squirrel not far from them.

"That is an red squirrel, love." she stated, ever the professor. "They are becoming more rare as the grey squirrel drives them off."

Rossa looked at her Grandmother and to the squirrel with intense curiousity in her big light blue eyes.

"Really?" looks at little creature in awe:

"It is cute..." she smiles at it. "Why is the grey squirrel driving it off?" she asked.

Kiara chuckled as she sat down at the table across form Eglantine, and whispers to Ciaran. "You can take the professor out of Hogwarts but can take the professor out of Eglantine McKevin" she said with a smile, enjoying the look on her daughters face as she watched the animal.

She also turns to keep an eye on Edan and Edwin, honestly those two had way to much energy.

Eglantine sighed. Young inquisitive minds... that was why she had become a teacher in the first place.
"The grey squirrels want to have more territory and the red squirrel is smaller and unable to defend itself. The red squirrel now only lives in Scotland and northern England."

Ciaran chuckled at Kiara's statement. "So it would seem, love."

Eglantine reached out with her mind and into the squirrel. The little creature looked up from its nut and ran over to the table, jumping up onto it and sticking his nose into Rossa's hand.

Rossa blinked and nodded, not fully understanding everything here grandmother said but got the idea.

She then gassped in delight as the little squirrel came over to her, she timidly moved her finger over the soft fur and animal.

"Wow... it is so soft" she commented quietly as she look at it awe once again and big smile spread across her face. A big difference fitm the scared little girl she had been that moring.

Smiling, Eglantine watched her granddaughter gently pet the squirrel. "Yes, it is, lieb." she murmured, picking up the now docile creature. "Cup your hands..." she instructed, gently laying the fluff ball in Rossa's hands. "He will not bite..."

Horatio watched his wife and granddaughter as he stood being pelted with snow balls by Edwin and Edan. Later on, he thought, he would add it to his pensieve for Rossa later on...

Rossa held the little creature in her hands, a smile on her face and complete wonder as she look a at it.

"It is wonderful" she said with a laugh.

_

Kiara watched with approval as she observered Eglantine and Rossa enjoy the time with the little squirrle.

Then she smirked when she noticed Horatio being double teamed with snow balls with a flick of her wrist afew snow balls flew towards the boys.

Then she went back to watching the scene in front of her as she slide her arm around Ciarans.

She wished this moment could last for ever.

Eglantine smile faded to her usual cool demeanor as she glanced around the park. What evils lurked in the shadows? she mused. Death seemed to hang in the very air around her and she knew the feeling was of the premonitions she had been having since the curses words had been entered into her mind by her father...

"Wenn Sie möchten, können Sie es behalten." ((if you want, you can keep it)) she whispered to Rossa. She had already cast a scurgify on the filthy creature and it's mind had been permanently altered. No doubt, Animal Rights people would be up in arms, but she did not really care as long as Rossa smiled and continued to stare at the squirrel in admiration.

Horatio laughed heartily when both Edan and Edwin fell back into the snow from the unexpected volley from Kiara.
"No, fair!" Edan shrieked. Edwin tackled him and they rolled to be covered in a drift. Squeals of pain and joy echoed through the park as the boys wrestled.

Rossa smiled, petted the small animal once again, however she soon felt the change in her Grandmother's demeanor and she looked up.

Standing up on the bench on the table and letting the squirrel clime up to her head and hugged her Grandmother....

"Tapadh leat" she said with a smile. "Tha gaol agam ort" ((<--- using online translator, sorry if it is wrong, supposed to say, "Thank you...... I Love you"))

____

Kiara laughed as the boys played, knowing a certain 7 seven year old would be getting a good sleep tonight.

" Concider it pay back for nearly destroying my living room this morning my little fire" she to Edan with a smile.

Eglantine sighed softly returning her granddaughter's hug. Adopted or not, Rossa seemed to have so much in common with Kiara.

Edan shot past the table with Edwin hot on his heels and the boys continued to play by a tree not far from the table.
Sighing, Horatio seated himself at the table and took a deep slow breath. He was starting to become tired more easily than he had a few years ago. Apparently his long years were catching up with him. And yet he still refused to give in and act his age. Reaching out he tickled Rossa behind the ears.

Rossa laughed, and shook her head from the tickleing before turning and lanching herself at Horatio to hug him as well, she loved hugs.

Kiara chuckled, " The boys have a never ending supply of energy don't they Horatio-papa?" she said with a raised eye brow, noting that he seemed tired out from his game with the hyper boys.

Horatio nodded, hugging Rossa back and then lifting her up into the air.
"Yes, they do." he nodded, standing up to twirl her around. Eglantine chuckled.

"Darling, Horatio will admit to being advanced in years when the world ends and not a day before..." she whispered. Ciaran chuckled and rose from the table to go pull Edwin off of Edan.

"No choke holds!"

Rossa suealed at being being twirled around, and held on tightly.

Kiara laughed at Eglantines comment, "I can see that" she said with amusment, as she watched her daughter. That was until her husband intervened with the boys that got a bit to rough.

"Yes, what I say? play nicely or not at all please" she said. "You to have be going ever since you got up this morning arn't you to tired yet?" she asked.

They had been wreaseling with eachother all morning.. really it was a surprise neither of them had gotten hurt yet.

Edan began to cry as Ciaran pulled Edwin off of him and his father lifted him into his arms, patting his back.
"Shush, Eddy. Ya'll be fine." he murmured, carrying the boy over to the table. Edwin followed, head hanging.

"Edwin Richard!" Horatio stated, his voice grave. "Edan is younger than you and smaller, you can't play so roughly with him." Edwin shrugged his shoulders, looking rather disappointed.
"He's just a baby..." he muttered, kicking at the snow.

"I am not a baby!" Edan chirped, hot tears still running down his rosy cheeks. He held his arms out to his mama and continued to cry.

Eglantine fixed Edwin with a glare that could have melted steel and motioned for him to come over to her and Horatio. The boy slowly obeyed.
"Klein tomate, Sie hören auf Ihr Vater und entschuldigen uns zu Edan." ((Little tomato, you listen to your father and apologize to Edan)) she admonished.

Edwin's face darkened. "Er ist nicht mein Vater..." ((He is not my father)) he replied, tearing his hands away from his mother and running down the path. Eglantine sat shocked on the bench, her face pale and hands trembling.

Horatio closed his eyes. "Ciaran, take Rossa for a walk please." he muttered. The younger man nodded, taking Rossa from his father-in-law and leading her down the path.

He hadn't understood everything Edwin had said, but enough had been understood to worry him. Yes, he was not Edwin's father...and yet, Eglantine and he had almost always seen him as their son... now that perfect picture was shattered by the boy's confession that he didn't see it that way.

Kiara sighed and held on to her son, kissed his forehead and rubbed his back.

"Shhh... honey it is alright, did you get hurt?" she asked quietly as she leaned to look at him and put her hand on his chin.

She then looked over a Eglantine in concern when Edwin stormed off, she didn't like the way Eglantine had paled.

"What happened Eglantine?" she asked quietly as she ran her fingers through Edans black hair.

She looked in even more concern when she saw Horatio leave with a rather dejected look on his face. whatever Edwin had said it must been grave indeed.

Rossa frowned as she walked with her father down the path and looked back at her Grandfather, he seemed so sad...

"Daddy what did uncle Edwin mean? When he said Grandpapa wasn't his father? Of course he is.... like you;re mine.." she said inccocently. Although she knew she was adopted, she still concidered her mommy and Daddy her real parents.They loved her and cared or her, plues they were the only parents she ever knew.

Edan buried his face in his mama's shoulder and continued to cry, tears rolling down his cheeks. He was oblivious to all around him save his own slight pain.

Not really certain how to answer Kiara's question, Eglantine brought her hand to her mouth and took a slow breath. Horatio was going now to speak with Edwin, but she wasn't certain if that was the correct course of action. Maybe it was her fault, had she spoiled him? Lied to him? Kept things from him to inspire such vehement aggression? Or was he simply upset for hurting Edan?

Ciaran wasn't sure how to respond to his daughter. Yes, she was correct and eerily too observant.
"He's just mad, Rossa. Ya say things ya don't mean when yar mad, aye? So does Edwin..."

Kiara sighed, and continued to hold Edan close to her, and rub his back.

"Shhh.. my Little Fire you are alright.." she said softly before switching to her song as she hummed in his ear. (may it be ^_^)

At the same time she glanced over at Eglantine, concern still in her eyes.

__

Rossa blinked, "Oh... I hope he did really mean it then" she said still looking back.

Eglantine finally rose from the bench, her cane helping her keep her balance as she gazed off to where Edwin and Horatio could be seen, standing a good meter apart.

"I'm sure he didn't, love." Ciaran nodded. But then again, he wasn't so certain.

Kiara sighed again and took out a cloth to wip the tears off her sons face, gently she moved it across his face.

"Come honey, if you show where you got hurt I can make it feel better" she offered she as kissed him on the forehead again, wanting make his tears go away.
___

Rossa smiled, "I hope so...."

Then she hugged his arm as she walked beside him.

"Ya will always be me Daddy" she said smiling up at him. "I love ya"

Edan sniffed. "Okay, Mama." he agreed, pushing back from her shoulder to show her a small bruise on his neck, where Edwin had accidentally held to tightly. "Am I gonna die?" he asked, his eyes wide with concern.

Ciaran smiled broadly as he heard his darling say he would always be her daddy... it warmed his heart and greatly lifted his spirits. He would hate for her to ever say what Edwin had said...true as it was...

Kiara looked at the little burise, she doubted her would even feel it in the next 5 minutes.

But to make him feel better took out a small viel, of mild healing salve, she put a drop on her finger and she rubbed it into the buise lightly. Then she leaned down and lightly kissed it.

"There you go, all better" she said with a smile

Kiara didn't know weither to laugh or cry when he asked if he was going to die...

"I think you will make a complete recovery, don't you worry my little fire, your still going bright" she said with a chuckle as she ran her hand through is hair.

Edan smiled broadly, pain forgotten as he kissed his mama's cheek. "Thanks!" he muttered, happily.

Edwin sat down on a snowy bench and sighed, miserable, as Horatio sat down beside him. They were silent for a moment, two men, very different in size and age and yet alike in their sad quiet stances.

"I'm sorry..." Edwin finally muttered, his eyes never leaving the tops of his snowy boots. He hoped that Horatio would nod and pull his pipe out, forgiving him as he lit it. They would then laugh and joke as amazingly complex smoke figures danced up into the air. Edwin would run to his mama and apologize to her as well and she would smile and gently embrace him, muttering in German how much she loved him... but instead, Horatio remained silent.

"Did you hear me?" Edwin asked, looking up, both frightened and confused. Did this mean he had become too old to be forgiven so simply? Or had he crossed a line...?

Horatio fixed him with his blue eyes, looking it seemed, into his very heart and mind. The pain reflected in those azure orbs pierced into Edwin and everything seemed to fade away. Yes, he had been so very wrong... Horatio was the best father he would ever have...

Throwing his arms around the larger man, Edwin did something he had not done with Aunt Esis had died, he began to cry. He hated hurting his mama, no greater offense could be committed in his mind... but to that day, he had never really hurt Horatio before until now. Surprisingly it felt the same to him...as if he had taken a knife and embedded it into the wonderful man's heart.

"You are my papa." he whispered. "I love you, I'm sorry." Horatio returned the hug and smiled as tears streamed down his own bearded face.
"And you are my son, lad." he returned. "Loved more than anything in the world."