Transfiguration's Office

Eglantine settled back into her chair. "Have fun!" she called after Kiara.

((Assuming Horatio is beside her))

Kiara knocked on the door waiting to see if Eglantine would answer.

((He's there =) ))

Horatio sighed as no response was forthcoming. "Apparently, we shall have to hunt her down." he jested, though the usual lightness in his voice was not present.

Kiara nodded "what about the Muggle studies class room?" she suggested.

Horatio nodded, turning from the door. It was then he heard a slight click; the one he was very familiar with as it came from Eglantine's wheelchair wheel.

"I think she's in there. I heard her wheelchair."

Kiara turned back to the transfiguations office door again.

She knocked and called out this time, "Eglantine, you in there?" she asked as she turned the door handle to see if it was locked.

The door happened to be unlocked and opened as Horatio pushed it. Eglantine was partially hidden behind three piles of books that went half way to the ceiling and was busily poring over a thick tome. By the dust that covered the books and Eglantine, it was obvious they were old books that were rarely used.

Horatio's mouth fell open as Eglantine looked up. She had a long still bleeding gash on her left cheek and a bit of blood smeared across her forehead as if she had wiped away sweat.
"W-what are you doing in here?" she asked, alarmed.

Kiara blinked as a rush of concern flooded into her again.

"We wanted to talk to you... what happened to you Eglantine" she asked in worry.
As she walked over to the older woman briskly.

Horatio went to her other side and Eglantine sighed as he held his white handkerchief against her bleeding cheek.
"Nothing happened to me, love." She assured them both. "And what is it you wish to discuss."

"How did you cut your cheek?" Horatio asked, his voice deep, but not quite accusingly. She sighed again.
"A...um...miniature dragon attacked me." Horatio wasn't exactly sure how to take that explanation.

Kiara raised her eye brow, "Miniture dragon?.. where did you get all these" she said glanceing at the books.

"What is going on Eglantine?"

Eglantine sighed, leaning back limply in her wheelchair. Suddenly a small purple and green dragon leaped from a box and swooped around the room.

"Excessum Neci!" Eglantine muttered, pointing Excessum at the dragon. The dragon disintegrated into powdery dust. "Vivo gero." she exclaimed. The dragon emerged from the tip and sat meekly on the desk.

"Progress is what is going on..." Eglantine stated, smiling.

Kiara's eyes widened, "You can reverse Excessum?... Is this what you have been up to lately?" she said sending a sideways glances to Horatio.

Horatio sat stiffly in her guest chair. "What was that?" he asked, no doubt meaning the ash and the reversal.

Eglantine practically beamed. "Yes, Kiara. Isn't it wonderful?" She turned to look at Horatio. And her smile vanished like the the dragon had under Excessum Neci. A look of horror crossed her face.

"How could you!" Horatio stated, his voice steely and severe. He rose from his seat and left the room.

Kiara blinked in surprise as Horatio left. "Horatio?" she stated but it was to late he had already left.

Kiara turned back to Eglantine "I don't understand, isn't this a good thing. I mean I don't agree with you doing this by your self, but this is what we have been trying to find a way to do for weeks now"

Eglantine sighed. "Excessum is mine, Kiara. Death has claimed me as its mistress. How could you love me? How could Horatio?" Tears dripped down her pale cheeks as she began to shake.

Kiara was at Eglantines side in a instant "Non-sence Eglantine, I am with you no matter what you hear me? and Horatio loves you to, I know he does Eglantine, he will come round you'll see" she said beginning to understand why Horatio left.

Eglantine shook her head. "I don't want him to. He deserves someone who wont attempt the things I have. Someone better." she picked up the bloody handkerchief Horatio had dropped. "I stain him, Kiara. Just like this." she held up the white cloth with its dark stain.

Kiara shook her head "No.... He loves you Eglantine there is nothing you can do to change that" Kiara said soflty.

"He is just scared of losing you to it I think.... and he holds so much guilt about it's creation. You explanding on it..."

Kiara sighed "You need to talk with him Eglantine, I will go with you, if you want... I don't want to see the two of you suffer. Please just try.." she said

"If you do not I will, I will not standby and watch the both of you suffer"

Eglantine sighed. "I have...work to do. Thank you though, Kiara." she levitated another thick tome to set in front of her, a cloud of dust enveloping her face momentarily before she flicked her wand to banish the dust.
The dragon docilely moved across Eglantine's desk until it reached her. Climbing up onto her shoulder, it balanced itself on her slight left shoulder and made an almost happy sound in the back of its reptilian throat. Obviously Vivo gero put the creature under Eglantine's direct control.

Kiara blinked "But Eglantine..." then she trialed off...

Horatio said the wrong thing and did the wrong thing a few moments ago and she didn't know how to convince her when she didn't want to. She could see why Horatio reacted the way he did, given how he felt about the hole ordeal.

And she could he Eglantine was hurt by his reaction.

She sighed and looked down not really knowing what to say to Eglantine about it now.

"I am glad you control it Eglantine, just be careful the people who care about you tend to get worried when you work to hard" She said.

She made up her mind she would speak with Horatio later, after he had time to think.

Eglantine nodded as she placed the stained yew wand on the desk. She kept her hand on it though as if afraid it would roll away or something. "Thank you, Kiara." she stated, a small smile creasing her lips. "I will be careful. I swear." It was not a wizard's oath though and no glow appeared to seal her words.

Kiara shook her head in worry, she trusted Eglantine that much she was certain, but that wand....?

No she didn't trust it and with Eglantine seemingly even more connected to it then ever, it made her worry even more. She doubted very much now that they could disconnect the wand form Eglantine now. It may have been possible when she wanted it to be destroyed and disconnected form her. But now however yes she was very worried...

"I am curious Eglantine.... Why did you seek to control the Execssum wand? I thought we were planing to destroy it?"

Eglantine opened the book, and removed her hand from Excessum. "Sometimes in order to remove the anchor, one must dive into deeper water." she replied. "If I can control it; it no longer controls me and that is a step it the right direction."

Kiara nodded acccepting the answer, that reasoning had been in her mind as well.

"Very Well I will agree to that.... I will leave you to your work then.. Oh one other thing I am curious about... Horatio said you have been recieving letters, can I ask who they are from? Not Charles I hope" she said with a frown. Hoping through some way Eglantine would not get word of what she was planing to do.

Eglantine glanced up at Kiara, her eyes sharp with a stony frustration. "He should not have told you that." she whispered softly. Sighing she pulled a stack of envelopes, some stained with soot and blood, out of her pocket. "They are from my father. He had them sent to me before he died. They arrived one by one, just as he planned for them to come."