McConn Cottage July 2028

The McConn household was already in somber mood, a feeling of loss. Ciaran sat in the living room, a pipe in his mouth and an unopened book on his lap. His thoughts went beyond the wall his blue eyes were boring into.

In his mind he could see his uncle, sitting alone with his two motherless sons in his arms... his mother-in-law laying pale and motionless on the couch as he helped Kiara prepare her for burial...
He and Eglantine had never gotten along, mainly due to her initial distrust of him and her odd involvement with the darker arts. He had never really understood why she might distrust him, and had not know that after his marriage to her daughter, she had accepted him as her son. A woman of few words and fewer plain emotions, Eglantine had not made it clear to him that the distrust was no longer an issue.

Now she was dead... and the entire family was feeling the loss, despite their attempts to rise above it.

Suddenly there was a harsh rap on the window and he turned to see a large vulture, whacking its long ugly neck on the pane. Leaping up, he called for Kiara and ran to the window. Vultures brought messages from purgers...

A black scroll dropped into his hand and the vulture flew away. He unrolled it, paling as the words appeared written with a finger dipped in blood.

"Ciaran McConn,

One by one they fall to die-

Rachel McConn
Agnus McConn

Purgers"

Kiara walked in briskly into the living room when Ciaran called for her, she could hear the urgancy in his voice and it concered her.

"Whats wrong?" she asked. Then she saw the black scroll and her husbands paled face. Her worry turned to dread.. someone else had been taken.

Cautiously she approched him and placed her hand on his shoulder, then she read the scroll and a faint gasp escaped her lips as she read the names on it.

Her grip on Ciaran tightend and her other hand moved to his other shoulder. She ignored the growing anger in her, the want to take her sorrow out on the bloody purgers. They went to far this time, to kill his parents.... she thought that even to low for them. They were muggles, what point did it serve them to kill them?

She looked at Ciaran, with worry, she could say nothing to make it better so she didn't try.

"Ciaran...." she whispered making her presence beside him even more known as she moved her hand to his face making him face her away form the scroll.

Everything faded around him save for the words of the letter. In the haze, he could hear Kiara's sweet voice, but it made no connection with his brain.
"No..." he murmured. "no"

Gently pulling away from Kiara, he pulled out his wand. "Tav!" he called, his voice gruff with unshed tears and an anger than boiled from his very soul.
The young man quickly ran down the steps.
"Yes, Da?" he asked.

"Watch your sister and brother." Ciaran instructed, turning back to Kiara. "I have ta make sure, Ara..."

Kiara nodded in understanding, but there was no way she was letting him go into a potentaily purger active area without her. Plus there was no telling what they would find there.

She to removed her wand "I am going with you" she said the tone in her voice that sugessted she wasn't to let him leave with out her.

Ciaran nodded, reaching out to take her hand. Together they shut the door behind them and apparated to the Original McConn Cottage...

**at the McConn Cottage**

The house looked untouched. The gentle hill it sat on was untouched, the bright sun playing its yard and dancing on its roof.
And yet there was an eerie silence.
The door was closed and a small trail of smoke left through the chimney.

Ciaran carefully opened the door, shielding Kiara by instinct from whatever curse might come from within. His Auror training kicked in and he carefully scanned his surroundings, taking in the tidy sitting room and the neat dinning area. That left the upstairs bedrooms and the kitchen... and the basement.

Carefully he moved through the house that had held the memories of his childhood, the courting of his first wife, the birth of his son and then many more happy days.

He first noticed the dead dog that lay centimeters from the closed kitchen door. Knowing how much his father had loved that dog, he felt his hand clench tighter around his wand.
The door opened with a slight creak... and there they were.

Some terrible spell had mutilated their bodies beyond humanly recognition and he stumbled back, turning to shield his eyes from the sight. Strung up like meat in a butcher's window, his parents were now among the beloved gone.

Kiara had her hand over her mouth and her eyes were filled with tears... with a wave of her wand she cut the bodies down and conjured sheets to cover there bodies.

Glancing around she made sure there was no one else with them before going to Ciaran. Him off all people shouldn't have seen that, whatever Curse had been used it most certianly not a light one.. or a painless one. That made her even angrier, not only were there murderers but hippocrits to.

She hadn't really known Ciaran while he was gireving, hence didn't know how he grieved.

Walking up behind him she hesitated for a moment before touching his shoulder once again. Letting him know she was there if he wanted her to be.

Ciaran said nothing. His jaw clenched while his hands clenched into balls. Finally unable to contain his rage any longer, he screamed. It was a sound of pure anger and rage that came from his very soul. Agony and pain erupting in waves as he sunk to his knees. Then in a slow pattering not unlike the rain's fall, tears dripped down his cheeks.

Kiara stiffened when Ciaran screamed and a fresh wave of tears went down her cheeks. His cry in pain cut through her like a hot knife, her breath caught in her throat, she did the only thing she could do, she followed him to the floor and held on to his shoulders.

"I am so sorry" she whispered.

It broke her heart to have to say what she was about to say but it couldn't be helped.

Through a sob she said in a whisper, "Ciaran..... we have to barry them.... I am so sorry" she said again pain, sadness, and fear clear in her voice. They couldn't morn here, not for long.

As quickly as the overwhelming agony had overcome him, it passed away into a more bearable grief that allowed him to focus on surviving for his wife and his children.
"I know, Ara." he whispered, pulling her into his arms briefly, savoring the feel of protecting her, even for a moment...

Slowly, he rose to his feet. Entering the kitchen again, he knelt and scooped up the wrapped body of his father. It seemed impersonal to levitate them...

Kiara sadly watched as he picked up his father, Like this was not bad enough they had to barry them as soon as possible.

She in turn picked up her mother-in law, the emotion and trama she was in at that moment, the weight older womans body hardly mattered. All that mattered to her was to help Ciaran, as he had helped her since the day she met him, he was always there for her, always strong.. even when he was hurting like he was now. Keeping a firm hold on her Mother-in-laws body she followed Ciaran out side, trying to keep her sences on high alert just in case the purgers came back.

Then the thought that often haunted her entered her mind. Would it had been better to leave Ciaran before they married? when she first found out about the purgers... Ciaran was put on the list as he refused to leave them and he stood up for them... for her. What if she had left him? if only to keep him and his family safe.

"I am so sorry" she whispered every so quietly to Rachel's body. They were completely innocent in this, there was no reason other then getting to them and making there lives miserable.

Then she thought of Horatio, "No it might still might have happened" she whispered sollomly to herself pushing away her feeling of guilt back down.

Then it hit her, had Horatio gotten the same message Ciaran had? She almost hoped not, her adopted father had been through so much with Eglantine, he not need to find out from purgers what happened here. She would tell him after, when they got home, hopefully anyway.

Dark clouds rolled over the sun as Ciaran and Kiara carried the dead outside. A single hole was dug with magic as thick droplets of rain began to fall. It was a dreary day...

Ciaran sighed deeply as he covered the bodies with the last bit of soil. Wrapping an arm around Kiara's waist, he closed his eyes.
"Thank ya..." he muttered.

Kiara turned and looked at him and said nothing, there was nothing to say, at that moment. She simply wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

A tear went down her face, she felt numd from her grief with her own mother, Ciaran lost both to murder, it was just crule.

For this moment they would say goodbye and head home where they had to break the news to the children.

The rain pelted down about the grieving couple, but a whispered charm kept them dry and warm. Slowly as if lead had been rendered to his feet, Ciaran began to walk away from the fresh grave.

There were the children to think of... All three of them had loved their grandparents deeply and the thought of telling them that they had just lost them, especially so soon after their grandmother's death, clawed at him.

Kiara walked sadly with Ciaran, how could they tell the children this?

___

((Kiara and Ciaran's house...))

Kiara walked inside looking more somber then what she had before. She had her arms around Ciaran.. She still worried about him greatly, The sight they had seen was not a pretty one. and she worried about shock, or holding in the pain she had witnessed briefly that moment right after. It was alot to accept so suddenly and it worried her.

Rossa looked up as if feeling something was wrong as soon as she saw her mother and her father.

"Mommy? Daddy? whats wrong?" she asked out right, though she wasn't sure she really wanted to know either. The last time her mother looked at her like that, she was told her Grandmama wouldn't becoming back.. Which was something she was still tying to accept.

Kiara sighed her arms still comfortingly on Ciarans shoulders.. "Sit in the living room children, all of you please. You Da and I have to tell you something" she said quietly almost as if she really didn't want to say it but had to.

Ciaran entered the house with Kiara, his arm still wrapped around her waist. Seating himself on the couch, he pulled Rossa up into his lap. Kiara's hand on his shoulders were most comforting, but his heart still burned within his chest.

Tav and Edan seated themselves, both looking concerned. Edan had Rossa's pet squirrel in his lap, but he seemed to be paying attention.

"Me darlins..." he began, tears forming in his eyes. "Ya remember when yar Grandmama went away, don't ya?" Of course they did... but it felt easier to say it this way.
"Your Grandda and Grandmum went to join her..."

Tav's jaw clenched, but he said nothing, remaining silent and calm for his family. Edan cocked his head to the side.
"Where'd they go, Mama?"

Rossa looked wided eyed at her father, never had she seen him cry before.. or at least not like this. Seeing him sad made her sad, and the thought of her Grandmama brougt tears to her eyes. She blinked trying to understand what her father was telling her.

Hugging on to her Father she summed it up in the only way she could understand.

"Are they not coming back either..." she asked in her small voice.

Kiara sent a glance to Tav, she knew that look on his face... he was so like his father, always puting up a brave face. She would talk to him later.. sometimes he didn't always need to be brave.

Edans innocent question almost broke her heart. "They went to Heaven honey... you know that your Grandmama is no longer with us right? Well...." she paused struggling to explain it to Edan without bursting into tears herself. ".... your Grandad and Grandmum are no longer with is either..... They aren't comeing back.." she said unable to stop a tear travel down her face.

Edan looked confused for a moment. "I thought Heaven was a good place." he stated, his childish logic leaving him confused.

Ciaran sighed, pulling Rossa against him. "But they'll always be with us, Rossa. Just like Grandmama." he murmured.

He stiffened slightly as he felt something enter his mind.
"Ciaran..."

Kiara sighed and guestured for Edan to come to her." It is honey, it is just we will miss them very much. We can't visit in Heaven baby" she said.

Rossa sniffed back tears and nodded to her father, though she didn't quite understand what he meant. When she felt him stiffen Rossa lifted her head "Daddy?" she asked.

Kiara glanced at him in concern, clearly showing she worried about him.

Edan nodded, his face falling. "Why can't we visit, Mama?" Tav looked over at him.

"Because you have to die to get there." he muttered, rising to his feet and hurrying up the steps.
Edan sniffed, before bursting into tears.
"I don't wanna die." he whimpered.

Ciaran felt more than heard a soft lilting voice within him.
"It was a breath...they were released before the pain..." And then as quickly as it was heard/felt, the voice was gone.
"Yes, lass. I'm fine." he murmured. Or will be, he added.

Kiara held on to Edan, and sighed when Tav ran up stairs. "You are not going to Die Edan...least not any time soon, if I have anything to say about it, That is why we are going to miss your Grandparents Very very much.." she said to her young son.

"That is why we are sad sweety, it hurts in here..." she said placeing her hand over his heart. "When we loose someone we love"she said and place her lips on his forehead.

Then she tilted her head upwards to Tavs Room, before turning back to Edan. "Sweety... I need to go to your Brother for little bit alright? Stay here with your Da and give him alot of love. Can you do that for me sweety?" she asked. Then she turned to Ciaran, Kissed him on the cheek, "I am going to go and check on him Love"

She wasn't sure if Tav wanted her to be there or not, if he didn't she would let him gireve in his own way. She just wanted to give him the option... of someone being there for him. She was his mum afterall, she didn't want him to suffer through all this alone if it could be helped. Plus she wanted to make sure he didn't do anything rash in his grief or anger.

Rossa sniffed and started to cry as she held on to her Dad, she had heard what her mother had said to Edan, she had been right her grandparents weren't coming back. She kissed his cheek as she continued to sob on his shoulder.

Edan nodded, sniffing back a few tears. He was someone easily reduced to tears and easily returned to calm... Tav kidded his younger brother about a switch on his back, that allowed the change to occur.

Ciaran nodded, knowing that Tav's outburst, although wrong, had been a direct response to his grief. After all Ciaran's parents were his real blood relations... and while Tav loved Kiara and her parents, he had known the others longer and had felt a deeper connection to them because of his age...
Eglantine had been closer to Rossa and Edan...mainly because they were Kiara's adopted children...almost more her children than Tav. Tav had been older when Kiara had come into his life, while Edan and Rossa had been babies.

Tav had fled to his room and shut the door, opening it as soon as he had closed it. He knew someone, either his father or mother would soon come to check on him... they would lay aside their own grief to help soothe his... and it pained him that he had reacted so childishly and yet, it had been done.

Sighing, he knew he needed to get away. Selfish as it was, Tav needed to be alone, away from the comforting arms of his parents and innocent tears of his younger siblings. Casting a simple floating charm on himself, he leapt from the window of his bedroom. Of course that was after he had left a note to his parents on his bed.
"I've gone to see Valerio...no worries." he had written, more or less true. He might go to see his friend after a bit.

Once outside, he apparated away to Morpheus Keep.

Kiara went up to Tav's room and knocked on the door, when she didn't recieve, she bit her lip and called, "Tav?" still no answer. Becoming even more worried, in her already stressed mind from the days events she opened the door. To find Tav... not there.

Seeing the note, Kiara sighed and brought her hand to her eyes, rubbing them as a few tears went down her face. Concidering the fact Tav was recently told his grandparents had died, Kiara concluded he wanted to be alone.. and went to the other conclusion Tav was not with Valerio at all. This day of all days she would have prefered Tav had stayed home. If he wanted to be alone, she would have let him be, but at least she would have the peice of mind he was safe and sound at home.

No, she didn't like the fact Tav took off right during this blow to a already sadened family, it only worried her more, cause she more then anyone knew what grief could do to a person if they let it.

In normal circumtances she trusted Tav very much in the area of common sence. She just worried about him... after the events of today who could blame her.

Putting the note in her pocket she went back down stairs.

Kiara looked at the rest of her family when she entered the living room and went to sit beside them.

She ran her hand through Rossa's blondish red hair, as she cried sighlently on her fathers shoulder.

"Tav wanted to be alone..." she said quietly to Ciaran, to see if he found this surprising or not.

Ciaran nodded at his wife's words. Later when the young man returned...he might have a talk with him. There was always a tearing... a decision of what was balanced. After all, Tav was already training to become an auror... he had already graduated from Hogwarts and in most legal terms, was an adult wizard. But still, Tav was his son, and would forever be the little freckle faced lad mischievously creeping around corners to jump out and scare him...

"He'll come back, Ara." he murmured, taking her hand with his free one. Edan had cried briefly against his father's knee, before going to sit against the wall with the squirrel. His face although tear-stained was already drying...

Ciaran patted Rossa's back, wondering briefly how it was that all three of his children dealt with grief differently...Tav ignored it, trying to remain strong or sought solitude. Edan cried briefly and then wiped it from his mind. And Rossa, the youngest and far more sensitive seemed to hold onto her grief far longer...

Kiara nodded, yes she knew he would come back. Still beating back the protectiveness over her family was a conciderable effort on her part, she had to, or she would never rest in these ever darker times.

She sighed, "I know, but I still worry"

She sat in silence for a moment before saying. "We should tell the rest of your family as soon as possible" She said in a somber voice, the idea of telling everyone made her feel even more mirserable.

"I will contact Horatio" she said, tears in her eyes the moment she said it.

He closed his eyes tightly as Kiara mentioned the rest of his family... for a brief moment, he could see them, his brothers, their wives and children, hanging as his parents had been. Their bodies turned inside out...

"No...the authorities have ta, Ara." he murmured. As much as he longed to comfort his younger brothers and be comforted with the general loss... he couldn't.

And his uncle...tears again trailed down his cheeks. The sun would no doubt fall behind a permanent shade of shadow... what good ray would dare peek into their dreary lives.