Personal Quarters

Kiara looked back and forth between Horatio and Eglantine.

"Guys I told you I am fine" Kiara said as she tried to sit up only to be called a lier when arms failed her, and bit her lip and lay back in bed

Sighing she said "Yes tea would be lovely" she said warily. Maybe if she let them do what they wanted they let her get back to work.

She had so much of it..

Horatio ran out of the bedroom to get the tea. "Darjeeling or English Breakfast?" he shouted from the other room. Eglantine placed a small basin of water on the bed and dipped a wash cloth into it.

"You need to rest, Kiara. Work and everything else will wait for you." she began to gently wash Kiara's arms.

Kiara thought or a second "English breakfast I guess.. thank you Horatio"

"But Eglantine have so much to do, the minsty hounding me becuase of the triwizard tournamrnt and it is me keeping them satisfied is the only thing keeping from sending there rude officals. I can't stop now... and then there alots of other thing to do. Can't I bring some in here to do?" she asked.

Horatio brought in the tea, placing it on the table near her bed. "Eglantine told you rest, Kiara. And rest you will. No paperwork and definitely no letters from "rude" officials." He patted her hand and sighed.

"Ciaran is on his way here, by the way." he muttered, so only Kiara could hear him.

Kiara was about to argue when Horatio whispered that Ciaran was on his way, she almost jumped, or if she had been able to she would have

"What! but why? I don't want to worry him needlessly, I am fine" Kiara insisted desperaly.

"Horatio, please." Eglantine admonished. "Ciaran is not coming here, Kiara. I'll send him away if he does come." Obviously she had put together two and two.

Kiara still looked unsure, and she looked at Horatio "You told him didn't you? what did you tell him?"

"Please say you didn't tell him I was hurt...." kiara had a feeling no matter what Eglantine said Ciaran would want to see her anyway if he thought she was hurt.

"I told him that you were swamped with paperwork and he volunteered to help you out." Horatio assured her. "I would not worry him."

Eglantine groaned when a knock came on the door. "Send him away, Horatio. And do so tactfully." The older wizard nodded and exited the bedroom. "Don't worry, Kiara. Ciaran will go straight..." she trailed off as Ciaran McConn opened the bedroom door.

"Ara? What happened to her, Professor?" Eglantine glared icily at Horatio, who held up his arms.
"There was nothing I could do, he pushed past me, my dear."

Kiara sighed at Ciarans question and sent a look at Horatio that said "Do I look like I am doing paperwork now?"

"I am fine Ran, Nothing to worry about, Ill be fine, just a little tired" she added a smile. Though she had a feeling she didn't sound convincing. She would problably say she was fine even she was dieing.

Concidering she was tucked very tightly into a bed with a night gown on and to exshasted to get up.

And she probably looked a right sight to....with Eglantine cleaning the blood off her arms.

Plus Horatio and Eglantine siting at her bed side didn't look good either. Oh yeah she was lieng through her teeth and now that he was here she couldn't just tell him to leave. Since Ciaran wasn't blind nor stupid, he would know something happened to her.

Ciaran crossed his arms over his chest. "Ya be looking fine, lass." he muttered, the worry in his eyes fading to amusement. Apparently he believed that if someone could say they were alright, despite appearances, they would not die. Seating himself beside her, he took her hand in his.

"What dared attack ya, Ara?" he asked. Eglantine finished cleaning the arm and handed the bloodied basin to Horatio, who vanished it.

Kiara gave a small smile, relived he wasn't in a panic because of her.

"Well had a unfortunate run in with a Black Phoenix just inside the forest, just bad luck I guess that rareest and most most agressive of birds is in the same place I am. I told you I attract trouble. Sorry if I worried you before" she said.

She turned to both Eglantine and Horatio "I am sorry that worried all of you" she said honestly.

"It is fine, Kiara dear." Horatio assured her, reaching down to pat her hand. "You are alright now and that's all that matters." Ciaran nodded, bringing her hand up to kiss.
"Ya never have to apologize to me lass." he muttered, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Eglantine said nothing, her eyes held an almost glazed expression and her lip trembled momentarily before she levitated herself into a standing position and left the room.

Kiara blinked when Eglantine left her room without saying a word, "Eglantine?" she said confused.

Turning to Horatio she gave him a curious look as if to say "do you know?"

Horatio patted Kiara's hand again, before hurrying out of the room after Eglantine.
"Are you all right?" he asked, closing the bedroom door behind him. Eglantine was levitating in front of the fireplace, her hands brought up to cover her face. Horatio approached her, worry rushing over him like a mountain crumbling. Her shoulders shook slightly and he wrapped his arms around her, turning her so that she could bury her face in his robes. He tightened his embrace when he saw that tears were dripping down her pale cheeks.
"What's wrong, sweetbriar?" he asked gently. Eglantine dropped the levitation charm and allowed Horatio to take on her full weight.
"Kiara..." she sobbed. "No one can protect her. Not even the wards of the dark arts." Horatio was greatly disturbed by her mention of dark wards, but decided to not say anything about it.
"She is all right, Eglantine." he soothed. Of course, he was greatly troubled and worried himself, but it helped him to comfort her.
"And next time?" she asked, looking up at him. He sighed, those green eyes filled with tears could make him do anything.
"That is the way life is, briar. We just have to do our best. Our best is the only thing we can give."


Ciaran watched Horatio close the door behind him. "Don't worry he'll take care of it." he assured her. "No need to worry."

Kiara sighed warily, "I can't help it, she is more of a mother to me then my own biological mother was. When something is bothering her like that how can I not worry about it. Although I admit with Horatio with her all the time I am not as worried as I used to be" she said.

Not wanting to have a converstion laying down, and probaly fall asleep in the middle of it she forced her aching arms to move and push her self up as she probed up a pillow.
She showed no discomfort on her face however as she did so.

"Anyway Horatio said he told you I was swamped with paper work, I doubt you would rush here and push passed him into my room if that was the case...plus not to mention if I was doing paperwork I would be in my office, not here. What did he really tell you that got you here so quickly?" she asked as she held his hand, not buying it that he had been worried over her writing to much.

"Ah, I see..." Ciaran muttered, filing away the new information. He figured that Kiara was friends with the quiet professor; but had not known that she thought of her as a mother. And his great-uncle was obviously looked upon as a fatherly figure. The thoughts warmed his heart. He had always thought of Horatio as his favourite uncle, the only one whom he had ever attempted to get to know via owls. And as for Professor DeLanquar, she seemed nice enough. "It's lovely to hear, lass." he continued. As for Horatio's fire call to him...he swallowed.

"Well, he didn't actually mention ya being swamped... me uncle said ya was hurt, Ara. He meant best."

Kiara sighed on lay her head on the propped up pillow."Horatio.... What am I going to do you with you?" she asked herself in a sighed, "Oh well he over exasperated, but I did almost beg him to tell me he didn't tell you just that." Looking at Ciaran "i didn't want to worry you for no reason" she explained quietly.

"I really am swamped with paper work though and getting more swamped just sitting here" she sighed.

Then again she thought Horatio had never really seen her when she was not her best. At least she didn't recall ever mentioning to Horatio about her lungs. He knew she didn't like smoke yes, she didn't think she ever told him the extent of her lung damage.

"This is nothing that needs worrying about, I have been through worse.....much worse" she started but let it drop with a sigh.

Then putting on a smile she said "Tell your son I am sorry hmm? He will have wait for that tour I promised for a little longer I am afraid. At least until my prison keepers let me out of bed, " she said motioning her head toward out the door.

"Its a shame though I was looking forward to meeting him" she said with a detectable note of dissapontiment in her voice.

Ciaran chuckled. "Don't be fretting yaself at me uncle. He's always this way, lass." At the mention of her being flooded with paperwork, Ciaran nodded, his face growing serious.

Taking her hands in his, he sighed. "Don't be thinking about the worse times...Ara. Just think bout now." He kissed the back of her hands, carefully making his way around to kissing her palms.

"Then ya wont have to be waiting any longer." he whispered, carefully sliding a strong arm under Kiara's legs and wrapping his other arm around her back. Picking her up, he kissed her on the lips before carrying her over to the fireplace. Maneuvering Kiara, so that he had a free hand, Ciaran tossed a handful of floo powder in, muttering "Guest chambers" as he stooped to carry her in.

((To Guest Chambers))

Kiara smiled his words, she would have to thank Eglantine and Horatio one day, Ciaran was so sweet.

She was a little shocked at first when he picked her up and carried her the the fire place. But I was soon replaced with anticipation.

As they left she briefly wondered if Eglantine and Horatio would worry about she sudden departure.

"Thank you" she whispered back.

Horatio laid Eglantine on the sofa. She had fallen asleep as he had comforted her. Conjuring a blanket, he covered her careful to leave the edges untucked, as she had muttered once that she couldn't understand how some people found it comfortable. Heading back for the bedroom to assure Kiara that all was well taken care of, he poked his head in just in time to see Ciaran vanish into the fireplace with Kiara in his arms.

"You sneaky Scott." He chuckled. Still, he thought, glancing back to be certain Eglantine was truly asleep, he would be blamed for the whole thing if a certain Transfiguration professor awoke.

((Not a double post- continued from Guest Chambers))

Ciaran carried a sleeping Kiara from the fireplace and sighed with relief as he noticed the closed door and the absence of any angry mother figures. Laying Kiara on the bed, he tucked her back in, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"Sleep well, Ara." and then he slipped out into the sitting room.

Horatio was snoring in a chair across from the couch, where Eglantine slept silently. Ciaran chuckled softly as his uncle unconsciously waved a fly from his nose.

"Sleep well...." he murmured again, conjuring a blanket for his uncle and wrapping it around the older wizard. Within moments, he was on his way back to his chambers via the hallway.

Kiara awoke as the sun streamed into her room, sitting up she felt refreshed she slept rather deeply through the night. Her magic was back to it normal strength, though she was still sore, not nearly as bad as it was the day earlier. She could move now anyway at least, more stiff then anything.

Getting up she slipped a robe over herself, brushed her hair and walked out to the living room to see if Eglantine and Horatio were still there.

Horatio was pacing muttering to himself when he noticed Kiara enter from the bedroom.

"Good morning, my dear. How did you you sleep?" Eglantine was still asleep on the couch, almost totally covered by the blanket.

Kiara smiled "Wonderfully, thank you" she whispered not wanting to wake Eglantine.

"You two slept the night? you didn't have to I told ya I would be alright" looking at the sleeping form of Eglantine she asked.

"Is she alright? did say what was wrong?" she asked with a note of concern in her voice.

Horatio nodded. "We wanted to be sure you were truly all right. Let's face it Kiara dear, you have a terrible habit of overworking yourself..." he muttered.

"Yes, she's fine. Just tired...hasn't been sleeping very well the past few days. Something about a wand...she was mumbling in her sleep." he shrugged his shoulders.