A Road

"Are you quite certain?" Eglantine asked, her green eyes wide as Horatio studied the map.
"Well, yes of course, I know how to read." he assured her, blue eyes twinkling with a mixture of mirth and ignorance. "Besides the GPS thing should know where its going."
"Horatio, it is not on." the witch pointed out, a fingernail touching the unglowing light at the corner of the device.

"Aren't we there yet?" Esis asked from the back, seated between a sleeping Edwin and a bored Tav. Of all the occupants of the vehicle, it could have been assumed that one of the children would have voiced said question long before the second oldest adult.
"No, Lachesis, and would you kindly stop asking. Horatio is looking at the map." Eglantine explained, pulling the backing mirror down slightly to check on Edwin.

The bit of drool dripping down his chubby cheek showed he had been happily asleep for at least awhile. Tav, who she could see when the mirror was again adjusted, sat with his feet tucked under him, staring out the car's window. A blank iPod sat in his lap and earphones dangled from his neck having fallen unwanted from his ears. Esis, bouncing up and down in the middle, appeared to be the only one enjoying herself. It was then that Eglantine noticed that the other earphone bud was in Esis' ear and that was probably the reason that Tav was not listening. Eglantine herself would hardly enjoy most of what kept Esis entertained.

"Ah-hah!" Horatio cheered, his finger poking the muggle folding map. "I took the wrong road back here." Glancing through the window at the frozen road, he waited for a car to pass before pulling back onto the road. "Hold onto your pipes!" he roared as the car sputtered and spit into the other lane.
"Faster!" Esis cheered, leaning forward so her frizzy haired head was in between Eglantine's seat and Horatio's.
"Don't lieb!" Eglantine countered, gently pushing her cousin backwards. "Your seat belt!" she reminded, her wand quickly fastening it around Esis' waist.
"Yes, mama." Esis chuckled, rolling her brown eyes.

Finally they found themselves having gone back to the right road and now watched snowy trees pass them by as the vehicle huffed and puffed to pull them up the steep hills.
"I could have sworn this truck worked better last time I checked it over." Horatio murmured, mashing the accelerator into the floor and frowning as the car's engine let out a pitiful groan and halted. Smoke billowed from the bonnet and french curses erupted from Esis.
"Schande über Sie!"(shame on you) Eglantine hissed, glaring at Esis. "Such language." the woman shut up, but childishly stuck her tongue out.

"Um... that doesn't look good." Tav muttered, pointing at the smoke.
"No indeed it does not." Eglantine agreed, her glare moving from Esis to Horatio. The older wizard cleared his throat several times before sighing.
"Fine, fine." he threw up his hands. "I admit it was a bad idea to travel to see my kin by car. Happy?" Esis nodded, while Eglantine sighed in exasperation.

"Please just fix it, lieb." she offered, handing him his cloak. Horatio took it and braced himself for the cold outside. After all it was Christmas day, and the weather was chilly and snowy not to mention the wind seemed quite happy to toss all the icy snow about in festive feeling.
Freezing, Horatio opened the door and bundled out, closing it behind him. The stout wind nearly knocked him over and he cast several warming charms on his person as he opened the bonnet to look in.

"Wha he dwoin?" Edwin asked, suddenly awake and quite alert. The blurry form of Horatio opening the smoking front was hardly something to miss at any length.
"Making our mess worse." Esis supplied, earning a cough from Eglantine.
"Fixing the engine, love." she stated, hoping he was indeed doing that and not as Esis had said.
"He knows how to do that?" Tav asked, skeptical.

"No... but Horatio thinks he does. Oh the terrors of men and machines." Esis fell back against the seat dramatically and Tav giggled.
"Mama, wha a twerer?" Edwin asked.
"Aunt Esis is just being silly, love. Ignore her." Eglantine sighed, becoming worried as Horatio had yet to emerge from behind the smudgy bonnet. "Give him his viper, Esis and his drink."

Esis nodded, and unbuckled her seatbelt to rummage through the baby bag behind the seat.
"Yay, trinken!"(drink) Edwin cheered, taking viper as it was handed to him. Esis bonked her head on the car roof and falling back hit into Tav, a scream ripping from his mouth as a sharp boot all but inhaled the seat but two centimeters from his head.
"What on earth-?" Eglantine admonished, looking into the mirror. Tav and Esis tried their best to untangle themselves but only ended up screaming louder as Tav's fingers got smashed by Esis's knee and Esis' hair caught on Tav's coat button.

Hearing those within the car begin to scream, Horatio hurried to see what was wrong and opened the driver's door, allowing a gust of cold air to billow into the warm vehicle. Edwin shrieked unhappily and Eglantine's demands for the door to close ranged from English to German and back to French, mixing with Tav and Esis' Gaelic, French and inane squeals of pain from the back. Horatio, in his haste to shut the door, fell against the emergency brake and as his hand went up to grab his bruised forehead, his knee braced against the clutch and the car began to roll down the hill.

Eglantine pulled Horatio up slightly as he attempted to hit the brake and the car slid to a halt but a few precarious centimeters from an icy stretch of road. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, all but Edwin, who clapped with joy.
"Dwo it awin!" he shouted. Horatio chuckled nervously as Eglantine folded her arms.
"Well, that was an interesting experience." he sighed, as Tav finally got Esis up and off of him.
"Were we moving?" Esis bellowed, hair looking like a mad goblin had gone through it with a fork. Tav himself looked only slightly better, although both were smiling like the pranksters they were.

"That was wicked awesome!" Tav exclaimed, high-fiving Esis and then Edwin. Horatio chuckled and leaned back in the seat to high-five Tav as well.
"Don't!" Eglantine screamed, as Horatio's foot left the brake and the car's front wheels hit ice.
Screams of terror, fear and joy filled the vehicle as they went spinning down the icy incline of pavement. They finally "wiped out" on the gravel beside the road, silence enveloping those within the car.
"Shut your door, Horatio." Eglantine stated calmly, her fingernails embedded in the dashboard.

"You drive like a sugar-high loon!" Esis shrieked. "I love it! This is the best Christmas ever, Horatio!" Edwin and Tav heartily agreed and even Eglantine slowly smiled.
"You do drive oddly, love." she murmured, as Horatio closed his door with a dull clink.
"Um... now what?" he asked. Their engine had apparently frozen and no magical charm he knew had been able to restart it.
"Hitch-hick?" Esis offered. Tav and Eglantine both glared at her. "What?" Esis innocently raised her hands. "Just a suggestion."

"We could levitate the car and continue on to your brother's house, Horatio." Eglantine suggested. Horatio nodded.
Together the three magic users in the car cast a powerful levitation charm and they floated harmlessly over the icy road.

"Wha's mwy trinken?" Edwin demanded, all else fading from his mind.
Esis sighed. "I'll get it."



The charmed car floated up to the McKevin doorstep, dropping to the pavement that made up the driveway. The crash caused a rather echoed thump to ripple through the air and Horatius McKevin, Horatio's younger brother, by five years, hurried to open the door.

He was a cheerful man, all smiles and nervous hands as he assisted Esis and Tav from the car. Horatio did the same with Eglantine as her wheelchair returned to its normal size and he gently deposited her into it.
"Ah, little brother!" Horatio cheered, embracing Horatius who returned the hug and greeting.
"Indeed, elder brother!" he smiled, patting his back. "I was delighted to receive your email. And even happier to see you arrive with your family in tow."
"Yes, yes." Horatio nodded, as they all entered the cozy suburban residence.

Horatius was a bachelor, but a tidy one. His home was decorated to the holiday feel with hollies on the doors, trees with blinking lights and tinsel hanging from every window ledge and picture frame. The modest sitting area held two large trees with an alert beagle resting on the sofa. The little dog had a santa hat on his head and a fine little beard dangling from his neck as he looked up happily at the guests.
"A doggy wike Towier!" Edwin shouted, running to hug the dog. Thankfully it licked the toddler all over, happy to have so much attention.
"Ah, I see you and Joby will get on well." Horatius chuckled, patting Edwin's head.

"Edwin be nice with the animal." Eglantine murmured, releasing the chokehold Edwin had on Joby and pulling the boy up to sit on the couch. "Sit and pet, love."
"Edwin is Eglantine's son." Horatio explained, winking at the boy. "Esis here is Eglantine's cousin and you of course remember Tav. Rachel's grandson." Horatius' eyes widened.
"This is little Tavish. Upon my word, he has grown. The McKevin blood in him no doubt."
"Maybe, Uncle Horatius." Tav chuckled, smiling. "But we McConn's are proud to be as we are." This got a hearty laugh from both gentlemen.
"Aye, no doubt you've been hanging out with your Uncle Ea a wee bit to much." Horatius chuckled.

"Either that or he's been too much with Horatio and deemed the McConn side more easily explained." Esis jested, happy when Horatius laughed loudly.
"My my, but you all are a happy, merry lot. A good thing you joined me for my lonely Yuletide feast." He bowed, motioning for them to follow him to the dining area.

It was set with china and steaming dishes and bowls of meats, jams, and all assorted Christmas delights were spread out to feast the eyes upon.
"Oh it is lovely." Eglantine gasped, Esis pulling Edwin back before his fingers plunged into the nearest bowl of gravy.
"Why thank you, although you and yours presence make all much prettier." Horatius bowed.

Soon they were all seated and enjoying a wonderful Christmas meal.

"Pass the rolls if you please." Horatio asked, humming merrily as "Silver Bells" wafted through the dining room. Tav was happily tucked into the roasted pork and shepherd's pie, but still found the time to pass the rolls.
Esis took yet another bit of the buttery mashed potatoes and dill, sighing that it was a heavenly morsel. Not one to be unhappy with food and plenty of it, Edwin's fork slashed through his second roll and his elbow ran through the gravy and knocked his pudding from the table.
"No need to worry, lad." Horatius smiled, catching the pudding and wiping Edwin's elbow clean with a napkin. "All's well that eats well."