Guest Chambers

(Five days after Great Hall childizing posts)

Horatio watched the three "children" seated at the specially sized table. They had juice cups, snacks and a wary eye on each in case anything possibly upset them. Esis had Edwin in Eglantine's chambers, since it upset him to try to figure out who the other kids were.

It was and had been bloody murder trying to deal with a young five year old Kiara...and he was at his wit's end with five year old Eglantine not speaking a word of English. Ciaran was fine, as he thought of Horatio as his uncle and that he was at the "big kids school". A deep sigh emitted from Horatio's lips.

"Lokus." Eglantine murmured, having left her seat and now stood tapping his arm.
"Ah, say that again." He stated, his inability to speak German grating... Esis had not been very helpful, as she knew German and refused to translate. Of course Edwin needed to be watched, but. Well, Sevastyan and all the other adults were busy with the other kids, so maybe, ack Horatio was nearly at the edge.
"Lokus." Eglantine's large green eyes held a patience despite her obvious frustration with the older man.

"Think she wants ta go potty." Ciaran offered.
Eglantine nodded.
"Potty." Upon his word, a five year old Eglantine was better at this than he...

Kiara sat at the table, it had taken her a while... a few days to give up on hiding from her old adult captor, who she had learned was named Horatio.

During her stay here she had explored the whole room they were in and knew where basicly everything was.

She quiet liked the other two Kids she was with, Eglantine she had eventually learned was a quiet girl, and eventually deterimined, the reason behind that was that she didn't speak a word of english. Ciaran was sweet for a boy anyway.. though she was slightly wary of him since seem conciderably close to the Old-Man-Horatio.

She blinked and looked up when it sounded like Eglantine was telling the Old Man she had to use the washroom.


"Eglantine toilette?" she asked useing her limited french to speak to the girl.

She pointed down the hall to where the wash room was.

"C'est cette façon" ((It is that way))

Eglantine curtseyed beautifully for Kiara and then promptly made her way toward the desired room.
Horatio beamed from ear to ear.
"Thanks, Kiara." he sighed, taking his seat again. "Always should have paid more attention in my classes."

"Can we go for a walk?" Ciaran asked, climbing into his uncle's lap. Horatio chuckled.
"I'm afraid not."
"Why not?" Ciaran's huge eyes bored into his and Horatio almost gave in...almost.

"Well... that's a tough one. Um... the students are practicing spells out there." Whew, that was close, he thought. Ciaran shrugged believing his uncle.

"Seife." Eglantine whispered, suddenly standing next to Kiara again. "Es gibt keine Seife."

"What's she want, Ara?" Ciaran asked, thinking just about everything Eglantine said was all part of a fun game. He climbed down from Horatio's lap and hurried over.
"Il n'y a pas de savon." (There is no soap) Eglantine repeated in French this time.

Kiara looked down careful to avoid is eyes and mutteres some where along the line of...

"I didn't do it for you..."

She gazed out one of the the windows, this place was not so bad really... going out for a walk would have been interesting... then again she had escaped from the Old man afew times and each time she was taken back... He propably didn't trust her to stay put...

What did he care where she went? Why keep them cooped up?

She sighed at the obvious lie that students practiced right now... "Oh yes and the grounds are soooo busy with kids... and student practice stuff in class.. they are not allowed to do spells in the hall" she said.. then she froze for a second.. How had she known that?

When Eglantine came back she listened carefully taking her best guess what the words she didn't know were.

"Il n'y a pas de savon?" she said rubbing her hands to gether to motion lathering soap.

"I think she said no soap to wash with.." she said, absently thinking she rather like the shortend version of her name.. Ara... it was kinda cute.

Horatio's mouth opened and closed, but he refrained for admonishing her. After all, she was only a child version of Kiara... and he had no desire to hurt her in anyway.

"If you say so..." he sighed wearily.

Eglantine nodded, unsmiling, but nevertheless a nod.
Horatio knew that her childhood had not been a happy one, and suspected the same for Kiara. While Eglantine had been ignored, Kiara probably was abused as well... the very thought made his blood boil.

"Here we are." he conjured a bar of soap and held it out for the blonde, who curtseyed before taking it.
"Merci, danke." she thanked him, in French and then German to clarify.

"Where'd ya learn to speak that way?" Ciaran asked, curious.

Kiara folded her arms and still avoided Horatios gaze, still unwilling to trust him.

At Rans question she blinked, didn't every school teach lauguages?

"I learned in school, I still have alot to go though... I only know easy words" she said with a shrug. "It is no big deal there are alot of kids who are alot better at is then I am.*she siad.

"But yar only me age!" Ciaran squeaked, awe in his eyes as if Kiara had morphed from a fellow five year old into a goddess of intelligence. "That's awesome."

"Awesome?" Eglantine repeated, her pronunciation of the word clipped but correct.
"Yeah," Ciaran nodded. "Ya know, neat?" he attempted to explain. Eglantine's blank expression proved he had failed in way of explaining.

Kiara couldn't help but giggle, and blush slightly at his enuthusasium, she was no genius, but living at a school had its advantages she guessed. Instead of short days life many other 5 year olds, she lived in a private school... where there was other languages all around her.

Kiara thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain what Ran meant in french yet, not knowing the word Awesome in the language made it difficult.

"très bien, très bon " ((Very Good)) She said although it wasn't the exact meaning, it was close enough.

Then she turned back to Ran, "Really? I live at School, I guess it easy to pick afew things up" she said.

"Très bien, très bon?" Eglantine repeated, as if confused. Although as fluent in French as a five year old could be, Eglantine could not understand what was so great about anything that had been said or done... Wordlessly she returned to the table and began cleaning it off.

The first few days, Horatio had attempted to clean himself, but Eglantine had begun to silently cry when he had gently set her in a chair and finished what she had started, so now he did not stop her from tossing the empty paper cups and plates into the trash can.

"Ya live in school?" Ciaran wrinkled his nose. "Thats awful. Why dant ya live with yar mum and da?"

Kiara would have tried to explain what was ment and what was said to Eglantine but as the girl went to clean up... something to other girl did quiet determinedly she shruged and her do what she liked.

Kiara stiffened at the mention of living with her parents.. "Umm no I don't none of them really want me you see... Mum drops me of at school every fall and Summer... thats all I see of her.. thats all she sees of me... well except when I get kicked out of school.... but then she has to pick me up... and, umm lets just say she isn't very nice when that happens..." she said with a sigh...

She had gotten kicked out when the though she had diliberately hurt another kid.... she had hurt him but it had been by accident... He had scared her by sneaking up on her and pulling her hair... next thing she knew a big amount to pressure came from her hands and the boy bugging was crashed into a wall, his got a massive bump on it. The boys parents had demanded she be kicked out.


"It isn't so bad sometimes though.... at school I mean, when I can make friends" she said...

However that became increasingly difficult after the inccident the caued her to be kicked out all her teachers were informed she was a violent kid, and encouraged others to be careful around her, so of course they avoid her.

"It is better the being with my mother" she admitted.

Ciaran sat down on the floor and folded his arms. "That sounds bad." he stated, his youthful face screwed up in confusion and dislike.
"Me mum is always nice, except when I am naughty and then she spanks me and sends me ta bed. But I'm only naughty sometimes. Why doesn't yar mum love ya?" Horatio decided it was time to step in.

"What's everyone want for lunch?" he asked, as if it had just occurred to him.

"Was hat er gesagt?" Eglantine asked, German slipping out before the French. "Pardon, qu'at-il dit" (Sorry, what did he say?)

"Ice cream!" Ciaran cheered, running to his uncle's side. "Can we have chocolate, please?"

Kiara's eyes darkened for a moment.. an image of her drunk mother came to view.... "Get out of my sight" her mother would mutter before pushing her away during the times she had not been in school..

When Horatio asked what they wanted for lunch, she look away and muttered, "I will just have Tea" which she found odd the moment she said it, it sounded familiar... yet she knew she never had Tea before. The a flash of her drinking a cup of Tea entered her mind.

Hmm perhaps she had had it before then, but she could have sworn a few moments ago she hadn't.

Then she turned to Eglantine, and began to reply before she even asked the question in french.

"Il a demandé que vous voulez pour le déjeuner ? " ((He asked what you want for lunch?)) she asked.

Then she brought her hand to her forehead and rubbed it. She was starting to get a headache...

"Horatio, I can get the Tea.." she muttered before even realising she called him Horatio and not 'old man'. She then waved her hand, and a gentle wave of magic went through the air.

Even then in the Kitchen the tea set began to make its self.

"Okay." Horatio muttered, staring at Kiara, despite his best efforts. She had not asked for tea before... maybe she was just cold or something.

"Rien."(nothing) Eglantine replied, looking at Horatio. Both Ciaran and she glanced at Kiara when she rubbed her head.

"Ya okay?" Ciaran asked, mouth dropping open as she quickly began to make herself a cup of tea. "Love a duck! Howd ya do that?"

Horatio just nodded and nodded again. Then he ran for the fireplace. "ESIS! I need help!" he shouted. Unfortunately Esis ignored him and he was forced to return to the room both lost and close to losing his mind.

Kiara shook her head as random memories started to flood her mind, she dropped to her knees and growled in fustration and a bit of fear...

"I.. I don't know...I don't know whats happening" she said in a panic.

She looked at Horatio her eyes shifting between recoginition and not.

"W..whats happening to me?" she asked tears entering her eyes

Eglantine retreated from Kiara, going to hide as far from the crying girl as possible. She thought she had done something wrong or maybe Kiara had... and was scared witless that punishment was in order.

"Don't cry!" Ciaran tried to soothe, patting her back.

Horatio took a deep calming breath and knelt in front of Kiara.
"Um... take deep breaths and stay away..." no that wasn't helpful... "One sec." he ran back to the fireplace.
"I'm not kidding, Esis! Unless you want to wake up to find every drop of cognac you own drained down the toilet!" Esis all but leapt through the fireplace.
"ALRIGHT!" she shouted, flushed from running.

"Ahem..." Horatio pointed toward Kiara, his eyes wide with fright.
"Most likely she's morphing back into her adult form... what did you think it would "last" forever?" she chuckled.

Kiara looked at Ciaran and another flash of a man with red hair entered her mind.

"B...but... it hurts" she said grabing her head once again as the onslot of memories continued.

Then she felt the overwhelming urge to be alone.. with her magic growing at the same rate as her memories he raised her hand to the door of the chambers they were in burst opened. Getting up she made a run for to the door and out of the hall.
Where she once again dropped to her knees.

More and more memories flooded her mind at rapid rate and if Kiara had her eyes opened she would have see her self morph slowly back to her adult self.

Esis gently pulled Ciaran away from Kiara and knelt in front of her.
"It'll only last for a moment..." she tried, noticing that Eglantine had apparently vanished. "Sheesh, Horatio, can't you keep track of three five year olds?"

Just then Kiara bounded out the door, knocking Esis over in the process.
"All you had to do was say "please"..." Esis murmured, brushing herself off and heading for the door.

After Kiara was in her adult body once again, Esis chuckled.
"Feel better?"

Ciaran's eyes were the size of plates as he tightly grasped his uncle's robes.

Kiara sighed and turned around her face thoughly red remembering all the things she had put them through.

"That remains to be seen Esis, and Horatio I can't tell you how sorry I am..." she said with a guilty face.

Then she spotted little Ciaran, he had been a good friend to her even when they young and didn;t know eachother. She knelt down in front of him, "I can only imagine how confuseing this is for you Ciaran... and It is rather hard to explain without confusing you more. So can you trust me when I say I want to be your firend? like you were a firend to little Kiara?" she asked with a firendly smile.

Esis continued to chuckle, perhaps a teenie bit enjoying Kiara's embarrassment.
"No sweat... I'll get you back at least ten times over."

Horatio folded his arms and said nothing, allowing Kiara to finish with Ciaran.

Ciaran stared at Kiara at first, awed by the change but also intrigued.
"Oh-okay..." he murmured. "Did ya take a potion?"

Kiara rasied a eye brow at Esis, "If I recall correctly Esis... you took off before all the chaos started" she said tapping her foot yet chuckling.

She smiled at Ciaran and nodded.. "Not intentionally my young firend.. but yes a potion, very good" she said with a wink.

Then she looked up at Horatio and bit her lip, "I am sorry Horatio... my younger self had um issues... back then... I will try my best to make it up to you I promise. I will help you with Eglantine and little Ran here ? she said.

"Speaking of Eglantine.... where is she hiding now?" she asked looking around.

Esis shrugged. "That doesn't mean I won't get ya back." she teased, heading back for the fireplace. "If you guys need any help with Eglantine, let me know." and she flooed back to Eglantine's chambers to watch Edwin.

Ciaran smiled. "Okay, I'll be yar friend."

"It was nothing, my dear." Horatio assured her, not holding her five year old self's actions against her. "Things happen, I know." His face however lit up the most when she offered to help. "Oh that would be wonderful!" he sighed.

He too looked around. "No idea." Ciaran however tapped Kiara's arm and pulled her over to kitchen sink, where Eglantine sat huddled under it.

Kiara rolled her eyes but nodded at Esis.

She smiled to Horatio and patted Ciaran lightly on the shoulder, "Ah thank you" she said with a smile as she walked over to where little Eglantine was hiding. Now that she was a adult again she felt worry for the younger version of her mother, she hoped she could at least a little make Eglantine feel more at ease around them. But for now the first step was getting her out of hiding.

She looked under the sink only a little and sat down next to it.

"Eglantine? Quel est mauvais peu l'un ? Aucun besoin être effrayé tout est bien maintenant. Je suis désolé que vous avez été effrayé." she said in the calmest voice she could so not to frighten her more then she already was.

((What is wrong little one? No need to be scared everything is alright now. I am sorry you were frightend.))

Ciaran followed Kiara, intrigued with the "new" version of her. "Why's she hiding?" he asked, childish questions preparing themselves. "Are ya gonna stay this way?" He squatted next to Kiara and peered into the sink.
"Come on ot!"

Eglantine had her arms wrapped around her knees and her back tightly pressed against the wall, not daring to come any nearer the strange people. The boy was too friendly and too loud... the older man was far too kind- no doubt he was planning to harm her later on... and the girl-turned-woman, people were not suppose to change unless they had permission, her father had told her as much.

"Je n'ai pas peur." (I am not afraid) She whispered. The apology was not expected, and she blinked. The neighbour often made her apologize for things she had not done. So maybe Kiara had done something... Eglantine climbed out from under the sink.
"Vous êtes pardonné." (You are forgiven) She refused to look at Kiara, because that was rude and rude children were hit.

"Whad she say?" Ciaran asked.

Kiara was still concerned for the young Eglantine, but relieved she had come out from under the sink.

Ruffling Ciaran's red hair with a chuckle at all his questions she anwered in amusement. "She said she was not scared and she forgave me for scareing her" she said with a wink to young boy.

Oh she couldn't wait to see Her Ciaran's face when he grew up again and he remembered all this... it would certainly bring afew laughs during meal times that was for sure.

"Merci, Peu l'un, et vous n'a pas de besoin de cacher bien ? Personne vous blessera ici, je promets" she said with a firendly smile. She knew it would take time, perhaps more time then they had, but she was bound and determined for Eglantine to look upon her with no fear.

((Thank you, Little one, and you have no need to hide okay? No one will hurt you here, I promise.))

"Oh okay, neat." Ciaran smiled at Eglantine, who ignored him, before heading back to the table. "Can we play?" he asked, looking at the toys Horatio had conjured and then back at Kiara. "We could build a castle and a dragon!"

"Drachen?" Eglantine queried in German, curiously watching Ciaran gather up blocks and a cardboard box.
"Yeah, ya know. Fire and stuff." Ciaran roared loudly and put his finger up to make pointed horns.
Laughing shrilly, Eglantine giggled.
"Teufel!" She exclaimed, pointing at Ciaran's finger-horns. "Er ist lustig."

Horatio chuckled, but sighed.
"See what I mean, Kiara. Not a word of English and apparently she forgets to speak in French..."