Winter Holidays 2042

Sevie finished putting the last of his blocks away and yawned. It was a cold yet pleasant day, with snow piled outside and a warm fire inside. His parents were off seeing to some important school matter; or so they had told him. Beagan, his nephew ironically, was watching him for the day. It didn't quite seem like Beagan was his nephew, since he was nine years younger than the other boy. Sevie was 6 years old and Beagan was 15... at least that was what the figures had been when he had asked his father. Only in first grade, his math was not the best.

"Can we have chicken for supper?" he asked, walking over to Beagan.

Unknown to him, a man watched behind a cloak of sorts, waiting for the right moment to strke.

Beagan glanced up from his charms homework. "Sure Sev, how do you like it fired? baked? stufffed?" he asked with a chuckle.

He glanced around for a moment feeling like someone was watching him...

"hmmm.. anyway choose carefully though... I have a habbit of burning one of them" he said with a wink.. ignoring the feeling for now.

I like fried." Sevie decided. "With honey on it!" He looked over Beagan's shoulder at the parchment and books. "Is that fun?" he asked. He liked his muggle school. They got to listen to the teacher read and then try to read big lettered books. He had memorized Go Dogs Go and thus felt himself capable of reading. It was a wonderful feelings.

C. H. A. R. M. S. He tried to sound the word out... remembering his mama's patient instruction.

"What's that word?" Sevie finally gave up, pointing at it.

Slowly the hidden wizard lifted his cloak and pointed a gnarled wand at Beagan and Sevie's backs.
"Accio wand." he murmured, a stern smile twisting his features.

Beagan was about to answer Sevie's question, when a voice from behind took his wand. He got up and wirled around, "Hey! Who are you?!" he yelled at the same time pulling Sevie behind him. The smile on the guys face could only be one thing, trouble.

What was he to do, he couldn't fight.. Sevie could get hurt, or more likely he would since he didn't have a wand and then no one to make sure Sevie wasn't hurt.

"Say behind me Sevie.. got it?" he said to the younger boy.

"What do you want?" he asked as he glared at the stranger that took his wand.

Sevie jumped at the man's sudden voice and then at Beagan's response. Eyes wide, he obeyed the older boy without question, scooting behind him.

Deangelo Gian folded his arms, keeping a tight hold on the two wands he held. He was both amused and impressed by the protective behaviour of the older boy. His stern face twisted into a more friendly smile.
"If you cooperate nothing will happen to him..." he murmured, gesturing toward Sevie's peeking out head. "Now tell Sevastyan to behave himself and walk over to the fireplace with him. Quickly."

Beagan glared at the man but did as he said, he did have the advanage here. "Sevie... start walking to the fireplace, its okay I will stay in front of you. Just walk there" he instructed.

Walking slowly backwards he refused to turn is back on the man, "Who are you? and what are you doing here?" he asked trying to stall and find out as much as possible.

Also trying to think of a way to get out of this, his snake was in hiding somewhere, knowing it could do nothing but watch, it was a harmless guarder snake, it ate mice and had no fangs. At least they had a witness.

So far he thought of no good plan that couldn't stop them from being killed or hurt as they tries to run away.

Man this sucked....

Sevie nodded, still staring at the man for several moments before he turned and went to the fireplace. He wanted his Mama and Papa now... The whole thing was scary and he didn't like it.

"Who I am is the least of your worries, Mr. McConn." Deangelo spat, threateningly lifting his wand. Walking forward till he stood beside the two boys, he pulled their portkey out of his pocket and held it out. "Touch it." he ordered. They would be whisked off secret as you please to The Altus Gnarus castle, where he could begin his plans.

Sevie began to cry, grabbing onto Beagan's waist.
"I want Mama..." he sobbed.

Beagan glared at him, who did this guy think he was?

"What do you want with us then?" he asked holding on to Sevie tightly, "how do you know who we are" he asked again trying to stall maybe a second or so longer as he reached out for the protkey as ordered.

"So do I Sev" he said quietly to the younger boy as he touched the portkey.

Deangelo didn't say anything as the portkey activated and the familiar pulling at his navel filled his senses. Victory tasted sweet to the poet's mouth... but so much sweeter to the revenger. Soon everything would be fulfilled as he had planned it. Horatio McKevin would be begging for forgiveness... as would Kiara Riddle or McConn, as if he had forgotten her...

Although slightly comforted by Beagan's hug, Sevie couldn't keep the tears at bay as he felt a jerking at his stomach.
Everything began to spin and he shrieked in fear.

Kiara walked with Eglantine and Horatio on there way back form hogwarts to there house. Where she would take Beagan home and start dinner, as well as finish decorating the house for Christmas.

And likely prepare her self for another McConn Chrismas dinner, after many years of marriage to Ciaran is was still... overwelming to say the least.. escpacilly since the family was every growing. The McConn familly liked to make babies it seemed.. She still remembered Kaylie going into labour with Rose in the Christmas eve of 2039. That was one hectic Christmas is there ever was one...

"Will you two and Sevie be at the Christmas dinner this year?" she asked as the walk to the door. Nothing seemed wrong persay... but perhaps it was to... Quiet for a house with a young child and a teenager.

Horatio hummed softly to himself as they walked up the to the door of their cozy house. The slight matter of a Hufflepuff third year having decided not to return to his relatives for the winter holidays, despite their insistence had finally been resolved and he looked forward to a long relaxing night with his son and wife. Maybe Ewan and Ean might even drop in to say hi.

At Kiara's question he glanced over at his silent wife.
"Hmm... I believe so." he returned, after Eglantine nodded rather absently. "If you two ladies will excuse me." he joked, pulling out the muggle key with a flourish and heading to unlock the door.

The door opened and he was struck by how silent it was. The flapping curtain and the pages of paper scattered across the floor told of an open window and immediately alarms went off within his mind.

"Where are they?" Eglantine asked softly, pulling Horatio's cloak off and folding it over her arm. Sevie and Beagan appeared to have vanished.

Kiara blinked as see glanced around the room, starting to feel very... uneasy.

The papers on the floor were Beagan's holiday homework assinments.. it was not like home to leave them like that.. Something was not right. At all.

"Beagan?!" she called out through the house, even glanced out side to see if they were playing... but alas the out of place silence... unnerved her.

She bit her lip feeling her heart beat quicker and quicker..

"Something isn't right.. Beagan would never leave like this.. especally while looking after Sevie." she said becoming more worried form each passing second... Something was very wrong...

If Beagan had merely taken Sevie out to play in the park he would packed up is homework and left a note in plan sight incase someone came home... Beagan was good with children... better then she thought a teenage boy could be...

Eglantine levitated her cloak and Horatio's into the closet while Horatio went up the stairs to check and see if they were up there.
"I am sure they are playing somewhere, dear." Eglantine assured her daughter, strangely uncharacteristically optimistic. However she was not certain and her softly whispered search spell said as much.

Horatio came down the steps looking extremely worried.
"Did David or Ciaran mention anything about picking them up?" he asked, not wanting to assume the worst.

Kiara shock her head, "No, I told Ciaran I would be home with Beagan after the meeting at Hogwarts. And David... I don't know he never said anything and it is unlike him to come and take them some where.... And Beagan just left is work here... he wouldn't do that..." she said to Horatio now very worried for her son and and youngest little brother.

Then she caught something move out the the corner of her eye... Beagans snake..

"Thats Beagans snake... but Beagan goes everywhere with him..." she said she quickly went over to the snake. She bent down let the serpant slyther in to her palm.

Even though Kiara couldn't understand the launguage of snakes, she knew he was trying to tell them something important.

"A man sss took ssss them... sss"

The blood drained from Eglantine's face as she exchanged glances with Horatio.
"No..." she murmured, understanding the snake. "No..." The very idea of her darling baby kidnapped turned her heart inside out.
"They are gone..." she whispered. "Someone took them." Almost as if to testify to the truth the snake had spoken an owl of obviously ancient age and origin hit into the window.

Horatio hurried to it and felt his heart fall into his shoes as the attached howler leapt from the owl's leg and released it's long piercing message.

Kiara felt her hands tremble and Eglantines words sunk in... Taken? by who? Why?! her mind yelled as she closed her eyes tightly.

The snake coiled it was around her wrist not wanting to be droped by her trembling hands.

" We have to find out where they were taken.." she said fear and bearly contained panic in her voice...

Her blue eyes turned to the howler... that couldn't be good news.. and she was right.

Crying of a young boy near by filled through the room, and she then heard her sons voice speaking over the cries.

"Uh.. Grandpapa? Its Beagan.. I am to tell you Both me and Sevie are un harmed for now.. yes I know Sevie is crying, but he is scared... not hurt. I won't let him be hurt I promise"

The sound of Sevie's strangled sobs reached Eglantine and she nearly fainted, overwhelmed by the fear and horror that rose within her. Seizing the couch's back, she kept herself upright and attempted to continue breathing as Beagan did his best to placate them.

Horatio wanted nothing more than to stop the howler... the sound of his young son crying and his grandson attempting to let them know they were alright was almost too much for him.

"I want Mama..." Sevie sobbed, obviously oblivious to what was going on around him. Horatio bit his lip.

"No doubt you fear now for the lives of your two little brats... Horatio McKevin... you always were a self-righteous bastard. You took everything from me... Now I am going to take something from you. And sweet little Kiara Riddle... or should I say McConn... I can see how the red head fell under your spell, my dear, you are rather bewitching. But make no mistake, I cannot forgive, even you, for the pain I endured after you imprisoned me." Horatio did not recognize the voice, due to a gravely no doubt spelled additions.

Glancing first at his wife and then at Kiara, confused by who this madman was, it suddenly clicked.
Deangelo... it couldn't be.

As soon as the howler finished it's long monologue, Sevie howled in what sounded like agony. The howler ripped itself apart and Eglantine burst into silent sobs.

It took Kiara most of the message to place the voice of the man in the howler, and her face paled from shock and fear.

Deangelo... she had arrested him years and years ago.. How dare he take his anger out on children.. How dare he!..

Angry hot tears ran down her face and a fire was alight in Kiara's eyes... they needed to find them.. protect them.. Deanagelo didn't know what he had done.

Very few people had truely seen Kiara angry and not able to contain her temper.. this was closely one of thoughs times..

"Horatio... please you know who this man is right? where would he go?... take them?" she asked quickly as she went over to Horatio.

"We have got to go and save them... before he..." she dared not finish the tought.

Horatio nodded slowly.
"Yes, I know the man..." He thought of the many places Deangelo might take the two boys... suddenly reminded that the castle was off limits to him.
"The conniving... wolf." he thundered, anger hitting him full in the chest as he imagined Deangelo's twisted face snickering at his son and grandson's pain.

"Yes, Kiara, we do and we will... but." He trailed off. It was a terrible thing to admit, but he had no way of getting to them.
"The castle is sealed with blood wards, Kiara. And my blood is not a part of it." Truthfully, Deangelo must have flown from the very gates of hell to be at the death-bed in time where as he had not... nor had Abraxas for that matter... An idea began to form in his mind.

While it festered and plotted, he gently gathered Eglantine into his arms, holding her tightly against him.
The door suddenly burst open and Ciaran ran in, his face as red as his hair as he went to Kiara.
"A... howler, love. Beagan, Sev-" he stopped short when he saw Eglantine in Horatio's embrace and his wife's controlled fury.

"We'll get them back, love." he whispered, taking her hand in his.

Kiara nodded her hand still shaking as she faught with her self to controll the anger she was in.. and all the different things she would do to Deangelo should she get her hands on him....

" We had better." She said strongly dispite her trembling.

Her and anger momentarily cooled when she looked into Ciarans eyes... "Merlin... we better" otherwise she would never be able to forgive herself.

Her worsed night mare has come ture.

Her head shifted to Horatio, " Is there anyway there Horatio? around the wards? heck a way to break throught them if we have to" she said, at this point she did give a bloody damn... anything to get her son and child brother back in one peaice..

"I swear if he hurts them..." she whispered letting the sencense trail off as her eyes darkened a couple shades.

Ciaran fought to keep himself from pulling Kiara into his arms and comforting her as Horatio was Eglantine. It didn't seem to him that she really wanted that amount of "comfort" at the moment. Now was a time of action not tears or embraces. He supposed that Horatio and Eglantine had more to fear though... their son was younger and he was their baby. Beagan... well at the very least he hadn't been screaming bloody murder.

"No way around the wards. An attempt would kill you, Kiara." Horatio explained, cursing the fact that so many of the world's greatest wizards had gotten together to design the wards. "But... there may be a way to lure him out."

Eglantine pulled slightly back from Horatio.
"No... do not do that." she admonished, as if knowing what Horatio's plan entailed.

Kiara moved her trembling hand to Ciarans and gave it a squeeze... this was her youngest child.. The little boy she and Ciaran stayed with day and night when he had Dragon pox.... the sweet little boy always the peace maker in the family... won't hurt a fly...

And he was kidnapped... the very thought made her blood run cold and boil at the same time...

And little Sevie... how scared he must be.. but she knew Beagan would do all he could to essure Sevie was not harmed... Perhaps the was what made her feel proud yet scared at the same time...

At Horatio's and Eglantines statment...

"What is it Horatio, your plan?" she asked. Desperate for a place to start.

Encouraged by Kiara's request to hear his plan and Ciaran's silent pleas, Horatio nodded, patting Eglantine's hand.
"What he truly wants is obviously revenge and although he is angry with you, Kiara, for arresting him; it was I who "betrayed" him in the first place. If I were to offer myself to him; with no strings attached, he might possibly agree to a meeting. At that point-" Eglantine interrupted him.
"At that point he'd kill you and them and be done with it." She murmured, green eyes suddenly bright with hidden fury.

Horatio swallowed, uncertain as to how Eglantine knew so much about Deangelo... honestly was there anyway to keep a secret from his wife... humour aside, she did have a point. Although he was a strong wizard and well motivated, Deangelo was... unstable.
"I could ask Abraxas to help and maybe even a few of the others. I know together we could reason or defeat him."

Ciaran did not like the sound of the plan; it seemed like a one-way-possible-pointless plan. Rarely as it occurred, he agreed with Eglantine. Horatio would no doubt be killed; Deangelo had been a friend of his and no doubt knew his weaknesses. Not to mention the fact that keeping Kiara from the "meeting spot" would be about as easy as keeping a baby elephant fed.

Kiara of course dismissed Horatio's initail plan, there was no way she allow her father to quite likely be killed... or if it was pain and revenge he wanted. He was more then likely to.... hurt or kill Beagan amd Sevie the moment they got there.

"There are many variables with that plan Horatio, we honestly don't know how he will react, he is unsable afterall.. He might not fall for the bait at all, or he could simply wait for your self and whatever help we gather.... and hurt the children right there in front of us.. It is pain and revenge he wants on us, what better way would there be, other then seeing our children be harmed infront of us?" she voiced for that was now her worst fear.. her bogert had changed yet again... now it was her family being hurt... or worse.

"There has got to be another way, is there anyone with access to the castle that would help us? " she asked trying to open up more options.

Sighing, Horatio gave in. Both Kiara and Eglantine were adamant and he couldn't fight them both. Deangelo was an unstable element and they couldn't afford to tip him on way or the other. The results could be fatal...

"I don't think Abraxas was there for the signing either..." Horatio murmured, lost in thought as he dug for another idea, another plan to save the two boys. Ciaran wrinkled his eyebrows, having no idea what his uncle was talking about.

"Green... no he was probably out of country." Eglantine seated herself on the couch, Horatio sitting with her as he continued muttering. "But Hanog or Chase... they might have signed... Not sure about Takeshi or Uchenna..."