Eglantines Chambers in Hogwarts (June 2055)

Owain sniffed back his tears, burying his face against her soft robes. As odd as it sounded, she smelt wonderful, like a haven of comfort and maybe the faintest bit of apple. But that could have been because he assorted comfort with apple pie.
It would have been perfect if Tav and his dad were there, but perfection came along with fairness and the world had never been either.
Wiping his arm over his face, he tried to wipe away the tears, but only smeared them.
Horatio pulled a handkerchief out and handed it over, earning himself a watery smile.
"I'm sorry." Owain muttered, blowing his nose. "I'm so sorry I killed you." Fresh tears sprang to replace the drying ones and he sniffled.

Kiara blinked as a fresh set of tears went down Owains face. She sent a confused glance to Eglantine and Horatio wondering if they knew something she didn't.

She looked back at Owain, feeling a ping in her heart at seeing him cry over something that never happened from her point of view.. It then suddenly occured to her her other self in Owain Universe must have died. She understood his reaction to her a bit better now..

"Owain.. Come now Shh" she tried to soothe as she took hold of another handkerchief and wipped his face.

Placing her hand on his shoulder she motioned to the couch, "Come, lets go and sit and talk okay? I think I need to be filled in on your life in your world" she said hoping having some where comfortable to sit would calm him down enough for him to talk about it...

"I didn't die in this world, so you don't need apologise to me... and I hardly think my other self would blame you for it either" she said softly trying to bring him comfort on that subject, even though she wasn't sure on what really happened.

Despite the drama unfolding about him and the uncertainty and confusion, Horatio yawned into his hand. He was so tired it hurt.
Owain sniffed back another sob, looking up at his mom as they sat on the couch. For some reason he felt both comfortable and awkward with her. It was so strange and yet wonderful. Kind of like burning his tongue on a hot piece of pie.

"I know." he muttered, his cheeks blazing red. "But..." he trailed off, by habit glancing to his grandparents. In his world they were almost always there whenever he had difficulties. They and Tav, eager and willing to take on all his problems and soothe them away. "I just, always wanted to tell you I was sorry. That you died..." it was easier to say now that he was thinking of them as being in another world. "And Dad, he is... was, maybe both sad. I'm just sorry." He hoped he had made some sort of sense as he glanced back to her.

Kiara sighed, honestly not knowing what to say, " It is alright Owian" she said quietly. She wasn't totally sure how she died, though she was guessing she died closely after Owian's birth since he seemed so intent on saying sorry to her.

"I am sorry I wasn't able to be with you as you grew up" she said feeling it was the only thing she could say in that instance..

Looking to Horatio and noting he looked completely exshasted, and that brought the thought of sleeping arangments.

"Horatio, you can go to sleep if you want, before you fall asleep where you stand" she said slight smile..

She wasn't sure if Owain would fall asleep this night concidering everything going on but a bed should be made for him anyway.

"I can set up a bed for you here if you feel more comfortable here Owain" she said knowing Eglantine and Horatio wouldn't mind.

He smiled faintly.
"Me too. You'd have been a great mum..." His toes were suddenly very interesting as he looked to them. The idea of her tucking him into bed, telling him stories, laughing over something said, admonishing him for dirty feet or missing behind his ears... it would all have been wonderful.

Horatio needed no more prompting as he nodded.
"Not to seem like a heel. But good night, darling." he kissed Kiara's forehead and winked at Owain. "I'll see you tomorrow, lad." he patted his head and reached to secure Eglantine's hand. She chuckled softly as she was pulled off to bed only just able to mouth goodnights to those left behind.

Owain watched after his grandparents for a moment.
"That sounds nice." he nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Would..." he trailed off, thinking she'd think he was silly. He wasn't a baby after all. "Would, you tuck me in? Tav said you used to sing to him."

Kiara smiled as she watched her parents head to bed for a much deserved sleep. "See you both in the morning, pleasnt dreams" she said as they walked off.

Kiara beemed at Owains request, "I would love to dear" she said feeling slightly more in her element. Tucking in and singing to bed she could do, it was something she still did to any of her grandchildren or neices and nephews.

She waved her hand in a slight motion to a chair in the cornor and turned it into a comfortable bed.

"This will do for tonight, We will figure out a room for you tomorrow" she said.

She then looked him over and noted he need night close.. "Hmm I still have some of Beagan's old close when he was your age, you can where them for tonight."

She called for a house elf to get a pair of pajamas from a chest in her quarters the were in Owains size.. When the elf returned with them she handed them to Owain..

"Here, these should fit you well enough for tonight" she said.. and she paused.

"There is a bathroom right down the hall for you to change" she said. Though she was technically his mother.. There relationship was brandnew.. she wanted him to feel comfortable as possible.. though she new awkwardness was bound to come..

"Can you really just go to sleep?" Eglantine asked as her husband sunk down into their shared bed. His bleary eyes answered that question as they slowly closed. Removing his glasses and robe with a flick of her wand, she settled in next to him, wrapping her arm around his soft side. As a last murmur before he fell asleep, Horatio yawned.
"Everything'll be fine tomorrow, Lenty... you'll see." He squeezed her hand gently and soon began to snore.

-

Owain smiled at her reply, no longer thinking it was babyish to ask. He'd never had a mother after all. Watching with interest, he couldn't help but be awed by how easily she used her magic. The bed was perfect and his eyelids drooped at the very sight of it. Covering his mouth when a yawn did come, he nearly chuckled at the thought of how Tav used to tie him to his bed every April Fools. The last one he had prepared for it and his brother had woken up with his mattress floating in the pond. Honestly he had no idea where the memory had come from, save maybe that his grandparents had both been yawning and blinking in the morning light as Tav was shouting for help. It had been comical and the thought helped him with the confusion.

"Thanks." he took the pyjamas and went to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he glanced at his reflection to see if he'd changed at all. No, everything was the same... except he looked tired and his hair was a mess. But then again, when wasn't it. His dad always commented on what a mess it was. A tear came to his eye and he pushed it away. He was with his mom and for now the other world would have to wait.

Kiara smiled as after he changed, he brought back memories from when Beagan was that age and everyone was at there happiest.

'They look good on you" she commented..

"Now come on into bed, you look tired" she said as she pulled back the covers.

"Now, as for singing.. what song do you want to hear, or should I pick?" she asked him. wondering if in his world anyone sang to him the May it be, song. Her bed time favorite.

He climbed into the covers, careful to wipe his feet off before hand.
"My grandmama had this little phoenix with my mom..." he blushed. "I mean with your voice. You sang May It Be and she'd put that by my bed every night. Could... I mean maybe you don't sing that song in this world." he bit his lip. "Do you?"

Sometimes it was confusing what was the same and what was different. Every part of him ached for that little singing phoenix, its familiarity replaced with his real mom.

Kiara laughed, "It is my old favorite, everyone of my children fell asleep to this song when they were little" she said as she placed the covers over him. "So May It be, it is then" she as she conjured a voilin to play the music and she start to sing the words...

He listened very carefully, every word so beautiful and perfect. She sang far better than the charmed memory in the bird. Slowly he felt sleep grip him and his eyes closed. He felt safe and wanted. Tav was in the other room, working on some project... his grandmother was knitting in the sitting room... his grandfather was reading... Ava and Ara were fighting over a doll... his dad was on a trip... but his mom was there, kissing his temple and making sure his dreams were good and pleasant. Everything was perfect...

Kiara smiled as she watched him fall asleep, he seemed like a really sweet boy, all who had rasied him did a good job from what she could see...

Getting up she walked back over to the living room with the fire place, sitting by the fire, the heat of it relaxing her slightly she sighed and looked at a photo of her and Ciaran.

"What do you think Love? He is sweet isn't he? could be a second chance, get to know the child we lost... I wish you were here to meet him to... I am not sure how he will take to the news of your fate in this world. It is obvious he loves your counter-part very much.." she thought in her mind to Ciaran.. she wasn't sure if he heard her or not. But it made her feel better to think he did.

Kiara stayed awake thinking until the early hours of morning until she finally dozed off in the chair by the fire.

Ciaran unseen form nodded his head. 'Aye, lass. He is a sweet lad.' Part of him wished he was yet in the world he was seeing through the mirror... the other knew that sooner or later, they would all be together again, regardless. Ghosts were very logical, they had to be.



Owain awoke early, barely 5 as was his habit. It was strange to wake up in an unfamiliar bed in the middle of a sitting room, but the last day's or rather night's events crept back to his mind and he sighed against the pillow. It felt partially like a mixture of bad and good in a dream.
"Good morning." He looked up from the pillow to find his grandmother seated at the desk along the window.
"Good morning." it seemed only proper to return.

Kiara's chair had been transfigured into another bed, since Eglantine hardly believed the chair to be very comfortable. Honestly, her daughter seemed to forget that she wasn't thirty any more.

(( LOL... She is right xD Kiara does forget that once in a while, then again so do I xD))

Kiara awoke not long after she heard voices in the sitting room with her, she was plesantly surprised to find she was in a bed. She smiled slightly just picturing her mother rolling her eyes at her for falling asleep in a chair again..

"Thanks Eglantine.."

Sitting up she looked at to time and sighed, today was one of those day she didn't want to deal with they chaos of the school and just get to know Owian... But then well why couldn't she... the work she had could wait and this was important... it wasn't everyday her son from a alternat reality came around... yes today hogwarts could wait.

Yawning she sent Eglantine and Owain a smile... abit a tired looking one, but a smile nonetheless.

"Goodmorning you two, how was your sleep?" she said standing up as she put her messy black and slightly grey strands of hair back out of her face.

"Fine..." Owain shrugged, the pale light of the fire not much different from the night before. The sun had not even risen yet as he looked to the huge open window. There was a faint pink blush along the horizon, but it would be a while until the room was well lit. As if reading his mind, his grandmother flicked the lights on and the sudden blaze of light nearly blinded him.

"Wonderful... Horatio is still sleeping." Eglantine shook her head. "He woke up for a few minutes but then muttered something about possessed ducks and was gone again."
Owain chuckled, apparently alternate world or not, his grandfather still had funny dreams.
"And speaking of sleep..." she turned to glance at Kiara over her glasses. "You should know better than to sleep in a chair, love. A crick in the neck is all that will give you."

Owain yawned and moved from his bed, examining the prancing lions on his borrowed night wear. Someone had Gryffindor pride, he mused. Glancing back to his mom, he gave her a big smile. She looked tired, but it was nice to see her in the light anyway. And though he'd never say this out loud... she looked about as old as his grandmother looked in his world. That was strange...

Kiara sighed and shrugged, not that she'd ever complain.. "Old habits die hard Eglantine" she said quietly..

She had fallen asleep in a chair more times then she could count, and it was nothing new... she always had trouble sleeping since Ciarans Death...

"Thank you though" she said sheepishly trying to shake off the threatening sad subject with a embarrassed look.

She laughed after hearing about Horatio falling back asleep.. it was so like him.

"Owain? you hungry, I can have breakfast sent up here, the great hall will likely be filling up soon for breakfast" to busy and loud... for another time when he was more comfortable with this world.

Eglantine didn't respond, something that amused Owain, though he hid the smirk with a soft cough and a hand over his mouth.
He was hungry... starving in fact. The last meal he'd eaten had been far too long ago.
"Yeah, that sounds nice." he nodded. He wasn't thrilled about the idea of going to the Great Hall. It would be full of students all older than him and unfamiliar. Except maybe a few of those unknown relatives that apparently were quite numerous.

"Be sure you two wake up Horatio before too long. He's liable to blame me for oversleeping." Eglantine murmured, half joking as she summoned her cane. Regardless of the noise, she planned to go down to the Great Hall. She'd skipped breakfast there yesterday and didn't like the drawings it had brought to her chalkboard. Honestly when did anyone reach an age old enough to not be the object of adolescent imagination.

After the door had shut behind his grandmother, Owain turned back to his mom.
"So what's the year? I mean, I was just curious." he muttered, hoping she didn't think him cheeky for the odd question. There was something else about this place too. Something darker feeling. It prickled at his spine and vanished when the door shut. Suddenly a big fluffy cat leapt into his lap and he nearly screamed. Noodles, who had been the McKevin kitty for nearly twelve years ignored his near shriek and settled in for a massage, glaring up at the boy when he only stared at her.

Kiara nodded "Yes of course, we will wake him when breakfast is here" she said as she transfigured her bed back into the chair it had been.

"See you later Eglantine" she said as her mother left.

She bit her lip at Owains question, as if things weren't confusing enough for him, now the difference in time will mess with his head even more..

"It is June 2055 sweetie, I assume by your age and the year you were born in, your world would be 2030, am I right?" she asked..

She couldn't imagine what it would be like for Owian, to be in a world even where everyone he knows is 25 years older then when he last seen them.

She blinked out of her musings when the cat jumped on to Owains lap, and his expression reminded her very much of Ciaran. Almost like he wanted to scream and jump away.. Kiara smiled and shock her head holding back a chuckle.

"Its okay Owain, This is Eglantine and Horatio's cat Noodles, she won't hurt you, just is very demanding when looking for attention." she said walking over and petting the cat on the head.

"Do you not like cats?" she asked, wondering if Ciarans fear of them rubbed off on him.

Yikes, he thought. That was a lot of years. Nodding, sheepishly he wondered why he hadn't aged when coming into this world. Of course he knew according to muggle TV that alternate realities rarely made sense. Or did his lack of aging make more sense than if he had... honestly, that was confusing.

Noodles rubbed against his chin and he gulped. It wasn't that he was afraid of cats; that was silly. He just had a very limited experience with them. Dad hated cats and his grandparents hadn't owned any.
"I don't know. I've never had one." he muttered. "Dad doesn't like them." Cautiously he patted the kitty's head. "Kinda like a little dog, eh?" Ava had a puppy that liked to bite toes and eat glue, but he had a feeling it was nothing like the enormous cat perched so delicately on his lap.

"You're the Headmistress, right?" his history was a bit mixed up, but he was fairly sure that his mom had been Headmistress of Hogwarts when she'd died. It only seemed logical that she'd still be. They were in Hogwarts after all. "Grandmama and Grandpapa... do they teach here too?" In his world, they had all but retired to take care of the twins and him.

Kiara nodded a slightly amused expression on her face..." Not even through time and space could your dad ever willingly accept a cat" she said with a chuckle.

"I am surprised Eglantine never got a cat though, she loves cats, her animagus form is even a cat" she said sounding puzzled, or perhaps it was an effort on her part to make things easier on Ciaran or something like that.

"Ah I think you'll find a Cat and a puppy are very different" she said with a laugh. "I rather like cats, I like many animals to that matter.. Think the only reason Ciaran agreed for me to keep my cat was because Tav and I ganged up on him" she said foundly... yet she beated down the pain the rose from her heart.. how she missed thoes happy warm days...

She smiled faintly as she found a photo of the family and Lav was sitting on Rossa's lap sleeping.

She nodded at his question, "Yes I am still head of Hogwarts, was on leave for a while... but got right back into it fortunately" she said. As she had been on leave for the time Ciaran was ill.

"Eglantine still teaches yes, transifuration and muggle studies mostly. Horatio... is for the most part retired, but Subs for any professor in need of it" She explained.

Just then a House elf popped in with trays off food for breakfast.

"Colly breakfasts for the young sir and Headmistress." she anounced proudly as she set to trays down on a near by table.

"Thank you Colly" Kiara said to the house elf. "It looks wonderful"

The house elf blushed as she snapped her fingers and popped away.

Owain laughed, enjoying the moment shared with his mom. She was so friendly and kind. Really everything he'd ever heard about her was playing out to be seen. His family hadn't sugar coated her at all... she was naturally that way.
"Yeah, well, she doesn't use her form anymore." he shrugged. "I asked her once about it and she asked me about my pie instead. Tav and I can never gang up on Dad about anything. He's not home enough." he realized he was rambling, but felt comfortable and didn't hear a rebuke coming from his mom anyway.
"Mainly we live with grandmama and grandpapa. Tav is training to be an auror, but he still lives with us."
He nodded and listened as she talked about Hogwarts. Next year, if he had still been in his world, he'd be going... or was it this year... he got confused with months sometimes.
"Wow looks great." he beamed, glancing at the trays.
Going out on a limb, he posed a question. "Does Dad live here in Hogwarts with you? I mean he's in this world too right?"

Kiara listened to him talk, though she found herself shocked to hear the Ciaran in his world was rarely home to spend time with his children.. She begain to wonder just how much her death had changed her husband in this other world.

Well at least Tav training to be an Auror was the same.

Kiara was about to set up the food on the table and wake up Horatio when Owain asked the question she knew he would ask sometime.

She let out a small sigh... how could she explain this?

She walked slowly back over to Owain she knelt down infront of him, looking more wary then she had a minute ago.

"I am afraid there is no easy way to say this to you... he... he died about a year ago.. after having a stroke." she explained solemly, and using much of her strength to keep small tears at bay..

"I am sorry sweetie" she said wishing she had more happy news to give him.

Noodles jumped from his lap and ran through the cracked bedroom door. He looked after her, having liked the soft feel of her fur and her gentle purr.
Even by the way his mom sighed, he knew he'd asked the wrong question. Swallowing thickly, he watched her kneel, eyes riveted to hers.
He was dead... so this world had exchanged the deaths. A mom for a dad and a dad for a mom. Why couldn't he ever have both at one time.
"I'm sorry." he muttered, trying to push his own disappointment aside.

"Something smells good." Horatio yawned, his arms full of a purring kitty. His smile faded when he took in the sight before him; linking it immediately to the hundreds of times he'd heard and seen bad news given. Good morning didn't quite fit in.

Kiara patted Owain on the shoulder, feeling bad the child couldn't see both his parents at once.

"So am I, I can garentee you two would have gotten along famously" she said trying to smile. Yes Ciaran would have welcomed Owain warmly, probably even more then she did... which was saying something.

Taking a deep breath she pulled her strength together and stood back up again and huged Owian. "Hey now you'll be able to see your Dad again once we figure out how to get you safely home.. Okay?" Which she would do.. Dispite the fact she liked Owain very much and he was by all blood, technically her son... it would be better for him to go back to his world. No doubt his familly missed him greatly...

"Now why don't you eat some breakfast? you must be hungry" She said trying to lift the mood back up again with the mention of food. Even though her apatite vanished to moment the question left Owains lips.. She would still eat with him... just wasn't as eager to now...

She nodded to Horatio and sighed again telling bad news was tireing she had come to realize..

"Yes.. breakfast here.. better come and eat before it gets cold" she said trying to smile at her father.

He nodded, imagining how his father, happy and carefree would be like. Most likely he'd be like those videos he used to watch. The one of his parent's wedding and the trip they'd taken afterwards. It was his favourite, but Tav had talked him into not watching it anymore. It was had to always look back, he'd said.

"I kinda wish I didn't have to go back." he muttered, not even sure why he'd said that out loud. "Everything's so weird." he sighed, glancing over to his grandfather and then to the tray. He wasn't very hungry anymore. But with a forced smile, he collected a plate from the tray and a fork. Eggs were always good... even if his stomach was rolling like the water log in his grandfather's study.

"I take it Eglantine went to breakfast this morning?" Horatio murmured, patting the boy's head as he sat on the couch. "I'll try not to feel offended." As he'd hoped, Owain grinned briefly. "Since, she left you two as well."