“Harry, will you be alright?” Ivy asked as she passed through another coral gate, following them into the courtyard of the chapel were several dolphins were busy cavorting. “Puneet is right, you should ask Cat about these things, I doubt she is keeping anything from you by design. She may simply think you have already been told, or maybe she is unsure of your reaction, it would be a lot to comprehend for anyone, but especially for a young man who has had such a difficult life.”

“You know about that too?” Harry asked, his voice turning hoarse as a wave of emotions washed over him.

“As I told you before, dear child. This is where she comes when the world weighs too heavily upon her. She spent many long hours in the chapel, weeping over you and your plight, and then when her father refused to allow you to stay.” Ivy bowed her head as a sadness filled her eyes. “She ran away from us that day, all of us, no one could find her, not even Mac Lir himself. That night for the first time ever, I saw Mac Lir and Magnus shed many a bitter tear over their decisions. They were terrified she would never return, that they had chased away their own child.”

Seeing the difficult situation that Harry was in, Puneet took it upon himself to break the tension. Clearing his throat loudly, he decided to change the conversation completely. “I seem to remember you wanting to play with the dolphins earlier, little prince, would you still like to do so?” He allowed himself a self satisfied smile as he saw Harry’s eyes light up with the very idea.

“May I , really?” Harry asked, relieved to have something else to talk about. He wanted to know more about his family, all of his family. But Puneet was right, he should ask Cat, and he intended to the moment they were alone.

Laughing softly, Puneet nodded, “Of course, would you like to ride as a man, or as the merfolk do, with your own tail?”

Harry paused and looked down at his legs, as thrilling as the idea sounded, he had had enough surprises for one day. “No thanks, I’ll keep the legs, maybe next time I’ll try a tail.”

“Mind your step, Fallon, the steps aren’t very even here, and I know your eyes aren’t used to the light yet.” Dimitri cautioned as he took her hand to help her down the winding stairs.

“Lack of light you mean. Honestly, how do the students get around without breaking something, like bones and necks.” she replied tersely.

“Students don’t come down here Fallon.” Dimitri explained as his voice suddenly became hushed. “This is the Gangrel’s haven, their safe place, their ‘home’ as it were. It is an honour to be allowed so close to their resting place, it shows a great deal of trust and respect.”

“Yet I see we are not the only ones.” Fallon whispered back as she pressed herself against Dimitri, making way for a few Garou to get passed them.

Dimitri nodded, “Its far too dangerous for anyone to be in the forest right now. According to Cash, the thing that harmed Roel is still out there, and if it can do that to a Gangrel, it would utterly destroy you and your Roma.”

“You mean this ‘Tremere’ thing?” Fallon laughed lightly, “don’t look so surprised Dimitri, my hearing isn’t that bad, in fact, its awfully good.” she smirked.

“The many deceptions of a woman” Dimitri sighed, trying to hide the small smile that was creeping across his face. She was so much like his sister, it was almost like having Luna back again “And yes, the Tremere. He is a danger to any and all living things Fallon, I want you and the others to stay away from him and away from the forest. Don’t argue with me, I can see the challenge in your eyes and I will NOT allow it, on anything else yes, but not this. I lost my little Luna, I don’t intend to lose you or anyone else, not ever again.”

“Dimitri, despite what you may think, I am not a child. I’m older now than you were when you were…uhm…”

“Embraced.” a voice said from the shadows, “Its called being embraced, and if its done properly, that name suits it. It denotes the love and care that one would use when siring a childe” Cash stepped out of the shadows as his eyes locked on Dimitri’s “However, when it is done out of nothing more than lust or the need to wield power over another, it is corrupted, and the childe suffers terribly for his makers transgressions.”

Fallon watched as Cash extended his hand towards Dimitri, tenderly stroking the young man’s cheek as red tears filled Dimitri’s grey eyes. For a moment she thought Dimitri was going to run away from the man he referred to as Cash, the man whom he could not stop praising and quoting on the entire trip back to Hogwarts. But it became very evident he was merely trying to hide his tears from them. She observed with fascination and sympathy as Cash reached out with his other arm, catching Dimitri in his arms, hugging him tightly as Dimitri’s tears stained Cash’s leather jacket.

“You going to be alright, Dimitri?” Cash asked, his voice gruffer than usual as he tried to keep his own emotions under control. He had wanted to pull Dimitri aside before all of this had happened, make sure the childe was well and safe, that the journey hadn’t been too much for him, and most importantly to offer him haven should he decide to abandon his own clan. But now, with Roel hovering near death, and he himself unsure of how long his own life would continue, all he could do was to let Dimitri know that he cared and that he wasn’t alone with his pain.

Fallon averted her eyes as she heard Dimitri sniffling softly as he tried to compose himself. It was no wonder he had spoken so highly of Cash, she too had known something was bothering Dimitri, but had assumed it was the attack on his fellow vampyre. Never did she suspect it ran so much deeper, that it sprang from the very act of his creation. But Cash did, almost instinctively he had known what to do, what Dimitri needed.

Suddenly feeling as if she was intruding upon a rather intimate moment, Fallon turned and began to walk silently away, she could wait for Dimitri back in the hall, he looked as though he needed some time alone with Cash. But before she could take as much as three steps, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning back, she saw Dimitri’s tear streaked face rapt with worry.

“Fallon, you heard what Minerva said, you are to go nowhere without an escort.” Dimitri reminded her as he wiped at his face, smearing the red tinged remnants of his tears across his cheeks. “I won’t let anything happen to you or the others, I promised her, I promised Cash…”

“I have faith in you Dimitri, no worries there” Cash said gently as he patted the childe on his back. “And since when do you take orders from little Minnie?” he added, trying to lift the mood of the threesome. It obviously worked with Fallon, who quickly placed her hand over her mouth as she began to giggle.

Dimitri turned to face Cash, he wasn’t sure how serious the Gangrel Methuselah was, but one look into Cash’s bright blue eyes said more than any words could. “Hey, she’s tough, you should have seen her giving Raul a tongue lashing.” he stated as he shook his head with amazement and humour. “I’m not sure what they were fighting about, but she does NOT back down. Even Mohrg didn’t step in, he just stood behind them with his hands clasped over his chest. I thought he was going to fall over with shock.”

“Really?” Fallon interrupted, “I though he was trying not to laugh at them.” then, turning to Cash, she added “And does ‘she’ know you refer to her as ‘little Minnie’, because she looks like a handful.”

Cash nodded and laughed loudly, “You should have seen her when she was younger, a real spit fire that one. Her brothers lived in mortal fear of her temper, and rightfully so.” Cash could feel the muscles of his face pulling as he smiled broadly, it felt so nice to be able to do this, to steal a few minutes away from Roel’s bedside and laugh with others. Even if he knew, deep down inside, it may well be his last conversation with any of them. But this is how he wanted to be remembered, with a smile and a laugh on his face, as someone who cared about his friends and family.

He made a mental note to write a letter to Minnie, Albus and Angel; if there was anything left of him after tonight, he wanted a wake, a loud, raucous, full bender wake, not one of those morbid funerals. He wanted his life celebrated in songs and tales, he wanted them to stay up all night recounting the adventures of his life, not sobbing over a lifeless husk. And he also wanted to make sure Angel understood, she was his one true concern, without him around there was no telling what Maharet may do to her, even with Orpha and Merlin acting as her guardians. He would send one of the ravens to her tonight, asking her to never return to the Wizarding world, to keep Harry, Sirius and Remus with her, to leave Fernglennis for a while, go live on one of Deo’s islands with her husband and son, have babies, maybe name one after him.

“So, what exactly did Minnie…..Minerva say to you?” Cash asked, fearing she may have figured out what he was up to.

Fallon and Dimitri looked at one another, before Fallon spoke up. “It was rather strange, actually. She came to the rooms were my people are staying, Dimitri, CoCo and Joshua were also there with us. She, Mohrg and Raul simply asked that no one goes anywhere without either a vampyre or Garou escort, that there was a dangerous creature at large and she didn’t want anyone to be hurt. She pulled CoCo aside and said something to her and then she left the room…..”

“I was assuming it was a message for her Primogen, Desiree” Dimitri interrupted, “but they whispered so softly I couldn’t make out a word of it.”

“They weren’t whispering” Cash explained, “CoCo is one of mine,….some Caitiffs have been fostered by both my Gangrels and my mortal clan as well. We have a bad habit of only embracing the exceptional, like psychics, warriors, empaths, seers, you know, the ‘fringe’ society.” he joked.

“But then that would mean she and Minerva were….” Dimitri’s eyes grew large as the realization hit him. “They can’t read minds, can they, I mean if I was thinking…”

“Relax, they can, to a point. Actually Angel can at will, or sometimes against her will, but to hear her talk, it’s a very painful thing to do. Although to be honest I’m not sure how much of it is emotional pain and how much is physical. She tends to be overly sensitive to the suffering of others.”

“Ah yes, your niece, Angel” Dimitri grinned, “I’ve been wanting to meet her, is she here? Or has she left with my friend, Sirius?”

Cash’s smile became huge as he replied, “They and their son left two weeks ago.”

“Sirius must be in his glory, all he could do was talk about them, he loves them with every ounce of his heart and soul.” Dimitri grinned, “I’ve never seen a man so lovesick for his wife, and after only a few days.”

“Well, that just proves why they should have more children, don’t you think?” Cash grinned as he draped his arm around Dimitri’s neck. “Care to join us, m’lady?” he added, holding out his arm for Fallon. He smiled warmly as she slipped her arm through his and, well, cuddled against him would be the only way to describe it…….

Puneet frowned as he watched Harry and Krystal playing and conversing with the dolphins. Heather’s outburst had been completely unexpected, and so had the boy’s reactions to them. It made no sense for his mother to keep such secrets from him, after all, weren’t all the old families of yore related in one way or another? With only a dozen ancient and noble houses left they had married and mingled so many times it was hard to tell were one ended and another began. No, his original assumption must be the correct one, she more than likely had never thought to tell him, after all, after finally being reunited with him, the last thing she would think to do is sit him down and explain every little aspect of their bloodlines.

But what was he to do? He could tell the whole affair was still praying on the boy’s mind, his smile just didn’t seem as bright, nor his laughter as deep. And as addled headed as Heather was, she had a good point, why hadn’t Lily joined them, either in life with Mac Lir, or in death with her mothers? As much as he wanted to find Catrianna and ask her these questions himself, he couldn’t bear to leave her son’s side, not even with his cousin Krystal to occupied him. “Think Puneet, if the lady was no where to be found, and you needed questions answered, what would you do?” A smile slowly spread across his face as he realized exactly what needed to be done.

“Come young ones, I have something to show you.” Puneet called out to Harry and Krystal. He waited patiently as they said their good byes to the dolphins before making their way to him. “If you truly want to know more about your families history, I think I know someone who may be able to help you, at least until your mother is available.”

“Really?! Are they close? Will they talk to me?” Harry asked excitedly.

“Yes, very close and I am certain she will talk to you, she so rarely gets to converse with anyone, save perhaps myself.” Puneet explained as they strolled through the lush gardens of Mac Lir’s realm. “As for what I know of your ….other….mother’s family, it is quite little, and most of my knowledge comes from Ivy.” Puneet struggled with the words, he felt as if it were some sort of betrayal to even mention the fact that this boy, the child of the heart of the rion, did not come from her own womb. But still, the boy seemed fully aware of that fact, even if he was blissfully unaware of so many others. That in itself was proof enough for Puneet that Catrianna had no true intentions of hiding the truth from the boy.

“Here we are” Puneet said softly as he pushed aside the tall blades of sargasso, revealing an ancient wreck, half buried in the sands. One side of the ship had caved in, giving it an ominous feel, which was only reinforced by the multitude of creatures lurking around its rough edges and shadowy depths. Casting a glance at Harry from the corner of his eye, Puneet smirked as he saw the boy look at the wreck with trepidation. “There is nothing to fear here, my little prince, nothing here can harm you while you are with me. Come, I’ll show you the unknown creatures that cause you so much hesitation.”

“No, really, you don’t have to” Harry tried to insist as Puneet steered him towards the skeletal wreck, but it was no use, it seemed Puneet was intent on teaching him, no matter what his feelings on the matter were.

“This creature is a cuttlefish, watch how it changes colour as our shadows fall over it” Puneet smiled as he heard Krystal cooing over it, “Your cousin like to keep them as pets, she decorates her room with them, or so I am told.” he stated, barely containing a grin as Krystal ‘hmpfed’ at him. “Although you may find them more useful for the sepia they contain, it is used to transcribe magic spells of great power and importance.”

Krystal watched with interest as Puneet easily caught a young shark and turned it over in his hands, stroking its belly to calm it as he explained to Harry the many uses and dangers of such creatures. What he was saying was of only passing interest to her, they were facts she knew well, what was interesting her more was the way he was saying them. She had never seen Puneet so outwardly friendly to anyone, let alone someone he would consider a mere child. She hung back as she observed the way Puneet persisted until Harry did as he wanted, touching this or charming that, it was as if he was testing her cousins ability to learn as well as his strength.

“And this is who I brought you here to see.” Puneet ran his hand over the ancient hull of the ship, smiling as he felt the energy and life that was embedded in the very fibre of the wood come to life. He paused as he came to the masthead, a carving of a woman with long, flowing hair and a tender smile on her barely parted lips.

“You brought me here to show me a ship with a lady on it?” Harry asked incredulously.

“No… no…” Puneet murmured softly, shaking his head at the ignorance of the rion’s child. “She is who I’ve brought you to see” he explained as he gently ran his fingertips over the masthead’s parted lips. “Awake up my precious, awake and see the child of those who risked all for you.”

The masthead seemed to sigh as a golden light emanated from within it, shining brightly as she opened her eyes slowly, fixing them first on Puneet and then on Harry. Harry watched with awe as her once wooden eyes turned a honey-gold colour and the carved curls of her hair took on a deep golden hue as well. “Is he the one? Is he the child you spoke of? He is much older than I would have expected him to be. Although he is as handsome as any Sidhe I have seen.” she added, smiling brightly as she saw the blush creep into Harry’s cheeks.

“He is just now becoming a man, Eno-Dharaich,” Puneet explained, “and as such, he feels a desire to know about his family, not of our rion now, but of his older mothers. I though you might tell him the story of your ally Rose, daughter of Ivy.”

“Ahhhh, my dear, dear Rose. I miss her so much” Eno sighed as her eyes took on a dreamy look. “I had hoped that one day she might return, either to reunite me with myself, or to keep me company.”

“You know she could not do that, her children needed her, and then there was the Inquisition….” Puneet reminded her gently.

“How could I forget the Inquisition, wretched beasts, the harm and horror they caused… and for what? What did they gain from it Puneet?”

“Hush, Eno” Puneet whispered “now it not the time for that. Look at the boy, look into his eyes and tell him about his mothers. Tell him about Rose and her children, about the man she loved, tell him of their bravery and loyalty.”

“Bravery….there was no one braver than my Rose, not even Polaris or that mad fool of a brother of his.” Eno stated, smiling widely as she recalled them. “Brave and honourable, all of them, and after a time, so much in love. Polaris could hardly bear to be parted from Rose by the turn of the century, he wanted to marry her, but she was so much younger, and he knew she wouldn’t live as long as he would. There were nights I would hear him sobbing to Sirius over her, wanted her so desperately, but fearing his love would be her undoing.”

“Sirius??? Sirius Black?” Harry blurted out “That’s my godfather’s name too, is this the one Ivy said was eaten by a rabid dragon?”

Eno turned to Harry as the sound of her tinkling laughter filled the air. “I wouldn’t say he was ‘eaten’, dear one. Although I have no doubt he would relish the thought of being remembered in such a way. He was a rogue through and through, but loyal to his friends to the end, and especially so to his brother. He and Polaris worshiped each other, even when they were arguing and taunting one another. I often thought Rose might end up losing her heart to Sirius, but he refused to have her. Not for lack of love for her, mind you, he thought the world of her, but he loved his brother more than anything else in the world and he knew that taking Rose’s love would rip Polaris’s heart out.” she explained as a wistful smile graced her carved features.

“In fact, I believe it was he, himself, who ‘pushed’ Rose and Polaris together, quite literally. I remember all to vividly the night he tied them to me as I lay waiting in the carver’s room, waiting to be shaped into the form you now see before you. It was the first time Polaris confessed his love to Rose, it was surprisingly romantic.” Eno insisted as Krystal laughed loudly.

“Actually, my Sirius sounds more like Polaris, and I’ve seen some of the things my uncles have done to him and my Mum.” Harry replied, smiling widely as he moved closer to Puneet and Eno. “But how did you meet them, and how did you end up here?”

“My voyage is a strange one, dear child. I was taken from my home on the island of apples, I was the lone oak amongst a field of lovely apple trees. But one day a group of vile men came to the island and hacked me down,” she explained, her eyes narrowing and filling with tears as she recounted that day. “I screamed and shook, but they didn’t care, many of them laughed at my pain, mocking my agony and turning a deaf ear on my pleas for mercy. I heard them talking of the great price I would bring, how the ’dark lords’ would pay dearly for my power, how they would be rewarded for their efforts. I felt myself fade from existence as they tore my branches off of me, discarding them on the ground as it they were no more than rubbish, my fine green leaves were trampled under their feet as my sap stained the ground were I was felled.”

“I lay in a stupor then, barely feeling it as they used their own branches to hoist me onto their barge. It wasn’t until the Black brothers arrived that I even allowed myself to hope. Their parents had been married beneath my boughs, as all noble-born of that time had been. Their mother was a high lady of the O’Hara’s and her mother was priestess to the goddess Brighe. Their Father, Angus Black was also known to me, he was a strong wizard who had been sworn into the coven of the Druids and understood the ways of our kind.”

Eno continued. “They rescued me from my captors, but at a heavy price, Polaris was gravely wounded and in need of healing. It was too long a journey for him to return to his mother and the nearest healer of the clans was even further than that. But as he lay against me, his blood seeping into my grain, what should I feel, but the presence of a child of the Sidhe. Not a full blooded one to be sure, but the Sidhe are strong and even a small amount of their blood can produce a childe of amazing power. That is the first time I called Rose to my side,” she laughed lightly as she remembered the moment. “Poor Polaris thought he had died and was being carried away by an angel of the ancient coven. Her eyes were the brightest of blues and she had a thick mane of deep auburn hair; he fell in love with her immediately. She tended to his wounds, nursing him back to health as they sailed back towards Hibernia with me, back towards the island that I called home, but alas, I was never to return to my home among the apples.”

“But those three were a patch of brightness among my otherwise barren life. To hear them talk and laugh, to see them dance and sing as we rode over the waves, searching for a safe haven as we avoided those that sought to destroy or possess me. We finally decided to sail to the southern isles of the Mediterranean, we had thought we would be safe there, but once again, we were wrong. We sailed straight into the waiting clutches of Cardinal Luis María de Borbón, it must have been around the year 1800 by mortal reckoning. He was the head of the Spanish Inquisition, he had heard tales of my presence and was intent on burning me to cinders as proof that only ‘his’ power was absolute. But my Rose, she was a bright girl, clever and resourceful” Eno stated, smiling widely at Harry.

“She knew he was looking for a tree, or what was left of a tree, so she took me to a craftsman, one of the finest in all of Europe, I was cleaved into three pieces, one for each of them. He carved us into the finest pieces of art his hands could manage, I was given to Sirius, he placed me on his ship so I could feel the breeze and water as I had while I was on my island. My other selves were given to Polaris and Rose.

Polaris took with him a chest carved from my womb where all things are renewed, and Rose took my heart and hid it safely away from the sight of mortals. I believe she took it back to her family in Fernglennis, but what happened to it from there I‘m not sure, I know only that it has slept for the past twenty years.”…….

Severus sighed as he stared at Rick, “I have no idea why this is happening, something at her home must be interfering. According to this, she is somewhere in the middle of the Irish Sea. Actually, somewhere , ‘under’ the Irish sea would be more correct.”

“What? Are you positive, Severus?” Rick gasped as he jumped up from his chair, scattering the pages of the book he had been studying, “No…. it can’t be…..this isn’t good, Sev, not at all.” Rick sighed as he peered over the professor’s shoulder into the scrying bowl.

“What is it, Rick? What are you keeping from me? Does she need my help, is she in danger?” Severus all but growled as he grabbed Rick’s arm, forcing the Gangrel to look him in the eyes. Severus felt himself torn between wanting to protect Catri from any and all danger, and wanting to help Rick find her so she could be told the entire truth regarding Roel’s injuries. After all, Angus had told him the reason they were keeping Catri away was to protect her.

“No, its probably nothing, maybe her jaunting between worlds has confused it. I’m sure she didn’t actually go to Armagh, it would mean she was in some sort of danger, or hurt. I’ve only known her to go to Mac Lir when she needed peace from the world.”

“MAC LIR!!” Severus shouted, “The wizard who attacked us in Hogsmeade? The one who nearly killed us, who hurt her so badly she was hospitalised for days? That Mac Lir?!” What little colour there was in Professor Snape’s face immediately vanished as his eyes took on a fierceness and his body shook with a silent rage.

Rick shook his head, “It can’t be, Mac Lir adores her, he would never harm her like that. I mean, he can get a bit rough from time to time, but never anything serious, not to her.” Seeing the look in Sev’s eyes, Rick took a step back from him, “Severus, please, believe me. I know what it must look like to an outsider, but I swear to you, he would sacrifice himself before allowing any harm to come to her, we all would.”

“And is that why he attacked her?” Snape countered, “Is that why he nearly killed her and me? Because he wanted to keep her safe?”

Rick looked down at the floor, taking a slow, deep breath as he thought of how to best explain the situation to Severus. “Would you believe me if I said yes?” hearing the professor snort disdainfully, Rick finally looked him in the face. “I mean it, Sev. Our clan didn’t want her to come here, they feel she’s placing herself in harms way. Mac Lir agreed she could bring a package to Albus but he expected her home afterwards. But as our little Angel kept reminding us, he never said how soon afterwards. He was NOT amused by her play on his words.”

“I was there, Rick, I saw what he did. I saw her screaming in pain as he trapped her in a sphere…..”

Rick nodded his head, “I bet she tried fighting against him, we use them to keep wandering children safe, they are taught at a very early age to lay back and relax, it will bring them home.”

“So you agree with what he did?” Severus asked, his eyes narrowing as the echoes of Catri’s screams played in his mind.

“I don’t agree with how he did it!” Rick replied, immediately and rather tersely, “But I certainly understand why, and would too you if you’d just stop being so bloody angry and look at what’s happened to her.”

Severus glared at Rick, a mixture of anger, hurt and concern in his eyes. As fond as he had become of the Gangrel, he wasn’t willing to concede that Catri belonged anywhere other than at his side. After all, no one had attacked her when he was there to protect her, no one save Mac Lir, and now she was with him, at his whim and mercy. “And exactly what am I supposed to be? The woman I love, the woman who may well be carrying my child is lost to me. I cannot find her, I cannot speak with her, I cannot even determine if she hurt or in need of rescuing….”

“She’s fine, Severus.” Rick stated firmly, “If she is in Armagh, under Mac Lir’s protection, then she and her son are safe. And YES, I ‘know’ he is with her, she would never travel so far without him, its just our nature to keep our children with us. And if she’s with him, I have a rather unsettling feeling that she and Harry are in danger from outside forces.”……..

Harry was so fascinated by the story he didn’t even reply, he simply stood there, his eyes transfixed on Eno’s as she continued with her tale.

“Polaris took the chest to Tir Na nOg for safekeeping, it holds the fruit of life in it. I believe either the O’Hara or Harper family guards it now, it is so hard for me to keep track of all the ancient houses. I don’t get to see them anymore, their children are no longer blessed under my branches. I no longer get to bear witness to their love and vows of matrimony.” Eno sighed as she gazed longingly up towards the surface. “I miss the feel of the rich Earth under me and the rain washing my leaves. I wish the sons of man had never learned of my existence.”

“I wept for years when I was sunk and abandoned here, although Sirius did his best to try and rescue me, but in the end, Rose insisted I was safest here. After all, if the Inquisitors had sunk me to prevent my three dears from escaping, then they obviously had no idea ‘I’ was what they were looking for. But at least the other two pieces of me were present when Rose and Polaris wed, and when their children were born. They named them after their ancestors, as is proper for a noble family; Angus after his father, and Hazel after her ancient mother, her mothers were all named after trees and flowers, not that that’s uncommon for earth witches.”

“Earth witches?? You mean my mother’s family were elementals?” Harry gasped.

“Well of course child, how else do you think they could talk to me. Your mother heard me screaming from hundreds of miles away, so did your father.” Eno explained. “One must be tied into the flow and ebb of the Earth to be able to hear me. Why do you think you can hear me while others cannot?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders “I thought it was because of Puneet.” he replied honestly, winning a large smile from the Fae. “But can you tell me why you called my …uhm….mother… Rose, your hero?”

“Because she sacrificed her heart to keep me safe” she explained as large, sparkling tears welled up in her golden eyes. “It was the end of the Inquisition, Rose, Polaris and their children Angus and Hazel had met up with Sirius, we were trying to escape the blockade, get passed Spain and France and back into the friendly waters of the North. But the Cardinal had been informed of our plans, we were betrayed, I was sunk, Polaris was captured and imprisoned. Sirius, Rose and the children made their way to Tir Na nOg, bringing back reinforcements to free Polaris. Rose knew all she had to do was to hand over her piece of me and they would have released her husband, but she understood what that would have meant. I heard she and Sirius get into the most horrific arguments, even all the way down here I could hear the screaming and wailing. But she was a strong woman, a clever woman. She hid my heart well, not even her brother-in-law could find it. And poor Polaris, they had abused him so horribly, it was years before they could have anymore children, and he so dearly wanted a large family, especially after Sirius passed on….”

Cat winced, and even Mac Lir stared with shock as Leumadair continued on with his tirade. “Who would DARE attack you? Who is so sure of their strength that they would draw the blood of the rion. Do you know what I will do to them when I …..”

“Leumadair! Please, calm down.” Cat pleaded, “I’m fine, we came right here, the poison is gone.” she reminded him, growing worried as she saw the anger in his eyes and the clenching of his hands. She could truly say she had never seen him like this, he had always been the one calming her temper, or teasing her back into a good mood, never the other way around. It was amazing how much he reminded her of Duncan or Sirius at this moment, so wildly furious, so protective, so worried. “Cousin, please, for my sake, stop this. You are frightening me.” she finally stated, her voice little more than a whisper.

That had done it. Leumadair turned to look at her, his eyes searching her own, hoping to see a teasing sparkle, but finding only worry and trepidation. He sighed deeply as he took her hand and pulled her into a tight hug “Cousin, you should know better than to ever fear me.” he sighed as he buried his head into the crook of her neck. “I cannot help that I worry about you, and you know as well as I do that precious few people could have told the boglachs where you were or when you would be coming.” He felt Cat stiffen as the words left his mouth, of course she knew, but to face that fact meant facing the awful truth that a member of her clan had betrayed her and her son.

“Kitty, I don’t want you travelling alone anymore, and NO, your son does NOT count as an escort. You both must be protected….. If you won’t do this yourself, I shall ask Father to call the sisterhood to order once more. They will see to your safety regardless of the danger or politics involved.”

“Let me talk to Triss first, I’m sure she….”

“No, Kitty, Tristessa is far too busy as it is. She has to handle the crones, her mortal and immortal clans, and I hear she may have found husband number three to boot.” Leumadair added, smiling widely as Cat grinned knowingly. “I’ll expect you to fill me in on that later, but before that, I want you to call the sisterhood together, pull upon the elemental powers of the Earth for protection and preservation. I know Aeranna and CoCo will be at your side within moments, even down here. Please Kitty, don’t argue, reform the sisterhood of the rose.”

“But Leumadair, the sisterhood is to be called upon in times of great need, not when things get a little out of hand.” Cat reminded him gently… but instead of Leumadair replying, it was Mac Lir.

“Out of hand?! Is that what you call this, my little flower? You have been attacked and not only by boglachs, but on the grounds of Albus’s school as well. Your husband and son have been harmed, as have your friends, most notably the mortal foster child of the Gangrels, Remus. Add that to the fact that it seems it is our own clan that may be…………what is that?”

“What is what, uncle?” Cat asked, turning to stare behind her as she tried to follow Mac Lir’s eyes. But Leumadair had seen it too, and quickly reached out and caught Cat by her wrist.

“What is this cousin? And why does it glow?” Leumadair asked suspiciously.

Cat could feel herself growing flushed as she stared at the bracelet Severus had given her. “It was a gift from one of the professors at Albus’s school, he says its for protection…and, uhm… friendship.”