Chapter 25
"Oh dear, don't you look awful. Cassius, how could you make Alicia come all the way out here when she is obviously ill?" Maura said chastising Warrington as they stood on the doorstep of the new O'Loughlin House in Ireland. She was dressed in grey suit paints and a green shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.
She once again made Alicia feel incredibly under dressed in her grey skinny cargo pants, a loose white singlet top, black leather jacket with black knee high boots. She felt tired and seedy as she leaned heavily on Warrington, who was dressed down from his usual business suit as he was in black cotton jacket a grey t shirt and cargo pants with worn in hiking boots. Alicia had nearly fallen over herself when he had changed as she had thought he had been joking about owning clothing that wasn't a suit. She wondered if she would end up gaining their skill for looking incredibly attractive all the time via osmosis.
"Actually it was the floo travel that made her ill" Warrington told his mother in a slightly defensive manner.
"Only confirmation of a grandchild!" Maura said smiling brightly, Warrington half expecting his mother to break out clapping and perhaps dance for joy but she restrained her enthusiasm.
"I'm so glad you're thrilled but could we all go inside?" Alicia asked dryly as her stomach rolled. She swayed on the spot not enjoying how her world felt like it was swirling. She just needed to lie down. Maura chuckled and opened the door wider ushering them into the attractive 19th century, detached one and a half storey, three bay, stone-built house.
It looked more well loved than Alicia had ever seen it but then the Halloran's had a bad habit of ending up in the bottle and losing money in gambling hells. So they hadn't taken care of the property but with Maura at the helm of the renovations.
"Of course. Come on, I have a lovely modular lounge in the back room" Maura told her.
The place was immaculate if somewhat empty of furniture in the front rooms of the house and a bathroom beautifully renovated. They walked down the main hallway until it opened into a large open room with modern kitchen, dining and living room all combined in the open space and two sets of stair cases on each side leading up to the 2nd story of the house.
The living area a dark grey 6 seater modular lounge with a sofa chaise ending all covered in many colourful pillows and throw blankets, practically begging for Alicia to lie down on. A beautiful mahogany coffee table on a antique rug, it was a beautiful mix of modern and vintage decor in the room from the kitchen to the dining and living areas.
"It looks lovely" Alicia said to Maura as she leaned heavily on Warrington and drank in the room enjoying the walls were a dark turquoise with chocolate brown trim and light taupe cabinents. The bench tops and floorboards were natural wood with just vanish showing the richness of the materials and the patterns of the grain.
"Thank you, this is my favourite room. It's also the only complete room besides the bathroom, the rest I've only finished the bare bones with your Grandfather's help. Now all that's left is choosing colour themes and getting in the appropriate furniture. I thought you might like to help me" Maura said.
"I don't know much about decorating" Alicia said and the idea of decorating in her current state didn't appeal to her.
"I can teach you and really it's about your personal preferences and getting your grandfather's approval" Maura said she threw a look of aggravation as if to suggest her Grandfather was a pain in her ass when it came to the renovations and getting her way. But Alicia knew better, her Grandfather was happy step back and let others do the work.
"I'm sure that's not too hard" Alicia teased more for Warrington that Maura's sake. Warrington helped her take off her boots and then laid her down on the dark grey plush lounge at the end that was more like a day bed. She gave a sigh as her body was welcomed by the lounge as it cushioned her in all the right places.
"He is very obstinate in keeping everything a certain style. I'm going to make some tea for you, would you like something to eat like Ginger biscuits?" Maura asked as she looked down at Alicia. Alicia's stomach rolled at the thought of food and shook her head. She heard Maura moved into the kitchen area and start pottering around making the tea.
"Oh I think I'll just have the tea for now but thank you for offering" Alicia said as Warrington laid a soft blanket over her legs to keep her warm as she shifted to sit up in the chair for the tea.
"Are you ok?" he asked her as he sat on the arm rest of the lounge.
"Still nauseous but I'm fine, I'm sorry about spewing on your shoes" she told him. She had fallen out of the fireplace in the post office disoriented and fell flat onto her face. If that wasn't incredibly embarrassing when Warrington pulled her off the floor, her stomach decided the Floo travel was too much and upended itself onto the floor and his shoes.
"Luckily I'm a wizard and anyway you are not the first person upend their stomach on my shoes" He said with a smile as he brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear while surreptitiously feeling her for a temperature, she felt a little clammy and warm but not so hot that it was note worthy.
Alicia gave a smile even though she was mortified; she had never exited a fireplace in such a fashion. She was sure that she had made a good laugh for everyone who had witnessed it. Warrington of course scourgified the sick from the floor and his shoes while helping her to a place to sit. A bucket was given to her by the old man who owned the Post office which was lucky as she had only started it took a few more good retches before she was finished.
"Was it Montague?" Alicia asked.
"His 20th Birthday, it was not pretty" Warrington said wearing an amused smile.
"I don't want to know" Alicia said as she really didn't want to be sick again and still felt too delicate to hear such a story.
"Good I don't really want to share" Warrington said.
"Here we go, I brought some biscuits with the tea just in case you change your mind but you should eat something" Maura said reappearing with a tea tray laden with two pots, three cups and plate laden with biscuits. Warrington took the tray and placed it on the coffee table for his mother.
"I will but later, so where is my Grandfather?" Alicia asked as Maura poured out the tea.
"He's at the bar, he won't be here for lunch but he will be here later to take Cassius to the Seer and then we'll have dinner together" Maura said as she passed a cup only half filled into Alicia's shaky hands.
"Ok" Alicia said as she smelt the tea noting it was a Ginger Peppermint tea.
"So Mother, how are you?" Warrington asked as he sat on the end of the lounge at Alicia's feet. He declined the tea she offeres, Maura smiled and made her tea to her liking and sat on the lounge with Alicia but with some space between them.
"I'm well, I heard you've been making changes to the townhouse. I hope you haven't touched my beautiful work" Maura said with a serious expression.
"No, I just combined the Kitchen and Dining into one open room at the back with large windows to let in the light and the greenery of the gardens" Warrington explained.
"How lovely" Maura said impressed with him for taking an active role in making the townhouse more of a home.
"I love it" Alicia said as she picked up her cup of tea with s shaky hand while holding the saucer with the other. She took a couple of tentative sip of the tea she gave a soft sigh as the tea slid down her through with easy and warmed her insides.
"What other changes are you going to make?" Maura asked.
"I don't know, I'm thinking of downsizing the house to a 5 bedrooms in the top floor and keep the downstairs for living and recreation" Warrington said.
"As long as you don't ruin me hard work" Maura repeated.
"I promise I won't, Montague told me all about the hours you made him stand at the altar with Katie" Warrington said with a smile, as Montague said he had lived Warrington's wedding without the honeymoon and that he owed Montague for the hours he lost with his mother using him like a living doll.
"So tell me how is she?" Maura asked Warrington as they stood in a large room that was going to be a library and playroom in one or at least that's what Maura told him. Alicia was currently asleep on the plump chaise lounge in the living area, they had eaten a light lunch before making Alicia lie down again as she needed the rest.
"She has been more fatigued of late but it's end of month for the shop there is a lot paperwork that needs to be sorted." Warrington remarked.
"She's also in the early stages of her pregnancy, if you're lucky fatigue will be the worst and I recommend Alicia stay for at least three days before returning to London" Maura told him, it reminded him that he should pick up a couple of books on Pregnancy so he would be well informed for the coming months with Alicia.
"I agree" Warrington said reluctantly agreeing even though he didn't want to be separated from her. He was used to Alicia being a presence in his life but he had to admit the trip over had been taxing on Alicia.
"It will also give you some time to connect your fireplace to the one here so you both don't have to travel back forth from the main network" Maura said.
"Of course Mother" he said.
"Also tell me what you're doing about Theo" Maura said.
"How-" he started to ask but she cut him off.
"Cillian told me, he also told me about the visions this seer had and I agree with him that Alicia should stay here" Maura said folding her arms it was a stance he knew well as it meant his mother had made her mind up and was not changing it for anyone.
"Ah I see he's won you over but I am not going to force Alicia to stay where she doesn't want to" Warrington told him.
"Perhaps you should convince her-"
"I told her I would gladly go where she goes as long as I have access to the Floo Network"
"Which you do here" She told him.
"I am not the one you have to convince Mother" Warrington said.
"Ok, then tell me what are you going to do about Theo?" Maura said.
"I have people watching him, other than that I can't do anything legally speaking because he has done nothing wrong" Warrington said with a shake of his head as there was nothing he could do and he'd rather not be his father.
"Yet" Maura said.
"Dolohov's dagger was destroyed, he can't enact the curse again" Warrington said, Maura made aderisive noise and rolled her eyes.
"Please all he needs is the dagger of his own family with the crest on the handle. Perhaps the reason Alicia dies is that he attempts to curse her and kills her by accident. Pregnant women are not as physically strong, they have to share resources with their child. It's draining but there is one upside" she said thoughtfully as something came to her mind that she hadn't previously thought.
"There is?" Warrington asked.
"A mother and her child share their magic, if she is able to recover half of her magical core and learns to control her magic before she is taken she has a better survival rate than she does right now. Of course it depends on how far along she is when she is taken" Maura said.
"I'm lost as to what you are getting at" Warrington said as he had no clue what his mother was talking about.
"A pregnant witch is stronger magically than she is physically because the child and mother work together to protect themselves. When I was pregnant with you, Graham's father tried to get handsy with me and he barely touched my curves before he was burned for his unwanted advance" Maura said smiling at the memory.
"You burned Montague's father" Warrington said.
"I told him not to touch my-" Maura started but Warrington cut her off.
"I believe we are digressing" he said as he didn't want to know what Montague's father was trying to touch.
"The point being was that any person I didn't want touching me got burned, I'm sure in the next few weeks you'll see Alicia manifesting such traits and perform accidental magic. Especially since you and her are quite powerful it will mean your child will be equally as powerful. So if she is taken and she is conscious and strong she will be able to protect herself giving us time to find and rescue her." Maura said.
"That's somewhat comforting" Warrington said.
"But she needs to rest and restore her health" Maura said she had been about to continued but the front door opening stopped her. A second later, Cillian walked into the room.
"Afternoon Maura, Boy and where is my Granddaughter?" Cillian asked, he wore boots, brown pants and matching vest with a white shirt underneath with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
"She's resting in the living area. Floo travel was taxing on her" Maura told him.
"Aye, I heard she painted your shoes and the floor of the post office from Thomas. He said you did a fine job of scourgifying his floors and your shoes" Cillian said smiling at Warrington.
"Yes" Warrington said confirming that it was true.
"Well, let me go take a look at my granddaughter and then we will hit the road." Cillian said, Warrington gave a nod and Cillian left them disappearing down the hallway. Warrington turned back to his mother.
"I wanted ask if you had spoken to Grandmother about the ring" Warrington said, he tried contacting his grandmother but she hadn't been taking his calls or letters since he returned to London and took over the company.
"She won't give you a family heirloom" Maura lied, the truth was that she had asked her mother to withhold the ring as Cillian had told her that he wanted Warrington to give Alicia his wife's engagement ring. She loved the idea of Alicia recieving her own family heirlooms as they seemed more precious in comparison to the bounty her family and the Warrington's owned in the vaults. Now she just had to lie to her son so then he could earn Cillian's approval and get a ring Maura felt was better suited for Alicia.
"Why not?" Warrington asked.
"She doesn't approve of you keeping Warrington Industries running. She's an old hat who believes you will walk the same steps as your father" Maura half lied as her mother of course didn't approve at all of Warrington taking over the company.
"that's nonsense" Warrington said.
"I know, she'll come around but until then why don't you focus on earning Cillian's approval" Maura said she grasped her son's upper arm giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Ok, I'm good to go boy" Cillian said breaking the moment between Warrington and Maura.
"So where's the suit, tie and fancy shoes?" Cillian asked Warrington as they had been walking in silence for the past hour in the forest on the outskirts of the town where Cillian lived.
"It's the weekend" Warrington offered as he enjoyed the exercise and being outdoors in the fresh air. He had to admit he loved nature and being out in the fresh air more than he did the city but he was raised to run an empire or so his father told him. It was what he trained for and now did for a living.
"Well I am impressed that you're wearing appropriate shoes as I didn't want to be pulling you out of the mud" Cillian said as he was impressed he had half expected the man to show up in dragon hide boots and a trench coat but instead he dressed appropiately.
"This is not the first time I've gone walking in the country. May I ask you a question?" Warrington asked as they continued to walk.
"I don't know what's stopping you" Cilliand said.
"Why do you call me 'boy'?"
"Because that's what you are"
"I have a name"
"I know, you were named after your father"
"Did you know my father?"
"I knew him but whether you are your father's son remains to be seen. So tell me how you did you woo my Granddaughter?" Cillian asked as he didn't like to talk about his associates in the dark arts.
"I saw her at her worst and didn't pity her, she is considered spell damaged and thus majority of the community treat her like an invalid and a drain on society's resources." Warrington said, he didn't want to say he saw her as weak and easy to manipulate due to her spell damamged condition and lack of resources to medicate herself. He knew it wouldn't help him win the man's approval if anything it would probably give him a shallow grave in the forest they were walking in.
"But you didn't?" Cillian said taking Warrington's interpretation.
"Why should I? She has a stable job and living within her means. She doesn't complain or beg for compensation, she just wants to live and be happy" Warrington said speaking truthfully.
"And you think you make her happy?" Cillian asked as they continued to walk.
"Most days, I do my best but I'm not stupid to think I won't upset or annoy her sometimes and vice versa" Warrington said,
"So, how are you going to rectify the situation with Mr Nott?" Cillian asked, Warrington didn't have to wonder how Cillian found out it was Theo who was the main suspect on Warrington's list for stalking Alicia as the man had more contacts in the darker parts of their society than he did.
"How do you know it was he who had Alicia and I followed?" Warrington asked out of curiousity.
"Because I know more people with favours than you" Cillian said.
"Right, well for now I can't do anything. I have an image to maintain and I already warned him to stay away once to do it twice could have me up on charges" Warrington said.
"So you're going to do nothing" Cillian scoffed.
"What would have me do? I could ruin him financially and exile him to the continent but I don't think that will benefit either of us as Theo holds grudges and I won't give him more motivation than what he may have. So I currently have people looking into his past and Dolohov's. I've been told there were a few fans of Dolohov's any one of them could be involved or the perpetrator.
"It's not enough" Cillian said. Warrington gave a low sigh as he felt he was doing the best he could in the circumstances as he could have Theo held in custody for something he might do or just because he didn't like the man and how he looked at Alicia.
"You want me to move Alicia here" he stated knowing it was exactly what Cillian wanted.
"Aye" Cillian said.
"Alicia doesn't want to move, though a couple more Floo trips might change her mind" Warrington said with an amused smile. Cillian gave a laugh at the comment before they lapsed into silence.
They continued to walk in silence and half an hour later they reached a small clearing in the forest. In the clearing there was old stone cottage with thatch roof and a chimey that was piping smoke. They barely reached the front door when it opened by itself a portly old man with skinny arm and legs, no taller than 5'6 walked out onto the porch naked bare his feet in socks. He stretched up his arms and Warrington averted his eyes as the old man's beard didn't quite keep the mystery of what old age did to a wizard's jewels a secret. That and Warrington just didn't want to know.
"Oh you're here" the old man said not stopping in his morning stretches without a care in the world that it was below twenty degrees and he was naked.
"Hey Callaghan, you forget something this morning?" Cillian asked with a chuckle as he hadn't missed Warrington averting his eyes.
"Huh?" The old man looked down at his nakedness and then looked up the men completely unfazed. He lifted his beard up and looked down and even gave a little shake of his hips. "Nope, everything is where it should be if not hanging a little lower than it did yesterday" he commented dropping his beard back into place. Warrington tried to not look fazed by the man's crude behaviour but could Cillian didn't care in fact the old man thought it was hilarious as a twinkle of amusement was there in his eyes even though he didn't laugh.
"I'll tell the boys at the bar. Callaghan, this is the boy I was telling you about." Cillian said jutting a thumb at Warrington, Callaghan stepped down from the front steps and moved to Warrington narrowing his eyes and scrutinising the boy.
"Ahh little Alicia's boy, he reeks of Britain aristocracy" Callaghan said as he even leaned in to sniff Warrington and scrunching his nose in disgust. Warrington remained still and quirked an eyebrow at the behaviour as it was probably the first time he had ever been sniffed and disapproved of.
"Aye" Cillian said in agreement with a laugh.
"She could do better" Callaghan said.
"Aye, but she loves him" Cillian said he gave a 'what can you do' shrug which Callaghan did himself.
"Well you love who you love in spite of who they are as my wife used to tell me. Come on in. You want some tea?" Callaghan asked as they walked into his cottage. It was one medium sized room with a fire place in the middle of the room. To one side was a small bench space with a book case underneath filled with dusty tomes and to the other was a small table with chairs for four people. A cot was propped up against wall opposite the door.
Callaghan snapped his fingers and a dark green robe appeared over his body for which Warrington was grateful as the old man bent over to stoke the fire wood and Warrington was sure he had had his fill of seeing the man naked for his lifetime. "Sit down at the Table, get comfortable" Callaghan said waving a hand at them.
Cillian moved to the table and took a seat as did Warrington and they watched as Callaghan moved and pottered making things just appear from thin air. It was the kind of magic Warrington had never seen before and wondered how the wizard had learned to them.
"He's stealing everything that appears" Cillian said as if he had read Warrington's mind and decided to answer the question.
"I don't steal, I temporarily borrow" Callaghan said defensively.
"Semantics old man and I'm still waiting for that 300 yr old bottle of whiskey to return to my stores" Cillian said with a smile.
"Ah that is why I'm making that wand for your granddaughter without charging ya or complaining." Callaghan said as he moved to the table and took a seat. "Her magical core incredibly brittle not to mention with child, obviously your fault" he said looking at Warrington who remained silent as he knew better than to take the bait. Three clean mugs appeared on the table and the kettle that Callaghan boiled in the fireplace and set to steep for a few minutes, floated in the air pouring tea into their cups
"He had genetics against him. Alicia is a quarter Maltese" Cillian said, Callaghan chuckled.
"She's a fire cracker and there are interesting times ahead for her." Callaghan pointed at Warrington "That's why you're here but I'll tell you what I told her. The future is not set in stone and your fate lies in your own hands. Just because I glimpse your future it's one possible outcome." Callaghan said holding up one finger to emphasise his point.
"Ok" Warrington said.
"Which means that changing your ways will not necessarily save a life or stop one from being extinguished. The vision I showed her"
"Wait you showed her" Warrington said in disbelief as he had never heard of a seer beign able to share their vision in sugh a fashion.
"Aye, you think I just see them then relate with words?"
"I did" Warrington said. Callaghan shook his head as he took a sip of tea.
"It's easier to show than use my words Boy and I also can't show you that vision" he told him.
"Why not?" Warrington asked.
"It doesn't work like that, if I touch you all you'll see is a vision of a possible future for yourself" He said.
"If I can't change the vision or as you say there is no point in changing then why did you tell her it was imperative to move?"
"I didn't say it was 'imperative'. I told her that in this enclave she is safer than she is in England. We are a smaller community and thus notice strangers and odd behaviours. We protect our own and we have magic that can protect her that you do not possess and wealth cannot buy" Callaghan told him. Warrington sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest and considered what Callaghan was telling him.
"There is the other fact that she needs her magical core to regenerate itself and be able to control her magic before the babe is born. Something she has to focus on now" Cillian said.
"Hmm women with weak magical cores never survive labour" Callaghan said in agreement. Warrington unfolded his arms and placed a hand on the table near his mug of tea.
"You'll excuse me if I reserve my opinion until I've spoken with a qualified Healer" Warrington said as he was feeling like they were going to bully him into feeling guilty about letting Alicia live her life as she chose to do.
"Of course you can but there's something I want to show you" Callaghan said, he grabbed Warrington's hand. The room darkened like he had closed his eyes.
Warrington opened his eyes and looked around he was in a cold and sterile room he looked to his left and saw the bars of the wall and knew he was in prison. It was dark except for the soft glow of a lantern outside the cell. The room was small and cramped with a cot and toilet with a sink and that was it. It was incredibly cold with floor to ceiling in black shiny pebble tiles, the air so chilled he could see his breath as he exhaled. He heard a door outside the cell open and the sound of a baby giving a high pitched squeal of laughter.
He pushed off the cot he had been laying on and moved to the bars, he gripped the bars as he felt anger and pleasure rise in him as he saw Alicia come towards him with a baby boy who looked no older than a year. The little boy was in a onesie snow suit and his cheeks were rosy red, he had same Hazel eyes as Warrington but the same dark hair colour and olive skin tone that Alicia had.
"Da!" the baby boy said pointing a pudgy finger at Warrington through the bars of the cell.
"Yeah that's right, little fella" Alicia said kissing the side of the baby boy's face and smiling brightly. The baby smiled and giggled in delight as Alicia squeezed him a little and peppered him with affection. Warrington felt himself brighten from the gloom of the prison cell watching them. It eased the ache he felt deep inside of him at seeing them. He ached at the life he was missing but also grateful for these small glimpses of them both alive and happy as it was all worth it. His son and Alicia thriving, she stopped playing with the baby and looked at him with a soft look of love in her eyes.
"Remember that I love you and our son deserves to see his father. So don't be mad with me now" She said in a soft pleading manner as she hoisted the boy on her hip. She moved in close to the bars that he could smell the light scent of her and the baby.
"I'm not, I-" he said shaking his head as tears burned his eyes he reached through the bars and touched the head of the boy who was still pointing at him saying 'Da' looking chuffed about being right. Warrington smiled as he moved his hand and cupped the side of her face as he did, she turned her face into his palm. She pressed a soft kiss into his palm and closed her eyes relishing the contact."Thank you" he told her.
"Merlin" Warrington said the vision ended and his awareness was jerked back into the room with Callaghan and Cillian. He jerked away from Callaghan's hand and spilt his tea but didn't care. He was overwhelmed by what he had seen, felt and currently feeling as the emotions he was feeling in the vision had transferred into his current moment. He fought to suppress what he felt and as it was incredibly powerful and painful all at once.
"What you see boy?" Cillian asked.
"How is that possible?" Warrington asked Callaghan in a demanding tone.
"I told you no fate or our future is set in stone, I see visions that contradict one another all the time. How can I see the same woman young and dead in one vision but alive and aged in another?" Callaghan asked him.
TBC-Thank you for thr reviews and Cya all soon!