Part Seven: Sands of Time

I'm standing on the bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound

"You've met Kristin." Elliana protested in a hushed whisper. Kaden nodded, but the anxiety didn't leave his eyes. The restaurant was calm and relaxing, but Kaden was about to fall out of his chair. Elliana could see it in her husband's eyes. "He's only human."

"You don't understand, Elliana. He doesn't know." Kaden smoothed back his hair for the fourteenth time and straightened out his clothes. Elliana knew that people got nervous about their parents' opinions of their significant others, but she had no idea one could have a heart attack from it.

"Doesn't….know?" Elliana raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't know about me? At all? Of course he does…that incident with the spell…he has to know something." Kaden shook his head and sighed. Elliana had always thought Kaden to be a calm and collected person.

"About the marriage. Of course he's aware that you exist. He doesn't know we live together. He doesn't know that we're married. And…he's got a bit of a temper." Kaden winced as he spotted his father, Conlon Baggert, walk into the restaurant. Elliana sat up straight and made it a point not to turn around and gawk. She was fairly dressed up, but not to the point of discomfort. She felt, however, that Kaden thought his father might disapprove of her. "Father!" Kaden said, standing and shaking his father's hand. Elliana stood up and nodded her head politely. "Father, this is Elliana."

"Pleasure, my lady." Conlon said, kissing the back of her hand. She smiled courteously and waited for him to sit. Elliana then nodded to Kaden and sat down again. That had gone well. "So, Elliana." Conlon began. "Are you an my son dating?" Elliana saw Kaden blanche.

"We've been dating for a while, sir." Elliana answered. Conlon nodded and peered at his son. Kaden smiled nervously. Elliana felt Conlon study her for a moment and she knew he was attempting to catch her in a lie. She was not lying, however.

"Are you keeping something from me, young lady?" Conlon asked. His hair was growing white, but he held himself with prestige and importance. Elliana envied that ability. She smiled.

"I have no skill in lying." Elliana said. She looked at Conlon meaningfully and his eyes went to her left hand. Indeed, he quickly spotted what was amiss. The young lady with his son had a wedding ring on her finger. Knowing that his son was not the sort to be second best- thus dating a married woman, Conlon concluded that indeed the wool had been placed over his eyes.

"I see." Conlon looked at Elliana and then at Kaden. "Well, we shall see how permanent this arrangement is to remain." Elliana had no doubt that Conlon could persuade his son to annul the marriage in an instant if it did not please the older man. Elliana knew that Kaden would be unhappy about it, but he was prepared for the situation. She had discussed this with him long ago.

"Of course, sir." Elliana smiled at Kaden and slipped her hand into his under the table. She nodded reassuringly. Kaden cleared his throat.

"How had work been, Father?" Kaden asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Work has been as work will always be." Conlon said distractedly. "Now that Voldemort has fallen in England, a new threat to our family is rising. A woman I went to school with, Selena Aithne, has become the matriarch of her clan. One of the few families in Europe still run that way, mind you. She's a very powerful witch- the most powerful I've ever known. Unfortunately, Selena is planning to curse me." Conlon said this with the ease that Elliana saw every day in Kaden- calm and casual. He even laughed over it.

"Can you use a counter-curse?" Kaden asked. Conlon shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Selena's smart enough to invent her own curse and such. She's been at it for years, if I know her well enough. She knows magic, and she's going to use it. I won't see it coming. I have no upper hand. Whatever comes will come." Conlon took out a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled something down.

"Can you guard against it?" Elliana asked. "I know you could put up an enchantment to keep yourself from being hit directly. Like a protective orb." Elliana watched as Conlon looked at her oddly. For a moment she feared that she had said something wrong. Then Conlon laughed.

"You have never met Selena, girl. She will take precautions against that. She'll have ways around any wards that I put up. She'll know how to break the shields. Selena is clever." Conlon laughed again. Kaden squeezed Elliana's hand. "The thought is a good one. Kaden told me once that you were a clever witch. You must learn to think two steps ahead of everyone else to truly be clever." Conlon leaned in and smirked. "You have the makings of a clever witch. But you aren't there yet." Elliana flushed and sat up.

Kaden glanced at Elliana and she nodded that she wasn't offended. Elliana kept her mouth shut, however, throughout the duration of the meal. Kaden kept the conversation focused on his father and not Elliana. Elliana was all the happier.

"Elliana," Conlon said nearing dessert. Elliana looked up and nodded. "I would like to know about this girl that my son wed- without my knowledge or consent. I have heard very little from you." Conlon looked at her as though he expected her to stammer out answers to his every question. Elliana felt uneasy. She hated talking about herself.

"There isn't much to tell, Mr. Baggert."

"Isn't there, though? Where did you come from, girl? Your parents?" Conlon laughed softly. "There is always much to tell to those who wish to know." Elliana bit her lip and tried to avoid lowering her eyes or fidgeting with the tablecloth.

"I'm from Norway, sir."

"And your parents?"

"I suspect they were from Norway as well."

"Don't get smart with me." Conlon snapped. He collected himself and forced a smile. Elliana had done this all of her life- smiled for other people's sakes. She knew his smile lacked sincerity.

"Excuse me." Elliana said softly. "I'd rather not discuss it." Conlon looked at her in surprise and then glanced at Kaden. Conlon seemed the sort not to receive rejection on a daily basis. Elliana silently prayed that it would not affect his opinion of her.

"Kaden, I'd like to speak to her alone for a moment." Conlon said shortly. He watched as Kaden nodded and stood up, walking outside. Elliana folded her hands in her lap and stared at her plate. Kaden had been right. His father was very much intimidating. "Listen to me, girl. I can see that you have a mind. I told you that earlier this evening. If you are to stay married to my son, you will show me respect. I have raised my son to obey me and honor me. You will do the same." Conlon looked at her with a hard gaze.

"I did not want to discuss my past." Elliana said icily.

"So you told me. I won't bring it up again. But if I do ask a question you disagree with, do not take such a tone with me. I do not appreciate one such as yourself talking back to me." Conlon lifted his head as Kaden returned. He stood up and placed his top hat back on his head and nodded curtly to the both of them. "It was nice to meet you, Elliana. I hope to speak with you both again soon."

As he left, Elliana found the one thing that she would dread. She had met many people in her life, and they had all been a challenge. Kaden had told her once not to threaten him, and she never had again. Conlon seemed to carry the same theory about sarcasm. Ironically, they had not told the man everything. They had a baby, now. A baby that they were keeping secret for fear it might be used against them. Elliana would dread seeing Conlon Baggert again.

"He hasn't written for ages. I didn't even think he could find us here. But, here's the letter. It's bad news, Elliana. It's bad news for both of us." Kaden handed her the envelope and Elliana took it carefully. She opened the letter and read carefully.

Baggert-

As I told you two years ago, the Dark Lord has been thrown from power. My family has fled from the inquiries of the Ministry. I'm sure that my flat has been searched several times over, and my father has been taken to Azkaban. All people associated with the Dark Lord will be put under inquiry and possibly sent to Azkaban. Your identity may be known. See to it that you are hidden.

Lucius Malfoy

Elliana set the letter aside and looked at Kaden. This was not looking good. Kaden was unsettled, and that was not a good sign. Elliana walked to the window of the flat and looked out to the street below. The lights were dimming on a velvet sky- Halloween. Elliana could see the bonfires on the hillside beyond the city. Celebrations of the old ways, still. She turned to Kaden and crossed her arms in thought.

"We are hidden, Kaden. That was the point of coming here. We are hidden." Elliana tugged at her sleeves and sighed. The winter would be a cold one. Even here. She did not mind cold- but it was said to be likely to be accompanied by snow and rain. Elliana minded the snow and rain. The world shone with a sublime radiance at this moment, iced in time. The problems had seemed so very distant until a moment ago. "What could we do to be safer?"

"Live with my father." Kaden spoke the words softly, very unwilling to voice the opinion at all. Elliana understood, but she was no more willing to accept the option as one they had to consider. There had to be other ways. "Don't look at me like that, Elliana. His house is Unplottable, large. He lives alone. There are enchantments…they won't find us."

"We have a home. We don't know how long the searching could last. I refuse to live with your father until we have to. And as of now, we are safe." Elliana crossed the room and put a hand on his arm. "As of now, we are invincible."

A scream shattered the night. It rose into the air as no earthly sound. Pure terror sounded that alarm, and it spread over what seemed the entire world. Elliana sat up in bed and found Kaden standing at the window. Outside, a purple light spread over the city. Elliana hurried to turn on a light and go to the window.

"Kaden, what happened?" Elliana kept her voice level, although she was very much afraid. Kaden turned towards her. Elliana's eyes widened. His hair was no longer dark brown. As he stepped out of the shadows, she could see the truth. His hair was a pure silver. Elliana gasped as she lifted her own hair- it was silver as well.

Then it occurred to her. The curse. Elliana knew that with powerful curses often came side-effects. She silently prayed that the curse was something fixable. She hurried to find an owl to send to Conlon. Kaden appeared in the living room as Elliana opened the window. She let the owl go and Kaden remained silent. The child- named after his father- cried in the other room.

"Did it take your voice?" Elliana quipped, her mind still foggy from sleep. Kaden stared at the window and shook his head. Elliana walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Why wouldn't he speak to her? Had she done something wrong? A vision swept over her, whispering in her ear.

The girl never wept. She sat by the lake, looking into the waters. Giving into the waters. The waters sang to her. She wanted to drown. She heard him coming. She blamed him. How could he have let this happen? The girl winced as he knelt next to her and touched her shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You knew. You always knew. How could you? You promised!" The girl turned away from him and pulled her cloak around her tightly. The boy sighed. He was torn up inside, she could tell from that sigh.

"I love you." The boy said, stepping out on the proverbial limb. She had known, secretly. It was a threat as much as an endearment. She glared at the waters, mentally cursing him. Thinking of the ways that she would curse him.

"That love is gone." She said flatly. "Only ice remains."

Elliana had seen the memory before. It hadn't made sense then. It didn't seem to make sense now, but it was beginning to decode itself. The boy, whom looked like Kaden at first, was Conlon Baggert. But the girl…who was the girl? She seemed upset, now that Elliana reflected upon it. She seemed very upset. The girl was beautiful; unearthly as it might be. The girl also had an aura of power, even in the dream.

Power. Of course. Elliana couldn't be sure, but she would find out. She would definitely find out. The school hadn't seemed familiar, but Elliana had most certainly seen a school. And the girl's thoughts…dwelling on a curse. It made sense.

"I'm going to bed, Kaden." Elliana said, exhaustion apparent in her voice. She gave in to the comforts of sleep, very lucky that nightmares haunted her no longer. Elliana needed to find out more about the matriarch of the Aithne Clan, and to do that she needed rest.

The dawn was radiant, piercing the hearts of all who looked upon it. The air was thick with pride and achievement- thick with the smell of revenge. One could tell that the world had changed in a single instant, even if only a small part of it. The world had changed, and power had been won.

Now there was a new scent rising in the air. Hate and passion collided in a fireball, destined to strike out. Revenge upon revenge was coming, and it was going to be forceful. Centuries after, people would speak of the fury. Centuries after, people would stumble upon the text. There was text. All letters, journals, newspapers, and things of that sort were saved. Saved for when they would be needed most.

Love is a double-edged sword. One side does the cutting and the other cuts the bearer. So much love brought tyranny to peace and hate to peace. Peace had dwelt in solitude and now it had competition. There was only one true force for the amethyst dawn. There was only one true power for the stars rising in the sapphire dusk. Love could stand only for so long before it was pushed aside by Desire. And Desire would conquer, letting all fall in its path.

"The silver hair suits you, Kaden." The greeting came as the door opened. Conlon stood, looking at menacing as ever. Elliana was not happy about the arrangement, but part of her agreed it was for the best. Kaden led her into the house and a maid showed them to their part of the house.

Elliana and Kaden had a bedroom, a living area, a bathroom, and a library to themselves. Kaden was right- the house was large. Elliana suddenly missed her home with Kristin. That house had been large. This house was larger. Elliana set her trunk and things down in their bedroom and walked down the stairs to see Conlon and Kaden discussing something animatedly.

"We cannot keep her here, Father. She'd be clawing at the walls to get out. It is one thing to-" Kaden spotted Elliana and motioned her to him. She was unsure of the topic of the conversation, and had no interest in pursuing it. However, in the six weeks since Halloween, Kaden had been very stressed indeed. He seemed harsh and cold towards her.

"It's revenge, Kaden. We will keep her here. Selena can come begging on her knees and I could care less. The girl must die. Slowly." Conlon looked to Elliana. "Selena Aithne has a daughter, a couple years older than yourself. You two will kidnap the girl and bring her here." Elliana nodded slowly, very accustomed to following instructions.

"We cannot keep her here. She-" Kaden stopped as his father's cane pounded the hardwood floor. Elliana winced. Of course, Conlon disliked people in disagreement with his ideas. She had discovered this. Conlon stood firm.

"She will stay here. It is the best place. Now, bring her here by tonight." Conlon swept past them and down the hall. For a moment, Elliana truly breathed in her surroundings. This was the house she had seen Rhiannon in. Elliana followed Conlon down the hall and found him in a pale yellow room. Elliana couldn't place it, but it too seemed familiar. Music echoed in the house, and it all sounded so surreal.

Elliana sat in the room and watched in silence as Faryn Kelsinger tested her boundaries. She couldn't leave the room unless the wards were dropped first. Faryn was confined to the room, which in essence was a cage. Although the room was large, it closed in on the prisoner.

"Please! Please let me out! I didn't do anything! I have to get to Robert!" Faryn started begging by midnight. Elliana shook her head sadly. As Faryn wept, her dazzling auburn hair fell in her face. Elliana realized now where she had seen Faryn before. In her vision.

"Robert?"

"He's my husband…he won't understand about curses and revenge and things. He won't understand!" Faryn sobbed, rocking helplessly on the floor. Elliana thought it was pathetic, but she said nothing. She didn't want to jar the girl. Elliana watched from her chair and tried to keep the girl from going mad. It would not do them any good if she broke too quickly. "And my baby…she's so young!"

"Why wouldn't your husband understand?" Elliana asked without emotion.

"He's a…he's a…Muggle. My mother never understood, and so I had to keep my distance. You aren't hurting her…you aren't! And my poor baby…what is she to do without a mother?" Faryn stood and walked to the dresser slowly. Elliana watched with silent amusement. Faryn stared into the mirror.

"Your child will live, and that should be all that matters to you. She'll have love. Love will protect her. And as for your mother, we'll see if it hurts her." Elliana was growing bored with the weeping. She knew that, being the woman of the house, she was expected to watch Faryn until this silly depression subsided. Faryn turned and looked at her pleadingly.

"Please…make sure she lives. My daughter. Make sure she lives." Faryn walked over to Elliana and knelt in front of her chair. Faryn took her captor's hands and smiled softly. "I don't hold my life to be worth much. But the life of my child. That is important to me. More than anything I've ever known. If I should be condemned to die for my mother's acts, let me know that my child will live." Faryn looked incredibly serious, and seemed to want this more than Elliana had wanted anything in her life.

Faryn, whom Elliana truly perceived to be the Daddy's Girl Princess-type, was lowering herself to begging for mercy. And not even mercy for herself. Mercy for an infant. Mercy for her daughter. Elliana had never seen the child, but wondered silently if she would do the same for the baby Kaden. She liked to think that she loved the child more than anyone else, but then Elliana would second-guess herself. Elliana had taught herself long ago that she couldn't truly love anyone, right? Was maternal love a different sort of rule-breaking love?

"You were a Gryffindor, weren't you?" Elliana asked, rolling her eyes.

"Hufflepuff."

"Really?" Elliana asked, surprised.

"My mother was furious. She seemed proud enough when I was made Head Girl." Faryn seemed to reflect for a moment before it passed, unclouding the issue at hand. Elliana saw it pass, but she wanted to talk of simpler things.

"I was Head Girl as well."

"Ravenclaw?" Faryn asked.

"Slytherin."

"You strike me as the witty, book-worm type. I had lots of Ravenclaw friends. They all went on to create spells and enchantments for the Ministry or some such job. Slytherin, really?" Faryn smiled good-naturedly, and Elliana could see fierce determination in the girl's eyes. Determination to make the best of her foul circumstances. Elliana remembered the same trait in Brooke. Brooke. The thought that she had lost contact with all of her friends and family hurt.

"Yes."

"First Head Girl from Slytherin in years, I think. They must have been proud to have you." Faryn's eyes glazed over again with memories, and Elliana let her think in peace. Elliana knew what she was seeing. Not so much through any special powers, but more because she was seeing the same things herself. Her Hogwarts days. When things were simpler.

Elliana had not thought much of the world outside of Bulgaria, or what she had left behind. She had been caught up in the luminous beauty of it all- the dream of exploring a new world. She had not seen a play in ages, or done much of anything. Elliana still made time to dance every day. Dancing was something that she could not live without. Dance was a part of her existence. Dancing healed her soul when it was torn or eased her pain when times were hard. And times were often hard. Elliana pulled herself out of the sea of bitterness and forced herself to think rationally. Elliana cleared her throat and lowered her voice.

"There is a spell."

"They have Faryn, miss."

"WHAT?" The woman's voice rang throughout the halls of her English home. She heard the baby crying upstairs. She ignored the child. The woman turned back to the house-elf that had brought the news. "They have Faryn? They?"

"The Baggerts, miss."

"You fool! Why didn't you stop them?"

"They have powerful magic, miss. Please, we did try." The elf pleaded. The woman was unyielding. She rounded on the creature and leaned over it furiously. Her newly-violet eyes gleamed with anger.

"You let them take my only daughter because THEY HAVE MAGIC? You have magic too, you idiot! Get out of my sight!" The woman kicked the elf away, and turned to the window. The countryside below enchanted her, and she knew that the land of the Baggerts would be nothing like England. Also, she knew that the home would not be easy to find. She could very well spend the next few years searching for the home.

It was worth it. They could kill her daughter anytime they liked, and that made the woman's heart ache. She had not lost all feeling, contrary to any belief of that man. She still knew love. She loved her husband, and she loved her daughter. Nothing could replace either of them.

After Christmas passed, Elliana began work convincing Conlon to let Faryn use the library. He, of all people, understood that knowledge was endless. It would keep her mind off of other things- escape being a prime example. Conlon finally agreed, as long as Faryn was still guarded. After all, she had no wand.

During the day, when Elliana did not dance, she and Faryn would sit in the library, looking through the books. Elliana didn't help Faryn, in particular. It seemed to be something that Faryn had the drive to do on her own. Elliana told Faryn what she knew of the spell, but Faryn had to find the incantation on her own. That was the agreement. Elliana had her mind on other things.

The library was dusty, but the knowledge was there- waiting to be absorbed. The books lined bookshelves all along the one curved wall and the three straight ones. A long table sat in the middle, fully equipped with quills, parchment, and anything else that one could imagine needing in any library. Elliana found an armchair in the corner particularly comfortable while Faryn often sat at the table.

It amused Elliana to watch Faryn study. Faryn would read through the books without emotion, but when she found something worth finding she'd get very excited and often smile broadly. Elliana could imagine Faryn taking a particularly hard exam- being stumped and then jumping all around the classroom when she finally figured out the answer.

As for Elliana, she spent her time in the library finishing the leather-bound volume Brooke had given her so long ago. She had owled Brooke after Faryn had been captured, and Brooke had yet to write back. Elliana's mind wandered to bad thoughts- what if Brooke were dead? What if Brooke had been taken to Azkaban for something she'd never told Elliana about? Elliana's mind buzzed, but she forced herself through the plays. She needed to get lost in a book rather than in the realm of possibility.

"So what happens when I find it?" Faryn asked one day after finishing the search through another volume. Elliana looked up and tilted her head in a half-shrug. Faryn sighed. "It doesn't seem as though they'd allow me to work the magic."

"I'll get your wand. You'll have to work it flawlessly the very first time. Do you think you can do that?" Elliana closed the book she was reading from and leaned on it. Faryn thought for a moment and then nodded.

"I'd have to see the spell to know for sure, but I've always been good with charms. Things are getting confused, though. I think I'm getting sick." Faryn looked at her hands sadly. Elliana could see that being a prisoner was having its affect on the girl. It wasn't as bad as it had been in the vision- yet. Elliana guessed that Faryn would have a few more years before the madness took over. Would she last that long?

Kaden walked back and forth across the bedroom and Elliana sat on the bed watching. She wasn't quite sure what he was trying to accomplish with the pacing, but he seemed worried about something. Elliana had been snapped at several times for trying to discover the cause of this anxiety, and she didn't plan to give him any more reason to yell at her. Whatever this curse did, one of its side affects must have been shortness of temper. Kaden had always been virtually laid back, and it now seemed that he was uptight about everything. Conlon had pulled Elliana aside one night to talk to her about it. His general opinion was that Kaden was realizing there were responsibilities out there and learning to focus on what was important.

This was the power that would destroy him. This was the power that Kaden and Elliana had spent so much time discussing at Hogwarts. Elliana felt that he was gaining the power he had always desired. Conlon had thrown him into wizarding society, and Kaden and Elliana often attended dinners and balls and things. In fact, by the end of April, they were quite well known among many people in Eastern Europe. All the same, they had avoided the watchful eyes of the Aurors.

The fear of being discovered lurked on Kaden's mind. Elliana could tell. He had shown no remorse in his school days, but he was paying for it now. Kaden was edgy. Maybe that was the curse. Maybe that was Karma. Elliana didn't know. She wondered why the curse wasn't affecting her as heavily as it had Kaden. She saw change in Conlon as well. Conlon became flat out cruel to Faryn and Kaden. He rarely spoke to Elliana. Conlon spent his days locked in his study doing Merlin knows what. Elliana had never had a very friendly home, even at the Darleys'. Kristin had always had to work or some such thing, leaving Elliana many days to herself to contemplate the meaning of life.

Kaden was still beautiful. As much as the curse had changed his outlook on life or his attitude, it had not changed his looks drastically. The silver hair was regal, and Conlon had spoken truth many months ago. The silver hair did suit him. Elliana could feel the eyes of the society women on Kaden when they walked into a room. Of course, these people had not known Kaden with anything other than pale, gleaming silver hair. No one had seen Elliana with her dark hair that shimmered blue. These were the new faces that they saw. Only a few people noted that their looks had changed at all. Even fewer could note that anything was wrong at all.

Elliana sighed and picked up her book, giving up on figuring his reasoning out at all. Ironically, she found herself on the scene from Julius Caesar where Portia confronts Brutus about his attitude as of late. Elliana looked at her husband for a moment and found that she could very much relate to what Portia was feeling. Kaden didn't seem to notice and continued pacing for the better part of the night. Elliana turned out the light shortly after one in the morning, and Kaden looked at her oddly. Had she stirred someone from a trance, she would have expected much the same expression. Elliana didn't bother to ask for an explanation. Instead, she rolled over and fell victim to a dreamless sleep.

"You spoke with Kaden?" Elliana asked, surprised. Faryn lifted her head for a moment and nodded before returning to her studies. "What did he say?" Elliana had always prided herself on not letting her curiosity get the best of her. But lately, Kaden wouldn't speak to her. It was unnerving. Faryn set her book aside and looked at Elliana with sadness.

"You feel trapped, don't you?" Faryn asked softly. It seemed ironic that this girl, a prisoner in the house, would speak of being trapped. Elliana thought that this was incredulous, and wondered if the madness had begun to set in. Conlon had told them months ago that the girl would break sooner or later, most likely dying in the end. Elliana had never doubted it, but now she believed it more than ever.

"What did Kaden say?" Elliana asked flatly. Faryn laughed to herself and studied Elliana for a moment. Elliana wondered what Faryn saw. Someone to pity? Someone to hate?

"He said that the power has consumed him, or something along those lines. Something about Fate and that he should have trusted you so long ago. I think he's angry with himself for being snappish with you." Faryn said, running her fingers along the raised gold letters on the book in front of her. Elliana shook her head.

"He's not angry with himself. He doesn't even realize that he's doing it." Elliana stood up and walked along the bookshelves, absentmindedly dusting off the spines of the books. Kaden wouldn't continue to be hateful if he were aware. "Can you tell me anything about your mother's curse?" Faryn's eyes widened and she looked as though Elliana had asked her to reveal the secrets of the world. She rocked back and forth in silence.

"I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Tell you." Faryn looked at Elliana with the same pity as before. "I'm an Aithne, and we're to keep our secrets. We have to keep our secrets, or the clan will fall apart." Elliana nodded slowly, not quite understanding why the description of a single curse could destroy a family. "There are so many things." Faryn said softly. "There's a bond in our family that is built on secrecy and safety. Not one of those corny bonds you hear about in books. This is a real bond. This bond is ever-present. If I were to tell you something that my mother had told me in confidence, tension would grow immediately between my mother and myself. I wouldn't know her anymore. She'd be present, but I wouldn't be able to understand her thinking…all that I had grown up to know would be lost. It's just the way it is."

"And the safety?"

"We can't take sides. We could never be Aurors or work for Voldemort. We aren't good at competition. Even gaining the drive to play in a Quidditch game is difficult. The motivation just isn't there." Faryn explained. "I don't suppose you'd understand. You're having difficulties understanding your own problems."

Elliana's eyes flashed gold with anger and she turned to face the girl. She didn't need to be reminded that she didn't understand the annoyance that her husband had gained, or didn't understand why honor was so important to Conlon. She didn't need to be reminded.

"How dare you speak to me about those things? You know nothing about me, truly. You know nothing!" Elliana slammed her hand down on the book in front of Faryn, quickly gaining her full attention.

"I know more than you think." Faryn whispered. "I know why your husband is ignoring you. I know why Baggert stays locked up. I know exactly what my mother is doing at the moment to remedy the situation. It annoys you because I can't tell you." Faryn had been more blatant in that moment than Elliana had ever seen her. Her eyes were passionate with the fact that she did know what her mother was doing. She knew, and Elliana could not deny that she was annoyed.

"It's time to go downstairs." Elliana said icily, opening the door. Faryn strode out victoriously and walked to her room. Elliana shut the door with more force than she might usually have, and she put the wards up quickly. Faryn could think whatever she liked. As far as the world was concerned, it did not bother Elliana.