Chapter 13: Missing Pieces


Harry hadn't realized how at home he and Ginny had become at the Abbey until they started to pack it all up. Plus, now they had all of Roisin's things to pack as well as Hedwig's – after only a few short weeks, both pets had accumulated quite a bit of stuff. He reckoned they might be indulgent 'parents'. Okay, he reckoned he might be an indulgent parent.

Luckily though, or perhaps not so lucky, Hermione had surprised them with a morning floo call (they'd only got to sleep a tiny bit) which inexplicably turned into a visit, and she was now helping them organize their packing. Harry eventually had to come out to the sitting room to take a breather from his best friend's version of organizing. Also, Hermione was obsessed with talking about how Ron had finally proposed – very romantically and in one of her favorite Muggle restaurants. Apparently, Ron had got her parent's permission and their suggestion of where their daughter liked to eat in London, and wasn't that terribly thoughtful of him? Harry was happy for his friends; he was. He was just sort of tired of looking at the ring and ooh and aah-ing over it. He missed having another male around, and since that meant thinking about Brogan, he quickly kicked those feelings to the back of his mind.

"Harry?"

"In here, Hermione," he said, pretending to be looking through some books on the table so that she wouldn't yell at him for not helping more.

"Ron said to tell you to make sure that you have the last weekend in August free as Bill won tickets to a special exhibition game between the Cannons and the Harpies. I think we're going to have the bonding that weekend too, and make a holiday out of it. Of course, we want you there. And there's an extra ticket for, erm, well, Brogan. If he's back by then."

Hermione gave him a kind look, but she also appeared to want to say more, so Harry turned away, feeling his sadness return to the edge of his awareness again. They hadn't discussed the situation with Brogan much with Ron and Hermione, only that he'd lost his memories and that things were difficult. Harry was sure Hermione had a lot of questions. But he just didn't have it in him to have that conversation now. Not when the other man's leaving still felt so raw. Ginny came out of the bedroom then, as though sensing his mood.

"The Harpies, did you say? I've always wanted to see them! Ron won't mind if I wear dark green instead of orange, will he? I look much better in their colors. Not that he'll care. Watch, I bet you he buys us all the brightest, tackiest orange shirts to wear! Oh, Hermione, can I get you to show me that extending charm again?"

Harry gave Ginny a thankful smile as she led the other woman away from him. Not for the first time, he was glad he had a girlfriend who could tell when he needed to be alone.

He listened to the two women continue talking through the opened door and sat down on the sofa, staring into space. He had meant what he'd said at Thorn Rose Cottage – they were leaving Ireland behind them and moving forward. And he wasn't having second thoughts, not really. Harry just wondered when his heart would stop feeling this way – as though everything had gone to shite. He tried to cheer himself with the fact that at least Brogan was alive and well, and not stuck in another dimension. He knew they would see each other again. Perhaps not as they had once been, but…as friends, eventually. Even though the idea of that made him feel hollow inside. He could learn to live with that.

At least, he thought he could. Eventually.

And if Brogan did indeed get his memories back…well, Harry reckoned they would just have to cross that bridge when they came to it. Because he missed his friend. Harry chided himself for splitting hairs and playing word games with himself- he could say it - he missed his bloody boyfriend. But most of all, he felt pained that the three of them could not seem to make it work. The hard truth was that he and Ginny's love for Brogan couldn't seem to save the day at the end of it all. It felt like a great failure to Harry.

He felt like a great failure.

Harry wondered if Brogan had contacted Sid and what the healer would say about their disaster at the cottage. For his sake, Harry hoped that Brogan would continue to work on his memories with the healer and not give up. He knew Brogan would never be happy until he had some sort of connection with his past self. He toyed with contacting Sid himself but realized Brogan would probably just see that as one more over-bearing action on his part.

Harry stared at the bracelet around his wrist, wondering why he was still bothering to keep it on. He closed his eyes and tried to detect Brogan with it. He could only feel a slight sense of the other man as if he were sleeping or far away again. Harry frowned and slipped the bracelet off his wrist; the things were bloody useless now. He should just get Ginny's and pack them both up and forget about them. He was grateful that they had helped in the fight against Voldemort, but right now, he felt sick just looking at them. Weren't they just one more reminder of Harry's failure?

But no, perhaps that was just him still feeling sensitive about Brogan running away. The truth was that the bracelets reminded him of the precious thing he'd lost. More so than Aine, the bracelets had connected him deeper to Brogan, and Harry had thought he'd understood that at the time, but perhaps he hadn't. Ginny and Brogan had Aine between them, and even though Harry had been included in that, it still hadn't been the same. But the bracelets had been their thing. Ginny had joked about how she'd received a ring, and all Brogan had received was a dodgy snake bracelet. Somewhere along the line, Harry realized he had come to associate their deeper connection with the bracelets. So yes, Ginny had her ring, which told the world that she was his, and Brogan now had a sort of cool tattoo indicating the same (even if he didn't know it), and Harry, well, Harry just had this silver trinket that looked like a bloody snake. But he'd continued to wear it because it had started to mean something more to him.

Achieving true grace, as they had, meant the three of them were already bonded in a way that was deeper and greater than they had ever imagined. Harry realized that part of him was okay with it because he'd asked Ginny to marry him, and they had that - it was real and tangible in the form of her ring, and he'd come to think the same for the bracelet. The soft, sentimental part of his personality that he rarely acknowledged or even indulged in had wanted the bracelet to mean the same to Brogan as Ginny's ring did to her. Harry knew he belonged to the two of them the same way that they belonged to him. Was it wrong of him to feel that way? He didn't think so, but he also just didn't know.

In the end, after thinking about it for far too long, Harry put the bracelet back on. Just in case. Just in case Brogan needed to contact them and couldn't do it in the usual ways. And, well, Harry wasn't quite ready to admit that their connection was over. Regardless of what the other man believed, Harry and Ginny still cared about him. Harry figured continuing to wear the bracelet was the least that he could do. It wasn't even as though they had broken up or moved on from what they'd had. It was simply that one part of them was incomplete, and until they agreed about what that meant for their connection, Harry assumed he would feel a bit incomplete as well. He still loved Brogan; ergo, he would still wear the bracelet.

Feeling as though he'd come to an important decision and made up his mind, Harry suddenly felt better. He couldn't wait to get started on building their house, and maybe that was exactly the distraction he needed right now. Being back around his friends and loved ones sounded ideal, and it was a good life, wasn't it? A life he'd fought for and almost died for, even. Harry also reckoned that he and Ginny had been hiding out at the Abbey long enough. He could see now that getting on with their lives didn't mean losing the past. It just meant moving forward and living. Hopefully, all the empty places inside him would soon be filled with new experiences and new joys. And if Brogan came back and wanted to be a part of that, then Harry would welcome him.

o-o-o-o-o

As Brogan regained consciousness, he let out a low moan. His skull felt as though someone had gone after it with a hammer. As he opened his eyes, he realized two things – one, the rest of him was okay, and two, he was locked up somewhere. He was on a single bed that was chained to a dark brick wall, and it had seen better days. There was the faint smell of old sweat and dust; as he turned in the bed, he saw the particles he'd disturbed start to dance in the half-light of the cell. There was a very thin and long window up above him that was so dirty, he didn't think it had been cleaned any time recently, if ever. It cast a grey strip of light over him and across the floor, dying out as it hit the dark bars locking him in. He could see nothing past that, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there.

Deciding to ignore that for the moment, Brogan tried to remember what had happened. The thing he had seen at the end, right before they'd grabbed him…what in the hell had that been? Had he been hit with some weird Confundus Charm that made him see strange, bizarre-looking creatures? He vaguely remembered feeling eerily calm in the alley and realized he had fallen to some sort of spell because he also remembered reaching for his wand far too late.

But why would anyone want to kidnap him? He had a fair bit of money in the bank, but not that much; he wasn't famous, and there wasn't anything exciting about him, or at least Brogan didn't think so. He reckoned his status as an Empath was rare enough, but he hardly thought that people who needed emotional guidance were the type to plan an abduction. So what exactly was going on?

Brogan wondered briefly if it had something to do with Harry and Ginny perhaps, but no, that was ridiculous. Besides, if whoever grabbed him thought he mattered to the couple, they might be in for a surprise – he doubted either Harry or Ginny were pleased with him at the moment, what with cutting and running the way he had. Brogan swallowed roughly – he technically hadn't even left Ireland yet, and here he was already reconsidering his rash decision made at God-knew-what-hour this morning. But he pushed it out of his mind, because worrying about it and rethinking his decision would not help him in this situation.

He slowly sat up and stretched as his head gave a roar of protest. Brogan felt done in – as if he'd had an empathic experience without remembering it. Sometimes, if a connection was too strong or intense, his head would hurt, and he'd feel drained for most of the day. Thankfully, whatever had happened to him just made his head hurt this time. Lucky him.

"Well, I see you've decided to join us," a voice said softly from the center of the darkness, just beyond the bars of the cell. Brogan frowned. He didn't think he recognized whoever it was. A few moments later, he felt even more confused as Sean O'Brien moved forward into the waning light. What in the blazes was he doing here? Brogan's head started to throb, and he winced. O'Brien made a tsking noise, and while there was a smile on his face, Brogan had no doubt the other man felt nothing but malice towards him. The strength of the emotion hit him like a lorry traveling at top speed. It also felt as though the temperature in the room had just dropped about 20 degrees.

"You're…Sean, Sean O'Brien, from the Broken Quill," Brogan said, thoughts racing. He narrowed his eyes at the other man as something shimmered at the edge of his consciousness. "But you're…you're something else too, aren't you?"

The smile on O'Brien's face grew even colder, and Brogan realized belatedly that it had been the wrong thing to say.

"Ah, Empaths. I never have been able to fool your kind, not completely. You always sense too much. But never mind, I'll take care of that when I let you go. If I let you go."

"Look, I don't know what you want with me or why you've kidnapped me, but I should tell you right now, I don't have any memory of the entire last year. So…"

"My issue with you is that tattoo of yours, Mr Caley. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't suppose you know why it's a tattoo now, do you? Save us all a bit of trouble?"

Brogan frowned and glanced down at his wrist. To be honest, he hadn't given the tattoo much thought, although he knew Harry and Ginny cared about it, especially Harry. He gave O'Brien a hopeless look.

"I don't. I'm sorry. If I knew, I would tell you, but see, I was…well, it sounds barmy, but I was in another dimension-"

"Oh, I know. I'm one of the reasons the Weasley girl had such an easy time getting you back. I put a little of…well, let's just say myself, into their spell. At the time, I didn't want to wait while she stumbled around looking for you. Perhaps I messed it up somehow, but I don't think so. I think that bracelet was a part of you from the start. But it's mine. It has always been mine. The three of you don't understand what you have; more's the pity." O'Brien practically sounded wistful to Brogan.

"I don't even want the bloody thing!" Brogan exclaimed. "If I could give it to you, I would. I don't-"

"Ah, but of course, your missing memory. It's making you no longer wish to be a member of your triumvirate. Interesting. Very interesting." O'Brien seemed to be speaking to himself. He gazed unseeingly at Brogan, but it was still a twisted expression. It made Brogan take an involuntary step back until his legs hit the edge of the bed. He felt his mouth run dry and swallowed roughly.

Sean suddenly focused on him again, and Brogan felt sick to his stomach suddenly. There was so much venom in the other man's countenance.

"I'll just have a look-see and see what else you're hiding in there, shall I?"

Brogan frowned, not understanding, and then suddenly, it was as though someone had hit him on the skull again. The pain tore through Brogan's head like wildfire. He fell backward and was barely aware of the fact that O'Brien had now joined him in the cell, appearing instantly over him. As he stared up at the other man, he winced, trying to look away, but failing. He gasped as O'Brien's eyes turned a bright yet sickly yellow sort of color, and he felt pressure against his head as though someone or something was trying to get inside his mind. Suddenly, the other man's presence was there as various scenes started flying through Brogan's memory.

Instead of what had happened before at the cottage, this time he felt a profound reaction as moments between him, Harry, and Ginny – moments he'd never seen before – moments that he knew had to be his missing memories. And suddenly, like a key sliding halfway into a lock, Brogan remembered. Not all of it, but enough to see the truth. And by Merlin's beard, he wanted more, like a drowning man gasping for air. There was his life – the life he'd felt no attachment to was now playing like a Muggle movie in his head, complete, in color, and full of depth. Brogan couldn't look away. He would never take what it felt like to know something inside and out for granted ever again.

O'Brien was relentless as he pushed through his mind, but Brogan couldn't help but be fascinated. He felt a connection to what he saw that he hadn't felt before, and the faster O'Brien flung the memories aside, the more Brogan gobbled them up – this! This was what he had forgotten. Falling in love with the both of them, the looks and the shared laughter - then the touches, the kisses…the other things that made him want to blush. He felt a heat start within him, emanating from his wrist that moved along his wand arm. It quickly bloomed inside of him, and he used it to push back against O'Brien. He didn't realize he had raised his wrist in between them as though to physically ward the other man off, and O'Brien let loose a gnarled growl of protest as he shoved Brogan's arm out of the way.

It was futile, Brogan's small defense, because the other man struck back and much harder this time. Brogan felt helpless as scenes from his forgotten life blazed into being within his mind, only to be roughly pushed aside as O'Brien tried to find what he was looking for. The immense pressure was getting to Brogan, and he felt ill, half-sobbing because he wanted to keep remembering, and yet he needed to rest and stop, and get whatever O'Brien was out of his head. O'Brien was…not human. Brogan knew that. And whatever he was, was powerful – so utterly full of magic.

Grasping at anything he could use to defend himself, Brogan focused on his renewed feelings about Harry and Ginny – so incredibly strong now (yes! God, he loved them, he loved them both so much!), and he pushed forward with everything he had. He felt it the moment O'Brien pulled back, as though Brogan had mentally slapped him across the knuckles, and he felt a temporary joy at his success. But Brogan's head had finally had enough, and like a battering ram breaking against his subconscious, darkness came to claim him.

Before Brogan lost consciousness, he heard someone screaming an almost inhuman sound and wondered what was happening. He didn't realize he'd heard himself screaming.

A few miles away at the Abbey, Harry and Ginny both heard the same thing as their bracelets warmed and the connection between the three of them flared into life.

o-o-o-o-o

"Okay, that was weird. You both just fainted. Has that ever happened before?" Hermione was standing in between Ginny and Harry, her wand still in her hand from using Enervate on them. Ginny shook her head, not sure what had just happened. She knew one thing, though, and as she gazed at Harry, who was also looking unnerved, she saw that he knew it too.

"Brogan," Harry mumbled. Ginny nodded grimly in agreement.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

Ginny watched as Harry stood, rubbing his bracelet. Hermione offered her hand to her, and Ginny gratefully took it, feeling a bit wobbly. Something powerful had just happened, and she felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her.

"He's in trouble," Harry said. "Or in pain. I can't tell which."

"Probably both," Ginny said. It felt as it had before, back when they'd first become aware of the bracelets acting as a conduit between them when Brogan had been hurt on his mission with George and Fred.

"What should we do?" Hermione asked. "Can you two tell where he's at?"

Ginny shook her head. She had no sense of where their third part was. She gazed questioningly at Harry, wondering if he had a better idea.

"I think…I think he's nearby," Harry said slowly, frowning. "And…he's not alone."

"Perhaps we should ask Mr Cosgrove if he knew where was headed when he…left," Ginny said quietly.

Suddenly a knock on the door startled them, and they all jumped. After a beat, Hermione tsked and went to answer it. Ginny was unsurprised to see Garrett on the other side of the door, looking serenely calm, again reminding her instantly of Luna.

"Something told me to come and tell you that Brogan decided to go to Maeve's Hollow before leaving," Garrett said, looking first at Harry then at her. "Just in case you wanted to see him again."

Harry blinked at the other man, but Ginny merely shook her head at Garrett. "Something told you? Did you speak with him before he left, Garrett?"

Garrett's cheeks turned a bit pink, but he nodded solemnly. "I did. He needed to hear a few things from a friend's voice. In case he had been too…quick-tempered about some things."

"Yeah?" Harry asked suddenly. "And did he…did he seem…calmer?"

Garrett nodded. "He seemed less inclined to disappear. Let's put it that way."

Harry looked at Ginny, and she nodded as she went to fetch their robes. She grabbed Hermione's, too, knowing their search might go quicker if there were three of them. At that thought, she stuck her head back around the corner of the bedroom and gave Garrett a look.

"Harry and I just got a sense that Brogan is in trouble. So you're coming with us, Garrett."

"I am?"

"You are. You know the town better than any of us, and we could use your…insight."

Garrett seemed to consider it and then nodded as the three of them got ready. Hermione looked worried as she fastened her robe.

"Shouldn't we contact someone? If you two know something's happened then-"

"We don't know for sure, Hermione. Besides, we're not kids anymore. It's time we start acting like of age wizards and witches, don't you think? If things get dodgy, we'll come back and contact the authorities or whatever," Harry said in a voice that plainly said he wanted no argument, and Ginny silently agreed with him. If they could find Brogan themselves, it would be easier, not to mention quicker.

"I know that Harry, but-"

"Hermione, I defeated bloody Voldemort. I think I can handle going into town to see if my boyfriend is in trouble."

Hermione looked shocked and then a bit miffed at Harry's outburst. Ginny rested her hand on the other woman's back as Harry swept out of the room, Garrett following him.

"He's just worried," Ginny said gently. "Things haven't been great between the three of us, so he's also pretty stressed. Don't take it personally."

"I know, I can tell. I just…I was surprised to hear him say what he said, I suppose," Hermione said as Ginny locked the door to their rooms, slipping the key around her neck. "Harry's not usually so…declarative."

Ginny nodded. Yes, that had been interesting. Of course, she'd heard Harry refer to Brogan as such before. But he hadn't done so lately, and he'd never done it in front of anyone other than her and Brogan himself. It briefly made her wonder what sort of thoughts Harry had been keeping.

The four of them arrived in Maeve's Hollow, with three short pops of noise announcing their arrival to nothing but the blue box. Ginny had side-Apparated Hermione since she'd never been before. To Ginny, doing it Side-Along was odd, and she wasn't sure she'd offer to do it again. She shook herself to clear her head. She frowned as her bracelet warmed against her wrist and could tell by the stiffness of Harry's back that he had felt it too. She wondered if he was sensing different things since he was the master of the Armilla.

"Garrett, you go with Hermione. Think of the places he might have visited. Check at any place that sells coffee. See if anyone has seen him," Harry commanded. Ginny felt a bit shivery; she couldn't help it. She knew that voice. Harry turned to her and linked his hand with hers, his warmth encouraging.

"Ginny and I will try using the bracelets to find him. We'll meet back here in a half-hour. If you find out anything, send a Patronus."

The other two nodded and turned to the left, which left the high street and the other side for them. Harry acted as though he knew where he was going, so Ginny let him lead them to wherever he thought they should go.

"How much can you sense?" she asked after a bit as Harry glanced at her.

"A fair bit, but it was much stronger before, at the Abbey and, Gin, it felt…well, he felt like he used to, for the briefest moment in time. Do you…I think…"

"Whatever's happened has made him get some of his memories back? Is that what you're thinking?"

Harry shrugged as they walked past the various shopfronts, which were just coming alive in the morning sun. People were turning over open signs hopefully as Harry and Ginny walked past. Harry stopped and looked at her.

"I don't know. All I know is he felt like Brogan to me. The old Brogan. But then it was gone like he'd just…been turned off. And I sensed someone…or something else. Something powerful."

Harry looked puzzled at his own words as he rubbed at his wrist again. Ginny stretched upward and kissed him softly. She ran a hand through his hair, lifting his fringe off his forehead.

"Then let's find him. Where are the bracelets telling you to go?"

"This way," Harry said, nodding towards the heart of the town. Ginny suddenly had a feeling she knew where they were going even before they got there – Harry was leading them to The Broken Quill. A block of anxiety settled in her stomach as she realized that she and Harry had both sort of forgotten about the odd behavior of Sean O'Brien. The question was, why would the man do anything to Brogan?

When they reached the bookshop, they were both unsurprised to find it still closed and dark. Harry tried the door and Ginny was convinced he was about to try and break in when he turned away and started heading towards the back of the building.

"Harry, what are we doing? Do you really think he'd keep him here? Not to mention, we don't even know if O'Brien is involved," Ginny said as she tugged on his arm and he stopped, pulling her closer to him against the building so they were more inconspicuous, even though the street appeared deserted.

"Something just…feels right about this," Harry said, frowning. "I can't explain it, Gin. You're going to have to trust me. My gut and the bracelet are telling me O'Brien is involved."

Ginny gave him a small smile to indicate that of course she trusted him and rested her hand on his chest for a moment. She could feel his heart beating fast, even through his clothes. After a moment, they continued around the building, which indicated there was a back entrance. Ginny watched as Harry stared at the door they found and she knew he was trying to sense if there were charms or hexes in place to protect the bookshop from what they were now attempting to do – break inside.

"There's some sort of intense protection charm or spell that's been cast," Harry said, sounding puzzled. "I can't tell what it is, exactly. But it's stronger back here than it is in front."

"Maybe we should leave it," Ginny said, not fancying getting caught breaking into the shop. She released a low breath when she saw Harry reluctantly agree with her.

"Yeah, perhaps you're right. I think-"

Just then the silver image of Hermione's otter Patronus bounced in between them, swirling protectively around them in a playful manner. It informed them that Brogan had been seen right when the coffee cart had opened and the witch working it remembered him. He'd left her cart and headed back up the high street. So apparently, he hadn't been near The Broken Quill. Ginny had to admit she felt incredibly relieved for some reason.

"Come on," Harry said, as they headed around the other side of the book shop. A man was leading a horse-drawn carriage slowly down the street and they waited for it to pass. Ginny glanced at the window of the Broken Quill and quickly tugged on Harry's arm.

The sign had been flipped to Open. She could just make out Sean O'Brien standing near the register, looking for all the world like the genteel shop owner you'd expect. Ginny got a twisting feeling in her gut and suddenly understood why Harry felt so sure O'Brien was involved somehow. She didn't know if it was intuition or she was picking up on what Harry was getting from the bracelet, but she knew without a doubt that O'Brien had something to do with whatever had happened to Brogan. She looked at Harry and tilted her head towards the shop.

He nodded grimly and she watched as he tapped his wand against the side of his head and then cast his Patronus to tell Hermione and Garrett to come to the shop immediately.

"Let's go in and say good morning," Harry said, his voice like steel.

"Lead the way, love," Ginny said, her determination matching his.

o-o-o-o-o

Sean sat in his favorite chair in his flat – silent and still, a half-empty cup of coffee next to him. The air was thick with the smoke from the cigarette he'd lit and barely touched. He was angry with himself. He'd gone too far – now Caley would probably be unconscious for hours, or worse, days. He'd pushed the Empath's mind too far – been too overzealous. And he still had nothing to show for it. His hand flexed into a fist on the arm of the chair.

Before Caley had passed out, Sean had got the sense of something quite old and magical interfering with what he was trying to do – and it was that same something that was hiding the information Sean needed. When had the bracelet become a part of Caley? And how? And now why was the Empath being protected? And what sort of magic could protect a human from him? It was preposterous to Sean.

It was also maddening that he still did not have any answers. He was Sean O'Brien and he was better than this – it was unlike him to lose control as he had and he blamed Caley himself. Empaths always brought out Sean's darker, manic side, if he spent too much time with them. He wasn't proud of it, but there it was. He'd almost made the man's brain turn into yesterday's mash because he had no patience. Bloody fecking hell.

Sean knew he needed to get a grip on himself- but he had never been able to let the bracelets go – he had never been able to resist the power they gave him, and now, now when he could almost taste their promise on the wind, he was still denied his answers.

He'd had the dream the other night – the dream of seeing Es and Toutatis again, and he had been so sure it had been a good omen. That he would soon have his bracelets back. But apparently, it was just fate laughing at him and the duo remained steadfastly locked on the other side.

A small ding filled the space, alerting him that someone was attempting to get into the shop. It was the front door alarm and so he assumed it was just an eager customer. He needed to open the place up since Michael was taking the first watch over Caley. He realized he'd been closing the shop too much lately; if he kept doing it people might start asking what was going on with Sean O'Brien, and he couldn't have that.

He finished the coffee in one gulp and took a quick drag of the cigarette before squashing it violently into the ashtray. With a flick of his wand, the tawdry reminder of his attempt at trying to calm himself disappeared with ease. He normally didn't like to smoke – it was nothing like it used to be- in the old days the leaves had been grown especially to his tastes, sweet and earthy. Now it was just death and so much smoke and ash for his lungs, that no matter how much he inhaled, never seem to grow tarnished.

With another flick of his wand, his clothes changed and he sighed. He headed downstairs, forcing himself to practice smiling. It wouldn't do to scare off his first customer of the day, would it?

He glanced out the cluttered window (he really needed to get after Michael to change their display) and saw old Brendan Monaghan walking his bloody horse down the street. It was a time-honored tradition of Maeve's Hollow which indicated to most shopkeepers that if your 'Open' sign hadn't been turned over yet, then now was the time to do it. For if you could see the whites of the eyes of Brendan's old Nag it meant you'd missed the Time O'Fortuna and your business would suffer for your laziness. Sean knew the horse was called Esmerelda, but everyone referred to the poor creature as 'Nag. He also knew most of the shopkeepers around him were superstitious old fools, too. Not bothering to look out, Sean flicked his wand towards the door and started pulling out the daily paperwork he needed to work on. Plus, he knew it made him look like a respectable shop owner, just in case his first customer was a busy-buddy sort.

As the bell over the door rang out a few moments later, Sean plastered a smile on his face and glanced up to welcome whoever it was when the greeting died in his throat before he could even speak it. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley entered the shop, and Sean felt their magic on the very air they brought with them and he could tell from their expressions that they knew. They bloody well knew. Oh, this was going to be fun, Sean thought, and he grinned at them.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry had not expected Sean O'Brien himself to be manning the shop, but after a moment's hesitation, he moved forward determined to get to the bottom of things. Why beat around the bush?

"What brings you out this fine morning?" O'Brien asked, a simpering smile already on his face. Harry narrowed his eyes, and he felt Ginny bristle next to him, although Harry thought she was probably just trying to tell him not to be too antagonistic.

Sean's eyes flicked between Harry and Ginny, as though picking something to nibble at, and then finally they rested back on Harry. "Did the two of you lose something, perhaps?"

Harry opened his mouth to give what possibly could have been a sassy reply, but Ginny spoke first.

"We have. You haven't seen Brogan Caley this morning, have you?"

Harry closed his mouth and frowned as Ginny moved forward, standing right in front of O'Brien. The other man's eyes were full of amusement, but Harry could also sense…danger and knew they had to tread lightly. The other man's mood seemed prickly.

"Hmm, Caley, you say? That bloke from the Abbey? Don't know that I have. Haven't seen him around in an age. Thought Garett said he'd moved to Scotland to teach."

Harry watched as Ginny calmly nodded her head. "He's been…on holiday for a bit, but we were hoping to connect with him again."

"Aye, well, we've just opened and no one's been in but you." There was almost something mocking in the other man's tone.

"Where is he," Harry said, voice low. Ginny glanced at him and O'Brien raised an eyebrow, a look of perfect innocence on his face. It was almost comical.

"As I just said, I haven't seen him," O'Brien said. He gave Harry an appraising look. "You might want to check that temper Mr Potter. The folks in Maeve's Hollow won't take too kindly to you threatening every shop owner between here and the next."

"I don't plan on threatening anyone else," Harry said calmly as he felt the subtlest push against his Occlumency shields. So it was like that, was it? Harry released the hold he usually applied while wearing the bracelet and let the added power start to flow through him and Ginny. She wavered only slightly as it hit her and Harry knew she already had her wand in her hand.

"Oh, ho, is that so?" O'Brien said, sounding almost flippant. But his humor didn't quite reach his eyes. Harry gazed at the other man and saw the cold, hard strength there. But Harry didn't waver; he'd faced down Voldemort, after all. He didn't think there was anything that Sean O'Brien could do that could match that.

"There are more of our friends coming," Ginny said, voice soft, yet firm. It carried in the silence of the bookstore like a promise. Sean frowned at her and Harry used the distraction to try to work his way into the other man's mind. Of course, he didn't get far before being kicked out, but Harry had seen something that looked like a cell, and what he could only assume was Brogan's form passed out on it.

"Where are you keeping him?" Harry asked, reaching out with the bracelet to let it find Brogan, to see if he was in the shop somewhere, perhaps in the basement. Harry was slowly beginning to understand that it was the bracelet's natural…inclination for them to be together. As Harry started drawing more power from the bracelet, he urged it to find his third counterpart. The three of them were one, and Harry felt the bracelet agree. He noticed that O'Brien winced, as though he'd sensed what Harry was attempting. There was a glare on the other man's face for a moment, and then nothing – his face had gone smooth, hiding again. But Harry could tell that the other man had decided to stop playing games.

"That bracelet is the only thing you have against me," Sean said, voice in a near growl. "Oh, you are both full of magic, and would put up a formidable fight, but if it weren't for those…damn you. I still have use for the third part of your little triad, so sorry, Harry, you can't have him yet. Enjoy your nap."

Ginny glanced at Harry at the same time that O'Brien used his wand. As was her specialty with the bracelets, she wandlessly cast a half-second faster than O'Brien, protecting the two of them with a shielding charm. But it didn't matter, whatever O'Brien had cast hit them anyway and they both crumpled, completely knocked out.

Sean O'Brien came around his counter and sighed. He stared at the pair of them until he was sure he had every memory and then waved his wand over them. He sensed their friends would find them soon and he couldn't help that. He needed to get back to Michael and see if he could force Caley to wake up. The sooner he was done with the Empath the better. If the state of the young man's brain was too scrambled after Sean was done, well, that was just how the Fates wanted it, he reckoned. And besides, it would serve Harry Potter right for daring to think Sean was easy to push around.

o-o-o-o-o

Brogan was in a cave of some sort, or no, he was in the Well of Aine. Again. With something that felt like dread, he moved forward slowly, allowing his hand to graze the hard, stone wall. He thought perhaps he was dreaming. At least, he hoped he was dreaming. The idea of being returned to the Well made his heart beat faster with anxiety. Aine had made her Well very hospitable to him and he knew he should be grateful, but the idea that he was now stuck again, after just remembering Harry and Ginny seemed too cruel.…

"No, mo'beag, you are not back for good. I only need to visit with you for a little while."

Aine's voice trickled over him like the gentle touch of a lover half-hidden in shadows. Brogan swallowed roughly and then he was inside his living area again. It looked exactly how he remembered it. Brogan still marveled at that. He could remember! But then something occurred to him, and he turned around, looking for her, but she had not yet appeared.

"When I…when I wake, I'll still…please tell me I'll still remember. I can't forget them. I can't go through that again. Please don't make me put them through that either."

Soft laughter filled the cave and then she was there – looking older than before, but still young. The strange markings on her face and body shone bright and he found his eyes following them. She smiled at him and held out her hand.

"Come, Brogan. Relax, mo'chara. You will return as you are now. I promise. And a promise from Aine is quite the boon, is it not?"

"You're mocking me," Brogan said, feeling petulant. She tsked at him, but her eyes were kind as she led him to the small table that had appeared.

"I know it was hard for you to return incomplete. It was not my intention it should happen that way, but after it did…I think it was the only way to protect you from the evil one."

"What evil one is that? I seem to come across quite a few these days," Brogan said quietly, and Aine chuckled. She shook her head, clearly amused with him.

"The Old One who was told he could return when the Three were his again. It is before my time, even, I'm afraid, but the stones have helped me piece some things together. I must apologize to you again, Brogan. I allowed the stones to renew you in every way because I knew he would not be able to get the bracelet if it was a part of you - if it had always been a part of you. And now, he is growing desperate. But he will not be able to get them if you and your lovers reestablish your link. Tell them I am sorry I made it so difficult for them."

Brogan frowned. He had so many questions for Aine but he could tell she was not in the position to tell him much. She held out her hand, and after a moment, he joined it with his and he understood what she wanted. She started murmuring the beginning of a spell he did not recognize but some part of him understood it anyway. When she was finished and he felt the light-kiss of her magic surround him, she gazed at him with fondness.

"Love them well, Brogan. It is your strength. And your bond. The bráisléad hunger for it, and it is the only way to keep them satisfied. They will remain loyal to you as long as the three of you stay committed to each other. And your lover, the master, tell him to embrace the bráisléad and all that that means. It is the only way to defeat the Old One."

Brogan frowned, not really understanding. But he nodded because it seemed as though she expected it. Aine smiled gently at him.

"Remember this, Brogan. You are new. The old curses have been wiped away. It is up to you now, if you truly wish to be the last."

The witch touched his face, her touch warm and welcoming, and he leaned into it. But she was gone when he opened his eyes again. He frowned as he considered her last words, not sure what they meant. It was up to him to be the last? The last what?

Brogan turned and looked around. He wondered how to wake himself up and get the hell out of the Well. He'd had enough of it to last a lifetime, and he knew two people who were waiting for him. Two wonderful people that he owed a huge apology to - he'd been awful, running away from them like a git. They had offered him love and acceptance and he'd been too stupid to understand. But, if they let him, Brogan would spend the rest of his life making it up to them.

o-o-o-o-o

"Is this an Irish thing with you two?" Hermione was asking as she helped Ginny into a sitting position. Harry moaned as his head pounded.

"Shh, Hermione, not so loud," Harry mumbled and then moaned again. Even his voice was too loud.

He felt the cool touch of magic trickle over him and realized Hermione had touched her wand to his head. He smiled at her a moment later.

"Brilliant. You'll have to teach us that one."

"Good thing for you I'm studying healing medicine on the side, Harry," Hermione sniffed at him and then looked at Ginny. "And how are you? You're more agreeable than he is at any rate, but then you always have been."

Ginny smirked and then winced. Harry watched as Hermione cast the healing spell at her. Ginny's face cleared and she looked much more like herself. She nodded at him.

"Are you okay, Harry?"

"Yeah, I think so," Harry checked himself and looked back at her. "You?"

"It was just my head. Gods, what happened?"

"We found you both slumped over a bench next to the bookshop. I was about to ask you two the same thing."

Harry and Ginny stared at each other and he realized neither of them knew anything. He searched his memory and only had a fuzzy sort of recollection of something happening between them and Sean and could tell Ginny experienced much the same.

"O'Brien did something," Harry growled, his anger spiking.

"Sean's not anywhere around though," Garrett said, pointing at the shop. "It hasn't even been opened yet."

Harry saw Ginny frown at the other man and then her eyes gazed up at the shop window. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised as though in doubt. He knew Ginny could sense the lie there as well as he could, even though he couldn't remember being in the shop, he had a feeling they had been. Damn.

"I think he wiped our memory, the bastard," Harry said, feeling in his gut that it was true.

"Well, he couldn't have done a good job, if you know it," Hermione offered. "I mean, what's the point of that?"

Harry and Ginny both stood up and he immediately went to her, pulling her into his arms. Her flowery scent hit his nose as she wrapped her arms around him and he sighed with relief. They were okay.

"What happened do you think? The last thing I remember is going around back," Ginny said.

"Yeah, me too, I think…" Harry shook his wrist as the bracelet suddenly heated against his skin, almost burning him. The bracelet was trying to tell him something and he frowned in concentration.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, watching him.

"I think we confronted him and then he scarpered. Damn, he got the drop on us and now we have no idea where he went or where Brogan is being kept."

"He owns a small warehouse on the other side of town," Garett said, sounding as though they were discussing the weather. Harry looked at the other man, but Garrett had already turned away, knowing they would follow.

"But wait, shouldn't we get the authorities now?" Hermione asked. "This person has knocked you both out and even if he did a half-arsed job of it, that should be something that gets reported!"

Ginny smirked at Hermione. "I do believe living with my brother has changed you, Hermione. Half-arsed? I'm proud of you."

"Oh, yes, yes," Hermione tutted. She looked at Harry and he knew she could tell from the resolve on his face that her argument would fall on deaf ears. Harry marveled at a Hermione who merely closed her mouth and glared at them. He looked at Ginny.

"I think you're right, Gin. Living with Ron has mellowed her. Or maybe it was the hot engagement sex?"

"Oh, honestly! The two of you! Now, look, are we going to this person's warehouse to go get murdered or not?" Hermione pushed past them and took off after Garrett, her bushy hair crackling with energy behind her. Ginny looked amused and took his hand.

"Come on, sassy pants. You'd best let me go in front of you, in case she rethinks hexing you for that comment."

"Hermione loves me," Harry said as they hurried after the other two. "She'd never hex me. Well, not too badly."

Ginny merely gave him a 'yeah, right' look and they soon reached a different part of town, with fewer storefronts and more industrial-looking type of buildings. Harry reckoned even magic towns needed places to store things in.

His bracelet warmed again, letting him know they were on the right track. Garrett had stopped in front of a nondescript building and had then moved back until he was hidden in the shadows across from it. Harry quickly went to him, mindful of keeping to the shadows as well. He wanted a few answers, suddenly feeling suspicious of the librarian. Harry knew he had no reason to, but still, he didn't want to take some things for granted.

"How exactly do you know this is O'Brien's?"

"Michael, his clerk, took me here once when an order of textbooks for the Abbey came in late. Mr Cosgrove needed them for the next week and they were still boxed. They knocked a few quid off the price because I had to fetch them myself, actually." Garrett frowned and stared at the building. He glanced at Harry and gave him a knowing look.

"You don't trust me, but I promise I'm not working with them. I've never even been to one of their meetings. I honestly just liked the bookshop."

Harry frowned, not sure what Garrett meant exactly by meetings when Ginny and Hermione joined them. Ginny rested her hand on Harry's arm and he looked at her. She nodded towards the building.

"They're here. That shop clerk of his, I saw him in one of the windows."

"Did he see you?"

"He was looking the other direction, so I'm not sure."

"Still, let's assume they know we're here." Harry paused and considered their strategy. He nodded at Hermione. "Hermione, stay here in front with Garrett, if anyone comes out the main doors, do whatever you want to stop them. And no, don't worry about it, Hermione. If the local Aurors get involved you can blame me. I'll take the heat. I'm Harry bleeding Potter and I'll just say it was my bloody idea."

"I'd say something like 'language', Harry, but I'm pretty sure that broom has flown," Hermione said, looking somber. Harry smirked at her and nodded at Garrett. "Garrett, the same thing goes for you. Mr Cosgrove told us about how you defended the library from Death Eaters. Think you can do that again to help us?"

Garrett nodded his wand was already in his hand. "If they've done something to Brogan, I'll set them straight."

"Good man," Harry said. He turned to Ginny. "Ready to kick some arse?"

"Maybe we should just knock on the door and be upfront with them?"

Harry could tell she was half-serious and half-joking as a way to hide her nerves and he hugged her briefly.

"I think we did that back at the shop and got our minds wiped for our troubles. We're going in there and not coming back out until we find him, all right?"

"Of course," Ginny said, her eyes alight with the fire that he loved so much about her. He kissed the top of her forehead, squeezing her shoulder. His bracelet warmed again and he knew they had to hurry, for some reason. He stared at the building across from them and figured it was now or never.

"All right, let's go."

o-o-o-o-o

Michael was nervous and saw shadows everywhere. He looked away from the window and headed back downstairs to the cell. Sean had arrived just moments before and he'd been in a bit of a pique and had ordered him to make sure no one had followed him.

He had seen his boss in different fits throughout their long friendship, but never quite like this. Michael knew it was those damn bracelets he'd become so obsessed with. He was loyal to Sean and he was a believer in Taranis but he was not sure he had signed up for this. Kidnapping? Mind-torturing? Michael felt as though he was about to draw a line he might not ever come back from. But then, even as he thought it, his mind cleared suddenly and he knew only one thing – to serve Sean was his greatest achievement. Why was he doubting him again?

He could hear Caley moaning through the wall as he slowly slipped down the stairs. He knew the Empath needed a break, but he also knew Sean would never give it to him. He silently willed the Empath to just give up the knowledge as quick as he could, if he had it. His mind probably couldn't take much more.

One of the alarms from the back of the warehouse suddenly sounded, scaring Michael half out of his boots. He heard Sean swear and then a moment later call his name.

"Yes, boss?" Sean seemed unsurprised Michael had been so close by.

"It's probably Potter and Weasley. Damn, the bracelets are helping them! I think it's time we make ourselves scarce."

"Are we taking him?" Michael asked, entering the dark basement.

Sean sneered at the prone figure and then shook his head. "No, he's useless. He doesn't have the answer I need, anyway. I just keep getting images of rocks. I hope Potter and Weasley enjoy having a third who's gone cuckoo; I'm afraid I wasn't too nice this last attempt. Come on."

Sean aimed his wand at the cell, a rather harsh laugh escaping as he cast a particularly tricky locking charm on it. Michael only recognized it because Sean had taught the wand movements to him a while ago. He frowned, feeling as though it was superfluous and the other man noticed.

"I don't want to make it too easy on them, they've hacked me off enough today. Let them fight a bit for him. They'll be so close and yet so far, it'll drive them mad."

Sean cackled as he Disapparated, and Michael knew that was his clue to tidy up and be quick about it. He used his wand to remove any trace they'd been there and then stared at the passed-out figure on the bed. Feeling a bit rebellious, he removed the charm Sean had cast to keep the couple out. He knew that was traitorous of him, but he also knew that when Sean was in the mood he was in now, he didn't exactly think straight. Michael thought that Caley had probably suffered enough, mentally and physically and he felt bad for the other man. As far as Michael was concerned the Empath had done nothing wrong except save the world and get sucked into another dimension. Was it his fault the bracelet his boss wanted had gone underground, as it were? Michael didn't think so, but he would keep that a secret to himself.

He heard footsteps above him and knew he needed to leave. He physically unlocked the cell for the couple as well, and then hoped that this incident would convince them to just leave Ireland and their bracelets, behind them.

o-o-o-o-o