The bedroom ceiling was particularly interesting to me that evening. I knew I wasn't fooling anyone when I agreed with Gabriel that it was time we all got some rest. I wasn't going to sleep. There was too much on my mind; too many different things.

"Cadence," Gabriel said my name softly as he lay next to me. He was also lying on his back facing the ceiling with his hands folded on his torso. I turned my head to look at him. He kept his eyes on the ceiling, not looking at me and exhaled slowly. I turned to face the ceiling again.

"Don't say it."

"We're both thinking it," he replied. "And when she gets in front of Dumbledore or the Order they will say it. They will not hold reserves to their doubt simply because she is your daughter."

"But she is my daughter. I know her. Carrigan is not a Death Eater."

"If anything, being that she is Voldemort's granddaughter will lead them to suspect her even more, just as they suspected you."

"The Order has never suspected me."

"You don't have a Dark Mark."

His words stung like venomous poison from a snake. I closed my eyes and took a calming breath so I didn't burst out in anger at him.

"You have a Dark Mark."

"And I was a Death Eater," Gabriel said. "Voldemort doesn't tie people down and force them to follow him. He doesn't blackmail them to be Death Eaters. That wouldn't make him stronger, that would put weakness and spies in his ranks. No, he does not make you a Death Eater unless you want to be one."

"What if she feared for her life? What if that was one of the tests of her training before Holly died?"

"She didn't say it was a test," Gabriel whispered sadly. He paused before continuing. I knew he was choosing his words carefully. "She was right, they were going to pick her all along. It didn't matter what the other girls did. They wanted to condition Carrigan to be so angry with your father that she did become a true follower of dark magic by using the Unforgivable Curses or even other means. Even if it was against him, it meant that he would have taken something good and destroyed it. He would have crippled you and the future of our fight if he converted Carrigan to dark magic."

"And you think he may have?"

"I think it's something we should carefully consider."

"I think Carrigan is smart," I said coldly. "I think she would have played along with his damned game to ensure her survival. If that meant vowing to be a Death Eater, fine, but in her heart she is not. She would not have come home to us if her place was with Voldemort."

"Unless he told her too," Gabriel whispered sadly.

"I do recall a time that you served him—"

"You know he blackmailed me to save Sirius and Alessandro's life, so don't try to play that card," Gabriel cut in quickly. In some sense, deep down within me, I still felt betrayed by what Gabriel had done years ago to save Sirius and his cousin, Alessandro's, life. To me, his situation then and Carrigan's now were comparable and the card was certainly worth playing.

"And what if by becoming a Death Eater, Carrigan is saving all of our lives? Mine, yours, even Harry's?"

"You know that Voldemort would never offer a deal that protected Harry. Harry is the one person in the entire world that he absolutely wants dead," Gabriel said with a condescending tone. "Except for you, maybe."

"Thanks," I hissed sarcastically.

"Has it not occurred to you how much it would hurt our side if Carrigan has been turned?" I was silent because I did not know where he was going with his questions. "It would weaken our side catastrophically. If Carrigan adopts dark magic it would destroy you and Harry, the two people strong enough to defeat Voldemort. To see Carrigan, probably the best of us next to Harry, fall to Voldemort and dark magic; to see her make the choice to be evil and a follower of the dark arts…it would destroy us all. If the best of us can fall to evil, who is to say we all can't or won't?"

Gabriel's voice rang in my eyes once he fell silent. Everything he said was true and shook me in the core, making me ache with fear. Before I could answer though, there was a sharp knock on the bedroom door.

"Yes," I called, thankful for the distraction from our conversation.

The door opened a crack and Carrigan poked her head into the room. "If you two are done talking about me, Benjamin and Haiden are about to ring the doorbell. I don't think they'll believe it's me…although, it doesn't seem you two do either…"

I sat up and threw the sheets off my body while giving Gabriel a nasty glare. Of course, Carrigan had heard everything we were saying. She was a fantastic ease-dropper before she had telekinetic powers; with those powers controlled now, she had no problem listening into our conversations from rooms away.

"I'm sorry, Carri," Gabriel whispered, looking truly ashamed. It was clear to me that despite his words, he didn't want them to be true.

"Don't worry, I understand," she replied, though her blue eyes betrayed her true feelings. She was hurt by his doubt. "Now I know how you felt when Mom didn't trust you before the Potter's died."

"Well, you're mother's pride was what was truly injured. She always trusted me, in her heart," Gabriel said getting out of the bed after me.

"And what does your heart say about me?" Carrigan asked as she stepped into the room completely.

The doorbell chimed from downstairs, alerting us to Benjamin and Haiden's arrival, just as Carrigan had said. Neither of us questioned how Carrigan new that our guests were arriving. I pulled on a sweatshirt as I looked at Gabriel with high eyebrows. He sighed and approached Carrigan. He stood before her, just in his pajama bottoms, and brushed his hand over her baldhead as if he were brushing the long brown locks that she used to have behind her ear.

Carrigan stared up at him with wide almond shaped midnight blue eyes, waiting patiently for him to answer her. His hand rested on the crook of her neck, just over her collarbone. She was still wearing her black long sleeve thermal, but had changed into cotton shorts, which revealed her pale, thin but muscularly toned legs.

"It says that you're still pure, despite the evil you've seen," he whispered.

Carrigan beamed and embraced him tightly. "We all have darkness inside of us, Gabriel. It shows itself from time to time."

Gabriel nodded as he glanced at me with an apologetic smile on his lips. The doorbell chimed again, twice in quick secession because Benjamin and Haiden were growing impatient. I moved past Gabriel and Carrigan, squeezing Carrigan's elbow affectionately and made my way downstairs.

Just as I arrived at the base of the stairs in the foyer the doorbell rang once again. I grabbed the doorknob and squeezed my wand tightly in my hand. I was ready to strike if I needed to.

"Who is it?"

"Benjamin Snow," Benjamin's deep voice replied through the door.

"And Haiden Drake."

I sighed with apprehension. What question could I ask Haiden that would confirm who she was? Her memory had been altered so many times I doubted she remembered the first time we met face to face. And even if she did answer the security question correctly, who was to say that I wasn't actually letting Divinity into my home?

"Benjamin," I said his name softly. "Who is your mother?" Perhaps it was a low blow, but it was the first question that popped into my head.

"Savanna Snow," he replied uneasily. "The last time we trained you asked me about what?"

"Your hair."

"Correct. Do you have a question for Haiden?"

"Who is your father?"

"Braven Drake," Haiden replied dreamily. "He died though."

I bit my bottom lip with apprehension as I pulled open the front door. "Please explain why you're beating on my door at two in the morning?"

"I felt like coming home," Benjamin said sorely as he moved into the foyer. Haiden followed closely behind and looked around with a comfortable smile. She kept her cloak on as Benjamin removed his.

"You're not that forgiving," I sighed as I crossed my arms. "What is so important?"

"We've made some headway," Benjamin said with a slow exhaling breath. "I thought you would like to know."

"Funny, I've made some headway of my own," I said as I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned to look up at Carrigan and Gabriel who were descending the stairs quietly.

"What sort of—" Benjamin stopped mid-sentence as his eyes fell on Carrigan who led Gabriel down the stairs. Silence had fallen when she arrived on the first floor landing, standing only a few feet from Benjamin who was looking at her as if she weren't real.

Not a word was spoken.

Benjamin slowly took a step forward as he reached out to Carrigan who was simply staring at him. Her expression looked happy, but she was not smiling. They both stood silently staring at each other as if the rest of us didn't exist. An awkward cloud fell in the foyer of the house, leaving everyone feeling as if we were watching a painful reunion.

Benjamin touched Carrigan's shoulders with both of his hands. When his fingers touched her, he sighed in relief and pulled her into a tight embrace. She was real and tangible. He sighed as he clung to her, pressing her against him and kissing her forehead.

Carrigan pulled out of his arms slowly. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," Benjamin replied as he stared at her. He looked her over as his hand touched her head and slid smoothly down to caress her cheek.

Her eyes drifted from Benjamin's overjoyed crystal blue stare to look at Haiden, who was standing quietly against the front door. Carrigan stared at her intently, taking her in and sizing her up. I trusted Carrigan more than anyone to know if Haiden truly stood before us.

"I'm happy you're safe," Haiden spoke first.

"Relieved, you mean," Carrigan replied with a fake smile. "If I had died you would haven't been able to live with the guilt of leaving me behind."

"I assure you, Carrigan, I always knew you would survive. And I do feel guilt for leaving the others behind."

"The deepest circle of hell is reserved for those who show their true cowardice and stand by while others are being slaughtered," Carrigan said rather passionately.

"I understand how you feel," Haiden whispered. "I will be going. I can feel that my presence isn't welcome here…"

Benjamin looked at her, taking his eyes off Carrigan for the first time since she had arrived in the foyer. "Would you like me to take you back to the hotel?"

"No, don't be silly," Haiden replied softly. "I can manage on my own."

Benjamin nodded and turned his attention back to Carrigan. I studied the way he looked at her. He was relieved she was home. I could see the desire to hold her in his eyes; he wanted to be the only person she wanted to return to. I looked at Carrigan to see that she was still peering at Haiden with razor sharp eyes. Her glare was enough to cause a person to keel over, but Haiden had a strength of her own and was not easily intimidated by her cousin.

Haiden said nothing else before she turned and slipped out the door. For a moment, I felt bad for her. There was a sadness to her somber expression as she left, a loneliness that Benjamin had cured for a few days. When the door closed behind her, Carrigan released a breath but did not pull her eyes away from the closed door.

"You were hard on her," Benjamin said mildly.

Carrigan pivoted to look at him. When she spoke her voice was icy cold and emotionless. "You're close to her now?"

"She was helping me find you."

I frowned and looked at Gabriel as the two exchanged bitter words. They reminded me of Gabriel and I, which made my stomach turn with discomfort for many reasons. I didn't want Carrigan to have the cursed life of loving her Guardian. That was my main fear of how she and Benjamin fought. They fought because they cared about each other. In the back of my mind, I was also worried about a prophecy that had been revealed to me by Persephone over two years ago and confirmed by Firenz just a few months ago. Carrigan was destined to have a child that I was later meant to protect. I didn't want to think of what would happen to the world if Carrigan and Benjamin had a child…when I was pregnant with Gabriel's child, he was so powerful he almost killed me.

"She did an excellent job of that."

"I was desperate," Benjamin exhaled quickly. He looked like he was about ready to explode with frustration. "I couldn't find you myself and we were at a loss! Haiden was the one person who seemed like she could help because she may know about the experimental dark magic that was going to be performed on you!"

"The dark magic that was performed on me wasn't experimental, it was ancient," Carrigan sighed as she looked down at the floor. They both fell silent for a few moments. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she looked up at Benjamin. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked ashamed. "I've missed you, Benjamin."

Benjamin stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you."

"Don't be," Carrigan said. "I realized very quickly that I was going to have to save myself, and there is nothing wrong with that."

Benjamin didn't say anything in response. He just held her close, resting his chin on her head as he stroked the back of her neck. His eyes glanced at Gabriel then over to me. He was full of worry, but also relieved that Carrigan was home. Carrigan embraced him just as tightly with her arms wrapped around his center as she rested her head on his muscular chest. He was significantly taller then her, and yet they looked proportional to each other.

"Well," I sighed softly as I threw my brown hair over my shoulder. "Benjamin, will you be staying here?"

"Yes," Benjamin said as he pulled back from Carrigan. He didn't take his eyes off of her as he spoke however. "I'll forgive you."

I bowed my head. "Fine."

"Forgive her for what?" Carrigan asked with high eyebrows as she looked between Benjamin and me. Her face light up with realization suddenly as her eyes drifted between us. "You're mad at her for not telling you who your mother is?"

"You've gotten much stronger," Benjamin spoke slowly. "I didn't even feel you in my mind."

"I didn't use Legilimency," she replied with a calm indifference. "My telekinesis is a part of me now…it's just something that is and that I am." She shrugged. "I thought you'd be happy to know that I am fully trained and no longer in need of a Guardian."

"We'll see about that," Gabriel said from the staircase. Carrigan cast him a chilling look that didn't seem to phase him. He simply smiled at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm going to go back to bed, if you all don't mind."

"I'll join you," I yawned as I looked at Benjamin and Carrigan who were standing quietly before us. They were peering at each other with mysterious and longing eyes. It was clear to me that Gabriel and I were going unnoticed in the foyer.

"Good night," Carrigan said easily as she gave me a smile. I stepped forward and kissed her forehead.

"Good night," I whispered as I made my way to the stairs and followed Gabriel up to the bedroom. I heard Benjamin ask Carrigan if he could make her something to eat, he was starving. She agreed to join him in the kitchen. I smiled softly as Gabriel and I disappeared into the bedroom; obviously, whatever Benjamin had found and come over to report to us didn't matter anymore.

Once in bed, Gabriel and I lay in silence. Despite Carrigan interrupting our conversation and speaking to Gabriel privately about her status as a Death Eater, he didn't seem convinced that it wouldn't be an issue. I knew he was right…he always was. We lay in bed next to each other, bare shoulders touching, having a silent argument about what to do regarding Carrigan's Dark Mark.

"She can't go to Hogwarts with it," Gabriel finally said to break the silence.

"Really?" I snapped with annoyance. "How do you propose we get rid of it?"

Gabriel rolled onto his side to look at me. He raised his right arm in the air for me to see. Once, Gabriel's arm had been inked with the Dark Mark alone. But now, it was covered in a tangling sleeve tattoo with many designs and colors that overlapped and bleed into each other with pure artistry. The Dark Mark was still visible, but it was faded compared to the other tattoos. Long winding vines of thorns wrapped around the Dark Mark and the rest of Gabriel's entire muscular arms. Roses blossomed along the vines; three bright roses were in full bloom over the skull of the Dark Mark, covering the top part of the skull. The snake that was protruding from the skull's mouth was being devoured by another snake, which wound around Gabriel's wrist. The wizard, who was also a Muggle tattoo artist, had done amazing work on Gabriel's arm (and the rest of his body).

"I'll take her to see Jeremiah," he said easily.

"You want her to have a sleeve tattoo?" I questioned in disbelief.

"I don't want her to be ostracized or captured and thrown in Azkaban," Gabriel replied instantly as he laid back. "You were going to let her get a tattoo next spring anyways."

He had a point. Truthfully, I didn't care if Carrigan had tattoos. I just wasn't sure if the Dark Mark could really be covered. It was put there with dark magic. But, if Jeremiah could cover Gabriel's Dark Mark, why shouldn't he be able to cover Carrigan's?

"A single tattoo and an entire sleeve are two different things," I replied.

"She doesn't necessarily have to get a sleeve," Gabriel said. "It will help hide it more though. When you look at my arms, what do you notice first?"

I turned my head to look Gabriel in the eye. My eyebrows were raised high, which made him smirk. I had no way of answering that question. Whenever I looked at any part of Gabriel's body, the first thing I noticed is how my center got hot and my knees buckled. He had a fantastic, muscular body—which he worked hard to keep, running and working out more then me.

"Cadence?"

"Hm?" I blinked. He smiled and pulled me against his body.

"You don't notice anything when you look at my arms, do you?" he smiled.

"I notice how big they are…" I replied in a heated daze. "…and the roses…"

Gabriel laughed. "Alright," he leaned down and kissed my neck gently. "The point is you don't notice my old Dark Mark."

"Yea, but any woman who looks at your arms melts and any man grows envious," I said. "If someone looked at Carrigan with a sleeve of tattoos they would judge her because she's so tiny. She doesn't even look fourteen!"

Gabriel sighed as he laid back in the bed, still holding me in his muscular arms. "Yes she does. She looks like a young woman. You don't see it because you're a woman and her mother."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Carrigan is a young woman," he said. "If you weren't worried about all the boyfriends she's had in the past, when she still looked like a little girl, then you had better worry now."

I wasn't sure what he was referring to, but he was probably right; Carrigan was my daughter and right now she just looked like a young girl to me. A young girl who had been through hell and survived. Maybe that's what Gabriel was seeing. He saw a maturity within Carrigan now that wasn't there before. Her experience had change her in some way to make her older and wiser.

"I'm not worried," I said honestly. "The fact is she is a young woman, Gabriel. She's growing up and she will continue to. But Carrigan has always been very careful with her heart and I certainly think that isn't going to change now."

"I hope you're right," Gabriel said. "She's exactly like you, in more ways then you realize, and despite being careful you tore your heart in two."

I moved with discomfort at Gabriel's comment. It was a low blow, in my opinion. When I was younger I was torn, confused and unsure of what or who I wanted. I made mistakes. I wasn't going to deny that. But I was sure that Carrigan was going to make her own mistakes, different ones. And I trusted that when it came to matters of the heart, Carrigan was going to be more careful then I ever had been because of what I had gone through. (And what I put Sirius and Gabriel through).

As I lay considering what Gabriel was saying, a sudden thought entered my mind. Carrigan was supposed to have a child that I would later protect. I bit my bottom lip with apprehension. For that reason, it was important that I become independent of Gabriel and complete my training. While I may have become independent of him, I never completed my training. Firenz, the centaur, had also said that paths can change…perhaps Carrigan wouldn't bare a child and I wouldn't protect it.

"What are you thinking?"

I looked at Gabriel with a weak smile. "Nothing," I whispered, deciding not to tell him about the prophecy. "Just that you're right. She's not a little girl anymore."

Gabriel nodded and kissed my forehead. "At least we agree on that," he smiled against me. "What of the tattoos?"

"Let's talk to Carrigan in the morning," I said softly as I laid my head on Gabriel's chest. "She'll probably be up before you go to the office."

He kissed my forehead again before laying his head down on the pillow over me. His arms remained tightly around me while I laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes, trying to sleep. Sleep never came easy. I had hoped that since Carrigan was home it would, but I was mistaken. I lay in Gabriel's arms for what felt like forever before I fell asleep.

When I woke, it felt like only a moment had passed since my eyes had shut. Carrigan was sitting on the edge of the bed, poking my shoulder and rocking my body gently. My eyes fluttered open as my shoulder began to tense with pain.

"Yes?" I mumbled with annoyance as my eyes fell on her. She smiled at me. Her appearance took me by surprise. I was not used to seeing my fourteen year old daughter with a shaved head. Her hair was a dark brown shadow on her scalp. I wondered why her hair had been removed, what was the purpose and did she like it or even care? She was sitting up straight on the edge of the bed, staring down at me with looming large blue eyes.

"It's eleven," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm tired of waiting for you to get up."

"Did you sleep at all?"

"For a few hours. Benjamin woke me at seven to go for a run before he went to work," Carrigan was calm and relaxed as she sat next to me. "Isn't this supposed to be the other way around? Aren't you supposed to be the one waking up early and waking me up so I don't sleep all day?"

"I can't help that you're more mature then the stereotypical teenager."

"Please get up," Carrigan begged with a girlish whining tone. Her small hands pressed on my shoulder, rocking my body back and forth.

"What's so urgent?"

"I've been surrounded by Death Eaters for over two months. They weren't the best company. I just want to talk."

"About what, Carrigan?"

"Gabriel talked to me about covering the Dark Mark with tattoos."

"What do you think about it?"

"I think it's a good idea," Carrigan nodded, but she looked skeptical. "I'm worried it won't work though…"

"It worked for Gabriel," I whispered tiredly. Carrigan frowned at me, looking apprehensive as she considered her words carefully.

"I suppose I don't want to get my hopes up," she replied after pondering. "I don't want to be disappointed if we can't get rid of it."

I nodded in understanding. That was very practically; and very Carrigan. She was always thoughtful and logical. She didn't want to set herself up for disappointment.

"What did Benjamin think?"

"I haven't told him about it yet." Her voice was flat and frank. I sat up on my elbows to look her straight in the eye.

"About the Dark Mark at all?"

"No," she said. "I'm not ready to yet. I've only told you and Gabriel."

I nodded slowly. "I understand. You want to see the tattoo artist then?"

"Yes. Gabriel said he'd take me tomorrow."

"He can take you to Diagon Alley too. You have to get your school things."

"About school…"

I blinked and looked at Carrigan quickly with bewilderment. Where was she going with that comment? "What about it?" I asked apprehensively.

"Well," she said as she wiggled on the edge of the bed, adjusting her position so she was more comfortable and less likely to slip off the mattress. "I wasn't sure when I should see my friends…Ben and I talked about it last night. There are pros and cons to seeing them before the first or waiting to see them on the first. I'm just not sure what to do."

"Why are you worried about seeing them before the first?"

"I'm just worried about seeing them in general. I don't want to deal with all of their questions…and tears…and happiness," she said sorely. "I just want everything to pick up where we left off."

"You can't pretend you weren't kidnapped, Carrigan."

"I don't want to pretend it didn't happen. I know very well it did and there is no way I can forget that it happened…but, can't everyone else forget it happened? I just don't want to be treated differently."

"I understand not wanting to be treated differently," I said compassionately. "For a few days they will treat you differently because they missed you and were concerned about you. But once you're back into the routine, they'll see you just as they did before."

"But I'm not the same anymore, Mom. I'm different now."

"Of course you are," I pushed the covers off my body and sat up next to Carrigan on the edge of the bed. "All our life we're changing because of the experiences we go through. If we learn from our experiences, the good and the bad, then we're changing for the better. You're stronger now. There is nothing wrong with that."

"I don't want them to think I'm fragile or broken….or worse, they'll be afraid of me," she whispered with a sad tone.

I wrapped my arm around my daughter's shoulders and pulled her against me to hold her. She was small in my arms, but fit and strong; there wasn't a fragile bone in Carrigan's body. I kissed her head before resting my chin there.

"You are not someone they fear."

Carrigan didn't say anything as she clung to me. "If Harry knew I had a Dark Mark, do you think he would trust me? Or do you think he'd be afraid I've betrayed him and the rest of us to Voldemort?"

I was silent.

"I don't want to tell people because I'm afraid they'll think like you and Gabriel—and I understand that train of thought. I do. So, is it wrong to not even give people the chance to think it? To not tell them my story?"

"They're going to think it whether you tell them or not," I replied calmly after pondering her point of view. "First of all, you are Voldemort's granddaughter. Your virtue will always be questioned because of that fact alone. Secondly, because you were held captive for so long there will be people who questioned your loyalties. They will think because you were with Voldemort for so long that you are for him now and have only returned to us because he told you too. But, you are right. If you tell or show people your Dark Mark it will only confirm their suspicions.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to tell people," I continued. "And I don't think it's something that you should publicly announce. It is your decision who you tell. But I don't think that means you need to be worried about your friends being afraid of you."

"You're not afraid of me?" Carrigan asked as she gazed up at me.

"Of course not," I replied instantly. "Carrigan, I am like you. You have mastered powers that I still don't understand and I never will. You are not to be feared because you are good in your heart. You would never use your powers to hurt a person who wasn't threatening your life or the lives of those you love."

Carrigan nodded as she looked away from me to the floor. "How do you manage it?" I raised my eyebrows at her, unsure of what she was referring to. "Killing people, I mean."

"Oh," I whispered sadly. I forced a smile at her. "You have to remind yourself that it was your life or theirs…and that the person you killed was a bad person."

Carrigan shook her head sadly. "That doesn't seem like enough to justify it."

"That's why you're good, Carrigan," I said firmly as I squeezed her shoulders. "That's how I know there is nothing to be afraid of. You morn the life that you took, even if it was someone who was evil. You see the good, even in the bad…and that is what makes you so pure and good. That is why Voldemort wanted to break you. That is why he put your through everything these last few months."

Carrigan nodded her head in understanding. She still looked unsure and uncomfortable, which did not ease my heavy heart. If she needed me to remind her every day that she was good, than that is what I was going to do.

"We're strong girls, Carrigan," I whispered sweetly.

"The strongest," she replied instantly with a nod. She turned and looked me straight in the eye with her memorizing navy blue eyes. They sparked like the night sky with beaming stars imprinted in the darkness. "Because we have to be."