Professor McKevin's Chambers (Located on the third floor...however they appear to shift locations...)

((After Eglantine's chambers))

Horatio entered his chambers after whistling his password to the small box attached to the door. Instead of a portrait to guard his chambers, he had decided to use a muggle device that had been charmed to only allow those who whistled the right password to enter his rooms.

His rooms had been left a mess, but thankfully the house-elves had been kind enough to straighten everything and his rooms had never looked better.
The walls were a pleasant colour of white mixed randomly with burgundy. A carpet of forest green covered all of the floor and the furniture was arranged comfortably.

Within moments of his entering his rooms, there were various pieces of his robes scattered from one end of the chambers to the other along with his boots and socks.
Loud snoring echoed from his bedroom and the coo of his sleeping song bird testified that all living being in the rooms had fallen asleep.

Horatio staggered into his chambers. Guilt mixed with anger and fear coursed through him as he sat on his bed. He had just left Eglantine's office. Her horror-stricken face was still imprinted in his mind.

But had he stayed there, he might have said or had done something that would have hurt her. Horatio laid back on the comfortable mattress. He had already hurt her...he reasoned, by walking out that door.

Eglantine was a woman who only gave her heart once, and only after learning to trust. Horatio had broken her heart and trust with a single sentence, and he knew it. Tears came to his eyes and he sobbed like a young child. He loved her so much, that he had no idea how to continue anything without her.

Kiara finally got to Horatio's quarters, she had stopped by his office first but he had not been there. Realizing she didn't know the password and not feeling it was nessesary to use her authority as headmistress to push her way in her knocked on the door.

Hoping either Horatio would answer or let her in.

Horatio rose from his bed and hurried into the other room, his mind conjuring pictures of a weeping Eglantine in need of comfort and an apology. The door flew open and he sighed with a mixture of disappointment but relief when he saw Kiara.

"Come in..." he stated, not smiling, but obviously happy to see her.

Kiara stepped inside "I wanted to see how you were... from the way you left Eglantines office I was... concerned" she said looking up at him. She didn't aprove of the way Horatio handled it, it could have been done better.

Horatio sighed. "My reaction and sudden exit...was she angry? Are you?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. His voice that only moments before had been hoarse from crying, was now a broken growl. Tear stains were still red on the bags under his eyes and his cheeks.

Kiara sighed as she look up him, she could tell he had been crying but she choose not to comment.

"She is more horrified by what you think of her now... and as or me I am not mad, I can understand why you reacted that way now, but it could have been handled better." she said gently.

Horatio moved to seat himself in his chair, moving a box so Kiara could sit on the couch. "I saw the dark arts ruin so many people's lives, my dear." he muttered. "Not ten or twenty... many more...whole families were destroyed. And not by an outward attack, but by an internal thorn that festered inside of them. A need for power and control. I myself delved into the dark arts. And I know what is hidden by the lovely shadows that pull the curious into it."

Kiara sighed she could see his side of the argument to, why did she have to be so caught in the middle of there views? both made sense to her...

"I know Horatio, the same thought went trough my mind, but I'd rather see Eglantine controling the wand, then it controling her. I trust her, but not that wand" she said.

"Kiara...if she controls it, she can use it. Now on small dragons...later on enemies." he looked into her eyes, his fear showing plainly. "I had a very good friend, we were as brothers. And he delved so deeply into shadow, I couldn't recognize him. He ended up committing suicide due to the voices that spoke to him day and night. That happened over the course of two weeks, Kiara. Only two weeks. He controlled the darkness as well."

Kiara bit her lip, "That won't happen to her, I won't let it, She is a good person at heart and she has been connected to the spirits for years, ever since she first finished Excessum. If she hasn't been taken over yet..."

She sighed feeling very conflicted as to what to do, and fear for what was to happen. I she had been in Eglantines place she may be doing the samthing. Yey rght know she could see Horatio's point.

Horatio didn't look convinced as he leaned back in his chair and pulled out his pipe. "I got this pipe from him... And I vowed when he died that I would never entangle myself in the dark arts again. Which is why I left my research and came to teach here."

He puffed on the pipe and sighed. "Rather ironic, eh?"

Kiara nodded and sighed again.

"Yes Ironic...." she said

"Horatio what do you plan to do? she is still Eglantine you know.. only with that wand"

"I have no idea, my dear. Part of me just wants to ignore it and go on with our relationship as if nothing has changed...but another part of me wants to do something. She doesn't want help! She doesn't want to give it up! How can we or you or I do anything about it?" He dropped his pipe into his lap and covered his face with his hands.

Kiara looked at Horatio in sympathy for a moment before moving over to him, if it were possiblile Kiara cared for Horatio just as much as she did Eglantine. She hated it when both were suffering,

"Just be there for her Horatio, we can't let her issolate herself to much, And just keep a eye on her, Like you have been. She will be alright" she said as she attempted to reasurre him.

Horatio nodded. "That'll work..." he murmured. "It has too." He smiled up at Kiara. "You are so wise, my dear. Thank you."

Kiara nodded and smiled slighty "Anytime Horatio, anytime you need a refresher you know where my office is." she said patting his knee.

"I care for you both to much to see you suffer"

Horatio sighed. "I feel like a fool, you know... Here I am 176 years old and I don't know anything..." he chuckled bitterly.

Kiara shook her head, " That isn't true and you know it Horatio, your expirience with people could use a little work, but you know a great many things. More then I " she simled

"Knowledge and wisdom are two different things, Kiara. I have one and you have the other." He smiled. "I'll work on my people skills though...I promise."

Kiara laughed "Glad to hear it Horatio, you are getting there though...." she said riseing to her feet

"and you a 176?! jees I will never get used to how gracefully wizards age... you certianly do not look it Horatio" she said in a effort to cheer him up a little more.

Horatio chuckled. "Why thank you, my dear. Few have commented on my good looks before." he jested, sitting up and then reaching for his pipe.

Kiara smiles and nodded "Well now that I got you smiling agian perhaps you can charm or pry Eglantine away form her work"

Then her face turned serious, "She has been at it for to long as it is..."

Horatio nodded, shoving his pipe into his pocket. "Yes. I think I will drag her away from it. I need to apologize as well." he added. Rising to his feet, he rushed to the fireplace.

"Thank you, Kiara. Tell you how it works out." and he vanished into the flames, calling out "Professor DeLanquar's office".

Kiara walked up to Horatio's qauaters, her steps were slower then going to Sevastyan's quarterd.. her long were really starting to hurt, running wouldn't be any help.

She wasn't as worried about Horatio and Eglantine , well for one te already knowing about the list and being reamakably knowlagable in there range of curses.

But she saw fit you warn them just in case...

Raising her hand she knocked.