Safe and Sound

Winter Hols

Sophia sang softly, her gentle brogue molding the words of the old lullaby as she rocked her nine-month-old son in her arms. He had already fallen asleep, but she had continued to hold him a little longer. It seemed she never got to spend as much time with him as she desired, what with her responsibilities at the school. She was going to make up for it now that it was break, though.

Laying him in his crib, she covered him with his favorite blanket. Gently running a hand over Collin's mop of dark brown hair, Sophia finally withdrew, setting a monitoring charm to alert her if he woke before she quietly left the room.

Aldan enjoyed the winter holidays more than anything. The snow, the no school, and spending time at the Chaos Manor. While there were plenty of downs with living here with two Hogwarts staff members (he definitely felt bad for little Collin for when he attended Hogwarts though hopefully Asric was too old and bald-headed by then to continue being headmaster) he enjoyed his plenty of ups. Like Collin, his tiny little nephew, was now nine months old and Aldan amused himself with trying to teach the kid to say forbidden words whenever Sophia and Asric left Collin to Aldan's care, which wasn't often.

Speaking of which, Aldan found himself in Collin's nursery as Sophia sang to her son. He inclined his head quietly, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe as silent as possible. His lips quirked upward a little as he listened. She had a very soft voice and something Aldan envied Collin of always. The most his own mother ever sounded like was a banshee screaming because Aldan had come home wearing a fake tattoo that said muggle lover. The muggle tattoo artist hadn't a clue what it meant, but was happy to draw it on Aldan with a sharpie.

Sophia smiled kindly at Aldan, fondly caressing the side of the boy's head as she passed him in the doorway.

"Enjoyin' yer holiday, Danny?" she asked. "I wis gonnae have some tea an' biscuits. Would ye like some?"

Aldan leaned into the touch, smiling a little in return, before shrugging and turning to look at her now that Collin was no doubt off in oblivion. He definitely envied babies and their innocence. "Finished my assignments already as you asked me to so yeah, it's been ok," admitted Aldan. "Sure. Got any sugar for the tea though?" He had a cup of tea without sugar once and the twelve year old definitely never wanted to repeat that incident. "Where's Ric?" he asked as he walked beside his brother's wife.

"That's a good lad," Sophia said approvingly, then laughed softly. "But of course."

"I'm not entirely certain," the woman answered thoughtfully as they arrived in the kitchen. She set the kettle on to boil. "He had some business tae attend to. Looks like it'll be just Collin an' ourselves fer a bit."

Aldan followed Sophia into the kitchen and slid into a bar stool seat, kicking his legs in amusement as Sophia put the kettle on the boil. "Again?" Aldan asked in surprise. "When is Ric ever... you know, just relaxing by a fire or something?"

His older brother worked too much. "Do you think I could get a tattoo?" he asked suddenly. "Like a small one, right here?" he pointed at his left shoulder, shrugging. He knew Asric would instantly say no, as he always did, but maybe talking to Sophia first would soften it and he could get one?

"Yer brother isnae one tae spend much of his time bein' idle, Aldan," Sophia remarked. "He needs tae be active - doin' one thing or the other. It's one of the many things I've come to accept about him. Aye, I find it rather endearin', most of the time."

The woman favored the boy with another smile, as she took two teacups from the cupboard. Pouring tea into each of them, she handed one to Aldan and set the sugar dish beside his place so he could add his own.

"Absolutely, Danny," she answered agreeably. "Ye can get whitever tatoos ye should like - when you're of age, lad. Otherwise, ye've better chance of convincin' Ric than me."

"Yeah well... he should spend a day not going out sometime. Well obviously he's done that sometime otherwise Colli wouldn't have been born," Aldan said, shrugging his shoulders as he popped a biscuit into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. He thanked Sophia as he dumped a few spoonfuls of sugar into the tea and stirred it, eying the tea before taking a sip and relieved it tasted good.

"How come I can't get a tattoo now?" he complained. "I promise it'll just be a little one. I tried to get it before but they said I need Ric's app--" he cut himself off, going a little wide-eyed at the fact he'd just revealed that he'd attempted to get the tattoo recently. Oops. "I mean when I asked someone before school started?" he hastily attempted to cover up. He had no desire to let anyone know he'd snuck out two days ago back into the muggle world for his usual trip around town.

It had been easy to break throught barriers surrounding the house. Effortless. It was like Ric hadn't even bothered to try and keep him out. Fully concealed under his invisibility charm he casually strolled into Chaos Manor like he owned the place. He didn't need to worry about being heard, he was never heard. His hunting training saw to that.

He continued to walk through the house passing the kitchen where the woman and boy were talking and headed straight for the bedroom where their scents still lingered. "Hello Asric." He smiled, his face warped by his tattered beared and the fact his face muscles weren't used to pulling a smile anymore. "Let's go find mummy shall we?" He said pulling out his wand to remove the invisibility charm as they headed down to the kitchens.

"Accio wand." He muttered once at the kitchen doorway and placed their wands in his back pockets. He looked up at Sophia and then back down at little Ric. "Such a beautiful baby." He cooed his wand poised ready for action incase they decided to move.

"Ric really shouldn't leave you here unprotected, who knows who could walk in."

Distraction came in such a way Aldan wished he was still dealing with his slip up as the most concerning factor. Turning in his chair when his wand zoomed out of his pocket, he stopped and looked at the unknown man. His eyes narrowed as he saw that his nephew was in the man's arms and he stood up, glancing at Sophia impassively.

"You're right, he probably should have set a vermin trap because otherwise vermin like you would get in here," Aldan retorted. "Who the hell are you and why do you have Collin?"

This was weird and Aldan hadn't a clue who this guy was nor how he got into Chaos Manor without either one of them being alert. He would have had to pass the kitchen to reach Collin's nursery, so he must have had a few charms on him to get by. The thought annoyed Aldan more than he was willing to admit.

Sophia had opened her mouth to admonish the boy, teacup halfway back to the counter top. That was when she abruptly froze, muscles tensing throughout her body. Then, her Sight went into overdrive.

From Sophia's perspective, she looked up over and over again. Somewhere between the second and fourth time, she dropped her teacup, causing tea and broken glass to scatter across the counter. Her gaze settled on her son. Between the fifth and sixth time she looked up (or was it the seventh and eighth?), she had moved around to take Aldan by the arm. Brown eyes snapped upwards to the intruder's face. She was still looking up, the cup shattering as it slipped from her grasp, when she pulled Aldan behind her as he stood. At some point, their wands had been summoned, but Sophia had lost track of whether that had been before the third time she'd looked up or after she had glanced at her son.

As it truly happened, Sophia had dropped her teacup and moved around the corner of the counter to yank Aldan behind her almost the very moment the intruder had appeared carrying Collin.

"Ye'll hold yer tongue, lad," she instructed Aldan sternly, even as her gaze remained fixed on the face of the man holding her child.

Her mind continued to be slammed by an impossible number of scenarios, one after the other after the other, her head very nearly feeling like it was about to come apart - not that any of this showed in her tone or the way she held herself. Sophia lifted her chin, every inch the mistress of the manor without showing any sign of being on the offensive - that would be a mistake; enough of the scenes in her head assured her of that that she wouldn't even dare think otherwise.

"An' ye. Ye're mistaken if ye think ye coulds hae set foot in here if me husband didnae still consider ye friend," Sophia addressed the man - a man she had seen only once in that very moment which still haunted Asric. He'd been much younger, then.

She remained very still, her tone quiet, but resolved. "Now, give me my son, Ace Volkov."

He narrowed his eyes at the boy he didn't know and he laughed tightening his grip on the baby making little Ric cry. "Oh you see what you made me do." He said his face scrunching up in disgust at the sound. "I hate the sound of babies crying. It's so loud." He moaned.

He raised an eyebrow as his eyes flicked back to the woman. "You know who i am?" He asked in both shock and annoyance. "Thats both stupid and dangerous. You should never speak my name if you know whats good for you." He said moving towards the window to have a look outside.

"Now where's Ric?"

This was like Ames Chaos all over again, the 12 year old groused in his head. Good Merlin this was getting old! Only this time Aldan wasn't being held hostage with 'Frank', the lunatic of an older brother who'd kidnapped Aldan and taken him deeper into the muggle part of London. His squib brother had been seeking to eliminate him before Asric could come to rescue him, which his guardian had managed to do at least, though he didn't trust Aldan alone in london any longer and thus had been why Aldan had sneaked out for a tattoo.

This guy, Aldan decided, was a nut job hellion set on getting to his brother. How many enemies did Asric even have? He'd have to hit his brother in the head for getting them in this mess and he really didn't appreciate Sophia shoving him behind her when they were both wandless.

"What kind of name is Ace Volkov?" Aldan asked incredulously. "You sound like one of those muggle drug addicts who have no life or soul." He couldn't stop himself from spouting insults to be honest. It was too much of an instinct when he was annoyed or nervous.

In this case, he was both.

Anyone else would have been disoriented by the innumerable scenes playing rapidly out in Sophia's mind. Or perhaps, somehow, impossibly, Sophia went through each of them. The possible futures weren't without their price, however. In fact, only adrenaline and terror for Collin and Aldan was keeping her from succumbing to the blow on her psyche.

"Aldan Chaos!"

The tone was admonishing, but also pitched to carry clearly in the room - Sophia wanted to be sure the man heard the boy's name. She drew in a deep breath, seeking her center, working to consciously stem the flow of imagery. If she calmed, perhaps she would See something helpful, something to get them through this.

Sophia's tone dropped, but only so it was quiet enough that it could pass for a terrified woman not speaking quite as softly as she'd intended. "Ye'll hold yer tongue, laddie, or I'll be tellin' yer brother how ye've disobeyed me. Keep quiet!" She turned back towards Ace, posture still wary.

"I donnae know where he is," she answered him truthfully. "He had business tae attend to."

He growled, the growl sounding animalistic and coming straight from his stomach. The boy was going to pay for that one. No one insulted his family name, it's all he had left. His eyes glazed over with the hunger for the boys blood and with one twirl of his wand he began to walk forward but was paused by her words.

Chaos? There was another one? Impossible. Asric would have told him if he'd had another brother or a son for that matter. He continued to listen to the womans words and found he was infact Ric's brother. It didn't matter, it wasn't important.

"Well bring him back! Don't let him know im here thought. The baby depends on it." He said tossing her her wand back. "And don't try anything funny either. Your husband has his tricks and i have mine."

Aldan had opened his mouth to say more, intending to insult the dude's hair next, when Sophia's words had Aldan snapping his mouth shut and staring at her in surprise. She seldom ever threatened him with telling Asric, usually preferring to take action herself no doubt when it came to lectures. He inched away from her, eying the 'Ace' dunce holding his nephew quietly.

He was annoyed --greatly so-- that he was essentially told to shut up and that this prat was acting all high and mighty. He watched as Sophia's wand was tossed back at her and he realized at the guy's words that possibly he was on par with Asric. The thought unsettled him.

"What do you want with Ric?" he asked quietly, looking at Sophia and back at the man. He didn't bother with his insults now, but he wanted to know why this guy was here.

Sophia was grateful when Aldan ceased with his habit of spouting insults and nonsense in the face of peril. This was certainly not the time.

She caught her wand, heart sinking when Ace instructed her to call Asric. As much as she wanted to protect her child, could she really -? Several more scenes played rapidly through her mind, few and farther than a few mere seconds into the future. She could. Her jaw firmed minutely. That bastard.

Raising her wand, she cast her patronus, the winged apparition very much the ghostly twin to her familiar. Where was the raven? He'd have felt her distress. It was better he was not here - he'd have attacked the man, by now.

Arm lowering back to her side, Sophia gazed placidly back at the man, hoping that Asric hurried home.

He raised his eyebrow but otherwise ignored the boy, he wasn't his concern. Right now the women before him was and if she messed up then the baby would pay, simple. As it happened though she did as he knew she would. He knew the power kids held over parents, he himself wouldn't be here if he didn't.

"You tell him it was urgent?" He asked, he wasn't the most patient of men and to prove it he began to pace. "He better hurry."

"Hesalivehesouttheandhealiveillfindhimandburnthemtopiecesricwillhelpiknowhewill." He muttered to himself in a whisper barely loud enough for human ears. He'd gotten so used to speaking so quiet that he'd forgotten how to speak to humans. Nyx was the only companion he had out on the road. Just then the big pitch black wolf came trotting in and defensively began to walk up and down in front of Ace, daring anyone to move.

Sophia watched the man placidly even though her head was pounding in time with her heartbeat. Too many images were still flickering across her mind. Her Gift had never acted in such a way, and Sophia could only assume it was directly related to the terror she felt for her child.

"Of course I did," she replied quietly. "He'll be here." She spared a glance for the ill-tempered daemon, before looking back at her child, silently willing Asric to come sooner.

He nodded and patted Nyx on the head softly. His face expressions softened slightly having her close by. He'd always felt better when he could see her where he knew she was safe.

"When he shows up, not a sign that im here until i say so alright?" He said looking up at the two of them for a moment and then raising a finger to his lips as the faint pop announced Ric's arrival.

Ric had been mid hunt when he'd received the patronus and he'd immediately apparated back to the house. "Sophia?" He called looking into the living room as he popped into the house.

"Sophia?" He shouted, his voice growing more urgent now as he checked the rooms, finally he came into the kitchen and paused just before the door way. Someone else was here, he could smell them. He pulled out his wand and spun around the corner to see Ace.

"Ace? What... Give me AJ Ace and we'll tak."

Sophia tore her gaze from Collin - and therefore, Ace - to gaze in the direction that her husband would have to come. Her eyes brimmed with tears at the sound of his voice. He was here. Finally, he was here... Even as he called her, she found she couldn't respond. A simple 'here' would have been fine, surely, but the sound caught in her throat.

A tear escaped as Asric appeared in the doorway, her lips pressing into a thin line. She was quickly reaching the end of her wits. Her head was killing her, images still flickering through her mind with each changing moment. She was exhausted and terrified and furious. All she wanted was for Collin and Aldan to be safe, again, and then, perhaps, a nice rest. If she would ever be able to rest again, that is...

Ace smiled and looked at Asric as recognition came over his face. "Hello brother. Long time now, and this is the greeting i receive." He tutted shaking his head. "I expected better. We were like family once, now you act like im some stray dragged in FROM THE STREETS!" He spats, soon turning sour as he ended his speech. How dare he come in and act like that around him!

He moved silently over to Sophia and gave her the baby and once his hands were free he punched Ric in the face.

Ric began to relax a little as Ace handed over AJ. At least his son was safe, now he could concentrate on Ace. "Now we can t..." But before he could finish his sentence a fist flew straight for his face. Acting before even instinct kicked in, his body turned to smoke so that Ace's fist contacted with nothing but smoke.

"Ace, stop this! Let's talk as brothers!" He pleaded, placing himself between Ace and his family.

Sophia took her child and held him close, immediately stepping back from the man who had taken him from his crib. She may have flinched when Ace threw a punch at Asric - she did, in one of the slightly different permutations that assaulted her mind. The woman wasn't paying them much mind, concerning herself more with murmuring soothing words to her baby.

Turning to Aldan, she settled Collin into the boy's arms. "Aldan, I want ye tae take Collin to the nursery an' lock the door behind ye. Do it now."

It may have seemed a useless request, given the circumstances, except that Sophia had long ago warded the nursery so that once the door was locked, only she or Asric could enter the room. Sophia would have taken the children to the nursery herself, but she didn't trust her legs to safely carry them there. Already, the surge of adrenalin that had been fueling had abruptly tapered off.

As long as her children were safe, she herself no longer mattered.