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Down the Rabbit Hole...

"Likewise." Bane didn't step into the room. He preferred to put as much distance as he could so he stayed propped against the kitchen sink. "You'll have to go."
 
"Grandad? Are you alright?" Cecily made to go to him and walked across the living room.
 
Cecily's lip trembled. "Okay," she said, putting on her best smile. "I'll see you soon." She turned to go back to Nicolas when a wave a longing for her family hit her. Against her better judgement she turned and went quickly to her granddad, hugging him.
 
Bane hugged her back and allowed himself to kiss the top of her head. "Go little bit. I'll still be here." The clouds parted and through the window Bane turned his head and he could see the full moon. His body stiffened and he began violently trembling.
 
Nicolas' eyes widened as he watched Cecily's grandfather's body tense and hair begin to appear on his body. Tonight was the full moon. "Cecily!" He cried out, running toward her and pulling her back, perhaps more violently than he had meant to in his fear for her. "I'm sorry." He whispered to her, in reference not to what he had done, but what he was about to do. He focused his mind and with Cecily in his hands he apparated out of the cabin.
 
Bane transformed painfully into his werewolf form, howling in despair as his granddaughter was ripped from his life once again.
 
Cecily gasped as they apparated out of the cabin. She held tightly to Nicolas and suddenly they were back on the grounds of Hogwarts. She felt dizzy and a little weak from the long distance apparation. "There's no place like home," she quipped in a whisper, her lips twitching before they trembled. "I didn't know tonight was the full moon." She looked up at Nicolas. "Thank you."
 
"I didn't either." Nicolas admitted, releasing Cecily from his grasp. He had been too preoccupied with finding Cecily than tracking the phases of the moon. "But the whole dementia and sprouting hair thing tends to give it away." He joked, though he was unsure if he should have, not knowing much about the situation. "Are you alright, then?" He enquired, his brow raised.
 
"I'll be alright. Can you walk me to the greenhouse? I need to check on Hamneda." She felt shaky and needed something stronger than tea.
 
"But of course." Nicolas began with a small smile. He hadn't seen Cecily in nearly a week, and had been deathly worried for her the whole time, it wasn't likely he would simply leave her be after apparating them both to the castle.
As they walked Nicolas found he had so many questions, but held his tongue, not wanting to ask what wasn't any of his business. Of course, he had just been introduced to a dead man and as far as he was concerned Cecily had been kidnapped for a week which did lead to a few more piercing questions.
 
"How did you find me?" She glanced up at his dear face. She'd missed him the week she'd been gone and felt awful for worrying him. She'd learned so many things about her family's past and having her grandfather back was a blessing she'd never thought possible. But having been away from those she cared about and back at the castle now made her realize how much she'd missed them. She hoped he wouldn't be too cross with her once she told him of her decision for the future.
 
"I got a very lucky break." Nicolas admitted, he would've had nothing had that portkey not been registered. "The portkey that moved you, well it was a legal one, which means the ministry had authorized it and knew its destination." He continued to explain, sighing softly as he glanced up at mid day sun above them. He chuckled at the fact that he had just travelled into what was the past and back in a matter of minutes before speaking again, "Then I used a small amount of ministry leverage and they gave me the portkey's details."
 
"Brilliant!" she softly exclaimed, impressed with his ingenuity. "I'm thankful you came when you did. I didn't have the strength to apparate back here and the portkey he had for me to come home was lost in the storm we had." She navigated over an odd divet in the ground. "Were you worried?"
 
"I'm sure you would have found a way back eventually." Nicolas began with a smile, with everything Cecily had been through in her life escaping a werewolf would probably be easier by this point. "And of course I was worried!" Nicolas continued, looking quizzically down at Cecily, "You just disappear and I'm supposed to carry on - business as usual?"
 
She stopped him and hugged him, putting her arms around his waist and her cheek against his chest. "I'm sorry. The whole time I was there I was thinking of you."
 
Nicolas smiled and returned Cecily's embrace, though he found her words hard to believe they were nice nonetheless. He didn't figure one could be whisked away from their life, meet a family member they thought to be deceased and only think of one person they left behind.
 
Cecily stepped back, gave his hand a squeeze and continued walking. She had to get to the greenhouse before her legs collapse under her. She was feeling more weak and shaky by the moment but pushed on. Soon they arrived at the greenhouse and she kept her back stiff as she slowly sat down on one of the chairs around the table. She waved her wand and the tea prepared itself and was soon on the table with two different tins of biscuits.

"I hope it's strong enough but in case it isn't," she grinned tiredly, reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out a fat bellied flask. "This should do the trick." She poured a generous amount into each cup before handing Nicolas his. "My grandfather's." She nodded towards the flask, gratefully drinking from her cup. The liquid seared down her throat. She gave a slight cough then sighed tiredly. "He makes his own firewhiskey. Calls it his 'recipe'."
 
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