For a brief moment, when Sasha's feet first made contact with the snow-covered streets of Hogsmeade, he was met with a strange, surreal sense of dejá vu.  The manner in his departure - the fear of the unknown of the recently issued suspension and the sudden jolt from the hex and disapparition - was proving to intensify the dejá vu.  In the half a minute or so it took to regather his wits after the side-along apparition, Sasha stared quietly towards the edge of the town, his thoughts a little too calm and stagnant.  The village had been cold when Sasha had escorted away in November but winter had yet to sprinkle its first dusting of snow on the landscape. 

In the pale, diffused light that broke through the heavy bank of Scottish winter clouds overhead, only the slightest gleam of a purple hue could be observed in the young man's raven black boots.  The sparse trim of raven feathers along the edges of the black cloak offered a matching hint of violet though the silver buttons and cufflinks captured most of the available light.  His chosen attire, and how different it was from anything he would have worn the last time he stood in these streets, only accentuated the surreal moment. 

Sasha's name, offered in a now familiar voice, broke through the moment of disorientation and Sasha turned away from the edge of town.  But, it was Kronos standing next to him, not that Terry fellow though, presumably, he was somewhere.  The young Ravenclaw was content to not linger on that fact. 

"I've never been to one of these," the young man admitted.  Necessity always dictated that Sasha return to London the day holidays let out.  Though Sasha had been at Hogwarts four years now, he'd yet to spend much time in Hogsmeade beyond the train station.  Hogwarts had been let out for the holidays, Sasha knew, and there was no shortage of students in the streets.  Sasha couldn't resist the temptation to scan their surroundings for any familiar faces. Or, any faces he'd rather avoid - which included a number of students as well as professors. 

Slowly, Sasha turned, starting to make his way along the street, the snow crunching under the soles of his shoes, the light from the snow reflecting in their shine.  "Have you been to this before?" he asked.  "Are there any can't-miss highlights?  I doubt I'll be able to get back up here after today."  Sasha grinned, though there was an obvious undertone of accepting the inevitable behind the grin.  "I'm back to being up by five to see to chores."  A schedule that was much easier to keep when he didn't deviate from it during the school year.  This past month, though, had managed to throw his schedule well out of whack.

Kronos appeared, wearing the coat of an arctic fox over fine crimson dress robes with even finer gold embroidery and a matching fez hat.  He stood tall, his face upturning so he could smell the fresh, crisp, snowy air and take in all the sights of their Winter wonderland.  Although the festival had only just begun, the Wizarding village of Hogsmeade was already well decorated and abuzz with excited specimens.  He turned his gaze on Sasha, however, only to find him staring pensively toward the edge of town. 

"Sasha...."  The boy looked to him, his father, and Kronos beckoned him over with a simple gesture.  When Sasha had caught up, Kronos placed a light hand on his upper back, leading him on into the thick of the village at a slow pace.  Kronos had saved himself some of the clever joint juice put together so kindly for him by his now missing alchemist, just for a special occasion, as this very much was.  As a result he walked with neither limp nor cane, and how marvelous!

"You haven't?" Kronos briefly gave his boy a quizzical glance, then nodded slightly as he looked again across the swarming crowd.  "They are quite good," he said simply.  "I do think you'll like it.  I -- just remember son -- I may have to leave quite suddenly, but I do hope that you'll stay late and enjoy yourself."

Sasha then made it clear that once he left today it would be back to the daily grind in a no-fun household that Kronos couldn't help but compare to his own rather droll childhood.

"Oh how horrid," said Kronos amicably.  "Chores should never be wasted on the youth.  I suppose we will just have to jam-pack this day with all the whirlwind fun we can, yes?   I have, though!  Been to a few over the years.  My favorite event is always the ice carving," he explained, searching out the large blocks of ice, but he couldn't see any -- either because it was out of their line of view or because that activity would come later in the festival.  In any case.  "Some of the same Wizards go for the title every year, but I believe the school is hosting it now, so it is more of a -- students' game, this year.  It's a bit of an art form for us older Wizards, not unlike the martial arts, really.  Some of the best sculptors are also excellent duelists."

But these festivals, when they had them, were always changing.  The only thing that never changed was the fact that human beings tended to pick up every little excuse for a good celebration.  Even Winter!  No, Kronos did not like the horrid weather of Northern Scotland, thank you very much, but with a son in tow it was really rather... magical?  He couldn't complain.  Any excuse for (more) leisure, luxury, and flouncing about was really rather welcome.

"How about we stop for a drink to warm us up," he said, gesturing toward a nearby booth.  "Cocoa?  Eggnog?  What's your fancy?  I wonder if they serve spiked...."

The winter festival had begun, and Fauna was a bright spot of yellow in the crowd, decked in her winter jacket and a black hat with a pompom flopping on top. After seeing the excited gleam in Fauna's eyes, her mum had told her she could handle the store herself this afternoon, and had encouraged her to go out and have fun the first day of her holiday break.

So Fauna did just that.

She paused by a booth of eggnog and cocoa, enticed by the smells and tempted by the promise of warmth. She needed new mittens. Her rat had chewed a few small holes in the fingers of the dingy yellow mittens she wore, which she could easily repair, but the fabric had gotten too thin to keep her hands warm enough this winter.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Fauna was about to line up for some cocoa, when she noticed two figures nearing the booth. One of them looked very familiar - tall, blond hair, straight posture. He wore a stylish black cloak with feathers on the edges, and boots to match.

Sasha Schlagenweit was grinning at something the older man next to him had said. The man was decked out in a hat that Fauna wholeheartedly approved of, and his attire screamed 'eccentric, well-to-do wizard'.

She stopped and stared, conflicted. Sasha had been missing, hadn't he? The Headmistress had suspended him, which still surprised her, and then Akiva had mentioned Dreogan and someone named Jacoba going crazy trying to find him. Then the rumors had flown through the school, and Fauna hadn't known what to think. She couldn't still be angry at him if he'd gone missing, could she? And yet, the familiar flare of annoyance sprang up at the sight of him, mixed in with guilt and worry.

The man could be one of Sasha's relatives, except Sasha was muggleborn. Fauna shook her head, remembering the article. Maybe the gentleman was a Grosvenor? She just didn't know.

Before she could question it any longer, Fauna moved towards the pair, eyes large and worried. She tucked her scarf underneath her chin so it no longer covered her mouth.

"Sasha?" She said hesitantly, glancing at the stranger beside him. "You're... alright? I heard you were missing."

Obviously he wasn't missing anymore, or he wouldn't be walking around during the festival, would he? Fauna bit her lip, suddenly wishing she hadn't said anything at all. They hadn't spoken since their fight in November, and time had done little to dull the awkwardness between them.

 Even if Fergie hadn't been on the look out for him, Sasha would have been impossible to miss. Not so much because of what he was wearing, although that was striking enough, but because of the man walking along beside him, decked out in sumptuous red dress robes. Fergie would've had to have been blind to miss the bright splash of color amongst the primarily dark winter coats dotting the streets. This must be Sasha's friend, the one he'd been staying with and had spoken of in his last letter. Ferguson surveyed the old man curiously, wondering who, exactly, he was, and where Sasha had possibly met him.

 The Slytherin took a hesitant step forward, but retreated again before getting close enough to be noticed. Before, he hadn't been able to decide if he was more excited about the prospect of seeing the Ravenclaw again, or nervous. Now that he did see him, grinning up at the man standing beside him and looking very well and very fashionable in his feather trimmed cloak, Ferguson decided that anxiety was definitely the ruling emotion here. Agreeing to remain friends in letters was one thing, actually following through with it was another. It was so much easier to think before speaking in a letter, or to display a confidence not actually felt by the writer.

 And a million things could have happened between the time that Sasha had written his last letter and the here and now. Neely could have written to him, or he could have given it more thought and found the whole thing was just too weird and...wrong. But there was a chance he hadn't. Or that, if he had, Fergie could convince him to reconsider. And it was this chance, after several moments of internal debate and a quick check at his reflection in a shop window (this wind would not be allowed to muss up his hair, not now), that eventually propelled him forward and caused him to step into place beside Fauna Blake, at first focusing his attention solely on the fashion challenged Hufflepuff.

 "Hello, Fauna." He breezily greeted the girl, grinning with a confidence he did not at all feel. But, faked self assurance was better than none, wasn't it? "I wanted to ask you - oh!" Fergie allowed his gaze to flicker towards Sasha, making a show of surprise. He was acting like an idiot, and he knew it. But, somehow, he couldn't stop himself. Nerves. They made a person do crazy things.  "Sasha. Hi - I didn't see you there. You look..." He bit his lip, bravado faltering slightly, and glanced at the ground for a brief second before looking back up, hoping they would assume the hint of color in his cheeks was a result of the cold and not embarrassment. "...like you're doing well." He figured this compliment would be better received than one based on the other boy's appearance. Although he couldn't help but add, looking the Ravenclaw over, "I like your cloak."

With the gentle coaxing of his name and the touch at his back, Sasha fell in step next to Kronos with an ease and air of belonging that would indicate years of familiarity rather than just a few jumbled weeks.  Perhaps it was the ease with which the man filled some gaping hole that allowed Sasha to fill that role so easily.  Maybe the old man had just known how to play the cards or, perhaps, some other factor was involved.  But, all the questions, concerns or fears that had filled the Ravenclaw's mind when he first arrived at the Isle of Skye seemed like the distant, foolish memories of a bad dream. 

Even the repetitious warnings of a sudden and abrupt departure did little to raise warnings in the young man's mind.  They were accepted as simply the eccentricities of a slightly peculiar fellow.  "I wish I could return."  The admission followed on the heels of the old man's reminder before Sasha was able to catch himself.  Though, at that moment, it was the truth.  Were he offered the choice right at the moment with no extraneous consequences, he'd choose the castle over returning home without a second thought.  But, of course, it couldn't be that simple. 

But, he nodded, touching a hand to the healthy-sized pouch of gold in his pocket and grinned slightly.  "Thank you, I certainly will."  He would take a portkey around eight-thirty that evening to Diagon Alley which would get him to King's Cross about the time the trans-English Channel train arrived.  Until then, his time was his with no obligations.  Just as it should be. "Thank you, for everything." 

"Responsibilities teach discipline and humility," Sasha said, quietly, under his breath, glancing over his shoulder.  It would have been his stepfather's response to the man's perspective of chores.  Strange how different those two perspectives were.  And, yet, also so very different from anything Dreogan might have said.  Dreogan.  Again, Sasha paused in his stride, taking a glance around their vicinity once again. It had been over two weeks since Sasha had sent his last response and, with a slight twinge of guilt, almost a week since Sasha had thought about the man.  His brow furrowed in thought as he continued to survey the crowd though he held out little hope his looking would turn up anything. 

"Do you think they'll take last minute entries with the ice sculpting?" Sasha asked, drawing his attention back to Kronos.  "It sounds like it could be fun.  And, I'd love some -" 

His name called from another direction and Sasha turned towards its source.  "Missing?" Sasha repeated, shaking his head. Sasha stole a quick, questioning glance in Kronos' direction before turning back and shaking his head again.  Why wouldn't he be alright?  Granted, Fauna could sneak out of school and fight werewolves and get a slap on the wrist but she must have heard he was suspended.  Right?

Following shortly after Fauna was Fergie.  Again, Sasha glanced over his shoulder towards the old man, a sudden blush rising in his cheeks.  For better or worse, it seemed introductions were in order.  Even if Sasha had no idea how to introduce either of his classmates.  Naively, to Sasha, Kronos was the easier introduction to make.  While the name Kronos Malvivicus had been plastered on wanted posters throughout wizarding Britain for nearly half a century, as a muggleborn who'd grown up almost completely isolated from the wizarding world, Sasha was, as of yet, oblivious to any significance behind the name. 

He offered Fergie an awkward half-grin, half-grimace when he complimented Sasha's cloak before turning to the introductions as a distraction.  "Um, sir, this is Fauna.  She's a -" he hesitated a moment, unsure what label to use.  "Classmate.  And-"  The color returned slightly to his cheeks.  Sasha knew Kronos had read the letter from Knight and, therefore, knew who Fergie was.  "Ferguson."  He didn't even bother trying to add a label.  Kronos knew more than most, after all.  "This is Kronos, my fa-"  Sasha scowled briefly before glancing, once more, at the older man.

"You are welcome back at any time, any time at all," said Kronos jovially.

Kronos was continually in the process of getting what he wanted, and today heralded a victory with those lamenting and fond thoughts of Sasha's.  Yes, he had to leave his old man and the fairytale estate in favor of a most displeasing family of the Muggle sort, a family that couldn't give him what he needed, what he deserved, and it pained him to some degree.  He had the desire to spoil himself, and his thank yous were received as worship of the most glorious sort.  Mission accomplished.  Kronos gripped the boy's shoulder briefly, as though to say Not at all, not at all son.  He was ensnared.

"I believe they will be -- open to negotiation," he said with a bit of a sly smile.  He would exploit any opening, any weakness, to make sure that Sasha had whatever Sasha wanted today.  If they were not accepting late entries in the ice carving contest, then they would be made to make an exception of course. 

Kronos listened with great joy to the good sport under his arm as they started for the Lancaster family beverage booth.  But quite out of the blue they were approached by a funny-looking young Witch (Kronos approved of her unusual outfit as well, and cocked his head at her as she and Sasha shared an awkward exchange).  He met the boy's furtive glances with a twitchy smile and silence, not wanting to interfere with what he hoped would be Sasha's own explanation of his exquisite new home.  But when they were joined by who else but the coy boy who had kissed his son, opening him up to the evolution of his true self (and it had to be true, for like father like son), all of Kronos's curiosity turned toward Fergie and his delightful taste in clothing.  His eyes flashed with knowing and keen interest, and his face betrayed an effeminate glow.

He held his hand out for the shaking, but it was a curious gesture.  His fingers were pressed together gingerly and his hand was tipped downward like a lady waiting for a quaint kiss.  Were they to take his hand, his grip would prove as soft as his babied skin.  Not at all portraying the monster beneath.  He simultaneously bowed his head with the notion:  Any friend of Sasha's is a friend of mine.  Which was, sort of true.  Not that they weren't disposable if they proved deficient.  But Kronos was tickled by Sasha's near usage of the F word.  And he had a mood to match.

"His -- surrogate father," he offered with a dash of amusement.  "Liaison to the Wizarding World we'll say.  Crazy uncle."  His fox fur coat bristled in the wind.  "An absolute pleasure to meet the both of you," he said with an animalistic grin.  "Care for a cocoa?"

When Fergie greeted her with faux friendliness, Fauna gave him a strange look, wondering if Evie's niceness was rubbing off on him. Maybe it was a Slytherin epidemic? Whatever it was, Fauna shrugged it off and focused again on Sasha, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion when he repeated 'missing' as if she were talking in parseltongue. At least it wasn't just her, and all three of the students seemed uncomfortable with each other. Sasha introduced her as his classmate, and Fauna didn't correct him, even though she wasn't in his year. She didn't know what they were either. Bother buddies? Bringers of the awkward?

The only normal, no, comfortable-looking person was Kronos.

Wait. Kronos? Fauna repeated the name in her head, trying to figure out where she'd heard it before...

But more pressing on her mind was Sasha, who'd been about to say father, she could have sworn.

Kronos focused immediately on Fergie like a niffler to silver, though Fauna couldn't say she was offended by the lack of attention, since a part of her wished she hadn't approached them at all. In an effort to be polite, Fauna gingerly shook the older gentleman's hand.

Kronos informed them that it was actually 'surrogate father', but Fauna was still puzzled. "Um, sure," she replied to his offer of cocoa. "It's nice to meet you too."

There was a pause. "Does that mean, uh... are you related to the Grosvenors, then?"

She winced and glanced at Sasha apologetically. That was probably the last thing Sasha wanted to talk about. It didn't even occur to her that he wouldn't know!

 Fergie was relieved when Fauna didn't inquire into what it was he'd wanted to ask her. Honestly he hadn't thought that far. Or at all, really. He'd just sort of...acted. Hadn't he already decided leaping before he looked was a bad idea? Wasn't that what had gotten him into all of this awkward hot water in the first place? He really ought to listen to himself more often. The smart part of himself, not the part that compelled him to do crazy things like kiss adorable but unfortunately taken straight boys. That had just not been a good idea.

 Because all it resulted in was excruciating awkwardness, if this encounter was anything to go by. The tension was palpable. (And, really, Fauna being there wasn't helping any. Her entire existence was one awkward event. Alghough maybe this was just because of her wardrobe. Or her hats. Her hats definitely shared part of the blame.) And while it wasn't any worse of a reception than he'd been expecting from the other boy, the half-grimace still made his heart sink a little.

 Fortunately he didn't have very long to dwell on this, as introductions were made and the attention of Sasha's crazy uncle focused on Fergie with an eagerness that was...unsettling, to say the least. There was only one thing Fergie could think of that would make him stand out enough from whatever friends and schoolmates Sasha had spoken of to Kronos to inspire this sort of keen interest. Color rising in his cheeks, Ferguson Amherst's blue eyes flickered from the older gentleman's face and the knowing expression he found there to Sasha, his gaze conveying a panicked, unspoken question. It was one thing to have Callum and Neely (and whoever else at school who had happened to hear the rumors, however they'd gotten out) know about what had happened between him and the blonde Ravenclaw in the boy's lavatory. It was quite another to have random, snazzily dressed adult strangers aware of it. Not that he thought the flamboyant stranger would run off to report to Fergie's parents or anything. It was just...uncomfortable.

 But it couldn't be helped, he supposed, and really there was no point in making this entire ordeal any more anxiety-inducing than it already was. He inhaled slowly and smoothed his hair down and let his line of sight drift back to Sasha's mysterious companion with as much composure as he could muster, taking his turn at shaking the man's daintily presented, baby-soft hand with a smile. "Delighted to meet you, sir."

 "Does that mean, uh... are you related to the Grosvenors, then?" Fauna wanted to know, and Fergie waited, curious, for the answer. That would make the most sense, he supposed. How else would Sasha have met the man, and why else would he have been staying with him? Because Fergie could only remember ever hearing of one other Kronos, and that one... well, this certainly couldn't be him. This man was an eccentric, certainly, but he seemed nice. Not at all like the stories about the man with whom he shared a name.

 Which meant that there was no harm in accepting the posed invitation for a cocoa. "That sounds lovely, actually." He replied as he turned and looked around, using searching for the nearest booth as a distraction from the situation. "I could use the warmth."

The difference in the way Kronos regarded Fergie and Fauna was far too blatant for even Sasha to ignore.  And, Fergie's reaction, he was aware of it, too.  He scowled, apologetically, at the young man but left it at that - now didn't seem the time nor place to insist that Kronos finding out certainly hadn't been Sasha's doing.  Which, really, should be obvious.  The odds of Sasha publicizing that little event were in the negative range.  Either way, Kronos did know about that and, surprisingly enough, approved.  Approved of that little episode.  He approved of ... well, Fergie ... at least the Fergie in the letter.  Only time would tell if he approved of Fergie in the flesh. 

Fergie - who Kronos had just invited for cocoa.  It was hard to say if the invitation had been afforded to Fauna as well. Sasha hoped not, especially if Kronos insisted on the conversation lingering on ... that ... kiss.  His cheeks bloomed a brilliant scarlet and he was glad when the topic remained on introductions.

"The Grosvenors?" Sasha watched Fauna with a slightly baffled, slightly concerned look then glanced at Kronos.  It was a shame she couldn't be subtly (or not so subtly) dismissed the way all those random men could be back at the castle.  That girl's weirdness knew no limits.  What did the Grosvenors have to do with any of this? 


Slowly, Sasha shook his head.  "No?"  He glanced at Kronos just for verification.  If the man was related to the Grosvenors on his mother's side ... but, no.  That made no sense.  Like Sasha, Kronos was muggleborn.  He shook his head again, looking back at Fauna. 

"No," he said with more conviction.  "He's Malvivicus - no relation to the Grosvenors, I'm fairly certain."  What a strange conversation.  "Is Ava here?"  That seemed the only obvious explanation for the Hufflepuff's assumption.  If Ava was here than that might explain why Fauna assumed another Grosvenor was as well. 

What followed was an inevitable dawning of realization, or at least the dreaded preamble to it that Kronos knew would come sooner or later.  Sasha was going to know, and very soon, just who he -- the generous Old Man -- was.  What he did.  How he rolled.  And on top of that little stickler, he was going to know about the allegation that he -- the boy -- was related to a Grosvenor and thus, not truly Muggle-born.  It would have to happen; there was no halting that occasion.  But everything in Kronos was irked that this should happen so prematurely, with him there still to witness the shock of the moment.  That was simply not part of the plan.  Let Sasha fumble with the two truths, but the outcry, let that be in his absence.  It would be better for them, it would. 

He withdrew slightly from his company, except for Sasha, who he drew closer to himself protectively.  He suffered a confused smile when he would have rather snarled.  Silly girl, ruining it all.

Well, not entirely.  As hopeful as he'd been that this wouldn't be the case, it was a likely scenario.  Being in public and not disguising your name to your very not-well-informed house guest was... dangerous.  Careless, even.  But Kronos was not irked about the name-to-face connection, he was irked about the untimely release of its soon-to-be startling revelation. 

Luckily, Kronos had a rabbit in his hat.  His face threatening to grimace, and so taking on a smear of awkward, he reached his overly softened hand into the pocket of his over-the-top dress robes, grabbing a handful of free-floating powder and drawing it up to his face.  The motion was, oddly, as if by magic, transfixing.  His eyebrows heightened and his hand uncurled as he took a step back, moving his mouth into the shape of an 'o' -- and a gentle exhalation sent a glittering powder flying into the faces of the three teenage students.  At the end of this strange but fluid action, Kronos couldn't help but let his face expand in a father-Christmas inspired grin.  The little glitters settled on their persons and readily absorbed into both cloth and skin. 

That should fix things, he thought, and instantly his mood was brightened.  Probably not to the extent of theirs, however.

"Isn't all this so incredibly dull," he said merrily.  "Let's get us some cocoa!  Who's for cocoa!"  He spoke as though to a legion of puppies.  "Marshmellows?  Whipping cream?  Oh-ho-ho!"

Fergie offered pleasantries while Kronos moved closer to Sasha, almost possessively. Protectively. And Sasha kept repeating everything she said as if she were daft. Was he doing this on purpose, or was this his way of avoiding her awkward question? Fauna drew away, glancing around her and fidgeting with her mittens. At this point she was willing to be rude if it meant escaping the situation.

But then he said it. Her eyes widened. Malvivicus. Malvivicus! Everything Sasha said after that went in one ear and out the other. Kronos Malvivicus. She was here, out in the open, chatting with a killer.

Her face went stark white. She took one step back, glanced wildly around, and reached in her coat pocket for her wand as Kronos did the same. Except he didn't use his wand. He put something up to his face and let out a puff of air, like he was the big bad wolf, blowing down the straw houses. Dust settled over her, tickling her nose and sprinkling her hair. Her fear and panic faded, shifting abruptly to joy. Elation.

Fauna had never felt happier.

Kronos smiled then, and Fauna found herself grinning back, pleased to see such a kind, grandfatherly type person - just like her grandfather had been, rest his soul! - beam at them. She'd done something right, she just knew it. Fauna adjusted the hat on her head, hoping it met his approval.

Cocoa! Marshmallows! Whipcream! Did she want these things? Of course she did! Nothing sounded better to her at the moment. Fauna forgot about the holes in her mittens and slipped one hand into Sasha's, and the other into Fergie's, swinging their arms affectionately.

She couldn't understand why she'd never spent time with these amazing, wonderful people before. Fergie was adorably snarky! Sasha was endearingly innocent! And... what was his name... she couldn't quite remember, but the jovial old man was such a gentleman. She wanted to take him home and introduce him to her (single) grandmother.

"Cocoa! And marshmallows!" Fauna repeated like a mantra, letting out a breathless giggle. "Let's go!' She skipped forward, and then laughed. Laughed with such unbridled joy that she turned heads.


((Haha let me know if this goes way overboard, and I will edit!))

 Fergie froze, the color draining out of his face in a similar manner to the way it was draining out of Fauna's, and his blue eyes widened. Kronos Malvivicus? No, no, no, that couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Kronos Malvivicus existed somewhere, of course, but not there. He was in the same category as the boogey man, lurking in the shadows and hiding under the beds of naughty children. He didn't frolic through Hogsmeade with almost painfully innocent Ravenclaws.

 Except apparently that he did, because there he was. Ferguson's panicked mind flashed quickly through all the stories and rumors he'd heard about this man and the sorts of things that he did - awful, terrible things. He was pretty sure the frantic pounding of his heart was not only audible but visible, even through two layers of clothing and his coat. The Slytherin reached out to grab Sasha's hand, an attempt to snatch him away from the incredibly dangerous old man, but Kronos had already pulled the Ravenclaw closer to himself and then...

 And then just like that, Fergie wasn't afraid anymore.

 How could he be, really, when this sparkly dust was floating over him? He'd always loved shiny things, and these specks of glitter were the perfect accessories to his current ensemble! A bright, giddy grin washed over his face and he found himself beaming at everyone, even that random passer-by in the horrendous pink coat that would ordinarily make him turn his nose up in disdain. And when Fauna slipped her hand into his, he simply turned that beam on her and gave the girl's hand a squeeze, instead of making some horrified remark about how he couldn't be seen in public with her, not in that hat. Because really, Fauna was a nice girl! And her hats suddenly didn't seem that bad anymore. They were...charmingly hideous.

 "Marshmallows?" He repeated, looking up at the positively delightful man speaking to them and bouncing eagerly on his heels at the very idea. "I love marshmallows!"

The emotional atmosphere surrounding them took a sudden and grotesque lurch in an entirely different direction.  Where once there'd just been an uneasy social awkwardness there was now ... Sasha wasn't sure what it was.  But, both Fauna and Fergie had expressions reminiscent of that scene that shows up in all those horror monster movies. 

Like those ones on the scifi channel.  They were all the same.  Some ordinary creature somehow became several time bigger than its normal cousins and had developed a taste for human flesh.  The extras always got eaten.  Usually one of the main characters got eaten, too.  But, there was always that scene.  One character was standing facing the others.  Somehow, unbeknownst to him, the 100 foot monster king cobra had managed to sneak up behind him and was looming twenty feet above the poor disposable character, its hood spread.  The Disposable One never knows about the snake - all he ever sees is the faces of everyone else who stood frozen, staring at the man's death. 

This could have been a scene in one of those movies.  Except, of course, it was only Kronos behind him. 

"What are you..." Suspicion colored Sasha's tone when he looked down at the Slytherin's hand as it reached for him.  But, before the question could fully escape Sasha's mouth, Kronos gently, but unquestioningly, guided Sasha closer to him.  With the confusion still etched across his face, he looked up at the older man but, strangely only found some of that strange confusion reflected in the man's face.  "Sir?"  Sasha asked, a little uncertainly.  "What's..."

But, suddenly, the confusion was no more.  In it's wake, there was a light-headed giddiness.  Sasha beamed up at the man that seemed to be the source of all things good as Fauna's hand slipped into his.  He looked towards her, the corners of his mouth stretching into a wide, ecstatic smile.  His arm started to sway in joyous rhythm with the cadence of Fauna's skip, the pompom atop her hat flopping with the same gaiety.  The shiny black raven feathers lining his sleeves, Sasha noticed, were moving with the same free floppiness as the pompom.  With a bright laugh, Sasha lifted his free arm and waved it, watching in an almost drunken fascination as the feathers flapped in the cold air. 

His free hand found Kronos' and he nodded in agreement with his two partners in glee.  "That sounds marvelous!" he admitted, not even sparing the empty calories in the marshmallows a second thought.  "Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken,"  Sasha began to sing in time to their skip as they made their way to the refreshment stand, after another glance towards Fauna.  "Drei Ecken hat mein Hut, und hätt er nicht drei Ecken, so wär es nicht mein Hut."

Sasha was still singing when they reached the drinks stand.  "Vier heißer Kakao," Sasha said, giggling the whole while.  "mit Mohrenkopfen, bitte!  Viele viele Mohrenkopfen."  The confused, impatient scowl on the vender's face only earned him more giggles.

Just for Fauna