Good Wishes and Hopes

Bastain sighed a he walked down the lane to Calixta's family home, it felt odd not going there to see Calixta, but he was more then happy to help. After he heard that Innis, Percy's little girl was slowly recovering and it might be good for her to be around a normal and healthy child close to her age. It was also suggested Vi's little puppy would be good for her as well. So much to Bas's defeat and potion intake he let his niece take her little dog with her for the trip which she was more then happy to do. So he borrowed her from Julian for the day, woth assurennces she would be back before bed time... Besides it would give him a chance to see that new lady firend of his.

Violet just about skipped down the path to the front door, "Wow.. it is a very pretty house Uncle Bastain" she said trying to keep Wicket away from the flowers. She didn't wish him to get into trouble after all.

Bastain nodded "That it is Lass" he said as they approched the house and he rang the door bell. He hoped all thing were well for their visit.

At the sound of the bell, the door was promptly opened by one of the house-elves -- a female named Gertie. Calixta, of course, was back in Malaysia, and Lainey was somewhere out on the grounds, practicing hard for the upcoming quidditch season. Laeticia and Percy sat with Innis in the upstairs library -- James being away on business at the moment. The atmosphere in the house was quiet and contained, but all of the windows were thrown open to the bright sunshine, fostering a feeling of well-being in the hopes of encouraging Innis to come out of her shell.

"Right this way, if you please, Mr. Kaiser, sir!" the tiny little thing squeaked, moving out of the way so that Violet and Bastian could enter. "Master and Mistress are waiting for you upstairs with the little miss, poor thing! Would you like any refreshments, Mr. and Miss?"

Bastian smiled slightly at the house elf, and shook his head for the moment, perhaps later.. after meeting the two adults in the family.. for the first time by himself without Calixta at his side. However he turned to Violet, inquiaring if she wanted anything.

"Did ya want anything Violet?" he asked in English, as the child was so used to german she might not have caught the question.

Violet shock her head as well to curious about the place she was in to really sit and drink. " Thank you, but maybe a little later, ja?" she said looking at the house elf finding it cute. She knew what they were, though wasn't really around them to often. Little Wicket barked and wagged his tail at the house elf, appearently not scared of the little thing either.

They followed the little house elf into the beautifull house.

The library was the first room at the top of the stairs, and so Gertie led Bastian and Violet up directly, before exiting the room, announcing the visitors to Percy and Laeticia, and quietly closing the door behind her.

"It's so lovely to see you again, Bastian," Laeticia said with a warm smile, although somewhat more subdued than when she'd last seen him. "This must be Violet...hello, sweetie! You're a very pretty little thing, aren't you!" she declared, giving the girl a good once-over. The very picture of health and beauty; Laeticia hoped that the little girl's liveliness would rub off on her silent, sombre granddaughter.

Innis was sitting up on a sofa next to her father, quietly taking in the new arrivals. Percy took comfort in the fact that his daughter did appear to take interest in Violet, but it was the puppy who really caught Innis' attention; she'd always wanted one. She hesitatingly held her hand out towards Wicket, and then paused, smiling shyly at Violet. Percy sat forward in his chair, looking and feeling more hopeful than he'd been in weeks.

"Thank you so much for coming," he told Bastian, with a genuine smile. "I appreciate it so much...do have a seat," he added, nodding towards a pair of armchairs which were directly across from where he was seated between his mother and his daughter.

Violet blushed and smiled sheepishly to the woman complement towards her, "Thank ya.. Ah I mean Thank ya Ma'ma" she said blushing more at having started in German instead of English.

She waved enthusastiaclally back to Innis, when asked what she was supposed to do her uncle had merely told her to be herself, so that was what she did. As for Wicket, the little dog looked between Violet and Innis and wagged his tail at the too, somehow knowing he was about to get alot of attention. he let out a small yelp of a bark to make his presence know for sure.

Bastian nodded his head to the adults of the house, he would of course do what he could to help. Though the little girl was looking a million times better then when he last seen her. " Not a problem, she is looking much better from when I last saw her" he said motioning he head to Innis as he took a seat. In fact he was not sure the young girl even knew who he was.

Innis' smile widened, and then she started slightly as Wicket barked. She shied away, looking nervously at her father as if for approval.

"Innis, sweetheart, this is Violet. Violet, this is Innis," he said, smiling at the two girls. Laeticia looked at the shy expression on Innis' face and wondered if the little girl wasn't suffering from a sort of stage fright.

"Percy, why don't we show Bastian around the estate for a little while, and let the girls get to know each other?" Percy looked unconvinced, but Grandma was sure she knew best.

"Bastian, would you like to come for a little walk?"

Violet smiled and picked up Wicket, as she walked over to Innis "Innis this is Wicket, Wicket this is Innis.. Wicket be nice Ja?" she said placing her puppy beside Innis on the couch. Wichet would not harm a fly but it never hurt to tell the puppy to be extra nice to the quiet little girl.

"Ya can pet em, he won't bite, he's only a Baby" she said with a grin.

Bastian looked at the pair and back at Percy, he could not blame the man for not wanting to leave his daughters side, if even for a moment. He knew the feeling after all, but he also got the feeling the Matriarch of the house got final say, so he nodded they wouldn't go far.

"Very well" he said standing before turning to Violet.

"Vi, don't wear the girl out Ja?" he said lightly as his niece tended to get ovely Excited.

Violet nodded still grining "Of course Uncle" she said then moving to show Innis the best place to pet Wicket.

Bastain turned to Percy, "They should be fine, Vi is a patient girl around this kind of thing" he tired to assure the younger man.

Percy nodded, standing alongside his mother but still glancing over at Innis nervously.

"Of course," he mumbled, and Laeticia saw it would be necessary for her to take the reigns on this one.

"Right this way," she told Bastian with a smile, leading them out of the library. "Now, down to the left here we have all the children's rooms. Well, Lainey's anyway, but Cali and Percy's old rooms are there too, if you're curious," she started, heading in that direction. "There's a kind of trapdoor thing between Percy and Cali's that we had built ages ago, it's pretty interesting actually..."

Meanwhile, Innis looked up with wide eyes as her father left. The girl didn't seem to know whether to be nervous or happy at their departure. She'd gotten very used to having adults hover near, and didn't quite seem to know what to make of the situation. The last time she'd been near a child her age had been before Rian died.

Innis leaned over to pet Wicket, who seemed very happy with the attention. She giggled at the silly way he wagged his floppy little tail, and then looked up, alarmed at the sound which had escaped her lips. The look which she gave Violet seemed to suggest that she thought she'd get in trouble for it.

Bastain blinked and nodded just being able to see Calixta looking embaressed right now. Thought he wasn't sure what to say about the topic. He could picture a younger version of Percy and Calixta playing in the secret trap doors and world of pretend.

_

Violet merely grinned, and gave Wicket a scratch behind the ear, somehow she got the feeling this was the first time the girl had laughed in a while.

" Ja! I laugh at him all the time to, he's funny, was so glad when I was told I was aloud to keep him. He's always doing silly things, best one is when he chases his own tail and makes himself dizzy" she said with a snicker.

Violet then dug something out of her pocket, is was a small bag of puppy treats and she handed the bag to her new firend. "Want to give him a few? he loves em" she said with a laugh as Wicket's attention quickly went to the bag.

Innis nodded eagerly, accepting the bag from Violet. Gingerly, she fished one out of the bag and fed it to Wicket, who licked her fingers in his attempt to nab the snack. She giggled again and looked up at Violet shyly, with the appearance of wanting to say something, but not quite knowing how.

Meanwhile, Laeticia was chattering on and leading the way back towards the library on their way to the other side of the house. She peeked into the library, unnoticed by the little girls, and overheard Violet talking excitedly about the puppy to an engaged-looking Innis.
"See, they're fine, no need at all to worry," she said to Percy, who looked visibly relieved as they closed the door and continued on towards the grounds.

"So what have you been up to since Lix went back, Bastian?" he asked, not realising he'd slipped into the old family name for his sister in his attempt to be more friendly.

Violet grinned glad Innis seemed to like Wicket, and it made her happy, she knew the feeling before she was allowed to keep her new puppy she was a bit lonely all the time, and mostly felt down since she hadn't seen her Dad in so long. Having a furry firend cheered her up a little.

Violet reguarded the look Innis gave her as a thank you and nodded, "Ja, no worries, Puppies are nice playmates, Oh do you want to hold em?" she asked as she found there was no greater feeling then holding a soft and fluffy puppy.

__

Bastain did chuckle, "She'd swat ya one for calling her that.." though by his tone he did miss her.

"The usual, Working on various cases, one of them in Russia, and sorting of my brother Custody case with Violet... and been looking in to shooting on the Minister earlier last week... " he trailed off.. "Mostly just work" he finished.. "Though I do plan to visit Cali this or next coming weekend.. Pending if she has time" he said not wanting to be one to distract her from her work. He had read up a bit on what Calixta did, and his admiration of her went up.. though he hadn't seen her in action, he imagined she was quite good at what she did to have been in the feild for so long. Though the though of something happening to her, well it was not something he wanted to think about.

"How have things been with Innis, she seemed much better since the last I saw her" he commented, no use in keeping it all about him.

Innis' eyes widened like saucers, and she nodded again as she reached out for the puppy, squealing and giggling as Wicket immediately started licking her face. She cuddled the squirming pup against her chest, nuzzling his soft fur with her nose. Then, very quietly, she turned slightly towards Violet, and whispered the first words she'd spoken in months.

"Do you think I could have one?"

-----

Percy shrugged and rolled his eyes. "We called her that for ages, and then after she stopped wanting us to call her that, she left. It's a hard habit to break when she's not around, I guess."

"It's a cute nickname, I was always fond of it," Laeticia chimed in, opening a set of ornate French doors which led out onto a beautiful courtyard. An ornate marble fountain sat in the centre of the wild English garden, which somehow managed to be artful in its overgrown stage.

"I do wish she'd get over that...I'm sure she'd be angry at me for saying so, but it's true. She got over Hadrian a long, long time ago, and she needs to learn to let go of grudges, too. You should talk to her about it...you seem to be the only one who can get through to her," Laeticia suggested with a shrug.

"You'll land him in the dog house with that kind of advice," Percy retorted, shaking his head. "Best to keep doing what you're doing -- keep working, keep being good to my sister -- she'll come around. She already has, dating you. Do you know how many blokes we used to get around here, asking after her?--" He cut himself off, realising this was probably not the thing to be saying to his sister's boyfriend. Whoops.

"Well, she said no to all of them, anyway," Laeticia interjected, shaking her head at Percy. There was a reason he didn't often talk much.

"Yes, erm -- Innis has been making some advances, certainly. Mainly the thing is that she simply lacks -- liveliness, for lack of a better word. Some children are quiet, sure, but she was never one of them. She was always running and jumping and laughing and getting into trouble and never stopped talking. I wonder if the attack has simple changed her personality...but I hope old Innis comes back. I miss hearing her laugh."

Violet beamed when Innis asked her question, "You'll have to ask yar daddy that I think, make sure ya get a nice cute one like Wicket here Ja?. Maybe they could be play mates?" Violet suggested.

Wicket continued to be his loveable self and nuzzled the little girls cheek with his nose.

_

Bastian merely nodded, he didn't feel talking to Calixta over this her issures with her nickname was really worth getting into a argument over. "We will cross that bridge when we come to it" he muttered.

He blinked at how Calixta used to be apparently, though he knew she hadn't had any other suiters in a while. It was odd hearing that he was different, why?... Why him and not the other guys who were interested.... but a question he could with out the answer of course.

As for the news on Innis he was glad to hear she was improving, and hope she continue to improve.

"Have you found anything on how this could have been done to her... Magic Syphoning is a nasty task.. but it only takes magic" he said reciting his reserch on the matter... He wasn't sure but obviously something was else was done to the children.. something even worse then usual.

"Well here hoping Violet sunny smile and her... dog will bring her back" he said hoping himself the Violet presence was a success.

As Wicket affectionately nuzzled her, Innis smiled and kissed his fur, reaching around to scratch behind his ears. Violet's words seemed to upset her, however, and she paled, looking worried and frightened.

"But I c-can't ask Daddy!" she protested. "I love Daddy! I don't want the bad people to hurt him!"

---

Percy sighed at the question; it was one that had kept him guessing for weeks and weeks now. The problem was that there didn't appear to be anything physically wrong with Innis once she came out of her catatonic state, other than things to be expected. Sure, she needed a special diet at first to adjust to eating solid food again, and her limbs that had grown unaccustomed to being used needed a bit of exercise. But her mind seemed fully intact -- she could answer yes and no questions by blinking and, after gaining better use of her limbs, by simply nodding or shaking her head as appropriate. Brain scans showed perfectly normal activity, and her vocal cords were undamaged; the girl simply wouldn't speak.

Explaining this to Bastian, Percy sighed again, sure that there was something they were all missing. After all, Innis seemed reasonably eager to please her family, despite her new shyness and disinclination for the type of roughhouse playing she used to enjoy with her brother. Sure, her magic was gone, but muggle children seemed to be just as rambunctious as magical ones, so that didn't explain the drastic personality change Innis had undergone after the siphoning.

"Violet seems to be...quite similar in disposition to how Innis was originally. And she seemed to take immediately to her as well as the puppy...perhaps we're simply not providing a stimulating enough environment for her. We're all adults here now, after all. She needs to be around children her own age...and perhaps a pet might help things along, as well," Percy considered. "I don't see how it could hurt. I was thinking about putting her in a muggle school, but I'm worried it might be too much change too quickly." Laeticia nodded her agreement.

"We'll see how it goes today and take it from there. It's not like there's any particular rush. You both are welcome to stay as long as you'd like, we certainly are not lacking for space -- and you're welcome to bring Violet over any time. I'm sure it could be beneficial to both of the girls. Violet could help Innis out of her shell, and Innis could perhaps help Violet improve her English."

Violet looked at Innis in confusion for a moment, how would asking for a pet bring any harm to her Dad? Violet didn't know much about what happened to the Harpers.. only that they had been attacked by bad people, and Innis had been hurt as well as her magic being taken away. It was a thought that scared her really, it must have been horrible, and she dared not think of it happening to her or her family...

She sat beside Innis and gave Wicket a pet as well, wondering how to word her question in English.

"But, how could you asking your Daddy for a Puppy hurt him?" she asked, asking the root cause of her confusion.

__

Bastain nodded at what was told to him, If anything the girl sounded petrified, or scared.. the girl had possibly witnessed her families attack, perhaps the answer was in the attack it self.. The attack on the Harpers had been front page news for sometime and there were still many unanswered questions about it.

Like what was done exactly... There was a suggestion, an action that could be done, but he highly doubted any of the adults present would like the idea.. But a Legimenas could look into Innises mind and try to find the missing pieaces. or even just have Innis give a memory of what she remembered.

"I will see how often I can borrow her from my brother, I am sure something can be arranged. Thank you for the invitiation" he said with a thoughtfull expression still on his face, wondering if they thought about the things he was thinking of yet. He was not sure if he should ask as it might come up as insensitiven to present company.

Innis looked up at Violet as she moved next to her, the fear palpable in her eyes.

"They, they said..." she started in her whisper, clearly wondering if she would get in trouble for speaking up. "They said if I -- if I said anything, then -- that they'd hurt him, that they'd hurt me Da," she finally confessed, blue eyes looking panicked as though someone might come bursting in at any moment. "But you won't tell, right?"

----

A thought occurred to Laeticia then, prompted by Bastian's statement. While she certainly wouldn't object to seeing the man she was certain would one day be her son-in-law, there was really no reason to have him come out every time with his niece. He was clearly a busy man and probably wanted to do something more with his free time other than chaperone Violet to and from these visits.

"Your brother works, doesn't he? Ministry as well if I remember correctly. You know, if he needs someone to look after Violet while you're both working, we'd be more than happy. He's welcome to come, himself -- any friend of yours is a friend of ours and after all, he's already doing us a tremendous favour, really." Percy nodded his agreement, leading the way out of the courtyard area and back into the house, where they'd left the first floor unexplored.

Violet bit her lip, not wanting to upset her new firend even more then she already was, her gut told her Innis's dad should know the truth of why she was so silent. But she didn't want anything to happen to anyone if she was wrong. And she didn't enough about the situation to tell Innis otherwise.. Oh boy this would be difficult secret...

She knew someone should be told.. that is what it felt like, yet what if she was wrong? she told and something did happen to Innis's Dad.. he seemed like nice man...

She looked down debating what to do.. "Okay I won't tell" she promised.. or at least she would try.. she wasn't all that good at keeping secrets she had a bad feeling about.

She then looked at Wicket for moment and thought of something that might cheer her firend up. "You can keep Wicket for a few days if you want? I will ask if it is okay if you can" she hoping this helpped and gave her firend someone to talk to, who couldn't talk to anyone else.

__

Bastian nodded "Yes I will have to talk with him, he has a sitter arranged for her already with a firend of his. But I don't think he will have any problems with her coming to visit Innis"

He paused for a moment, he wanted to ask a question, though wasn't sure it was any of his buisness, it was sensitive suject he could guess around present company. But it could help innis and the present situation if it was attempted.

"Percy? Does Innis remember anything of the attack? Perhaps if what she remembers is shown in a pensive it might show some light on what happened to her." he proposed, he didn't want to think what the little girl did remember.. still it might help.

Innis' face looked more animated than it had in all of the days that had passed since the attack, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped in an almost comical expression of shock.

"REALLY?" she asked, forgetting to keep her voice down in her childish excitement. "But then who will you play with? I couldn't...I'm sure I can figure out a way to ask Daddy for a puppy of my own...and then they can play together!" She smiled beatifically at the thought, all dark memories gone for the moment in the simple, happy nature of Violet's kind-hearted offer.

---

To his credit, Percy didn't look at all offended by the question, nor did he look surprised.

"That might have worked, if not for the nature of the attack. See, with muggles...and non-magical folk, I suppose, squibs and those such as my daughter, anyway...they can't do it themselves, just extract the memory and hand it over. Of course there are ways to force them out...but she's already gone through so much, and is so fragile. I'm not sure what yet another invasion of her mind will do to her." Laeticia shook her head, agreeing with Percy.

"We did try Legimency, but her mind is completely blocked. Not like a brick wall, the way it feels when someone is actively trying to block access to their memories. It's more like a blank slate, yet her brain activity is perfectly normal...whatever she's hiding, she's not doing it on purpose. Whoever took her magic away seems to have done a thorough job of covering their tracks."

"As for your brother...he works for the Ministry, doesn't he?" Percy interjected, pausing to throw open another set of doors which led to another wing of the house.
"An Auror, if I remember correctly. I wouldn't mind stopping by the Ministry to meet him, if he would like to know who exactly is looking after his daughter. It would be no trouble at all."

Violet smiled glad she had cheered her firend up, " Ja, Its no problem, I can get by without him for a few days. Ya just gotta promise you take care of him kay? he as good puppy doesn't need much" she said happy to let Innis take him for a bit. Wicket loved everyone, even her uncle Bastain who was very alergic to him..

"Plus you need it loves more then I do.. he is good at keeping bad dreams and feelings away" she said as she knew all to well when she was upset over her Dad never coming around.

__

Bastain took in what Percy revealed, whoever did this was clever he would give them that, yet so cruel. Blocking a little girls mind like that? a very dangerous thing to do... Merlin knew what would happen next.

However he moved on to Julian, "Yes, he works at the ministry, bodyguard for a certain politician, likely find him in his office on quiet days. I am sure he would be glad to talk with you" he said.

"Oh, I would take such very good care of him, I promise! And then I could take him with me to the store, so I can pick a puppy that gets along with him, and they could be friends!" Innis said earnestly. "You'll come visit again, right?"

-----

Percy nodded, although wondering exactly who Bastian meant by the phrase "a certain politician". Perhaps the Minister, or someone similarly high-ranking? No wonder he'd been so willing to arrange a playdate for Violet with Innis, without having met them personally first -- he was probably just as happy as Percy was to have found, perhaps, a suitable playmate his daughter's age. It would do neither girl too much good to only be around grown-ups all the time, that was the trouble of suddenly having sole charge of an only child. But Percy could not bring himself to even think about giving Innis a sibling anytime soon, and so this arrangement was perhaps one beneficial for everyone.

"I'll be sure to stop by, then."

"Oh, and here we are -- the ballroom! The main one is much grander than this little place, but the children used to play here on rainy days when they couldn't take their brooms out -- we had to fix the floors after Lainey went off to Hogwarts, it was quite disgraceful. Doesn't see much use nowadays, however. Shame too, it made a fine play area for the children. Perhaps Innis and Violet could come down here, when she's well again." Laeticia looked well pleased with her thought, and much to Percy's relief, did not mention any additional grandchildren in her schemes.

Although he obviously wouldn't be as embarrassed by such a comment as Calixta, being closest with her in age as well in relationship, he felt it almost a brotherly duty to make sure Laeticia didn't browbeat Bastian into proposing. He remembered how insistent she'd been after she met Eileen, he remembered with a mixture of embarrassment, fondness, and finally regret for the wife he'd lost. Although, connecting that thought with his earlier one about Innis being lonely, it did occur to him that Bastian struck him as the steady, sensible type of man who'd make a good father. After all, he was going out of his way to help not only them out, but his brother's child as well, and he clearly made Calixta very happy. Fortunately, Percy had enough sense not to say so simply because the thought had occurred to him, instead, filing it away for a future, private chat with Calixta herself.