"I don't doubt that his happiness is paramount to you. And..." she choked back tears, "I'm sorry that my involvement in your lives has led to such hardships for you both. But that-- my direct involvement in your lives-- is something I can change. And so I shall. That much I can do." She turned and started to walk out of the garden.

He watched as she began to walk out of the garden. Damn it, Xana. Oh well. Slade wouldn't let her walk away. And yet... "It's too late. With any luck, Thanatos will be dead by the end of this, and Slade and I won't be. The only thing you could do would be to get involved and give Thanatos what she wants. But then all our efforts have gone to waste. The deaths become meaningless."

"Do as I say, as Slade says, and stay out of the way until then end. All will be decided then."

She turned and looked back at him. "Stay out of the way? I intend to, completely, trust me. I want no part of this."

"None of us do. None but Thanatos." Ah, he thought, turning to face her. This is likely why Slade erased her memory.

"Well, I don't know who she thinks she is, but I'm done. Thanatos... werewolf attacks... deaths... three eyed winged men... magic chess boards... I'm SEVENTEEN years old. I can't take this! Much less having the one man I had thought of as -- " a father, she thought, but could not say she couldn't say it - "as someone I trust rage at me repeatedly because I'm scared and confused and I don't have the right answers or information, so I don't know what to do. I can't take it - I have tried my best. I took care of your gardens and his lab on top of my own studies, and I'm doing the best I can to understand, but I'm seventeen years old... and... I just can't. I quit." She shook her head, obviously on the verge of a breakdown from stress and exhaustion.

Yup, exactly why. It took no more than a flick of his wrist for his wand to reach his hand. Then he was casting, faster than he could actually think about it. "Obliviate!"

Ah, but she was ready this time... finally her youth was on her side, and her reflexes beat his. Ever since that day when she had awakened at Slade's house, confused and unable to remember the previous day, she had been expecting something like this. The missing day had been weighing uncomfortably on her mind, and she had been on guard around them both.

"No." Not this time. She drew her wand and silently blocked the spell.

"Fine. Live with the torment then. See if I care." He reholstered his wand, knowing it would be bad for someone to walk up on their little engagement. Let Slade handle her. <Little Kin, what was so important you left me with this?>

"I know you don't." She spat, wounded to the core, her tears at last spilling down her cheeks.

"Yeah, because we're only risking everything we have for the hell of it." He waved her off and turned back. "That's the reason that when you say you can't handle it, we try and take away what you know. You're the one saying you can't handle it. Ah well. I'll let Slade know you're looking for him."

"Don't bother. I'll owl him."

He shrugged. "Whatever." Damn. Too much time around the Leonhearts. But he just walked away.

She stormed out of the gardens, sobbing openly. He drew down on me. My professor tried to obliviate me!!! She contemplated going straight to the headmaster... but first she had a letter to write. She returned to the castle, her mind racing.

Cassandra rushed in Erikson's gardens. She had heard someone cast obliviate. And not just someone... She knew that voice too well. She arrived as Xana was departing, and she hid from her view as she left.

Did he...?

Xana seemed... broken... maybe he was teaching her the spell... Oh... bad idea... "Professor? If everything alright?" her voice then dropped to a whisper, "I overheard you cast a spell..."

He halted as he heard Cassandra's voice, a mask of indifference still on his face. The encounter with Xana had gotten far too personal. It seemed to happen often with the girl. Like Marco, she had a habit of bringing out the worst in him. Then Cassandra asked about the spell. He glanced about, wondering who else may have heard. "I'm fine. Xana and I had a... disagreement. Where were you that you heard?"

"Just outside the garden..." she said hesitantly... "I was coming to your office to see if you needed help with anything... and... it was rather loud..." She said looking down. "Did she... displease you?" She asked. Was her work so bad? or was it something else?

"You have no idea," he said quietly. He sighed and forced everything back, looking more dispassionate than indifferent. "Well, hopefully no one else thought anything of it. As it is, I'll have to hope she doesn't go to the headmistress about it." He looked over to her with a small forced smile. "Anyway, you've taken care of the garden well." A small sting to his hand reminded him that he'd recently struck a bush and should probably have it healed. He flexed the rather punished hand and realized that it was pointless to try and have it healed without scarring... it was scarred anyhow after all.

She was still looking downward as her lips curled into a smile... Xana'd disappointed him... and she'd pleased him with tending his prize plants. "If I can do anything to help you... with the headmistress, I mean, I will."

She saw him flexing his hand and walked to his side, "I don't recall this... is this wound new?" she asked, "I could heal it... if you wish..." Stupid Trelawney! He can very well heal it himself...

Erikson laughed slightly, though it was as empty as his smile. "Feel free. I just... met up with the shrubbery the wrong way. Normally I try to reduce scarring, but it's already got one heck of a scar. Not much worse I can do to it."

She drew her wand and slowly waved it over his hand whispering the incantation. She tried very hard to prevent it from scarring... it was true it was already damaged, but why make it worse. When he withdrew her hand she had to fight the urge of kissing his hand and saying 'all better...' Her House elf used to say that... "How's that professor?"

"Better, thank you." He flexed it once then let it rest at his side. "How have you been, my dear?"

"I've been better..." She said honestly... she didn't know what to say really, she wasn't happy... but she was better now. Change the subject... Trelawney "Did you bring me anything?" she asked perking up a little.

"Oh, yes." He searched his pockets momentarily then finally managed to retrieve something. It was a very small jewelry box that seemed to be made of a dark opaque glass. There were engravings covering it, though they weren't elegant. They looked rather alien, actually. When he opened the box there were two little figures that seemed to fizzle into appearance, dancing to Moonlight Sonata. Though they didn't look like figurines, they looked like real people, with real clothing. He waved a hand through them. The image fizzled around his hand, but otherwise kept dancing. "It was a hard choice. They have many advanced things at the encampment I went to. Beyond both the muggle and wizarding worlds."

"It's... beautiful." she said her eyes transfixed on the bobble. She reached for it, but didn't actually touch it. "Thank you professor, this means a lot to me... Accio Stool!" she called. The little wodden stepping stool came flying towards her. She caught it and put it in front of him. She stepped on it, kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly.

He chuckled lightly and gave her a soft hug. "Anything for you, piccola mia." He was saddened slightly as he hugged her, however. He knew that without Thanatos's interference, things could be this well between he and Xana. And perhaps he could even have gotten her and Cassandra to work well together. But the feeling faded as quickly as it had come, becoming numb once more. "So, tell me more of while I was away."