[Platform 9 3/4] I really want to come kick it with you [gabriella, dermod]

Christmas Break was one of the things most students looked forward to. Some for the reason of going home and being with family while others enjoyed staying at the school away from their relatives. Rhiannon was easily one of the former as she enjoyed her home life. Yes, it was quite cold during the winter months due to the fires not being lit, but it was alright overall. She just had to wear an extra pair of socks and gloves around the castle. Besides with the whole dome ordeal, Rhiannon had grown a sort of dislike for any fire based substance. That isn't to say she wouldn't use fire or light one, but she was overly cautious. So going back home where no fires were lit due to Gabriella's trauma made things easier on the young girl too.

Riding the Hogwarts Express was a gamble during the holidays. Would she get a compartment to herself? Would she share it with some housemates or strangers? Who knew? Luckily she had found an empty one this time. It wasn't that she didn't like meeting new people or hanging with her friends no this was entirely due to Iona. She was still timid while riding on the train and wouldn't leave Rhiannon's lap unless she was in her carrier. Rhiannon didn't much like locking the poor thing away so she insisted on carrying her pet whenever she could. This at times proved to be an inconvenience to her, but Iona was happy and that's all that mattered to Rhiannon. 

As the train began to gradually slow down Rhiannon took this as the time to change and put Iona away. Picking the cat up and putting her away in her cage, with some quiet sad meows from the cat, she dug into her luggage and quickly changed into some more muggle-like clothing. Though it would be for a short period of time she didn't much like putting on this coat. Sure it was warm which was a plus for the cold wind that would most likely blister her skin if she didn't wear it, but it felt so ugly. Brown was certainly not her favorite color. Why couldn't she have a purple one? Even a green one would be ok. She would have to ask her father if he could get her something more suitable to her tastes later. 

When the train made a complete stop she grabbed her luggage and the cat carrier and headed out of her compartment. The halls were littered with students trying to disembark. "One day Iona we won't have to deal with crowds," she whispered to her cat who meowed meekly back. Rhiannon lifted the carrier up to her face and gave the cat a smile, "Don't worry we will be home before you know it." She lowered the carrier and slowly made her way through the crowd towards the exit. She stepped down onto the platform and looked around. Families were together talking to their children and giving hugs. Some were quick about it by giving a quick nod and left while others lingered to chat. Rhiannon scanned the platform and looked for the family faces of her father and Aunt Cliona. She didn't see them so she decided they would just have to look for her. Walking over to an open space near one of the clocks she waited for her father and Aunt to find her.

There had been no indication in either of their letters to and from their daughter that Gabriella might actually be here. This was more Gabriella’s thought, because she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to make it, and not because she wanted it to be a surprise. But the more the date approached, the more she found herself looking forward to seeing the look on Rhiannon’s face when she realized that Gabriella was actually there. For her. Just thinking about it made gabriella want to tear up and she was absolutely certain that the moment Rhiannon and her saw each other, she wouldn’t be able to help herself, and probably burst into tears.

 Of course the plan of how to get to King’s Cross had been interesting to say the least. Apparition was out of the question for several reasons. The platform was too crowded, plus it was a greater distance… and he’d have to take gabriella, Rhiannon, and Rhiannon’s luggage separately. They’d brought Kit along to take care of the Luggage, but there was still the matter of getting three of them back. So they’d Apparated to an alley near the station, well out of the way of onlookers, with a different plan for how to get home set in motion. But one that involved Rhiannon getting the first of her christmas surprises a little early.

Gabriella hadn’t anticipated however, the crowds in the muggle portion of King’s Cross, panic welling up in her chest making her lightheaded and feeling sick. She clung tightly to Dermod and just whispered softly for him to get them through quickly, trying to take her mind anywhere else but where they were, focusing on placing her feet in front of each other. She wanted to go home, to flee, especially after her run in with that dreadful woman from the ministry. That encounter had almost undone all the progress that Gabriella had made over the past few months. But she was here, and it was too late to back out now. It was only when she could see the familiar pillar between platforms 9 and 10 that there was some relief for the fragile woman.  But even that didn’t help, as they were quickly surrounded by throngs of other families waiting for their children. It could have been worse of course, if this were the beginning or end of term. Perhaps it was best that her first attempt was the middle of the year.

Mouth dry, gabriella scanned the children clambering off the train for her step-daughter, trying to focus on individual faces rather then the fact that they were in the middle of a crowd, her slender frame half hidden behind her husband’s, as tightly as she was clinging to him. “I don’t see her...” she said softly, starting to get worried. Had the girl decided to stay at school? No… she would have told them. She had to be here somewhere, perhaps further down. And then Gabriella caught sight of her, just for a second, between a family racing to hug their young son, ruffling his hair as his father picked him up. “There. She’s over there.” the family moved, and Rhiannon was visible again, Gabriella waiting for Dermod to take the lead, while staring at the slender dark haired girl, willing for her to look over to them. To see Gabriella.

They'd made it. Two and a half years after Rhiannon had started at Hogwarts, finally it wouldn't be just Dermod and Cliona collecting her for the holidays. Right up until this morning the Irishman hadn't been certain that Gabriella would manage the trip to Kings Cross station; had expected that he could be making the trip alone. Surprisingly, his sister had been quite amenable to not coming along, claiming that she had Yule gifts to wrap and wanted them all out of the castle for a few hours anyway. Dermod had acquiesced without comment, but made a mental note to cast a fresh-scent charm before unwrapping what was certain to be a collection of unpleasantly-rotting tomatoes on Christmas morning.

But after levels of planning that would have impressed the Obliviator Headquarters department at the Ministry of Magic, they had finally reached Platform nine and three quarters. True, Gabriella had clung to him ever since they had arrived in London, and he was quite sure she had kept her eyes closed while they'd traversed the short distance to the station, relying on him to keep them moving and ensure nobody walked into her. For the first time since his own first year, Dermod actually felt nervous making this journey, determined that everything should be perfect. Only once they had actually stepped onto the platform and were away from the distasteful muggle environs did he relax, his eyes already scanning the thronging crowds.

They had planned to arrive as late as possible to minimise the time Gabriella had to be among so many people, and the train had already arrived. “Don't worry - she's here” he reassured his wife as she began to worry, glancing around himself to see from where his daughter would appear. Then Dermod's lips twitched as he saw Gabriella's house elf climbing onto the platform from beneath the stationery train. Clearly the creature had solved the problem of crowds by finding a deserted spot into which to apparate. Dermod started to speak as the elf approached, but then Gabriella's hand tightened on his own and just for a moment she darted out from behind him, the writer looked in the direction she had indicated, and there she was. His youngest daughter, not skittering one way and another like so many less mature children but simply waiting, secure in the knowledge that she would be collected soon.

“This way” Dermod said unnecessarily as he led Gabriella across the still-crowded platform. He couldn't help himself; there was a smile playing across his lips in anticipation of the reunion. There she was, cunningly dressed in clothes that would pass for muggle-bought, surely taller than when he'd seen her three and a half months earlier... When they were close enough that he didn't need to raise his voice he spoke to her in gaelic, knowing their mother tongue would attract her attention just as quickly than hearing her name. “Rhiannon. Did you miss us?”

Rhiannon stood there luggage and cage in hand waiting and wondering what could be taking them so long? Normally they would get here at a decent time that was unless Aunt Cliona had some sort of prediction about something going wrong if they departed early or something. She was fairly accurate with her tellings too so Rhiannon felt a tad worried. Maybe it would be better if she had tried to head home herself. No that wouldn't be wise. If she got lost or made an error she could get in trouble with the ministry. Rhiannon didn't want to trouble her father with the rats of the government breathing down his back. He had enough turmoil to last a lifetime. She felt he needed a break from the traumatic events that unfolded in his lifetime. 

So like the good little daughter, she knew she had to be she waited unmovingly. If people hadn't known any better she could probably pass off as a statue. She watched as a first-year came running past her to give her a second glance to make sure she hadn't indeed been a statue before heading to his family. There was a group of seven of them. Four of which were older than student age. "Must be his parents and grandparents," Rhiannon muttered to herself. "Must be nice to have a big entourage of people to show up to see you," she bemused herself shaking her head slightly. Her family was far from big and was in fact in her opinion quite small. It wasn't like she didn't hate her family, but she always wondered what it would have been like if they were a bigger family. Wouldn't it be neat to have a younger sibling much as Ivana had in Rhiannon? A small smile appeared on her face at the thought of having a sibling to guide.

She wasn't left alone to her thoughts very long though as she heard her name being called. She recognized the tone and the language used quickly and turned her attention to her father. "Of course Fath...," She stopped suddenly taking in the sight that was before her. Her father standing tall much like he always had and as dashing as he ever was. Yet with him was a woman whom Rhiannon had gotten so close to over the years. She expected to see him and Aunt Cliona greeting her with smiles and maybe if she was lucky a hug, but she wasn't expecting to see Gabriella. So her sudden stop and pause to process the situation were very evident upon her face. The shock plastered upon her visage was quickly washed away by delight as she sprung forward to them. Her overexcitement, showing her young age, at the fact, Gabriella had made it see her overpowered her thoughts of keeping a composed stature.

As she got close to them she was able to retract her over-eagerness and was able to collect herself. She gave a small curtsy and said, "I'm elated to see you join us Moth..." Rhiannon paused again in shock at what she said. Had she really meant to call Gabriella mother? Was it just a slip of the tongue? It mattered not as the damage had been done. Rhiannon could only hope that her misstep wouldn't be taken in spite. The woman was practically her mother anyways. Aunt Cliona was just that an Aunt, but Gabriella was there for her for so long helping her overcome her own issues and insecurities. If anyone would be a mother figure it would have been her. So she continued her question after the pause, "er. I hope you are doing well." She smiled a bit wary of maybe thinking she made a mistake in her actions but hoping that she didn't. If she had to guess her father probably was ok with it since he did marry the woman.

Gabriella caught where Rhiannon’s stare had gone for a moment, and her heart nearly broke. The family. The large family who had come to collect their young son. Even if they’d all come, it would have been an elderly woman, a middle aged man and his younger wife… but then Dermod spoke to her, and Rhiannon turned around with her usual pleasant smile answering his greeting. At least until she saw who was with him. The surprise on her face, followed by excitement as she ran forwards, away from her luggage, though it wasn’t far at all, and Kit was already with her stuff. Gabriella wanted nothing more then to grab her and hold her and wrap her tightly in her arms, but Rhiannon stopped short, giving into the “proper etiquette” that always made gabriella flinch inwardly, a reminder of her own painful childhood. Of course dermod would never make the young girl stand at attention in the hall from lunch until dinner because she’d not curtsied properly.

But it was the word which was cut short that caught gabriella off guard, her grip tightening a little on Dermod’s arm before she released him entirely, stepping forward to close the gap between them and pulling the young girl into her arms. “I couldn’t…. I couldn’t let you down again… I’m sorry...” her voice came out almost in a hoarse whisper, like she was fighting the urge to cry. But it was happiness that gabriella felt. Standing there with Rhiannon, it was all worth it. The anxiety melting away as though they were alone at the station, at least for a moment. And she just couldn’t bring herself to let go.

There was a part of Gabriella that was nearly beside herself with joy at what Rhiannon had nearly called her, but she didn’t want to draw attention to it, as the girl had tried to cut herself off. Still, as she hugged her close, the words came out soft and gentle. “You may call me whatever makes you most comfortable...I would be honored to be called mother.” there was almost a catch in her voice, as though she was probably crying.

Eventually, gabriella slowly released Rhiannon, looking back to dermod with a smile on her face and watery eyes. She’d done it. She’d done what she’d promised herself she’d do, and it had been everything that she had wanted to be. “I suppose we should get going...Kit can bring your things back to the castle, but we’ll have to take a different way.” after all, with both of them there, Side along apparition was definitely not an option. “But I think you’ll like the way we’re getting back to the castle.”

Her head turned, she began responding before she had seen who was there to meet her. That much was obvious, and just as Dermod had expected it would be. - shock, delight, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd actually thrown her arms around Gabriella, But no, she collected herself, remembered the importance of appearances and for a moment it seemed that this would, to the casual onlooker, appear to be a good pureblood family reuniting after a term at Hogwarts.

Then he heard his daughter's words and his own breath caught in his throat. Had she just said..? Dermod was caught entirely off guard. He knew that Rhiannon got on well with his wife after a somewhat shaky beginning (something - the details had always been hazy - had happened between them when he had been injured and unconscious and there had been a coolness between them for a time) but it had never occurred to him that his daughter might see her as a mother. The realisation hit him with a swiftness that brooked no disbelief. Rhiannon had never known her mother; perhaps had never even known what she was missing until Gabriella had come along. It was natural that their relationship would progress in this way.

Dermod was proud, pleased, showing his pleasure with an approving nod of his head, though at that moment Gabriella let go her death grip on his arm and instead enveloped Rhiannon in a close hug. He let it happen, though it could be argued there was nothing he could have done to prevent it even had he been so inclined; allowing his eyes to rest in the middle distance, glad that most people were absorbed in collecting their own children and not paying them any attention. But...he was happy to have Rhiannon back as well. There was such a thing as taking family standards too far.

So when woman and girl released each other, Dermod took a pace forward. “I believe you've grown, my dear” he said, reaching out to briefly kiss the top of her head and release her “I trust the end of term feast was up to the usual standard?” All in the span of a couple of seconds, and then he beckoned the elf, gesturing to the trunk and cat basket. “Take those safely back to the castle and put them in Rhiannon's room. Let the cat out of the basket when you get there” He almost added something about feeding the cat, but stopped just in time, lest anyone should be listening. The cat would be well enough until they returned later and doubtless there would be food should it care to look. Now, the important thing was to get back safely. Gabriella had done well, but after the events earlier in the month - events he still hadn't decided whether they should tell Rhiannon about - he didn't want his wife to have to deal with crowds for any longer than necessary.

Apparating back wasn't a possibility. Once, Dermod might have been willing to transport two people at once, but that was while he still had an entire wand hand and he wasn't directly responsible for the safety of wife and daughter. So instead, he had discreetly arranged a portkey - such things were easy enough when one knew the right people - to transport them to within a few miles of the castle, from where they would make their way home. That part of the journey had been Gabriella's idea.

A quiet pop signalled that Kit was taking care of Rhiannon's luggage. Dermod glanced at the clock; they had four minutes before the portkey's scheduled time. “I'm afraid we have to cross a muggle street, but it won't take long” he told Rhiannon apologetically as they made ready to leave Kings Cross.

She was given another surprise as Gabriella soon came running towards her and embraced the young Slytherin. A tinge of blush painted her cheeks at this. She wasn't the most touchy-feely type of person, but something about this felt right. Gabriella was warm and the hug felt nice. Was this what it was like to have a mother? Is this what she was missing all these years? She looked towards her father for an answer or some kind of help, but he merely stood there staring. Rhiannon decided to give in to the moment and raised her hands and embraced Gabriella gently. She closed her eyes as she became content with the warmth of the woman's body. This was nice. The pureblooded girl could stay in this moment for eternity. She wished it would last forever.

When Gabriella told Rhiannon that she could call her whatever she wanted to a chord was strung in the snake's heart. Her eyes got wide in shock more so than when they were when she first saw Gabriella here. Small droplets of tears were beginning to form in her own eyes as she could feel a sort of weight being lifted from her body that she didn't even know she was carrying. Had this really been what she was missing in her life? Was recognizing this woman for what she was all it took for the girl to find bliss? Rhiannon was thankful she discovered this now and not when she was graduating Hogwarts as it meant she would have more time to spend with her new mother. They could bond more closely and do the things most daughters and mothers do. Rhiannon gave a smile through her blushing and slightly teary face and whispered to Gabriella, "Thank you."

Then it came to separate from their embrace. They needed to get back into their facade and look appropriate for the people around them. Rhiannon gave a quick glance around wondered if anyone saw their little exchange. She would be absolutely mortified if some of her more snarky classmates saw her acting so lovingly and warm to her family. Taking her left hand and wiping the tears from her eyes she swept her hand through her hair to make it look like she was getting a stray hair out of her face. Wouldn't be wise to show too much weakness in a public place? She had to be strong and conceal her emotions around those who she didn't trust. Weakness was not an option.

Then it was her father's turn to greet her and he did so with a kiss to her forehead. Rhiannon gave a small smile and responded to his question, "Sufficient would be the words I would use to describe the feast." Hopefully, this would be an adequate answer for her articulate father. Though she never expressed it she was always in awe of how eloquent his phrasing and speech patterns were. It had to be because of the writing that made him such a proficient in his native language. One day she would she aspired to be just as skilled as him. He then directed his attention to the family house-elf to take her luggage back to the castle and though she knew the elf would do his task as instructed she couldn't help and be worried about Iona. The creature didn't like being away from Rhiannon for too long so she made a mental note to go find her when they made it home.

Gabriella then told Rhiannon that they would be traveling back to the castle in a different way. She couldn't help herself and ask, "We won't be apparating then?" Turning to her father she gave a questioned look and then looked at his hand and wondered if that might have been the cause of this situation. If only she had been old enough to apparate herself maybe then it would have been easier on them. Her curiosity became even more peaked when Gabriella said she would be pleased with how they would get to the castle though she had to hide a disgusted grimace from her father when he told them they would have to cross a muggle street. "Well then I guess it is perfect that I have dressed for such an occasion then," she gave a small nod thankful she had indeed changed. As much as she disliked this outfit it would at least serve its purpose for the time being. Turning back to Gabriella she asked, "So how exactly will we be returning to the castle?"

Gabriella wasn’t looking forwards to the trip back through muggle London to get to their portkey location. But it was a necessary evil of their society. Why they couldn’t put a fireplace for floo in the 9 and 3/4ths station, gabriella couldn’t understand. It would certainly be much easier, and prevent the whole passing through a pillar of stone. Or better yet why not just bring the children straight to hogsmeade. Surely there was a better way… but alas the train had been a thing for so long that no one wanted to question it. And it had been fun, riding with her friends… Gabriella returned her arm to Dermod’s, still smiling, before taking a deep breath. “Yes we really should get going...” she had no problem letting Dermod take the lead, and almost reached out her hand for Rhiannon’s before stopping herself.

She had to stop thinking of the girl as a child. She was young, yes, only 13… but she wasn’t a young child, who would want to be seen by their peers holding their mother’s hand. Gabriella found herself once more regretting not being able to come sooner. If she’d come Rhiannon’s first year, if she’d made more of an effort, or tried harder… which of course made her once again dwell on all the people surrounding them as they approached the exit back to muggle london. Her heart skipping a beat, the skittish woman’s grip tightened around her husband’s arm as she worked to calm herself down. They were almost done. It was almost over. She didn’t have to deal with this crippling fear once they were back in the village.

Once through, and seeing how crowded even the muggle side of things was, Gabriella did reach for Rhiannon. “Why does there have to be so many…. People.” she murmured, holding close to them both. Her eyes were mostly on her feet, as she silently begged Dermod to walk quicker. It wasn’t until the cold blast of air hit her that she no longer felt like she was about to suffocate, free of the station. Granted on the street, there were still so many people, but it was…. She could breathe again. And there was the sky, and no longer the feeling of being smothered. Realizing she was still holding tightly to Rhiannon, gabriella loosened her hold enough that Rhiannon could pull away if she wanted to. But she really needed something to distract herself, and fortunately, Rhiannon had asked a question before they got out. “Well…. We’ll be taking a portkey to the nearby Village… but how we get home from there… that you’ll just have to wait and see. Its the first part of your christmas present.” Gabriella was so pleased with herself. In her mind, there was one thing every little girl always wanted. And the two of them had gotten exactly that for Rhiannon.

The writer let out a small chuckle at Rhiannon's words. Succinct and to the point, but conveying all the necessary information. He interpreted the brief sentence as 'the feast was perfectly acceptable, but unfortunately the elves at Hogwarts simply aren't as good as ours, and the food was created to cater to the tastes of the masses, rather than those of us who have more refined tastes'. "As I would have expected. Perhaps you'll be pleased to hear that I have instructed the elves to prepare a homecoming meal for you this evening. I believe they have a new ice cream recipe for you to sample..." At the age of seven Rhiannon had adored ice cream. It didn't cross Dermod's mind that now, at the age of thirteen and a half her tastes might have altered or matured. Nor did he have any idea of her concern for her cat. As far as he was aware, the elf would take care of everything and now they just needed to see about getting themselves home.

"Indeed. You look perfect, as always" he told her, even as he thought that her coat was singularly unattractive. Why hadn't he noticed that before? Had he really ordered that one for her? Dermod wondered how many other small things he had missed over the past few years by being so wrapped up in thoughts of his diminished world following the fall of the Dark Lord. He didn't waste time berating himself for mistakes - Rhiannon was growing fast and appeared content and well-adjusted - but there was time now. Sometime over the holidays he would suggest she could choose a new coat. Perhaps there would yet be time to have one made as an extra Christmas gift, there were still several days to go. This time, it would be something acceptable in the muggle world but more stylish, something she would like. Perhaps in her house colour, with silver trim? He could mention it over dinner tonight.

Now they were leaving the station and Gabriella was clinging to his arm hard enough to cut off the circulation. Rhiannon seemed to show no such fear, though he felt concern for her. His daughter shouldn't have to face such a crowd... For the first time. Dermod understood his family's reasoning when they had refused to allow Cliona to use the Hogwarts express but rather had apparated her directly to the castle gates each year, right up until the time she could apparate herself and thus chose to take the Hogwarts express on her final year, and in turn insisted Dermod should do the same thing. But while he understood their reasoning, he also knew it was a good lesson for Rhiannon that she learn to cope in such a situation. and she did, admirably. He smiled. He had expected nothing less.

"And the portkey itself is just down here" he indicated as they successfully reached the other side of the street and walked, seemingly casually, towards the alleyway. There were fewer people here but even so Dermod glanced back before murmuring that they were alone and all three slipped quietly into the darker, narrow passageway. There was a single object lying in the street, an old-fashioned, dented kettle. "I believe we are exactly on time for the portkey" he offered, as he gently extricated himself from Gabriella's hand, bent and lifted it on one hand and offered it to the other two. The timing was indeed perfect; they would be grasping the object for no more than half a minute before it would transport them to the outskirts of the nearest magical village, some six or seven miles from the estate. There, they would find themselves in a windswept landscape, close to a field in which three horses, already saddled as if awaiting riders, would be grazing.

When her father told Rhiannon that the elves to create a meal suited to her palette and even had new ice cream for her to try she couldn't hold back her smile. Dermod practically spoiled the girl and she loved it! He was such a good father to her and despite the bumps, they had along the years she adored him with her heart. Despite the smile, she would keep to her stiff upbringing while still in the vicinity of other witches and wizards. "Excellent, I am eager to partake in their experiment," Rhiannon said pleasingly as she imagined what kind of ice cream they may be serving her this time. She had a few flavors they made she liked quite a bit, but she hadn't tasted a favorite yet.

Once out in the muggle side of the barrier, the young girl felt someone grabbing her. She looked back at saw Gabriella was holding her for comfort. Rhiannon looked at Gabriella and felt bad for her. She was still not used to crowds and though Rhiannon herself had gotten a lot better at it she could understand her mother's fear. She raised a hand and placed it upon Gabriella's hand and gave it a light squeeze to reassure her she wasn't going anywhere. Even if it didn't fully calm her down it should at least slow her heart-beat down slightly. Rhiannon wanted to tell her something, but the words wouldn't form. It was as if she couldn't think of what to say to tell her it would be alright. So she stayed silent.

When they reached the streets of London Gabriella let go of Rhiannon. She took this invitation as if she didn't need her anymore as a crutch so she walked a few steps forward giving the woman some distance. This was to help her not feel as claustrophobic. It seemed to work overall as she finally took the time to answer the question she asked earlier. A portkey wasn't the best form of transportation. Honestly, she didn't care for the pulling sensation it felt strange and uncomfortable. Not that side along apperation was any better for that feeling. Yet the second mode of transportation is what fascinated her. What could this mysterious mode be? Why would it be a part of her Christmas present also? She also said the first part so she had multiple parts to her gift. What could these two people be planning? Rhiannon's curiosity was getting the better of her as she tried to imagine what exactly they had gotten her this year.

When they reached the location where the portkey was to find a kettle sitting on the ground waiting for them. Rhiannon didn't like the idea of holding something or bending down on the grimy ridden streets to touch some trash. It almost seemed like her father heard her thoughts as he picked up the kettle and held it out for them. Placing her hand on the object she waited the short minute when she felt the pulling sensation begin to tingle throughout her body. Eventually, though they would land on some grass. Looking around at her surroundings she found they were close to a field where three horses were waiting for them saddled and everything. So this is what would be the first part of her gift a horse. Wait. Was she going to be given a horse or was she just allowed to ride one?

She had to ask, "Are we keeping these horses or are we simply riding them home?" She both disliked and loved the idea of keeping the horses. She loved it because then she could ride around the estate on one, but the care and maintenance of one would be quite taxing. Rhiannon could imagine just how much it would take out of her reading time to care for the animal. Still, she couldn't take a gift horse in the mouth. They had thought this would be a great gift for her and she couldn't just straight up say she disliked it. So pushing away any worries and questions she had she said, "Thank-you."

They were finally out of London. Gabriella seemed to visibly realax, and look more like herself then Rhiannon would have seen in the past three or four years. There was a spark to her that hadn’t been there since the fire. Despite the briskness of the cold air, she was grinning happily now, watching the horses before turning to Rhiannon when she began to speak. Amused that the girl thought riding them was the gift, Gabriella began walking towards the horses, clicking her tongue and calling out to one of them. The horse looked up, and as though it was happy to see her, came cantering in the direction of the welsh witch. “I have had this mare since I was seventeen.” she smiled as the creature stopped in front of her, and pressed its nose into her hand. “Her name is Laurier.” there was a bit of a pun there, what with her being a bay, and given the french name for the spice, but gabriella didn’t bother explaining. Taking hold of the reins, she looked to the other two.

“When I spoke to your father about bringing her here, we thought it a good plan to get each of you a horse as well. And the groundskeeper and stablemaster from the Moriarty estate came with them. It wouldn’t have been fair to leave the old man there by himself… and he knows far more about the care of horses then even I do.” she added. Gabriella wasn’t ashamed to admit she didn’t know much about caring for the creature, but also wanted to reassure rhiannon that her horse would be well cared for while she was at school. “The speckled one is yours. You’ll have to give her a name of course, but you have time to decide.” Gabriella was in fact wearing a divided riding skirt, so she didn’t have to ride side saddle, but she didn’t climb onto the muscular beast just yet, wanting to wait to help get Rhiannon onto hers.

“My restorations of the gardens revealed an old stable block and carriage house, so we’ve had it fixed up.” she continued, but stopped after that, not wanting to overwhelm the girl with information. After all, this was the most gabriella had spoken in one sitting with the young girl since… she couldn’t remember when. Worried a little that Rhiannon might not be as enthusiastic for her gift as she had hoped, Gabriella watched her more closely. Perhaps once they were riding...

Outwardly Dermod was entirely calm; the casual observer might even assume he was disinterested in what was happening. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Firstly, he was immensely proud of Gabriella for managing the trip to Kings Cross and back again without incident. Oh, he assumed she was feeling anxious and eager to return to the safety and familiarity of the estate, but she was covering it well. Secondly, he was just as proud of his daughter for the way she was conducting herself. He was certain he had shown the same maturity and restraint at her age, but frankly it had been such a long time ago he could barely remember more than small snatches of random events.

Thirdly, he was a little concerned about riding back to the estate. Oh, he had ridden in his youth; good friends had owned an extensive stable and he had spent several holidays in his teens riding not only mundane horses but even granians on a couple of occasions. At the time, he had still preferred brooms, but these days, properly saddled, horses were infinitely more comfortable even when one took into account the advancement of decent cushioning charms. His own horse, the black stallion, snorted and pawed the ground as Gabriella's own immediately approached at the sound of her call. There was so far little bond between the Irishman and the animal, and while he was confident that it had been well trained, he didn't want it to misbehave in front of Rhiannon and make her nervous. Or, if he was being entirely honest, he didn't want her to see him as anything less than entirely accomplished. He said nothing of this. of course.

"Your ste... your mother is an excellent horsewoman. This was entirely her idea" he added with a note of approval in his voice as she described the changes that had been made to the estate, quickly adjusting to referring to Gabriella not as Rhiannon's stepmother but 'mother'. It felt a little strange, but the girl had known Gabriella far longer than her real mother after all. "Once we rediscovered the stables it seemed natural to use them. The stablemaster is a squib, from a very old family" he added, so his daughter wouldn't worry that there was anyone with less than pure blood living on the estate. He said no more for the moment, thinking that the other changes on the estate could wait until they got home. The other two horses had evidently decided that they had nothing to lose by following Laurier's lead and had strolled close to the fence. "And this..." he gestured towards the largest of the beasts "Is Marvolo. I thought the name suited him" he added with a wry smile.

Rhiannon watched and listened intently to her parents explain the horses and their reasons behind their appearance. So she was right they were a gift for the young witch. Well, at least the speckled one was. Rhiannon wasn't the most enthusiastic about owning a horse herself, but the fact they would have someone caring for the horse in her place was nice. Suspecting she would have to do some caring for the creature herself she made a mental note to keep an eye on its behavior and personality patterns. Though she didn't have much knowledge of caring for creatures she had an idea of how people worked and with a bit of refining she figured she could transfer this over to a horse too.

When she was told she would have to think of a name for the animal Rhiannon was unsure of what to name her. Luckily Gabriella said she had time to think of one because if she had to name it on the spot she felt she wouldn't have thought up a suitable name for it. Then she was told about the restoration of the gardens and this pleased Rhiannon quite well. So Gabriella was indeed taking care of the garden which meant eventually they would indeed make the place an Eden of flora that could probably surpass even Hogwarts variety of plants. This excited Rhiannon to the point of she wanted to press forward on more details on the restoration, but she suppressed herself as she remembered she would be seeing them soon anyways.

Her father began to talk next and he explained more about her mother's ability to care for horses and the squib who would be caring for them. This made her want to scrunch her face a tad. She was always conflicted about squibs and not because she thought they were worthless or anything. On the contrary, she just thought they didn't apply themselves and tried just living off the name of their pureblooded families. Still, she couldn't help and want to help them out somehow and maybe even create ways for them do magic, but that would mean possibly using these ideas for muggles and this displeased her. For now, she would have to keep an eye out on the squibs to see if they were indeed squibs or not.

Next came the introduction of her father's steed which was a beautiful horse indeed. Its coat was gorgeous and if she had to have chosen a horse herself from the three this would have been the one she would have picked. She completely ignored her father when he told her the name of the horse and instead just stared transfixed by the sheen of his mane. "He's beautiful," she said without thinking. He was indeed her favorite of the bunch so much so she didn't even notice her horse was looking at her for attention. She blinked a few times before returning to reality and composed herself. Going towards her horse she gently petted the snout of the creature who closed its eyes as if stating it was calm. "She seems tame already," Rhiannon observed before questioning, "How long have you been keeping them?"