Freezing our asses off because....?

Matt was standing in some park in London. He was really upset, on the verge of tears really. Emmy was dead, he hasn't seen Sophia in months, and the twins would grow up motherless. It wasn't late, but the sun had set and there was the faint begining of the stars filling the night sky. It was that picture perfect movie moment, the one where the main character is about break down to a friend. But there was no friend, and there were people all around him. Last minute home-rushers, people JUST waking up for work, hell there were even couples taking a moonlit walk. The sun was bright tonight...it didn't help his mood.

Matt was wearing a black wool coat and a red scarf around his neck. He was wearing jeans but also had dress shoes on. He had grown to like dress shoes, a charm he placed on them actually made them feel comfortable. But his mood was still as crummy as could be really. He was walking along a path, if anyone was looking for him he had left a note on his door. Specifically for Jess or Robert...he needed some place company. But hell, if Khaat found him he'd be happy.

But there was also a part of him that wanted to be alone. He knew though, if he wanted to feel any better he needed to open to someone. He was after all the one people normally open up to. And he knew he wasn't going to heal unless someone understood what he was going through. All screw it all anyway, he felt like shit.

Khaat was taking a short cut back from another errand in Knockturn and Diagon Alley. She had shrunk her packages and dropped them into her large leather messenger bag. Brian did not expect her for hours yet. Well, maybe not tonight at all. She had expected to work all night, and was on her way back to St. Mungos.

She was chilled tonight, and she had chosen black leather gloves and her long black cloak with its full hood. It touched the ground and hid the achingly tall black stilletto boots she had gone back to wearing. She still used the black walking stick with the large amethyst in the top. Beneath the cloak, she wore a long black sweater dress with a black leather belt.

She had immersed herself back into her work lately, but the crunch of the snow under her feet and the bitterly cold night air hitting her face was something she barely noticed. She noticed the sound more than the cold. She saw a figure against the settling darkness, and, where she would have made a move to perhaps even make an initial grasp on her wand, she let it pass.

Then she realized who it was. Matt. She was glad he had taken some time off after Emmy's death. He had enough on his plate without anything more. As far as she knew, Matt had yet to meet Arabella, and she had no intention of even bringing that subject up to him. Arabella's timing sucked. The last thing he needed was another child in his life. Even if that child was a new, young adult. Matt needed adult companionship now. Arabella didn't fill that bill, much as she had appeared to be a nice young woman.

She didn't speak until she got within hearing distance and then said to Matt quietly, "What are you doing out here, Matt?"

Matt was absentmindedly kicking a stone that was on the ground. It kept his mind occupied, remember to actually hit the rock. You miss it, you're screwed. That rock is keeping you occupied enought so you aren't thinking smart. Eventually all he was thinking about was rocks. He didn't even hear the occupant that was next to him until she spoke up. "Rocks!" he replied quickly. He looked over and giggled slightly, "Oh, hey Khaat." he said plastering a fake smile on his face. The rock still being kicked as he slowed down a bit.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just trying to enjoy the warm-ish weather. It's starting to warm up early, next thing you know though; it'll be snowing in the morning." he said checking his watch. 7:15, he'd have to get home shortly. The sitter was only available until 8. "Trying to escape the hell that has become my life." he muttered quietly. He would open to Khaat, just not all at once. The smile remained plastered on his face, it looked real but he knew Khaat would see through it. She could do that better than anyone else. He looked down, Damn, he thought. I lost the rock...

"If you're going to kick stones, you can't lose the stone," she told him. "Makes it hard to continue the game. And when Brian and I were kids, the game wasn't over until we'd kicked the stone into a hole of some sort. Sometimes we kicked the same stone around for weeks." She pointed her finger at the stone he'd been kicking and motioned it to slide back across the ground to lay in front of his shoe. "Try again," she said. "I won't even take any points from you for that." She paused for a moment before she spoke again.

"Matt," she said, "why don't you bring the kids and come stay with Brian and Angus and me for awhile? It would give you some space away from some of the intense memories, and would give you some help with the kids as well. The estate is huge. The main house has ten bedrooms--seven of them are empty, and the grounds cover more acres than I can keep track of. Its one of the most peaceful places I've ever known. If you don't want to stay in the house with us, there's a 4 bedroom guest house that is completely unused. You can use it as long as you want. Personally, I'd feel better if you were closer. You should be with family right now--you should be with us."

The estate would be a good change for him. It had endless acres of woods, meadows, and a stables with horses. It had layers of protective enchantments, and no one could even find it unless Khaat or Brian gave them a portkey to it. To the best of her knowledge, Matt hadn't ever been there, but maybe now was the right time. Maybe now, getting away and letting them all help with the kids was just what Matt needed. It wasn't like it was going to cramp them or anything. The log style mansion was enormous. It dwarfed her parent's farm, which was just minutes away.

She really wanted Matt to be closer. She didn't like how alone he was, how secluded he had become. She realized he was fully entitled, but she really didn't want him to be alone. She didnt' want his grief to deepen. She knew he knew he needed to work through it and not to become victim to it. She knew first hand what it was like for grief to take one hostage. She had been there--more than once. She just didnt talk about hers anymore. And she didn't want to see what she had been through happen to Matt.

"Come home, Matt," she said softly. "You're family. I do understand the hell you're in. I really do. I just don't want you to be there alone."

He continued to kick the stone again, he hadn't even thought about using magic. He hadn't used his wand in about a week. The longer it took to do something, he realized, the more occupied he was. The more he had to focus on that thing, the more he wasn't thinking about her. "I'll keep my eye open for a dip in the snow then." he joked, his heart wasn't in it though. Lately he rarely broke a smile, except when Madi or James would cry. He would REALLY truly smile then, they were all he had left right now. The twins and himself were the last blood Lestrange's he could go to. Bellatrix would kill him on the spot, he knew that much. He couldn't go to his father, Rabastan didn't even know he existed...his mother? Probably dead...it sucked being a bastard child.

"Thanks Khaat, but I don't know. I haven't spoken to Soph for nearly three months now. I haven't seen her for four Khaat! Four months." he told her exasperately. "I've sent owls but they've all returned with the letter. What if she shows up at the door and I'm gone? She'll think I've left her and she'll never want to see me again." he said. Normally a simple note would do, or perhaps someone just watching his place for her. But Matt's mind was everwhere and he couldn't think. He could feel the tears begining to fill his eyes. "Khaat, I really thank you for the gesture. But..well, maybe if someone just moved in with me? I couldn't leave the house...at least until I know Soph isn't coming." he told her.

He felt the first tear fall down his cheek, it was cold. He knew now wasn't a good place to start bawling. It was freezing out and there were plenty of people. "I just need someone to help with the kids is all," he said and he sniffed. Perhaps a compromise needed to be made, but Matt didn't care. The part of him that wanted to be alone was wrestling with the part of him that wanted companionship. Maybe he needed to get drunk and forget it all. He'd get in contact with Rob, he flicked the stone up with his show and caught it. He looked at it, it was smooth and kind of shiny. He pocketed it, somehow it just felt right.

"Matt," Khaat said. "I can't answer what's happened with Soph. The ministry heard some rumors that perhaps she was being held again against her will, but we haven't been able to confirm or deny that. But you know as well as I do that she knows she has a job at St. Mungos. You know she knows how to find Brian, my father, me, my mother, all of us. If she finds the house is closed, she'll know to come to us to find you. Soph is smart. And she would never decide to not ever see you again. That just won't ever happen. She loves you. If she finds the house closed, she'll come hunting us. I know the world seems completely upside down right now, but I do know that when she comes back, she'll come looking for the people that she loves. She also knows that we'd know where you are.

"And you're right. You could use some help with the kids. But they need to be surrounded with family right now too. They need us, just like you do. Come on. Its cold out here. Let's go warm up. You in the mood for a firewhiskey? I'll buy. Besides, it'll keep me from going back to that stack of year-end financial reports that are on my desk."

Actually, Matt looked like he needed a stiff glass of firewhiskey, and Khaat, well, she hadn't found many men that she couldn't outdrink. It just didn't seem to affect her much. She was betting they'd end up with Matt rip roaring drunk and her being the designated spellcaster. Otherwise, he was going to end up sending himself sideways through the floo network or something.

She looped her arm around his. "Come on. You'd be amazed at how very smooth some of that top shelf firewhiskey can be," she smiled. "Shoot, I might even have to teach you how to enjoy a really great cigar."

This news certainly didn't raise his spirits at all. However he had assumed as much really, it was so like her. He couldn't even remember what made him want to bring her in..what was he thinking? Sophia was his daughter, he loved her! But she always got kidnapped, he never got to see her. If he saw her again he'd put his foot down. Either she'd have to smarten up or Matt was just going to stop caring. She caused him too much grief. He nearly had a stroke when he heard Emmy had been murdered. And then..the mugger himself. But Matt couldn't deny the truth of Khaat's reasoning, he sighed. "Alright, but I'm not staying longer than a few weeks." he told her. But some part of him wanted to move in permanently. That, however, was most likely out of the question.

"I'm sure you could handle Madi, but James...oh boy." he chuckled. "You may need at least three people on him at all times." he smiled faintly. Khaat's presence just brought peace to people. Matt nodded, he could use a drink. But it had to be a quick one, it was almost 8. "Yeah, I suppose I could go for a drink. But it has to be a quick one. I have a sitter at home until 8." he told her. He felt the rock in his pocket, there was like a heat radiating from it. He felt her arm wrap around his, he smiled at her. "I'll show you how much I can drink before getting buzzed." he said laughing slightly.

"You're on," Khaat smiled. "And we'll be fine with the kids. So, let's go to the Leaky. They have a few bottles of some pretty nice top shelf firewhiskey that they don't break into very often. My father introduced me to some of their better stuff not long ago. I like it a lot better. It has a smoother taste and sort of a smoky aftertaste to it. "

"And I'm not going to even listen to that 'im-just-staying-a-few-weeks crap. You're family. You stay as long as you want. Besides you really do need to get to know your goddaughter. Abbey and Dakata are crawling, eating finger foods, and starting to talk. Dakota likes to chase one of the cats behind the sofa every chance she gets. Abbey, well, she's the quieter of the two. Abbey is a cuddler. Dakota is pure energy.

She walked down to the Leaky with Matt and went inside. The bartender greeted her and asked if she wanted her usual. "Not tonight, Tom," Khaat smiled. "I've had enough coffee for now. How about you break out a bottle of your top shelf stuff and a couple of glasses?"

"Your father's choice?" he asked.

"Please."

"I'll be right back." Tom excused himself and went downstairs to the cellar and returned with a bottle of fine, aged firewhiskey, dusting off the bottle. He uncorked it and smelled it and smiled. "That's the stuff, alright," he said. "I didn't know you drank this, Khaat."

"Usually only at home," she smiled, laying down several sickles on the bar. He handed her the bottles and the glasses. "Shall we find a table?" Khaat asked Matt.