The Ties That Bind

Steven played quetly with Abby and listened as the conversation grew " if its ahelp I could help too, in cassidys case I mean " he said holding Abby rather than bouncing her as she did most of it her self. " well i could encurage her to read that book and like Jess there , awnswer any questions from amans point of view leaving you free to take care of Khaat " he said . Jess nodded and sat back against Jack .

" thats ok im sure she will under stand , I'll find things for her to do around here " she said " if i rember she did change the girls once back in tuscany maybe she can help out buy doing it again so she can get the hang of it " she said smiling at Robert " she's going to have to accept doing it , sooner or later " she chuckled " Im afraid we all did " she said chukaling at seeing Steven nodding.

steven looked at Abby " she'll come around , with this cutey she will " he said and blew a razzberry on ehr tummy again to a fit og giggles .

Jess looked at Robert and chuckled " she will read it even if i have to sit with her " she said

"I hate this place."

"You hate everywhere we go you stupid cow."

Such amicable behaviour could only be found amongst the Krum kids. As it was, a great portion of their little crowd were horribly drunk and, after catching the wrong Portkey, found themselves in Colorado; still clutching their bottles of beer to their chests.

It was, as mentioned, a crowd. It was a crowd filled with the usual family members Eli surrounded himself with - Harry, Finn, Euan, Elisabeth - and oddly tonight they had the additions of Lorelei, Gustav and Georgio. Elijah wasn't about to complain either. The more the merrier meant more money to spend on booze.

For once though, Elijah was rather sober. He'd passed on the drinking games and stuck to his beer, content to watch the rest of them indulge in shots of Tequila and goodness only knows what else. Of course naturally, Rob had accompanied them, mumbling something about how eight Krums couldn't be trusted together. He wasn't wrong but he had been the one to start the drinking games -- in fairness to the rest of them.

Somehow, they ended up stumbling down the path of the house that, as far as Rob's word went, was owned by Khaat's beau. Elijah, with one arm around Harry and the other around the overly-affectionate Finn, somehow managed to manoeuvred himself down there without falling into a bush but that didn't stop anyone else from falling into a bush.

Lorelei, who was b!tchier than ever when drunk, saw fit to push her youngest brother into a bush. Charming girl.

"Ring the doorbell Euan!" Elijah called up the path, amused by the mint-haired drunkard that was cuddling his bottle of Firewhisky, singing gently to it.

Elijah rolled his eyes and kicked Rob down the path. The Animagus gave a yelp but knocked on the door none the less, shouting out,

"Khaat, Khaat...where for art thou Khaat!"

Steven looked stone faced at Brian he had never liked Rob after what he'd put Khaat threw his hands held her tighter on his knee. He said nothing but his stoned expreshion said it all and he stood up holding Abby he felt Jack and Jess join him glancing quickly he saw there faces were showing the same unhappy feeling his did but none said a single word . "I'll put the kettel on" said jess and moved to the kitchen out of sight.

Jack folded his arms across his chest and gave a low growl of disaproval, steven gave a deep short sigh as he stood holding Abby who now wanted to play with his dogtags and medallion he slipped both out of sight and let hr play with the buttons on his shirt . he knew exactly what Rob and put Khaat threw and held no love for the man and wanted to shout at them for inviting a snake into the hen house, but ever profeshonal he said nothing letting the stoney expreshion say it all.

Jess had heard Brian and chose to remain quiet , deciding instead not to stay in the same room as the man who almost got her closest freind killed and so moved into the kitchen to put on the kettle knowing it would get roudyier if she didn't and she didn't want abby and dakota around drunks. She had nevre understood why Khat was still married to him after all the things she ahd been put threw buy his hand to her it seemed rediculuse to stay that way but it was not her place to say anything so she made a pot of strong black coffee and brought it threw placing it on the table . "if it were me I would sujest you have some coffee and sober up" she said her voice sturn and disaproving.

Elijah couldn't help but smirk at the way Rob sobered up when Khaat appeared at the door. Harry mumbled something incoherent beside Elijah and he felt the elder man's lips graze his ear as his head fell into the crook in his neck. Elijah chuckled and felt Finn sway dangerously beside him. Thankfully, there was no bush-human connection and Elijah managed to pull his cousin back against his side.

Euan, Finn's twin, however, wasn't nearly as easy to control. When Khaat had opened the door, he'd sprung to attention before discarding his now empty Firewhisky bottle and wrapping her up in a perhaps just slightly over-enthusiastic hug. He kissed her on the cheek, declaring something along the lines of "You look lovely" before wandering in without invitation.

"Pay no attention the drunken cousin of mine!" Elijah called up to her from down the path, watching out of the corner of his eye as Lorelei and Elisabeth helped Georgio and Gustav out of the bushes they'd fallen - or in Georgio's case been pushed - into. "He merely wants to be loved!"

"Coffee is for wankers!" Finn declared loudly, breaking away from Elijah and stumbling into the house, mumbling some sort of greeting to Khaat before going in search of his brother who had fallen onto the couch.

Rob, amused by the situation at hand, helped Eli and the girls get the other lads into the house before turning his attention to Khaat. "Where are they? I don't..." He pursed his lips and looked over at the 'friends' his wife possessed. "Of course. They don't trust me." Scoffing quietly to himself, Rob leaned down and kissed Khaat on the cheek. "It's good to see you." He added with a smile.

Meanwhile, Eli threw Harry down into an armchair and helped Lorelei and Elisabeth deposit Georgio and Gustav on the floor. He then pried a bottle of Firewhisky out of the hands of Gustav and poured a glass (ah, the wonders of transfiguration) out for himself. The girls did the same and the three toasted before knocking back their shots. They shuddered and Elijah put the things down one of the tables.

"So where's Abbey and Dakota?" He asked, genuinely interested. "I haven't seen them in a while."

Steven watched khaat walk over and stood facing her he was not happy about the unanounces hord 0f drunken people that invaded this house. He looked at Khaat letting her know by his stoney look he was not a happy but he handed Abby over glancing at Brian as he did. Jack now clentched his teeth he didn't like any one talking to his wife like she was a servent which she was not, yet brian and khaat seem to let it slip by with out so much as a 'watch your langage around the children'. This he felt was not right and he looked at Brian.


Soon Jack moved out of the room to the balconey unable to stay in there any more. his hand clentched as he moved now knowing it was going to take all his resolve to not say or do something that would make him have to leave. Steven joined him and sighed feeling the fresh air but also knowing tenshions with the three of them was stretched to its limit . All knew that now they would have to try and ether bite there lip or stay away from the rabble. Rob had caused Khaat great pain and almost killed her yet she welcomed him back into her life ,this was something they could not understand.

Jess tried her best to not be annoyed but that young mans out burst made it difficult for her to do so, so she returned back to the kitchen she placed the tray down hard on the counter and breathed deeply. She wanted just to throw something but she knew beter than that and so sat down at the table.

Elijah hadn't been expecting a warm welcome exactly but he hadn't foreseen Khaat's friends just walking out. Suddenly, he felt rather awkward and looked about himself, unsure as to how to proceed. Finn and Euan had fallen asleep on each other, one cradled in the other's arms, both snoring quietly in harmony. It brought a small smile to his lips. A herd of angry Hippogriffs could storm through the house now and they wouldn't wake up.

Khaat presented Dakota to him and Elijah grinned, taking the little girl into his arms. He smiled at her and sat her on his hip. He tickled the skin underneath her chin and smiled wider when she giggled. Elijah popped a kiss on her forehead and looked at Khaat sheepishly.

"I don't know honestly. It's certainly been a while." He looked at Dakota and apologized before adding, "I hope you can forgive me, little miss." She babbled in her own little language and Elijah grinned, deciding to indulge her.

The girls meanwhile, were bored of the booze. Leaving a slumbering Harry, an indulgent Elijah and two snoring twins behind, they followed the woman into the kitchen.

"Do ignore the imbeciles." Lorelei said primly. "I shudder to think what would happen if one of them had gained a girlfriend."

"They do have girlfriends," Elisabeth replied, frowning.

Lorelei laughed. "Oh, heaven forbid." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and placed her dark gaze back on the woman. "We'd actually like to have some of that coffee previously offered. Or tea if you have any teabags."