Unusual Demands

Michael was rarely angry, but this morning was a rare exception. There was no humor today, no pranks. He was very serious. He navigated the foot traffic in Diagon Alley this late afternoon in the pouring rain like a man on a mission. And that was exactly what he was. A man on a mission. Few things got under Michael's skin enough to make him lose his sense of humor, and his friends rarely ever saw him angry. Truthfully, it had been a long time since he'd been angry enough to feeling this much adrenalin coursing through his system.

The shop bell rang with a pleasant little tone, and Michael flicked his wand at it. It annoyed him. He disapparated the clapper from the bell so it would refuse to ring anymore. He didn't see a sign of Thaor anywhere. He hoped he was just in the back room.

"Thaor!" he called. "Are you back there?"

Thaor found his way to the front of the shop as he heard someone, no doubt by the sound of it, Michael, enter the shop and call for him. Ah, Michael, to what do I owe the pleasure? Thaor said with a faint smile. His voice raspy and growly, as if from non-use. His hair grayed, and face pale, he gave up using magic to cover it up about a week ago. He didn't see to many people now-a-days anyway.

"You look like hell, Elldir," Michael frowned. This didn't bode well. Michael knew Thaor was one tough wizard. If something caused him to be so worn and haggard, then he had been put through something that most others would not even hazard to dream about. And he knew better than to ask him in case he could not talk. He had no way of knowing if Thaor had someone in the back or not.

"Where the hell have you been keeping yourself? I thought we had agreed you were coming over to my place for one of my homecooked five star meals, followed by a glass of port and a fine cigar. Whatever happened to that?" Michael was sounding him out about whether or not he might consider coming to someplace they trusted was safe and secure. A bit of company. Some talk between old friends. Nothing more.

"Thaor," he hesitated before asking, "the wand I bought here a few months ago...I have a couple of questions. And a very unusual request. I don't know of many wandmakers who could begin to understand the technology I want anymore. But I know you do."

Only you'd know what hell looks like. Thaor said with a laugh. I've been, rather....busy as of late, but I'd love to join you sometime soon for dinner at your place. Just tell me when. Thaor said.

As for the wand....That shouldn't be a problem, but may I ask for whom, or what purpose? Thaor asked with a smile. Creating a sister wand, while not impossible, it does take a bit of patience, not to mention, the effects of a match up between the two...would be unlikely to end well for either master. Thaor said, looking to Michael. Not that I think you'd give a prefectly good wand to some baffoon who would attack Robert. he added with a chuckle.

"Hm. As far as I'm concerned, hell looks an awful lot like a marriage license," He said, trying to restore a bit of his own typically decent mood. "As for dinner, any time you like. I just purchased a perfectly good piece of prime rib that deserves to be treated well. Name the date, and I'll at least treat you better than you've been treated lately, obviously. And I recently liberated a perfectly excellent bottle of port from someone who was criminally under appreciating it. And, no, I don't feel guilty in the least for that. That poor little bottle of port needed my protection. We can appreciate it properly after the prime rib.

"But, I did expect your questions. The wand is for someone near and dear to me. My goddaughter. Khaat broke her wand very recently. No one has ever been successful in getting Robert and Khaat to 'play nice' when they train against one another. And you know how quick Robert is with a wand. He fires instantly. As it so happens, he accidently injured her very recently--a relatively minor thing, but it certainly could have been far worse. Its not the first time, either. She drew on him, and he instantly fired. She has never learned to have a healthy respect for his speed. It destroyed her wand in the process. She keeps Remus's wand, but that wand is not as well suited to her as one that would be created just for her. It works in a pinch, but its not good as her permanent wand.

"All of that being said, I would very much like to keep an unfortunate accident from happening. I take my responsibilities to her as her godfather very seriously, and Ozzy and I went a fair round over it. He deserved a chewing out, even if he is her father. And he got it, fair and square. Then we had a pint, and all is well again. Neither of them know I am here. If the wands were sisters, then even if they fired on one another, the sister wands would add an additional layer of protection for her and her unborn child."

He thought a moment and then realized his last phrase. "Well, I guess thats the other reason I'm ticked with Ozzy. He knew his daughter was pregnant and fired on her. The baby is fine, but therein lies my reason for wanting to insulate her a bit in these 'training sessions' they seem to enjoy with so much gusto.

"Oh, and since you know its Khaat, I presume if you decide to decorate it with stones, you know its all about the emeralds." He knew that Thaor knew all about the green necklace Remus had put on Khaat when she was a baby that was enchanted to only be removed by Remus--so now she had to wear it permanently. "So? Can you do it?"

I'd do anything for the Lupin Family. Give me, oh say, till Tuesday next? Thaor said with a smile. Robert and Thaor go farther back than he'd like to admit. Not that I wouldn't do anything for you Michael, I guess I always lumped you in with Robert. He added with a chuckle.

We could have dinner next Tuesday, I'll bring the wand over as well. Hows that sound? Thaor asked with a smile.

"That would work well for me. I didn't expect it to happen the wand to be ready that quickly, but that's good. Alright. Would 7 pm work well for dinner? I'm not sure what time you close, but whenever you close is fine with me. You know where I live, right? I'm renting Khaat's cottage in Hogsmeade. Its the stone cottage on the street that runs behind Honeydukes. Its the only cottage with a blue door and blue shutters. It isn't hard to find."

"Oh, and Thaor, since its for Khaat, I presume you know that I am not worried about cost." He would do anything for Khaat and Kate and Robert. They were all Michael knew as a family. He had no one else to spend all his earnings on. And he did enjoy sharing what he had earned and what he had with the people that he loved.