Marriage is Murder

Jim went and changed out of his tux and stepped out wearing his normal clothes just as Jack stepped into the changing room with his trousers fixed beside him to change out of his tux and place it back on the hanger. Jim nodded to Irena " possibly and I really need Michale to teach me that spell " he said smiling as he sat waiting for the others to finish getting their tux's he saw the dress and coughed he knew it would do the business alright. " wow nice dress Khaat " he said and looked to Michael " that will defiantly get his eye." he moved to stand where they were.

"I feel naked," she sighed.

"You won't be," Irena said, flicking her wand at the dress repeatedly to fit it properly.

"Shoes," Khaat said. "I need shoes."

"You'll have incredible shoes," Irena smiled. "Michael acts like he intends for you to win this thing."

"He does," Tobias said.

"A hex would do that," Khaat sighed. "Without all this."

"Only to a limited degree. No, if Michael is actually running this out, he has a reason for putting you on display like this," Tobias replied.

"He does," Brian said, bringing his tux out. "She's the bait for a werewolf with a bad case of bloodlust." Tobias frowned. He didn't know of anyone who had survived being bait for a werewolf with bloodlust.

"You must want him badly," Tobias said quietly.

"You have no idea," Brian replied.

Jack walked over and looked at Tobias "We do, hes my brother. " he said with out any emotion in his voice as he placed his tux on the counter beside Jim's. " Well he was my brother , not any more and you do know some one who survived a blood lust...me " he said and folded his arms " last blood lust they offered me to fenr, didn't work he wanted to kill me because I to him was inferior" he said and chuckled folding his arms as he looked at Jim who nodded his head that what had been said was right.

"If he gets ahold of her, he won't even leave little threads of her!" Tobias said. "This dress, this contest, it all plays right into the heart of his bloodlust!"

"I know," Khaat said quietly.

"This is suicide! Did you tell them?" Tobias whirled on her, glaring at her.

"No, its not. I'm covered," she said. "I'm not nearly as alone as you think I am. It'll be fine. Now--shoes?" Tobias motioned to a whole display of designer original shoes. Khaat was only interested in the stilettos. She went over to the display and began to look through them.

Michael insisted they get his tux right, and when he was satisfied, he had it put on the counter with everyone else's things. Brian produced a credit card and paid for all their purchases on one tab.

"Are we done?" he asked.

"For now, I think,' Michael said. "Anyone in the mood for doing that dark chocolate gelato we talked about yesterday for lunch today? Its not far from here."

Jack looked at Jim who chuckled at him " its Italian ice cream" he told him and Jack smiled that he liked it "sure why not " Jim said " might relax us before the day " he added and picked up the bag with his tux so did Jack who also picked up every one elses too and held them waiting for the others. Jim waited and watched Khaat looking at the shoes then looked at Tobias " there will be others stationed around the room so were not going in blind and we won;'t be far from her, at any one time one of us will be with her" he looked at Jack " some how I don't think they will tangle with Jack." he chuckled as he saw Jack shake his head.

Irena went over to Khaat and selected a totally different pair of shoes from what Khaat had been looking at. Khaat did not like them.

"They look better on," Irena smiled. "Try them." Khaat put them on, and Brian went over.

"She's right," he said. "They look great. Look." He showed her the shoes in the mirror. Once they were on, they were amazing."

"I might actually keep these," Khaat said.

"Can you walk in them?" he asked. "They're ridiculously tall."

"I have shoes taller than this," she frowned, walking easily in them.

"I do like those shoes," Brian said, forgetting he was in front of a lot of friends and staff. "Give us one of each of those, Irena. If there is one thing she never gets enough of, its stilettos."

"No problem. Tobias, go pick out that long cloak. It will be perfect for this."

"The one we can't sell?" he scowled.

"Yes. Just change it black," she said. He went over to a rack and picked up a long and very full woman's cloak that was designed to pool on the floor. It was a sparkling silver inside and out. He changed it to black, and the black fabric now shimmered and sparkled inside and out. It would be perfect over the sexy red dress."

"Jewelry?" Irena asked.

"No thank you," Michael said. "This needs the real deal. I'll take care of that myself."

Tobias and Irena finished packaging the goods and shrank them, and Michael took them. Michael led them out of the shop and over a couple of blocks and then down a couple to a very tiny chocolatier's. He led them inside, and a chef stepped out of the kitchen in the back.

"Michael!" the chef smiled. "I didn't know you were in town!"

"Hello, Julian. You still make that dark chocolate gelato?"

"In seventeen varieties, my friend," the man laughed. "And you brought friends. How nice."

"No. I brought my family."

"Then you," Julian said, going over and kissing Khaat's hand, "must surely be Robert's daughter. I haven't seen you since you were tiny. How a man like Robert ended up with a creature as lovely as you, I have no earthly idea. And who else is with you?"

"Her husband, Brian," Michael said, "And our friends, Jack and Jim."

"Welcome, Everyone," Julian said. "I can't say as I blame Robert for wanting bodyguards for his daughter. The Daily Prophet has her name all over the headlines more often than not. The past few years have not been kind to the Lupins. So--there is the lst on the wall over there. What will you all have?" He pointed to a sign posted on the wall to the right.

"Khaat, you really do need to try the one with the candied orange," Michael said.

"Then we'll have two," Brian said. "I'll try that too."

"Cones or dishes?"

"Cones, please," Brian said.

"Same for me," Michael said.

"And the rest of you?" Julian asked.

Jim with Jack beside him followed Tobias to the very tiny chocolatier's shop he could smell the chocolate as he entered and it made him smile as he looked own the list he heard Julian and smiled. "Sounds nice I'll try that , Jack?" he said and Jack nodded he'd try it also " in a cone if its not too much trouble " he added he looked around the shop and smiled " do you export I'd like to send some back to Margaret and my children" he noted a lovely strawberry and cream gelato he just knew Margaret would love along with some banana that he knew Rose and Irving would love to try.

"No trouble," Julian said. "I have a page that can deliver them if you give me the address. How much would you like?" He flicked his fingers at several scoops that began putting scoops of the dark chocolate gelato into his handmade sugar waffle cones. He floated the cones to his customers as Michael laid the wizarding coins on the counter.

"Many thanks, Michael," Julian said, slipping the coins into the cash drawer. "Will you be in town long?"

"I have no idea," Michael laughed.

"Well, you just missed Edward. He's talking of doing a large seafood boil tonight. Its an open house. You lot ought to go."

"Hm..Edward didn't mention that to us," Michael said.

"Well, he can't be all places at once, can he? It seems his boys had a more than ample haul on the boat this morning, so they're making use of it with a seafood boil. Its a last minute informal thing for friends and family.'

"And we weren't home either," Brian said. "We might have missed the Donohues. They would not have forgotten us. It sounds like fun."

"It does, at that," Michael said. "And I know how much our crew can eat. Delicious gelato as always, Julian."

"It is wonderful," Khaat agreed.

Jim smiled and walked to the counter writing his address down and how much he wished to be delivered to them . As he place the order down he smiled knowing Margaret would love it as would the kids. He placed down some coins and moved to sit eating his own cone. " this is delicious Julian" he said as he ate Jack just nodded he agreed some ice cream on the side of his mouth and Jim shook his head handing Jack a napkin " wipe you mouth Jack your worse than a child" he chuckled as Jack did just that. Jim looked at Khaat and Brian and smiled seeing how they looked at each other as they ate their ice cream.

When they were finished, Brian suggested they go back to the hotel. He knew Khaat would want to do some tanning down by the pool before tomorrow. And, frankly, he agreed. She needed the sun. He would go with her. Julian was agreeing to send gelato to Jim's wife, and Michael was buying gelato and chocolates to take to the hotel.

When they finished, the returned to the hotel. Khaat enjoyed the walk in the sunshine. The morning had gotten quite late, and noon was almost upon them. The sun was warm, and the breeze smelled like saltwater. She liked it, and more than that she liked having Brian's hand in hers. Enzo seemed to enjoy the walk as much. She didn't know much about big dogs, but Brian said that big dogs needed lots of exercise, especially german shepherds.

Upon the return to the hotel, she chose a strapless, very skimpy pale yellow bikini. It was the one she used when she was particularly looking to tan for a formal event. She didn't wear it often, except if she needed to tan, because it was too revealing for her tastes. She took one of Brian's shirts and wore it as a coverup, rolling up the sleeves, and wearing a little pair of kicky heels.

Brian changed into a pair of cargo style swim trunks and a pair of flipflops and put a shirt over it. He grabbed the sunscreen and their sunglasses.

"If Khaat is going to look appropriate, she needs to improve her tan," Brian said. "We're going down to the pool. And no, I won't doze off."

"Have a good time, and try to leave the patio in one piece, Lad," Michael grinned.