Introductions, please

"Well, my guards don't work quite that way. Most of the time, anyway. They sort of function like shadows. But they do get a little anxious if I escape them," she laughed. "And, in all seriousness, they have a right. There have been a few times, before I had them, that being alone was a prime time for someone to try to take advantage of me.

"I don't know if you remember your magical history, but there's been bad blood for generations between the Greyback family and mine. It started when Fenrir passed the curse on to my uncle when he was a boy. My family has been trying to stop that bizarre philosophy of the Greyback family. They believe that humans are an inferior species and that we should all be werewolves because werewolves are suprior because of their strength. Some of the Greybacks have somehow developed some level of control so that they can harness some degree of transfiguration at will in broad daylight--never mind the full moon.

"My family has always been trying to stop them from turning people into werewolves and from spreading the curse all over the wizarding world. They consider my father their prime enemy. So, what they try to do is to come after me because they know I am my parents' only child. If they can get rid of me, they figure they will cripple my father so badly that he will leave them alone. So, after a couple of very near misses, my father brought in Brian--my husband--to protect me. Brian and I grew up together, and it was nice to have my closest friend back in my life again. I do try to not run out on them too often because it scares the daylights out of them. And I love my friiends and family too much to try to deliberately scare them unnecessarily. Not unless its really getting to me having them underfoot."

Amelia couldn’t imagine being in danger like that all of the time. She couldn’t imagine trying to fight a family like that who had done something as cruel and evil as that. She never knew about the Greybacks mission, her dad had won the argument over keeping dark things away from all of the kids. It actually angered her, what if Edgar was put at risk since he was leaving home in a few days. She’d never forgive her dad if something happened to her brother because of him being overprotective.

“That’s quite a story. How do you manage all that stress? It must be hard to do,” she said impressed by Khaat. She had no idea how she would handle that. She could see her mum finally blowing her top under that type of stress. It seems so stressful and terrifying all the time.

"I don't know how I would handle that much of stress. I mean finals are hard enough I can't imagine how hard it is for you," she said. She really admired Khaat. She understood why her mum looked up so much to her Auntie Amelia now, it takes a special person to do a job like that.

"Its my family and friends who keep me balanced," she said. "We run, we work out, we garden, we like rock climbing, we spend a great deal of time together. And we train together. We train constantly, I think. We never know when another threat is coming so we keep our skills sharp. And, when it gets to be too much, we simply make a large family dinner and spend time together. The heavier the threats become, the tighter we get to each other. I know it sounds pretty plain and ordinary, but I think it comes from decades of standing alone because my uncle was such an outcast a good portion of his life. So we've learned to stand together."

"Its also because of that Gryffindor loyalty," Angus laughed. "Its in the Lupin DNA."

"Just a bit," Khaat admitted.

"And if it still gets a bit too heavy, we do have some favorite places to escape to, to go have some fun," Angus said. "We stay close, and we laugh a lot."

Amelia looked over her shoulder as her oldest brother and father started to fight with each other. She saw Edgar turn away from his father and huffed. Edgar put a hand on Drew's shoulder getting a odd look from his little brother. He walked over to Amelia and whispered in her ear to tell mum he went to the apartment he got and that he wouldn't be going home. "Melia, open your eyes a little wider and look pass the brick walls. You'll know why I'm leaving," he said before he left. Amelia wondered if she'd really see her brother again.

"Okay then," she said trying to seem natural as possible. Inside she was frazzled, she didn't know what the in Merlin's name had just happened. She was much closer to Edgar and Drew then she was with Claire. The fact he was leaving home made her want to go with him, she didn't want to be alone with Claire.

"Something tell me we'll be heading out soon. It was nice meeting you," she said. She swore she could see the steam coming out of his ears. He glared at her, she knew she hadn't done nothing. She narrowed her eyes into cat like slits. She wished her mum would walk it.

Just then, Susan walked in with Claire. She looked around for Edgar but knew by the faces of her two youngest he had left. She had known her oldest was getting tired of his dad, she didn't expect it to bee soon. She sighed, she had hoped Edgar was just bluffing but he wasn't.

"Ernie, leave Amelia alone," said Susan seeing who Amelia was with "she's fine." So Ernie directed his glare towards her. She flicked his nose, like you would do for a dog. Drew walked off to the second level of the store and burst out laughing.

Susan came up behind Amelia and asked where Edgar had gone in her ear. "His apartment," Amelia whispered back. Susan nodded. "Khaat, right? We went to school together if I remember correctly," said Susan.

Khaat saw the very subtle strife between the boys and their father. Well, that wasn't too untypical. Teens often disagreed with their parents. It was part of gaining their independence. And she observed that Amelia definitely relaxed when her mother arrived and came over. So, Susan was somehow the family peacemaker? Possibly. Mothers often held families together. She saw Susan come over and she smiled at her.

"Susan Bones...er...Macmillan. Its been a long time," Khaat smiled. "You look wonderful. I've just been enjoying getting to know your beautiful daughter. She's just like her mother--beautiful and smart both. She's very well read on current events. That's rare for someone her age. I'm impressed. You know, I was just telling her that she has amazing potential for a career at the Ministry. I told her that if she wanted, and if it was alright with you, of course, she could spend a day with me at the Ministry and I would show her around. If she comes on a Wednesday, she could join my father and me for lunch. He and I hae lunch every Wednesday, and he would truly be impressed with her. She'll be the right age next year for an apprenticeship at the Ministry, and I would be honored to have her, if thats what she chooses. She's a pure joy."

And it was true. Not every young person could deal with Angus's night time missionwear. He chose it to be able to not be seen in the dark. But he hadn't had a chance to change before he caught up with her during the day to escort her to the bookstore before she went to work. But Amelia hadn't even flinched, to her credit. Khaat felt Amelia could be whatever she wanted, and Khaat was starting to feel that Amelia had what it took to take on the most dangerous job in the Ministry--an auror. And a darned good one at that.

Amelia turned bright red when Khaat started to talk about her. She would talk to anyone without getting the slightest bit shy but soon as they started to talk about her she’d turn into the introverted little girl was when she was younger. It didn’t take much to make her get back onto her feet though; being in public was one of them. She didn’t like seemly like a scared child in front of people, no matter where or when.

“Thank you Khaat. I think she spends a little too much time with me sometimes. It really shows when we start finishing each other’s sentences,” said Susan with a smile. “I’m more than willing to let her do so if she wants to. I think it would be a good experience, “she said ruffling Amelia’s hair. Amelia flattened her hair soon as Susan stopped ruffling it. She hated it when her mum did that but never made a big deal out of it.

Amelia glared at two women talking about her mum, or mostly the fact the rest of the family was dead. She hated gossipers; to her it was like a hybrid of a rodent with a cat on her hatred scale, which would be a nine on a scale of one to ten, ten being the most hated. If her mum and Khaat weren’t standing right there she would have gone off swearing at the stupid gossiping duo.

Khaat almost missed where Amelia's attentions were going. She saw the irritation in Amelia's eyes, and she understood it well. She lived with the same thing almost every day of her life, and some days were easier than others. But Khaat had a slight bit of her father's mischievious streak. And she had developed her father's poker face. She redirected her eyes towards Susan, paying attention to Susan's every word.

She made the very slightest flick of her index finger, and the women who were talking about the Bones family found themselves only able to say positive remarks. The slightest attempt to say something negative found them spitting all their sentences out completely backwards. Khaat pretended to take no notice whatsoever until their backwards curse words got loud enough that it got everyone's attention in the bookstore. The women had been browsing at books in the hex department., and the books in their hands began to giggle at them in high pitched little giggles that actually made Khaat tempted to giggle herself. She did her best to resist.

Angus frowned. "You know, people really shouldn't handle those hex books unless they know what they're doing. Some of those books have some nasty attitudes about them," he said.

"Indeed," Khaat frowned, trying to look surprised. She had no intention of telling Amelia or Susan either one who had cast the harmless little hex. It would wear off in a matter of minutes anyway.

Amelia looked over at the women. She felt like justice had been served when things started happening to the women. Karma has quite a nasty bite to it. She just didn't understand why witches or wizards do mean and rude things to other when it will come back to haunt you, specially magically. Some people lack intelligence she supposed.

"Exactly how will I get there and what time?" asked Amelia. She ignored the women now, she showed no interest since justice had bee served. She could care less about what happened to them now. She knew not to think negatively too long because that will come back too.

Susan just smiled. She had heard every word the women had been saying but she didn't react to them. It would give them satisfaction. That doesn't mean she didn't want to do something to them but knew it would be a bad example for her kids. Her attention turned back onto her daughter.

"Why don't you come on Wednesday morning?" Khaat asked. "If that's alright with your mom. The Ministry offices open at eight. Feel free to come anytime you like. You could take a tour and shadow anyone you like. Perhaps you'd like to shadow several people for a part of the day and learn as much as you can.

"As far as getting there," Khaat said. "I would not suggest that you travel to the Ministry alone. Not if you're not well experienced in apparating or in the Floo network. Your parents are welcome to bring you. Or, if you like, I'll have Angus pick you up and bring you. I'll have him look a bit less Gothic," she said.

One of the foul mouthed women had somehow deduced that Khaat had most likely been responsible for the hex on them. One of them drew her wand and wound around her arm in a very Bellatrix sort of rage to hurl a spell at her with great force.

Angus pushed past Khaat and stood in front of her and fired before the woman could get her wand wound up well enough to hurl her spell. His nonverbal spell threw her backwards onto her backside into a bookcase. A whole shelf of Monster Book of Monster texts fell from the shelves, all snarling and biting and snapping their teeth at her. She began to shriek and her friend went to try to help her, only to find the books turning on her as well. Angus never moved, his wand at the ready. The women scrambled to their feet and ran out like the time honored building was on fire. Goblin clerks ran to try to soothe the angered textbooks and reshelve them.

Angus turned back finally and looked at the Susan, Amelia and Khaat. "Sorry about that," he smiled quickly.

"No harm done," Khaat smiled. "I'm glad you were here." She looked back at Susan and Amelia. "Sorry if it doesn't look too safe. My life really isn't all that weird most of the time. Wednesday, then?"

Amelia looked to Susan for approval. Susan nodded in approval. She gave Khaat a look to let her know to keep her away from where she works. She wasn’t ready to tell her family that she is working in the Ministry. She trusted her daughter but knew if she told more people it might just let it slip by accident.

“Hey, mum, should I have Angus pick me up so you don’t have to change your schedule?” asked Amelia. Susan tried to act normal as possible but was nervous that it will slip out or that Amelia will read between the lines. “That’s fine with me. I was just about ask if there was anyway someone could pick you up,” said Susan. She saw movement in the direction of the gossiping women.

Susan swooped Amelia behind her. It was stuff like this that scared her. She was worried her daughter would be in a situation like she had grown up in. She drew her wand shortly after Angus did just in case she would need it. She had learned if there was one nutty person there was another.

“It’s alright. No one is truly safe,” said Susan calmly. She relaxed enough to let Amelia move back to her original position. Amelia looked surprised but not shocked. She remembered when Khaat had told her there were always people looking to harm her.

“Wednesday is good. Right, mum?” asked Amelia. “Of course dear,” said Susan. A little thing like that wouldn’t scare them off