Marriage is Murder

Brant placed the fish down in front of Angus while Evan fetched the knives for him. Brant sat and watch his arm burned slightly but he ignored it watching as Angus quickly made short wok of the fish. He smiled “ so I'm cooking?” he asked sitting back in the chair.” though this fish would last several days” he admitted helping to clean up the deck with Angus. Soon he sat back down his torso now a light red and he knew if he didn't get inside he would burn. Standing he looked at the fish and gathered some talking it down to the galley.

“ okay I'm hitting the shower that sea salts making me burn.” he said and headed to one of the larger cabins that had an en-suit. Soon he felt the cool water on his hot skin and he was glad. Finishing he felt better as did his arm. Placing on a clean shirt he headed back up on deck to find Evan and Angus. He watched the water around the ship ebb and flow knowing some of the fish would retch the family in a mean. He hoped it would even retch Brian and Khaat where ever they are, he hoped they both were relaxing and recovering.

Evan didn't say anything when Brant went downstairs instead of helping to set the picnic lunch. He merely did it himself. He didn't understand what Brant had meant when they asked if he were cooking. No one had asked him to cook, and Edward had already supplied them with a fine picnic lunch. Angus wasn't serving the swordfish on ship. He was taking it back to the compound. Angus wasn't wasting the fine Tuscan picnic that had already been prepared for them, and neither was Evan.

Angus stayed quiet when Brant went to go shower. He said nothing. He was used to having to serve the guests on board and he had seen he was going to have to treat Brant the same way, at least until he got adjusted to being part of a group of people again.

He soon had the fish packaged and in the fridge and went up on deck to help Evan. There was a lovely antipasto plate, some fresh bottles of lemonade, and fresh Italian crusty breads and meats and cheeses to make sandwiches. Angus and Evan assembled them into hearty subs with a mustard aioli and finished setting the table. Dessert was merely a bowl of perfectly ripe but uncut fruit.

Brant saw the picnic and mentally kicked himself “Sorry, forgot about the picnic we'd brought.” he said moving to help lay the table with Evan. He frowned he'd never forgot anything before. This bothered him but he pushed it to one side as he placed down the plates and cutlery. Once done he looked at Angus. “Got anything else you need me to do?” he asked placing down the last cup ready to be filled with their drink. He watched and sighed rubbing his arm as he sat feeling it itch slightly. He felt the ship gently roll under him and thought back to the last time he was on a ship it was working deep with in the boiler room. He was working to pay for his passage across to England as he preferred to travel as the Muggles did.

Brant watched Angus and Evan wondering just what he could do now, standing he moved up to the bridge and stood by the helm watching the ocean in front of them as the ship moved gently through the water. He wondered shy he felt so out of place this was after all what he had wanted.

"No," Angus said. "I don't think so. I think we've got it. Just sit and eat. But you look like you've had enough sun for one day. I think, since our lunch is a bit late anyway, we really should head back towards shore after we eat. Too much sun in one day isn't good. So far, you'll be okay, but not if we push to be out for the rest of the afternoon.

"If you want to do something," Angus suggested, "you could spend the afternoon in Grandfather's potions lab. I do know Robert has purchased a great many new safehouses. He's going to need all of us to have a supply of the basic potions to carry with us in case we have to leave England in a hurry. I know Grandfather has bought a leather travel potions case for everyone at Brian's house, and more than enough crystal vials to fill them, but he hasn't had time to make the potions to fill all the vials so that everyone is equipped. And with the rebellion gaining momentum, I don't know how much time we honestly have left in England for now. I figure you could manage a kit of the basic healing potions for everyone. Don't forget, you also need to include at least 3 healers and 3-4 seers on that list, and a werewolf and about a million kids. So you'll have to have some potions for individual needs. Think you can handle that big of an order?"

Brant sat back down and nodded “ yeah, I think I did get a bit too much sun.” he said poring a cold glass of juice and downed it. He sat and listened to Angus he slowly nodded and breathed out. He was happy to be back doing something he knew he. “ I'm sure I can cope might take my mind of this damned itch” he said and showed Angus the cut that seem to have turned red rather than heal. He took some food and began to eat. He listened more and nodded “ I can tailor each potion to each person, though the werewolf’s going to be a bit tricky ” he said “ he's already got wolfsbane in his system so I'll have to take account of that when making his potions, I think I can take care of that” he took some food and started to eat.

Once finished he felt a little better for some food, “ I didn't think we'd actually catch anything” he admitted “ but its been a great day.” Brant now sat and worked out what potions he would make to make up the batch’s Robert needed.”if everything is there it should be a breeze” he said taking a bite and sitting back in the chair.

"The only potion Robert makes any different for Jack is the wolfsbane. And he's tinkered with that enough that Jack doesn't need special formulations to the basic potions," Angus said. "He's never taken anything other than what the rest of the whole house takes. But--I don't know what else Robert might have done to the wolfsbane, so you might want to leave that one to him. The rest of it should be just standard formulas." When Brant mentioned the itching, Angus said, "You might try going to a real healer when we get back. Maybe you're allergic to your own concoction. I know I've gotten nailed by swordfish before and never had a reaction like that. Or if you're allergic to swordfish, then its best you don't eat any."

"Donohues arent allergic to seafood," Evan said. "Not possible. We'd have starved to death if we were."

Khaat watched the old wizard bring in a whole crew of younger men who didn't speak. They set straight to work wherever a task needed done--inside the house or outside. She felt invaded by them. Brian retrieved a couple of bottles of soda he'd bought at the market, popped the top and handed her one, sitting down beside her.

"You arent going to help?" she asked.

"Heck, no. I have no clue as to what your father ordered. I'm just going to let them deal with it," Brian said.

Brant looked at Angus and shook his head “I think your right the recipe for the salve was a really old recipe.” he said and sighed “ not one that worked” he said to himself and “ Evan as Angus said, I’m a Crawford only half Donahue “ he said and chuckled , Taking a damp cloth he wiped off the salve and winced at how red it had become “ though I guess I could be allergic to swordfish, I have eaten it before, but never fought with one.” he looked at them both and rolled his eyes “ okay, I’ll see a healer once were back on shore “ Brant chuckled at Evan saying about Donahue’s starving if they were allergic to fish. Brant knew he wasn't allergic to fish.

Brant finished eating and sat back in his chair. “So what you got planned for the fish?” he asked now interested “some sort of seafood gumbo when we get back?” he asked wanting to learn more

"Nah," Angus said, "The pieces are too big and nice to cut them up like that. I'll probably grill them. That's really the best way to do that anyway and do it any justice. At any rate, I honestly think its more than likely that its the goo you used that affected you and not the fish. Evan, take the wheel and head us to port."

"Aye, Captain," Evan said, leaping up to the bridge. Angus set a spell in place to clean up the lunch mess.

"I think you'll find the potions lab in order," Angus said. "Its one of those things that Edward and Robert have in common. They're incredibly meticulous about their labs. They seem to each have a bit of a different system for organization, but they have learned to understand each other's thinking. So they can operate easily as well, no matter who's lab it is."

Brant chuckled and nodded " yeah and good choice" he said feeling the yacht turn and head to port."Well, guess I'd better catch on quick to their ways then hadn't I." He said knowing how strict Robert was about things in the right place and done by the book. Edward he knew was similar but he could bend them a little, when he felt the need was there.


This he knew brought Robert and Edward to blows sometimes, he just hoped he wouldn't do such a thing by messing up the potions lab that he knew Robert and Edward shared. “ I think I'll be okay.” he said and smiled “ but first thing this cut need seeing too.” he said taking the small jar and looking at it “Hum, must only last a certain length of time.” he took out a small note book and wrote in it what he'd said on a page marked with the salve name.

"Brant," Evan said, "you really need to stick to your potions job." He went to adjust a couple of the sails. Angus wasn't going to reply but he knew Brant wouldn't understand Evan.

"You'll need to excuse him. He takes a bit more after Grandfather's candidness. He speaks his mind more than I do," Angus said. "He was thinking about how that cut has you so preoccupied. When we work the fishing boats, we get not only cuts but bruises and broken bones all the time. Particularly in storm season. We've had to learn to just go ahead and work anyway, and most of the time we don't even give it a second thought. Evan isn't used to someone being so focused in on a cut. I'd advise you to stop fiddling with the old antiquated potions. Grandfather has an excellent potions notebook he can duplicate for you, and Robert has, literally, an entire library of potions notebooks of things he's decided either work or don't work. His notebooks are in his library at the farmhouse. Now, if you really want to see the most serious potions master I've ever met, talk one of the Lupins into showing you Robert's library at his farmhouse. Not the little lab at Brian's house. The lab Robert has in his own home is, by far, the largest lab I've ever seen. Far larger than Hogwarts, and vastly bigger than even St. Mungo's lab in the hospital. If you want to fine tune something, if I had to pick between the two, Grandfather or Robert, Robert has more skills. But don't tell my grandfather I said that."