Marriage is Murder

Brant followed Michael his mind on thinking just what it would be like, nothing prepared him for what sat in front of him and he smiled couching as he realized he felt like a school boy entering a candy store " wow , its...its huge"he said and looked around. Breathing out he looked at a shelf and the labeled  bottles that sat. " half of  these I have only read about" he said reaching out to take down a bottle but he stopped and moved his hand away.

Brant realized at that moment how organized and important each bottle was to Robert and how privileged he was in getting in to see them. He looked back at Michael and smiled. "Thank you for showing me this place, he truly is a master of the art." he said now feeling a little like the sorcerer's  apprentice in how little he understood in potions.

"I've always thought this was a bit of a sacred space," Michael agreed.  "Not because of the stuff in it. I couldn't care less about that. But because I know how much this has meant to my friend over the years. This is where he made all that wolfsbane that helped his brother.  Its where he's made countless potions that saved not only Khaat's life but, I'm guessing, hundreds of others.  And its one of those places he goes when he doesn't feel like the rest of the world makes sense. Or when it all feels like its going against him.  

"I know you're working really hard to get into his good graces.  But it really isn't that hard. He's a man of pure strategy.  Strategy, and devotion to the people he loves without any thought to his own life--not ever. If you ever figure out the energy in this room, then you'll understand the energy in him--somehow. Or at least that's the way its always felt to me."  That reminded Michael. He still had to go to Kate's studio and get more paints.

Brant looked at Michael and nodded as he could see maps hung on the walls and above the fireplace, each marked with as he took it to be battle strategies, they were old ones. 

"I can see that its got a power of its own but a good, calming one, one of peace and meditation good for thinking." He said moving to a chair he placed his hands on the back and smiled a thought filled smile. He could see why Robert liked the and he  hoped one day he would have a room as elegant and comforting as Roberts lab.

"I'll be right back," Michael said, deciding to leave Brant in his meditation for a moment. He went upstairs, and then down the hallway to Kate's studio with its glass walls and ceilings for maximum natural light. It was enchanted to always be comfortable here. 

This room showed Kate's mind--her love for the very zest of life, the color, the shapes and textures, her appreciation for nature and her keen powers of observance.  Many of her seer's things were here. He opened the door to what he thought was a closet. Nope. It was the darker, quiet space where her pallantir was and Dumbledore's pensieve, along with several of her own.  This space was much more mystical, and Michael didn't want to linger in it. It was energy that he didn't pretend to understand.

He turn, intending to close the door to her seers' sanctuary, but not quite managing to latch it, and he went over to the other closet and found her art supplies.  He found a wooden basket and began filling it with replacement paints

Brant stood and looked around absorbing the atmosphere that hung in the room after a moment he began walking up and down the rows of shelves that were all around the room he looked deeper and began to understand Robert more. "Loyalty is what he likes most, and family." he said softly.Brant thought about his own family and how now Roberts were an extended part of it. 

He moved around a corner and saw rows of pictures each smiling and talking among them selves. Each greeted him and told him how honored he was to be aloud access to such a place. Brant nodded  " I know for a potioneer like myself its like finding the holy Grail" he said and moved to find Michael finding him leaving a room with paints in his hands. "Kate's spares I take it?" he asked the book still tucked in his pocket.

"Yes," Michael said. "She keeps an ample supply of art things, so its not hard to restock her.  Hold this." He shoved the basket at Brant. "I'd better turn off the lights in the library and the lab.  Its never good to leave magical flame entirely to its own devices. Or at least that's been my experience.  The only one I've seen control that stuff extraordinarily well was Albus Dumbledore." 

He went back to the potions lab and turned off all the lights and then turned off the lights in the library before securing the door again as it had been.

"We'd better get back," he told Brant.  "Angus asked me to design some weird idea he had for a dessert, and it might take me a bit to work it all out before tonight."  He flicked his wand and apparated them back to the house.

Brant nodded and took the paints waiting for him he could understand " yes I know of one man left it going he burnt down his whole house" he told him and watched him leave to turn off the magical flame in the lab and library. Handing him the paints back he chuckled. "ah what ever you make will be good , we all love what you make " he said as he felt the pull of the apparation to take them back the house.

Jess smiled seeing Michael and Brant return from Roberts farm " well,welcome back " she said and smiled.

"Thank you.  The farm looks like its still in one piece. Jess, would you take these paints to Kate's room and perhaps make sure that little fingers can't get to them again?" Michael asked.  "I wonder if Angus has figured out that dessert idea of his..."

"Nope," Angus called back, overhearing Michael. "'Haven't tried.  I'm working on the entrée. Dessert is all yours."

"Robert," Michael called, "When are you going to start paying me for this?

"Probably when we can negotiate a salary," Robert laughed.

"Well, when it comes to money, friendship will get you absolutely nowhere," Michael said.

"Nor you either," Robert said, always a firm negotiator.  "If its going to be business, then its going to be business, my friend."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Michael said.

"You find the journal?"

"Yes, and that reminds me. I'm going to give you one of my muggle style permanent markers."

"Whatever for?" Robert frowned. "Why would I need one?"

"You have 50 years of potions books, none of them titled.  Do you have any idea how many we had to look through?"

"Yes.  Fifty years worth," Robert said. 

"You could have given us a hint," Michael scowled.

"You had a potions maker with you.  What more did you want?"

"Titles! On the spines of the bloody books!" Michael said.

Jess took the paints and walked up to Kate's room opening to the door she saw Kate sat by her fire. " I have something for you." she said softly and walked over to her. " Brant and Michael brought these back for you, they also said your farm is still in one piece." She placed them down on her knee and smiled as she then poked the fire to stop it dying.

" So whats your next painting going to be about?" she asked placing two logs down in the fire and watched it roar into life.

"My grandkids, I think," Kate smiled.  "I want to remember them at this age.  Photos are fine, but if I can capture them in oils,...well, Robert has always said there is something special about the way a painter sees a subject that transcends a camera. So, if nothing else, perhaps I'll do it and try to keep it secret from Robert for Christmas. 

"That, and I know Michael loves paintings.  I've had some ideas for an abstract painting for him that will peek his interests.  I don't normally make Christmas gifts because some people really want a purchased gift and feel short changed if its homemade.  I love making my own artwork and giving it, but I don't want anyone to think Robert and I are being cheap if I do that."