Marriage is Murder

Jess spoke up and looked at them both " ow no no, its fine. Jack and I don't mind ether way, its actually a god send not cooking, leaves us free to look after the kids more." She said and Jack nodded. But Jim moved to the living room still feeling he'd insulted Angus in some what just because he couldn't eat the Pastries in the morning.

Steven looked to Kate and Brian and nodded " with Cassidy not a good cook its nice to not worry about how were going to eat" he said and chuckled as Cassidy smirked.

" I am trying" she said " but mostly I burn or I did" she admitted " I really could use more lessons" she said to Kate as she handed James a piece of his pastries. Brant came out of his room and walked down to the dinning room.

" oow coffee" he said sleepily and took a cup. He saw the look on very ones face and blinked " what I like coffee" he said making Jack smirk.

Brian decided to let Angus shift his energies back to some of the things he so badly craved--to use his auror skills and to fight again. He sent Angus to Paris to work with the organization again. It was a decision Edward supported. Brian didn't say much about Angus after he left for Paris. What Brian knew was that he considered Angus a friend, and his friend was burned out, frustrated, and tired. And Brian didn't want to lose him.

New Years passed quietly, and when it did, he took Khaat away for a week alone. Or relatively alone. Marcus would not be left behind, and Brian still had nights where he could not sleep because of the memories of the car accident that had trapped Khaat and him for so many hours. Brian wasn't as quick to go alone anymore. He made it clear to Marcus that Marcus was not to interfere. He was merely to make sure, from afar, that they were alright.

It wasn't a glamorous assignment, Brian knew. In fact it was downright boring. But it was the only way Brian felt safe in taking her outside of the estate walls for any period of time by himself.

And while they were gone, Robert had sent a letter to a potions maker who lived well hidden deep within the wilderness of Siberia. He didn't know the man well, but he was searching for some very specific things. Rare things that hadn't been seen or used in England in at least 30 years because they were so difficult to handle and potentially deadly.

He was not looking forward to going to Siberian in January. But he knew he couldn't trust this sort of task to anyone but a potions maker. Anyone else would not have the slightest clue how to stay alive long enough to bring these rare ingredients back.

Kate didn't like the idea that he would try to leave the estate. Not while he was still cursed. She watched him packing, wishing he would have tried to turn the task, just this once, to someone else.

Jess, Steven, Cassidy and Jack all saw the new year in happily and quiet with the kids and all the others each glad to have the holidays quiet with out any interruptions. Jack and Steven went to the gym while Cassidy and Jess sat in the living room and played chess Cassidy was winning but Jess made a move that took her bishop and she chuckled. Brant walked about with his spell book his nose still in it as he cast a color changing spell on an orange turning it blue then it tuned red and shriveled.

" Drat" He cursed and sat down dropping the shrived orange into the nearest bin. He looked at Robert and sighed. " I can't get it to hold its form after the color change" he said softly but placed down the book and stood back up. " I'm gonna go for a walk clear my head a little, no I won't go far" he said and moved to get his coat. Jess looked up from the game and shook her head.

"Just stay away from Brian and Khaat, they need time alone with out us around" she told him and he nodded and walked out the door. Jess shook her head again and looked back down at the board.

" ow nice move Cassidy" she said and rubbed her chin seeing her knight was gone.

"Brian and Khaat and Marcus haven't gotten home yet from wherever Brian took her to, Jess," Michael said. "Robert got an owl earlier from Brian telling him that they were looking at staying a few more days. I take that to mean they're having a good time, wherever they went. He didn't say. And, Brant, you've not got the wand motion right for that spell."

Kate came downstairs and went into the kitchen and began to package up dried fruit, nuts, and other nonperishable foods. She didn't speak.

"Kate," Michael said, watching her thoughtful and careful selection and her meticulous packing. "We're expected to get snow again tomorrow. You surely aren't planning on going out in this weather, are you?"

"No, Michael," she said softly, continuing to work. He heard the very rare fear in her voice. Kate was rarely ever afraid of anything, but to Michael, she sounded afraid. He went to her quietly.

"Kate," he said with a calm and quiet voice so that the others might not hear and get alarmed at whatever this was, "if this is something about Robert, don't you think that you should tell me? You did, after all, ask me to be his handler while he's ill, did you not?"

"Michael," she said, pausing to look up at him, "I love you, but there are some thing in this world that even you can't handle."

Brant walked back in just as Michael spoke and he nodded " yeah I'm too fast on the up stroke" he said and hung up his jacket then walked over he paused seeing Kate walk down the look on her face worried him and he glanced at Jess who shook her head telling him not to interfere that she would talk to them when ready and to let Michael deal with it.

"Its good there staying a few extra days " Jess said " they both need it about now" she moved her castle and took a pawn of Cassidy's. Brant sat down and practiced with out his wand the movements. Cassidy took Jess's Bishop and smiled as she waited for Jess's next move.

" ow now your for it " Jess said and smiled as Cassidy just raised an eye brow at her. She moved a knight and placed it two squares away from Cassidy's king. " there get out of that " she said and Cassidy chuckled as did Brant who moved closer to watch them both.

"Kate," Michael lowered his voice, and he was deeply serious now. "He is our Minister of Magic, and probably one of the best healers I've ever known. We cannot afford to let him do something stupid.

"Besides that, he's a man with a curse running rampant through his system. We cannot be entirely certain that if he's pressed in some manner that his logic will hold. We also know he can't control his emotions or his behaviors when they become intense. If he could, you wouldn't need me.

"And need I remind you that there is someone at the Ministry working very hard to get rid of Robert in whatever way he can manage it? If he gets between a rock and a hard place, I daresay that trail mix isn't going to help him."

"He's not giving me a choice!" she said sharply. "I can't touch him! What do you expect me to do?"

"Trust me," he said gently. "Talk to me. What the hell is he doing?"

Jess heard the change in tone of Michaels voice and could not help herself as she looked up from the game she was almost winning. Even Cassidy could not help but turn and look at Kate worried, Jess excused herself and stood up walking over to them both she placed a hand on Kate's shoulder. “ He's right Kate, A problem shared is a problem halved, that's what you tell us.” She said softly to her hoping to persuade Kate to tell Michael what was wrong and worrying her. “ Now its our turn to help at you” she watched as Cassidy walked over Brant was lost in his books and spells.

“What ever it is can't be that bad?”Cassidy said and looked to Jess who just looked worried at her “ ow. “ was all she said knowing the look Jess had on her face said it took a lot to get Kate worried and it had to be for her to raise her voice to Michael like she had. Jess looked back to Kate and Michael hoping she would tell him as she had felt Kate's worry and it made her worry that Robert was going to or was about to do something bad that would put his life at risk.

“Its something that could kill him isn't it?” she asked softly “ I know you and that's the only thing that would get you this worked up in his wakened state” she added and glanced back at Brant. “ Brant can you come over here a minute” she said and he looked up nodding he stood up and walked over.

“ what's up?” he asked Jess looked to Kate again before looking at Brant.

“I have a feeling Roberts doing something regards potions “ she told him and Brant shrank his book and placed it in his pocket now perking up. “ at least I have a feeling it is that since hes been working on a cure for that curse.”

Kate saw folks starting to gather in the kitchen, and she was feeling annoyed. She wanted to snap at them, irked.

"Kate," Michael said, his voice smooth and calm and even, "Robert can be a bastard when he's feeling well. That's just a given. I'm presuming he somehow told you not to tell us but I also know that you know when he's about to get over his head. Where the hell is he going?"

"He's done nothing but research this curse for months," Kate sighed. "Its almost all he thinks about, night and day. Its maddening for both of us. He's started to pull out some really old, rare potions books, some of them one of a kind journals from wizards he didn't trust much.

"Now he's got a new idea. It feels like pure desperation to me, but he's found the name of some old coot living up in the hinterlands in Siberia. I read part of the book. This guy sounds like a nut to me, and doesn't sound like he's being taken seriously by much of anyone.

"But the guy deals in potions ingredients that no one else in their right mind touches because they're so dangerous."

"And let me guess," Michael said. "He's going to go off to get one of those ingredients."

"No!" she said, "he's sent that weirdo a whole bloody shopping list. He's spent thousands of galleons on this stuff, and he means to go get it. This guy's been living like a hermit in some mountain hovel someplace, and he's purposely designed the place so that no one but a wizard would be crazy enough to even try to get to him, much less in the dead of winter.

"So if the ingredients don't kill him, taking the journey--with his curse--certainly will," Michael sighed.

"Yes!" she said. "For him, under these circumstances, its pure suicide."

Michael sighed heavily. He picked up the food she'd been packing for Robert. "Perhaps I should go try to talk him out of it."

Brant sat up and listened to what was being said he had a feeling inside he knew the man they were referring to and he was not good. Brant looked at Jess who also looked worried. " Kate what if Brant went with him, he is a potioneer and skilled at living out side" she told her " Thats if Michael can't persuade him to stay here and let Brant go instead" Brant looked at Kate as he nodded and smiled.

" I would be honored to go instead of Robert but I'm thinking hes wanting to go himself, right?" he said understanding from what Michael had said and what he has over heard Robert was a very suborn man.

"Even cursed, Robert won't ever send any man to do what he won't do himself," Michael sighed, knowing how Robert's mind worked. "Give me a minute. Now--so you all know, I'm about to piss him off. That's just a given. I won't fight him--but I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else. Your word that you're not going to interfere. No matter what. I need your word." Kate hesitated, not wanting harm to come to Michael. "That includes you, Katherine," Michael said firmly.

"Alright," Kate said. "No interference. Be careful."

"Of course," Michael said. He went upstairs and set the bag down on the dresser. "Your hiking rations," Michael said. "You should have had her put in some teabags. Its damned cold in Siberia this time of year. But you do have to know I will stop you. I will bind your magic if I must."

Robert scowled deeply, enraged at his friend threatening to bind his magic.

On their holiday, while they finished a midnight swim in a warm lagoon, Khaat suddenly had a horrid sinking feeling with rage and fear seeming to come from nowhere. She lost her concentration and began to sink.

"Marcus!" Brian shouted, too far away to reach her. But his SOS was unnecessary. Marcus had already dove into the water and had all but grasped her.

"Home," she gasped as soon as she and Marcus surfaced. "Home. Now. I have to go home."

"Time to go!" Marcus shouted to Brian. Brian saw the look in their faces--Khaat's and Marcus.

"I'll meet you there," he said to Marcus, taking hold of the portkey he had put on the chain around his neck. Marcus kept his hold on Khaat and grabbed hold of his portkey.

"Hold tight," Marcus said. "Its going to be a bloody cold trip."

The three of them ported into the living room, Brian in his swim trunks, Khaat in her one piece bathing suit, and Marcus fully dressed but now dripping wet.

Khaat pulled away from Marcus at the same instant she heard things breaking in rapid fire succession upstairs. She apparated upstairs.

"Go, go, go!" Brian said to Marcus. Marcus was already apparating after her. "What the hell..." He began. He glanced to Kate, and then he knew. It was Robert. "Oh, shit," Brian said softly. He had been quietly afraid of the curse causing a surge of violence, and he feared this was what he had dreaded. He ran upstairs as fast as he could go.