Small Packages

"Hi, Bella," Khaat smiled. She put her quill back in the inkwell and stretched a bit. "So he takes you out to enjoy holiday fun and then ditches you to go chase James, does he? Just like a Donohue."

"How goes it?" Angus asked Khaat, ignoring her playful jab. He'd always liked Khaat's office. It seemed to suit her. Robert had pushed her to make it a bit upscale. The office was paneled in dark woods, had burgundy carpet and drapes, and had an elegance to it. Everything was in its place--except for the paperwork spread across the desk. It was quiet here this time, and so far as Angus knew it was one of the few times he'd seen it without an emergency in progress.

"One department balanced, and only all the rest of them to go," she shrugged.

"You don't think you seriously can finish this today, do you?"

"I don't think I can seriously finish it this week," she said. Maybe before New Year's. Maybe. But I have a question for you. Were you out chasing James again?"

"Do you really want an answer?"

"I think you just did. The fact that he was out in daylight isn't good. What did he want?"

"Lunch, I think," Angus said, "but I'd bet he's back in the lair, answering to Fenrir about now."

"Good," she said.

"He can't come in here or your father's office anyway," Marcus said, returning. He wadded up the shirt in his hand and tossed it to Angus. Angus looked at it and saw it honestly wasn't a white button down. It was a dark colored polo.

"I don't believe it. You actually have something other than a white shirt," Angus laughed.

"I used to," Marcus teased. "I don't anymore."

"Why do you do that to him?" Khaat shook her head, glancing at Marcus. "You're baiting him to get you a trunk full of gaudy Hawaiian shirts or something."

"I hadn't thought of that but now that you mention it,..." Angus grinned.

"They're such boys," Khaat looked at Bella. Marcus merely laughed. He'd certainly been called worse. "I bet neither of them could get done all that you and I do in a day's time," Khaat said to Bella.

Bella smiled at Khaat's words, "Well not all of it was bad." She said thinking of the ring he gave her. "We're still gonna be doing some holiday fun. Hopefully it won't be too bad."

She looked around the office and really liked how the dark wood blended with the burgundy color. She saw all the paper word spread across her desk and wondered how she did it. She was glad that when she worked at the Leaky she didn't have to do that. She simply had to give Declan a paper with what she needed and didn't have to deal with the rest.

Her eyes went wide at her comment, "Oh wow. There's really that many accounts that you have to balance?" She asked softly in amazement that it would take that long.

She was concerned about whether or not he would go back to Diagon Alley but she didn't think so. However it still concerned her that he might try to.

She smiled at Angus' words and tried to laugh at their teasing with one another. She watched them with a big smile on her face.

"Yeah they are." She said agreeing with Khaat on that. "Yeah I don't think they could get done with all that we do in a day. It would more than likely take them a little bit longer than that." She said with a smile that lit up her eyes. She enjoyed being able to know someone enough to tease them and mainly have fun with Khaat.

"Yeah," she replied to Bella. "See that ledger there?" she pointed to a two 1-inch binders. "The budgets from last year and the year before. Stuff like this is why I have Daddy as the Chief of Staff. I need him where his skills are best. My job is more paperwork and administrative than his. His is healing and potionsmaking."

Angus made short work of changing his shirt while Marcus used a mending spell on Angus's coat.

"Here," Marcus held out his hand for Angus's bloodied shirt. "I'll put it in with the laundry." Then he looked at Bella. "Oh, in case you were wondering, Brian changed Khaat's little broomcloset into a fairly decent little efficiency suite because of the all-nighters that she and Robert put in with no notice. We just don't tell people its there because its definitely easier to guard if folks outside the family don't know its there. It at least gives us a place to shower and change and maybe catnap if we need to."

"There," Angus said, putting his coat back on. "Better." He looked at Bella. "Dessert tasting next? What do you think?"

She looked at the ledger that Khaat pointed to and looked at them. "I bet paperwork and administrative is rather boring at times isn't it?" She asked looking at the last two years binders with interest. then looked back at her. "I saw that he had piles of files on his desk and he looked like he was bored." She said trying to suppress a giggle.

Hearing Marcus' voice she turned her head towards him. She looked at Khaat with slightly wide eyes when Marcus said she pulled all-nighters. "Wow. Well with how much paperwork that you both do I can see why you do pull all-nighters. Not telling people makes sense because you don't know if it could become dangerous if someone told the wrong person." She said understanding the reasoning easily.

"Yes," She said with a smile at Angus. Turning back towards Khaat, "Whenever you have a free day can you come with me to Diagon Alley? There's something I wanna get but I kinda need your help. Do you think you can help me?" She asked wanting to get two people out of the way so that she could get the rest of her list taken care of. She knew that she would get the majority of her list done today but she needed her help on getting something for Angus besides what she was gonna make him.

"Oh, you're right. It is boring," she said with a grin. "I think its almost more boring for Marcus. He spends a lot of hours in here, staying alert for no apparent good reason."

"Oh, not true," he said, laughing. "I've read a lot of books, played countless hands of solitaire, and cleaned a fair share of your father's muggle pistols."

She nodded when Bella asked her about shopping. "Absolutely," she smiled. "I'd love to. I've got a meeting tonight, so I'm planning on taking tomorrow morning off. Would that work for you?"

"You didn't tell me you were off tomorrow morning," Marcus said.

"I'm going to take an hour or so to go see Tobias," Khaat said.

"Now, that's a trip you shouldn't miss," Angus said. "Tobias and his sister Naomi own a very nice wizarding clothing boutique in Venice. They specialize in custom tailored and custom designed things for the whole family. Tobias has a real eye for fashion, and they've been keeping us in clothes for a long time."

"Tobias has really outstanding accessories. Shawls, jewelry, sunglasses, bags, shoes. You name it, he's got it," Khaat said. "And if he doesn't have it, he can get it.

"He keeps everyone's measurements on file, and more than once he's been able to outfit us in some last minute situation," Angus said to Bella. "You should get to know him. He's a good ally to us."

Bella grinned at Khaat's words about Marcus. "Does he stand like a statue or will he walk and talk when he's staying alert?" She asked teasingly trying to keep herself from laughing softly.

"What kind of books do you read?" She asked genuinely curious. "Hmm, a card game and cleaning pistols I think I know what I'm getting you for Christmas now." She gave him a huge grin.

"Awesome!" She said excitedly because she loved hanging out with Khaat when she could. "That's great actually. What time should I be ready?"

She looked at Angus when he said it was a trip she shouldn't miss. "Really?" She asked then figuring if Khaat brought her that she could get a few new items for her and her daughter. "I think I'll have to speak with him about some things I would like to get for Rose and myself." She said with a smile.

"I think there's a few things that I'll have to look at, just someone has to go with me. The only thing I like about shopping is the necklaces and bags." She said laughing at her admittance. "That's impressive, most can't even say that."

"Well that's good so that you don't have to keep telling him or having him measure you." She said impressed by the man who clothed all of them. "I would like to get to know him."

"He does occasionally speak," Khaat laughed. "He's also very good about keeping the two of us in coffee or tea. But he chooses very different books when he's on duty than when he's not."

"You're telling my secrets," Marcus said.

"Of course. Secrets are entirely fair game at Christmas," she said. "When he's working he's reading either weapons manuals or books on war strategy."

"Ew," Angus shook his head.

"And when he's off, he reads history books or biographies," she said.

"You make me sound limited," Marcus said. "I am a Ravenclaw, after all. I read a lot of books. If you're going to Italy, though, you ought to be ready by eight or nine. Venice is an hour ahead of us."

"You will find a lot more than you ever dreamed at Tobias's," Angus told Bella. "I'll send word to Tobias, if you like, and you can just add what you want to my account. I have an ongoing account there. I pay it monthly."

"She's going with me," Khaat said. "Money will not be an issue."

"You should stop at the chocolatier's and the shop where Michael gets his cigarettes. They're not far from Tobias's," Angus suggested.

"There are a lot of good shops close to there," Marcus said. "Depending on how long we spend at the coffee shop across the street."

"He does?" Bella joked laughing softly. "Do you both drink each? Or does he only drink coffee?"

She laughed when Khaat said that secrets were fair game at Christmas. "Weapons manuals or war strategy?" She said her eyes wide, she was entirely surprised at the choice of books he read.

She laughed at Angus' remark on Marcus' choice of books while working. "That's a very different change in reading material when he working." She said astonished by the change in what he read on and off duty.

"I may have an idea of what to get you now though. Oh maybe I'll get him a book with a bright colored cover. " She said with a smile. "Ok so be ready by eight or nine."

"Oh don't tell me that." She said giving a small laugh. "I'll end up with more bags then sense. I don't think that's a good idea when it comes to me and necklaces." She gave a small laugh knowing that tomorrow was going to be fun.

"Wait what?" She said looking at Khaat.

"I'm probably gonna have to spend two hours running after we get back if we go to the chocolatier's shop." She said just thinking about how big of a sweet tooth she had.

"Yeah? What kind of shops?" She said with a smile. "What's at the coffee shop?" She asked wondering why it take long there.

"We tend to just graze during Khaat's workday," Marcus confessed. "Fresh fruit, cheese, and--when I can get Angus to make them--the homemade snack crackers he makes."

"Your hints are not so very subtle," Angus laughed. "I'll make some for the holidays." He looked at Bella "Go to the chocolatier first. That way you can take some of the chocolate with you to the coffee shop. The chocolate is great with espresso. And that shop also has great biscotti this time of year. My favorite is one they do that has the same flavors as a panettone bread. Khaat is a completely shameless addict to really strong coffee. Normally French roast, but get her in an Italian coffee shop, with really good espresso, and its hard getting her out," Angus laughed.

"There are some great shops in Tobias's neighborhood. The tobacco shop is where Michael gets his cigarettes. They're handmade to order for him," Khaat said.

"And the jewelry store a couple doors down," Angus said.

"Brian's bought a lot of pieces there," Khaat said. "Including my engagement ring and our wedding bands."

"Its a wizarding neighborhood where the Lupins have lots of old friends, so you'll be safe to simply have a good time," Angus said.

"All the good things to snack on which is good." She said with a smile. She chuckled when he mentioned the cracker that Angus makes. "Oh Khaat that reminds me I wanted to do some cheesecake and cookies for Christmas but I didn't know exactly what kind of cookies to make. I know sugar cookies but I didn't know if I should make another kind."

"I'm gonna end up with a lot of things tomorrow I have a feeling I will." She said with a laugh and just thinking about everything she was going to get already. She laughed when he said it was hard getting out of a Italian coffee shop with good espresso. "Well if the coffee is that good, I might not be able to leave either. I love having an espresso that's really good and strong." She admitted with a smile.

"Well that's good, will he need some while we're there?" She asked Khaat thinking about all of what they'd do there.

When Angus said jewelry store it had her think of something she could get him. She knew she would need some help from Khaat but she got the idea in her head.

"I'll have to take a look around in there," Bella said with smile. When Khaat said engagement ring and wedding bands it made her touch her own ring softly. "Don't let me get carried away in the shop though please. I'll end up with more necklaces than I can wear."

"Well that's good that it'll be safe for us to just have fun." She said with a smile.