Summer Picnic

Khaat finished packing the insulated backpack with food and picnic supplies for her and Jess and Abbey. It was a lovely summer day, and Khaat was anxious to get out of the house a bit. She had found a perfect little spot for a picnic in the yard at the Shrieking Shack, and since someone had seen to mow it, the yard was not overgrown for a change. Brian was putting a sweater on the squirmy 18 month old Abbey, and Khaat could hear Brian and Abbey both giggling.

"Don't make an all day project of it, will you?" she asked, trying not to laugh.
"Tell her that," Brian said. "I wonder how many parents have used Petrificus Totalus to get their kids to hold still."
"Don't you dare," she scowled.
"It's a thought, though, you must admit."
"I admit nothing," she said, as he finally finished with the happy tot's sweater and handed her to Khaat.
"Shall I go with you to get you settled?"
"No, thanks. This is a girl's lunch. Besides, aren't you helping my father to sneak off for some fish and chips?"
"If your mother doesn't catch us, yes." He kissed her. "Be careful. There are always some weirdos stalking around the Shrieking Shack."
"That's at night. This is broad daylight, and on a school day. We'll be fine." She balanced Abbey on one hip and drew her portkey. "See you later." She ported herself and Abbey to the center of town in Hogsmeade just as the clock struck noon, right on time. If she knew Jess, she'd be coming any moment.

Jess squinted at the sunlight and let her sunglass's slip down to cover her eyes as she stepped out onto the side walk that was in front of the building she lived in. She'd been invited to a picnic with Khaat and the children which she'd taken up on, partly as she didn't have anything better to do that day. glancing around she noted every one around her as she walked. Several people bumped her as she walked as if she was invisible but she didn't mind nor care it was just her way. Glancing up she saw the town clock read five to twelve and she chuckled to her self for being early. Sitting on some steps she waited for Khaat and the kids to show and it wasn't long until she heard the unmistakable sound of porting in front of her.

"On time as always Khaat" she said getting to her feet and walking over to them. " so...a girls day out." She said with a small lopsided smile on her face as she brushed her blond hair back behind her ear.

(I didn't clarify--at this point, Khaat and Brian only have Abbey--but probably not for long. lol.  So its just the three of them today)

Abbey immediately reached for "Auntie Jess," with a bright smile and a giggle.

"Oh, I see how I rate today," Khaat laughed. "Take her, if you like. Evidently she missed you. Can you believe Brian was considering using a Petrificus Totalus to get her to hold still so he could finish dressing her? I think he must have been in a hurry to see if he can sneak my father away from the farm before my mother catches them. My father's been craving fish and chips, and you know how my mother feels about that." She shifted the shoulder strap of her backpack and then took her sunglasses off her shirt, where she had hung them on her collar, and she put them on.

"I think it's a good thing I had him put a sunhat on Abbey. I think she might need it. There's some sunscreen in my backpack if we need it." She motioned Jess and started walking towards the shack. "I hope you're hungry. Michael was cooking last evening, and he brought us some lovely things for dinner, so I converted them into some gourmet picnic fare for our lunch."

Jess couldn't help but chuckle at Abby wanting to be held by her and she obliged, taking her from Khaat and balancing her on her hip. She nodded to Khaat about the sun hat "Na, she'll never get board of her Auntie Jess,I hope you told him not to do that, Its just mean that and I'd kick his ass across diagon alley,Anyway, The hats a good look for her, let me guess you chose it?." She said and pulled a face to make Abby laugh. Turning she followed Khaat towards the shack and smiled. "Good she'll need it, its supposed to be hot today and wow, he cooks too! I've been told his food is the best, glad I actually get to try it today." She chuckled as she tickled Abby on her tummy hoping to make her giggle again as they moved towards the shack.

Jess was happy as she was but envied Khaat having a family to love, she always felt like part of her was missing, but at the same time she was happy where she was right now. Working for Khaat and Brian and being their friend was the best thing she could have. It paid for her apartment and put food on her table with a bonus of seeing the world in a different way. It was now she became quiet as she walked.

"How do you do it Khaat? How do you balance being a mother, wife and healer, heck I an barely balance my bank account, but you.. your like super mum." she asked then shook her head " sorry been one of those days I guess, forget I asked"

"Actually, my mother bought the hat at some muggle department store in London, or so she said," Khaat said. "It really is a cute hat, isn't it? Brian actually did a good job choosing her outfit today. Abbey just didn't want any part of the sweater. I gave him a bit of a hard time for thinking of hexing our baby. I mean, really now. You're right--it was just a mean thought, even if he was teasing--I think."

The little narrow road was a pleasant walk, and Khaat liked the quiet countryside between the village and the shack. She took a deep breath of the country air and exhaled slowly. It smelled like grass and wildflowers--and, faintly, of cow poo. Even that was a nice change from London's muggle smog.

"Michael is a wonderful cook," Khaat told Jess. "He brought us coq au vin last night, and we had some of the chicken left over, so I took it and added some pesto and some chopped nuts and some minced up shallot and some parmesan cheese and made some wraps for you and me. There's some of his caprese salad for us, and his strawberry parfait, and some of my mother's peach lemonade. I brought some chicken for Abbey, and some little bite sized crackers for her, and some berries. I don't know what it is with her, but lately she'd rather eat berries--any sort of berries--than anything else. It's a bit of a chore to get her to eat much else but berries. Brian is thinking about asking my father if he can find a way to grow berries year round for Abbey so she doesn't have a fit at every single meal."

They reached the shrieking shack, and Khaat was pleased that she didn't see another soul around. She looked at Jess and smiled. It was perfect.

"Look. It's all ours for awhile," she smiled. "Come on." She headed across the yard to a spot that had the a mix of sun and shade--shade provided by the long shadow of the tall narrow shack itself. She put her backpack on the ground and opened it, took out a blanket and spread it out on the ground for the three of them, and then sat down. "You know I couldn't begin to manage, I don't think, without all the help I get. My parents think Abbey is the greatest thing, and they leap at the slightest opportunity to have her. Abbey is a Grandpa's girl, and she has started to call him Papa. Brian is her Daddy, and my mother is Gam. She can't manage the r sound yet, so instead of Gran, my mother is Gam. And, hexes aside, Brian has been there from the instant she took her first breath. I don't know what I would ever do without him. If he has his way, Abbey will never need to know that he is not her real father. But enough about us. What's going on with you? Catch me up, for goodness' sakes."

Jess walked and listened to Khaat glad of the change of air as they left the smog filled roads for the open country near the shack. " all sounds so divine, he must be a very accomplished cook, well berries are good, and that sounds a great Idea not just for Abby but you could in time become self sufficient, grow more that berries, veg and other things, herbs for potions." She said and smiled at Abby as they arrived and Khaat spread out the blanket in front of them. " its peaceful when its empty here." she said and set Abby next to Khaat before sitting down on the blanket.

"Not much to tell, got a new apartment better landlord, still working at St Mungos, I want to become head healer, if I get good enough, maybe one day. " she lay back and looked up at the sky. " Maybe at the same time settle down, but I'm not holding out hope on that I'm just happy to be able to do what I do and help others who need it, besides with friends like you, Brian and Abby here, you both keep me busy, in a good way" she chuckled as she sat up and slowly lifted the lid on the basket. " ooh Abby, I see Berries" she smiled

"Okay enough about me, my life is boring and repetitive, you mentioned earlier Robert was wanting Fish and chips?" she chuckled again " He'll get it weather she tries to stop him" pulling her legs to her chest she brushed some imaginary grass off them. " hes as stubborn as you are, sometimes I wonder who got it first, you from him or him from you." she said

Khaat had to laugh when Abbey eyed the berries and started to try to reach for them with both hands, making grabbing motions with her fists to show Jess she wanted them. Khaat began to set out the pesto chicken wraps and the caprese salad for them with ice cold peach lemonade, and the chicken and crackers for Abbey, with a sippy cup of juice.

"That girl is going to turn into a berry," Khaat laughed. "She frightened me last night, though. We were outside, and she fell into the pool. I thought I was going to die of fright, and Brian just dove into the pool, jeans and shoes and all, to go after her, but up she came--in full Labrador pup transfiguration, swimming on her own, and she had no desire to have her daddy fish her out of the pool. Her papa finally got her out by whistling for her. She swam right to him. Go figure. He's having to undo her from her Animagus because she has no control of it whatsoever. He says it is exceptionally unusual for anyone to show Animagus tendencies as a baby, and I have no reason to doubt him. At this rate, though, I'm going to have to have him and my mother move into the house, though. If he survives my mother's wrath for abandoning her new healthy eating plan for him by cheating with fish and chips. Here--let's see if we can get her to eat any chicken or crackers along with those berries. And here's a plate for you, and one for me."

She listened to Jess's update on her life. "I'm so glad you have a better landlord. That one wasn't treating you very well. So, tell me about your new apartment. I thought you were hoping for something a little quieter. And I see no reason you can't make head healer someday. You're very good at it. You know, you might just meet some handsome hunk at the emergency ward if you're lucky. You never know. Maybe you'll meet the perfect one for you."

Jess smiled and nodded " yeah he didn't do any repairs, place was falling apart, my new one hes more than happy to fix things, modern kitchen, cosy living room two bedrooms one en-suit, which I'm glad of since its new so nobodies used it but me, its perfect." she gasped hearing Khaat talk about when Abby falling into the pool but breathed out when she added she'd transfigured in to her puppy form and swum away. " it is I've not heard of any one this young doing that, she's truly unique." Jess said smiling down at Abby as she saw her grabbing for the berries.

"we can try but something tells me shes got your suborn streak and won't eat." Jess said taking a wrap from off her plate and biting down into it. " umm" she said and closed her eyes to enjoy the taste and flavors. "This ..is... heaven on a plate." she said in a food induced groan.

"Hearing Khaat say she might make Head healer one day she smiled " thanks, means a lot from you, seeing as how your head healer right now, as for the perfect one...na, if he was out there He must be really busy or hiding." she said and chuckled as she took a second bite of the wrap.

"Gosh, it sounds like a much better deal than your old place. You know, Abbey's father was an Animagus, and he was a Labrador in just precisely that same buttercream color. It's a cinch that the Animagus didn't come from my line, that's for sure," Khaat said. "Its a shame Rob didn't turn out to be a more decent fellow. He'll never know what he's missing out, but I'm really glad she's got such a good dad now. She's got Brian wrapped right around her tiny finger. Abbey, here, eat a piece of chicken for Mama." She held out a piece of chicken for Abbey but Abbey tried to push it away. Khaat sighed and took a berry and squashed it in her fingers and put it on a little bite of chicken for her. Abbey took the chicken and ate the berry off of it and tossed down the chicken. Khaat rolled her eyes.

"Evidently I have to be smarter than my daughter," she said. "If you want to polish your healing skills, you might want to ask my father. He is so much better than me, but then again, he's been doing it a lot longer than I have. He should be better. I'm sure he'd help you if you wanted it." She took a bite of her wrap. "I don't know how Michael makes his chicken so that it stays so moist and tender, but when I was a kid, some of my favorite meals were the ones he fixed."

"Jess, there is a man out there for you. Maybe he's busy being too sophisticated, waiting on making the perfect entrance into your life, your knight in shining armor." She flashed a grin at Jess. "And hopefully one with a lot of money. Just teasing. But seriously, enough to make you both happy. Okay, Abbey, no more berries until you eat a bite of chicken." She said, taking away the berry bowl. At that, Abbey, lowered her bottom lip in a trembling sad frown, and her little eyes teared up, and she began to cry. "You know, she makes me feel like the nastiest mother in the world when she does that. There has to be a be a trick to this whole feeding thing that I just haven't figured out yet."

Jess listened and nodded " I might talk to him and ask if he'd teach me, make me a better healer and become my mentor." she watched as Khaat tried to get Abby to eat a piece of cooked chicken, chuckling when she pushed it away " if there is I don't think any mother has found it yet." she said then heard her talk of Rob, I'm glad you found the right man, Rob was...well not pleasant to be around, I got a bad feeling around him like a shiver down my spine." Jess said then laughed seeing Abby take the berry and toss the chicken .

When she heard Khaat talk of a man being her knight in shining armor she could not help but laugh out loud . " yeah yeah, tell me another, "she said chuckling to herself " he'd have to be insane to take me and my life on, nope I'm okay where I am." It was now Jess turned to a large group of trees and frowned at a feeling they were being watched. "Khaat, do you feel anything, like were being watched from those trees?" she asked turning to play with Abby's toes then pull faces making her laugh at them.