Fee Fi Fo Fum

"I did some dating but I just really wasn't happy with any of them," Brian said. "And the minute they found out I was an auror? Shoot--they dropped me like a hot potato. Said that made me unreliable. I was too 'unsettled' for them. They were looking for a man who wouldn't take any risks. I couldn't be who they wanted me to be. They wanted me to be a clerk at the Ministry, but that would have been awful. It would have made me crazy.

"I think, now that we've seen that we can't find other women out there that make us as happy as the ones we have, we need to do our best to let them know that we're happy. And, yes, since my tea cup is empty, I think we should go on to the jewelry shop. Its the same place I got Khaat's engagement ring and her wedding ring, and I know that Robert gets most of the good pieces he buys for Kate there so I don't question their quality."

He paid for their drinks and then led the way to a jewelry shop a couple doors down from the tea shop.

"Mr. Quinn!" the Italian wizard greeted them. "How nice to see you! And you bring a friend. Good." He turned to Jack. "I am Gabriele De Marco, and this is my family's shop. Any friend of the Lupins is a friend of the De Marco's. How can I help you gentlemen today?"

"Jack is looking for a custom piece," Brian said. "And I'm going to look at your showcases while you discuss his piece."

"Be my guest. So, tell me about this custom piece of yours, Sir," De Marco said to Jack.

"She's also a seer," Brian said, hoping it might help DeMarco.

"Ah," DeMarco smiled. "That gives me ideas. "Clear quartz crystals are called the master healers, and would be perfect for a healer, and there are quartz crystals that, depending on the shape of the stone, that are called Seer Stones. We could take make a pendant that had perhaps some quartz crystal seer stones so that they would do double duty--as healers and as stones that would help amplify her own natural seer abilities. They could be either the moon, like you mentioned, or stars, or both, perhaps. How big do you want this pendant to be?"

Brian went back to looking through the display cases, and he noticed a gold necklace that had a tiny diamond heart. The diamond was small, but that was exactly why he liked it. It was simple and elegant and small. He was sure--even though it might not cost a lot, he was sure she would like it. Now, if he had some sort of earrings that might go with it--maybe some tiny heart shaped diamond studs. That would be enough.

DeMarco picked up a pad of paper and did a sketch of what he envisioned, something that was perhaps an inch or a bit bigger in diameter so she could wear it all the time if she wanted. The pendant was circular, with a crescent moon, a wolf, and a shower of stars, with the a crescent stone for the moon, and tiny clear quartz crystals in star shaped settings that studded the sky.

"Yes, she's a seer. So is Khaat and Kate, and Abbey seems to already show some seer's abilities too. So you're chockablock with seers at my house," Brian said.

"Like this? Bigger?" DeMarco asked. "I thought perhaps she might not want it too big, in case she wants to wear it all the time if she wants. Brian are you finding what you want?"

"Yes. I found a necklace I like for Khaat," he said, pointing in one of the cases. "The gold one with the little diamond heart--the smallest heart. Do you have any tiny heart shaped diamond stud earrings to go with it?"

"I do," DeMarco said. "Is that going to be too small?"

"No, I think it will be just right," Brian said.

"Good choice for a ring set," DeMarco told Jack. "How soon do you want the custom pendant?"

DeMarco turned over the sketch to a jewelry maker to start work on Jack's pendant.

"Would you like us to clean and charge the stones? I presume you want some powerful crystals," DeMarco said.

"Jack, I think you should let Kate do that," Brian said. "Perhaps a seer should clean and charge the stones that will be worn or used by another seer. And that way Jess can wear it right away when she gets it."

"Probably wise, and Kate Lupin certainly knows her stones," DeMarco said, going over to the jewel case that Brian had been looking at. Brian followed him and pointed to the necklace he wanted. DeMarco nodded and got it out of the case for him.

"She does indeed. Can you rush the pendant, DeMarco?" Brian asked, as DeMarco looked through a selection of pierced earrings and found a pair of tiny diamond hearts just almost the same size as the necklace. Brian nodded. They were perfect.

"I can try. Perhaps three or four days, if all goes well?" DeMarco asked.

"What do you think, Jack? Will that work?" Brian asked.

"I think they will too, Jack," Brian said.

"That's fine. We'll deliver them to Kate," DeMarco said. He wrapped up Brian's purchases and cast a sizing spell over Jess's rings and wrapped them up too. Once they were paid for, Brian headed for the door.

"Why didn't you bring that with you?" Brian scowled at Jack. "Surely you didn't think this would only take us an hour or so, did you? Why don't you head back without me, then, so we don't have a problem and I'll go get our packages from Tobias. I'll head back home as soon as I can."