Lots of New Beginnings

"Well, they do a lot of variations on shrimp baked with tomatoes and cheese," Brian said. "You know how traditional dishes are. Everyone seems to have their little local variations on things like that, so I'm sure you'll find something you like. I never asked you, Jack, do you have a muggle driver's license? If not, Khaat and I could take you and Jess and drop you off for dinner and pick you up later when we're done with our own dinner. No problem."

"Did you see that Marcus left us a pair of muggle flip phones?" Khaat asked.

"No. Where did you find those?" Brian asked.

"On the counter in the kitchen," she said. "There's one for us and one for Jack and Jess. It at least gives us a way to contact each other if we're out and we have a change of plans. He's entered the phone numbers into the phones and included a phone number for his own cell phone as well."

"That's a really good idea," Brian said. "You know how it goes, when with muggles, act like a muggle. And cell phones are about as muggle as it gets."

"I'll get your phone for you," Khaat said, going to get up.

"No, I'll get it," Brian said. "Sit." He got up, went into the kitchen and brought back two cell phones and put one in front of Jack and Jess. Sitting back down, Brian opened one of the phones and began to look at the numbers in the directory.  "Why is there a number for Robert in here? Dos he have a cell phone?"

"Evidently," she shrugged. "I didn't know he did, but he doesn't tell me everything. I can't see us needing him over the next couple of days."

"No, but given the circumstances, he might need us. It gives us a way to check in with him if we need to," Brian replied. "But let me change subjects for a moment. I know you both have heard Michael and I mention to Robert that we don't want a recurrence of 1998...."

"Brian," Khaat said quickly, very uncomfortable, "I don't want to talk about that."

"We need to," he said. "They're our friends. What we say is safe in their hands."

"It's bloody painful," she said sharply, getting up and going inside.

"You'll have to excuse her. She's right. It is bloody painful for Khaat, Kate, Robert, and me, but if we're all going to be under the same roof, and if you're going to work for this family, you're entitled to know. It has everything to do with what's going on right now with Robert. I need to tell you what happened in this family in 1998."

Jack sat back in his chair listening to Jess, Brian and Khaat talk about the muggle phones then he looked to Brian as he asked if he had a muggle driving license and he shook his head. " I just port where I need to go never saw the need to get one." he then heard Brian say he could rive them to the restaurant and pick them up after. " that sounds great but wouldn't that mean you wouldn't be able to drink?" he said watching Jess look at the phone. Taking it from her hand he showed her how to flip it open with a smile.

"I'd rather get a howler than work this." Jess said looking at Khaat "I might leave any calls we have to make to Jack." she said placing it gently down on the table. Now both sat listening to Brian talk. Each sat quiet waiting for him to continue in his own time. "I was curious but wasn't going to ask." Jess said.

Jack just sat waiting for Brian to explain, " guessed it was bad back then, really bad." he said his body language softening as he knew what they had to tell them was not going to be good.

"It doesn't matter to me if I don't drink," Brian said. "That isn't a bid deal. It's fine. I don't mind driving. We'll drop you off and come back when you're ready for us to pick you up.

"It was bad," Brian agreed. To give you the background story, Remus was turned when he was just a tiny boy, and he grew up believing he could never have a child because he had been told the child would be born a werewolf. Now, we know that isn't reality. That isn't how the curse is transmitted, but he was told differently. He believed he would never have a wife or children. When Kate got pregnant with Khaat, Remus was terrified he would transmit the curse to Kate's child, so he got Nicolas Flamel to make Khaat's necklace.

"You might be interested to know that Kate dated Remus before she dated and fell in love with Robert but that's water under the bridge now. When Khaat was born, she and Remus were like two peas in a pod, and she was closer to him than to her own parents. She and Robert had nothing in common, and she wasn't generally interested in anything Kate was interested in.

"And then, at the end of the wizarding war in 1998--May 2, to be exact, Remus and Tonks were killed in battle. Khaat was a 7th year that year, like Harry and the rest of us, but she was devasted when Remus was killed. He was the one who had, primarily, raised her. She felt like she'd lost her whole family. She fell into such deep despair that her grief damned near killed her.

"That's when Robert stepped in. Hogwarts was closed of course because of all the destruction to the school, so when Khaat got sick, he used all his healing powers to try to help her. And then he found the spell we now know as the life support spell--the one we don't use very often because of how much damage it can do to a healer. He used that spell to the extend that his use of it nearly killed him too. Kate had lost Remus, and nearly lost Khaat and Robert both. It was as they were recoving that Khaat made any relationship with either of her parents.

"The reason it's important to know the connection is that the state Robert is in now is not all that different from the state he got to in trying to save her. Robert doesn't share emotions often, but when you see him get quieter and quieter, that's when you need to be absolutely positive things aren't good. And if he's smoking cigarettes? That's a dead give away. They're a huge red flag that things aren't good. Michael and I don't want Robert back in the poor health he was in '98, and Robert doesn't seem to see how close he is to it. And I can promise you it haunts both Khaat and Kate. That's what Michael and I were trying to get Robert to see. His current health brings back probably the darkest period in the Lupin family history. That's what Khaat doesn't want to remember or talk about."

Jack felt Jess take his hand as Brian spoke and he looked at her he could see the shock on her face and he held her hand tight. When Brian finished he sighed and nodded " understandable" he simply said Jess nodded and looked to Khaat.

"well I for one, am not going to let him get like that again" she said " and I thank you for telling us this, now we can watch for the warning signs as well, especially while he's at work." Jess told Khaat as she sat back and sipped her drink and ate some cheese from the platter.

"When Robert got that sick, Kate called the healer who was chief of staff then, a chap called Hippocrates Smethwyck. Old Smethwyck was Robert's mentor as a healer, and he went to the farm and when he found how how sick Khaat and Robert both were, he stepped in. In the process, he gave Robert whatfor for using what was then a forbidden spell, and for misusing his magic and his healing powers in what Smethwyck said was a shameful manner. It took Kate and Smethwyck to get Robert back onto a proper track. The thing about a Gryffindor is that we all tend to not think twice about tossing ourselves under the proverbial bus if we think it'll save someone we love, which was exactly what Robert was doing. And the fact that it has taken us to try to get Robert off this current track makes it look like history repeating itself." He glanced back towards their rooms. "Khaat, don't be antisocial. Come back out."

She came back out, reluctantly, but in time to hear Jess say that she wasn't going to let Robert get that way again.

"Nor will I. When we get back, I'm going to renew my efforts to try to get James out of our lives. With all the murders James has caused, Robert is surely feeling the pressure to get him stopped, not to mention James' desire to get back at you and to catch and take Khaat for his own. James needs to be in Azkaban--or whatever other way we can stop him. That will reduce part of the problem. And hopefully, Lee's healer friends will take the stress out of St. Mungos things. Right now, the best we can do is to get ourselves and our lives together and be ready to give whatever help we can."

"Thank you, Jess," Khaat said. "Now, can we please change the subject? It's supposed to be a happy weekend, and this is not a happy subject. James doesn't get to spoil this weekend. It's getting close to dinner time, so perhaps we ought to freshen up for dinner? Marcus could be here anytime now."

Jack listened and nodded his head turning to see Khaat walk back out and talk to them. " agreed my brother is not worth it on both accounts" Jack said and stood up " now, I'll take Jess and we'll get ready." he said offering his hand to Jess. " see you in a few minuets."

Jess chuckled and looked to Khaat "You'd think we were already married the way hes carrying on." she said " not that I'm complaining." she said walking past him and giving him a smack on his butt.

"hey" Jack said with a chuckle " oh your so for it." this made Jess laugh and dive into their room.

"only if you can catch me" she called back and laughed as he dove towards her.

"make that ten minuets" Jack called back to Brian and Khaat.

Khaat didn't want the conversation to keep returning to dark things so she was going to do her best to make sure that she was trying to help keep it lighter. She chose to use one of her scarves as a top that she tied around her, and she used a sarong cleverly wrapped as a skirt, with a belt to hold the whole things together, and she added some simple wedge heeled sandals with it. The heels were painful for her knee, and Brian noticed a much more pronounced limp with them, so he used a spell and lowered the heels on the shoes to just a kitten heel so it wasn't nearly as painful.

She walked outside while Brian finished dressing, and she saw Marcus there waiting.

"Very nice," he smiled, looking at her outfit. "Next time I have to go out in the field, I hope I have you with me. You can make a really classy outfit out of darned near anything, can't you?"

"Well, since it's just casual..."

"I like that on you. Very flattering. Anyway, here are your reservations." He handed her two envelopes, one marked J&J and the other marked B&K.

"Thank you," she said.

"How's it going?"

"Very nice," she said. "But it might all go too fast," she smiled.

"You can come back any time you want," Marcus said. "My friend would be happy to have you."

"That's good to know," she said. "And what will you do for dinner?"

"You are my assignment, no disrespect to anyone else. I'll be following you and staying in the background. Ignore me, as if you've never seen me."

"Look, it's a bit hard to not notice a blond haired Englishman in with all these Greeks."

"Do try," he laughed. "And you found the phones?"

"Yes. Jess has one because Jack isn't into muggle devices, and Brian has the other."

"That's fine. Have a good time tonight. It isn't a full moon, so you have nothing to worry about," he said, walking away and disapparating as he left.

"Who were you talking to?" Brian asked, coming out.

"Marcus," she said.

"Where is he?"

"Gone already. He brought over the dinner reservation information," she said.

Jack chuckled as he left there room dressed in cotton slacks and a light white shirt. " those the reservations?" he asked walking over " Jess will be out in a moment shes just finishing up" he said and picked up the information Marcus had left for them.

"Khaat, your looking good" Jess said walking out in a simple yet light sundress and flat shoes, her hair was done up in a bun to keep her from sweating, over her shoulder was a small handbag with a bright yellow flower covering the clasp that matched the flowers in her sun had that she held in her right hand. " did I hear Marcus before." she asked

"It is," Khaat told Jack, handing him the envelope with his reservations. "Brian will need the address, but I'm sure Marcus chose well. His goal is to not be seen anymore than necessary, so he popped in and right back out again.

"Jess, I like that sundress a lot. It looks like it was made for you," she said. "And that bag is perfect with it. Very flattering."

"It certainly is," Brian said, "And you clean up pretty well, Jack. Looking good." Khaat handed him the envelope Marcus left for them, and Brian opened it and looked at the restaurant information. "Okay. It looks simple enough. I think I can find it. What about your restaurant, Jack? Ours came with a simple map. I presume there's a little map in your envelope too? Can I see it so I know where we're going?" He got the car keys out of his pocket for the SUV.

Jack smiled at Jess's choice of dress " thats one of the ones I chose." he said smiling as Jess moved to stand next to him. He took the envelope and opened it seeing a map with directions to the restaurant. " here." he said and handed Brian the map. " looks like a small family run restaurant with views out over the sea, perfect." he said with a smile.

"Thank you both." Jess said smiling as she looped her arm around Jacks. " oh sounds perfect for a romantic night out." she then kissed Jack on his cheek and quickly wiped away her lip gloss that remain on his cheek.