A Birth day

"That's fine," Angus smiled at Ruby, tucking into his beef entrée. He didn't dislike chicken at all, but when he could take his pick, he almost always chose beef. It was just his personal preference.

"The chicken is great," Ginger told Ruby. "We should have chicken more often. We had a lot of beef when we were home with our parents, so chicken is a nice change. This is the fanciest thing we've ever been to. I think our mother would like something like this. She likes her life, but I do think, every so often, she'd like to do something nice. Angus, what's the sauce on the chicken?"

"Its made from butter, lemon, and caper berries," he told her. "Do you like it?"

"I do," she nodded. "The berries are like itty bitty olives."

"Good observation," he smiled. "They're preserved in a brine, very much like how olives are preserved. Maybe the next time your parents visit we could serve them some really nice meal."

"Could we?" Ginger asked, excited about the idea.

"Certainly," Angus told her. "Would you dad object?"

"No," Ginger said. "Once a year, on their anniversary, he would take her out to a nice restaurant."

"That's a nice idea," Angus smiled. As they were eating, Patrick got up and came down to Angus.

"Evan just told me about Cora. Did she hurt you?" Patrick asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Angus said.

"Go have it checked when we're done, won't you? And I want to know. She thinks she has some money coming from my parents' estate, but I really don't think there's any money left. And if she actually hurt you, she's getting absolutely not one more thing other than what the will says I have to give her. She was living in Dad's guest house, and, frankly, I've a mind to kick her out, so I want to know if she actually hurt you." Angus nodded. He did not want to be blamed for one more thing. Patrick patted Angus's good shoulder and returned to his seat. Angus sighed and took a big drink of his wine.

Ruby saw Patrick walk over and listened as he talked to him. " he has a head on his shoulders" she said smiling at Angus then looked to Ginger " I have to agree those Csapers are saulty but it fits with the rest of the dish, maybe when were home we can look for the recipy and practice" she said smiling " I'll help you." she finished her food and the server collected the plate. " did Evan do anything to Cora becuse she's acting a little confused." she asked looking at Edward and Simone then to Jessie who was focused on each tray and looking to Marcus to signal all clear.

"Could we? I'd like that," Ginger said to Ruby. "You show me how to cook some of these other dishes that we didn't eat back home, and I'll show you how to make lace."

"Oh, that wasn't Evan's doing," Marcus said with a mischievous look on his face. Angus looked at Marcus, and he tried not to laugh.

"What'd you do?" Angus asked.

"I obliviated her from the moment she cast her spell onward. I'm sure she was a little confused as to why She was chucked out behind the hedge," Marcus told Angus and Ruby quietly. Angus burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. Anise looked at Angus like he had lost his mind, and Angus whispered to Anise what Marcus had done, and Anise burst out laughing.

"Serves her right, the old biddy," Anise told him.

"I agree with you," Angus said. They went from course to course, and Angus was getting very full. He caught a glimpse of his family members from time to time, and they were clearly wondering how he could be so comfortable sitting amongst them, smiling and laughing when they didn't actually even want him there. Angus was fully aware of what he was doing. He was not giving them one moment's satisfaction.

He was actually glad, though, when the last course, the digestivo, was served. The dessert had been a choice of tiramisu or a chocolate mousse tart. Angus had chosen the tiramisu, and for the digestivo, little glasses of grappa. Angus looked at Ruby.

"I don't know if this will be your speed," he told her. "This is grappa. It's a powerful, clear alcoholic drink, a little like drinking a glass of fire. There is a nonalcoholic option that I'm selecting for the girls. It's made with a nonalcoholic base called Figlia that has mixed fruits and spices, and they've infused it into a sparkling water. Its very nice, and it's very adult. I think you'd like it, if you don't want the grappa. The younger kids will be getting sodas, I'm sure. When we're done with this course, we're free to slip out and get out, if you want."

Ruby smiled at Ginger and nodded " Of course, a good appreciation for food comes from eating a wide variety for diferent styles of dishes2 she said then chuckled as Marcus told her it was not becuse of Evan that Cora looked confused. " oh okay so it was your doing?" she said and chuckled as Angus asked what he had done to her. Ruby heard Angus laugh and smirked as Ginger laughed as well.

Soon they were down to the last course, this one she understood was a drink . She heard Angus and nodded " I think I will go for the Figlia, and yes we shouldn't stay much longer now" she added seeing the looks some were giving them that made her very uncomfortable.

"You have to ignore then, Ru," Angus told her. "If they see they're getting to you, they'll really get nasty then. Don't give them one moment of satisfaction." Marcus served the girls and Ruby the spritzes made with Figlia and he served Angus a glass of grappa. The grappa was just nothing more than a shot or two because the grappa was so powerful. His relatives were looking at Angus, as if they didn't think he was man enough to be able to drink a glass of grappa. Some of the men drank it in a big gulp, as if it proved their manhood to be able to shoot it. Angus well knew that it was not the proper way to drink it. He preferred to drink it properly, and he drank it by drinking it in a few small sips.

The family and guests seemed to linger to talk, so when Angus told the girls it was time for them to go, Edward motioned Anise to come sit with him and Simone. When Angus stood up, Anise wrapped her arms around Angus in a warm hug.

"Be careful on your mission, won't you?" he asked her, hugging her. She nodded. "You've earned your place on the team, so make use of it to get to know Sergio and Ana and everyone else."

"I'm gonna miss you guys," she said.

"No you won't. You'll be busy," he laughed, "but we'll miss you." He kiss her cheek and stepped aside for Anise and Ginger to say goodbye and then Anise and Ruby to say goodbye. Anise and Ginger gave each other a hug, and then Ginger stepped back with Marcus and Angus to let Anise and Ruby have a minute.

Ruby looked at Angus and smiled "Yeah they're not worth my time or effert" she said softly finishing her digestivo. She saw Angus sipping his and smiled. Now she stood next to Angus as Anise hugged him and she smiled "You'll do really well, just watch Edward and Jessie " she said and moved to give her a hug too "Just stay safe, and hurry home okay" she told her hugging her close then looking to Jessie " you too duffus" he smiled and nodded at her.

Now with that done she looked at Angus " we should get going, don't want to hang around too long" she said then held her hand out to Ginger to take so when out of sight she could port them back to the main house to start packing.

Anise nodded, and then she went over to sit with Edward and Simone so Angus and Ruby and Ginger could leave. Marcus took them out of the wine cellar, and he knew how these things went. This would be when the women would be making a beeline to the loo before the affair ended.

"Not here," he said to Ruby. "In about five seconds, this room is going to have a herd of muggle women.

"Come with me," Angus told them. He went upstairs to the winery offices, and he used the magical lockpick that Michael had given him to open the door. The offices were locked up today, but the lockpick let them in easily.

"I want one of those," Marcus laughed, admiring the lockpick.

"Well, here's how it works, though," Angus laughed. "Michael insists you know how to pick the average lock before he gives you one of these, so that..."

"So that by the time you get one, you really don't need it anyway," Marcus laughed. "That's so like Michael to do that." Angus closed the door and locked it again so they wouldn't be followed.

"Shall we?" Marcus said. "You want to do the apparating, or shall I, Ruby?"

"I don't care if we walk home so long as we don't stay here," Angus said.

Ruby nodded to Angus and then followed every one up to the office area where she stood watching him open the door with a magical pick. Entering she smiled to anise and then looked at Marcus " please marcus I'll let you do the porting, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back home" she told him then looked at Angus " if thats okay with you" she asked taking hold of his good hand in her own. "I have to admit that meal was nice but the other company was very frosty, " she said and smiled to him. She looked to Ginger " remeber as soon as we get there head up and pack yours and Anises things while I pack for Angus and I" she told her " and please do it quickly so we can get home."

Apearing back at the house Ruby headed straight up to their room, she changed then began packing some things to take home , her jewlery was only one with the clothing they had found and altered into dresses for her. Now with her bag packed she packed for Angus , shirts troysers and cuflinks along with shoes and socks for him , now done she sent them down to the main living room.

When they got back to the house, Marcus opened the floo and got Kate.

"Marcus? Is everything alright?" she asked, knowing it wasn't something Marcus did that often.

"I presume that perhaps, since it's a Saturday, that Robert might be home?" Marcus asked.

"He is. Shall I fetch him for you?"

"No, that's alright. Would you please just give him a heads up that we're coming back in just a few minutes, and we'd like him to take a look at Angus's shoulder, if he would please. One of Angus' relatives had a go at him this morning, and I'm afraid his shoulder may have taken more damage...."

"Oh, no,' Kate said. "What'd he do?"

"She," Marcus corrected, "fired a blasting spell deliberately right at his shoulder because she could see he was damaged there."

"Oh, no. Robert is not going to be happy about that at all," she replied.

"We're not happy either, believe me. Edward did some temporary pain relief, but it's going to need Robert's attentions."

"I'll tell him, and he'll meet you at the duplex. How soon are you coming?"

"Maybe ten minutes or so. Ginger and Ruby are packing for everyone."

"Is Anise still going with Edward and Jessie to Romania?"

"She is," Marcus said. "They'll be returning to England at the end of their mission. I'm sure Simone will be coming back here once Edward heads to Romania."

"Makes sense. Alright, I'll tell Robert. Anything else?"

"No, I don't think so," Marcus replied. "We'll see you soon."

Marcus closed the floo and then sat down with his meal while Angus just sat for a moment, glad to be out and away from his family.

"The food really was great," Marcus said, tucking into his beef.

"You chose the beef too?" Angus asked.

"I smelled that beef and that sauce the entire time I was there. I like chicken, but I couldn't resist the beef," Marcus said. "And it is every bit as flavorful as it smelled. Your family, Mate, they're seriously disturbed. Some of them just really aren't right."

"Yeah. I know,' Angus sighed. "They've always been difficult."

"No, no, they're not just difficult. Some of them are certifiable."

"Yeah, some of them are," Angus said.

"Did you want to change before we headed back?" Marcus asked.

"No, that's fine. Enjoy your lunch. The less mucking around I do, the better," Angus said. Marcus finished his lunch, and he took the container out to the kitchen to throw it away. Then he went upstairs to get his bag and bring it downstairs. Ginger came downstairs with her bag and Anise's packed. She had changed to her jeans and an orange gauze peasant top.

"I hope it's okay that I changed," she said.

"Absolutely," Angus said. "We're done here, so by all means, be comfortable. Did you enjoy the meal?"

"I did,' she grinned. "I ate too much, but it was great. Your relatives, though. They're nasty."

"Yes, that they are."

"And they've always treated you that way because of some twaddle about a curse?"

"My entire life," he nodded.

"They're just not right. I'm sorry, but if I were Edward, I'd have kicked them all off the estate a long time ago."

"He's come close to that over and over. Most of the time I stopped him and told him they weren't worth it."

"They're sponging off him and treating you badly, and I wouldn't let them do either one," she said. "You really aren't going to let them do that when you inherit all that, are you?"

"I doubt it," he said. "My patience will run out with them before that."

"Good," she said. "It's about time they didn't have it quite so easy."

"I'm with her, Mate," Marcus said.

Ruby packed two bags one for her and one for Angus she quickly made rhe bed and made sure nothing they needed was left behind, Taking both bags she changed into a pair of jeans and a light lace top with an under slip to not show anything on her feet she put black ankle boots. With both bags in hand she headed down to the living room passing Jessie who had changed into his jeans, a teeshirt and a pair of hiking boots to be comfortable.

Smiling as she saw Angus sat still in his suit she transphigured it into something comfortable for him "this will make it easier for Robert to check that shoulder, and Ginger I agree, talk about evil in-laws" she chuckled but bent down and gently kissed Angus then placed their bags down next to Gingers. " okay were packed unless there was something else you wanted from here." she asked.