A Birth day

Ruby looked at Angus as he spoke and smiled nodding " your right just a plain old fashioned sewing circle, with every one bringing some food to eat later , and if the kids want to stay they can if not well we can have our own haloween party" she sugested then loked to Tara as she spoke of Rosaria " oh that would be wonderful" she said now beaming with a smile as Jessie chukled again then turned to look at Angus.

"I think the girls are putting two and two together sine Aria and Marcus have become very close to the pint their buying a cottage together, meaning...long term comitment." he said with a smile. " but it good to se Marcus comited to Aria and Aria commited to him too" he looked abck at Ruby and Tara as Ruby spoke of fabrics.

"oh we should get some sparkly fabrics , though we don't know what the girls want to go as yet, should best ask them first" she said with a chuckle " so a pot luck halloween costume sewing cercle." she said and chuckled.

"Well, yeah," Angus said. "They haven't made their relationship or the cottage a secret, but I don't think anyone should ring wedding bells for them yet. They've only really known each other for two or three months. They're still getting to know each other. I'm glad it's gone well for them so far, but I don't really want either of them to feel pressured to make a permanent commitment until they feel it's the right move for them. Especially since Marcus's divorce became final last month. If I were him, I would want just a wee bit of breathing space, and besides, I'm sure he wants his kids to be comfortable with any long term decision he makes. I'm glad the weekend he and Aria spent with the kids went well last month, but if I were him, I'd want my kids to have more than just a three day weekend for them to be comfortable with whoever I was getting involved with. And I'm sure that it makes it harder for her to get to know them when they're in Hogwarts and not available for her to really do things with right now. I think things might work out very well for Marcus and Aria, but I also know how sometimes the girls get all excited about seeing people in a relationship. They like to matchmake things and nudge things a long a little. God, the pressure I felt from other people when Ruby and I first got involved. It was insane. They were trying to push us into marriage almost straight away. There were days I wanted to shout at them all, 'Do you mind if I know her name first?'" he laughed.

He listened to Ruby talk about buying glitter fabric. He resisted the temptation to laugh a little. That was just Ruby, wanting to push everything along and sometimes getting ahead of herself. Sometimes she just simply tried too hard.

"They're going to look funny in glitter if they decide to go as hobos, Ru," Angus teased her gently. "Buy whatever you need, by all means, but yes, finding out not only what they want to dress up as but also what they see that looking like might be good to know first."

Jessie listened to Angus and laughed " oh so true" he said " and your right they need to have time together more than a few months , the girls will chill Im sure" he added then laughed hearing about the glitter fabric .

"Ruby looked at Angus and chuckled " oh, your so right , we'll get other fabrics too, darker and mute for any other costumes they want. " she said smiling happy to have something to do and help with the kids. " but I do think for now we should maybe focis on getting them into Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." she said siting back on the couch as she picked up Caprice out of her playpen to sit on her knee so she too could see Angus and the others.

"I'll do whatever I can to take care of that so you lot can take care of costumes at least for the kids. I don't know that I'll plan on dressing up this year. We don't even know if they'll be accepted, but since they're home schooling, they might not need as much as we think they might," Angus replied. "I'll try to sound them out on what they want to be when I have them out tomorrow--if they're not too nervous about meeting the headmistress."

Marcus came downstairs a few minutes later. He had showered and changed to casual clothing for what remained of the rest of the evening.

"Your suit is out and hanging on your closet door, and I've used a freshening spell and also made sure it's been well pressed. We'll alter the fit tomorrow when you put it on. You've been working on your exercising, particularly your upper arms with the time you had in that wheelchair, so I don't know that I expect the sleeves to fit as well as they did when the suit was made last year. Just do try not to spill coffee on it in the morning, will you?"

"Well, I don't usually splash my coffee, but I suppose there's always a first time," Angus laughed. "Hey, the women are talking about a hen party for making Halloween costumes for the kids. I'm sure your mom would be welcomed, and if she needs a hand with the kids' costumes, I'm sure she'd have plenty of help."

"Yeah, I know Aria wanted to be part of that this year, and since my mom always has done it, I'm sure she'll welcome not only Aria's help but anyone else's too, And she'd help with some of the others. Are the adults dressing up this year?"

"I thought I'd go as a fighter or a chef," Angus said, not intending necessarily to wear a costume this year. That made Marcus laugh.

"Well, then, maybe I'll go as a bodyguard," Marcus teased.

Ruby smiled seeing Marcus return all cleaned up and fresh she heard them and nodded " that would be marvoluse to have her" she said " and Aria would get to meet her too she said bouncing Caprice lightly on her knee. Hearing Angus sugention of what he would dress up as and Marcus responce Ruby could not help laugh a little as did Jessie as they both sat listening Aria walked down and smiled.

" then maybe I should go as a countess or some wealthy woman. she said and chuckled " na I'll just go as me." she quickly said as she moved to sit with Ruby and take a cup of tea. " but having your mother here is a great idea, she'd see where you live and work." she added.

"Well, my parents have both been here at the estate, but very briefly when I've needed them to either deliver the kids to me or to come and get them," Marcus said. "They know Robert and Kate and Michael, and, of course they knew Sirius and Remus. My parents are three years older than Robert and Kate and Michael. My parents were fourth years when Robert and Kate and Michael started in Hogwarts, and of course the Lupins and Michael have bought a large boatload of candy from them since they bought Honeydukes. It is quite another thing, though, to actually see or spend time on the estate."

"Well, they're debating on holding this sewing bee at Edward's because there's so much more room there. And if that's the case, your parents still won't see much of this estate," Angus laughed.


"That's okay. They've never been to Edward's either, so adventurous as they are, they'll be good with it either way," Marcus said. "So do you know what you're dressing Caprice as?"

"Well, I had an idea, and, about six weeks ago, I asked Kate to see if she could actually make something. I thought I would surprise Ruby with it. If she likes it, fine. If she doesn't, no harm done. I think Kate thought it would be ready in another day or so maybe," Angus said.

"Well, now I am curious," Marcus said.

"You should be., And no, it isn't a Hogwarts student or a mandrake," Angus said.

Aria and Ruby both listened and then Angus said he'd thought about what to dress Caprice in Ruby's eyes lit up " awe , say ita a pixie or a bee she'd be so cute as a little bee" she said chukaling when he mentioned a mandrake " why not she's fit in perfectly..humm maybe too perfectly" Ruby said and chuckled seeing the skink eye Caprice was giving her " wow that look is so your daddy" she said and chuckled showing Angus the look. Aria listened to Marcus talk about his perents and smiled .

"ah, so well before I arrived then. " she said with a chuckle as she looking at him" but it would be nice to meet them and introduce myself to them properly." she said sipping on her tea as she glanced at some costum designs in a magazine Ruby had open infront of her on the coffee table.

"Well, as I said, it's only been very briefly. They've either brought the kids here or picked them up from time to time, so they've only been here for a few minutes at best and right back out again," Marcus said. "Michael is a regular figure at Honeydukes and has been since moving to Hogsmeade and figuring out they have good fudge. Robert had Kate have bought candy for themselves or as gifts for other people or for the kids in Paris. I suppose we could always ask them to out to eat while they kids are busy at school, Aria. That way you could meet them on neutral ground, but I don't think you're going to have any problem with them."

"Well, we still have a few warm days in the forecast," Angus said, "so, you could always perhaps ask them over for lunch on one of the warm days, and if you like I'll cook something, and you could perhaps eat out in the tea garden. Take them out if you like, but I'm not above cooking if that's what you'd prefer."

"I don't want to impose..." Marcus began.

"Impose? We generally eat a meal or two a day ourselves, so I don't know that you'd be imposing," Angus said.

"Well, if we do that, they'd prefer to just have lunch here with everyone that lives in the duplex so they can see who we're actually living with," Marcus said.

"We can do that too. Why don't you and Areia give it thought, and I'll do whatever you want, and if you'd prefer to go to a real restaurant, then I won't be offended." As he spoke, the clock chimed eleven.

"You'd better turn in soon if you intend to be up and dressed with two dressed daughters and ready to be at Beauxbatons on time," Marcus said. "It will take more motivating than you know to have them dressed and polished and out the door to be on time. I have daughters. I know these things." That made Angus laugh.

"Well, I suppose you're right,": Angus said.

Aria listened to Marcus and nodded " sounds prfect" she said then heard Angus and nodded " we could do both one on a diferent time" she said " it would be nice to meet them so they know who their son is living with and that I won't do anything to hurt him" she said smiling to Marcus . When the clock struck eleven she chuckled at Marcus words " oh boy and do they" she said softly " you should slep too Marcus haven't you goa a shift with Khaat , or do you want me to take it again?" she asked as she finished her tea and moved to the kitchen to place it in the washer.

Ruby stood up holding Caprice while she waited for Brian of Khaat to fetch Abby from theres or as she was happy to have her for another night. " Angus did you say some one was coming to fetch Abby tonight?" she said looking at him but it was Jessie who spoke up.

"I'll carry her home" he said and moved to pick up Abby off the couch wrapped in her blanket. " okay night guys seeyou in the morning." he said as a sleepy Abby waved to them all before closing ehr eyes and drifting back to sleep making Ruby smile.

"okay " she said and looked to Angus moving she kissed his cheek " I'll put this one to bed se you when you come up" she told him as she kissed his cheek then turned to the stairs and headed up to the nursary. Changing Caprice she placed her in her cot and covered her with her blanket checking Finn was laid underneath the cot she chukled and haded to their room , showering quickly she dressed in her PJ's and moved to the bed as she dried her hair as she waited for Angus.

"If we do two different meals, let's not do them both on the same day, please," Marcus said. "Spacing them out just a wee bit would be better, besides they're ridiculously busy from Halloween."

"You just let me know, if you have set something up and I'll have something ready," Angus said.

"I'll do whatever you want to do," Marcus said to Aria. "If you want me to go with Khaat, I will, but I'm liable to be late tomorrow while I make sure Angus and the girls are well turned out for meeting Madame Maxine. Or if you want to go, that would give me more time to make sure they're ready. I might even tag along with them to help make sure it all goes off without a hitch."

"Thanks, Jessie," Angus said, when Jessie offered to take Abbey home.

"I'll be up in a moment, Ru," Angus said.

"Go ahead, Angus," Marcus said. "I'll do my nighttime check and head to bed myself."

"If you're sure," Angus said.

"I always just go behind you and check it again anyway, so you might as well just let me do it," Marcus said.

"Fair enough," Angus said. "I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, All." Angus got up and headed upstairs.