A Birth day

"Yep. You got it. Except the blonde hussy in the corner who keeps trying to do an invisible pole dance. She's been trying to chase me since Alette died. Oh. Sorry. You don't know that chapter. My bad. Bottom line, I choose to stay far, far, far away from the blonde hussy. She acts like a floozy, and her perfume has always been Eau du French Brothel. She is never going to be my type." And then Aria spotted the kids.

"Oh brother. Angus is going to ground them for the rest of their lives," Michael said. "I've got this." He walked over to the kids.

"Hey, glad you're having a good time," Michael said. The four kids greeted him, having the time of their lives. "You know what time it is?"

"Sure," Sam said. "17 minutes past eleven," he replied.

"You're not concerned about curfew, then?" Michael asked.

"We're going in just a little bit," Victor said. "It'll all cool."

"You sure about that?"

"Oh, yeah. It's fine," Sam said.

"Well, in that case, then, drink up. Have a great time. Might as well because, I'm wagering you lot won't be leaving the house ever again for this little stunt," Michael said. The kids laughed at him, thinking he was funny. "Your dad left here at nine. He's undoubtedly been home for awhile, and I promise you he is keenly aware what time it is. But, by all means, test it for yourself. You're liable t see how many different colors his face can turn when his blood pressure is pushed up over 500."

"You're hilarious," Sam laughed.

"Come on, Aria. We have work to do," Michael sighed, deciding to let Angus handle them when they got home. When Michael saw Marcus he signed one word to him. "Kids." And he pointed towards the bar in the next room. Marcus frowned and nodded slightly. He would handle it. He spoke just a word or two to Khaat, and the two of them. came towards Michael and Aria.

"You gonna handle it?" Michael asked.

"They're gonna have one minute to get their cloaks and head home because if not, I will have them for it. Angus might not be able to consequence them, but by God, I can," Marcus said. He walked over to the kids and spoke fiercely to them for a moment and the kids stomped past him, heading for the cloak room grumbling about wondering who Marcus thought he was for thinking he could try to spank all four of them at their ages. Michael managed to keep a straight face, but he did want to laugh.

Aria listened to Michael tell her who the sickly woman was and she nodded " do not blame you in the least." she said and shivered at the sound of her voice once again " let move away her voice is some what annoying" she said as Michael walked over to the kids and she stood with him.

Hearing them she shook her head and looked at Michael " their funeral well grounding for life" she said as they walked back in the main ball room pausing she looked at Marcus as he walked over after talking to Khaat and walking over to them before heading to the kids Aria smiled as each passed by them. " Always the dad, he has the magic touch" she said smiling to Marcus. She laughed as she heard him mumble as he passed them about spanking all four of them for being cheeky and stay out past their curfews. " I'd hate to be those guys once they get home" she said and chuckled but then heard the auction start " okay should we be in position someplace?" she asked as a stage appeared to one side of the ball room.

"Well, it can't very well get a good start when Khaat is hosting it and she's only a couple steps away from us," Michael laughed. "We've got maybe a full minute or two. Come on. We'll go backstage and help keep an eye on the merchandise as its taken up on stage, auctioned and removed again. There's always a lot of people backstage, and its an easy time for things to go off the rails. Maybe we can help keep that down to a minimum tonight."

He led her backstage, and he positioned the two of them near the bottom of the steps going up to the stage.

"Keep your eyes open. Only the people wearing those orange badges should be back here, and the ones carrying an item onstage need to be the same ones removing them--no exceptions. We'll stop any breeches of any of that. And no one back here who does not absolutely have to be back here right now. That's how stuff comes up missing. We always seem to lose at least one item that way every year, and I'd like not to lose one this time," Michael said.

At just past 11:30, the kids finally arrived home, none of them happy because of Marcus's threats to spank them if they were any later. However, none of them said anything to Ruby about it. They came inside, all smiles, as if the evening had been completely wonderful.

"Oh. You're home," Sam said. "Have a good time, Ruby?"

"We'll see you later. Night," Anise told the guys, and she and Ginger quickly scooted downstairs.

Aria looked at Michael and nodded walking with him as she watched Marcus take Khaat to the back stage area as she did with Michael she checked every one had an orange badge that brought items to and from the auction she stood by the stage entrance for the items and looked to Michael " some of those looked expensive" she said to him but knowing from what he had said earlier it was all paste and probably cheaper than it looked.

Ruby looked up as the boys and girls returned she smiled to them and looked to Angus " it was perfect" she said and heard them tell them good night before disappearing making her laugh " oh my goodness , they disappeared fast " she said looking at Angus " you put the fear of god into them with out even doing anything" she said and could not help but laugh. " but your right, we can deal with them in the morning." she added.

Aria saw Item after Item pass her by each person wore an orange badge until she saw one man who didn't she motioned to Michael " he has no badge" she told him quietly.

"I'll deal with Ginger and Anise in the morning," Angus told Ruby, "but I really think I'm going to deal with these two right now. Clearly, they already think they know what's coming." He took a breath to reel in his fatigue and his anger, not wanting to really lash out at them.

"Sam, Victor," Angus said quietly, deliberately holding his temper, "don't even ask me if you can take the girls out for at least a month...."

"A month!" Sam screeched.

"A month. Longer if you give me static," Angus said. "I was very clear about my expectations about curfew. By being out after curfew, the girls violated the law, and you were both with them when they were out after curfew. You knew they had to be home, and yet, you didn't bring them home. That means you both contributed to their breaking the law, so they aren't going anywhere with you off the estate grounds for at least a month. Furthermore, because you're both working adults, clearly you must have agreed to pay for their fine if they had been caught out..."

"Fine! What fine?" Victor was surprised.

"And the minimum for that fine would have been 200 pounds a piece," Angus continued. "So, I expect you to pay Ruby and me a total of 400 pounds, somehow between the four of you. I don't care how you come up with it, so long as its legal. You have a month to figure out how you're going to do that and to get it to me. In case you can't figure that out, that's 80 galleons..."

"We don't have..."

"Not my problem or Ruby's," Angus said calmly. "Figure it out. If you're adult enough to not only break the law but to encourage underage minors to do it with you, then you're adult enough to handle the consequences. Be glad I haven't reported you to the aurors because they wouldn't be as lenient as I've been. The girls might have scooted downstairs, but that doesn't mean they're getting out of anything. I'll be telling them the same thing in the morning. If you four ever, every do anything like this again, you will have absolutely no dates with them until they're legal age. I can and I will stop that. Now--go to bed, and I'd better not have to see you or hear you until morning unless the house is on fire." Sam and Victor looked at each other, stunned, but they turned and went upstairs silently.

"Oh, I've seen that little weasel before," Michael told Aria quietly. "Now where the heck was it? Oh, yes. It was in one of those little dark arts places in New Orleans. Stay back but keep me covered. I don't like the looks of this, and I'd rather have some backup." He went up to the man. "You're a long way from home. Where's your badge?" The man turned towards Michael, and he smiled a dark, menacing grin at Michael. Michael noticed a large gold serpent brooch he wore on his suit jacket lapel.

"Michael Tremaine," he said, hoping to intimidate Michael. "You can't stop us, you know. We control people and places and realms you can't even dream of. We haven't come after you yet. We're only interested in one of your associates. You're an old man, now, Tremaine. So go home quietly to your rocking chair and step out of our way. Let us take the one we need, and the rest of you will be fine. Continue to try to inconvenience us and..." As he spoke the gold serpent brooch began to move, and as it slithered up the man's collar, it began to grow and change into a cobra.

Michael didn't wait. He snatched the golden cobra and chucked it down to the ground and fired an incendio spell, causing the golden snake to melt into a useless blob of gold on the floor.

"i don't like snakes, and that includes you," Michael said. "Leave now, or I will have you arrested." The man just laughed at Michael as if Michael were being ridiculous, and he apparated out in a puff of black smoke. Michael picked up the blob of gold in his handkerchief and put it in his pocket. He looked at Aria.

"Good catch. I'm glad you noticed him, and I'm also glad he's gone. You okay?" he asked her.

Ruby sat listening to Angus agreeing with every word her said " your lucky he being lenient and still letting you see the girls on the grounds and giving you a fine, some places would lock you up for being out past curfew." she said but them let Angus continue until they went to their rooms. She moved to Angus and smiled to him " I'll make you a fresh coffee" she simply said and did exactly that placing the fresh mug beside his bed.

Aria slipped out her wand and stood about a foot behind Michael ready to fight should the need arise. She spotted the movement of the broach but was amazed at how quick and easily Michael dispatched it into a puddle of gold liquid. As the man spoke again she then saw him disappear and looked at Michael. " yeah ,I'm good but we should get back to the auction, but I think its mostly over now" she said siding her wand back in the holder " glad Marcus got me this though" she said and showed Michael the thigh holster before covering it back over again.

"Thanks," Angus told Ruby. "I really didn't want to do that, but I can't support them breaking the law. I do realize that sometimes in our work we end up having to bend the rules or break them, but we don't do that unless we're working to save the lives of others. But for them to break the law just because they don't feel like complying? I don't see that we can let that go by. And it isn't like I haven't discussed this with them before. I suppose we're fortunate that we haven't had to discipline them more than we have. They're basically really good kids, all of them."

"He was a clerk in one of the dark arts shops that I was in when we were in New Orleans. When I see someone here from there it isn't a big leap for me to see that he obviously works for Priscilla. They're obviously still focused on Angus, so that tells me that Suzanne is offering Priscilla big money if she manages to get rid of Angus once and for all," Michael said. "And, clearly they must be getting a bit desperate if they're willing to kill any of us for being in their way. I don't know that it changes anything for us, but I do think we're all going to have to be more watchful, just in case." Michael walked as close as he dared backstage to the stage itself. He nodded. "Yeah, that was the last item," he told Aria softly. "Khaat and Marcus will be leaving shortly, so when they leave, we're free to leave. You've done really well tonight. With this ball out of the way, maybe you and Marcus can honestly go out on Valentines Day just for yourselves."

Khaat came off the stage, with Marcus right behind her, and they saw Michael and Aria.

"We're done here," Khaat told them. "We're all free to go. Mom and Dad have already gone, so we're good to leave too."

"I'm ready to go home. You?" Michael asked Aria. "Marcus, I can take Khaat home if you like, and you can go with Aria if you want."

Ruby listened to Angus and nodded "I know , they ned to have boundaries , other wise they will run riot and we don't want that, your right though they are good kids , for now I think their just tying to push the boundaries as far as they can.." she said completely understanding why he did what he did.

Aria listened to Michael and nodded " Shesh, she doesn't give up, only if Marcus wants to as well." she said walking with Michael back to the backstage area where she saw him look on stage. It was only a few moments later that Marcus and Khaat appeared from the stage. Aria looked at Marcus and smiled as Michael suggested he take Khaat home and Marcus go with her " its fine with me" she said and looked to Marcus again.

"You're right. That's exactly what they're doing," Angus said, agreeing with Ruby. "And you're also right that they have to have boundaries. They're all trying so hard to be adults, but while the boys have a right to try that, the girls don't, and somehow I have to get them to understand that the boys can't do whatever they want and take the girls with them. So, perhaps if I'm tough on them, they'll get the message, much as I hate to do it. I do not want to have to go and bail them out of jail at some point."

"No, she doesn't give up," Michael agreed. "Keep your eyes open, Marcus. We just caught one of Priscilla's men here. We drove him off, but their man basically said they will take any of us out that keeps them from killing Angus."

"Meh," Marcus said, not overly concerned. "Not the first time I've heard threats, and it won't be the last. The job stays the same."

"I think Michael's idea is a sound one," Khaat said. "I'm safe with Michael. He can take me home, so you and Aria can go home together. Thanks, Michael. And thanks to both of you, Marcus and Aria. I certainly felt a lot safer with you both here tonight. Oh, and do thank Angus for all his help with the Quibbler tonight. I'm sure we'll hear more about Rita in the morning. Goodnight."

"We'll see you both tomorrow. Nice working with you, Aria. Goodnight," Michael said, apparating himself and Khaat home.

"I think we should get home too, don't you?" Marcus asked Aria.

Ruby smiled and nodded " I agree, tough love is sometimes the only answer, but they will learn what we do now is to keep them safe and for their own good" she said with a smile

Aria looked at Michael and nodded but hearing Marcus she chuckled and nodded " yeah , I think I've herd that line a dozen times so far and none of them even got close" she added the smiled at Michael as he said he would see her tomorrow " it was lovely and enlightening working with you too Michael." she said and stepped back as he aperated away with Khaat leaving her and Marcus.

Turning to face him she smiled " I should get my cloak first from the cloak room" she added heading to where it had ben checked in. Retrieving it she slipped it on and moved to Marcus. " okay, I'm ready" she said " by the way, you look very handsome tonight" she told him.