A Birth day

"Angus? Where the hell are you?" It was Edward's voice in the floo, and he sounded angry. 

"There's another country heard from," Marcus said, turning and going to the floo. "Edward, Marcus here. Angus is upstairs in the bath. What can we do for you?"

"What the hell has he done now? Can't I be gone overnight..."

"Edward," Marcus said, "take a breath. I haven't read the article yet, but the good news is that we worked with the aurors and resolved a huge part of the mystery of Suzanne and Reginald, and, in the end, Robert has made sure that Suzanne isn't going to be able to make any new moves on us for what we hope is a very long time. The bad news is that the ministry auror team had a leak, and it went straight to the press, and of course they got it wrong."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Not physically, no," Marcus said. "It rattled Angus pretty hard, but we're looking after him."

"Sounds like I need to come home straight away."

"He's tired tonight, Edward. I'll look after him tonight, and if you want to come back in the morning, then that's your choice, of course."

"I want a full read-in," Edward said. 

"Can I get back with you in a couple hours? I'll call you back, and I'll tell you everything."

"You'd better. I'll be waiting," Edward turned the floo off with a snap,.  

"He's clearly unhappy," Marcus sighed. "I suppose I would be too. He's had enough, just like the rest of us. I'll call him back and give him all the details."

"Lucian?" Michael's voice sounded behind Lucian out in the yard. Michael's voice had a bit of a sing-song quality to it. "I have a present for you. I think you're going to want it." Marcus went over to the door and saw Michael had a man with him, and the man was tightly bound by Hiss. He was tied wrists and ankles, quite literally hogtied. He was definitely bruised, and Marcus could see the captured man had been in a brawl and had lost.

"What do you have there, Michael?"

"Well," Michael said, "this is a rare breed indeed. This is a snake in the grass who would sell out his fellow aurors for a fast bob. Found this one here, spilling some very creative details about your client to Rita Skeeter in a pub in Knockturn just a little bit ago."

"Did you now?" Marcus went outside. "Untie him, Michael."

"Why?" Michael frowned.

"So I can beat the shit out of him," Marcus said, snatching him up by the collar. "Then, if there's anything left of him, Lucian can have those bits all to himself."

Lucian listened to Edward and looked to Marcus but before he should say anything he heard Michael from out side following Marcus he paused and looked at the man he held " well now, I wondered where you went" he said then folded his arms across his chest as Marcus spoke " well hes off my team permanently" he added anger clear in his tone " I'll fill the paper work and your out of the ministry, oh and Marcus. I did not see anything, he fell down on his way here" he said " so have at him" he stood back away from every one.

Jack walked or rather stomped over to Michael " that him?" he asked " you messed with the wrong family bub" he said and picked the man up by his neck and held him up leaving room for the man to breath but still dangling as he pulled him closer to him. " I would shred you and feed you to our pigs but it would probably unset the pigs your so rotten" he added and dropped the man before looking at Lucian.

"hes lost his job and will be going to Azkaban for his troubles as he did say some derogatory things.which is against his contract with the ministry" Lucian said as he stepped down to face the man again " your lucky your going to the ministry jails"

"Ruby?" Marcus called loudly. "This is the slimeball that said your husband was in league with Tom Gelding. You want a piece of his hide before I make him regret he spent the last couple hours with Rita Skeeter?"

"Nice!" Sam and Victor said, with mischief written all over their faces, as they came outside. "A new punching bag. Shall we?" Sam looked at Victor.

"We shall," Victor said. Both boys drew back their fists and slammed them into the aurors midsection and then clubbed him on the head. The man shouted at them to stop. 

"Did you hear something?" Sam asked Victor.

"Hear what?" Victor said, ignoring the man's voice.

"That's what I thought."

"Be right back," Marcus said. He went to his room and looked in a box of things he'd brought from his room in the main house, next to Khaat's room, and he found one of Robert's empty bug jars. He brought it outside. He was considering that perhaps the man needed to be a slug, but he was going to wait in case Ruby wanted a shot at him.

Ruby heard Marcus call from outside and herd his words now she stood up as Aria stood up and chuckled " go" she said and saw Ruby walk or rather march out the door to stand facing the man . she watched Sam and victor take a punch then disappear . She looked down at the man and spoke to him .

"how dare you" she said balling her fist she gave him a haymaker right across his jaw , as she struck she herd a loud crunch " that was from my husband, this is from me" she pulled her foot back and kicked him hard between his legs causing him to ball up squeaking like a little girl on the ground " you put my family in danger, I'm glad your no longer an Auror , saved from harming any other family like you have mine, I'm done" she said and looked at Marcus as he returned "that's too good for him but go ahead" she stepped back flexing her hand from the punch.

Aria went to find Angus and knocked on the door " they found the second guy, hes down stairs receiving some due punishment from the family if you want to go down too" she said from the door way. " Lucian has already demoted him from the Aurors and I have to say Ruby has a hell of a right hook" she added chuckling .

"Really?" Angus asked, where he was soaking in hot water in the tub. "Good. I'm glad they got him. I think I'm good, though, right where I am. The water is still hot and the firewhiskey is still tasty. Ask Lucian to please get the rubbish off my lawn, would you, please?"

In the meantime, Anise and Ginger had gone out, and they made a circle around the man, checking him out. Then Anise came around front and showed the man a fistful of galleons that she'd pickpocketed out of his pocket.

"Lookie here what I found," Anise said tauntingly. "Is this the going rate to sell one family's grief and pain to a sleeze like Rita Skeeter? That was really worth it to you? You know what? I know where I'd like to put your money but I don't think the healers at St Mungos have arms long enough to reach up to fetch it."

"Oh, yes," Ginger said, "Starting in the south and going north, just right about to his tonsils."

"Just about right," Anise said angrily. "Now listen you little weasel. You go after our dad again, and we'll make sure you remember both of us."

Aria chuckled and nodded to Angus " okay, I think Marcus might put him in a bug jar, but I'll pass on the message." she said with a chuckle " enjoy your soak" she added as she headed down the stairs checking in on the sleeping babies while she went to the back door " hey, Angus wants the rubbish off the lawn please, and I'd rather you do it quickly before it starts to stink, oh, my bad. it already is." she said chuckling staying in the doorway as she watched Anise and Ginger walk around the guy pickpocketing his galleons " hum , contribution to the family fund?"

Lucian looked at Marcus and the jar and moved to his side " you got a lid for that?" he asked as he glanced at the poor man on the ground " you do know how to change him into a bug right?" he asked then chuckled " oh who am ai kidding , he deserves it." Lucian said " I didn't see what happened and don't know where he is, got that." he added his back to every one.

"Allow me," Michael said. He flicked his wand and made the man into a cockroach and plucked him up and plunked him into the jar and put the lid on the jar. "There. Packaged and ready for transport." he handed the jar to Lucian.

"Cockroach. Eww," Anise wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You can have it, Lucian. We don't need filth around here. They probably could use a few more roaches in the muggle slums, but I'm sure you'll find a good use for him somewhere."

"Oooh. Fish bait," Ginger nodded. "That would work."

"That would work, indeed," Michael told her. Some of the bigger fish do like them, I'm told."  

Marcus turned and went back in the house. He stopped near Aria. "Make sure things stay good out here, would you? I'm going to go see to Angus." Marcus went upstairs and got a pair of sweat trousers for Angus and a sweatshirt so he could be comfortable.  He managed to get Angus out of the tub, changed his shoulder dressing, and helped him dry off and dress.

"I think, when the scumbag leaves, we should try to lighten things up for everyone somehow," Angus said, the firewhiskey in his bottle nearly gone. Angus had had quite a lot of firewhiskey but he was more relaxed than drunk. After all he had seen today, it would have taken more than that to make him a drunken idiot.

"We do have the lemon tiramisu that Kate made that we haven't cut. I bet I can get Aria to cut it and serve it when everyone comes back in," Marcus said.

"And then, see if you can get someone to take both babies out and hose them off with a fire hose. Both of them stink to high heaven. Someone has undoubtedly had a complete blowout."

"I thought I smelled something," Marcus laughed. "Come on downstairs, and I'll get you some fresh tea."

"Fine," Angus said, following Marcus downstairs.

Lucian watched as the man was transformed into a cockroach then put in the jar. He walked over and took the Jar from Marcus " oh I have just the place don't worry." he said and looked at every one " good night, ladies and gentlemen" he said and ported away from the duplex leaving Ruby and Aria stood quiet. Aria had heard Marcus and nodded as did Jack .

"we'll make double sure " she said as Jack walked over to hr and she spoke to him. " double the patrols and barrier , and make sure all grounds men know , do not talk to any press about anything" she said Jack nodded and headed to the guard house. Ruby headed in and smelt the babies moving she picked up Caprice and carried her up to bathe her and changed her while she hoped some one would gran Dimond and do the same.

Aria entering scrunched her nose " good gods" she said and walked dover to Dimond " couldn't wait a bit longer hey" she aid and chuckled picking up Dimond and carrying her to her bathroom so she could wash her clean . Now with both babies clean they were carried down and placed in a clean pen that aria had set a cleaning spell on.

"okay lemon tiramisu any one?" Ruby asked as she crossed to the kitchen and took it out of the fridge, she cut every one a piece and placed two plates by Angus chair for when he would come done from his soak. Aria headed up to where Marcus and Angus were " babies de-stinked and clean, there's lemon tiramisu downstairs." she said to them both smiling " oh and the lawn is clean, Lucian took out the trash" she added with a chuckle.

"We're on our way downstairs, I was just helping him change the dressing on his shoulder," Marcus said. "We were just talking about that tiramisu, as a matter of fact."

Everyone tucked into the tiramisu and the pot of coffee, and things got quiet, as they started to relax after a long and horrendous day. Angus saw the stress and strain on everyone's faces, and it bothered him. But this was his family, and they had gone to stand strong with him. No one regretted going, and, Angus knew that if he had had any idea what this was going to be, he certainly would have discouraged them all from walking this path with him, to try to shield them from some little bit of it all. 

As they were finishing their dessert, they all heard the sound of a portkey. And then, Edward and Simone came in from their side of the duplex, having apparently canceled their trip and returned. Marcus didn't even have to ask. It was written all over their faces. Edward had talked to someone and he had the details. Edward knew everything.

Edward came in, went over to Angus, and Angus stood up and was going to go over to him, but Edward reached him first and wrapped him in a huge, strong hug for a long moment. Neither of them spoke. Then, Edward looked into Angus's face.

"If you'd have called me, I'd have come," Edward told him quietly.

"I know, but..."

"No. You call me. You let me come and help," Edward said.  Angus nodded. "I'll handle the property and everything found on it. You leave that to me. I'll make sure it gets taken care of properly. You look exhausted."

"I think everyone is," Angus said.

"Then maybe I can help with that. Sit, relax, and let us help," Edward said. Angus sat back down. 

"I've talked with Robert," Edward told them all. "I'm proud of you all for dealing with this so well. So, I brought you something. Its a brand new thing I've been tinkering with." He got a little bottle out of his pocket, and there was some sort of a liquid in it that was honey colored but it glowed with a warm, comforting light. "It's called Sweet Dreams. It's a harmless potion that is mild enough for even the babies to use. And it helps promote peaceful sleep by making sure that all your dreams for that night are nothing but sweet, happy dreams. I think before you all head to bed, we should make sure everyone gets a cup of almond tea with just a few drops of Sweet Dreams. And, by the way, it tastes exactly like honey, so you might not want to add sugar to your tea tonight."

"We'll try some," Anise and Ginger said, not afraid of Edward's concoctions. They were also hoping to encourage everyone else to get a good night's sleep.

Ruby and Aria heard porting and stood up seeing Edward and Simone return Ruby stood up and went to Simone who wrapped her in a long mother like hug as Edward did the same to Angus. After a moment she pulled back and wiped her face dry. She heard Edward and saw him talk out a bottle that seem to welcome her in with its shimmer and glow " I'll take some" she said still with one arm around Simone as she smiled to Anise and Ginger.

Aria looked towards Marcus and nodded " I'll check the ground floor if you want to check the upper come the time, but I will if you will" she said smiling as she finished her tiramisu and took her plate into the kitchen to be washed. Ruby moved from Simone and took a breath. She felt that the next day would be better than this one as nothing could be worse. " Michael found the second man who leaked the information, Lucian has him in custody as a cockroach ." she told Edward then looked to Simone " I never thought my mother could be so.." she paused and shook her head " nope not thinking of that" she moved to check the babies who smiled and giggled at her.