A Birth day

"It certainly would," the girls grinned.

"Can we go, maybe, this evening if the rain has eased up in Paris by then?" Anise asked Ruby.

"Or maybe we can go next week after school and start to look," Ginger said. Anise nodded.

"Or we could just tell him we'll take the lot," Anise teased.

"Lord, don't do that. I saw that room once when Angus was looking for some sports equipment over there last summer. We don't have a storage room big enough for that," Marcus laughed. And at that moment, there was a big groan from Angus upstairs, along with Elwood's laughter. "Sounds like your dad lost the game," Marcus laughed.

A moment later, Angus came downstairs.

"You lost the game?"

"And three galleons," Angus laughed. "We made a wager on it."

"Not very brave stakes," Marcus said.

"Elwood doesn't take me for a gambling man," Angus laughed.

"Oh, God, he really needs to know you better, doesn't he?" Marcus laughed.

"How'd the trip go?" Angus asked.

"Sofas, chairs, beds, dressers, bedroom chairs, all done," Anise said. "For both of us."

"Oh, well done," Angus said. "Good job. Did you get some good deals?"

"We think so," Ginger said.

"Edward said they can go through the storage at the main house."

"God, I wish someone would," Angus said. "He has some lovely pieces but that room is filled nearly from front to back and up halfway up to the ceiling. Oh, and Elwood has a gift for you. Well, its for all four of you, but he's going to give each couple 200 galleons towards your new place for some of the things you'll have to buy, like sheets and towels and dishes and things. He doesn't think you should have to go second hand for everything, and he wants to be part of some young people starting some positive, happy lives together." He handed some drawstring pouches with galleons in them to Sam and Victor, who looked inside and handed them to Anise and Ginger.

"We need to thank him," Ginger said. The four of them headed straight up to Elwood's room.

"That was a lovely gesture on Elwood's part," Marcus said.

"He wants to be a granddad to his great grandchildren for whatever time he has," Angus said. "I'm inclined to let him do it."

Ruby chuckled hearing the groan from up the stairs and smiled " oh sounds like it" she said as she then saw him walk down the stairs to them telling Marcus all about his lose " oh dear" she said then heard the girls talking and nodded " yep, I offered to get them a pair of chairs as an apartment warming gift, don't worry they weren't expensive" she said smiling to him.

Both she and Aria watched as Angus handed over four pouches with galleons in them and smiled as the girls made their way up stairs to thank Elwood " yep, I think hes trying to make up for what Pearl took from him, I'm with you Angus , he should be allowed." Ruby said walking over to Angus and gently kissing his cheek.gently as she then moved to the couch " oh the baker at Sparks sent over some ice cream waffles with flavored waffles , Aria put them in the freezer , he'd like your opinion on them" she said " but don't touch the rum raisin I believe that one is mine" she said looking at him smirking " Aria bought it for me while they were over there."

Aria looked at Angus and shrugged with a smiled " hey thought she would like it" she said " got one for myself too" she said and looked at Marcus

"I don't ever question what you spend, Ru," Angus told her. He listened to them talking about the waffle cones. "Oh, she'd been talking about that. I'm glad she got it where she wanted it. She's sending over supper tonight. She created a way to make a pasta dough with pumpkin. She didn't tell me what she's doing as a sauce, but I'm sure it'll be tasty. And, if I know her, she'll have some sort of a tossed salad, and some garlic bread."

He went over and opened the shopping bag and looked inside. He found two bakery boxes. He opened one and smelled it and smiled.

"That's going to be incredible. An orange cardamom cheesecake in this box," he said. He opened the second box. "Oh, this is going to be nice too. A chocolate malt cheesecake."

"Like a chocolate malt drink?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. Exactly," Angus nodded.

"I want a serious slab then," Marcus grinned.

"What a malt?" Anise asked.

"Think chocolate milkshake but with malt powder added," Angus said.

"What's malt powder?"

"Its a process added sometimes to barley to create a warm, nutty flavor," Angus said. "I'll get some malt powder and make some malts for us for after supper sometime." He looked at Ruby. "Have you ever had a malt?"

"Have you?" Marcus asked Aria.

Aria listened to Angus as he opened the bag she had brought , she could not help but smile at each cheese cake " wow they both smell delish" she said walking behind Angus as she looked at it " and they look it too" she added then heard Anise ask what Malt was and heard Angus explanation.

Ruby looked at Angus and shook her head " nope , not that I know" she admitted Aria looked to Marcus and chuckled .

"only in beer" she said chuckling as she looked at the cheese cakes. " I have heard you can have malt as a drink too and is very nice when your not feeling well" she added .

"Is that malt drink the same as a malted milk, like what Angus is talking about, or it is something separate?" Marcus asked.

Marcus went to the kitchen and set out the plates and salad bowls and cutlery and some glasses for some drinks. Then he set out dessert plates and mugs for dessert and cut the cheesecakes too and set them out on the sideboard for later. he ordered supper from Sparks, and when it came, Lizzie had made some fresh pumpkin pappardelle, and she had made a beautiful brown butter sauce to go over the pappardelle, and she had sent along some brioche dinner rolls that had garlic and parsley in the dough and she had sent along some fresh salted garlic butter to go on the rolls. He opened the largest container and he found an enormous tossed salad--greens, with diced pears, diced sweet apple, crumbled crispy bacon, dried cranberries, crumbled feta cheese, and a very nice fresh poppyseed dressing. Just as the kids came downstairs from Elwood's room, Angus set the food out on the sideboard and set out a pitcher of ice water and one of iced tea.

"Supper is here. I hope you're hungry. It looks delicious," Angus said. "Come fix your plates, Everyone." Andrew stepped in straight away to fix a plate for Elwood.

"

Aria looked at Marcus and nodded " yeah I think so" she said " but it was thicker than milk so it lined the stomach." seeing Angus setting out supper she moved to help him then sat back as she saw the boys arrive " looks good Angus" she said smiling heading to grab some food for herself and sat at the table.

Aria did the same and smiled as she took a plate and sat down " the boys want to know if they can take the girls to watch a quidditch match and stay in a hotel" she said and looked to Sam and Victor " I'll let the boys tell you more." she said starting to eat her supper.

Ruby looked at Angus " they told me at the cauldron but I said they would have to talk to you too" she told him. " i don't mind but it would need both of our permission" she said as she looked at him.

"Well, yes," Marcus replied to Aria. "Malted milks, I believe, fall in the same category as a milkshake. Or at least that's how my family basically viewed them--sort of a milkshake with malt powder."

"That's exactly what it is," Angus told them. "A milkshake with malt added." He listened to Ruby tell him that the boys wanted to take the girls to a hotel and a quidditch game. "You're going to have to tell me more. That isn't nearly enough information," Angus told them. Sam and Victor explained that they wanted to go to Dartmoor for the quidditch game and wanted to take the girls, get a hotel, and make a weekend of it.

"Well, let's get one thing straight," Angus said. "The girls are still underage. That's my issue with it. Once they're 18, they can do what they want. That's over 400 miles. It isn't that I don't trust you four. I do. But, we're responsible. It's one thing for you to go a distance for a day, but a whole weekend? That's another kettle of fish entirely. What I might be willing to do, but I know this would crimp your style, is to see if we can find someone, like Edward and Simone or Evan and Tara who might agree to go along with you and, basically, stay out of your way, but be in the same area in case you lot have trouble. It doesn't need to be Ruby and me, and I honestly don't think we would dare go along right now anyway. We have entirely too many responsibilities on our plates at the moment. However, if we can find someone to be physically closer for the weekend, even if you never see them, I might be willing to reconsider."

"They wouldn't hover?" Sam asked.

"Not if you're behaving and being mature about things," Angus said. "They'd have no reason to. And I'm not entirely opposed. It's a good test if you four can handle being on your own, away from home, without ending up in the nick."

"We've never been in the nick," Sam scowled. "That was you, remember?"

"It was me, but, if you recall, I was framed," Angus said.

Ruby listened to Angus and then to the boys nodding her head at his response feeling it was the exact thing she would have said to the boys . When he spoke of a chaperone who would not over she nodded " I'm in agreement" she said and looked at Angus as he spoke to the boys about who went to jail. " well it certainly wasn't me" she said chuckling to herself.

Aria heard Marcus talk about the malt milkshake " no this was hot not cold like a milkshake. " weird must just be me" she said shaking her had " not had a milk shake version before but it has to be good" she added then listened to Angus who spoke to the boys and she folded her arms over her chest listening " dreading the day we have to have this talk" she said softly and looked to Marcus

"I wouldn't have let it be you," Angus told Ruby, remembering all too well willingly going to Azkaban for something he didn't do in order to protect his family. It was that case that brought Aria into their lives. She had been willing to work to prove Angus was innocent. "Anyway, dessert, anyone? We have more ice cream cones, and we have orange cardamom cheesecake or chocolate malt cheesecake."

"What's cardamom?" Anise asked.

"Its a spice," Angus said. "It's actually a seed pod. I use it a lot in my holiday cookies. You've had it but I'm sure you didn't know what it was."

"Can Anise and I split a piece of each?" Ginger asked.

"Certainly," Angus said.

"That's a good idea. I think Elwood might like that," Andrew said. "I'll cut the splits and serve them if someone pours coffee."

"Your turn, Sam," Victor said. Sam looked at him blankly. "You forgot. We were gonna take turns."

"Oh. Yeah. Okay," Sam said, getting up to go pour mugs of coffee.

Ruby looked at Angus and smiled gently placing her hand on his cheek " and that's why I love you" she said softly to him then chuckled as he mentioned desert " oh I almost forgot about desert" she said and smiled as he went to dish it up " that sounds a good idea" she said " means we can try both if we want" Aria nodded she agreed.

2definatly would like to try a bit of each" she said as Angus explained what cardamom was to the boys " its good when in the right dish" she said with a smile and a chuckle a she saw Angus dished up the desert and at Victor and Sam talking bout whose turn it was to make the coffee." seems the rota is working." she said to Marcus.