A Birth day

"Of course," Kate said. "Keep a sharp eye on him, Joseph. He lost his last home because he's lightning fast and takes anything shiny, from diamonds to paper clips."

"Minos has some limited ability to communicate with him, just in case you might need it," Angus told Joseph.

"Hey, Jess," Marcus said. "We're here. Kate's here too. Kate wants you to know that Robert is going to be taking a sick day tomorrow."

"Hey, Jess," Kate said. "Robert bought himself a Japanese cleaver knife to use in his workshop for his bigger batches of potions, except that he had an accident with it cut his good hand from the second joint of his middle finger clear down almost to his wrist. Scared the life right out of Michael and me. We put a tourniquet on his arm, and Michael summoned Nigel. He's lost a huge amount of blood. As it is, Nigel has him downstairs in surgery to repair his hand and close it up. I am sure, with that severe of an injury, he's not going to be working tomorrow. I think Nigel intends to step up to help with any surgeries that have to go forward until Robert can return to do surgery himself. I presume Robert may want the elective surgeries postponed if they can be. And I honestly don't know if Nigel will want someone professional to help with caring for him beyond what we can do for him. Nigel will want to talk to you later about particulars, I'm sure."

Joseph looked at Kate and nodded he understood then Ruby spoke " he likes liquorish laces too" she said chuckling as she saw Diggers small hand head to the shiny button on Josephs waist coat but Joseph looked at Digger " touch that and your a stuffed niffler." he said and the niffler sat back on his shoulder and looked back to Kate Joseph shook his head letting her know it was an empty threat, but it had worked. " oh we'll get along" he said and chuckled.

Jess heard Marcus then Kate " oh not a Japanese cleaver knife, those are sharp as heck" she said then sighed. " okay we'll reschedule his patients and any procedures, don't worry Kate." she said " let Nigel know we're good here, I'll have Portia work his patients into my scheduled rounds, no one will not be seen, and he hasn't taken a day of in years so about time, even if its forced.." she could not help chuckle " Just take care of Robert and tell him to enjoy his day off"

Joseph looked up at Digger and held out his hand to him, the niffler placed a shiny brass plate in it and Joseph placed it back down on the table and sighed " I see what Kate means now" he said .

Minos, who had been sitting on the fireplace mantel, chattered in Angus's ear, and Angus walked over to Digger.

"Hand it over, you little kleptomaniac," Angus said. The niffler tried to look innocent. "Come here, you." Angus picked him up, turned him upside down and shook him. Out of his pouch fell galleons, muggle money, some of Ruby's gold jewelry, and a gold doubloon pendant. Angus immediately reached up to his own neck and found his doubloon was missing. "I didn't know you had that! Little monster!" He thought he was done but Minos cast a spell and shook Digger one more time, and Angus silver switchblade fell out of Digger's pouch. Minos fluttered over to Digger, turned him upright and put him back on Joseph's shoulder and shook his finger at Digger, lecturing him sternly. Digger blew raspberries at him. Minos was not accustomed, as king, to be treated that way, not from anyone, and he snapped his fingers and, in a moment, he transfigured the niffler to a niffler sized raspberry.

"Oops," Angus frowned, quick to catch the gigantic raspberry in his hands. He looked at Minos. "My friend, a little grace for this one, if you please?" Angus pleased, wanting Minos to change Digger back. "He's only a child, as nifflers go. He has much to learn, and Joseph is the perfect person for the job. We know he has to learn not to steal, but he also apparently has to learn some manners too. Please? For me?" Minos shook his head, initially refusing. But then he looked at Angus, and reluctantly relented. He flicked his fingers and returned Digger to his niffler form.

"Your naughty child," Angus said, amused, handing him back to Joseph. "He might need some close watching at first, but I'm sure you'll get it. At least you'll get him when his pouch is mostly empty. Can't be sure he's entirely empty, but he can't possibly have much left."

Joseph watched Angus talk to Minos and then Minos talk to Digger who to his surprise blew a raspberry at him before being transfigured into a large Raspberry witch Angus caught before he could. Ruby watched as Angus emptied out Diggers pouch and she stood up " wow hey those are mine" she aid collecting the jewellery from where they had fallen.

Joseph sighed and watched as Angus spoke to Minos and he changed Digger back then handing him back some what lighter than before " I will certainly do my best to stop him and make him understand he only takes what i tell him to and not from your guys or any one else" Joseph said with a smile.

"I was going to ask Kate if she had any ideas for occupying his need to dig and steal," Marcus said, "but I just haven't had the time."

"Well," Kate said, "some niffler owners build their nifflers a dirt pit."

"A what?" Marcus frowned.

"Its, basically, a sandbox for nifflers. It needs dirt instead of sand because sand isn't stable enough for this, and I wouldn't go any deeper than about six feet in case it caves in. But, the owners dig a hole, and the sizes of how big these pits are vary from owner to owner, but they collect a boatload of all sorts of shiny stuff in all kinds of textures and shapes and sizes and metals, and they bury it in the dirt pit. Then they work on teaching the niffler that when he wants something to do, he can dig in his dirt pit for shiny things. When he gets everything all dug out, the owner puts all the shiny things back in the pit, in layers, covers it all with dirt, so the niffer can do it all again."

"That's pure genius," Angus said. "You know, Jack, there is that old garden patch behind the grounds men's quarters that is probably almost right behind Joseph's room. Remember, that was Jim's before he moved back to the states. Its all gone to weeds since them. Perhaps Joseph could have that old garden patch for Digger. The soil has to be pretty good for it, and all Joseph would need to do is fence it off and light it so that no one falls in, in the dark."

"That might be a wonderful place for it," Kate agreed. "But Jack might have a better spot for it. It's your decision, Jack."

Joseph listened to Angus and Kate talking and smiled at the mention of the dig box " I think that's a great idea " he said Jack chuckled and nodded to Angus.
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"I'll get on it and that's a perfect spot not far from his room so he can walk him down let him dig and them walk him back" Jack said then turned to Joseph " I'll get on turning it into the dig for him, threes some lights up in the rafters of the barn we can use " he added and chuckled seeing Digger eyeing Josephs buttons again.

Joseph nodded to Jack " I can help in the morning as i'm not on patrol duty tomorrow" he said and Jack nodded.

"appreciate the help, since it is for your pet" he said and Joseph chuckled swatting Diggers paws from his buttons again. accioing something he held it to Digger " you can have this if you stop with the buttons" he said seeing Diggers claws flexing " here" he said and looked at Angus " a chocolate coin from Christmas I hand left over, he might not like the chocolate but the cover should stop him for a while at least" he said feeling Digger sit back against him as he stuffed the coin wrapping in his pouch after throwing the cholate away.

"Splendid," Kate said. "Well, now that its sorted, I need to get back in case Nigel is finished with Robert. If you need something, let me know. I doubt I'll get any sleep tonight, unless Abbey is inclined to let me sleep on the daybed in her bedroom. I'm sure someone will be with Robert all night, so if something comes up, let me know."

"Will do. Thanks, Kate," Angus said.

"I'll go over to Edward's and start the security check. I can at least get that side done," Marcus said.

"I'm sure you could check our basement, and the upstairs if you wanted," Angus said. "We'll do this floor last tonight."

"That'll work," Marcus said. "I'll be back." He got up and headed to Edward's.

"It's going to be quiet when the girls start going back to Beaubatons the day after tomorrow," Angus said. "Since tomorrow's Sunday, maybe I'll do a slow, braised pot roast. I'll put it on in the morning on low and let it slow cook all day. And that would give me time to work with Anise on her dueling skills, and the girls can get their things ready to start back at Evan's Monday morning. Oh wait. Evan doesn't have a place for them to study at. I'll have to discuss that with Edward and Evan tomorrow too. Unless you all have different plans?"

Jack nodded to Kate as she said Digger was sorted and headed back to the main house again. Joseph looked at Digger and chuckled " okay we should be getting back." he said and turned to walk out the back door " see you tomorrow Jack" he said waving as Digger waved too with his paw making Jack chuckle. watching Joseph walk towards the guard house and his room. Jack looked at everyone and waved too.

" see ya later." he said and headed to the main house himself as Ruby saw Marcus head to make checks on Edwards side of the duplex while Aria went upstairs to do her check while she heard Angus talking about what he would make.

"sounds perfect" she said smiling she then heard Angus talk of the girls returning to school and that they didn't have any where to practice at Evans. She shook her head to him " nope sounds a perfect plan" she said .

"Well, with the house settling for the night, I'll go shower," Angus told Ruby. He went upstairs, showered, changed for bed, and went into the bedroom, turning back the covers. He picked up his book and realized he had finished it. He took it downstairs and put it back on the shelf and started browsing for a book he hadn't read yet. He sighed, frustrated. He had read them all. It was time to order more mystery novels from Flourish and Blotts. He'd do that in the morning. In the meantime, he picked up a book on the History of Magic, not because it interested him, but rather, he picked it because he figured it would bore him in short order and help him sleep rather quickly.

He propped up his pillows and leaned back on them, reading his book. His thoughts started to drift. He was thinking about adding a fireplace to Elwood's room. He figured it would maybe bring some comfort to him in the chilly winter months ahead.

"What do you think about us remodeling Elwood's room and adding a small river rock fireplace?" he asked Ruby when she came in for the night.

Ruby listened to Angus and smiled " all right I'll make sure everything down here is tidy and clean" she said smiling as she picked up the last of the plates from desert and set the washer going . Once she had made sure all was tidy she headed up and smiled seeing Angus already in bed as she changed and slipped in next to him.

Listening a she sat she smiled " I think that would be a good idea for winter" she said smiling " we can ask Jack to send for some stone masons to make it." she added knowing that would make it look some what like there's but she was thinking smaller since it would fit the size of the room.

Aria finished her patrol around the upper level and stopped in her room poking her head in to see two sleeping babies in their new beds and she smiled as she saw Caprice with one leg hanging over the edge of the bed almost touching the floor. Turning to head back to her room she paused looking at Marcus below in the living room area and smiled.