A Birth day

Angus and Anise worked for over 90 minutes. She was getting it, Angus believed. Her stance was a good deal better, and she was understanding what he was saying about being observant and about how her opponent's body language often showed some telltale signs of what action they were going to do next. He pushed her hard, and she was rising to the challenge, actually enjoying it. The harder he pushed, the more she was liking it.

And then, it happened. While she was running across the yard to meet Angus's fire, she stumbled over her own two feet and fell hard, her right knee striking the ground so hard that Angus heard the cracking sound it made. It made her cry out in pain, and she curled up drawing her knee to her chest, her arms around her leg. Angus flew to her, fearing the absolute worst.

"Don't move. I'll go for Nigel," Marcus called, racing for the main house.

Angus knelt beside Anise, feeling that his pushing had just blown her chances to compete at the tournament. He felt massive, overwhelming guilt and, at that moment, he felt like the worst father in the world and an even worse trainer.

Nigel followed Marcus out on the run, and they both came over and knelt beside her. Angus explained what had happened as Nigel was examining her knee. Angus was doing his best to hide any sign of being upset in the least for her sake.

"It's soft tissue damage," Nigel said, "specifically cartilage damage, and possibly a ligament. Painful stuff to be sure. This is only Monday. She doesn't compete til Saturday. I can ease the pain and the swelling for now, but he's the man you want for the actual repairs. This is that musculoskeletal stuff he's so damned good at."

"Well, he's not here," Angus sighed.

"Oh, he will be," Nigel insisted. "He hasn't slept in the last two or three nights, and it can't continue. He's coming home by supper time for some food and some sleep. If he doesn't, I'll ground him, and then he won't be working at all, so he'll have plenty of time. He can check on her when he gets home. I expect him in the next hour or sooner."

"His insomnia again?"

"Partly. Part of it is the injury to his hand. It's just deep and painful. Kate's actually destroyed that damned cleaver entirely now, and she's perfectly justified, in my opinion. And then there's been Mileva and now this business at the ministry. So even if the insomnia hadn't been an issue, fate has presented him with a chain of things to demand his attention in the middle of the night. So, much as I thought I'd be returning quickly to New York, that isn't in the cards, not til he's back up and ready to go back to his duties. So, here's my suggestion. Let's take her in to your house, perhaps as far as the sofa, elevate and ice the knee and I'll give her some pain potion until Robert gets home. Then he can check it for himself. Can you bring her?"

"Absolutely," Angus said, picking her up. He carried her to the house, with Marcus ahead of him, and Nigel followed. Angus took Anise to the sofa, and Marcus headed to the pantry to get an ice bag so he could make an ice pack for Anise.

"Ruby," Marcus asked quietly, feeling she had seen some of what had happened, "can you find us some extra pillows for Anise, some for under her knee and maybe a couple to lean back against? She may want something cold to drink too. She's been working awfully hard, and I'm sure this is really upsetting for her. We need to try to make her calm and comfortable til Robert can check her knee."

Aria and Ruby watched as Angus spared with Anise each time getting harder and harder then it happened , Ruby watched as Anise started to run but then fell hard. Ruby took up running and went right to Anise kneeling next to her as well as Angus but when Nigel walked out she backed off letting them do their work. Aria watched them talk then pick up Anise heading to the couch.

"I'm on it" Ruby said and headed up to the hallway cupboard returning with three fluffy pillows to put two behind her back and on under her knee while Aria moved to the kitchen and grabbed a cold soda poring it into a glass with a straw .

"here you go, well deserved I might add a nice cold soda" she said smiling as she handed Anise the soda.

Angus felt relief when Ruby and Aria stepped in the help make Anise comfortable. After he laid her on the sofa, he took a step away to go to the kitchen, and Anise grabbed tightly to his hand. She was frightened that her chance at the tournament was over.

"You can't leave me," she told him softly.

"Just going to the kitchen for some coffee. I'll be right back," he told her. She took a breath, nodded and let go of his hand. While Aria and Ruby tended to Anise, Angus took one of Kate's pottery coffee mug and filled it full of firewhiskey instead of coffee. He took a couple hefty swigs from it, and he took a moment to just take a breath to try to push his own thoughts and feelings clear to the very back of his mind. But he had made a decision. He was not going to try to teach anymore. Angus sat down in his chair so that he would actually be sitting right beside the sofa. He would technically be sitting behind her head but he would still be next to her.

Marcus looked at Angus, unaware of what Angus had in his cup, but he knew Angus so well that he knew Angus was not nearly as calm as he wanted to look like on the outside. In the meantime, Nigel cast a pain relief spell and cast another to try to decrease some of the swelling and head off some of the bruising he believed would likely happen.

"Thank you," Anise said to Ruby and Aria. "Should I notify the second place school champion that he has to go instead of me?"

"No. Not yet," Nigel said strongly. "It's entirely too soon for that. You are not a muggle, You can do a lot of healing between now and Saturday, and we can provide you a brace or tape up the knee with sports tape. We can reinforce it for you. Let's not overreact, shall we? Is the pain spell helping?"

"Yes. thank you," she nodded, feeling some relief already. Evan brought Ginger home, and Sam and Victor got home at the same time. The kids were used to Angus having supper on the table. They all looked at Anise with huge surprise and disappointment, believing Anise wasn't going to get to compete.

"Angus, how soon is the lamb going to be done?" Marcus asked. Angus's thoughts were elsewhere, and he hadn't even heard Marcus speaking to him.

"It smells like you should be able to eat it right now. Smells incredible," Nigel smiled. Marcus looked at Ruby and Aria.

"I do eggs. I don't do leg of lamb. You would be wise not to entrust me to judge if the supper is ready to put on the table. Just saying," Marcus said.

"Oh, Zane and Kai told us about that," Sam teased. "They told me that for Christmas they're going to get him a muggle book called Cooking for Idiots."

"Probably perfectly appropriate," Marcus replied, fully aware of his ineptitude in the kitchen.

Ruby smiled at Angus but saw in his eyes he was shaken up watching him go to the kitchen she glanced at Marcus knowing what he was doing. Once they had made Anise comfortable she stepped back " hey they are right you can still do it" she said " don't count yourself out yet" she smiled to her" besides Robert still hasn't taken a look at it yet" she sat next to Anise and held her hand lightly while Angus did what ever it was in the kitchen.

Once he returned with a mug she smiled and stood up " I'll finish supper" she said and moved to the kitchen to remove the lamb and let it sit while she cooked the veg and placed the salad into a bowl so every one could help themselves. Once the veg were done she placed them into serving dishes and placed them on the table with several now sliced pieces of lamb " okay suppers ready" she added as Aria accioed the minty sauce placing it down next to the lamb on the table. Now Ruby headed back into the kitchen returning with a tray with legs on for Anise and walked over to her.

Extending the legs she placed down the table over her and smiled " enjoy and relax." she said gently taking her hand to reassure her again.

"It looks fantastic," Anise said. "I didn't think I was hungry, but I've changed my mind. I'm starving."

"I wasn't invited but I'm helping myself anyway," Nigel said. "i haven't had lamb since I moved to New York. I can't resist."

"You've been in New York forever, though," Marcus frowned.

"As I said, it's been long enough I can't resist," Nigel said, putting a slice of lamb on his plate and adding some vegetables. Marcus was going to fix his plate and he called to Angus, who still didn't hear him. Marcus went over and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey. Focus," Marcus told him.

"Sorry. Was just thinking, that's all," Angus said.

"Come on--Dad," Marcus said, trying to point out to Angus that he still needed to9 look like a dad that had himself together. "Your kids are fixing their plates. Come fix yours. Eat with your kids." Angus didn't say a word. He just got up and went over and fixed his plate. The kids were all sitting near Anise, sitting on the floor as close to the sofa as they could get without being in Nigel's way.

"Great supper, Ruby," Anise said.

"Definitely," Ginger said. "I love a nice big slice of roast something-or-other."

"That wouldn't have anything to do with your werewolf physiology, would it?" Victor teased.

"About 90 percent," Nigel said. "The other 10% is just because roast beast, not matter what kind, is just good food."

As they were just all starting to eat, Robert arrived with his bag, knocking and coming in.

"I smell lamb," Robert said straight away.

"Patient first, lamb later," Nigel teased. He briefed Robert on Anise's injury as Robert settled in to look at her knee.

Ruby smiled and looked to Nigel when he said he was going to help himself too" please, there's plenty" she said handing him a plate with a slice of lamb on it , hearing the kids she chuckled " well we do have dessert and enough here for seconds should any one want some, but I have to say the lamb bone goes to Finn." she said seeing the dogs ears perk up at the mention of a bone.

Aria sat both toddlers in their high chairs and each got their food eating happily and quietly. Ruby saw Marcus steer Angus over to the table and she made her plate sitting next to Angus as she ate . " the lamb is good, very moist and melt in the mouth" she said taking a second bite Aria chuckled and nodded she agreed as she added some minty sauce to her food. Seeing Robert enter Robert enter Ruby looked up " there's plenty left , don't worry" she said watching him cross to Anise " but yeah, please Anise first" she added.

Robert made a thorough check.

"You did a fine job of it," Robert sighed. "I am not going to rule out the tournament for you this weekend, but I really do want to do a repair on it to give it every single chance of healing sufficiently by Saturday. There is some important cartilage and ligaments that are blown. If I get them put back the way they're supposed to be and if we step up and used as much healing magic as we can muster for it, we might get it to the point where you can compete but under some conditions. You would not be the first participant that comes with a healing injury, so I have an idea of what they will and won't allow. You certainly aren't going to be on your knee dueling for at least the next three days. Then we'll see if we can't get you up to do some limited, short drills on Friday before the tournament on Saturday. We'll have to count on Madame Maxime giving you a day of reprieve to get ready by missing on day of classes on Friday, if that's okay with Angus and Ruby."

"It'll be fine," Anise said, taking it for granted that they would support her in this.

"So here's what I want to do. I'm going to want to do an outpatient surgery to repair this..."

"Not until the surgeon has had some sleep," Nigel said sternly.

"I know, I know," Robert said. He looked back at Anise. "I hope to get the procedure done overnight, so, if I can get a few winks between now and midnight or one, we could go to St. Mungo's, do the procedure and bring you back so you can sleep in your own bed. The more healing time we can provide you on the other side of surgery, the better off you're going to be. This is one time where every little bit helps the healing spells to have more time to do what they do. Make sense?" he asked. She nodded, understanding. "Good girl. It'll be a right in, and right out sort of procedure, and straight back home. Of course Ruby or Angus are welcome to come along to sign the consents and to be with you. I'll come get you and whoever is coming along between midnight and one. In the meantime, once you're finished with supper and dessert, try not to eat much after that, then, until after the procedure. It's just purely a precaution." She nodded.

"And in the meantime, we'll keep it elevated and iced," Nigel said.

"Any questions?" Robert asked.

"Not from me," Angus said. "Sounds pretty straight forward."

Ruby moved to sit with Anise as Robert did her check then stepped back. She listened to what he had to say when surgery was mentioned she smiled to Anise " we'll both be there, if you want us there?" she said softly to her. She listened to Robert again and nodded " okay, so nothing after this meal" she said and nodded.

Aria looked at Marcus " I'm guessing if they go your going too?" she asked " i'm okay staying with Elwood and the toddlers while you all go, I can make dinner for when your home" she said then looked at Angus " unless you have something planed for tomorrows dinner." she asked

"She doesn't have to be adhering to a strict fast after midnight, but just not a lot of eating. Some limited fluids will be fine, I think. As for you and Angus, someone will need to sign the consents since she's not a legal adult yet," Robert told Ruby. "At least one of you, either you or Angus, needs to do that as her legal guardian. And I know this one here..." he gestured to Angus, "is a bit out of his wheelhouse when he's in such situations. It makes him highly uncomfortable."

"I think that tends to apply more when it is about himself," Marcus said. "Typical of you Gryffindors, you know, Robert. Tough as nails and invincible when it applies to others. All the resilience of candy floss when it applies to yourselves. Never understood that weirdness, actually."

"It's because none of us have ever believed we, ourselves, mattered a damn," Robert said. "The people we love are far more our priority than anything else on the planet."

"Not a Ravenclaw value, I assure you," Marcus said as Nigel fixed a plate for Robert.

"That's because most of you bird brains," Robert said, openly teasing about Ravenclaw's animal being a bird, "wouldn't throw yourselves under a bus for another human being but you certainly would over a book. I can promise you it would have to be a damned important book to leap under a bus for."

"All books are important, Robert," Nigel said, handing the plate of supper to Robert. "You should know. After all, you have a library that every Ravenclaw would give their soul to have."

"Thank you," Robert told Nigel quietly.

"I will go with whichever one goes with Anise," Marcus said, unsure whether Angus would even want to go to St. Mungos. Angus seemed to be, most unusually, taking a back seat and allowing Ruby to just handle things at the moment. Angus noticed Finn pawing at the door to go out, so he picked up his coffee mug and went outside with Finn, needing a breath of fresh air.

"I don't think he's himself. He's somehow shut down most of his emotions," Anise said about Angus after he left. "I can usually read him, but I can't read him at all right now."

"I am quite sure he did not want any of this to happen, but don't worry," Marcus said. "I've got him. I'm giving him a bit of a longer leash at the moment. I'm watching. If I need to be outside with him, I can be there in a moment. He's down the steps off the front porch. He's fine. Let's make sure we have your arrangements settled first."

"Well, it wasn't his fault. It was my own. There wasn't anything there to trip me up except myself. I tripped on my own two stupid feet," Anise replied.

"And those things happen," Robert knows. "He's also highly aware of how many injuries happen during the training course over things that seem to be just stupid accidents, but we're human and those things happen. He knows that. Perhaps he just needs a bit of air after all."

Ruby listened to Robert and smiled " all right" she said smiling to Anise as she heard Robert tease Marcus making her chuckled along with Aria who now was cleaning away the dirty and empty plates . Sher heard Anise and nodded "its okay, just give him some time, I think your fall hurt him as much as it hurt you, could be hes blaming himself for pushing you as hard as he did." she said softly to her.

Aria heard Marcus and nodded she had heard him " I'll make sure there's desert left for you both" she said placing a hand on his shoulder as he walked past to find Angus glancing at Robert as they both left with Finn. She heard Ruby and chuckled " hey I have to right feet so lets join up we'd have a right pair" she said and chuckled to Anise trying to lighten the mood a little.