Khaat Lupin's Country Home

That made her laugh. It made her feel normal again. "Its a deal," Khaat said. Her father conjured ice cream for every one when they finished their meals and set glass dishes with ice cream in front of everyone-whatever flavor anyone wanted. Khaat was pleased with her delicious, green ice cream with the almost almond like flavor. It was sweet and light and refreshing and it hit the spot of what she was hungry for.

After dinner her parents made quick work out of cleaning the kitchen. Khaat went to the living room and stared out the window. Tonight, looking out at the clear winter sky and the stars, she missed Rob most of all. She looked forward to the day when they would go on weekends together.

Archangel seemed to pick up on her mood and he came over and landed on her shoulder, nudging his head into hers. "Good Boy," she said softly, petting him. "Tomorrow we'll go play fetch. I promise," She told him, "I brought your toys along. I bet Gar will like playing fetch with you."

Gar followed Khaat and heard the last bit.
"Yeah, I will," he told the eagle, stroking its back. "It's a beautiful night. I'm not gonna use my skill till tomorrow night. I want to explore the moon and the stars."

"That's one of my favorite things to do. If you want to do it right, take Jett out and let him fly you around. Makes you feel closer to the stars, for some strange reason. Nothing like a night flight to make you feel like you're at one with the universe," Khaat said, feeling peaceful now with Gar beside her.

Gar shook his head.
"I meant with my ability," he said, laughing at the misconception and sitting down on the couch.

"Well, I figured that's what you meant,' Khaat admitted, "but I still like the night flights on Jett better. However, I don't think Daddy will let me ride Jett for awhile. Dont' stretch those new powers too far or you'll bring on another headache again. It's like practicing a totally new set of exercises. A little can be fun. Too much can be painful and damaging. Just be careful."

"Like I said, I'm not gonna use it until tomorrow night. I think it'll be fun," Gar said smiling, then gave her a hug. "You're an awesome person, and I have so much to thank you for."

"You're welcome," She smiled, hugging him close, "I think you're awesome too. You want to see something? Come with me." She led him down the hall that led to her set of rooms. She let him in, and said, "These are my rooms here. They used to belong to my uncle. He had these rooms and the bedroom next door that Mis now has. I wanted to show you this." She showed him the wizarding portrait of Remus Lupin--the one material posession, besides her engagement ring, that she truly treasured. She watched Remus smiling in the picture and laughing and moving about. It always made her remember her great love for him. "This was my uncle Remus. This is his wizard portrait. I've kept it all these years. It's one of the few things that can still make me feel close to him. I thought you'd like to see him for yourself."

Garulia gasped.
He had read so much about the great Remus Lupin, but to actually see him and hear him and watch him move...it was amazing. Even if it was only a portrait.
"That's...amazing," he said, then waved at the portrait. "Hey Mr. Lupin, nice to meet you. I'm Gar!"

"Hello, young man," the Remus figure smiled, "Nice to meet you. Any friend of Khaat's is a friend of mine. Khaat, no more brawling for awhile, hey?" Khaat laughed, "Yes, Uncle Remus."

"See what I mean? It makes me feel closer to him," Khaat said. "I have great parents, but when I was growing up, I spent almost all my time with Uncle Remus. He took care of me and trained me more than my parents did. We were inseparable. I..didn't take his murder well--at all--when it happened. So, in a way, I know what its like to be alone. I felt totally alone when he died."

Gar nodded.
"I felt that same way when my parents died," he told her, then turned back to Remus. "You're something of a hero, kind of strange, isn't it? Talking to you feels sort of like talking to Clark Kent."
Then he turned to Khaat again.
"Sorta like living with Clark Kent but never getting to meet Superman, isn't it?"