two small boys

Khaat's parents had joined her in Sparks for lunch. Khaat had bought another magazine for pregnant muggles. She had been frowning at the pictures, trying to imagine her the size of some of the models for muggle maternity wear. Some of them looked like they were ready to give birth to Volkswagons any minute.

Robert and Katherine came over and joined her at her table. He was about to ask her about the frown on her face when he turned his head a bit to see, upside down, what she was studying so closely. "You know, some of those women are expecting twins. And some are just plain bigger than you were before you got pregnant in the first place. Would you please stop reading these things? The only thing that matters is that Abbey gets here healthy, safe and sound. And that you stay healthy in the process. Besides, when did you ever think a pregnant woman was fat?"

"I don't," she defended herself, sipping at a new peach/pineapple smoothie Rob had asked her to taste test for him. She thought he was dreaming these things up to lure her away from her french roast, but she said nothing. She was glad he was thinking of her.

"The hell you don't," Robert said, sitting with her. Katherine sat down with Robert. "Khaat, dear, just think a second. You never shopped in Sevile Row in your life until you bought maternity clothes," Katherine said. "There is no law that says you have to look glamourous every day that you are pregnant. Rob isn't going to love you any less if you don't look like a muggle movie star until you get your figure back. Really he won't. When did this get to be such an issue with you anyway?"

"I don't know," she sighed, frustrated with herself.

"Well, get over yourself," Robert said, "Be happy you have a healthy baby, and stop trying to be something you're not. Let's order lunch, can we please? I"m starving." They opened their menu's, the conversation falling quiet. Khaat was silently grateful that they had dropped the topic for now.

steven pushed open the door to the sound of voices and chuckled "Is she still thinking she's gonna get fat ?" he said smiling as he let Andrew walk past before closing the door "hey Khaat , lookin radiant" he grinned walking over "Robert ,Katherine this is andrew" he turned to Andrew and smiled "these are my freinds , this is Robert Khaats father and that is Katherine her mother and this lovley lady is Khaat she's expecting her first child a girl called abbey, but has several adopted children" he said taking two chairs from another table and placing them next to robert and Katherine as he waited for Andrew to sit down.

"Thank you, Steven," Khaat said, "Nice to meet you, Andrew. Sit down and make yourself at home. Any friend of Steven's is a friend of ours. Oh, let me see your frog!" Andrew set the little plastic case on the table, and Khaat picked it up and looked at the frog. "Oh, he's a beauty, Andrew. Just the right size for carrying in your pocket. What a great frog."

"May I?" Katherine said. She opened the box and took out the little frog, She said nothing out loud but did seem to be conversing with the frog somehow. Something being said made her smile. Then she looked at Andrew, "So--you can talk to animals, can you? That is a good gift. And this young frog here appreciates that you can do it. But he says you've been having trouble understanding his name in English. The closest we can translate it is Russell. He doesn't care what you call him, but he says his frog name really is Russell."

Robert handed Andrew a menu. "We're ordering lunch, Andrew. Pick what you want. It's on us. You might like the burgers. Khaat and her husband own the place, and her husband makes an excellent burger."

"Russell?" Andrew frowned. "He doesn't look like a Russell to me. I've just been calling him Frog. So you can talk to animals too?" He watched as Katherine nodded, putting the frog back in the box. Andrew looked over the menu. A good burger sounded good to him. With some wonderful melty cheese.

"Can I have a cheeseburger?" Andrew asked. "And maybe a soda."

Steven looked at Andrew and nodded "sure ya can " he said "Im going with a coffee " he looked at Khaat "erm ya still not aloud it yet? " he asked "if not i'll leave it and have somein else " he looked down at the menu again befor deciding he would have an earl gray tea instead no suger or milk , his ushual way. He ordered Andrews cheeseburger and a soda as the waitress smiled to andrew as she left with ther eorder.

'So, Steven, tell me what brings you and your young friend and his frog here on such a beautiful day when you could be playing catch or riding a hippogryff or anything fun. But then again, what's he doing out of Hogwarts at his age? You know that's against the rules. This must be important indeed. So what is going on, exactly? And how can we help?"

steven sat back as he heard Khaat ask why he was out of school "I wanted Andrew to meet ya , hes kinda had it wrong about perants, I told him no decent perant would let his kid go into a pub and drink fire whisky , I brought him here so you as perants paticulerly you robert could tell him what his father did isn't how fathers are" he took a deep breath "there is something else that is important i need to ask andrew but i wanted him to talk to you first" he said leaning back "and yea its important enouph that if the school say anything they can back off" his voice sounding almost his offical one.

Khaat and Katherine were seeing with their seer's powers glimpses from the boy's past. And it was indeed ugly.
"Andrew," Katherine said softly, "Your father was a very evil man. I am very sorry you had to be mixed up with him. I am a seer. I see things that others keep in their minds. Your father was not at all a good man, let alone a good father. And I can tell you one thing. Steven, here, is a good man, and a very good father. I know its hard for you to trust. But you are among friends. You do not need to be afraid here."

"A good father is a man who loves his children," Robert said to Andrew, "who will do whatever it takes to protect them, who teaches them, plays with them, holds them when they're scared or lonely, patches their wounds, helps them work out their problems so that no child feels alone. A father goes with his child and spends time with them, tucks them in at night, reads to them, celebrates birthdays and Christmas, and makes sure they are never cold or hungry or tired. You didn't have any of that, did you?"

"My dad only did one good thing his whole life--signing my Hogwarts papers," Andrew said quietly, trying to hide his bitterness.

"No," Khaat said, brushing Andrew's dark hair affectionately. "He did two good things. He signed your Hogwarts papers--and he helped to create you. We're glad you're here. Andrew, just because you got a rough start in your life, does not mean that it has to stay rough. You have friends now. Good friends. We can help. I think this is why Steven brought you here today. Is that right?" Khaat was catching on fast.

Steven nodded "yeah , and coz i wanted to ask ya.." he paused reatching into his coat pocket and taking out some papers he placed then on the table in front of him " Your a good kid whos had a bad start , I'd like to make the rest of ya life better, If your agrred to it, I'd like to become ya gardian" he finally asked, looking at him "it would mean ya would have . in the eyes of the school a father and ya wouldn't have to worry any more about that problem, I know john would love to have ya your about the same age" he added "but its ya choice" he sat looking at Khaat, robert and Kathrine then to Andrew as he waited.