A Birth day

"Thank you," Angus said. "I appreciate it. This is supposed to only be witness statements to the aurors. If we'd have had to actually testify for the French magical courts, I'd have been a great deal more protective of her. I wouldn't be taking her. I did ask her, and she wants to go. She wants to do it. She knows Marcus and I aren't going to let anyone so much as breathe on her. She's almost as tough as nails, that one--almost. She does have some vulnerabilities, though, and I know where most of them are. If the aurors don't go over the mark, she'll do just fine. I don't care if they go over the mark with me. After all, I was an auror once. I know those games. But its not okay to do that to her."

As they were talking, Swifty started to bump Angus's arm with his beak. Angus turned around, and he pet the hippogriff who apparently was attempting to make amends.

"We're all good, Mate," Angus laughed. "We're fine. If things go well, maybe someone will take you out and let you stretch your wings a little. I'd do it, but if I did, I think Robert would have my hide. I bet Jack can find someone that would fly you a little today--if you're nice to Jack, that is. And no, you don't have to fly with Tex today--or whoever he is."

Jack nodded and chuckled seeing Swifty nudge Angus " yeah I know mate because I know Marcus will be at your side too." he said as he walked over to Swifty and pet him again " I'll take him out later myself" he said feeling the hippogriff lean its head against him before doing the same to Angus making Jack chuckle.

" that's his name , and no he'll be on veg duty from tomorrow, and away from the animals until he's done some re-education on how to handle our animals." he said " its hard to get good hands these days." he told him.

"We'll let you know when we're back," Angus told him. "But, just in case something does go off the rails and we send for backup, we'll be at the ministry office in Paris--supposedly. Ok, I need to get back. Victor will be home from work soonish, and if Ruby and Aria don't have supper in the works, I'll be doing the quickest stir fry I've ever made. Our four teens are like a herd of hippogriffs if we're late with supper. Thanks, Jack. See you later." He went back to the duplex, picked up his cold coffee, warmed it up with a quick charm and then went back inside.

Marcus was just feeding Finn, and as Angus came in, the babies started having a tantrum. Angus sighed, and he went to the fridge, took some leftover roasted carrots and potatoes and flicked a finger at them to dice them into small pieces. He put them in partitioned plates for toddlers and added a portion of applesauce and warmed it too, and then he took a plate and a sippy cup of water to each of them.

"Now, you little heathens," he told them, as if they actually understood him. "Keep it off of the floor and the walls and each other, would you?" He set a bowl and a sippy cup down on the playpen floor for each of them. That seemed to take care of the tantrums for the moment.

Jack chuckled but took note of where they will be " I'll be ready should anything happen" he told Angus " don't worry" he added then chuckled hearing the boys were like a heard of hippogriffs where food was concerned " oh I do understand that" he said as he waved off Angus as he walked back to the duplex.

Ruby had just finished them Spicy jerk prawn & mango tacos with coconut dressing and was setting it out on the table for those who wanted to help them selves " okay suppers ready " she said smiling as Aria brought fresh lemonade for those to drink after she had pored a glass for herself. Ruby smiled seeing Angus return from out side " enjoy your walk?" she asked with a smile.

"I did," Angus smiled. "I really just went for a little fresh air, but I saw some bonehead trying to break Swifty as if he were a wild horse. Damn near got himself killed. Thank goodness Jack showed up just in time, and our new crew member avoided being trampled. I did mention to him that Marcus and I are going to be gone for awhile in the morning, just in case Suzanne tries any horsecrap while I'm gone. I'd rather him know than to not know. I don't expect anything, but that's been rather the problem. We haven't been thinking of getting ahead of her, and, frankly, I think its time we change that. I think we should be ready for her from now on."

"Let her come," Sam said, coming downstairs. "I'm not afraid of her. She's not worth that much. If she comes while you're gone, trust me, I'll have her. She doesn't know which end of the wand to aim with."

"Don't get cocky about it, though," Angus told him. "I do realize she isn't the sharpest crayon in the box, but she doesn't come alone. They're the ones we have to be careful of."

"She only brings them because she got lost walking 3 blocks down the street from the house to the grocer's. And since they're probably not allowed leave without her, if we get the drop on her, then we'll send her handlers into a panic. They'll forget out us, and they'll be hunting her," Sam said.

"Not a bad plan, but I do think you should make sure you have some backup before you go trying to capture her yourself. I need you far more to make sure that everyone who lives in this house stays safe. Can you help do that?"

"Oh, I suppose," Sam sighed, frustrated he wasn't going to get to fight.

"You'll get your chance, but I'm honestly hoping it isn't tomorrow," Angus said as Marcus and Anise came up from downstairs.

"How'd you do? Does she have to go naked?" Angus teased.

"No, not tomorrow," Marcus laughed. "We found something. I think she'll look just fine. And, after supper, we'll make sure you don't have to go naked either."

"Oh, I don't know. Daniella didn't object when I was half naked the last time I saw her," Angus teased.

"What?" Sam frowned.

"Never mind," Marcus laughed.

Ruby smiled as Angus spoke of his walk " oh thank goodness Swifty is such a softy" she said as she listened to him talk to Sam " I didn't think she had any crayons left in her box" she said smirking as Sam spoke about Suzzanne she could not fault him that as exactly what Suzzanne was like, even when she lived with her. She saw Marcus and Anise walk up from downstairs and she smiled then chuckled at their banter " come have supper before it goes cold" she said

Aria laughed as they talked about Anise going naked then about how Angus was ogled hen he went to see Daniella. " oh we saw all the women at the ministry following us and it wasn't because of Marcus " she said teasing him as she went to grab some food  and a drink.

"Not very many, that's for sure," Sam agreed with Ruby.

"The only reason they weren't looking at Marcus is because they're used to seeing men in plain black suits," Angus replied. "After awhile, the black suit guys just become wallpaper."

"You think so?" Sam asked. "So, you think if Marcus wore some other suit, they'd notice him too?"

"I know so," Angus said.

"You should try it," Sam told Marcus.

"Not on your life," Marcus said. "I'm supposed to be wallpaper. That's the job."

"You suppose that's really why Suzanne is jealous?" Sam asked Ruby, a new thought occurring to him. "What if one of the real reasons she's after Angus, aside from the business about Diamond, is because she never believed you would end up with someone like Angus? I mean, I remember how she told all of us, but especially you and Jessie how none of us were going to amount to anything? And then you end up with a couple of the most famous and wealthiest families in the wizarding world. I mean, there aren't many wizarding history books without Edward's story in them. And you can't pick up a newspaper and not find a mention of Lupins in it. Not to mention how Suzanne still swoons around any man that she thinks has a good looking bum."

"Ewww," Angus wrinkled his nose at the thought.

"What?" Marcus looked at him.

"The very idea of Suzanne looking at my bum is revolting," Angus replied. That made Marcus laugh out loud. "She can look at yours."]

"Eww. No thank you," Marcus frowned at Angus.

"See what I mean?"

"You do have a point," Marcus replied.

Ruby looked at Sam and laughed " oh possible but she underestimated Jessie and myself, and her look at Angus bum , eww no way only person who gets to see that is me" she said and chuckled but then nodded to Sam " you do have a point though, she's jealous that I made something of my life without her in it, but I didn't get with Angus for money or all this, she made her life long before I came along" she motioned around her" I'm with him because I love him and trust him, I do not trust her." when Marcus butt was mentioned Ruby laughed and shook her head " yeah think Aria have something to say about that.

Aria looked at Marcus and chuckled " they can look, just don't touch" she said and ate her food smirking at Marcus " I know Your safe because I know you have all you need in your children, as long as they are safe and cared for and are happy, your happy." she said sipping her lemonade. " oh and Evelyn is in a place she gets help" she added with a chuckle.

Victor came in, and he smelled supper, so he headed to wash up.

"Come on, you lot," Angus called them. "Let's eat before it gets cold." They all headed for the table.

"Seafood tacos, nice!" Ginger said, sitting down at the table. "We had something similar at Sparks when they did a Tex Mex night a month or so ago. This looks great, whoever thought of it."

"Sure does," Anise said. "I've been hungry for tacos. Did you suggest tacos, Angus?"

"No, I didn't," Angus laughed. "They did that without any help from me."

"These are good," Sam said, eating a couple bites of his taco. Angus was just getting ready to tuck into his supper when he heard two babies angrily screeching at each other. He looked and saw them hurling food at each other, saw they both had applesauce in their hair, and mashed potatoes and carrots just about every place else.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Angus sighed. He was ready to go get them, but Marcus stopped him.

"They're not hurting anything--except a threat to break the sound barrier. And some of it is actually getting in their mouths. Leave them alone until we finish eating," Marcus said.

"If they don't break our eardrums first," Victor said, frustrated with having baby siblings.

Ruby heard Victor and chuckled " thank you guys, and your welcome " she said smiling but then paused hearing the babies " what's wrong now?" she said looking over at them both fighting " they will tire out soon its close to their bed time" she said noting the time on the clock in the living room.

Aria chuckled and nodded to Victor " babies will be babies" she said " a warm bath before bed will make them sleepy" she chuckled and finished her taco along with her drink " I'll take Caprice up first and get her settled that should bring the decibels down a bit" she said with a chuckle as she picked up a fisty Caprice and carried her up to the bathroom leaving Dimond in her high chair close to Ruby.