Holiday "CHASE-iing"

Angus had discussed with Robert and Brian the fact that Chase wanted to go Christmas shopping. They had approved so long as Chase didn't go alone and was never out of Angus's eyesight.

Angus had insisted that Chase dress in layers so that she didn't get chilled or overheated either one. He had made sure that the outside chores were done and that everyone had had a wonderful breakfast. He had set the ktichen to clean itself.

He had checked Chase's outerwear in the living room closet to make sure it would protect her from the exceptionally bitter cold and biting wind that was coming in from the North this morning. He found it was sufficient, but she didn't seem to have a decent winter hat. He borrowed a warm knit one from Khaat's closet. One she never really liked or wore. And he laid it with Chase's coat and gloves and scarf. He laid out his own long black leather coat, his leather hat and gloves and his leather messenger bag. It would be helpful for carrying packages. Well, after they were sufficiently "altered" for carrying, that was.

Well, he was ready when she was.

Chase woke up pretty early, but lay on her bed, stroking Sylvia for some time. Today she would be going Christmas Shopping with Angus, and she had a huge list of things she had to get. Chase fed Sylvia a treat and then finally got up, taking a shower and getting dressed. After blow drying her hair, Chase pulled on some warmer clothes, and then left the room. Her stuff was neatly made up by Angus, from her Jacket to her boots, and even a hat lay on top, that Chase didn't recognize. It must be chilly out. Chase made her way to the kitchen, and after eating something, went off to find Angus.

Pulling on her jacket, she pulled her wand out, and summoned the parchment that had her entire shopping list on it. Her main problem was going to have to be buying something for Angus, seeing as he wasn't allowed to let her leave his site. She wouldn't be able to go into a wand shop anywhere, but she COULD ask him what kind of wand he had.. if he used it, and order one, or give him a stub saying that it was already paid or, and he just had to go and get it. Chase bit her lower lip and then stuck the parchment into her bag. It had a spell on it to make it larger on the inside, though she was sure Angus would have one too, these spells were quite handy if you got the hang of them, and then you could fit ANYTHING inside, so you really only had to get the spell right one or twice.

"Angus?!" Chase called, pulling the hat on over her ears. "I'm ready when you are!" She called and pulled her shoes on, grabbing her gloves and a scarf at the same time. Her bag she put over her middle, so that it couldn't be stolen, and she felt securely covered, her stomach poking oddly into her jacket. She would need some maternity clothes soon, maybe that's what she should ask for for Christmas from people. Just give her something that was cute, and fit her expanding belly.

"Coming," Angus called, coming into the room. "Brian is a tad overprotective. I just got a whole list of instructions, as if I didn't know them already. But I think he really did need to repeat them for his own benefit." He laughed. He picked up his coat and put it on. He moved his wand from his boot to the inside of his coat. The poor thing was all beat up, chipped, scratched, and even in its day had been just purely functional. He had lost his favorite one in a duel. That wand had been special. It had been made of tiger maple, and had had handcarved tigers in the handle. This one was borrowed from his brother. His brother had found that a beat up wand did not merit attention from the Tuscan ladies and so he had replaced it with a much more elegant one. When Angus's beloved tiger wand had been shattered, he had simply borrowed the old beat up maple one.

"Very nice, Chase," he smiled, looking at her outfit. "That ought to keep you warm. Good choice." He put on his hat and gloves. "So, my dear, where shall we go first? You haven't been out in a few days now, and I expect you'd like to see something different than St Mungos and this house. Where is our first stop?"

Chase looked up when Angus entered, and smiled, glancing at his wand carefully. It was beat up looking, and he definitely deserved a new one. She would have to bring the conversation up to it sometime during the trip. Chase thought hard for a second, and realized she may have to give him the slip if she wanted to get his Christmas present. Pulling out her list, from her pocket, she glanced it over. "Hmm.. Why don't we try going to the place for The Minister's present.." She said carefully. "Khaat said it was a place in Stavile Row, a man's shop?" She asked glancing up at him to see what he thought of the store. "She said I should get him a new cardigan or something.. a tan one that he needs so he can stay warm on the farm." She said with a smile.

"After that, we could go and get Khaat come clothes." She said with a nod, glancing around her to make sure no one was around to hear what she was getting people. She would have to go to Diagon Alley later, when she had found out about his wand type, or what kind of wand he wanted anyway. Maybe she would have to get that slip saying it was paid for, stick it in a card, and put it under the Christmas tree. Angus deserved a better wand, and that one looked like it had had it's fair share of hardship. "So how about it?" She asked pulling the hat down farther over her ears as she grinned at him.

"Ah, I know the shop you're talking about. Robert's been buying his clothes there for years. And you're right. That ratty old grey sweater of his makes him look a lot older than he is an like he doesn't have one sickle to rub agaist the other. Khaat's been sneaking that old thing out of the house every so often to get rid of it, and Robert simply accio's it back," he laughed. "I think a new one is a great idea. And definitely not another grey one!

"The shop Khaat uses is almost right next door. Khaat's winter wardrobe is really sad. She needs everything. Brian guessed at her sizes last night while you were in bed and made a list. Its in my pocket. Oh, and I have Brian's credit card so we can do some shopping for her from him too if we like. Alright, then. Let's go." He took her hand and apparated them into the upper class shopping district of muggle London, into a alley near the shops. "This way," he told her, motioning to his left. He took her down the street to a men's shop. "This is the place," he said.

The place smelled of aftershave and leather. It was decorated in old woods and dark leathers,, with deep carpets. A clerk came up to Angus and they embraced warmly like old mates.

"Well, I'll be! Angus Donohue! I wondered if I'd be seeing you this year," the clerk laughed. He looked at Chase. "Good morning. So, who are we shopping for today? Brian?"

"No," Angus smiled. "Robert. You still have his sizes on file?"

"When do we not?" the clerk laughed. "How can I help?"

Chase smiled at the clerk, and watched as they greeted each other as old friends. "Hello, I'm going Christmas Shopping, for.." She stopped and then shrugged slightly to herself. "Robert, and I was wondering, if I could get a sweater.. I don't know, maybe tan, like the one he has.. just nice and not used looking." She said with a laugh. "He's been needing a new one for a while I've heard, so I've decided to pitch in and get him a new one for Christmas." She said with a grin, smiling at the Clerk, before looking at Angus. Waiting for the Clerk, Chase got a good idea, and she sped over to him quickly.

"And if there is anything you think would be good for Angus.. stick it in the bag with the sweater.. I'm trying to think of a good Christmas present for him.. and I just.. I know what I want to get him, but he needs more then that.." She said shaking her head and moving away from the Clerk and quickly heading over to a rack to look at something else, browsing through the stuff, knowing that she wanted to go all out for Angus, he deserved it, more then she had a feeling he realized. Once the Clerk was done, Chase went to the counter to pay, pulling out her wallet, and pulling out a wad of muggle money, then she looked up waiting for the amount to come up, knowing it would be up to the Clerk to try and hide the present from Angus as they run up the bill.

"Angus Donohue," the clerk frowned as he began to ring up and pack Chase's purchases in a sack. "You really are thick today, aren't you, Mate?"

"What?" Angus frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"

"You completely missed that we had those new charcoal suits you asked for. Remember? You wanted one for Brian and we couldn't get it."

"You got them?"

"I certainly did, and I have one that will fit Brian like a glove. Didn't you say he had a new lady?"

"He does. Where are they?"

"Over there. On the far wall, with the other dress suits," The clerk laughed. "I presume you want the whole bit for him?"

"I do," Angus said, going rather quickly over to the wall of dress suits. "Nice!"

"Put a banded collar with it, Mate," The clerk said, winking at Chase and putting her purchases in the bag when Angus wasn't looking. "He can use it instead of a tux and be every bit as sharp, and with half the discomfort."

"Sold. Wrap it up for me?"

"Fine," he said, handing the bag to Chase. He helped Angus select the suit for Brian, the shirt, and all the accessories. He bagged it up, and Angus gladly paid for it. Once it was all in a garment bag, Angus took it from the clerk and took Chase's bag from her. "I'll be the packmule today," He laughed. He shrank the packages and put them in his messenger bag easily. "Alright, next. Khaat?"

Chase smiled widely when the clerk got Angus's attention over to the far wall, and then got her purchases in the bag without him seeing. Well that was a good thing. But right after she had paid, Angus took her bag. Chase felt a pang in her chest, and had a bad feeling he would look, but he didn't, merely said next to Khaat's. Chase swallowed and nodded, her eyes on the bag for a moment, before deciding that even if he did look, he might think she bought it for Brian or even something else for Robert. He wouldn't suspect it, even if he saw it, until he opened it up and saw what it was.

"yes, to Khaat's store next!" She said with a grin, heading to the door, and slipping her wallet back into her pocket. She had a few credit cards, a lot of debt cards, and some regular cash, along with another altogether different purse, that was filled with wizard money for other types of purchases. Though when they did go to Diagon Alley, she would have to stop at Gringotts before they went shopping. "Hey Angus.. do you have a lot of muggle friends?" She asked looking at him when they got to the street. She was hoping to get to the subject of wands somehow, and better sooner then later.

"I do," Angus said. "It's a pretty even mix, really. My family lives in Tuscany now. Khaat and Brian bought a vacation house there this summer. I was working for Brian, part time for the last few years there until a couple of months ago when he asked me to oversee his estate. My father and brothers and I own a boat in Tuscany, and we host private tours. Its a small village, and its got a pretty equal population of muggles and wizards both. Oh, and Brian's house? It's about ten minutes from Robert's farm. And they're both within a few minutes by muggle car from a fishing village. I don't know if you ever were told, but Brian's place is at the north edge of England. That's where Khaat grew up. You can walk the distance between Brian's and Robert's in about, oh 30 or 40 minutes. Maybe a little longer. And the drive to town from Robert's, that another 10 minutes or so. That whole area is an even split of wizards and muggles.

"Although, there really isn't any wizard shopping to speak of there. They've always had to come into Diagon Alley for much of anything they wanted that wasn't strictly muggle. Mostly spellbooks, some of the more rare potions ingredients, wands, robes, that sort of thing. You'll find that a lot of us function pretty much equally well in both worlds."

Chase listened to Angus for a moment, listening as he spoke of functioning in both worlds, muggle and wizard. "That must be hard.. trying to hide everything all the time from the muggles. I mean.. I had to too.. once I accidentally left my wand in my pocket, and my hairdresser found it, and thought I had put a stick in my pocket.. I had to tell her that my brother must have put it in there!" She said with a laugh. "That wand got broken a while back though.. I had to get a new one since then, but this one is just as good as the other one." She said, and pulled it out of her pocket carefully, after looking around and showing him her wand. "I'm really proud of it though, because I paid for it with money I earned myself.. not that my mum gave me or anything.." She said smiling. "Now a days, most of the stuff I own I paid for with my own money... see I still get paid for stuff I did a long time ago." She said with a laugh.

She looked at him and then smiled. "What kind of wand do you have? Mine is.. Vine, with a Unicorn tail hair in it." She said pocketing it quickly when she saw a person looking at her oddly. She grinned at the lady and after a moment or two she looked away with a look of unconcern, and Chase realized that she hadn't been staring at her at all, but at the store front behind her. Chase smiled and looked back at Angus. "Muggles make me laugh sometimes..." She said shaking her head and smiling.