The twin minder

Addison looked at Minister Lupin and listened " well I don't have family nor do I have any children, I missed that time here, so what ever Mr Tremaine requires is fine with me, though may I make a suggestion, while they are at this age, live in would mean they would get to know me and I them, also I'd be close at hand should he have to leave in a hurry or in the middle of the night."She said handing David another berry.

She had made a note that they had sippy cups not bottles. " besides that library behind you is awfully tempting me to read from it, if that's all right with you." she asked Mr Tremaine.

"That's fine by me," Michael said. "I never know what my schedule is, and that's often meant having to leave the boys with Khaat for days at a time. They recognize her home far more than their own, and much as I appreciate the help, they really do need their own home. I haven't even had time to set up their room for them properly. Even when I have the time off, they keep me too busy with their needs for me to get to doing their room."

"If you like books, you might find something in his library," Robert said. "He is a collector of old books." Michael did have old books, but most of them were exceptionally rare and worth a great deal of money. His old books were collector's items, but Michael loved every one of them. He had age lines drawn around the bookshelves to keep little hands away from the books.

"It sounds like it might be settled for now, then," Michael said. "When can you start?"

Addison heard him say about the nursery not being ready yet and she nodded " do not worry I'll have it up and ready." she said smiling as she had one eye on the boys. She looked back as they mentioned the books and she smiled " I'll take great care of them, I respect books older the better it is, the feel of the warn page and the smell of it as you turn each page." she said smiling becoming lost in her thoughts of the written word.

She watched the boys finish and saw them both yawn. "Okay, nap time." She said sending the now empty bowls and bottles to the kitchen she moved to gather Scott and David gently in her arms. " um..if I could be shown the nursery, and is immediately too soon?" she said with a smile.

"Its fine by me," Robert said. "Michael?"

"Fine," he nodded.

"I'll show her the way," Kate said. She led the way upstairs to the bedrooms on the second floor. "Michael's room and his bathroom is the first room on the right. Its just always been the master suite. The room he and Maddie picked out for the nursery is across the hall, the first on the left." She opened the door to show the room that still had the creamy vanilla colored walls, the color that he and Maddie had picked out. There were two cribs here, aside from that and a rocking chair and a stack of cardboard boxes, it wasn't furnished anymore.

"There's a story here you should know," Kate said. "Michael and his wife did fully equip this room when they found she was pregnant. However, shortly before the birth, she left him, just up and disappeared. He had no word, no warning. He searched for her and his child, but he found no trace. He packed up all the baby things and pretty much got rid of most of them.

"He had no idea there were twins. He was sitting in the Three Broomsticks, and some woman brought him two baskets, asked if he was Michael Tremaine, and after he said he was, she left the baskets with him and disappeared. He got the babies and a note. That's about it. So, he really was completely unprepared. He doesn't ever talk about her. I think its too painful. But--he divorced her and got full custody. If she ever would show up, she has no legal right to them whatsoever.

"But, so you know, thats why the room isn't finished now. It was at one time. It just isn't now. We've helped him replace most of what he sold off or gave away, so it should all be here. Its just not organized.

"And before I forget, the main bathroom is the room at the end of the hall, and there are two other bedrooms. I presume you can take your pick because there's no one here to use either one."

Addison listened to Kate talk as they walked towards the nursery. She looked at each room as they passed noting what each was. when Kate spoke of why the room was so bare she shook her head. " sorry I'm just disappointed in her, not him, what mother walks away from her own children." she said " and don't worry I'll have this room looking as it should." she saw the blankets in the cots and pulled one back looking to Kate she spoke again" would you mind taking Scott I think hes already fallen asleep.

Once she had Addie gently lay David down in his crib covering him gently with the blanket. "Please call me Addie, Addison is so formal." She moved and checked Scott, once she knew they were sound asleep she moved to the window and pulled the blind down half way to make the room dimly lit. " I'll take the room closest to this one, I'm assuming its right next door" she motioned to their left as she faced the doorway. "Oh, I hope Mr Tremain won't mind if I add an a joining door to this one it would add quick access to the boys during the night."

"Michael doesn't understand Maddie's actions either," Kate said. "He thought he understood her at least, but he's furious with her for abandoning the babies and him without a syllable." She took Scott and put him in his crib and covered him. "I honestly hoped he'd find some happiness. He was forced into the relationship with Maddie, and it went sideways. Then at the same time, the one woman that he'd honestly loved for probably 40 years became ill and, well, she's never going to be the same again. He lost them both at just about the same time."

She listened to Barlow ask to be called Addie. "We're informal too. I'm sure that we'd all feel better on a first name basis. I'm Kate, and I know Michael prefers being called Michael instead of Mr. Tremaine. The same goes for Robert. I'm sure you'll meet the rest of the family in time."

When she asked about the adjoining door, Kate said, "Michael actually had one there. He took it out when Maddie left. They were going to move the master bedroom next to the nursery. He'll be fine with you putting it back.

Addie nodded she understood how he felt in a way. " I know how that feels, I lost my husband a few years ago, he was killed in action." She told her placing the a stuffed Lion in Scott's then the purple monkey in Davids.

" I have some things in my knapsack but the rest of my things can be diverted here most is still in storage and can stay there." She said and smiled as he told her her first name "Thank you..Kate." she said " I noticed Michael has a good collection of books, I have to admit a liking for reading, mostly I'll be reading in here while they nap."

"Michael is a man of refined tastes," Kate said. "He likes books and classical music and fine art. He is one of the finest cooks I've ever known. He has a discriminating palate, and has many fine wines and, well, he just lives well. Its not a lot of any one thing, but what he has is good quality. Robert and I have known Michael since we were first years at Hogwarts together just about 50 years ago. He's a good man. We've always thought of him as family, but those boys are really the only blood family he's got. He wants to do the right thing as a dad, but its a whale of a responsibility for a 62 year old man who's been living almost his entire life as a bachelor.

"I'm sure Michael will be fine with you bringing whatever things you think you need here," Kate said. "And if there's something you need that you don't have, just ask him. I think you might get along together once you get to know each other."

Addie chuckled at how Kate described Michael " I can tell from his home and his tea he has taste and I hope we will." She said "But right now the boys come first and Kate in my eyes he's made a great start." She moved to a box and opened it shaking her head at the lack of toys and color, what she did find she was happy to place on empty shelves around her.

She accioed her knapsack and took out two small comforters placing them over the blankets the boys had. She looked at Kate smiling " they will be well looked after and most likely spoiled by there grandparents." She chuckled looking at Kate then the lonely clock that sat on the wall then back to the boys.

"Most of the boys' toys are at my daughter's house," Kate said. "She's got eight children, seven of them under age 5. And there's mountains of toys and storybooks and baby clothes, including the boys'. I'll have them packed and shipped back here so you have them. Michael told you the truth. They've been basically living at my daughter's so that Michael had all kinds of help...oh, where did they go?" she stopped mid thought. Then she accio'd the stuffed dragon and the stuffed hippogriff. Kate knew from experience that if they didn't have their favorite toys, naptime never lasted long.

"Nap insurance," she smiled, catching the toys as they arrived. She put them in the right cribs. "Night time is a horror without them. I think you might be set now. Good luck." She went downstairs again.

"Well?" Robert asked.

"The boys are napping," she said. "She's going to put the adjoining door back and take the room next to the nursery so that she can tend to them as they need her. She's got some things she might want sent here too."

"That's fine," Michael said. "I expected that."

"I'll pack some of the boys' things and send them so you have them, but I'll leave some so that when they come to visit, you won't need to pack much of anything."

"Thank you, Kate," Michael said.

"Are you set, then, for awhile, Michael?" Robert asked.

"I think."

"I'll leave the necessary employee paperwork. Just bring it around when she's signed it, would you?"

"Certainly," Michael said. "Thank you for your help."

"Its just a trial but I'm optomistic about it. We'll let you two get acquainted, and I'll send letters to the others that the position's been filled," Robert said. He and Kate left so that Michael could get acquainted with his new nanny.