Summer Picnic

"Of course," Tobias said. "Alright. The Leaky Cauldron. Let's look at some well fitting black jeans and a lightweight v neck sweater. You've got the muscles for it so you might as well show them off. What about either a black sweater or a light gray? I'd think about a darker color for tonight simply so that it helps to conceal any drainage you might have from that dressing you have. And maybe some black boots? I know you'll need some button downs, but let's skip the tee shirts and button downs and other things for now, and we'll send those to you. That jacket looks good. How about a dark charcoal colored sportscoat with the v neck? Or some sort of men's necklace?"

"Maybe some sort of summer sundress? Or how about a shawl for her to go with one of her dresses? Whatever you buy, Khaat can bring her to have Elaine resize it for her. Or, Elaine stocks jewelry that Khaat always likes. Maybe she can find you a bracelet of some sort or something like that."

"We have some lovely handpainted silk shawls," Elaine suggested. "We just got them in, and I promise they won't last. You might see one that has a design you like for her. And then she'd have it to wear if the evening air got a little cool tonight."

Jack thought about Tobias's suggestion and nodded " sounds good , but no silver" he said and moved to a display with necklaces for men. He looked down and saw one, pewter with two wolves facing each other with a tree between them and he smiled " that one please" he said pointing to it, " I think it is very apt, don't you Brian." he said and showed him it.

"okay now I think one for Jess" he said and moved to the display with the women's in. He looked up and down the rows until he found one , it was gold and simple, it was round like the moon but with a silhouetted wolf howling. Smiling he nodded and pointed to it " that one, I don't see her as a women who like fancy or gaudy " he said looking to Brian for reassurance he had chose right fro Jess.

"I think those both look good," Brian nodded. "Jess doesn't remind me of the sort of girl that surrounds herself in a lot of fluffy fru-fru sorts of things. I think she will like that. What have you got there, Tobias?" He had seen Tobias getting out a piece of parchment and starting to make notes on it.

"This is a standard list for a new standard wardrobe package that Robert drew up a few years ago. It is more concerned with types of clothing and quantities, as opposed to style. Now that we have an idea of size, if Mr. Black Heart would just double check the quantities here and add to or subtract as he sees fit, we can put together a basic wardrobe for him that I think should suit him very well. Then he can return at will and get whatever specialty items he chooses, as do you all," Tobias smiled.

"Oh, Brian, don't forget those new wand holsters," Elaine called. "The ones I sent you the message about?"

"Oh, heavens, yes," Brian said. He looked at Jack. "Robert ordered a new shipment of wand holsters, with several extras. You need a wand holster, Jack?"

Jack looked at the parchment and listened to Tobias and Brian talking looking up he nodded " yeah, only if its not an inconvenience" he said " can you emboss a wolf on it for me." he looked to Brian " I'm going to use it as my strength not my weakness." he told him and looked back down at the list " it seems good to me, how soon can you deliver it to Jess's place?" he asked hoping it would be really soon he picked up the jacket and laid it over his arm " I'll wear this now, how much do I owe you?" he asked walking over to a till he saw. It was there he saw roses placed next to the till " Brian remind me to get some flowers to take with me...um..Roses, I know cliche" he said with a chuckle " but I think she'll like them.."

He brushed down his new jeans and smiled feeling not just clean but now normal, He had a future and life now and he would make the most of it.

"I'll take care of the stitching," Elaine told Brian.

"Thank you," he smiled. "You spoil me."

"Does Khaat know you're a tease?"

"I don't know. I'll have to ask her," he teased.

"Oh, you," she laughed.  "I'll get this all sorted for you both in a minute."

"I'll help you," Tobias said, stepping in to sort out Jack's order. He knew the price already of a standard wardrobe package. Elaine had quite a large stack of things for Brian, more than he had thought he had actually bought.

"And do you want the dress in the window you saw?" she asked him.

"How did you know I wanted that?" Brian frowned.

"When any man looks at a mannequin the way you looked at that one, they're thinking of the woman they love--or at least I hope so. You want it for Khaat?"

"Please," he said.

"I'll add it to your tab," she smiled. "I already have one packaged up for you." He laughed.

"She knows me too well," he looked at Jack.

Tobias gave Jack the total for his new wardrobe and got the shipping address while Elaine packaged all of Brian's things. Brian looked at the growing stack of packages, and then saw a large stack of boxes of shoes. He sighed.

"I think I'm going to be glad I brought a big, muscled guy along with me," Brian said. "Feel like helping me carry all this stuff back to my house and to Robert's, Jack?"

Jack chuckled at the banter between Brian and Elaine " oh would it be possible if I could take this" he said and held up a Pure Cotton Dobby Waisted Midi Dress in a wine color " as a gift..for Jess." he said some what nervously "Do you think she'll like it?" he asked looking at it as he held it up " I think she'll look good in it." he added.

Hearing Brian he smiled " Sure, good thing my strength has increased, what with all these bags and boxes" he said moving to Brian's side " but for Khaat and Abby a little weight lifting is the least I can do." he smiled and placed several gold coins on the counter for his clothes.

"Yes," Brian told Jack. "I think she'll look fine in it, and it's a good color that will let her wear it through into the fall and winter if she likes. I think she'll like it."

When their things were packaged up, Brian took as much as he could wrestle and still manage his portkeys. He decided to go home first and drop off most of his packages there and then take Robert's to the farm. "Any time you're ready, Jack," Brian said. He ported them both to the living room of his large log home that he shared with Khaat and Abbey. He could smell someone was cooking. Khaat was scheduled to be working, so he wasn't sure who was there.

"Hello?" Brian called. A moment later, Kate came in from the kitchen.

"Been shopping have you?"

"Most of this is Khaat's and Robert's," Brian laughed. "And Jack's. Kate, I'd like to introduce you to a new friend, Jack Black Heart. Jack, this is my mother in law, Kate Lupin. I'm surprised to find you here today, Kate."

"Khaat ran a little late this morning, and she asked me if I would just come here instead of her trying to bring Abbey there," Kate explained. "Nice to meet you, Jack. Put your things down, you two. How about either some tea or some fresh lemonade?"

"Lemonade sounds great," Brian said. "I didn't think I was thirsty until you mentioned it."

"And you, Jack?" Kate asked.

Jack looked around the living room and was amazed by it "Wow, this is great." he said it was now he heard then saw a woman walk from the kitchen into the room they now stood in. "Pleasure to meet you Mrs Lupin." he said " I would shake your hand but..." he motioned to the fact his arms and hands were full with bags and boxes. When she said to put the things down he placed them neatly around a table and turned back to her.

"It sounds perfect." He smiled moving to help Brian by taking some of the boxes from his arms and placing them with the others. " you have a wonderful home." Jack commented seeing woods out of the windows. " is that an assault course?" he asked some what surprised.

"Thank you," Brian said to Jack. "I built this here several years ago, and now, I'm not sure what I was thinking making a house this big back then because I had no desire to get married back then. But--I am glad now that I had a good solid family home to bring Khaat and Abbey to when they needed it most. Yeah, that's an assault training course. Robert and I and some of Robert's men use it from time to time to train. It's pretty extensive. And over to your right is a barn and a stable. This is a working farm. I have a few hands, and we grow a lot of our own fruits and vegetables and grains. With Robert's schedule getting busier, it helps if we can take over some of the field work for him so he can tend more to the animals he has on his farm. He mainly has just his and Kate's animals now over there. Kate trains birds of prey and she can speak to them, so she raises owls and whatnot. She also has quite a few pigmy puffs, which does aggravate Robert because of how rapidly the little buggars reproduce. She even had some odd mutation recently and got a batch of rainbow colored ones, of all things. Robert has a hippogriff over there but he's thinking of bringing it over here because I have more space and more people to help tend him."

He heard babbling somewhere behind him and turned to look for Abbey but couldn't see her. He frowned. He heard her giggle and still couldn't see her, and he finally looked behind the sofa to find her sitting back there with Khaat's cat, Max.

"My daughter is playing behind the couch with the cat," Brian looked up at Jack with a frown. "I have no idea what gets into her sometimes. What's that she's got? Oh. Crayons. She's scribbling on the wall. Well, Khaat won't like that, but I'll try to remember to make it disappear before she finds it."

Jack listened to Brian talk of his home, it impressed Jack at how self reliant this place was when he spoke of the assault course he smiled " might have to try that out and see if it is as good as you say" he said smirking. He too heard the little giggling and looked over the back of the couch with Brian. He smiled down at Abby then chuckled when he spoke about making the drawings disappear before Khaat saw them.

"I take it she prefers walls to paper?" he asked pulling a funny face at Abby to make her laugh a little he saw the cat and chuckled " hum..a very laid back cat." he reached down to lightly stroke him before pulling his hand back. He looked to Brian " Robert has a hypogriff, how'd he manage that, there supposed to be very proud creatures." he said