Abbey nodded enthusiastically, liking the bunting. She waved her little hands in a scalloping motion like the shape of the scalloping bunting, and when she did, the bunting started to sparkle. She looked at the bunting, wide eyed and completely fascinated, not sure how the sparkling had happened and then looked at Jack.
"Did I just see...accidental magic...from a three year old?" Nigel frowned, trying hard to wrap his brain around what he had just seen, that a three year old was capable of magic at all.
"Yup," Brian said, shrugging as he looked at it. "Its genetic from the women in Kate's line, documented repeatedly in Khaat's family tree. Jack, Abbey thinks you did it."
"Thank you, Everyone," Robert said. "You don't know how much I wish that all of our founding members could be here with us tonight."
"Then, perhaps a toast," Brian said, lifting a glass. "To James and Lily, Sirius and Remus, with much gratitude to them all. We couldn't have done it without each of them. Because of them, we have saved untold numbers of children."
"Here here," Angus said, lifting his own glass. "To all our founders."
"Thank you, Jack and Abbey for the splendid decorating, and thank you, Everyone for this party and for all your hard work each and every day," Kate said. "This day has been 40 years in coming, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend it with. You are our family, the only family we have. Congratulations to you all and thank you so much for a job exceptionally well done. We can never adequately show you just how much we love you." She turned to Abbey, who was tugging on her trouser leg. "Let's fix you a supper plate. How hungry are you?"
"This much!" Abbey spread her arms open as wide as they could get. Kate laughed.
"Jack, you're not going to get any dinner tonight because Abbey's going to eat it all," Kate teased. Abbey, even for her young age, understood the joke, and she giggled and blew raspberries playfully at Jack.
"Feel like trying a little food?" Nigel asked Robert. "Is the nausea spell still holding?"
"It's holding," Robert said. "I actually would like, maybe, a little."
"Excellent," Nigel said, pleased. "I'll go fix you a small plate with some light things. Anything you particularly want?"
"Nothing in particular," Robert said. "I'm sure its all good. Where's Michael? He's one of our founders. He should be here."
"Oh, forgive me," Kate said. "I forgot to tell you. I took it upon myself to send him to go talk to Daphne about how slippery Gelding has been and how easy it would be for one of his shapeshifters to break him out. We don't want any mess ups."
"Oh, yes, I should have warned her of that," Robert said. "Well, if Michael's gone to see Daphne, we won't see him til morning, but that's alright. He deserves a night off." As Robert was speaking, he glanced up to see an owl at the kitchen window, tapping on the glass.
"Kate, we have an owl," Robert told her.
"I'll get it," Khaat said, going to the window. "The owl treats are missing, though."
"Well, Michael told me to tell you that your 'bloody bird' made off with them yesterday morning," Angus laughed.
"Archangel does like them. They're one of his favorites," Kate said. "There are some fresh shrimp in the fridge. Give him one of those." Khaat gave the owl a shrimp and took the message. She opened the message.
"Good lord," she said quietly. Brian came over and took the message and read it and then laughed out loud, truly amused.
"Only Michael could think to do this. Well, that's one more loose end tied up," Brian laughed. "You'll all like this. It's a deposit slip for our Gringotts account. Michael's deposited over a million galleons into our organization's account. He's included a photo of Tom's very empty vault. And he's written us a message. You're all going to love it. All the message says is 'Mischief Managed,' and its simply signed M."
They roared with laughter and applauded.
"Well done, and thank you, Michael Tremaine," Angus said, raising his glass to Michael.
"You know," Robert said, "Gelding does have other accounts in other parts of the world, but this will significantly hurt him. I've always known, though, this was one of his biggest accounts. So let me put this in some perspective for you. In terms of the money he's gained from muggles, just in this one account, that works out to about five million pounds or about six and a half million American dollars--just an insane amount of blood money. And, remember each one of those galleons was part of one of his illegal trafficking transactions."
"I'd love to get his Paris account shut down," Brian said.
"Oh, no doubt that if Michael thought of this, he's also thinking of Paris," Robert said. "And, did you remember, Brian, that there is a reward clause in our bylaws?"
"Oh I'd forgotten all about that," Brian said. He looked at Angus. "There is a clause in our bylaws that states that if one of our operatives finally brings down Gelding, they shall receive a reward of 100,000 galleons--or in muggle money, that's half a million pounds or almost seven million American dollars. So, by virtue of the fact that you and Ruby managed this together, each of you will be receiving 50,000 galleons--or, if you prefer, a quarter of a million pounds--along with our eternal thanks."
"Well done, indeed, Angus," Robert said. "And to Ruby too, even though she's with Edward at the moment. Thank you so very much. Now go tuck into the food, you lot, before Abbey eats it all." Nigel came back with plate of food for Robert.
"Let's see how you do with some nourishment," Nigel said. "It's been entirely too long since you've eaten."
"Might I do that?" Khaat asked, seeing how her mother was busy helping Abbey.
"Certainly," Nigel told her. Khaat stepped in to help her father with some supper. "He may not eat a lot, but that's alright," Nigel said. "Whatever he gets is a help."
"Agreed," Khaat said. She stepped in to feed him, but it didn't take Gabe more than about 5 seconds to see that, while Robert might be hungry, he wasn't going to adjust to being fed like an infant.
"Hold on, I have an idea," he said. He took a spoon and a fork and started magically altering them. He started by elongating the handles on both of them and then wrapping them around in a modified ellipse shape and then angled the spoon and the fork that would allow them to slip over Robert's mitten shaped bandages and allow him the independence and control to feed himself with just a wee bit of patience on Robert's part until he got used to it. Kate managed to find some straws in the kitchen that would allow Robert to manage his own drinks if they levitated the cups and glasses. Nigel was impressed.
"Oh, well done," Nigel said. "I wondered how we were going to conquer that little obstacle. Good work, Gabe."
"Thank you," Robert said, relieved at finding he did not have to feel humiliated by needing to be fed. "No offense, Khaat, but doing it myself is so much better."
"I understand," she said, "no offense taken whatsoever." She got herself a cup of coffee, and Nigel noticed she had not taken interest in fixing herself a plate. He also noticed Marcus was watching closely and appeared slightly frustrated. Nigel interpreted it as perhaps a repeated behavior that Marcus was concerned about, so Nigel took it upon himself to simply walk up to her, slip his arm around her waist in a friendly gesture and invite her for a short walk outside, just the two of them. Marcus followed, albeit at a distance so that she and Nigel could talk and not be overheard.
"Her appetite is still off," Brian said quietly. "It'll come. She's afraid, although she tries not to be. Every time she closes her eyes, she dreams of James taking her away from us."
"Her fear is highly understandable and not without merit," Robert said. "We know his intentions, much as we will certainly all work to protect her. She knows that, but she still has valid reason to be afraid."
"Marcus dreams of that too," Kate said. "He's been having some violent nightmares lately that have been waking me in the middle of the night. Very much like waking me up by shouting in my ear. You think Nigel is seeing something?"
"Oh, very obviously, he sees it" Robert said, "and, very obviously, he intends to tactfully confront her. I don't know how receptive she'll be to him, but yes. That's exactly what he's doing. He is a very observant fellow and doesn't miss much. He once said to me that the things that people try to hide are the things that shout out to him the loudest."
"So If I want to hide something from him I need to do it in plain sight," Brian teased. "Good to know." Robert frowned at him.
"Only you could take what I said and get that conclusion out of it," Robert laughed. "You're so weird."
"I don't know," Kate laughed. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Of course you did," Robert rolled his eyes. "You raised the boy. No wonder he's weird. Now I know where he got that from."
by 
