A Birth day

Angus made just some simple bacon butties and had served them with bottles of beer for a quick lunch. Elwood was in seventh heaven, saying he hadn't had a bacon butty in at least a century. He was utterly delighted at the very quick, light lunch.

By the time lunch was finished, Sam and Victor had managed to strike a compromise with Anise and Ginger that pretty much anything they wanted was going to be okay if the girls just didn't buy flowers and lace and a lot of pink nonsense.

"How about we'll go check out some new brooms and such and you girls can do shop til you drop?" Sam asked.

"You don't want to come with us?" Ginger asked.

"God, let them go. We'll get done in half the time," Anise laughed.

"You lot take your time, and we'll meet you in front of Sparks when you finish," Victor said. "That's about half way between the second hand store and the broom shop. You get into trouble, use your medallions, and we'll be straight there."

"We're not going to be in any trouble we can't handle," Anise said.

"Alright, then, see you in a bit," Sam and Victor said, seeming to be delighted to escape.

"They wouldn't have those apartments ready by Christmas if we left it to them," Anise said.

"Yes they would," Ginger said. "They'd be happy with beanbag chairs and a skillet."

"God, that's frightening. You're right, though," Anise sighed. She looked at Ruby and Aria. "Shall we go?"

Ruby and Aria both looked at the bopys and girls happy with the compermise tehy said nothing as they boys left and irt was just them and the girls " yep I'm ready" Aria said and Ruby chuckled setting down her now empty mug and standing up.

"come on lets get these boys apartments kitted out" she said and walked to the door and down the stairs to step out into sunlight " wow bright light" she said letting her eyes adjust before together they headed to the second hand shop.

Aria and Ruby found the shop and open the doors for he girls " okay girls now is the time." Aria said smiling a she stepped to one side to let the girls go in front while she and Ruby walked behind checking out other things they saw.

The girls did not like the sofas or chairs, except that Anise found a pale cream colored rather smallish armchair that she believed might work well in the bedroom. She bought it. She bought some really odd pieces of old bits and bobs that she believed would work well as wall decorations and decorative items. She found an armoire that she liked for the bedroom, and then she gave Ginger a hand in finding some things for decorations for her place.

"Neither of us have seen sofas or chairs that we like," Anise said. "Are we entirely out of line to consider something new? I know that's more expensive, but we'd like them pieces to be real comfortable. I mean, we don't need to go to the most expensive store in England. We can be reasonable, I think, right? I mean, not everybody buys their sofas at Harold's, do they?"

"No. It's not Harold's. What's that name again? Harmon's? Howards?" Ginger sighed. "I forget. But I bet they know who you mean. I don't know that we could afford to even open the door to that store, could we?"

After his bacon butty and his beer, Elwood fell into a contented sleep in the living room, feeling at peace that his odds and ends were getting settled. They had even talked about what Elwood wanted when he died, and Elwood said he did not need to necessarily be buried next to Pearl. He was happy to step back and let Angus decide whatever Angus believed was best. Angus suggested that Elwood let Angus make arrangements that Elwood would be buried in Tuscany in the Donohue family plot so that he would always be with his family. Elwood admitted that hadn't entered his head and he felt honored that Angus would even suggest such a thing.

Aria and Ruby listened to them talking and both chuckled " its Harrods" Aria said " and well it is expensive there and I mean really expensive, even I haven't bee to that place" she admitted " we can always go back to the flea market and see if they have sofas and things for the living room?" she asked trying to steer them away from Harrods as they as in Ruby and Aria knew Angus would not be pleased that they blew there budget on one item at Harrods.

" we don't even have to go today" Ruby said " but if you want to blow your money, we can go Harrods?" she said looking around the shop again as she waited for their decision. " but I will say this what you get now might not be what you want in a years time" she said and picked up a small brass figurine of a ballet dancer.

"Oh, no, I don't think we're the right sort to shop there," Anise said. "I think we were deciding that Harrod's is the one place we shouldn't go. She saw Ginger heading to the counter with something in each hand. "What'd you find?" she asked Ginger.

"Never you mind. Keep shopping," she told Anise. Ginger bought two items, and the shopkeeper packed them well in styrofoam and put them in shopping bag for her.

As they left the shop, Anise looked at a shop, called Gently Used, almost right across the street. They had some furniture in the window.

"What's that place?" Anise asked.

"Um..." Ginger looked in the brochure Marcus had sent along. "It apparently is a second location of a kind of different second hand store. The first location is actually a new place in Hogwarts, and they specialize in expensive name brand items that are in exceptional condition, for 'gently used' prices, whatever that means."

"You see that chair in the window?"

"The wing chair?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I really like it. It's a large checked print in cream and a caramel brown color. I like that its stylish but also somewhat neutral. I want to go look."

"Okay," Ginger shrugged.

"It would be really great if they had a pair of those chairs and a sofa in a solid caramel color--and even better if they were comfortable and in our budget," Anise said.

"Help us look?" Ginger asked Ruby and Aria. "We've neither of us bought a sofa before. We'd like to not buy a pair of ridiculous sofas."

Ruby looked at them both " oh sorry I got the wrong end of that conversation" she said with a chuckle. Seeing the gently used shop she smiled as did Aria as she opened the door " come on then lets look" she said then looked at the chair in the window " it is a bit pricy but how about this, I'll get it for you as an apartment warming gift" she said smiling to Anise as they entered the shop. she saw all the items including a fair display of sofas

Aria walked over to the sofas and looked at them some were thin and some were just low to the ground others were puffy and some recliners " well what do you want to do on it?" Aria sked " if you want to lounge , maybe the recliners , if cuddling puffy or if you want to work the thinner ones." she said

"Would you really?" Anise asked, truly in love with the chair. "Thank you!"

Ginger wandered through the shop and she found another chair matching the one Ruby was going to buy Anise. She very quietly made arrangements to put the second chair on layaway. The shop owner was a bit reluctant, but she finally agreed, and Ginger made the arrangement and made a payment on the second chair.

"Well," Anise told Ruby. "I hope we'll be sitting or cuddling, but I want it to be comfortable enough that someone could stretch out and nap on it. A good sofa probably would end up being the centerpiece of the whole apartment, so I hope its versatile.

"If you want to see a couple good pieces, I just got a pair of chairs in, and they're just too big for my shop," the clerk told Ginger. "I'll give you an excellent deal on them."

"Let's see them, then," Ginger said. She followed the clerk who showed her a pair of big, chunky soft chairs in an ivory chenille fabric. Ginger sat down in them, and she believed they were the most comfortable chairs she had even sat in. She wanted them badly. She looked at Aria and motioned to her, leaving Ruby to help Anise.

"Check these out," she told Aria. "I think I could melt away altogether in these chairs. They're fantastic."

"I'll sell you both of them for the price of one of them," the clerk said, "if you're interested because they're just entirely too big for my shop."

Ruby smiled to Anise and when Ginger found a matching one she watched her sort out payment options. Ruby walked over and paid for both chairs handing a card to the person behind the counter while the gentleman was showing Ginger and Aria the chairs out back. Looking at Anise she smiled " its only fair since I'm buying yours , beside your not staying in the same apartment and even if you are, it just means you'll each have one in your own rooms" she said with a smile.

"Well I'd say being this comfortable go for them and maybe a sofa bed , so you have a place should guests stay or you just don't want to go to your rooms" she said with a chuckle as she spotted a comfortable one off near the back as she got up from the chair. Walking over she saw it was a good hight and had washable covers on the cushions " you know you can make new covers and make it your style that way." she added showing Giger how they removed.

"Of course," Anise shrugged when Ruby said she was going to pay for Ginger's chairs.

Ginger walked over and looked at the sofa bed Ruby was pointing out.

"I bet we could do a transfiguration spell on it too to change the fabric if we wanted," Ginger said. She tested the sofa to see if it was comfortable. "I think this one would work just fine. And I think Victor would like it." Anise helped her to discuss the sofa with the owner and got her to take of a third of the price she was asking. Satisfied, Ginger bought the sofa.

"I think we have the big pieces now," Anise said to Ginger. "We have the smaller pieces but I doubt that will be much of a problem. I think we've made good progress today."

"I bet the rest of it will come probably significantly easier," Ginger said.

Aria and Ruby smiled as they girls looked around the shop and at the bed " you could yes" she said as they spoke of transfiguration of the covers to what they liked. The both smiled as they heard the girls talk of everything else becoming easier " maybe" Ruby said " so you want to go back to the flea market or are we done for the day?" Ruby asked as she stood by the counter hr arms folded as she looked at both girls.

" who knows maybe the boys could come with you next time to get what we couldn't today" Aria said smiling " I know they would like some input in some of the tings for the apartment." Aria looked at a clock and sighed " and its getting late we really should start heading back home" she told them. " don't want to be out too late" she told them hoping things had gone better at the duplex with Elwood.