outside sparks

"Then ask him to slap some sense back into you while you're at it," Khaat sighed frustrated. "Now you sound like him. She who?? I was by myself. He came in yammering something about a 'she' but I was the only 'she' there. You're no better off than he is. Good God, you're both crackers." She took a handful of Floo powder over to the fireplace hurled it in and shouted angrily for her father. Nothing was making sense. And here, she thought he was such a nice, level headed guy too when she married him. Maybe Daddy could fix him--or this. They both needed fixed. Him and his sister. It was just getting nuttier by the second.

Robert heard Khaat bellowing for him in a very unfriendly tone. Very uncharacteristic of her. Something was amiss. He picked up his bag and stepped through the Floo network and found himself stepping into Sparks. The first thing he noticed was Rob asleep in a chair, his sister standing not far off, and Khaat, who was wearing a bloody shirt. He walked over to her and examined the cut. "You called me for this?" he frowned. He laid his hand on the cut and finished the healing job. "They're both off their nut," Khaat said frustrated. "I expect you to fix this!" Robert looked at Rob, who appeared to not so much be nuts as sleeping, and Jen was just standing, doing nothing really. He looked at Jen, a bit confused at what Khaat was talking about. "So? Are you both nuts?" he asked, hoping there would be an explanation that made sense forthcoming.

"We're not nuts. She's over-reacting and has obviously forgotten that she is carrying my niece in her womb!" Jen snapped, getting more irritated by the second. "Seeing as she doesn't exactly have a name yet there wasn't much to call her. Honestly this is taking it a bit far." Jen sat down on her brother's lap and he jerked awake, muttering something about Labradors. Jen snickered and Rob looked at her in irritation before looking up to see Khaat's father and a disgruntled looking Khaat looking down at them. "Rob, are we nuts?" Jen asked, wondering idly what his answer would be.
"What are you talking about?" he asked wearily. "Of course we're not." he put his hand on his forehead and Jen grinned triumphantly.
"See!" she boasted, poking her tongue out at Khaat. “You should learn not to rely on daddy so much, Khaat. Rob just might be better off with someone he can look after. Remember the Lestrange woman who you had a drink with, Rob? She was very nice, I liked her.”

"That, of course, is his choice, if he prefers," Khaat said coldly to her. She might be Rob's sister, but Rob was right. Sometimes she was irritating. Khaat went into the kitchen, slamming the door with a loud bang--loud enough to be heard in Jessica's bookstore next door, she hoped. "This really isn't going well, is it?" Robert looked at Rob, trying hard to stifle a little laugh. Rob just wasnt' used to Khaat's little skirmishes, but he surely was somehow getting a crash course. Robert had hoped that life with Khaat was not going to be a baptism by fire for the poor young man. He thought for a moment and sat down with Rob.

"You saw something, didn't you?" Robert asked him, catching on fast now. "Khaat was in trouble and you saw something. And you aren't a seer." He paused, still looking at Rob. "That baby is linked to you and you sensed her fear. That's what brought you here, isn't it? No wonder you two are talking two different languages. You weren't prepared for it, and she doesn't even know such a thing is possible. She thinks you're off your rocker by talking about women who weren't there. That granddaughter of mine could well turn out to be a very powerful witch if she's starting her powers this early. You'd better pull yourself together, Lad. There's about to be a tiny tornado tearing through your kitchen. You want to explain this, or do you want me to? Before you have no kitchen. I know you're confused, but she doesn't have the first clue." Robert looked at Jen. "Not you. The two of you are not getting off on the right foot."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Khaat drew out the morning cash, the reason she came here in the first place. If he wanted some bloody Lestrange witch, then so be it. She could take care of herself. Nobody was making a lick of sense. The day had started just fine and gone all to hell since she got here in London. There had been nobody in that alley but her and those stupid kids. And she had not called anybody for help. She put the cash in the register drawer and slammed the drawer shut. She hadn't been on a tirade slamming things for years, but this certainly felt like she earned it today. She might be in the shortest marriage in wizarding history if he really was thinking about some other woman. Maybe he'd been thinking of her and that's why he thought there were more women in the alley than just her. She had no clue. She got out a huge stainless steel mixing bowl and slammed it onto the steel worktable and set the ingredients mixing themselves for fresh scones. "Noting conjured," she'd told herself about the food on the menu. Well, she was about to break her own rule.

It's utter rubbish Rob. Jen placed her thoughts inside his mind. My vote is the pub, get a round in would you?

This didn't register in his mind, however as he was fuming where he sat. Rob put Jen back onto his feet and stood up. Trying to calm him was a lost cause and even Jen, who was trying to escalate the situation, could see that there was no consoling him. He'd been pushed to his tether and he couldn't believe for one moment that there was going be a bright side of the situation.

"Pull myself together!?!" he roared, sounding every bit like his Animagus. “All I ever have to do is ‘pull myself together’; I’m forever bloody pulling myself together for her and for this god for saken family! I’m never going to be good enough for any of you because shockingly enough I don’t want to be! I want to be able to live my life again and not worry about people giving me pitying looks because I am a failure of a husband. I don’t want to do any of this anymore and do you even know what’s worse? You’re telling me that I’m going to have a powerful witch for a daughter well F***-a-doodle-do! I don’t actually care anymore!”

He’d had enough of the expectations and he’d certainly had enough of them. He was a loner, he always had been and that certainly wasn’t going to change. So he had this supposedly powerful kid for a daughter – that wasn’t his problem. Rob stormed out of Sparks and melted into his Animagus form before running up the road towards the Leaky Cauldron where he would sit in the bar and drink the rest of the day away.

Jen sucked in a breath and glanced at Robert sheepishly. She bit her lip and smiled a little, deciding that it was best to distract the healer. “I’ll put the kettle on shall I?”

Khaat didn't need Rob. She didn't need bloody anybody. She didn't need to love him. She could forget about him if he wanted some Lestrange woman and she could raise her child alone. Their child. No. If he wasn't coming back it was her child. She'd just stop calling it their child. Her daughter. She could give it all up. The damned kids could go back to living on the streets, or she'd give them the house. She'd move back to Cornwall, and forget the whole bloody thing. Khaat spun a wild web of spells to do her cooking today. She had nothing left within her to spend any time here today. She took off her wedding ring and her engagement ring and apparated out. She didn't care where she went. Just away from here.

Robert walked away from Jen and went into the kitchen to try to find Khaat and found the spells going awry in her anger. She'd cast them half assed, and it was making a mess. He stopped everything just as their cook came back from a trip to the market. "You're in charge today," Robert told the confused woman, "The Dents are out today." His eyes came to rest on the desk where he saw Khaat had left her rings. She had it all wrong, and he didn't know where she went. He picked up the rings and pocketted them and took her bag and went back out into the dining room.

"You know, you don't have to like my daughter. But you really should try a little less hard to break them up," Robert said, restraining himself. He knew she wasn't bright enough to know the immense power that he could wield when he wanted to. Hell, nobody knew that. But for Khaat he would do nearly anything. He had no need to flaunt himself in front of this little tart. He was sharp enough to see all her insecurities like she was stark naked in front of him. It made him feel sorry for her in a way. It didn't excuse her behavior, but it surely did explain it. He was sure that if she could see all he was seeing she would feel completely exposed. And he didn't want to unwind the poor girl altogether. He poured the tea and brought 2 mugs to the table. "You want to explain this to me?" he asked quietly.

The whole thing was being blown out of proportion and Jen wasn't blind to what 'Daddy' thought of her. She knew he thought of her as nothing more than a whore but unfortunately that was how she worked. She was better than most women in that respect as she used everything she had to get what she wanted. She had a respect for her body that common prostitutes didn't and although she dressed up like a tart she definitely was not one - she had much to much pride to let men have their wicked way with her.

She liked to think herself something like Anne Boleyn, keeping the man on a leash and drawing him in close enough to push him back and still keep him interested. She'd do it to the very end and probably suceed where her idol failed. She wouldn't get a King but she'd get pretty damn close. Minister or Headmaster would do for her. Or maybe... someone that loved her? No, that was stupid. She had to aim high. Love wasn't going to get her anywhere - Rob and the chit carrying his daughter were the prime example of this.

Jen sat down with Robert and smirked at him. If he thought her an idiot, which seemed quite likely, then she was better at her job than she had originally though. She was meant to be exactly what people wanted her to see and if he thought her to be a whore who was incredibly niave and wasn't aware of the immense power he radiated then he could think on because she was definitely aware and couldn't wait to think up ways of sucking him dry of the power.

"It might shock you," Jen laughed. "But I'm not even trying. She's far to used to having you around and seeing as she lost that werewolf to stand on she's relying on you. Obviously she needs to learn how to stand on her own two feet. I must say she is the most depressing Gryffindor I've ever seen - they're usually fun to toy with seeing as they fight back. Rob and I definitely should have gone to Slytherin but obviously your little princess hasn't seen that side of my dear brother yet. She never will at this rate but in my opinion he is better off without the drama."

"And I"m confident that he's equally as comfortable with you obviously knowing every time he uses the loo, too," Robert said calmly, "Check your own dysfunction first, my dear. As for me,..." he stood up and slung both bags over his shoulder, "I think I shall go back to work. You clearly are hunting for other fish than what you will find in this little empty bistro today. Oh, and if you do find him, tell him I will take care of his children for him since he is incapable of it at the moment. Someone has to."

"At least I can say with the utmost confidence that I know my brother better than she ever will." Jenifer said tartly, trying to keep this disdain out of her voice but failing miserably. She was really getting sick of the Lupin's now. Could Rob of married a bloody Malfoy for goodness sake?!? "I am not interested in where you go anyway for goodness sake. I've had enough of you all and it seems so has Rob. Granted he was a bit late but I hope to god he doesn't go home to..." Jen pinched the bridge of her nose and stood up. She didn't need to deal with any of this. She slid her coat on and poked the sash through the buckle, tightening it up. "Don't tell me what I already know." she said sharply. "Rob will be back he's just... re-evaluating things.." This had all gotten completely out of hand and it was taking a toll on both siblings now. Jen could feel Rob's distress and she wasn't fairing too well either.

"Then, by all means, run along. You really should leave the wizarding world to the grownups anyway. You've made enough of a mess today that you aren't near woman enough to clean up." He accio'd the keys to the bistro with nonverbal magic. "You aren't tolerating the stress of it now. Ah, well. We can't all be Lupins, now can we?" He laughed, unmoved by her manipulations--or attempts at them. She almost amused him. Who did she really think she was? Mata Hari?