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[alt_nymphadora]

We had a nice supper here last night for Sirius. Kept him awake for most of it, too.

Bea gave Sinbad some lovely charmed balls for playing fetch, which is her new favourite sport. Well, next to pulling his tail, which she still thinks is a merry riot.

And Ellie made a nice ginger cake, which I think helped him keep the rest down. Looked a little peaky at the edges after all his travelling. Speaking of ginger. Bless her, I think El's had her head turned by a pair of dashing blokes who've stopped by the garden recently. Sweet how she kept circling us back around to talking about them!

Comments

[alt_charlie]

I dunno, you might want to keep an eye out for those blokes. They seem the shady type to me. I heard one of them was planning on coming out drinking tomorrow night, in the middle of the week, even!

Sirius -- I'm sorry we all missed wishing you a happy birthday, yesterday. (It's been the Weasley family drama this week.) Still, it sounds like it was a good day. I'd buy you a beer tomorrow night, but it might look odd to put a dish down for Sinbad -- still, I owe you one.

[alt_bill]

Wish I could join you there, but I have a meeting with a contact tomorrow night. But I plan to be there on Friday.

Happy belated birthday from me too, Sirius. Same goes for me with regard to the beer.

[alt_nymphadora]

Well, that's all right. That way we get two nights out of you lot. I told Charlie we should pay you both commission: we sell more beer when you're here, improving our scenery!

[alt_charlie]

I'm happy to come in and be decorative whenever I have a spare evening! You'd better watch it, though -- one of these nights I might just try to sneak Miss Bea out under my robes with me when I go. Did you see her turning her hair ginger when we were playing grab-your-toes?

[alt_sirius]

Thanks, Bill.

And I shouldn't worry too much about our Ellie, if I were you. She tends to get attached easily, whether it's to dogs or tall, handsome blokes who appear to be single.

Can't blame the girl when her other options round the garden are so limited, eh?

[alt_nymphadora]

I'll see if I can't get more of those good nuts in. We went through them all last week.

Oh, and I'll speak to my pastry chef and see if she couldn't bake another of her nice cakes for tonight.

[alt_sirius]

Please, no more ginger. I can't even look at a slice of gingerbread just about now.

It's not that I don't appreciate the tender loving care - just that variety would be appreciated, as well.

[alt_nymphadora]

Hope carrot's alright.

Have you had a look at it? She's even put little sugar carrots on top.

[alt_sirius]

Carrot's lovely.

Has she been reading up on cooking charms?

[alt_sirius]

No worries, Charlie. It was quite an intimate affair: As Dora says, we weren't up for much in the way of celebration. Dressing gowns and slippers seemed to be the preferred attire. Suited me just fine.

Though today, Bea thinks it's my bound duty to prove to her that I value her gifts by giving them exercise!

But regarding your drama: Moony said Percy's making a proper mess of his life. Sorry you and Bill seem to be the ones elected to support him - well, that's what brothers do, of course, but it's hard, I know, to try to offer support for him while not condoning his actions. Believe me, I know.

[alt_charlie]

Dressing gowns and slippers sound like a lovely birthday to me.

And thanks again for those bits of advice tonight on how to best handle my brotherly duties. I keep hoping that if we hit on the right thing to say or do, we'll be able to lure him out from under Lucius sodding Malfoy's thumb, but ... well, it's like you said, you've been there yourself.

I'm not giving up, though. Not until I have to. Even if it does mean I have to pretend to admire his boss instead of wanting to see him used as a snack for the Dementors.

I realised after I left that I'd forgotten to hand over the list of apparition coordinates for the spots we were talking about -- it's a pretty long list, so I don't want to copy them into the journals. I'll bring them by sometime later in the week if I can, or hand them over on Boxing Day if we can stop in.

[alt_macnair]

Happy returns, Sirius. Thought about coming 'round, but we're still preparing for the solstice run up here and figured I ought to stay and help.

The universe must have a sense of humour, since it saw fit to have you born the same day in December as your cousin Bellatrix.

[alt_sirius]

Yes, and weren't joint birthday parties such a treat round ours!

And a week before Christmas, in the bargain.

I'll be coming out to meet you for the boat trip, probably Thursday night so we can head out in the early morning.

Have to say these broad daylight trips make me uneasy. Don't suppose we could convince the planet to tilt its axis a few hours earlier, do you?