"Sarah Beth!" I called out. "I'm home!"
"Huh?" A small voice came from the couch. It was a blond boy, perhaps around seven six or seven years old, looking at me from behind a notebook. He was clutching a crayon in his left hand. I soon recognized the boy as the Malfoys' kid, Scorpius.
"Hi, Ashley. Sarah Beth said you would be home soon."
"Okay, thanks! hey, er, where is Sarah Beth?"
"You're welcome. Making dinner."
"Thanks again."
"You're welcome again." He continued coloring a tree on the paper.
I stepped through the doorway into the kitchen. Sarah Beth did not see me, as her body was halfway in the stove. "Why is there a kid here?"
"Because his father let him be here."
"Sarah Beth, we have done nothing but take in things for the past week and a half."
"I know. I was just being nice."
"Well, we don't have very much money to be nice quite yet."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that until we get the new shop up and running, we have no way to house anyone else here."
"He's one kid. What is he going to do? Demand all of our money at gunpoint?"
"What I'm also talking about is the credit card!"
"What is it?" Scorpius called from the sitting room.
"Nothin', Scorpy!" Sarah Beth replied. "What about the credit card, Ashley?"
"You've been running it up halfway to the stratosphere."
"The what?"
"The sky."
"I just bought a few things we might need."
"Like the wooden spoons that are drumsticks on the other side?"
"Besides that, I got some new rain boots. My old ones are ruined."
"Okay, and what about the gravy boat?"
"It was rainbow. I really liked it."
"They cost thirteen pounds..."
"No. I got it for nine on Amazon."
"Nine, then. Sarah Beth, we don't have-"
"Well, you don't need to buy a bloody building!"
"I do if it gets us jobs!"
"If Jeff's scheme even works! You know how he-"
"That's right! I know. You don't. He knows how to deal with money. I've seen it before."
"Well, I don't like it one bit!"
"Well, I don't like what you're doing one bit!"
"You're being unreasonable."
"And you're being-"
"Sarah Beth?"
Both of us stopped yelling and stared, frozen at Scorpius in the doorway.
"Hi, Scorpius." Sarah Beth said, smiling. "We were just having a grown-up conversation."
"I know." Scorpius said. "I've heard Mummy and Duddy have those before. May I please have a glass of juice?"
"Er, okay. Ashley, go pour him some juice."
"Yes, dear." I hurriedly poured Scorpius his juice and handed it to him.
"Thank you, Ashley." Sorpius said, looking at me. He didn't have the same disposition toward me as he did Sarah Beth. To her, he was all smiles. To me, he seemed indifferent. He went on his way and went to draw again.
"What are we doing, Ashley? We're arguing in front of a guest..."
"I know, I know... I'm sorry, Sarah Beth. I just... I wish you'd come to me with whatever you are buying before hit 'Check Out'."
She sighed. "Fine. I will. Just please make sure this Brew business goes smoothly."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure of it. I love you, Sarah Beth."
"I love you, too, Ashley. Now, go make friends with our guest."
"I don't think he likes me all that well."
"Well, the yelling sure didn't help at all, but I know you can do something about it, Mr. Freud."
"Freud? Have you been watching the BBC documentary?"
"Perhaps. I only caught a bit of it, though. And then I turned on cartoons."
"Of course you did. Okay, here goes nothing!"
"Go get him, tiger."
