The Contract

Chapter 125

"Good morning, Aurelius!" a cheerful apprentice who ignorantly ploughed over boundaries as if such a thing didn't exist. He was thick as two short planks but despairingly powerful. He had not given any of them leave to use his first name. The others in Bill's group thankfully understand all social nuances and cues. It would seem, they hadn't taken the effort to correct their co-worker's faux pas.

"Lord Slytherin," the thick Irish brogue of Heir Seamus O' Boyle intoned politely. One of the last wizards brought on for Bill's team, competent, already created a ward of his own creation, apprenticed as a Curse Breaker. Intelligent and desired to take a magic crafting apprenticeship or class leading to a Mastery. Not easily done, magic crafting/spell weaving weren't what you would call popular. Not an easily accessible craft to Master.

"Heir O' Boyle, I hope you and your family are well?" Aurelius asked politely, seeing to the necessary social obligations. It was naught but a waste of time, most of the time. However, it was useful when you wanted to use them for some reason or another later. Too bad Lindsay Hughes couldn't learn from the red headed heir.

"As well as can be," he said ruefully, "My daughter has just started attending magic tiny tots so my wife, she's feeling a little empty nest syndrome."

"Magic tiny tots?" Aurelius questioned, curiously.

"A friend set it up, it allows children to meet up and play with friends. It's nothing official yet, but hopefully it will gain momentum. You know yourself how lonely it can be without someone to play with to understand you. Muggles don't make for good friends; they don't understand magic." He explained, rushing to explain lest he be misunderstood. "I have nothing against Muggles, honestly, they're strange creatures but I'd prefer to be amongst my own people."

"I understand completely," Aurelius answered, probably speaking to him with more honest that he usually would anyone else.

"But enough about me, you're here to see the boss man, right?" he asked, setting the books aside in the tent they had up for the communal area, which split off into different tents that were for people sleeping, bedrooms.

Aurelius smiled, barely there, "I am," he confirmed.

"Bad timing, they won't be finished at the dig for another half an hour at least." he told Aurelius after a very dramatic wince. Which to be fair was understandable. Aurelius' time was precious and a whole half hour? Dozens of things could be better off doing. "You can sit and wait if you like, there are new copies of Defence association magazines over there." Pointing towards the new releases, practically hot of the press.

"Thank you," Aurelius replied, inclining his head before wandering over to the seating area. Plucking the DA magazine as he went, other countries were far more advanced still, bloody British politics were preventing them from being the best country magic wise. He'd get there though, by hook or crook as the matron of his Orphanage used to say. He ignored the breakfast spread out on the table; he'd had a filling breakfast. Although, the coffee was enticing. It would make a good one, Bill splurged a little more on the finer things in life after he'd introduced him to them. Not a lot, not often, but he did, he also made sure that his brothers got spoiled as well.

"Can I get you anything before I head off?" Heir Seamus asked, picking up and discarding things. "I'll let Bill know you're here." Its likely that Lord Weasley would be quick to return.

"Do you have anything cold on offer?" Aurelius asked, it was very dry here, he tended to forget.

"Sure, we have water, diet coke, Pepsi max, orange, pumpkin and apple?" the wizard asked, opening the under the table fridge that was full to bulging - and magically extended Aurelius noted - with all manner of really cold drinks. A nice choice between Muggle drinks and wizarding ones. The difference was the sugar content in some of the drinks.