To floo such a long distance was both exhilarating and also a bit scary. Ambrose had never gone so far, from the fireplace at home to Scotland. It was as far if not further than the Hogwarts Express took them all in a day.

Moira had invited Ambrose, one way or another, he didn't quite remember how it exactly had happened, but their shared love of magical creatures had led to it. From thestrals to winged horses and the rest of the McBoid clan too. It felt ever so slightly awkward, given that he and Cy were still a pair (though Ambrose had his suspicions his appeal was beginning to wear thin).

Stumbling out of the fireplace in the Highlands, Ambrose clutched his well-used rucksack over his shoulder and looked about himself in surprise, not quite sure what to expect of the McBoid home, but glad he hadn't flooed straight into the stable with those enormous winged horses.

"Made it! Hello!" He greeted his welcome party with a big grin.

Looking up as the fireplace activated it, Moira had made him promise to stay put while they were gone, Angus gave a welcoming grin and stood to his full six feet and six inches to greet the boy. "Good morning! Though tis almost lunch time tis is not? Ah'm Angus, Moira's father, she said ye were arriving today." To clear up any confusion he explained, "Moira's at town with me brother, Duncan. They should be returning here shortly though, so have a seat!"

Once Ambrose had sat down he resumed his own seat. Angus had been rather surprised when Moira had told him they'd be having a guest for a few days. Naturally he grilled her and found it was a boy in her year, and a gryffindor to boot. How he had come to be invited was hazy, though, and all he had been able to gather was one way or another this Ambrose Pepper was going to be visiting for a few days. That was alright with him, it gave him someone new to talk to.

"So, Ah understand yer family's known for making time-turners. That's fascinating. Never really wanted ta use one meself of course, tricky magic at the best of times." Shaking his head Angus looked to Ambrose again. "How's school going fer ya?"

Moira was nowhere to be seen, but rather a tall man who made Ambrose tilt his head back to look up at and regard properly was there. He looked a bit like Moira - but immediately introduced himself as her father, Angus and told him to take a seat.

"Oh!" Ambrose replied in surprise. "Hello, er, I'm Ambrose, Ambrose Pepper." He managed another smile, and glanced about as he found a place to sit.

"So, ah understand yer family's known for making time-turners. That's fascinating. Never really wanted ta use one meself of course, tricky magic at the best of times." Ambrose nodded at Angus with wide eyes, wondering what else Moira might have mentioned about him.

"How's school going fer ya?"

For a moment Ambrose stared mutely at the wizard and then his lips came apart and he found his voice.

"Uhm, good, good I suppose. I study creatures with Moira, like." He answered, somewhat avoiding specifics. It sounded a bit like the questions he had from his father when he'd told Francis about Cyhirae at Christmas - the fact she was a Ravenclaw and clever had been met with approval. Ambrose couldn't help but feel on the school marks level he wasn't a prime specimen.

"We've got Professor Donovan now, she's cool, we went looking for kelpies not long ago. My favourite subject, tis all." He paused, and looked at Angus. "Yeah, my Dad and my cousin make time turners, but I don't think I will. My granddad did too, but they were all in Ravenclaw. I'm a Gryffindor - my brother Tim's a 'claw though." He glanced either side.

"Thanks for, um, having me, like. Hope I haven't arrived at the wrong time…?"

Moira and her uncle Duncan returned just as her father was telling Ambrose that he was a Gryffindor as well and would have told him he hadn't arrived at the wrong time if not for their arrival. "Da', Uncle's being annoying again." Shoving the much larger man out of her way she stepped inside. A large shoulder bag fit to burst from being so full rested easily until she set it down on the table.

"Ambrose. Ye've arrived. Sorry Ah'm late. Uncle tried to make me have a swim." With a final glare at her uncle she went and pulled Casper the Niffler out of her room and plopped him in Ambrose's hands. "As the books say he really does love shinies."

Shooing her dad and uncle outside and back to work she began putting away the things they had bought. "Ah hope yer floo trip here was alright and non incidental?"

The niffler was warm and wriggly to hold, and Ambrose took care not to grasp it too hard at Moira deposited it into his hands.

"Ah hope yer floo trip here was alright an non-incidental?"

"Er, yeah!" Ambrose replied with a smile, letting the niffler run up his arm in search of shiny things, his hand trailing behind to stop it making a getaway.

"Sorry if I arrived a bit early, like. Your Dad seems cool though, asked me about school, knew a little about my dad. Nothing awkward, just erm, small talk." The niffler was trying to search down the back of his hoodie, so he fished it out with both hands.

"Does your uncle live with you too?" Ambrose asked, wondering if he should offer to give Moira a hand putting things away, though admittedly he'd not be much good as he didn't know where anything went.

Moira shook her head, putting things away without breaking stride even as they talked. "Nae, we were late. Me uncle can be a bit of a trickster at times." Glancing at him she stowed the sugar away. "Aye, ye'll be using his room while yer visiting but din-nae be bothered aboot it." With a small smirk she focused on the supplies and groceries again. "Tis his punishment."

Once things were sorted away she got Casper's attention with her necklace and got him back into his hoard filled cage in her room. Then she showed Amber where everything was in the cabin, and led him outside and back towards the pastures. "Ye'll love it here, Ah'll bet. Ah've been told tis a nice place to visit, though a bit too secluded fer living. Never bothered me, of course."

And with that, they arrived at the first set, the standard white winged horses.

It was as if Ambrose had been about before, Moira took having a visitor in her stride, giving him the grand tour of the cabin and where he was going to sleep, in Moira's uncle's room. It was very cozy, and the views out of the windows were beautiful like paintings.

He trailed Moira with wide eyes and a contented smile, no hint of homesickeness. It was a bit like being at Hogwarts with the landscape, but different as he was in another wizarding home. Visiting other wizarding families was easier because he didn't have to worry about keeping his mouth shut about magic, and because some families used magic more than his.

But the McBoids had something he'd never seen any family have - they were enormous and they had WINGS. GIGANTIC WINGS.

Ambrose collected his jaw from off his knees as he stared at the two light grey white winged horses. He'd seen horses plenty of times, but the wings made them even more amazing.

"Wow! They're even bigger than I imagined them," he explained once he could muster speech again. "Can I…?"

He approached respectfully and extended the back of his hand for them to sniff and rub their muzzles on before he tried to raise it to stroke their noses. He wasn't quite tall enough to lean over the fence and pet their shoulders without hopping up a bit.

"How many do you have at the moment?" He asked, glancing away for a moment, rubbing one below the forelock, between the eyes.

If Moira was being completely honest with herself, she enjoyed watching Ambrose and his reaction to their winged horses. When he asked to approach them she just nodded her head and hung back so they'd pay attention to him and not crowd her like always. It was almost feeding time and they knew it.

They were big, even without the wings, but like with most things those large wings let them seem even bigger and more intimidating to anything that was a threat or a potential one. They definitely deserved the respect Ambrose was showing as he approached.

"At the moment Ah'd say we've go' aboot... sixty-five. Twenty of them are ours. People board more in tha winter. Dinnae want tae do as much with tha weather bein' so cold. We've go' a unicorn as well that's as good as ours too. Well. Mine."

Watching him and the horses a bit more she smiled suddenly. "Do ye want tae go for a flight? See the whole place from tha sky?"

What an amazing place to live, amongst all this land, being able to live a wizard lifestyle with no fewer than sixty-five enormous winged horses! To say that Ambrose was jealous would be an understatement, but his Biggleswade life wasn't entirely bad, and he had perks of visiting.

Ambrose didn't need asking twice about going for a flight, he near bit Moira's hand off for the chance, all thought that he might fall off and land on his head were far from his mind. Just the mere chance to try was ultimately more important.

"Oh gosh, Merlin, yes, can we?" He asked, his excitement bubbling through, so much that he forgot his question about whether winged horses needed much mucking about, and how did they keep them in the fields and not let them fly away, and a hundred and two others.

So under Moira's guidance, he was soon preparing to go on the flight of his short lifetime, with the biggest grin across his features there'd ever been, even if he was quite nervous underneath.

"How high do they go?" He asked Moira, his underlying anxiety suddenly breaking through.

At his excitement, Moira couldn't help but grin a little bit. Nodding she had him stand there while she went and fetched one of the more quiet horses and led it out. After getting him up on it's back his nervousness and anxiety broke through.

She smiled again, "Aboot as high as a broom." Before he could get too nervous she climbed up behind him and kept hold of the halter. Once she was sure he was ready, she clucked the horse forward and after a bit of nudging they took off into the air as well.

While they were in the air, and after he had gotten over the initial rush of it, Moira showed Ambrose the view of their place from the sky. It really was spectacular, on earth or in sky. Eventually though she took them back down and returned the horse to its paddock.

From there, after making sure he was steady once more, she continued on with their on foot tour.

To be aboard one of these great horses was thrilling, even if the hooves were all still on the ground. Feeling a horse move beneath his backside, all muscles and with it's own brain was both very empowering and also a little disconcerting. The wings right by his knees made him wonder if he'd be blown off the back end of it when they took off.

Moira clambered up behind him, holding the reins and they took off, Ambrose accidentally grasping her arm and then the mane as he got his balance in the ascent. The wind was terrific, but quite chilly, but it was all worth it for the view, and the way the wings effortlessly took them and the horse up into the sky.

Over his shoulder, Moira pointed out various parts of the farm from their position up in the air, circling the winged horse with gentle tugs on the reins and squeezes of her legs which Ambrose could feel tucked in behind his.

It was more than a little nerve-wracking to get back down on the ground as the horse's neck seemed to stretch down and there was nothing beyond, but he leaned back instinctively with Moira and with a bit of a bump they were on the ground, trotting and then walking. Ambrose reached forward to give the horse a firm pat, glad that he'd gone up and down in one piece. He grinned ear to ear.

"That was bloody fantastic, Moira! Thank you!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Everything I imagined and more, and wow - what a view. You're so lucky to be able to do that every day when you're home!" He was jealous, but it was a good kind of jealous - he was glad for his friend, and to have had a glimpse.

It made Ambrose a bit giddy, but he was happy to continue their tour on foot, seeing all about the farm that Moira had pointed out from above. No wonder his classmate was clued up on creatures, he thought as they rounded another corner by a barn.

"This must have been incredible to grow up in, I imagine Hogwarts and the scenery was just like being home in some senses." Ambrose remarked hands in his pockets, eyes wide, "I'd invite you back to my house, but I'm afraid it'd be a massive anticlimax, but perhaps quite handy for Muggle Studies I guess." He shrugged and looked embarrassed, but reached for her hand, looking to her with genuine sentiment,
"Thanks for inviting me Moira. It means a lot, and I hope I won't be a burden while I'm here."

They were stood quite close as he said it, the breeze catching Ambrose's sandy brown hair, his cheeks ruddy from the weather and stalking round the farm with his friend. He smiled happily to her, glad to have taken the time to find out more about the girl who sketched the squid at the lake, or thestrals but barely spoke in lessons.

Moira laughed. "No' every day, Ah'm afraid. Most days Ah'm far too busy feedin' and cleanin' up after this lo'." Patting the horse on the shoulder she got off and put it back once Ambrose was down. "Plus Ah help ta gather dad's herbs and such sometimes. Tis a lo' ta do."

To be honest, she was glad he enjoyed himself. Moira took pride in the animals they cared for, and if they proved unsatisfactory she took it personally even if perhaps she shouldn't.

Blinking when he took her hand, she turned somewhat to face him more. They were almost closer than she was comfortable with but she could tell his gratitude was sincere. "Ah doubt ye will be a burden."

She returned his gaze for a few more moments before continuing on their tour. The pastures for the herbs was next.

It was lovely - no, glorious - to spend time traipsing round Moira's family farm with the different animals, and the different herbs and magical plants being grown. He'd have been quite at home if he'd been a McBoid child, he was sure, and he'd not worry so much about getting things right at Hogwarts and more about how to care for animals and land, and get the best out of both. Perhaps he had discovered a possible career, if he studied a bit harder at herbology.

He insisted Moira let him help with things as well as being a guest, and when he meant help, he didn't mean by drawing his wand but with his energy, hands and two legs. Besides, they were still underage and couldn't cast away from Hogwarts.

"So what's it like in winter up here? Do you get snowed in?" He asked as they neared the end of their tour. His hands slid into the pockets of his jeans as he trotted along beside Moira.

Edit:

Even if she did get snowed in, well, despite a little magic, Ambrose wouldn't have minded having a place like this. As long as he could feed the animals, and himself, he could quite see himself living a life like the McBoids. The invitation to visit at Easter turned out to be one of the best he'd ever accepted from a school mate.


End