Á Íslandi - 34

The words were:
Stupefied
Collector
Arrange
Reflections
Fashion
Slate
    and/or:
Hesitate
Adjusted
Hat
Segment
Coffeemaker
Dessert
     No more words left over, but still more story to tell. Let's see.

"Will my children be witches and wizards at all?" Aamu asked. "And will they even be good witches and wizards? And what would my husband say? Poor Uwe, he is a good man, he does not deserve to be married to a witch. I think I'll just have to live with the knowledge of what I could be, and leave it at that."
"Dear Aamu," Susan said. "I'm much too tired to argue with you now. It has been a long, long day. But do please think it over. And won't you promise me to come to Ella's house tomorrow at ten? Then we can go together to our place in Denmark, and I'll show you a bit of what we want to do."
"Could I bring one of my children?" Aamu asked. "I would like to, as he, my oldest, is a very down to earth type. If he can see anything good in your witching business, I might reconsider."
"Yes," Susan said, slowly nodding. "I don't see why not. I thank you for your kindness and hospitality. As I said, the cake was a dream!"
Ella told Aamu her address and they left the library. Susan drove the car back to Ella's house and parked it as close to the portal as possible.
"That was a limited success," Ella said sighing despondently.
"Yes," Susan agreed, I hope she will change her mind tomorrow after seeing happy children on broomsticks. I only hope the disappearing dormice won't bite her," Susan began laughing.
They still laughed as they arrived in the portal room of Birch Manor after two dizzying trips through the portals.
"What's so funny?" Josh asked. Susan greeted her middle son and gave up explaining. "It was just comic relief I think. How are things here?"
"Teeming, but quiet. We just had the sumptuous dinner; we saved some for you. Dessert is about to be served. Come and sit down."
Susan and Ella followed Josh to a small table, where Martine, Knud, Hilde and an unknown man sat. Knud looked up and smiled: "Great to see you two back again. This is Eyvind, Hilde's husband."
He rose, "Nice to meet you," he said.
"Nice to finally meet you, I'm Susan," Susan said.
"And I'm Ella, Pleased to meet you," Ella said.
"Sit down, please, Mum," Josh said. "I'll get your plates, and would you like wine or coke with it?"
"Coke for me, please," Susan said, and Ella nodded.
They sat. Knud looked at them: "You look tired, I gather it was not a success?"
"Only partially so," Ella said. "She has agreed to come here tomorrow with her oldest son. She's convinced, magic exists and also that she is actually a witch, but afraid to take up the responsibilities, and afraid to burden her husband. Even if he sounds totally nice."
"I volunteer to talk to 'nice husband'," Eyvind said. "I have had time to reconcile myself to being married to a witch. It's not half bad," he said and winked at Hilde.
"And what about the son?" Knud said.
"We'll know tomorrow if he's a wizard. We said, we needed more testing possibilities than Martine's fab brainteasers, as they require time and a willing subject. I found one more: Portals. All magicals get a dizzy spell going through them. At least grown-ups. Ella feels nothing, and I suppose Eyvind can confirm?"
"Yes," Eyvind said. "It was just like going through a door into an unlit room, nothing bad, But Hilde and our children all complained about dizziness. The grandkids not so much, but they did not exactly like it."
"Age, or maybe awakening of powers being the key I think." Knud said. "I'd like to ask Mary and Roseanne how they felt the first time they went through, when they still were blocked."
Hilde's children and grandchildren came in carrying the dessert: A gigantic bowl of fruits in a sauces looking like a sea in all the colours of the rainbow. Everybody ate more than they should have, as it tasted so good. And then it was time for bed.
"I'll be sleeping like a log," Susan said to Knud, and true to her word she slept within minutes.

... to be continued