14

Lunch was eaten in considerable silence, everyone still chewing over the news … pardon the pun.

Harry chewed thoughtfully as he looked over at Ianto's plate and realized he had something different. Ianto noticed the furtive peering and calmly picked up a dim sum with his chop sticks and placed it on the edge of the plate of hot chips.

Harry leaned forward in his chair and smelt it, his nose so close it almost touched it.

He then poked it with his fork as he rolled it and frowned.

He looked at Ianto who was ignoring him as he spoke with Owen about a file, placing a dim sum in his mouth and chewing while it was Owen's turn to talk.

Harry took a deep breath and did the same, taking a small bite and chewing slowly as he stared into space.

Jack watched with glee as Harry's face changed to one of delight.

"Wow!" he declared once he had swallowed and taken a sip of milk, "Yummy!"

Ianto placed two more on his plate and moved on to the duck instead, allowing Harry to have more than he was used to.

Finished and unable to eat anymore, Harry furtively wrapped the remaining dim sum in his napkin and slid it into his pocket, looking around as he did so.

Jack thought his heart might break.

"If you really like them, maybe we can have them again tomorrow" Jack said softly and Harry grinned as he nodded.

Ianto had finished mentally accessing the archives and calmly laid his hand, palm up, then let his wand slide from his sleeve, flicking it into existence.

Owen stopped talking to stare at it, then laugh like a child at the circus.

Ianto smiled as he watched Owen crow, not having seen him so excited before so he chose a simple charm, setting the water in all the glasses on the table to dance.

Harry clapped as his milk danced around the rim of his glass, laughing as he looked to Ianto, then Jack for reassurance.

Gwen huffed as she leaned between them, pushing the food aside as she placed a water jug down in front of Ianto.

Empty of course.

Jack frowned as he realized that she had placed it there to get a refill. Like she couldn't do it herself.

When had it become Ianto's job?

Suddenly, the milk splashed back down, followed by the water as Ianto rose from his seat, his wand now fully exposed in his hand.

"Where did you get that!" he demanded, making her turn with surprise.

"What do you mean?" she asked with genuine confusion.

"That hairclip of a ladybug by your ear, where did you get that!" Ianto was backing away from her, pulling Harry's swivel chair by its back support so Harry swung behind him.

Gwen looked at him and frowned, "For goodness sake! They're just hair-pins! I wear them all the time."

Jack frowned as he looked at her, and then blinked as the shiniest clip seemed to move.

"Ianto?" he said softly, moving to grab Harry from the chair and retreat to the other side of the room.

"Gwen, you need to stay absolutely still" Ianto instructed as he raised his wand.

"What?" she squealed as she started to flounder about, "No!"

"Gwen, do as he says. Stop coming towards me!" Jack demanded, turning Harry towards the wall as Ianto snarled softly.

Owen swore and grabbed at Tosh as Ianto crouched, his features changing and a feral yowl began deep in his throat.

Ianto was now crouching on all fours as his hair grew to cover his face, neck and disappear inside his clothing which seemed to shrink and undulate, only to reappear as fur.

Whiskers sprouted and fangs grew as Ianto transformed into a large, pissed off white tiger.

Gwen was plastered against the back wall of the room, panting with fear as the tiger, the size of a small pony, stalked towards her, chuffing with anger.

Then her clip moved.

She felt in against her scalp and she screamed, slapping at her head as she tried to dislodge it.

Harry was screaming as he clung to Jack and Jack could do nothing but jam the child in the corner and shelter him as best he could, being the wrong end of the room to reach the door.

Owen and Tosh however, ran.