Al did enjoy biscuits. He also reasoned that Septimus will enjoy them as well. Without the tea or gossip, of course, since Septimus wasn't the sort of creature you showed to a guest without warning.
So Al left Septimus and the rest of the spider colony snoozing on the ceiling of his bedroom as he came down to greet his guest with a quill tucked behind his ear and a grin on his face.
"Dom! Hi!" he beamed, bouncing down the stairs, apprehending his cousin and nudging her toward the kitchen for tea. "This way."