Between Coffee And Cigarettes

-20-

TW: scars

Remus didn't drove back home, but he seemed to know where he was heading and so Lenny just kept quiet, trusting him with the destination as she should have done the first time. They didn't drive long, maybe fifteen minutes until they reached a lake. He stopped the car right in front of it, on the lawn.

After they got out of the vehicle, they stood there, looking onto the water. All around the lake, more or less directly on the shore, there were trees. They looked rather sad, Lenny had to admit. All the leaves were gone and it seemed as if only the skeletons of them were visible. The water looked still; no waves, no movement. Almost like a mirror. She took a few steps forward, until she could see herself in it. A few second later, Remus too appeared in the reflection.

"What do you see?", she asked him, staring into his eyes, in the water. "What do you mean?", with his hands in his pockets and shoulders pulled up, he looked confused. "What do you see right now? Like, in the water?", she asked again, not sure if he would answer though. To her surprise he did. "I see a blurred picture of us", he said firmly, "Two teenagers. One of them in great danger". One side of his mouth twitched up, but she was not sure if it was out of amusement or despair.

"I'm fine!", Lenny complained, looking away from the reflection, now at him. He chuckled slightly and shook his head, which made his dirty, dark blonde hair fall even more into his face. "I didn't say that you were in danger... just one of us. Maybe even both", he commented. The girl huffed out: "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Lupin?", she threw her hands in the air, out of frustration, but a smile still crept onto her face, "Why do you always have to talk in riddles?", she asked him, huffing more than speaking.

"You just have to be quicker in solving them", the boy spoke amused. Then he deeply breathed in, closing his eyes, facing the horizon, before exhaling loudly. She watched him, completely fazed by how calm he seemed. 

"Close your eyes", Remus demanded, looking sideways at her and she obeyed. "Where do you want to be right now?", he asked. It took her a moment to answer, but when she did, she did it with all certainty. "Italy". "Italy?", he sounded confused, yet surprised. "Yeah...It's the most beautiful country you will ever see. In the summer it seems like a whole different world", she said dreamily. 

It surprised him. He didn't know what he was expecting, but apparently not this. "When did you and Pads visit Italy?", he asked curiously. She now opened her eyes, turning to face him. With a big smile on her face, Lenny told: "Sirius didn't. It was just me and Lily. I needed someone to guide me through the muggle stores and that stuff and she was more than happy to join my planned trip. We went there last summer, only for three days, sadly, but I swear those were the best three days of my life. The air hitting your face so softly that it's almost unnoticeable, the sun on your skin, burning away all your worries and making you feel hugged, the smell of herbs and flowers coming from the ground... It's heaven on earth".

Remus noticed how her eyes glistened with passion and joy and how she began talking with her hands more and more, as she always does, when she is talking about a topic she is passionate about. He noticed how the corner of his mouth tugged upwards; she didn't. Lenny was too caught up in her memories and stories and it wasn't before she was finished that the girl would return her eyes to him.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?", she was unsure and suddenly felt insecure, "Sorry... I was gushing and it sounded cheesy and now you think I'm a complete lunatic...", she made an awkward grimace. "No, no! It didn't...", he tried to reassure her, "Well... maybe a bit cheesy, but-",  she cringed. He ignored it and tried to finish his sentence: "-but now I have the sudden urge to go to Italy". At that, Lenny's face lit up. And then it was her turn. "Where do you want to be right now?", she asked him.