Between Coffee And Cigarettes

-21-

Lenny shut the door behind her, when she heard footsteps rushing towards her. Euphemia stormed out of the living room, looking worried. "Thank goodness you're back!", the elderly witch breathed out. Her jet black hair was tied up in a loose bun and she still was wearing her morning robe. Her mother embraced her in a tight hug, so tight as if she was scared that Lenny would vanish any second. "Where were you?! Are you ok?" Lenny chuckled in the neck of Euphemia. It was nice, knowing that someone would miss you if you were gone. "I'm fine, Mum. Really", she smiled, still caught in the hug. 

Euphemia breathed out in relief. "Don't ever leave like that again. At least leave a note, understood?", she scowled her slightly, "There is a war going on and I'm not ready to loose any of you... not yet", she released Lenny and looked steady into her eyes. The girl's smile washed from her face and she just nodded. In the course of the day she had forgotten that the world, in which they lived right now, was dangerous. It was nice, forgetting for a moment, but now she was brought back to reality and it made her sigh.

"Monty!", her mother called, "Lenny is back!". Lenny could hear how the door of the study on the first floor was flung open and how Fleamont rushed down the stairs. As soon as he was in sight he asked, almost panting: "What did you think, leaving like that?", he pressed her head against his chest, before letting her go again. She noticed the wrinkles around his tired eyes and remembered how carefree, witty and full of life this man in front of her once was. In the last year, he worked harder than he ever had and was often concerned about things he didn't think twice about, a time ago.

"I'm sorry", Lenny apologized, "It won't happen again. I promise". "You better", her father said, his eyebrows raised, "I have to owl the Auror's office and get back to work. Are you sure you are fine?" She rolled her eyes before responding, a bit annoyed: "Yes. I was just out for a bit and nothing happened. I'm just starving right now". Fleamont eyed her suspiciously, then nodded slowly. "Well, I really should go up again", he squeezed Lenny's shoulder affectionately, gave his wife a quick kiss before he began walking up the stairs again, looking rather exhausted.

"Come on", Euphemia said, taking Lenny by the hand and leading her into the living room. "Sit down, I'm making you a few sandwiches. Coffee or tea?" Lenny was so thankful for her kindness and squeezed the hand of her mother slightly, before answering: "Coffee please. And thank you". The elderly witch smiled back, making the girl's heart warm, and then she was off to the kitchen.

Lenny let herself fall onto the couch, sitting crosslegged. A moment later Sirius, James and Shiva entered the room. While Shiva instantly jumped onto her lap, making herself comfortable, Sirius stood in front of her, arms crossed over his chest, sulking. James placed himself next to her on the sofa and started flipping through a quidditch magazine. 

She looked at her twin, who was impatiently tapping his foot on the floor. He looked a bit angry. "Oi! What do you think you were doing?", he whispered loudly, obviously not wanting to let Euphemia hear the conversation. "After last nights events, you just vanished?" Sirius took a step forward, wildly gesturing with his hands. "Last night was nothing", she hissed back, but both of them knew that that was a lie. "Bollocks! Last night was terrible and we all know that", he said it a bit more firmly, before he stopped and calmed himself down. "Merlin! You were gone this morning. I thought you were... you were", she interrupted him: "I'm ok and now would you please go and help Mum with the sandwiches?"

Sirius snorted, but nevertheless turned around and made his way into the kitchen. "You know that you're the only one who can boss him around like that?", James said, not looking up from the magazine. Lenny stroke and petted Shiva on her lap, which purred in satisfaction. She smiled. "I know. He is terrified of me", she said jokily. James huffed, obviously amused. "Oh yeah, he is. But to be honest he is terrified of all of you girls. Don't know why though". "Really?", the girl narrowed her eyes, "Don't tell me, you were never terrified of Lily", she responded challengingly. Now he looked up, tearing his eyes from his magazine. Lily Evans was and would ever be the only person who could break him away from quidditch.

"Nooo! Evans?", he drew out the words, "I was never scared of her. Sure sometimes she can be intimidating, especially when she uses her prefect voice, but I always knew she had a thing for me, so I was safe", James added cockily, which made Lenny snort. "Shut up! She always complained about how you are so full of yourself and hated you for at least 5 years. You have no idea how many times she called you an arrogant little toerag back in our dorm". "I can imagine. She called me that a few times herself. I always found it quite flattering", he cocked his eyebrows up and confidently stroke his hair back. 

"Anyways, that's all in the past. Now she's obsessed with me", he bragged. "What's even going on between the two of you", Lenny was wondering. The boy with the curled, black, messy hair seemed very shy all of the sudden. "Don't know", he answered, "Didn't really talked about it. We went on two Hogsmeade dates and we hang around all the time, when she isn't busy with her homework and I'm not with Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail", then James trailed off a bit, "She's so smart and clever and beautiful. Lily's so funny and so easy to talk to and she really makes me happy. And I know that I behaved like an idiot for forever, but I just wanted to get her attention, really, and I'm always getting nervous when I'm around her".

She looked adoringly at him, noticing for the first time really, how much affection he had for Lily. "You really like her, don't you?" He nodded, seeming as he was lost in his thought. "I love her so much". Lenny's eyes widened. Love? She never had imagine him being so serious. "Well, don't tell me that, tell her!", she urged him. He blushed and looked at her. "She does know. I know she does. I'm just waiting for her to be ready. Always did, always will... And then, hopefully, some day she will say yes and be my wife". He looked so happy when he talked about the redhead and she found it rather wholesome.

Then, in a matter of seconds, he was back to his normal, confident self. "Lenny? Can I asked you a question?" She hummed as a response, completely fazed with the beautiful creature curled up in her lap. "You're the only person who's never asked what any of our nicknames mean. Like why I call Sirius Padfoot, Remus Moony, Peter Wormtail and myself Prongs, y'know". She looked up, a bit confused. "Because Sirius told me", she then said with a smirk on her face, "He always has to share his secrets with me, always had to". "Why?", now James was the one being confused. "I never forced him to, but he couldn't ever keep a secret just to himself. You think you told him something and he never told anybody else. Well he didn't ... except for me. But don't worry... At least  I can keep my mouth shut", she winked at him.

"So Sirius just told you?!" the bespectacled boy obviously couldn't believe it. Lenny just shrugged and affirmed it. "I mean at first I wouldn't believe him, because...C'mon... Y'all being animagi?! But he was so exited that he accidentally transformed himself right in front of me. It was really quite in the beginning... My dear brother couldn't really control it back then, y'know". James chuckled. "Yeah I know. Sirius was the most exi...."

"Did I hear my sweet name coming from your mouth, Prongs?", Sirius returned from the kitchen, carrying a tablet with sandwiches and biscuits on it. Right behind him was Euphemia the tea and coffee pot floating behind her, followed by four cups. She placed them all elegantly on the coffee table and with a flick of her wand she made the pots pour coffee and tea into each cup.

They sat there, talked, drank tea and ate biscuits and sandwiches until it was almost dinner time and Creedy, the house elve called them. Lenny excused herself (she was already so full from all the shortbread and the delicious cheesy sandwiches) and Euphemia allowed her to go. On her way to her room, she walked by the study of Fleamont and decided to let him know that dinner was ready. 

She knocked careful on the massive, but beautiful mahogany door and poked her head in. Her father was still sitting on his desk, various paper laying in front of him, head held in his hands. "Dad? Dinner's ready". He looked up, giving her a tired smile. "Thank you my dear. Did they already start?", he got up from his chair and walked towards the door. "I dunno, but I don't think so". "Are you not eating with us?",he wondered. "No", Lenny chuckled, "I ate too much of Mum's legendary sandwiches and now I'm stuffed. Sorry though. I will be there tomorrow". He nodded and kissed her on the head. "It's fine. Take care of yourself". "I will". 

He then went down the stairs and Lenny to her room. She sat down on her oriel, which was probably the most used part in her room, opened the windows and pulled a tiny book out of the backpocket of her jeans. "Engorgio", she murmured and watched how the novel returned to its original size. It was the book Remus gave her and it was truly beautiful. The leatherbound looked old and used and the pages were a strong yellow. She imagined how long it had stood there in the bookstore, being pulled out by so many and now it laid in her hands. The silver-blue haired girl lit a cigarette and began reading the first chapter.