CHAPTER 12: PLANS

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"Every parting is a form of death and every reunion a type of heaven."

-Tryon Edwards

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Regulus awoke to the smell of…pancakes.

And sausage.

He blinked groggily, comfortable in the bed he had come to associate with safe harbor. Pushing the covers aside, he slowly sat up, running a hand through his thick, unwashed hair. A smile crept to his lips as he heard Lenna's slippers shuffling about the kitchen and the sound of the refrigerator opening and closing. Regulus lifted himself out of bed and got out of yesterday's pants; the material had left pink crinkle marks on his skin where he'd slept on them. He also pulled his outer shirt over his head and walked out of the bedroom in his white undershirt and boxers.

He crossed the short hallway and stood leaning against the frame as he watched Lenna push sausage around the pan. On the counter sat a pile of steaming pancakes, and next to them sat butter, syrup, and even a can of whipped cream. The pancakes had chocolate chips in them. He smiled broadly as he gazed at her from behind, love for her swelling until it reached his throat and he could almost taste it.

She began to hum softly as she turned around toward the fridge for something and in so doing noticed Regulus standing there. She stopped and looked at him, then smiled a little.

"Morning."

"Morning, beautiful," he replied softly, coming toward her. His voice was a little raspy from sleep and he cleared his throat before taking her head in his head to bring it close so he could kiss her on her forehead. "Smells amazing."

"A house elf could put me to shame, I'm sure, but I try," she replied, her eyes soft as she looked at him. He could see muted relief in her face. Last night seemed like a nightmare, not reality. But it had happened, he had spoken to the Dark Lord, had terrorized whole towns of innocent people, and had broken down upon returning to her. But Lenna was strong. And he was better now.

"I'm okay," he whispered, touching her jaw with gentle fingertips.

Her mouth drew into a line but she didn't argue. She merely replied lightly, "You need a shower."

"Breakfast first."

"Can do." She turned to get a plate from a cabinet, pilled two pancakes and three sausages on it, and handed it to him.

"Thank you," he said, smiling, and went over to put butter and syrup on them. Lenna poured both of them some orange juice and fixed a pancake for herself as well before joining him at the small table.

"Anything you want to talk about?" she asked gently.

Regulus took a breath and looked at her. "I'm sorry about Thursday night, Len. I know you must have been so worried when I didn't show up. If I could've sent my Patronus or anything, I would have. I'm sorry. It was very sudden and I couldn't send anything out."

She was quiet for a moment then replied guardedly, "I understand."

Regulus put down his fork and put both of his hands on hers across the table. "Lenna," he murmured. "I'm so sorry for the fear it caused you."

Lenna was looking down at their hands. Her lips and chin pinched in the odd way that let him know that she was stubbornly keeping tears at bay. "I went shopping at this Muggle grocery store yesterday evening. Just to do something normal. They had fish on sale. I wanted to get some…to cook for you but…I didn't know when or—or if you'd be home…"

Regulus squeezed her hand tightly and the tears she'd tried her hardest to keep back trickled down her smooth cheeks.

"And I just started sobbing over those stupid salmon fillets," she sighed, and forced a chuckling smile as she looked back up at him. Regulus did not smile. Pain spasmed in his gut over the anxiety she'd gone through—and would most likely continue to go through. She did not deserve it. She did not deserve to be uncertain as to whether her love would come home to her.

She seemed to see it in his face because she said, "Regulus, I know you do everything you can to help me and to come home as often as you can get away." She squeezed his hands. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."

"Oh, I could argue that," he muttered in reply.

"Eat your pancakes, will you—they're getting cold."

Regulus smiled slightly and resumed eating. "I love the chocolate chips, by the way."

"My dad used to make them for me just like that."

He looked up at her. "How's he doing, your dad?"

Lenna shrugged. "Fine, I assume. He forgets to write sometimes, but I know he's happy with his job and everything." Lenna chuckled indulgently, thinking of him. "But I just got an owl yesterday morning from Cal—he's back from Ireland and brought his girlfriend back with him. He took his Arithmancy apprenticeship back up and they've actually bought a house." She poured some more syrup on her pancake.

Regulus raised his eyebrows and cracked a smile. "Blimey, good for him."

"Yeah, the way he talked about her I assume they're quite serious. 'Bout that time, I guess."

"He's what, twenty-three now?" Regulus cut up a sausage a put a piece into his mouth.

Lenna nodded. "Yeah. Cal mentioned she comes from money—he's already met her parents and likes them."

"What's her name?"

"Grace. Oh, and guess what? She's a registered Animagus. She can transform into a blue bird. Good sign, don't you think? It's a nice animal."

"That's impressive," Regulus replied, nodded. "Takes a lot of knowhow and work to become an Animagus." He dipped a piece of sausage into some of his syrup.

"Mmhm. She probably went to some private school. They have a place in a neighborhood a little west of Birmingham now. He says he really likes the neighborhood—it's not one of those cookie-cutter suburbs—it has unique houses well-spaced and everyone from new families to old people. They have a small garden in the front and a large yard in the back. I think it's a big house—with extra rooms."

"Huh. For kids? Think he's planning to marry her?"

Lenna nodded. "Cal has always known what he wants and gone after it. He's serious about this girl, I think. So yeah. I think he is planning on marrying her."

Regulus nodded.

"I've mentioned I have a guy—nothing specific about you of course but…he said he'd like to meet you. They'd like us to come see them for my birthday."

"That's in just a few weeks. It sounds nice. It's a good idea."

"You sure you'll…be able to get away? And are you okay with them knowing you? I mean, it's a little unsafe. I don't really know how I feel about it…I mean, it puts them in danger, knowing…"

"They're far enough away and uninvolved in anything…plus if it came down to it they can protect their house."

"They might recognize you from the Prophet," Lenna said quietly.

"Been in there, have I?" Regulus muttered with dark dryness.

"A while back it ran your picture along with those of every other known Death Eater so that people would be able to recognize them. Lately, of course, the Prophet's getting grossly lax in its admonishments of Dark Magic and its reports on the disappearances, murders, and other horrible things perpetrated by the same. And we both know who to thank for that."

Regulus held her loaded gaze and then looked away in thought. "I think your brother deserves to know the realities of who I am, Len. I'll talk with him when we get there and make sure I can trust him and this Grace girl with the secret of us. As I doubt he wants to see you hurt, I'm sure it's safe with him. Besides, he's your family and I'd like to meet him. It's important." And I don't know how much time we have. It was an unspoken addition to his words that hung in the air between both of them.

Tears welled in Lenna's eyes again and she looked back down at her food to hide it. "I'll write him back then saying we're coming then."

Regulus nodded, cutting his pancake with the side of his fork. He finished it and took a drink of orange juice. Lenna finished eating as well and caught his eye. He held her gaze and smiled a little, then watched for her lips to mirror that small smile. Lenna stood from the table to put the dishes on the counter. Regulus followed, bringing over his dishes, then he wrapped his arms around Lenna's waist from behind and whispered in her ear, "I say it's shower time."

She turned in his arms and gazed up at him, her eyes mirroring his want and need. Before she could so much as nod, Regulus had slid a hand to her neck to tilt her head to meet his kiss. Lenna sighed lightly as she wrapped her arms around him, demanding him closer. Breakfast forgotten, Regulus lifted her into his arms with his hands under her thighs and her legs wrapped around his lower back, and they kissed as he walked her into the bathroom. He pulled off her pajamas and she did the same to his shirt and boxers, and Regulus started the water, not taking his eyes from her. As the water warmed as it poured from the spout, he took her in his arms again and heatedly kissed the skin of her shoulder and neck. Lenna basked in his attention, leaning her head back and running her soft hands up and down his warm, finely-shaped back and shoulders.

The shower was beginning to fill the bathroom with steam, so the two pulled aside the curtain and stepped in. As the hot water ran down their bodies, Regulus held her in his warm arms and kissed her sweet skin. Grinning, he pulled her under the spray and she laughed as the hot water soaked her hair and ran down her face. He pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. They needed one another profoundly, especially after three days of worry. They washed one another luxuriously, drawing out the desire and buildup. Then when they were both clean and the bathroom was filled with hot lavender steam, Regulus lifted her left leg up around him and they pressed close as he entered her with fiery perfection.

He bent his right leg slightly, hitching it under her, and Lenna closed her eyes with a moaning gasp, moving against that pressure. He reached around with his other hand and gripped her to pull her harder against him. Lenna leaned forward to kiss him as she gripped his back hard. The kiss broke as she moaned, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Regulus kept his eyes wide open to take in every inch of her expression even as pleasure rocked his body. He moved in the way he knew she loved and in turn Lenna moved against him with tight, strong pressure.

Regulus kept things slow and luxurious, not drawing too far out of her as he thrust gently. He and Lenna breathed together, groaning, grinning, watching each other's expressions. He reached a hand behind her to press against the wet wall and she turned to kiss his arm, closing her eyes and sighing in moans with his rhythm. She felt too warm and wet to be real. Regulus closed his eyes and let out a groaning sigh; each time he pushed into her was bliss. Soon Lenna's hips became more demanding and his rhythm quickened and hardened.

Slowly but surely her moans became sharp cries and he felt her shake and shiver with pleasure as she built to a climax. She pushed, arched, reached for more. Regulus met her thrust for thrust and held her close as she shattered with a cry, clenching and trembling around him. She had barely come back to earth when Regulus suddenly pulled out of her; her orgasm had pushed him over the edge, and he made deep, cut sighs as he came. He looked back up at her and she met his eyes with the languid smile he had come to associate with her sexual fulfillment. He grinned and pulled her against him again, kissing her face, her neck, her ears, her shoulders. Lenna kissed him back; every inch she could lay her mouth on. She wanted always to know that salty, masculine scent of him, his dripping raven hair, and the dark hair dusted on his chest from which a thin accenting line extended down from sternum to navel.

Regulus ran his steady hands through her wet hair and ran those hands all across her warm, dripping skin. Lenna reached up and slid her arms around either side of his neck to bring him down to kiss her. They kissed deeply, steadily; without the need and desperateness of their reunions. Orgasm had swept new, warm affection through them.

Lenna closed her eyes and laid her head on her love's shoulder, allowing herself only now to feel the completeness of her soul for the first time in four long days.

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