Leo arrived at the Dancing Phoenix in the late afternoon. Rispah was waiting for him. Hands on her hips, eyebrows raised she was the very essence of disapproval. Leo smiled in a disarming way. Rispah was not disarmed; instead she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him through the kitchen and into the courtyard where she cast a muffliato spell. She turned on him and snorted with displeasure. Leo didn't think he'd ever seen her this upset.

"What's this I hear about you having breakfast with some girl?" she spat. Leo understood immediately.

"Harry was finally able to get some time away and she met me for breakfast," Leo explained. It boded well for their budding relationship that Rispah was already so indignant on her behalf.

"Do you think I'm a fool? The girl had green eyes," Rispah was not assured.

"No I don't think you're a fool," Leo replied, trying to let the respect he felt for her show in his face, " For reasons I don't understand well enough to explain Harry has green eyes now. But it's Harry alright she knew every detail I asked her."

"And you were holding her hand under the table."

"Is that a question?" Leo replied not entirely ready for everyone to know yet.

Rispah just looked at him.

"Fine. Yes. We were. Happy?" Leo didn't care how surly he sounded.

"Immensely," Rispah was studying him carefully sussing out meaning from each word, each gesture, each slight facial tick, "So we'll be seeing her again soon?"

"I don't know," Leo admitted miserably, "Her parents really don't approve of the Lower Alleys and she's in deep for lying to them about school."

"But you'll see her again soon."

This wasn't a question or a statement, it was a directive.

"Yes," Leo had to. He wasn't sure when or how but he had too. She was under his skin in the worst way.

"Good."

Rispah removed the spell and escorted him back to the dining room where she proceeded to catch him up on the news of the day.

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He found her curled up on his couch with a thick book Tuesday. Cold rain lashed against the windows, it was dark and well past eight. Leo had been out fixing the roofs of some of the alley's non-magic citizens and was chilled to the bone. But catching sight of her closing her book and moving towards him warmed him considerably.

"Hey," she smiled a little slyly but she reached out and took his hand all the same.

"Oh, your cold," she added, feeling his hands.

"And wet," he grumbled pausing to slip off his Wellingtons.

"Too manly to cast a warming charm?" she teased.

"Can't concentrate long enough to make it useful while scaling and patching a wet roof," he replied, a little offended that she thought he would be so impractical, "The slates are right slippery. Never mind that. To what do I owe this pleasure? Twice in one week is twice as much as last month."

"I missed you," Harry said blushing slightly and stepping closer, "and I was hoping you missed me too."

Her words worked better than any warming charm and he swept her into an embrace. They stayed like that for a long moment until Leo couldn't stand the uncertainty any longer.

"How long can you stay? What's going on with your parents? Do they know you're here? Would you like to come dueling this weekend?"

"I missed you too," Harry said with a smile, "I have to be home by ten. My parents are still idiots but they allowed me to come. And Friday would be better for dueling."

Then she stretched onto her tiptoes and kissed him. It was like their first kiss all over again. Leo had been fairly sure he'd dreamed the previous Saturday morning so it was delightful to know that this wasn't a dream. He felt a twinge in his gut as he cupped her face with a face. She made a tiny noise and pressed her cheek into his hand. Before she'd completely settled Leo bundled her in his arms and onto the couch. She made another little murmur of satisfaction as he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again.

"We can duel on Friday," he assented after a little bit. He was breathing a bit harder than normal and moved to kiss her cheek.

"It's nice to know when I'll see you again," he whispered as he kissed her jawline and a little ways down her neck.

"Leo?" her voice was uncertain, "I haven't…"

He pulled away immediately, "Of course, I'm sorry I should have asked. I will next time."

He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

She laughed breathily, "No that was nice. I was going to say I haven't told anyone about you or us or kissing. And it's not because I'm embarrassed of you or anything. It's just I really want this apprenticeship and I don't think announcing that I'm dating someone they think is much older will help my cause. And really telling anyone in my family is like telling them all."

She glanced at him apprehensively waiting for him to get upset and when he didn't speak for a moment she rambled on, "You were right though, I've never done that before or really anything before so I'm afraid I'll be complete rubbish…"

She broke off this time she was apprehensive and embarrassed. He thought it was high time he spoke, "First, I haven't told anyone except Rispah because she figured it out on her own. I haven't told them not because I'm ashamed but because it's new and it feels extra special just keeping it between us. Second I was pretty sure you were going to come to your senses and declare Saturday a mistake so it makes me doubly happy you're here."

Harry's look of pleasure when he called their relationship extra special was enough to stop his heart.

"As for the physical stuff you've vastly overrated how experienced I am. The one thing I know is that everyone's different and we'll figure it out together," Leo reassured her.

Harry threw him a skeptical look, "I doubt I vastly overrated you Lionel Hurst."

"Hey, I fell for you at least two years ago and don't you remember Rispah teasing me about how picky I was?" he reminded her.

"We'll if we're both hopeless I guess we will be figuring things out together. In that case I'd like to try kissing you here," Harry brushed her fingers lightly down his neck and Leo tilted his head to allow her access. As she teased her way down his neck, Leo briefly wondered how she could ever be rubbish at anything.

"So just Rispah?" Harry breathed in his ear.

Leo took a moment to collect himself, "Whaaa...oh yeah. She didn't recognize your new eye color and was taking me to task for being with someone that wasn't you. Once I reassured her, she was intent on making sure I didn't mess anything up that I didn't end up telling her anything about what actually happened."

Harry laughed lightly, "Good to know I have fans."

"You have a huge fan base in the alleys. Solom and Marek can tell something's different but haven't guessed yet. I'm enjoying driving them spare too much to tell them," Leo chuckled to himself.

Harry smiled and absentmindedly stroked his hair. Leo felt the stress of running the alleys fall away with each stroke. He didn't mind being King but having something that was his all his own was long overdue.