Tomorrow Will Be Better
It took Leo a while to realize where she was when she first awoke. She was in a yellow room with painted ducklings that swam around on the walls. All in all she was rather irritated by the constant movement and it made her headache worse.
She was trying to sit up when two house elves appeared seemingly out of nowhere and helped her sit by propping her up with freshly washed pillows. The smell of the pillows was so contrasting to the rest of the room that Leo grabbed the pillow she'd been laying on and heaved a big sniff. It smelled intoxicatingly like James Potter.
As though on cue the door flung open and Sirius slumped groggily into the room.
"Damn it Blake, learn to wake up later in the morning from your comas, stupid house elves had to kick me awake."
"I'd say it's not their fault; you grabbed them by the ears when they merely tried to shake you, that's not even to say that it's been early afternoon for the past two hours." James commented as he walked into the room dressed in a pink apron with frills and boasting a smart looking bowl full of batter. "Pancakes anyone?"
By the time Leo got to a mirror that morning she was feeling much better. James' old slacks fit her a tad too loosely and she was quite pleased to find that the two boys had searched through their things and laid out tops they'd grown out of for her to search through. The swelling from her bruises had gone down and most of the gashes had healed by now so Leona's appearance most of all resembled the result of an unfair fight with a few bullies.
The threesome had a conference over breakfast as Leo's future living arrangements. Most of the discussion included James and Sirius attempting to convince Leo that she was in no way imposing, nor would it fit to have her live in a hotel because they weren't the kinds of friends to let her down. It was all very gallant and chivalrous and it made Leo quite sick.
The better part of the day was spent out in the yard running plays for Quidditch. Leo and Sirius posed as beaters from James' opposing team, and James flew brilliantly to avoid them. Dinner was an assortment of odds and ends from the leftovers of the night before.
"James Potter you cooked all this single handedly?!" Leona exclaimed upon trying her first bit of his grilled vegetables in curry sauce.
"Well, I used both my hands, but if you're asking about any certain particular members of this ménage-a-trois, then yes, Sirius just eats the food he never helps cook it." James boasted as he plopped a plate of food before his aforementioned friend.
"I object I-"
"Objection overruled, now eat your dinner." Remarked Leo and chomped down on a forkful of homemade lasagna.
The evening was lukewarm, there was silence outside the Potter mansion that night and nothing seemed fit to move except the rustle of a breeze that danced across the lawn and caused the grass to bow down in reverence of it.
Leona sat in a sculpted ball out on the patio bench and gazed out towards the sky analyzing the stars. The movement of the backyard door didn't seem to be enough reason for her to tear herself away from the deepening abyss. James' sent did, however, startle her for she was more then likely expecting for Sirius to slump out and warn her to 'come inside or James'll have a fit.'
"I brought you a blanket so you don't freeze."
"Thank you, but I'm sure I'll live, it's only a slight breeze you know..." Leona commented pointedly.
"I know, but I'd never live it down from my mum if you caught a terrible cold right after you managed to get out of bed just today. She'd be likely to talk my head off for it."
"How good of you to care for me so, James."
"You know it's true, Leo, here..." James took the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders as if in a final attempt to save his own skin. He himself strolled over to a pillar, and, with his back resting against it turned to stare back at Leo. "What're you doing out here either way, Blake?"
"I was just thinking, stargazing one would say." Leo curled up with the blanket and allowed it's warmth to absorb her. She noted that it was rather large for her alone.
"Did you find out what you wanted? In the stars...I mean..."
"I suppose not. There's not much they can say to me. You know, in all the time I've been up and around today neither one of you has asked me what happened."
"Sirius and I have a pact. You'll tell us when you're ready to, and if you haven't yet then you're obviously dealing with something big. You usually talk to walls if you think they'll listen."
"They usually do." Leo watched as James shivered a spot as the breeze picked up in the not so heavy night air. "Come here, for all your superficial worries Potter, you're not very good at caring for yourself. Come on now, under the blanket you go."
There was an awkward moment as the two tried to find a position they'd both be comfortable in. Finally a compromise was found when Leo put her head on James' shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her for added warmth.
"What star were you looking at?" James asked feeling himself become a tad rigid with Leona's body warming him.
"None in particular, although I did take special note of Sirius. That's when you came out..." Leo blushed as she felt James' body grow rigid. "What in the world are you so stiff about? Can it be that Potter here is scared of an ickel girl like me?"
"Nonsense! I fear nothing."
Once more the following could never truly be explained. Perhaps a fly blew by in Leo's peripheral vision, or perhaps divine intervention took place at that exact moment. But their eyes met and locked onto each other, and nothing more needed to be said. Leona's palm fell open and her eyes widened a tad for not realizing that she'd made a fist. James' hand found hers, and they sat there for a while, just looking at each other and holding hands.
It was Leo who made the first move. She stood after a few minutes and squeezed his hand as if in reassurance.
"Sweet dreams...I'll see you in the morning." Leaving the blanket and much more to be desired Leo slid open the backdoor and paced her way up to her room. The ducklings weren't half so irritating any longer and when Leo crawled under her covers that night she turned to them as though to her dearest friends.
"Isn't it wonderful my darlings? The stars were right after all. I wonder what tomorrow will bring...perhaps I shall make breakfast for him? Yes, I think I will. Wake me my darlings...will you? Sweet dreams my precious friends...sweetest dreams to each of you...for tomorrow will be better."
