Time for Tea
Part 1
He stood quietly in front of the delicately carved door. They had told him it was Greek mythological stories; they'd let him come over more often to read and just spend time with him.
They had opened their door for him, saying whenever he wanted he was welcome to come, his sister as well. What he failed to tell them was he hadn't actually seenhis sister in about two years. He didn't want any more of their pity; he wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of them knowing he was homeless. (He thought though, that Tonks suspected.)
They both were wonderful kind people and he didn't want to spoil that with his own problems. Allowing him into their home, always welcomed, was more then enough. Though at the moment he wasn't quite sure what he was doing in front of their door.
They had opened more than their hearts and their home; they offered him a place to transform. He had been, at first, very uncomfortable with the idea, but thinking on what he'd done already, the pain he'd caused, he took them up on their offer. However, that night was not a full moon; it wasn't for another week and a half, actually.
And while he did come on other occasions, very seldom was it in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. He doubted either of them would even be home, they both had jobs, it seemed unrealistic for him to stay, yet he couldn't seem to walk away. So he just stared up at the door.
As he was studying one particular quatrefoil the door suddenly swung open and a petite straw-haired woman stood in front of him. A cup of some steaming drink in one hand, the other, now that the door was open, holding closed a bright pink fuzzy robe.
"Lyall!" She nearly shouted, her face bursting in a smile. "I thought you were out here. Heard a noise. Come in! I just made tea!" Before he could argue with the gesture he was ushered in with a flurry of color and passion he found no where else but in her.
As she shut the door behind him, she placed a hand lightly on his arm, ready to drag him into her kitchen if need be. He smiled lightly at her, now that he wasinside he wouldn't run, but that wouldn't stop the modest arguments from spilling forth.
"Tonks, this…really, I'm sorry, I'm such a bother, I can go."
"You'll do no such thing young man. You will come into the kitchen with me and we're going to share a nice cup together." She said it with such authority that any protest on his lips died; instead he just smiled a bit more and stepped further into the foyer. Tonks nearly beamed at him before shuffling around him toward the kitchen.
Lyall followed slowly behind her, a bittersweet joy flowing through him; after all he'd done it was a miracle she—they—even allowed him to speak to them. Yet Remus and Tonks we're two of the most wonderful people he'd met, werewolf or no. After all the bad visions he'd seen before their meeting, the past did not imprint upon him like the couple's kindness.
As they entered the kitchen Tonks went straight to the counter and bustled around to make him a cup of tea. Lyall, unsure of himself, stood in the doorway watching her bustle around, his weary body literally exhaling the mounds stress.
"Sit!" She nearly ordered not even looking back, knowing he was still standing. In all his years, even when he lived at his parent's home, he was never as mothered as he was when he came to their house. And for all the embarrassment of it he really truly loved it.
As she turned around, a wide smile on her face, she gently pushed the steaming cup toward him. "How have you been?" She asked raising her own cup to her lips.
He shrugged. He didn't want to tell her about how he'd been. How he'd barely ate for the past two weeks. That a witch (as he now tended to stay in magical communities) had spit on him when he'd walked by her; or that he'd been mauled by a vagabond when he tried to sleep in a dry cave that had apparently 'belonged' to the man. So he just shrugged and clutched his teacup watching the swirling liquid.
"Lyall?" Tonks could immediately tell something was wrong. He was always prone to moments of brooding, much more so than Remus ever did, and she hated it. There was no reason an attractive, intelligent, pleasurable company fifteen year old boy should feel so depressed.
Luckily she was married to the brooding type and had a long regimen of how to break the mood. As he sat across from her broodingaway she quietly summoned the sugar bowl from the counter, and then with another silent spell she created little balls of the sugar. Then with accurate precision balanced one off the tip of her index finger; and with a stifled laugh flicked it at Lyall. It bounced soundly on his nose and then fell with three taps on to the floor.
He looked up at her and blinked. Tonks was nearly rolling in her chair with silent laughter.
With a slow grin he grabbed for some sugar as well and flicked it at her. It bounced off her forehead causing her to literally stop moving and stare at him. Her wide blue eyes made him feel guilty and he looked down, his face alight with a blush, thinking he'd over stepped the line. But within moments he felt another one go flying by his shoulder.
"Bugger…missed." She muttered and as he looked up she was already grabbing for more sugar to flick.
Within moments they were both grabbing for sugar and flinging it at one another.
He opened the front door and heard a shriek from the kitchen. Worried, not even putting anything down, rushed through the hall. As he pressed open the swinging kitchen door he barely missed getting hit by a small flying white object.
"Sorry Remus!" Tonks said smiling, not looking sorry at all. Lyall also had a grin on his face, but it was very apologetic, a light blush dusting his cheeks. Remus looked around the kitchen finding sugar covering most of the surfaces.
"At least it wasn't flour this time." He finally said holding back a laugh.
Tonks morphed her face to a baby frown, "That was only once!"
"Three times actually."
"But Harry was over! With Ginny!"
"That was only the first time, and if I remember Harry hid in the bathroom…"
"Fine, but Molly took full responsibility for the second one."
"And Arthur nearly choked when I told him what his wife had done…How you manage to bring out the kid in all of us…" Remus' eyes were rolling, but Lyall knew he was truly amused.
"Special talent." She beamed. "Now, darling, for your special talent…"
"Dora! Not in front of the children!"
"I meantyour house-hold spells…" She said crossing her arms causing Lyall to smile at them. Not only were they the kindest people he'd met, but he'd never met a couple that oozed love as they did; even in their playful banter.
As the sugar disappeared with a flick of Remus' wand—Lyall never got tired of watching magic—he turned to the younger man and smiled. "Hello Lyall." Lyall nodded at him warmly. "I have something to ask of you…" he suddenly said looking very serious, causing Lyall a nervous twitch. "Would you mind staying for supper? I would very much like to talk to you about something."
As much as the question ended up not being out of the ordinary, the tone Remus asked in caused the nervousness to not to dissipate in the least. The air had gone from light to tense fairly quickly, but Lyall could not dare to reject the offer, though they didn't need to do more for him he could never decline the offers they gave him, fearing being rude; so very solemnly Lyall nodded his head.