Time for Tea

Part 2

Lyall could hear them still in the kitchen; he knew they thought they were keeping their voices low but they carried through the door to his over sensitive ears.

"Remus, I really wish you hadn't done that."

"What? Asked him for dinner?"

"You know what I mean…I wish you'd worded it better; this is not how I wanted to bring up our suspicions."

"Dora, we've been skirting the issue far to long; I just finally took action."

"I know, I know…"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I…well if you'd just seen him earlier Remus…he was so depressed…"

"Of course he was…Dora that's why we need to talk to him…you go out there, ease his fears. I'll start dinner."

Lyall could almost imagine the nod she gave him. Quickly he sat on the sofa trying to look normal.

Tonks swung open the door and gave Lyall a slight smile. "Lo." She said before plopping down next to him on the threadbare couch. Lyall nodded his head acknowledging her. Without turning to him she said, "Remus is starting dinner, I think it's Chinese tonight, and by Chinese I mean rice and chicken…" He saw her give a crooked smile and tried to feel amused himself; but the only emotion welling up in his throat was hot bile. He could feel nothing but anxious for whatever was coming.

Tonks could tell he was still nervous, so trying to ease the mood once again she brightened up (her hair even turning a bright—hopefully—cheery shade of orange). "Care for a game of wizard chess?" She asked lightly, turning to him with a hop.

Lyall looked at her confused. "Wizard chess?" He asked.

"Yea, like regular chess, but the pieces are far more entertaining." Tonks gave him a cheery sort of smile, making him feel even worse for his next statement.

"I don't know how to play chess…" His face was glowing with a blush.

"It's alright!" Tonks said gently. "its easy enough…here, accio chess set." And gently a board floated over. As it landed in Tonks' hand she put it on the end table and scooted herself to the floor opposite him as she set up the little board.

The pieces, Lyall discovered, moved. As Tonks set them across the board some stretched, others yawned, but all of them were moving. He was entranced, by the time Tonks had gotten them all in their places Lyall was staring closely with wide blue eyes.

Tonks looked up and smiled. "Now chess is pretty simple, Lyall. Lyall?" He looked up at her, face still plastered with amazement. Tonks smiled at him. "Alright, now its pretty simple, although quite difficult when playing against someone good. These front pieces, they're called pawns…they only move forward, unless you're to take your opponents piece, then they move diagonally. Here watch. Pawn E2 to E3." Lyall stared in amazement as the little white piece slide up one spot on the board. "Okay, now these castle ones…" And Tonks began to tell him all about the rules of chess and soon Lyall was directing his own pieces that would sneer up at him, apparently used to a much better player; causing Tonks to have to yell at the pieces a few times, to his amusement.

What really tickled him was when Tonks' white King even began defending him until his own black Queen sneered saying he was only doing it because for once he was winning, causing the entire white side to shut up.

However, before Tonks actually won Remus came in saying dinner was ready. The two then got up and walked into the kitchen, sitting around the now sugarless table.

As they all got settled and food passed on their plates Remus finally looked up at him. "Normally I would be must more tactful about this Lyall, however, as you're already nervous, I figure the straight-forward approach will be best." Remus took a breath. "Would you like to live with us?"

The tinkling of his silverware was their first answer. He looked at Remus with half disbelief, half vexation. He didn't say anything, partially to the food in his mouth, and partially because he didn't know what to say.

The two watched him anxiously, finally he swallowed his food and looked at them both with sharp eyes. "What?" He questioned.

"Live with us Lyall."

"What makes you think I don't have somewhere to live already?" His voice was cold, Remus only ever remembered it being that way once, when he'd tried to tell him to forgive himself.

Tonks, however, with her normal bravado waved it off and pressed onward. "Lyall we're not stupid, I mean, at first we thought you did, talking about your sister so much, but then I heard from Harry, you remember Harry?"

Lyall nodded, he vividly remembered the shy man that he'd come over to find one night of a full moon; he'd been very kind and nice to him, although seemed very reserved.

"Yes, well Harry is an Auror," Tonks grimaced slightly and Lyall knew why, she'd been one before…before he'd bitten her and she'd been fired. However, she continued with a strong voice; "and him and his partner saw you out one night…"

Remus interrupted, "he talked to us about you, he was very concerned about you,"

"It made us concerned, so we did some checking, I already had had my own suspicions…and Lyall…please. Just. Come live here."

Lyall just stared at them. On one hand he was angry, angry they had dwelled into his personal—pitiful—life; and that Harry what's-his-name had went and blabbed about him; but on the other hand the fact that so many people had been concerned, worried even, it was a wistful feeling, a loving feeling, if he even dared to go that far.

As the silence stretched on Tonks fidgeted with her plate and Remus waited, a patient look in his eye. Finally Lyall said something. "I…it's flattering you want to do this…offering it. Really. But, I can't…what I mean is, I don't want to impose…and" he started quickly, seeing the look on Tonks face, "I don't need your charity, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Lyall said this with a resolute look on his face, as if what he'd said was an end all to their arguments. What he didn't expect when he finished was for Tonks to start laughing and even Remus looked amused. This frustrated him, he was entirely serious and they were laughing at him! "What?" He nearly yelled, and Remus tried to look at him sincerely, while Tonks was nearly falling out of her seat for laughing.

"I'm sorry Lyall. I understand that your serious, I was too…"

"You….what?" Lyall was just even more confused.

"I tried nearly the same thing years ago, told her I wasn't a charity case, I was able to handle fine on my own. You see where that got me."

"Remus!" Tonks managed through her chuckles. Lyall just looked at them.

"Lyall, listen to me." Remus started, "you are not, nor will you be, a charity case. We honestly care about you, we want to give you better then what you've had. I want to give you better then I had. You are just as deserving of a home as any other kid, and we're offering that to you. We want you here."

"Yah! And it's not as if we're just randomly throwing out the idea. I'd already told Remus my suspicions so when we really did find out we had a long talk about how we wanted to handle it. And, honestly, we both not only thought this was a good decision, but the right one. We love you Lyall, and we want to you to be safe, but mostly we want you to be happy."

Lyall just stared at the both of them as Tonks finished off her part. His eyes were wet, and he barely croaked out, "you love me?"

Tonks couldn't help herself, she rose from the table and nearly flung herself around Lyall. "Of course you daft boy!"

Surprised, again, by the woman throwing herself at him he just sat completely still, staring at a benevolent Remus.

"She's right, you know, and it would be our honor if you joined our small, if not humble, home."

And with that Lyall did exactly that.