She smiled. Peering around the corner of the couch, she found Harry sprawled in an upright position, an empty glass in his hand.
Kit pad around, set herself down on the couch lightly beside him, and simply looked. His mouth was partly open in his sleep, and as she watched him, he rolled his head in his sleep and turned it towards her. She reached out a hand and laid it on his forehead, bringing it down smoothly to cup his jaw. Bringing her other hand up, she traced her thumbs across his eyebrows, then under his closed eyes to his nose. He let out a small sigh, and she couldn't help but grin, letting her hands rest on his face and moving them to his ears. As she pulled his face into a smile, he laughed softly.
"Oh, Cara," he whispered.
Kit froze. "Cara?" she breathed. "Excuse me?" she asked loudly.
"You can't do that," Harry muttered.
"Do what, Harry?" she asked furiously, standing up as he shook himself awake.
"Hmm?" he asked sleepily. "What? Why are looking at me like that?"
"Who's Cara?"
"Cara? Why?"
"Because you just muttered her name in your sleep and 'told her' that she couldn't do something," she spat, trying to keep her voice down.
Harry looked back at her in disbelief. "Cara? She works at the pub, clearing tables. I was dreaming about her? What time is it?"
"Three," Kit snapped.
"I've only been home – asleep – for an hour," he told her calmly. "I must have been dreaming about something she did earlier."
"Like what?" she asked suspiciously. "Is it the reason you're late?"
Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes. "She wanted to go home with some guy that came in with his buddies for a drink. I told her she couldn't because it's not allowed, she would get fired, and this is what she's always wanted to do – work in a pub. So to make sure she kept her record clean, instead of calling a taxi for her, I drove her home and made sure she would stay home," he explained.
Kit looked at him through narrowed eyes; Harry looked back up at her, pleading in his eyes.
"Listen, I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that."
"I know," she said coldly.
"It was just for my job. And I'm looking for a better one. Days, no weekends – what we need."
"I believe you," Kit said quietly, softening the longer they gazed at each other.
Harry sighed as he stood up. "Then can we go to bed?" he smiled.
Kit pushed him back down onto the couch. "We have a matter to clear up, first."
"What? Do we really?"
Kit grinned, nodding as she straddled him and ran her hands through his hair. Harry smiled, closing his eyes.
"Oh, I see," he muttered.
"As you should," Kit breathed, leaning forward and catching his lips with hers.
As Harry had the next day off from work, Remus, Hermione, and Ron knocked on their door at noon to help with the assembly of Nate's werewolf costume.
"Was this the only colour brown they had?"
Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione as she looked at the jumper they were to sew fur onto. "There are only so many browns in the world. And besides, it'll be dark."
"But it looks so unnatural," she whined.
"It's man-made," Harry grinned. "I didn't have much choice."
Hermione sighed. "I'll stick to the mask construction."
Ron snickered and pulled out some of the fur. "Hey Remus, is it in tufts or full coverage?"
"Tufts, of course," Kit snapped before Remus could reply. "Honestly, it'smuch more convenient."
"But a wolf is full coverage," Ron argued.
Kit scowled. "I am not having my child run around in the dark looking like an animal. Tufts."
"No one is going to mistake him for a dog! Full coverage!"
"The tufts would be a better idea," Remus interjected. "I mean," he added as Ron turned on him looking outraged, "it is more convenient, and children werewolves aren't usually fully covered as it is."
Ron fell silent as Kit let out a laugh.
"I win!"
Harry, standing by the counter, laughed softly as Kit grinned like a child. He watched silently as they spread the fur across the table and began cutting it into patches. Kit had the most idea of what she wanted, and Remus added suggestions as to how big each patch should be. Hermione worked silently making a furry mask, looking up when Ron began to argue. In the background, Nate squealed as he played with Caleb in the living room. Every couple of minutes, the ferret would escape Nate's capture and run through the kitchen, Nate in hot pursuit.
"What are you doing?"
Everyone looked at Ron as he stared at Kit, trying to thread a needle.
"I'm sewing," she said slowly. "How else are we going to put this all together?"
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Magic."
Kit frowned at him. "No. There's no magic in this house." As she said it, her face reddened and Hermione coughed loudly.
Ron looked between the two women. "But it would be faster!"
"Smarten up, Ronald," Hermione snapped, handing him a needle from the pincushion in front of her. "Just sew."
Harry stifled a laugh as Ron took the needle without argument. Caleb flew through the kitchen again, this time without Nate trotting after it. Just as Harry put the kettle on the stove, Nate climbed up into his chair and sat quietly watching them all work.
"Harry, you need to help, too," Kit said finally, threading another needle and passing it to him. "Sew on the leg hair."
"Attractive," Ron commented. Hermione laughed softly.
Harry obeyed silently, sticking his tongue out at Ron. Nate giggled and Harry tossed him a funny look, making him giggle even harder. As Harry finished sewing the small patch onto the suit, the kettle whistled and he got up to pour tea. Nate was quick to pipe up.
"Done?"
Hermione sighed, Ron groaned, and Remus laughed.
"Not yet, bud," Harry smiled. "Want some hot chocolate?"
"Oh, yes please, daddy."