Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 144

Sirius soon joined the others in the kitchen for dinner, along with the ginger cat walking right beside him. The food looked as delicious as ever, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

"How did Crookshanks get here, anyway?" Ron asked moodily after some while, looking down as the cat pawed at Sirius's leg for attention every once in a while.

"Well, you better send Hermione a letter and tell her that her cat's here," said Molly, filling up their plates for the second time.

    Molly obviously knew that Jenna was undercover as Crookshanks, but she didn't know that Hermione was aware of this fact, and thought that the girl would miss her cat or get worried.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Sirius said briskly.

As he saw all of them staring at him with raised brows, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and cleared his throat, saying,

"I mean... er... I don't think Hermione would come all this way to get her cat, would she? She can see Crookshanks in a few weeks when she comes here to stay for the summer."

"Yes, yes." Molly nodded, yet still looking at him curiously. "I don't think she'll come all this way. But you still better write to her, Ron. She might get worried."

"Why should I write?" Ron huffed stubbornly. "I never liked that cat, anyway."

"It's okay, I can do it," said Sirius. "I'll write to Hermione and say that she doesn't have to worry, and that Crookshanks is here."

"Oh, Sirius, you really don't have to —"

"It's all right, Molly. It's no trouble at all." Sirius smiled at her reassuringly.

"So how long would you be staying here, anyway?" Lexi asked out-of-the-blue, turning to face Sirius curiously.

"I'll stay here for a few more days, until the news of my name being cleared off comes out," Sirius answered, giving Crookshanks a bit of his chicken to eat.

"Where will you go then?" Lexi asked, looking at him anxiously.

"Dumbledore's got a job for me to do," he said rather brightly. "I'm glad, actually. God knows how long it's been since I'd been able to use my wand properly."

Jenna wanted to snort in laughter at the unintentional pun, which only came out as a meow, causing Sirius to shot down a glare at her.

"So... you'll be staying at the Burrow until then, right?" Lexi asked, pursing her lips together. There was an urgency in her voice, as if something was troubling her mind.

"Yeah, I'll be at the Burrow for the time being," Sirius answered, nodding. "Molly and Arthur were kind enough to let me stay at Fred and George's room, now that they've moved out."

"By the way," Lexi said, turning to face the twins. "I never asked where you guys are living now."

"Oh, so she doesn't know everything." Fred grinned.

"Ah, yes," George sighed happily. "How the tables have turned."

"Oh, shut up and answer the question," she snapped at them jokingly.

"There's a flat right above the joke shop," said Fred.

"Damn, I already knew that," Lexi sighed to herself, shaking her head.

"It's perfect," said Fred, turning to the others. "It's got three bedrooms, and everything."

"Not that we've been miserable living in the same room for seventeen years," George added sarcastically.

"But it's a nice change, having a place to ourselves," Fred continued.

"Anyway, I was actually thinking of going to Diagon Alley tomorrow," said Lexi, now smiling goofily. "You know... for my first real wand. I'd love to see your Joke Shop while I'm there!"

"Well, now that we're on the subject," Fred started, his eyes fixed on Lexi, "I was thinking that maybe you could come and stay with us for some while."

"What!?" Molly and Sirius exclaimed together, their heads jerking up.

"What?" Fred shrugged. "It's not like she has a home to go to now."

"She has here," Molly scolded.

"But we barely have enough room here," Fred argued. "You've locked Percy's room and won't let anyone in, and Sirius has got our room."

"Well, Sirius will be leaving in a few days, so you don't have to worry about having enough space," said Sirius, giving Fred a suspicious look.

"I'm not saying she's going to stay in my room that you've all got your guards up," said Fred, even though he was grinning. "There are three rooms. And it's not forever; just for as long as she wants to work at the shop."

"You want to work at the shop?" Ginny turned to Lexi, raising a brow.

"Yeah." She nodded delightfully. "I asked them and turns out, they've actually been wanting to bring someone to help them around. And seeing as I don't have much money, I thought I would work there until school starts."

"Good for you," Sirius smiled at her, although then it faded when he added, "but you're still not going to stay there."

"She's old enough to decide for herself, now that she doesn't have her parents for that," Fred argued. "She's almost sixteen."

"Well, technically," George started with a grin, "she's actually two years old right now."

Fred turned his gaze on his brother sharply with a glare. "Whose side are you on?"

    "Fred, she's not old enough to decide these things on her own!" Molly protested. "Look, her parents aren't here, and it is our responsibility to look after her. Now quit arguing!"

     "You've got nothing to say on the matter?" Fred raised a brow at Lexi.

     "Nah," Lexi shook her head with a grin. "I'd rather watch the drama from afar."

    Jenna was finding the whole situation highly amusing, although she couldn't understand what Sirius had against it all, seeing as he and Jenna had moved in together when they were very young as well.

     "Well, now that that's settled, I think I'll be going to bed now," said Sirius with a triumphant smile as he stood up from behind the table.

"Hang on — before you go, there's been something bothering me for some while now," Lexi said all of a sudden.

Sirius stood there paralyzed, staring at her anxiously along with the others. "Wh-what?"

"Well," Lexi started, "around a week before we had left for the Ministry, I — I received a note — it didn't say anything important; just wishing me luck — but it was anonymous and I had no idea who it was from. Did — did any of you send it?" she asked, looking around the table. But everyone shook their head.

    "Maybe it was Dumbledore," Remus suggested.

"No." She shook her head. "He'd sent me letters before and the handwritings didn't match."

"Maybe it was from a secret admirer," said Ginny with a grin, wiggling her eyebrows at her.

"Haha, very funny," said Fred flatly, glaring at her.

Sirius's face finally relaxed and he then chuckled. "Don't worry about that, Lexi. It was probably nothing important. Anyway, thank you for the dinner, Molly." He sighed happily, moving away from the dinner table. "Goodnight, everyone."

Everyone bid him goodbye as he started on, looking at Crookshanks as he said, "Come'n, Kitten."

     With that, he left the kitchen and went back upstairs, the ginger cat following him right behind as Remus shook his head at them with a smile.