SPLITAPARTS: lessons in love ✔️

One Lump or Two

March 29, 1996

One day prior to Easter Hols

Cassie sat at the large kitchen table, pretending to read the Daily Prophet and sipping on a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Sirius placed a small platter of hot buttered toast between the two plates he had set for their breakfast along side the strawberry preserves that Arabella Figg had made for her using fruit that had come from Hogmede. Lynx, the kneazle-kitten was curled up in her lap fast asleep...Misses Figg insisted that she have one to replace Crookshanks to help protect her and her unborn baby as well as give Padfoot a feline playmate, at which, Sirius scoffed. At Cassie's insistence, Sirius morphed into Padfoot daily so that the kitten wouldn't be afraid of the dog and visitors had to hold and pet the creature whenever they visited, whether it was for meetings, or personal visits. This accomplished two things she said: she could find out whether a person was true or not, and the socialization aspect was necessary as people often came and went at all hours. Much to Sirius' dismay, the kitten seemed to like Severus very much and Sirius often wondered if he slipped catnip into the pockets of his cloak to entice the creature.

Once the eggs were finished cooking, he plated the food and placed her plate before her and his place before his chair and sat down. She looked at the plate and inhaled the aroma. He had practically bathed the eggs in butter and it made her mouth water. She smiled when she saw the extra helping of streaky bacon on her plate too and bit into a piece. She closed her eyes.

"Mmmm—"

"I take it that breakfast meets with your approval?"

She nodded. "Mmmhmm."

He chuckled. "Good, I'm glad."

"I would like a real cup of coffee though. The doctor said that I could have one a day," she whined.

"Yes he did, but a number ten-sized cauldron is not a proper sized coffee cup, Dee."

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Details."

He shook his head and shoved a fork-full of eggs into his mouth as he frowned at the headline of the daily edition: the paper was still attacking Harry, Dumbledore and himself at every turn. Feeling his disgust and then seeing the look on his face, she pulled the paper from his fingers and flung it behind her. Kreature quickly appeared and gathered the newsprint and folded it properly and placed it by the fireplace with the others.

"Thank you, Kreature," she said, crumbs spilling from her lips on to the kitten's fur.

"Of course, Mistress." He bowed low to the floor.

Sirius rolled his eyes and tore off a bit of toast with his teeth in protest as he glared toward him.

"Be nice," she said.

"Didn't say a word," Sirius grumbled through his teeth.

"Hey, you're still going to help me paint the nursery today, right?"

"I said I would."

"Just checking."

"I don't know why you just don't magic it together and be done with it?"

"That's cheating."

"We are Wizard, Dee—it's not cheating."

"Well, I prefer to do it the old-fashioned, boring, muggle way, okay?"

"I'm sorry you're so bored."

"It gives me something to do. I'm not allowed to practice, because it's too loud, not to mention because I can't reach well, they're afraid that I'll strain my back. I'm not allowed to move anything heavier than a paper plate because I may strain something. I'm just—frustrated as hell. I'm used to being entirely too busy to see straight—I had to lay off my assistant just because there's nothing for him to do, don't forget. Mike has a young family to take care of, Sirius."