Not Quite a House-warming Characters: Harry, Gaius, Regulus, Serenus Summary: Regulus has visitors.
It had been a busy day as Serenus and Tybalt had predicted, but by mid-afternoon, the twins were winding down, and finally, Serenus had been able to put them down for their naps while Regulus prepared some tea and a plate of biscuits to fortify themselves with during their respite.
He was sitting at the kitchen table, pouring the tea, when Serenus came back downstairs, and he gave Serenus a questioning look.
"Are they asleep?" he asked.
"Finally." Serenus smiled wearily as he dropped into a chair, accepting the tea gratefully. "We'll have some time before they wake up." He paused, then added, "It would be a good time to get a nap yourself, if you want one."
"No, I just want tea." Regulus took a sip, grateful for the soothing warmth of the beverage.
Sekhmet slipped through the new cat door Serenus had added to the back door and rubbed against their ankles, purring. She looked as if she had just had a successful hunt, and the way she licked her whiskers made Regulus think whatever she had found had been tasty indeed. He bent to stroke her, and she leaped into his lap and curled up, purring louder.
"Everyone is ready for a break, it seems!" Serenus said, smiling.
"Most definitely," Regulus agreed, caressing Sekhmet's back gently with one hand. "I have a new-found appreciation for parents now."
"So do I," Serenus said fervently. "You just don't know what it's like until you are one yourself."
They leaned back in their chairs, a companionable silence falling as they drank their tea, punctuated by Sekhmet's contented purring.