Something that will light those ears.

"Well, these won't do," had been Lena's only voiced recognition of the drawing room's interior upon immersing herself in the grey hues that were characteristic of any space within 12 Grimmauld Place. The armchairs to which she'd referred had responded to her criticism with no more intriguing a rebuttal than silence, and Lena had thereby taken her cue to make an addition to the dreary furniture. No later, an atrocious wooden slab that stood upon poorly whittled legs had found its place amongst the several other chairs. It’s back scaled the wall adjacent to the fireplace, only ceasing in its climb upward when it met with the ceiling. And it was upon this monstrosity that Lena sat languidly for many an evening of firelight and passionate conversation shared amongst Order members.

The walls had long since been repainted. Yet, the ghost of miserable pastels lingered within the drawing room. No further additions to the room had been made; nay, the familiar setting had changed very little in twelve years. And it was the comfort of this unfailing stability that had drawn Lena to the House of Black of old that evening, with a large mug of tea sat on her knee, betraying her as the very stereotypical British woman she was, and a wand dangling from her left hand as her wrist twitched and twisted the weapon over the chair’s arm. She had reclined against her chair, resting heavily upon her right elbow as the orange glimmer of fire danced across her freckled cheeks. And she waited, content to remain in thought, tearing the flesh of her thumb free from beneath its nail absently for the remainder of the night until her companion arrived.

She envisioned within her mind’s eye the surprised contortion of his face as he was greeted with the sight of Lena’s signature Iberian Lynx. Would his lips part as they expelled a gasp? Would his uncoordinated limbs collide with a near table’s edge – a wall, perhaps – when her patronus bared her threatening teeth in greeting? Was she capable of eliciting such a reaction from him any longer? Or had he grown accustomed to her ways? Lena pondered the possibilities of such circumstances, and blood erupted from the tip of her thumb in small spurts along her lower lip. She had been frank in her inviting him to join her at the Order headquarters. Would he deduce that she preferred this location over some place public, such as a pub? Or would it confuse him, the notion of meeting her in the drawing room where they often spoke of politics and strategies with the other Members, and on the eve of dusk no less? Lena could assume nothing of Al - the unpredictable lunatic. A fond smile upturned her lips around her torn digit. 'The lunatic' indeed.

Al had been having one of the most boring nights ever. He absolutely hated boring nights, they were so...boring. He had tried to contact everyone and see if they wanted to try and find a dragon to tease or maybe spend the night in a haunted forest or something. No matter how many times he had done all of those things he had never ceased to receive a thrill from them. Luckily however he was out of muggle eyes when Lena's Patronus had appeared in front of him. It had appeared along with the crack of thunder and the beginning of a downpour of rain. The Patronus had made him jump slightly as it had nearly pounced on top of him. Such like her he thought to himself. But nevertheless, with a grin and a flick of his wand he disapparated with a loud pop.

He had materialized outside of Grimmauld Place. Lena seemed to have an obsession with this place. Of course he had almost taken over one of the rooms in there for his own. He prayed to God that she hadn't found his "stash", he'd never hear the end of it if she had. He opened the doors quietly so that he didn't wake up the portrait and closed it even quieter. He hadn't sent a Patronus in response to her's so she wasn't sure if he was coming or not. What could he do to surprise her, he could always fiddle with the lights. Or magic up a giant tiger. The possibilities with her were endless. Then again, he could just simply say hello...nah!

Walking down the hallway of Grimmauld Place was near depressing. There was a reason it was known as The House of Black. There needed to be some colour added to this place. He had assumed that she was in the drawing room so he quietly began to walk up the stairs. He couldn't help but grin as he got closer to the only room with a light on. He hadn't spoken to Lena in quite some time, he missed her. Missed her more than he realized. As he reached the landing and made his way to the room. He paused and leaned on the door frame, arms crossed. "Hello honey, I'm home!" he said to her, grinning.

His smile was infectious, Lena found as her eyes glided in the direction of his slender silhouette in the doorway and she spied the grin that he had offered her in greeting. Her own facial features were overwhelmed by that expression of amusement, and she slid her thumb out from between her lips, "Hello Sweetie." She jumped from her chair, climbing to her feet to stand with her hands rested atop her hips before the fireplace.

Her right brow climbed upward and her smile melted into a playful smirk, "Fancy a dragon?" She inquired, and with an abrupt twist of her wand she did conjure from her bag, which lay forgotten against the rickety floorboards, a large egg of cosmic colors. The egg slid forward to collide softly with the toes of Alphonso's shoes, shimmering brilliantly in the dimly lit room. "I have no use for it," She admitted, and spun graciously on the spot to retrieve something from the mantel place: a small, rusting scrap of metal no larger than the tip of her smallest finger.

"You will not believe what I found in Romania," she informed him excitedly as she turned once more and strode across the drawing room to meet him half way. It had been quite some time since the pair had last met with one another. A month, Lena recalled. And oh, how oddly relieving it was to be in his presence once more.

Al bent over and picked up the Dragon Egg. No way she could have actually managed to get a Dragon Egg. But he found that when he picked it up if felt very real. A wide and bright smile appeared on his face as the egg warmed his hands. It was covered with beautiful colours, and there was a small light radiated off it. Was it going to hatch soon? My, what fun a dragon would be as a pet. His mind raced at the opportunities that would be available to him with a dragon. He stopped thinking and smiled at Lena. "Naughty, this is illegal." he told her as he shook his finger at her. He entered the room a little bit more and moved closer to her. "Not that I mind..." he added, holding up the egg and looking at it again. He placed it in his 'bigger on the inside' pocket.

So she had been to Romania. "I remember when I was last at Romania," he began to speak to her. He had the warm look of reminiscing on his face. "I nearly died! One of the best trips of my life." She was smiling as well now. Whenever Al was in the room people smiled, it was because of his Empathy. However he knew that whenever Lena was smiling it as because of Al himself, not his Empathy. That always warmed his heart when he thought out it. His smile subconsciously shortened, into a more peaceful and happy smile. He put his hands in his pockets and made his way over to the fire, Lena following him.

"So tell me, what DID you find in Romania? I'm assuming the egg of course, unless you have a baby dragon on you?" he said excitedly. He wouldn't put it past her to manage to sneak a baby dragon out of a reserve or battle on in the wild and keep it. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did though. Baby dragon AND an egg, I'd have to say that'd be one of your better achievements."

"Aren't the best trips always the ones that include a near-death experience?" Lena inquired with a knowing tap of her index finger against the bridge of her nose. She and Alphonso were like minded in that matter: neither preferred safety over excitement, and both would willingly sell their sanity for a fascinating tale in return. 'Twas one of many reasons why Lena felt so fondly towards the man. He was aware that caution was a thing to be thrown to the wind - a secret which Lena had found many knew not the answer to.

"Oh, how very unobservant of you, Al. Lost that eye for detail, have you?" Lena mocked as she neared him, her steps something feline, until no more space than an arm's length remained between them . Space which diminished as she extended her hand, so to take hold of Aloponso's, and she dropped into his loose fist the object of which she had spoken.

"How's about a hint?" Her eyes glimmered with mischievousness in the light of the waltzing fire. "It is a piece to a puzzle. A puzzle that you," her gold-rimmed pupils glided from his chaotic brown locks to his toes, before returning to his face once more as she accentuating her reference to him, "have been trying to solve for decades." Surely, whatever the scrap was, it was of grand importance to have earned such an introduction. The edges of her mouth quirked upward into another smile, through which she then whispered, daringly, "Have a guess."

Near-death experiences were one of his favourite activities. He and Lena alike, both loved very similar things. In fact it hadn't been two months ago that they shared their own little adventure together. It had certainly been dangerous and interesting to say the least. Life was too boring if you spent it every day in a constant belief of being alive the next day. Where was the thrill, the adrenaline? Even the thought would get him going on an small adrenaline rush. He gave a quick shiver and smiled at Lena once more. "Near-death experiences are my favourite hobbie." he told her.

Al HAD been observing, he had just been observing the wrong thing. His eyes had been transfixed on Lena since he entered the room. Safe for when he was expecting the Dragon Egg, which he could still feel radiating heat in his pocket. She was moving like that of a cat, almost teasing him. But in the glow of the firelight she looked magnificent-AL, HEAD OUT OF GUTTER, NOW! He received a crash landing back into reality when she was facing him and taking his hand. Her touch was soft but firm, and she was speaking to him now.

His eyes widened as she spoke, his mouth dropped when she finished. He went slightly pale and looked down at what was in his hand. He looked at Lena in disbelief, but...how did she? Romania? That was the last place he had ever thought his grandpa would go to. He hadn't told anyone but one of his grandfathers final wishes was that Al solve the puzzle of the Time Turner, and Lena had just given him the final piece! He looked back down at it again and then once more at Lena. "But...how? Romania? Oh My God!" he managed to get out.

He pulled the chain that was placed around his neck up and a Time Turner came out of his shirt. Taking the tiny black stone he held it in the middle of the spherical shape. It began to float and give off light, this was the final piece. He was finished, he was finally finished. Decade after Decade of searching for this one god damn piece of the puzzle and here he finally was. It gave off a final wave of light, paused, and then pulsated. He staggered back a bit but was smiling none the less. "Lena, I could kiss you right now!" he said looking at her and moving closer to her.

Alphonso had not been particularly discrete in following Lena with his gaze. Indeed; she had spied the tell-tale, distracted twinkle in his eyes. She was not, however, entirely opposed to the attention. On the contrary; there had been previous occasions on which she had made an intentional effort to elicit a similar reaction from the man, if only for the sake of watching him flounder about in that endearing manner that she had begun to associate with the mere thought of him. "You're staring," Lena sung, her smile becoming a sly grin which exposed the rows of her teeth.

But there were far more interesting matters at hand, “How? It’d been stolen – sold, too. I spent the good portion of a month chasing the man in possession of that,” she gestured with an insignificant tap of her wand in the direction of the ‘puzzle piece’ that she had passed to Alphonso, “until, alas, Romania.” She spoke of the location in the manner of a storyteller, her voice laced with intrigue.

Her heart nearly stilled within her chest at the sight she beheld: the time turner that she so frequently dreamt of, whirring to life with the introduction of its remaining piece. How did it feel, to hold the small watch in one’s hands? Was it cold to the touch? Or did its immense capabilities warm its core, like something quite alive? Unbeknownst to Lena, absent fingers outstretched, reaching for the timeturner with the yearning of a curious child. Her digits brushed softly along the watch’s frail chain, which they climbed, nearing the timeturner itself –

- When Lena’s trance was broken by Alphonso’s choice of words, and the sudden presence of his breath against her face. His breathing had quickened, Lena noted, His excitement - I can practically feel it radiating off him. She recognized at once the symptoms of the rushing of adrenaline. How long had he truly awaited the reunion of that final piece with his grandfather’s timeturner? Lena’s amused expression returned; a splay of grinning lips across fair skin. “I know,” she responded proudly, and her words were followed shortly by a chuckle.

Al had realized how close he had gotten to Lena and blushed slightly, backing up a bit. But he had done it! He had never been more excited in his life. Of course he had no idea how and when or even why he'd ever use it. It was mostly the sense of accomplishment. But then he remembered Lena, Lena had always wanted a time turner. He quickly snatched up and held in in a closed fist, though not strong enough to break it. His breathing was slowing now, and his heart rate was returning to normal. However the smile on his face refused to go away, and the sparkle in his eyes was even more illuminating. He looked at Lena, in silence for a while before speaking. He didn't really know what to say, he couldn't thank her enough. I mean he could, LITERALLY, kiss her.

"Lena, I can't thank you enough! Honestly, this is the greatest thing anyone has ever done for me!" he said to her. His voice was warm and thankful. He wondered why she would go to all that trouble just for a tiny stone, for him. His mind began to race as he put two and two together. Only he couldn't, cause there was no two. She had done a friendly gesture, or was it just friendly. Was it for her own gain or was it so he could finish one of his life long goals. Well, the practical one anyway. He could easily buy a big blue police box. Lena would probably start calling him "The Mad Man with a Box". He chuckled at the thought and stopped thinking.

"I can't describe how much this means to me Lena! I've been trying to find this piece for ages, its one of the reasons I never stay in one place for too long." he told her. "Always asking around, always going that extra step to inspect different things." he couldn't stop smiling at her. He was subconsciously moving closer to her again and he didn't even notice. There was something stirring inside him. He didn't know what it was, it was almost a new feeling to him. "Thank you," he said quietly. He then lent in and pecked her on the cheek! "Anything you need from me, anything at all, just ask"

To the faint flutter of his lips against the skin of her cheek, Lena retorted with a playful roll of her eyes. Honestly, must a girl initiate everything? She inwardly inquired, simultaneous to Alphonso’s promise of a favor owed. He always had been a chaste soul - and here lie their differences.

“Oh, shut up,” Lena insisted, looking warmly upon Alphonso. And in one fluent motion she flattened her palms against the sides of his face and firmly pulled him towards her, across the distance that remained between them. Softly, she met his lips with her own, and her heart thrummed wildly with the fire that she lived for; the thrill.

She had half the mind to anticipate his loss of consciousness in response to her drastic actions. She braced herself, with her feet planted steadily on the ground and her loose grip holding him near in case of his collapse. For it had not been her intention to concuss the fool. Nay, there would be no fun in that.

Al was smiling giddily after he had kissed her cheek. It was so warm and soft, but her lips, now that was a whole different story. He wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next. She pulled him in and their lips touched. At first is was odd, his arms flailing around for a few seconds. But they eventually made their way to holding her shoulders. The kiss was fantastic! Her lips were soft, and he assumed so were his. He hadn't kissed anybody like this in a long time. This was the starting point, this jump started his feelings.

Then again he should have been expecting something like this, it was Lena. He was still a little apprehensive when they finally broke apart. But after a few moments silence he came to terms with it. "Wow, okay.." he began to say. He was still flustered of course, one of the few moments he's ever been. "That was, good! Excellent!" he said. He looked at her, into her eyes, and he saw the faintest sparkle of hope in them. "Was there a meaning to that?" he asked her.

This entire time he wants it to be true. He didn't know how long it had been for but he had feelings for her! Strong feelings, feelings that have kept him single for eight years. He just loved the flirting too much. Her and the flirting were parts of his life and he really couldn't see it with anyone else. Sure there was Rose, but that was years ago in school. He sighed inside his mind, he realized he had the glazed over look of when he's thinking and looked at her again, heart rate normal.