Unshaved and dishevelled, Elijah Krum woke up, alone again but not entirely, to find two pairs of mischievous eyes staring back at him. He yawned and threw his arms up over his head then, curling his fingers and toes as he stretched his body out from head to foot. He grinned afterwards and opened his embrace to his sons who, clad in their Christmas-themed pyjamas, hurried across to his side of the bed to wish him good morning. After two sloppy kisses and a moment or two of peace, the first rumbles of hunger left the bellies of the boys and Elijah opened his eyes again, lifting his head from Caelum’s neck to look at the pair of them together, realising with barely suppressed amusement that breakfast was a certain inevitability rather than a distant possibility.
“I’m hungry, daddy.” Cepheus protested, pulling at Elijah’s t-shirt with his little fist as his father tried, in vain of course, to burrow back down into the goose-feather pillows for some much needed sleep. “Hungry,” he repeated, prodding at Elijah’s face before sitting back on his bum with a notable frown marring his little features. Elijah opened an eye and chuckled when he saw the look on his son’s face and with a groan he heaved himself up, out of bed, pulling the twins with him, finding himself laughing along too as they erupted into giggles. Together, they left Elijah’s new bedroom which overlooked the vast gardens their farmhouse boasted, and went in search of the other little ones still asleep.
Once everyone was assembled, the little family made their way downstairs into the kitchen where Elijah immediately set about getting breakfast together. He got a packet of crumpets he’d bought from the nearby corner shop out of the cupboard and put them under the grill to toast with a little bit of butter and cheese on each and then went in search of the griddle and some bacon and eggs. He managed to tip a can of beans into a pot and get it on the heat during that time also and soon enough Elijah had breakfast underway and it was all timed perfectly so that once the crumpets were out all he had to do was arrange everything he’d done to go with it.
“Thanks papa!” Fauve piped up happily as Elijah set the plates down in front of them with a swish of his wand. He smiled and filled up her glass with fresh orange juice before popping a kiss into her hair.
“No problem, baby girl.” He replied before skirting around the table to fill up everyone’s glasses.
Once that Elijah was sure that his children were alright he stole away upstairs to fetch Alice who, once he entered the nursery, opened up her bleary eyes to him. With a smile, Elijah lifted his daughter out of her crib and cradled her close to him, sweeping out the white-blonde hair that was all Mira’s from her eyes. He admired, for a moment, her cherubic features before sorting her into a fresh, clean baby grow and nappy. Then, once he combed his fingers through her light dustings of hair he took Alice downstairs and made up a bottle for her to drink.
Soon enough, breakfast was over and Elijah was clearing up while Alice explored the wonders of fresh fruit in her high chair. The children had hurried into the front room to watch one of the many Muggle movies that Elijah had collected and after putting them under one of the fluffy blankets he had set on the back of the sofas he returned to the kitchen to do the dishes. He leaned up briefly for a moment to turn on the radio sat on the shelf above the wine rack on the counter and out of the little speakers a Muggle song immediately began to blare.
So, in between dancing around the kitchen to amuse Alice, Elijah managed to get the dishes done and it was just as he was putting the last one away that the doorbell rang. Elijah turned away, shutting the cupboard door, and after scooping up Alice from her highchair, cut through the living room to the hallway. After unlocking the door, Elijah wrenched it open and stepped back, surprise writing itself over his features as he took in the form of Katarina Rookwood stood on his doorstep.
“Good morning,” Elijah greeted her with a gentle smile. “Come in, come in. I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”
Elijah led Katarina through the house, going the same way as he went out. He paused in the living room long enough to introduce her to the children who chorused their hellos and then, once they were in the kitchen, Elijah turned and introduced her to Alice who gurgled happily her own version of ‘hello’. Chuckling, Elijah turned once more and flicked on the kettle before reaching up to take down a pair of cups.
“How’re you, Kat?” He asked kindly, genuinely curious. “How’s Hogwarts going?”
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