Tom knocked on the door of his mother's house when it was already dark outside. He didn't want to ring, because he hoped Lenny's father was already asleep and his mother would open. Or maybe even Lenny. But of course he had been incredibly wrong. When the door was drawn open the angry face of the bulky mass that was Lenny's dad appeared.
"Where have you been?", he snarled and Tom hurried to get inside, pulling up his shoulders a little in a weak attempt to hide the love bite Chris had left on his neck. "Your mother has been worried sick! What did you even think you were doing?" Tom swallowed and sighed as he ran one hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "I... I don't know. You know, I was visiting a friend and I forgot time... And I only realised how late it was when I saw that it was dark outside."
"Did you?" Lenny's father brushed Tom's hand away from his hair and made him straighten up. "Stop this ungrateful attitude when I'm talking to you!"
"Then tell me what I should be grateful for?", Tom asked in a calm and broken but completely honest voice.
Lenny's father scoffed. "What you should be thankful for? You know, I wouldn't even have had to raise you! I could have given you to an orphanage, that would have been my good right. But I treated you as my own son, even though you were an offspring of this German bastard."
Tom's eyes had filled with tears by then. "Don't call him that", he brought forth in an attempt to hide his tears. "Call me as you want, but don't... don't bring him in."
Lenny's father rolled his eyes. "Thomas, we've had this discussion a hundred times. I don't want you to disobey me only because you know that I am not your real father. I was against telling you, but your mother insisted. By now it probably wouldn't be worth trying to hide it anyway. The differences are too obvious."
"Yes, they are", Tom nodded. After a pause he spoke up again: "If I may retreat to my room now, Sir?"
It probably wasn't the sarcastic tone or the smug grin on Tom's face, but the fact that he made an army gesture that made the young man totally expect the hand that slapped against his cheek.
"Yes you may", Lenny's father said in a calmer tone than anyone would have thought to be possible after what had just happened, but Tom just nodded quickly, turned, and walked away, ignoring the burning pain that spread on his face.

Harry sat down on his bed and glared intensely at Will, who, for the last half hour had only been pretending to sleep.
"I know you're awake", Harry snickered. "Don't try to pretend othserwithse!"
"Let me sleep, Harry, please", Will mumbled, finally giving up the fight against Sid's watch.
"But why? When you're awake, thsere iths no reathson not to get to know eatch othser."
Will sighed. Obviously, that he wouldn't talk much had been a lie, he thought to himself and sat up.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"