Written for The Houses Competition

House Hufflepuff

Category: Short

Prompt: "It seemed like a good idea yesterday!"

Word count: 904

Beta: Aya

Susan Bones grinned to herself as she walked home. Previously, home had been a rather lonely place with only herself to fill the space. Now she had someone living with her and his presence showed in every corner of her previously silent home. A joy of Blaise's was cooking, and Susan most certainly enjoyed the results that Blaise created.

Going from barely having the energy to make a simple salad, or heat up a soup to coming home to delicious meals she hadn't had to cook was something that she was still getting used to, but loved all the same. Of course, she didn't keep Blaise around just for his cooking expertise, the man was brilliant company and Susan was sure that she was slowly falling in love with him.

Every time she thought of Blaise and her relationship with him; Susan blessed her best friend Hannah Abbott for having a wedding and inviting Blaise Zabini to it. Blaise had asked her to dance during the wedding and Susan had accepted, not entirely sure where such acceptance would take her, but happy to discover it as she went along.

She was so glad that she had accepted the Slytherin's invitation. A Slytherin and a Hufflepuff may not be most people's idea of an ideal relationship, but they were happy and that was all that mattered. A life with Blaise Zabini was calm with quiet excitements that popped up here and there. He made her feel special and never hesitated to show affection towards her in the privacy of their now joint home or in public.

Susan had gotten very used to ignoring the idiots that insisted she was being controlled for wanting to be with a Slytherin and someone who worked alongside the Death Eaters. They were the ones who hadn't been in Hogwarts during the year when Death Eaters had ruled the school and only knew of that year through tales. Therefore, they didn't know that some Slytherins such as Blaise had actually protected the other Houses and lower years from the worst of the punishments given out by the Carrow siblings.

Many a time, Susan had had to reassure Blaise that he was a good person, that he had done all he could do to help the other students and not risk his own safety. Her man was slightly broken by the war and only managed to keep up a calm façade by implementing the famous Slytherin mask that the House employed when faced with adversity. She had been surprised when she had come home early one day and found Blaise trying to stifle tears that were stubbornly streaking down his face.

She hadn't hesitated once she had taken in the scene before her, dropping her small handbag on the floor and enveloping Blaise in a hug. The idiot had resisted for a few moments – turning stiff in her arms – but had given in when she hadn't released him. They had spent several hours on the floor after that, Blaise finally letting free his inner demons and accepting the comfort Susan offered him.

She had cooked that night, warm soup with a few slices of bread. The simple meal had made Blaise laugh weakly and wonder aloud how she had ever survived without him. After that night, they had both been more open with each other and helped the other work through the demons that going through a war inevitably created.

As she stepped through the door of her home, Susan recoiled from the burning smell permeating the building. "Blaise?" she called out.

"In here!" his voice replied from the kitchen.

The smell grew stronger as she grew closer to the kitchen until she could finally see what had caused it. Blaise was standing next to the oven and staring down at a blackened shell that looked as though it might once have been a cake of some sort.

"You alright, love?" she asked and Blaise nodded slightly, still looking down at the black hunk of burnt something.

Susan sighed and slipped up behind him, encircling her arms around his shoulders and resting her head on his shoulder. She too, looked down at his cooking failure, "What was it supposed to be?"

"Exploding Bon Bon cake," he replied despondently.

Susan stared at the remains of said cake and shook her head slightly, "You thought putting a mixture containing explosive sweets in the oven wise?"

"It seemed like a good idea yesterday!" he defended. She just hummed and he sighed, "I probably should have thought of that, hey?"

"Yes, you certainly should have. Did you consider putting fluxweed oil in to calm the reaction?" Blaise shook his head. "Maybe you can try that next time then. Now come on, we have a kitchen to clean." She patted his shoulder and moved away to start cleaning.

Blaise picked up his creation and dropped it into the bin with a mournful sigh before turning around and helping Susan clean up and remove the burnt smell from the air. He would remember next time to consider the consequences of putting something explosive in the oven. Maybe. When he got caught up in an idea there was rarely anything that could stop him from implementing it as soon as possible.

It was entirely likely that Susan would come across him staring down at his latest failed creation and mourning its failure many more times in the future.