A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Prompts are below :)
A million thanks to Liza for inspiring this :)
Word Count: 1505
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.
Magical Catering Task 2: Write about someone having to cook
Enjoy!
It was early morning when Sirius woke, dragged from his deep slumber by a pair of lips on his. He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to banish the last remnants of sleep. He was greeted by the smiling face of his husband.
"Hey," Remus whispered. "Sorry to wake you, but I have to head in for work. I'm doing grading early so we can have tonight to ourselves." He leaned down and pushed Sirius' dark curls from his face and pecked him on the forehead. "Happy anniversary."
With those words, Remus slid out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Sirius sat up in bed, heart pounding. Anniversary. Was that—was that today?
He whipped his head around to look at the calendar on the bedside table and felt his stomach drop when he saw the date. He'd been so occupied at the shop lately—he must have mixed the dates up without realizing.
Sirius sat back in bed and groaned. This wasn't just any anniversary—it was their tenth. A big number. And he had nothing planned. He'd assumed he'd make all the reservations today, but… it was too late for that now.
Then, the pressing question. What was he going to tell Remus?
Nothing—that was what, he decided. There was time before Remus arrived home from work. He could still make this a great night, he just needed to think.
He could make dinner, maybe. Remus wasn't one for grand gestures, anyway—he'd appreciate Sirius making dinner for the two of them more than he would a reservation to a fancy restaurant. They could watch Remus' favorite movie, Sirius could make popcorn and chocolate fondue… Yes, that would work.
He'd never been more eager for Remus to leave for school. Sirius ushered him out of the bedroom and out the door, only half-listening to Remus' instructions to take it easy after the long week he'd had. Time was ticking, and as he told his husband, those kids couldn't teach themselves.
Hours later, after the fastest shopping trip of his life, Sirius was in the kitchen surrounded by the aromas of numerous dishes. He was in his element; this was something he knew how to do. It was familiar territory.
And Merlin, did it bring back fond memories.
He paused as he tasted the sauce for the pasta, realizing that this was the first time in a long time he'd put so much effort into a meal. He and Remus were so busy nowadays that take out and quick, ten-minute meals had become their norm.
He smiled as he remembered making this same dish for his first date with Remus. He'd been so nervous then, so certain that the amber-eyed werewolf would be unimpressed by the meal. To his delight, Remus loved it—he even insisted that Sirius make dinner for the two of them more often, a request Sirius was only too happy to fulfill.
Then he thought even farther back, to when he'd first run away from home. The Potters had taken him in, and Euphemia was only too happy to teach him to cook, since her own son didn't share those interests. Cooking with her made him feel like he was a part of a real family.
And he had his own now. He and Remus had been married for ten years, ever since they were twenty-two. They were happy together.
He felt a fresh wave of guilt for forgetting such an important date. He'd been too focused on work, lately—but his bike shop could wait.
Then, finally, the meal was finished. Sirius stepped back and admired his handiwork. The pasta was perfect—cheesy and rich in flavor, just the way Remus liked it. The grilled vegetables were ready as well, and there was a bottle of wine waiting to be poured.
He only hoped Remus wasn't holding out for more.
Just then, the door opened. Sirius hurriedly threw off his apron and headed to the door, a wide grin on his face.
Remus seemed surprised to see him. "I thought you'd still be at the shop!"
Sirius arched a black eyebrow, quickly leaning in to kiss his partner. "And miss the chance to give you the best anniversary ever? Not a chance."
Remus laughed and returned the kiss, then set his briefcase down and ran a hand through his greying, tawny hair. "I hope you didn't go to too much trouble. We did talk about making this a quiet night." Remus sniffed the air. "Something smells great. Did you make—"
Sirius held a finger to his lips. "Shh, you'll ruin the surprise. Go get changed; then we can eat."
Remus shot him a grin, still boyish even after thirty years of use. It warmed Sirius' heart.
He quickly set the table for two and dimmed the lights, flicking his wand to light a candle. Minutes later, Remus emerged from the bedroom and sat down with a smile.
They began eating, and Remus moaned with delight. "Pads, this is delicious." His eyes sparkled. "You've always been the best cook."
Sirius laughed. "Better not let Euphemia hear you say that," he teased, "or your mother for that matter."
Remus appreciated the joke, but a pool of guilt was solidifying in Sirius' stomach. He felt like he was lying to his husband; none of this had been planned. These were the labors of a man who couldn't even get the date of his own anniversary right, and it didn't seem right to let Remus believe anything more than that.
"Sorry my gift for you's not here yet," Remus murmured as he speared some pasta with his fork. "Or, well, I have it—it's just for another night."
Sirius cocked his head to the side, intrigued. "Do I get to know what it is?"
Remus' grin was wolfish. "Not yet."
Sirius flicked a pea at him. "You know I hate suspense, Moony!"
Remus' amber eyes were too knowing. "Consider it payback for forgetting the date."
Sirius' fork fell to his plate with a clatter. He looked up, eyes wide and horrified, heart pounding against his chest—he'd blown it after all. "You knew about that?" he whispered.
To his great surprise, Remus laughed. "Padfoot, the look on your face when I wished you happy anniversary this morning was evidence enough. You've been writing the date wrong all week, you've been so frazzled."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Remus shrugged, looking suddenly sheepish. "You finally got caught up on all that work for the shop… I didn't want to send you into a panic. It's only an anniversary; we'll have many more to come."
"But this is an important one!" Sirius protested, upset. He hated the fact that Remus had forseen his carelessness and neglected to inform him of it. He didn't want these nights to be anything less than perfect. "You should have told me, Remus."
Remus leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "And if you had remembered? What then?"
Sirius blinked, startled by the question. "We… we could've gone out to eat. Or seen a show. Gone to the cinema, went dancing—anything!" He wilted slightly. "You should have told me."
"You're right, I should have," Remus conceded softly. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to lose sleep trying to make this night into something it doesn't have to be."
"It's a special—"
"A special day, I know. But right now, eating the dinner you made yourself, just the two of us… that's more special to me than anything else you could have come up with."
"I like making a fuss over you," Sirius said, but he could see Remus' point. There was something magical about the simplicity of tonight.
Remus raised a brow at him. "And I hate it when you spend money on me."
Sirius snorted. "Believe me, I know." He flipped his hair over his shoulder and leaned forward, taking Remus' hand in his. His thumb ran over the wedding band on his husband's finger. "You really think that tonight's enough?"
Remus raised their conjoined hands to his lips and kissed Sirius' knuckles. "I'm certain of it. I love this, Pads. You know I do."
"It is nice, having a proper meal together for once," Sirius admitted finally.
Remus beamed at him. "Atta boy. Now, I'm going to finish this before it gets cold."
Sirius retracted his hand and picked up his own fork. "Make sure to save room for dessert. We're watching your favorite film—and chocolate. There'll be lots of chocolate."
Remus grinned excitedly and quickly finished the rest of his meal. Amused and content, Sirius followed suit. Then when the two of them were curled up on the loveseat, sharing a blanket and bowl of popcorn, Sirius had to admit that he couldn't think of a better way to spend the night.
He pulled Remus closer to him, breathing in his scent as the starting credits began to roll. Yes, this was a night to remember.
But there was still no way in Merin he was forgetting their anniversary next year.
A/N:
Seasonal Challenges:
Days of the Year: 15th April — Write about making a mistake
Amanda's Challenge: Pairings 11. Violet/Klaus/Sunny — alt. Write about characters looking out for one another
Gym: Madam Pomfrey: (occupation) professor
Magic Kingdom: Main Street: 8. Town Square Theater — (action) watching a movie
Fortnightly Challenge:
Get Lei'd: Petunia — 2. Bottle
Insane House Challenge: 154. (theme) celebration