Soup
By BertaS
Description: Summer after fifth year. Harry helps Aunt Petunia make soup.
AN: I don't know where this came from, maybe I was hungry. I sat down to work on something else (my fic Hairy Snape actually) and this is what came out. Enjoy.
BertaS J
Soup
Harry wandered through the house and into the kitchen where his aunt was straining the contents of her largest soup pot. There were multiple vegetables - potatoes, carrots, onions, green peppers and leaks setting on the side board ready to be washed and cut up. Harry smiled slightly as he chose a sharp knife and began humming along with the radio as he started to prepared the vegetables.
The woman turned at the sound and frowned, "What are you doing? I thought those people said you wouldn't be doing any chores this summer."
Harry paused as he shrugged, "I don't mind helping, Aunt Petunia. They just won't let me be forced to do anything." He concentrated on cutting the potatoes in even sized pieces. "In fact, I noticed the back garden needs some work and that the grass needs cut. I'll start on that tomorrow."
She sighed, "Actually, I wanted to make some changes to the back garden." She returned the liquid and herb packet to the pot and began picking the meat from the bones of what Harry recognized as the remains of the roast chicken from the previous night.
Harry glanced out the window and watched with a smile as a gray tiger striped cat set stiffly under the azaleas. "What did you have in mind?"
Petunia also looked out the window and frowned, "That cat is not normal."
Harry actually laughed, "No she's not, more like extraordinary."
Her hands stilled and she stared at her nephew, "I don't suppose you know anything to keep animals out of the garden?"
"Not her," he nodded out the window, "although I may be able to get some special fertilizer that would work for most animals." He smirked internally as he thought of the reaction to his request and to what Uncle Vernon would say if he found out that Harry was using Dragon dung on his yard. "I'll write some letters this evening."
She nodded as she resumed preparing the meat and explaining exactly what she wanted in the garden.
By the time the soup was complete and simmering Harry had a drawing and notes to work from. He could not remember ever having such a pleasant afternoon with Aunt Petunia.
Harry stepped out the door to survey what he wanted to do the next day only to pop his head back in and say, "You might want to put on some tea, I'm going to bring in the cat."
Petunia was shocked beyond belief when the boy returned quite wet and caring the enraged gray cat. As he sat it down on one of her kitchen chairs she opened her mouth to berate him when the cat shifted and became a harsh looking older woman. Petunia grabbed the back of the chair in front of her in fear. One of those people was in her house. Not only that but she had been watching the house all afternoon.
Before Petunia could get her wits about her to berate her nephew the harsh woman was hissing at the boy, "Mr. Potter should you ever pick me up in that manor again I promise you, you will not come away unscathed."
Harry's eyes went huge and he stuttered, "I… I'm sorry Professor, b… but that's the way Mrs. Figg taught me to pick up cats, when I was five." He shifted uncomfortably, before trying to distract the woman, "Professor this is my Aunt, Petunia Dursley, Aunt Petunia, this is Professor McGonagall, from my school."
The two women sized each other up. Both deciding that it would be impossible to like the other and both deciding on overt politeness to disarm the other.
Thus began the strangest conversation that Harry had ever witnessed.
That's All Folks
A/N: Again I don't know where this came from. I do hope you enjoyed it.