Another, slightly shorter chapter. I'm apparently on a roll :)
#1 - I think you already know this but I do not own the Harry Potter world of any of the characters involved, J.K Rowling does. (I'm not sure how legally this legally discards responsibility for copyright infringement, but everyone here does it so who am I to pretend I'm special?)
#2 - Again, I really, really enjoy and appreciate your reviews. Please leave one, as ego boosts are always a good thing. I don't necessarily need them to write, but I do enjoy the back pat. Makes me go about my day all warm and fuzzy.
Time passed. A week. Two weeks.
Slowly but surely, the trio settled into their new house, their new life, their new routines.
Amidst the bickering they were somehow meshing into a functional little family.
November 17th, 2027
"Albus my boy, you need to try this," Scorpius chimed from the kitchen. From his seat on the couch Albus peered questioningly at Rose, who shrugged back from the table where she was reading.
Gingerly, he got up and opened the door to the kitchen.
He did a double take at the homey, snug atmosphere that had invaded their otherwise neglected kitchen. It was so staggering that he took a step back, retreating, safeguarding himself from this new new turn of events that he hadn't ever (not in a million years) been expecting. "What is that?!" The smell of freshly baked goods wafted toward him, slapping him across the face with delicious wholesomeness.
It smelled of cinnamon and apples and, most importantly… love.
Scorpius was setting down a tray of what looked like malformed pastry fetuses on top of their kitchen island. He was wearing a 'Kiss The Cook' apron they had found on one of the boxes. Albus had seldom seen him looking this pleased with himself. "You said you were going to make a sandwich," he accused.
It was as if he'd accidentally stepped on an alternate reality where, apparently, Scorpius baked.
"I got distracted," dismissed Scorpius. "I made apple tarts instead."
Albus gaped, his mouth opening and closing several times before he could find the words that would articulate the complicated cocktail of mixed emotions he was feeling.
Confusion. Shock. The sincere wish to pick on his very best friend about it 'til kingdom come.
It was all so deliciously... odd.
"Merlin, you're the tart," Albus finally quipped, shaking himself back to reality. "Are you ill? You're cooking!" He stared at the tarts, eyebrow raised. "Even worse, you're baking!"
"Yeah, your point being?" Scorpius deadpanned, mentally readying himself for the endless teasing that he suspected, nay, knew he was about to endure.
From the living room came a loud, incredulous cry: "Malfoy's baking?!" Quick steps rushed toward the kitchen and a disheveled Rose Weasley peered into the room. She stared at the tarts then back at Scorpius. She took one single deep breath, savouring the moment before jumping in with both feet. "He's been replaced with a doppelganger," she proposed, exchanging a look full of mirth with Albus. "It's the only reasonable explanation."
"We need a way to test it." Albus took a step back and grabbed her arm, pulling her in mock retreat, shielding her from Scorpius, The Alleged Doppelganger.
"Quick, Malfoy, say something snide!" Rose gibed over Albus' shoulder.
"You guys are making a big deal out of something that is perfectly normal," huffed Scorpius, removing his oven mitts and sitting on one of the kitchen island's chairs.
"Damnit, it's not him. I'll distract him while you run!"
"I say we let the real one die and keep the baking doppelganger," chimed Rose, freeing herself from Albus' grip. Tentatively she approached the tray and hesitantly poked one the grotesque little tarts with her finger. "I think he may be malfunctioning though."
"They are absolutely perfect, don't be an ass," Malfoy cursed, defensively crossing his arms over his chest. "I just thought I'd try it."
Albus and Rose looked at him, then at each other than back at him. They were torn between being supportive or laughing their asses off. Malfoy looked so defiant, the poor dear. It would be cruel to taunt him for what could actually become a future hobby or a passion of his. They should nurture this, help it grow…
But then again...
Rose's eyebrows were twitching, her lips firmly pursed together as she tried to suppress her laughter. Albus was silently trying to hold in his chortles, convulsing ever so slightly.
"Oh, Merlin." Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Just let it out before you two explode."
Laughing their asses off it was.
Then they could nurture it.
"Malfoy, if you want to quit your half-baked Quidditch career and focus on this instead, we will fully support you," Rose threw the first blow, her tone tentative.
"Weak, Weasley." Scorpius just rolled his eyes dismissively, clearly unfazed. "Do better."
Albus snortled and then chimed in: "Yeah, we got you, Scorp. It would just bake my day if you just pursued what truly fulfills you!"
Rose raised an eyebrow approvingly at her cousin. "In the end it all boils down to how much you suck at it," she added.
There was a small pause.
Albus said nothing.
Scorpius and Rose stared expectantly at him.
"Well?"
"Your parents would be grilled to bits…?" He sounded apologetic, aware that this wasn't his best.
"Grilled doesn't work Albus, we're doing baking puns," chided Rose petulantly. Her sneer morphed into a grin. You could practically see the lightbulb on her brain going off. "Or should I say… buns."
"Yeah, because boil down is super related to baking," Albus protested, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too," she retorted, picking up one of the pastries and peering at it suspiciously, then back at Scorpius. "Did you poison this?"
"That doesn't even make sense." Albus mimicked her and grabbed one of the tart abominations, thoughtfully taking a whiff off it.
It did smell amazing.
"You're an ass, Weasley," Scorpius retorted, his lips pursed into a smile. He was clearly doing his best not to laugh. "Of course I didn't. Are you two done now?"
They weren't. His question broke the silence and gave them a renewed burst of punny inspiration.
"I loaf you Malfoy, you're such a party pooper." Rose grinned and tilted her head to the side, goading Albus to continue.
Albus didn't disappoint. "Bakers gonna bake."
"Oof, nice one!" Rose narrowed her eyes approvingly. "You could have used 'scone-a' instead of 'gonna' but-"
"Did you really knead to ruin it?"
"Donut judge me."
Scorpius sniggered. "You guys are a riot. Try the damned thing, you idiots."
"Muffin you can do to stop us."
"Oh shut up and try it, Al." Scorpius placed both his hands on his waist. "This is getting real old real fast. You guys are both… weirdoughs."
He had actually bothered to pause for effect, the nerd.
That was when Al and Rose basically lost it.
"Fuck," Albus was clutching his stomach from all the laughter. "That one took the cake."
Rose was near tears at this point. She took a bite from the tart, almost choking on it because she was still laughing.
Then… she stopped. And then she chewed. And then she took another bite.
Because, surprisingly enough… it was… okay.
"Wow." She took another bite and was delighted to find that it was more than 'okay'. "These are so nice, Malfoy." She nodded approvingly, before pulling a chair and settling in front of the island. She took another pastry from the tray and placed it directly on the counter in front of her. "They look like shit, but are amazing on the inside. Kinda like the opposite of you."
"Get a plate you savage," Scorpius chided, shaking his head with disapproval.
"She's right though. It's great." Albus was contentedly eating his way through his second tart. "For the record, you just called Scorp pretty, Rose."
"Well shit," Rose gazed at Scorpius thoughtfully for a second, then shrugged, taking another bite. "Well, it's true though. He is as pretty as he is rotten on the inside."
"Why shucks, you flatter me, Weasley." Scorpius got up, got a plate from the cupboard and handed it to her, a grin etching his features. "Never knew you thought I was that pretty."
"Thanks." She took the plate from him with a smile and placed yet another tart on top of it. "It's really sad. You are. Awful personality though."
There was silence for a while. A companionable silence interrupted only by the occasional happy sigh as the three of them ate their way through the tray.
Rose broke the silence, leaning back against her chair. "Man, great cake. You should do this more often."
"You know what?" Scorpius looked between the pair of them. "I think I will."
True to his word, he did.
Every once in a while, Rose or Albus would arrive home to find dinner made or the smell of fresh baked goods. Scorpius' attempts weren't always entirely successful but were always met with great enthusiasm and, more often than not, a lot of good-natured jokes.
