Muggle Cookies: Age Eight

"Who wants some cookies?" Andromeda called, tucking a strand of brown hair behind an ear.

"Me!" Sirius and Regulus cried in unison. Had it not been for the height difference, the boys would have been nearly identical.

Andromeda smiled as she placed a plate of cookies on the table, which was low enough for both boys to reach. Sirius grabbed one before Regulus could and stuffed it into his mouth.

"These are good!" Sirius yelled. "What did you do?"

"I'll tell you what I didn't do."

"Wha' dinn't you do?" Regulus asked; his mouth stuffed with cookie.

"I didn't use magic."

Regulus and Sirius promptly spit out their cookies in surprise; Sirius grabbed another one, Regulus didn't.

"But Mum said that Muggles are bad, and you shouldn't do anything the Muggle way," Regulus recited.

"Sometimes, Regulus, our mums aren't always right."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"You went into the Muggle world!" Sirius gasped. Regulus's eyes grew wide.

"Boys, what you need to understand is that not all Muggles are bad... they're a little like Wizards with that."

"Muggles aren't like Wizards!" Regulus yelled.

"Reggie... come here."

Regulus didn't move; he sat frozen on the floor. Andromeda rolled her eyes and sat so that she was eye-level with him. "Regulus, look, I love you and Sirius very much, so please trust me when I say that Muggles aren't evil."

"Dromeda you're not going to leave us, are you?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know, Sirius."

Sirius jumped out of his chair and hugged Andromeda as tightly as he could. "Don't leave us. Please."

Andromeda didn't reply. "Can I tell you two a secret?"

Regulus and Sirius both nodded very slowly.

"You promise not to tell? Both of you?"

"I promise," Sirius said.

"Me too," Regulus whispered.

"I have a boyfriend."

Sirius let go of Andromeda. "Why would you want a boyfriend?"

"I love him. His name is Ted Tonks, and I want to marry him."

"Tonks isn't a pureblood name," Regulus said quietly.

"He's not a pureblood," Andromeda said, looking both boys straight in the eyes.

"He's a Mudblood?" Regulus asked.

"Regulus, never use that word again. It's really mean," Andromeda scolded. Regulus nodded meekly. She continued. "He is a Muggleborn. But that really doesn't matter at all. He's really nice, and sweet, and he loves me. I love him. He asked me something before I left for summer."

"What'd he ask you?" Sirius asked.

"He asked me if, after we got out of school, I'd marry him."

"Did you say yes?" Regulus whispered.

"Yes. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay," Regulus and Sirius said together.

"Now, you two have eaten all of the cookies."

Sirius laughed.

"How about I show you how to make Muggle cookies?"

"Is it messy?" Sirius asked.

"Very."

"I wanna help!" Regulus yelled.

"Okay, okay, you can both help."

Regulus and Sirius cheered, and Andromeda smiled.