Chapter 8
The Chatter of Plates
"Oh no!" Hermione almost cried as she put the fire out. "Harry! This is all your fault." Hermione pouted, "I was doing so well."
Harry gave a sheepish grin, "it was worth it."
Hermione quickly turned to look at him, his face deep crimson. "You're. You're just saying that."
"No I'm not." Harry said wrapping his arms around Hermione, "I can't wait till we can do it again, but let's try to salvage this dinner."
"Ok Harry," Hermione blushed, staring into Harry's big green eyes. She finally broke the staring contest in order to turn around, Harry's arms still around her waist. She looked at what was left of her casserole; if she could manage to take the top layer of it off it would be fine she thought.
"That's right," Harry said as she began to spoon the burnt part off. He took a step closer to her, his grip tighter than before. Her hand became nervous and shook as she tried to spoon another section off. Harry slid his hand over her arm and cover her hand with his, steadying her grasp on the spoon; in no time the food had been saved.
"Ginny," Harry yelled up the stairs, "its time for dinner."
"You cooked again?" Ginny asked as she came bounding down the stairs sniffing the air for something.
"No, Hermione did."
"Oh, I don't think I'm hungry." Ginny touched her stomach, and a sick look came over her face.
"Stop it," Harry scolded her, "she tried really hard and you should support her."
"Its just that I've had," Ginny looked at the door to make sure she didn't walk out, "I've had a sandwich made by her, and it was horrid. How can you mess up a sandwich?"
"Well, I was watching her, and she didn't mess this up." Harry put a hand behind Ginny's back and pushed her towards the kitchen. Ginny went around the table, a smile plastered on her face, and sat down in her usual seat. Hermione placed the dinner she had prepared on the table and sat down across from Harry.
"Go ahead Hermione," Harry said as he had finished piling the dinner on his plate. Hermione didn't reach for the food; she didn't even divert her eyes from Harry when Ginny waved her hand in front of her face.
Ginny just shrugged and took a bite of Hermione's cooking, "Oh my god!"
Hermione looked up at this, "What?"
"This is amazing," Ginny managed to get out before stuffing her mouth with more food. Hermione looked over at Harry again, who was giving her the proudest grin of her life.
"It's good?" She asked him.
Harry took a few bites more before telling her, "try it yourself." He grinned at her as she slowly put a little on her plate, poking at it with her fork.
"Harry,"
"What?" His mouth still full of food.
"Ugh, don't talk with your mouth full."
"Yes mother," Harry grinned having finished what he had in his mouth. "Are you going to try it or not?"
Hermione slowly took a bite, and after tasting the tiny morsel she quickly consumed all that lay on her plate. The rest of dinner was fairly quiet, just the scrape of forks on plates could be heard from the kitchen. When they were finally finished Ginny suggested, "why don't you two go watch the sunset from the attic window? I'll clean the dishes."
Hermione grinned sheepishly as she nodded her head, and Harry got up and took his plate to the sink where Ginny stood starting wash dishes now. "Thanks Gin," Harry whispered.
When they were out of view of the kitchen Harry took Hermione's hand in his, and they quickly walked up the stairs to the attic. Harry opened the window as Hermione pulled the only chair up to the middle of the room. "There's only one chair."
"That's ok," Harry said as he kissed her cheek. He slipped his hands around her waist again as he sat down in the seat, pulling Hermione on top of his lap. Harry rested his chin over her shoulder as they watched the gold and red sunset fade into the darkness. The silence of the room seemed to help calm them, and by the time the crescent moon was in full view Harry and Hermione had fallen asleep from the exhausting day.
"Oh no!" Hermione almost cried as she put the fire out. "Harry! This is all your fault." Hermione pouted, "I was doing so well."
Harry gave a sheepish grin, "it was worth it."
Hermione quickly turned to look at him, his face deep crimson. "You're. You're just saying that."
"No I'm not." Harry said wrapping his arms around Hermione, "I can't wait till we can do it again, but let's try to salvage this dinner."
"Ok Harry," Hermione blushed, staring into Harry's big green eyes. She finally broke the staring contest in order to turn around, Harry's arms still around her waist. She looked at what was left of her casserole; if she could manage to take the top layer of it off it would be fine she thought.
"That's right," Harry said as she began to spoon the burnt part off. He took a step closer to her, his grip tighter than before. Her hand became nervous and shook as she tried to spoon another section off. Harry slid his hand over her arm and cover her hand with his, steadying her grasp on the spoon; in no time the food had been saved.
"Ginny," Harry yelled up the stairs, "its time for dinner."
"You cooked again?" Ginny asked as she came bounding down the stairs sniffing the air for something.
"No, Hermione did."
"Oh, I don't think I'm hungry." Ginny touched her stomach, and a sick look came over her face.
"Stop it," Harry scolded her, "she tried really hard and you should support her."
"Its just that I've had," Ginny looked at the door to make sure she didn't walk out, "I've had a sandwich made by her, and it was horrid. How can you mess up a sandwich?"
"Well, I was watching her, and she didn't mess this up." Harry put a hand behind Ginny's back and pushed her towards the kitchen. Ginny went around the table, a smile plastered on her face, and sat down in her usual seat. Hermione placed the dinner she had prepared on the table and sat down across from Harry.
"Go ahead Hermione," Harry said as he had finished piling the dinner on his plate. Hermione didn't reach for the food; she didn't even divert her eyes from Harry when Ginny waved her hand in front of her face.
Ginny just shrugged and took a bite of Hermione's cooking, "Oh my god!"
Hermione looked up at this, "What?"
"This is amazing," Ginny managed to get out before stuffing her mouth with more food. Hermione looked over at Harry again, who was giving her the proudest grin of her life.
"It's good?" She asked him.
Harry took a few bites more before telling her, "try it yourself." He grinned at her as she slowly put a little on her plate, poking at it with her fork.
"Harry,"
"What?" His mouth still full of food.
"Ugh, don't talk with your mouth full."
"Yes mother," Harry grinned having finished what he had in his mouth. "Are you going to try it or not?"
Hermione slowly took a bite, and after tasting the tiny morsel she quickly consumed all that lay on her plate. The rest of dinner was fairly quiet, just the scrape of forks on plates could be heard from the kitchen. When they were finally finished Ginny suggested, "why don't you two go watch the sunset from the attic window? I'll clean the dishes."
Hermione grinned sheepishly as she nodded her head, and Harry got up and took his plate to the sink where Ginny stood starting wash dishes now. "Thanks Gin," Harry whispered.
When they were out of view of the kitchen Harry took Hermione's hand in his, and they quickly walked up the stairs to the attic. Harry opened the window as Hermione pulled the only chair up to the middle of the room. "There's only one chair."
"That's ok," Harry said as he kissed her cheek. He slipped his hands around her waist again as he sat down in the seat, pulling Hermione on top of his lap. Harry rested his chin over her shoulder as they watched the gold and red sunset fade into the darkness. The silence of the room seemed to help calm them, and by the time the crescent moon was in full view Harry and Hermione had fallen asleep from the exhausting day.