A/N: Happy Christmas to all my readers! I hope it was wonderful for y'all!
Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Acknowledgments:
DarkShadowsFan: I thank you again for following my story as you have! I am pleased that you like it and you need to update yours! I must read more!
Jestana: Thank you for your kind review of the last chapter! I do hope I get out soon too. In any case, here's to more fun on my part!
FluffysBijin05: Thanks! I can't wait for Lupin goodness either. *grins wickedly* It's going to be great fun when I actually do get there :)
HyperCaz: I am glad you love it! YAY for my continuing it! Here's to you! Cheers!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Gilderoy woke up the next morning to the first rays of sunlight filtering through the living room window. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes and then remembered ...
He sighed. That had just been brilliant of him. Now Stephie probably hated him and he couldn't exactly blame her. What had possessed him to do that anyway?
He rose and went to the closet where he'd previously hung up his new clothes. He grabbed his new khaki pants and the new white shirt and changed quickly. Glancing in the mirror beside the hallway closet, he stared at his reflection for a few minutes. For once, he wasn't in the least bothered that he was looking ... normal and not sleek and polished.
Sighing again he raked his hand through his hair and went back to sit on the sofa, automatically folding up his blanket and setting it atop his pillow, mimicking what he'd seen Stephie do each morning.
Come to think of it, he felt a little bad about the night before and he wondered if there was anyway he could make it up to her. But, wait a second, why did it all of a sudden matter to him? If he thought about it long enough ...
She wasn't exactly the most beautiful of girls. Her hair was wavy and most of the time not per se very managable. She was rather on the average side of things, both in height and in weight, and she didn't exactly have the most perfect set of teeth this side of Diagon Alley. She was very quiet and secretive, and in a way tightly wound. She rarely smiled for longer than a second and she had the greatest propensity towards rolling her and eyes and sighing more than anyone he'd ever met ...
But yet ... when she did actually smile, she had a quiet beauty all her own. Her usually guarded eyes seemed to soften. It's not that she changed in appearance, no she stayed very much the same, but something was added to her. A wholesomeness he supposed. For all the rolling of her eyes and her sighing, he could not deny that she was deep down a very kind and passionate person, as evidenced by her friendship with Liz.
Closing his eyes, Gilderoy lay back against the sofa back, wondering why he was thinking all this. He'd never lacked for attention with other women. It didn't matter that he'd never exactly been in a relationship, there were many that had sought him out. Yet, for the first time ever, he was not being sought after. For all his good looks and charm, Stephie seemed to see right through him, something that both refreshed and pained him. It certainly refreshed him to find someone so independent and so in control of herself, but yet it pained him. For once however, it wasn't his ego that was pained. He was more pained by the realization that he was really being challenged and he didn't know if he was equal to it. She seemed to challenge and convict him as no one had ever done. It was the strangest thing really.
Going back to his original thoughts, he wondered what he could possibly do to make amends for the evening before. Then he thought of it! The simple brilliance of it all! He leapt up from his spot on the sofa and dashed into the kitchen.
"This morning, Stephania Julianna, you're not going to make breakfast. I will."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes blearily and yawned. Yet another night I'd spent tossing and turning, as evidenced by my horribly skewed blankets. I sighed and rose, donning my jeans and preferred blue Roxy shirt. I ran my brush through my hair and replaced it in my drawer.
I opened my door and left my room, nearly tripping on the rug in the hallway.
*Walking is hard! Seriously! Especially in the morning.*
I straightened up and made careful steps while I regained my motor skills and made my way through the living room to the kitchen when I hear a lot of noise coming from beyond the kitchen door. I looked back to the living room and just now realized that ... Gilderoy wasn't asleep on the sofa.
*Merlin tell me ... please tell me that ... he's not ...*
I instantly sprang to life and rushed to the kitchen and yanked open the door to find my fears were justified. There was the hopelessly addled wizard ... right beside the stove on which something was sizzling and emitting a little smoke.
Assessing the situation as quickly as I could, I spied a measuring cup and some milk and butter out and something that had originally been yellow turned brown and smoking on the stove, possibly because the burner had been set on high as opposed to just medium or low. Reaching out quickly I turned off the burner and deftly took the frying pan and placed it on the other side of the stove.
At this point, he had the grace to look embarrassed and sheepish. "I was just trying to make breakfast this time around. You do so much as it is." He explained, offering me a tentative smile.
I let this register in my head, trying really HARD not to roll my eyes. "You wanted to make breakfast for us?" I asked, still waiting for it to register.
"Yes-" He started to say before I cut him off.
"You, a wizard who knows nothing of doing things the muggle way, wanted to make us breakfast?" I asked again, massaging my temples while still waiting for it to register in my head.
"Yes ... well n-no ... well I had seen you make breakfast those other times and I did everything you did, " he indicated the very neat counter top with the measuring cup and the other ingredients, "but it just fell apart when I put it there on that thing." Indicating the stove burner.
I glanced around and inspected the scene, which actually, he was right. He did everything I'd done before and done it correctly. Hell, he was even wearing that cooking apron I usually wore. He'd done it all, excepting the fact that he'd burned the eggs. I couldn't help it. I smiled and laughed softly, apparently the opposite of what he'd been expecting me to do.
"That was very thoughtful of you, Gilderoy. Really, I'm flattered that you went through so much trouble, but ... next time just come and get me. I'm not much of a cook, but what I know I can teach you." I told him and examined the frying pan with the burned eggs, which showed no promise of being edible in the least.
He looked up at me, a bright smile on his face. "You're not mad?" He asked me, really surprised at my reaction.
"No of course not. Though, if you'd burned down the house, then of course I'd be righteously mad, but you didn't." I replied and punched him playfully in the arm and took the frying pan and emptied the contents in the trash can beneath the sink.
Gilderoy just beamed at me. "Well yes, that's a perfectly justifiable reason for anger."
I grinned and washed the frying pan carefully and then turned to face him. "Well now that danger has been averted," I winked, "would you like me to show you how to make make breakfast the muggle way?"
I laughed as he went into a very exaggerated bow. "Yes, I would be delighted to learn." He said with that roguish smile.
I smirked and shook my head and proceeded to step him through the process of making scrambled eggs and pointed out some of the different utensils and their uses. He seemed to catch on somewhat quick and by the end of my impromptu tutorial we had a breakfast of scrambled eggs. He however surprised me, he beat me to setting the table.
*Catches on quick, that one. I have trained him well, and this is where I insert a very wicked grin*
"You know, you're adapting better than I thought you would." I joked to him, as I sat down in the chair he pulled out for me.
Gilderoy grinned and sat down as well. "Really?"
"Yes, really, surprisingly enough." I smiled a small smile back at him. Though I wondered, however, if the world of reality was actually ready for him.
We ate our breakfast and then I went about teaching Gilderoy some of the finer points of muggle living. It was quite amusing when I got to the greatest inventions of all ... the TV and DVD player.
*Well, all right ... next best greatest invention next to a computer.*
I had explained to him the basics of what they are and what they do and I thought a more involved lesson would be in order. As such, I brought out my handy dandy bin from under my bed that held all my more precious items in life and that included my DVD and VHS collection.
*Hmm ... what to watch ... what to watch ... so many choices ... *
I wondered if it would be too weird to actually show him my Harry Potter movies and then decided against it. I then wondered if The Lord of the Rings would be a bit much for him.
"Stephie, what are you doing?" Gilderoy asked after a while in which I'd been pawing through my collection. He glanced at me bemusedly.
I held up a hand. "Don't stop my thinking process here! I am trying to find a good movie to watch and thus introduce you to the wonderful world of muggle movies. Patience man!"
He just laughed at my obvious insanity and went to sit down on my bed as we were in my room since I have my own fabulous entertainment set up. TV, DVD, and VCR player on my dresser and my brand new computer on my desk.
*I tell you, life is good when you've got these babies with you.*
I continued to paw through my DVD collection, still trying to decide which to watch.
*No on "The Craft" ... hmm ... nah, I'll pass on my anime collection. It'd just go right over his head. Er ... I don't know if he'd like my Shakespeare films. Hmm ... what else? He's certainly not an "Encino Man" type of person ... and I certainly won't inflict "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" on him. Poor guy, can't do that now can we? Hmm ... not "Anna and the King" either ... wait ... I've ruddy got it!*
I eagerly grabbed what I was searching for and pushed the bin away back under my bed.
*The simple brilliance of it all! Brilliance I tell you!*
I stood and faced him with a mischievous grin on my face. "So, what do you say to watching one of my personal favorites, 'Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail'?"
*Oh those Python boys! How I love them!*
Acknowledgments:
DarkShadowsFan: I thank you again for following my story as you have! I am pleased that you like it and you need to update yours! I must read more!
Jestana: Thank you for your kind review of the last chapter! I do hope I get out soon too. In any case, here's to more fun on my part!
FluffysBijin05: Thanks! I can't wait for Lupin goodness either. *grins wickedly* It's going to be great fun when I actually do get there :)
HyperCaz: I am glad you love it! YAY for my continuing it! Here's to you! Cheers!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*
Gilderoy woke up the next morning to the first rays of sunlight filtering through the living room window. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes and then remembered ...
He sighed. That had just been brilliant of him. Now Stephie probably hated him and he couldn't exactly blame her. What had possessed him to do that anyway?
He rose and went to the closet where he'd previously hung up his new clothes. He grabbed his new khaki pants and the new white shirt and changed quickly. Glancing in the mirror beside the hallway closet, he stared at his reflection for a few minutes. For once, he wasn't in the least bothered that he was looking ... normal and not sleek and polished.
Sighing again he raked his hand through his hair and went back to sit on the sofa, automatically folding up his blanket and setting it atop his pillow, mimicking what he'd seen Stephie do each morning.
Come to think of it, he felt a little bad about the night before and he wondered if there was anyway he could make it up to her. But, wait a second, why did it all of a sudden matter to him? If he thought about it long enough ...
She wasn't exactly the most beautiful of girls. Her hair was wavy and most of the time not per se very managable. She was rather on the average side of things, both in height and in weight, and she didn't exactly have the most perfect set of teeth this side of Diagon Alley. She was very quiet and secretive, and in a way tightly wound. She rarely smiled for longer than a second and she had the greatest propensity towards rolling her and eyes and sighing more than anyone he'd ever met ...
But yet ... when she did actually smile, she had a quiet beauty all her own. Her usually guarded eyes seemed to soften. It's not that she changed in appearance, no she stayed very much the same, but something was added to her. A wholesomeness he supposed. For all the rolling of her eyes and her sighing, he could not deny that she was deep down a very kind and passionate person, as evidenced by her friendship with Liz.
Closing his eyes, Gilderoy lay back against the sofa back, wondering why he was thinking all this. He'd never lacked for attention with other women. It didn't matter that he'd never exactly been in a relationship, there were many that had sought him out. Yet, for the first time ever, he was not being sought after. For all his good looks and charm, Stephie seemed to see right through him, something that both refreshed and pained him. It certainly refreshed him to find someone so independent and so in control of herself, but yet it pained him. For once however, it wasn't his ego that was pained. He was more pained by the realization that he was really being challenged and he didn't know if he was equal to it. She seemed to challenge and convict him as no one had ever done. It was the strangest thing really.
Going back to his original thoughts, he wondered what he could possibly do to make amends for the evening before. Then he thought of it! The simple brilliance of it all! He leapt up from his spot on the sofa and dashed into the kitchen.
"This morning, Stephania Julianna, you're not going to make breakfast. I will."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I opened my eyes blearily and yawned. Yet another night I'd spent tossing and turning, as evidenced by my horribly skewed blankets. I sighed and rose, donning my jeans and preferred blue Roxy shirt. I ran my brush through my hair and replaced it in my drawer.
I opened my door and left my room, nearly tripping on the rug in the hallway.
*Walking is hard! Seriously! Especially in the morning.*
I straightened up and made careful steps while I regained my motor skills and made my way through the living room to the kitchen when I hear a lot of noise coming from beyond the kitchen door. I looked back to the living room and just now realized that ... Gilderoy wasn't asleep on the sofa.
*Merlin tell me ... please tell me that ... he's not ...*
I instantly sprang to life and rushed to the kitchen and yanked open the door to find my fears were justified. There was the hopelessly addled wizard ... right beside the stove on which something was sizzling and emitting a little smoke.
Assessing the situation as quickly as I could, I spied a measuring cup and some milk and butter out and something that had originally been yellow turned brown and smoking on the stove, possibly because the burner had been set on high as opposed to just medium or low. Reaching out quickly I turned off the burner and deftly took the frying pan and placed it on the other side of the stove.
At this point, he had the grace to look embarrassed and sheepish. "I was just trying to make breakfast this time around. You do so much as it is." He explained, offering me a tentative smile.
I let this register in my head, trying really HARD not to roll my eyes. "You wanted to make breakfast for us?" I asked, still waiting for it to register.
"Yes-" He started to say before I cut him off.
"You, a wizard who knows nothing of doing things the muggle way, wanted to make us breakfast?" I asked again, massaging my temples while still waiting for it to register in my head.
"Yes ... well n-no ... well I had seen you make breakfast those other times and I did everything you did, " he indicated the very neat counter top with the measuring cup and the other ingredients, "but it just fell apart when I put it there on that thing." Indicating the stove burner.
I glanced around and inspected the scene, which actually, he was right. He did everything I'd done before and done it correctly. Hell, he was even wearing that cooking apron I usually wore. He'd done it all, excepting the fact that he'd burned the eggs. I couldn't help it. I smiled and laughed softly, apparently the opposite of what he'd been expecting me to do.
"That was very thoughtful of you, Gilderoy. Really, I'm flattered that you went through so much trouble, but ... next time just come and get me. I'm not much of a cook, but what I know I can teach you." I told him and examined the frying pan with the burned eggs, which showed no promise of being edible in the least.
He looked up at me, a bright smile on his face. "You're not mad?" He asked me, really surprised at my reaction.
"No of course not. Though, if you'd burned down the house, then of course I'd be righteously mad, but you didn't." I replied and punched him playfully in the arm and took the frying pan and emptied the contents in the trash can beneath the sink.
Gilderoy just beamed at me. "Well yes, that's a perfectly justifiable reason for anger."
I grinned and washed the frying pan carefully and then turned to face him. "Well now that danger has been averted," I winked, "would you like me to show you how to make make breakfast the muggle way?"
I laughed as he went into a very exaggerated bow. "Yes, I would be delighted to learn." He said with that roguish smile.
I smirked and shook my head and proceeded to step him through the process of making scrambled eggs and pointed out some of the different utensils and their uses. He seemed to catch on somewhat quick and by the end of my impromptu tutorial we had a breakfast of scrambled eggs. He however surprised me, he beat me to setting the table.
*Catches on quick, that one. I have trained him well, and this is where I insert a very wicked grin*
"You know, you're adapting better than I thought you would." I joked to him, as I sat down in the chair he pulled out for me.
Gilderoy grinned and sat down as well. "Really?"
"Yes, really, surprisingly enough." I smiled a small smile back at him. Though I wondered, however, if the world of reality was actually ready for him.
We ate our breakfast and then I went about teaching Gilderoy some of the finer points of muggle living. It was quite amusing when I got to the greatest inventions of all ... the TV and DVD player.
*Well, all right ... next best greatest invention next to a computer.*
I had explained to him the basics of what they are and what they do and I thought a more involved lesson would be in order. As such, I brought out my handy dandy bin from under my bed that held all my more precious items in life and that included my DVD and VHS collection.
*Hmm ... what to watch ... what to watch ... so many choices ... *
I wondered if it would be too weird to actually show him my Harry Potter movies and then decided against it. I then wondered if The Lord of the Rings would be a bit much for him.
"Stephie, what are you doing?" Gilderoy asked after a while in which I'd been pawing through my collection. He glanced at me bemusedly.
I held up a hand. "Don't stop my thinking process here! I am trying to find a good movie to watch and thus introduce you to the wonderful world of muggle movies. Patience man!"
He just laughed at my obvious insanity and went to sit down on my bed as we were in my room since I have my own fabulous entertainment set up. TV, DVD, and VCR player on my dresser and my brand new computer on my desk.
*I tell you, life is good when you've got these babies with you.*
I continued to paw through my DVD collection, still trying to decide which to watch.
*No on "The Craft" ... hmm ... nah, I'll pass on my anime collection. It'd just go right over his head. Er ... I don't know if he'd like my Shakespeare films. Hmm ... what else? He's certainly not an "Encino Man" type of person ... and I certainly won't inflict "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" on him. Poor guy, can't do that now can we? Hmm ... not "Anna and the King" either ... wait ... I've ruddy got it!*
I eagerly grabbed what I was searching for and pushed the bin away back under my bed.
*The simple brilliance of it all! Brilliance I tell you!*
I stood and faced him with a mischievous grin on my face. "So, what do you say to watching one of my personal favorites, 'Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail'?"
*Oh those Python boys! How I love them!*