For August Bingo on the Ministry of Magic Discord.
"I'm so sorry," Emily wailed, immediately dropping to her knees and attempting to pick up the broken pieces of ceramic. "Really, Evelyn, it was a mistake! I just turned, and my arm—"
"It's fine." Alex rushed over to his girlfriend, picking her up off the floor. "Be careful. You might hurt yourself." Then, as Emily burst into tears, he continued to placate her. "It's just a teapot, Em. Don't worry about it."
Evelyn watched from a distance, a deep frown etched on her face.
"Perhaps you should go to the bathroom," she suggested. "Clean yourself up. We'll deal with this."
Emily turned to Evelyn, smiling gratefully before scuttling down the corridor. As soon as she had disappeared into the bathroom, Evelyn and Alex bustled around the kitchen.
"I thought you liked that Haley girl," Evelyn said quietly, handing her grandson a dustpan and brush. "She's lovely. Polite. Proper. A real lady. I like her."
"Haley's just a friend, Granny." Alex's tone was sharp. "You know that."
"And this Emily…" Evelyn gestured at the mess on the ground. "This Emily is more than a friend?"
"Yeah. You know that, too."
"She's clumsy. Nervous. And her hair—"
"She's nervous because she wants to impress you," Alex interrupted. He fell to his knees, making quick work of the broken teapot. "She wants you to like her."
"Her hair is blue."
Alex sighed. "Yeah. So? Granny, Emily is a girlfriend. I want you to like her—to be kind to her. She's important to me."
Evelyn faltered. But before she had the time to respond, Emily had re-entered the kitchen. She was standing at the edge of the room, wringing her hands and keeping her head low.
"I really am sorry, Evelyn," she said, her voice shaking. "It was a beautiful pot. I just—"
"It's fine," Evelyn said quickly. Then, meeting Alex's gaze, she softened. "It's just a pot. We have plenty more. Please, take a seat. Perhaps we can share some of the cookies I made earlier."
"Really?" Emily asked, sounding relieved. "That sounds lovely."
"Yeah." Alex flashed his grandmother a grateful smile. "That sounds great. Thanks, Granny."
