Dear miniandminie, charlotte, James Birdsong, and ScoutGinevera: Thank you all for the kind reviews and follows! I was so nervous to put this little story out into the world, but you all encouraged me to keep writing. This chapter is for you!
The next morning, Remus and Tonks are enjoying tea in the dining room when Molly whisks in.
"Hello, dears! What are you planning this sunny December morning?" Molly asks cheerily while she begins to make a pot of tea.
"Wotcher, Molly," Tonks replies, "Remus was just explaining the concept of baking to me."
"Dora here has never baked cookies, if you can believe it!" Remus adds with a laugh, "So I'm going to show her how in a bit."
"What a lovely idea! Baking is such a fun holiday tradition," Molly says, "When the kids were smaller they loved to leave fresh cookies by the fireplace for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve."
"Do you have a favorite kind of cookie, Molly?" Tonks asks.
"I'm partial to gingerbread people. All of the kids love them too, miraculously. I've always said the redhead gene must make us enjoy spicy cookies!"
"We'll make some, then," Remus says, winking at Tonks, "Anything to get back on your good side, Molly."
"Don't worry about that, Remus dear. You came back, and that's the important thing. But if you hadn't-" She wags her finger at Remus and scowls "-I would have had your hide."
"Did you chat with Arthur?" Tonks asks.
"Well…" Molly hesitates, "Yes. But I always did like you, Remus, and I would have come around eventually. Just maybe not as soon. I'll leave you to your baking now. Have fun!" She leaves with the tea pot, as quickly as she entered.
"D'you think she overheard us last night?" Tonks asks with an amused smirk.
"That's my guess," Remus replies, "But I'm glad she likes me again just the same."
"Me too." She kisses him briefly. "Now show me how to bake cookies."
Remus stands and walks into the kitchen with Tonks in tow. He begins opening cupboards and pulls flour, sugar, vanilla, molasses, and more from the dusty shelves.
"Couldn't you use magic for that?" Tonks asks.
"Sure I could, but baking without magic is half the fun!" Remus replies. He opens some drawers to find measuring cups and spoons, then pulls eggs and butter from the fridge. "Kreacher keeps this place well stocked, I see." He opens a tall cabinet and finds matching green and red striped aprons. Remus puts one on and hands another to Tonks.
Tying the apron, Tonks replies, "Kreacher may hate my guts, but he is an effective house elf."
Remus nods, then says, "First, let's try making the sugar cookie dough. We'll put the wet ingredients in this big bowl and the dry ones in that bowl." He points to a smaller bowl in front of Tonks. "You can do that part."
"Okay, what do I do?"
"Here's the flour," he pushes the open bag toward her, "And here's a measuring cup. Scoop out three even cups."
Tonks takes the cup from Remus, scoops and levels the flour, and unceremoniously dumps the flour into the bowl. A cloud arises from the bowl, causing Tonks to sneeze. She bursts out laughing, "I didn't know it would do that!"
Remus smiles. "You held the cup up too high. Try pouring it lower in the bowl, like this," he demonstrates. "Though I rather like you covered in flour, Dora."
She sticks her finger in the flour and wipes it on his sweater, still laughing.
"This is cashmere!" He protests.
"But I rather like you covered in flour."
Later, Tonks and Remus are back in the kitchen hovering over sheets of cooled sugar and gingerbread cookies. Bags of icing and containers of sprinkles are strewn about.
"You bit his head off!" Tonks shrieks, laughing.
"He had it coming," Remus says with a glint in his eye. "He looked suspicious."
"I know you are a distrusting individual but I maintain that the cookie was innocent."
"Quality control, Dora," he explains, finishing the cookie. "They passed inspection; now we decorate." He takes a piping bag in hand.
"Hold it like this for optimal distribution."
"Optimal distribution?" Tonks raises an eyebrow. "You said that with a straight face?"
"I did," Remus replies seriously, then starts laughing. Tonks starts laughing as well. After several moments, they regain their composure.
Tonks picks up an icing bag and holds it over a cookie. "Is this the right way?"
"You're most of the way there, but try it like this." Remus stands behind her and puts his hands over hers. Together they ice the first few cookies.
"You're quite good at this, Remus," Tonks says, pulling her head back to kiss his cheek.
"Looks like this is going well!" Molly enters the kitchen with a smile. Remus blushes as he steps away, leaving the piping bag in Tonks' hands.
"Remus is surprisingly good. ...At decorating, that is," Tonks adds with a wink at Remus as she continues piping alone.
Molly takes a bite of an undecorated gingerbread person before saying, "He's apparently good at baking, too! Great work, you two. These cookies are delightful."
"Thanks, Molly," Remus replies. "Are we in the way?"
"Not at all. I just came in to see how you were doing. I'll be off again," she says before leaving.
"My cookies aren't iced as nicely as yours," Tonks complains.
"You could do the sprinkles instead, if you'd rather," Remus says, handing her a container of rainbow nonpareils.
"You didn't tell me they were so colorful!" She pops open the top and tries to sprinkle an iced cookie, but the top falls off entirely, spewing sprinkles everywhere. "Oh no!"
"Oh dear," Remus laughs, "At least that one will be pretty. Just like you."
Tonks takes some sprinkles from the table and puts them in his hair. "Now you're pretty too!"
"So I am," he says, taking her hand. "I love you, Mrs. Lupin."
"I love you too, Mr. Lupin."
Thanks for reading! I have a few more ideas, but what would you like to see? Please let me know in a review!
