Chapter Two: Pancake Mayhem
Hey, here's an idea! Why don't you rate every chapter with:
O- Outstanding
E- Exceeds Expectation
A-Acceptable
P- Poor
D- Dreadful
T- Troll
Like at Hogwarts. :)
And also, remember that I don't know how to make a pancake (or even open a stove) so I had to look in the net just to finish this chapter. :)
Albus stands on the doorway the next day, watching the car disappear from view. He closes the door and turns to face James.
"Are they gone?" James asks excitedly from his spot on the living room couch.
Albus nods.
"Mum is at Grandma and Grandpa's for about - " He looks down at his wristwatch. " - an hour or two, and Dad's at the Ministry. So, coast is clear."
James beams.
"Great." He and Albus had nicked Ginny's recipe book that morning when she wasn't looking.
The two enter the kitchen and James opens the recipe book to the page instructing how to make a pancake.
"Hmmm...we need flour..," James says, reading the recipe book.
Albus opens one of the cabinets and takes out a box of flour.
"Check."
"...eggs..."
Albus looks through the refrigerator.
"Check."
"...milk..."
Still holding open the fridge, Albus takes out a carton of milk.
"Check."
"...and a stick of butter."
"Here," Albus answers, taking the butter from the fridge.
"Alright then." James walks over to the cabinet where Ginny places all the kitchen utensils. He gets a mixing bowl, a table spoon, a cup and a small pan. "Okay, we have all the ingredients and equipments. Now let's start cooking."
He takes the recipe again and read the first procedure. "First, open the flour box."
Albus grins.
"Easiest, so far." James hands Albus the box of flour and Albus opens it.
"Then, put the flour in the bowl."
Albus takes the bowl and pours some flour onto it.
"There."
"Put milk in a cup."
Albus suddenly frowns as he realizes something.
"Why am I doing all the work?"
"Because I'm the chef and you're my assistant," James explains patiently, as if he's talking to a person that's mentally ill.
"Why do I have to be the chef's assistant?" Albus complains.
James shrugs.
"You're the younger one here."
Albus frowns even more deeply but takes the cup on the table anyway. He flips open the lid of of the carton and pours milk on the cup.
"Okay then, put the milk on the bowl."
Albus does so and watches as the milk merges with the flour.
"Ooh, look!" Albus exclaims, suddenly excited. "The flour's all gooey now."
James looks at it and grins.
"Hurry up. Let's finish this." He looks down at the recipe again. "Now break the egg into the bowl, then mix it."
"Cool." Albus beams. He splits the egg into two and watches as the egg yolk falls to the bowl with a flop. He takes the spoon and begins mixing it thoroughly. After which, James helps him put the mixed ingredients into the small pan. Then they let it cook for five minutes.
As they are resting, Lily enters the kitchen. Her eyes narrow as she takes in her surrounding.
"What are you doing?" she asks suspiciously.
"None of your business," James answers rudely.
Lily scowls at him and looks at the pan.
"Are you...baking?"
"No, we're mowing the lawn. Go away."
Lily glares at James.
"I'm not going anywhere," she says firmly, placing her hands on her waist. "I want to help."
"You can't," James snaps. "Go to your room."
Lily raises her eyebrows defiantly.
"You can't order me around. You're not the boss of me."
"Sure I am. Mum and Dad's away. I'm the eldest so that leaves me in-charge, which makes me the boss of you."
"You're not!" she yells.
Furious, she scoops a fistful of the leftover flour and flings it across her to their oldest brother. It hit him straight on the face.
James blinks, unable to register what happened. Albus looks at him with wide eyes. He bit his lower lip to keep from laughing.
"How's that, brother?" She turns her back to them and goes over to the sink to wash her hand.
James has gone mad. He wipes the flour on his eyes and stands up. He grabs an egg from the table and advances on Lily, who is still busy washing her hand.
"Uh-oh," Albus mutters.
When James reached Lily, he cracks the egg open above her hair. Lily gasps while Albus laughs hard.
Lily turns around and watches in horror as the egg yolk slides down her hair until it drops to the floor.
"You didn't," she says, her teeth clenched. She runs past James and takes another egg from the fridge. She smiles wickedly and throws the egg to him. The egg cracks open as it connected with James's forehead.
Albus's grin widens. He stands on the chair he's been sitting on and declares, "Food fight!"
James starts to smile as he takes the carton of milk and hurls it at his brother until the milk inside drenches his beaming face. Lily laughs, takes another egg and throws it to Albus. Albus's eyes widen. He grabs the box of flour and sprinkles it on James and Lily's head. James runs over to the cabinet and takes out a bottle of sugar. He opens the lid and pours some to his hand. He then throws it to Lily and Albus who are already battling with flour, egg and butter.
Soon, the whole kitchen's a huge mess. There are sticky yellow liquid dripping down the wall. The floor is now covered with gooey flour and bits of butter. The milk on the floor makes it look like it has just rained inside. Tiny pieces of sugar are sparkling everywhere like diamonds. James's face is a combination of yellow and white due to the flour and egg flinged at him. His black hair is tinged with the same white and yellow. His shirt and pants are drenched with milk and sweat. Albus's milky-wet hair is decorated with glistening sugar. There is also a small amount of sugar on his shoulders. And he has the liquid yellow of the egg all about him. Lily's face is covered with flour - like on a horror movie waiting to happen. On her red hair are tiny pieces of the egg shell, bits of sugar and a huge chunk of butter.
And then, James's eyes widen as he remembers something.
"The pancake!"
All three of them run over to look at it. It's a huge relief to see that the milk carton that James had thrown aside when it ran out of milk had landed on the edges of the pan, covering the pancake from the havoc caused by the food fight.
James runs over to find the recipe book on one corner. He wipes it from sugar and flour and reads the rest of the procedure.
"Flip it over! Flip it over!" he exclaims.
Albus obeys and gasps.
"It's overcooked!"
A minute later, the burnt pancake is placed on a plate.
"Now what are we gonna do?" Albus asks James.
"Do we have anything to cover up the black side?" Lily says in suggestion. They have not yet wash and clean up, and James is plucking the egg shells out of Lily's hair.
"No," Albus answers. "We used the butter on our food fight."
"Listen," James finally speaks up. "Here's the plan. When Mum gets home, we'll tell her that we ate the other pancakes and that - " He points at the pancake on the plate. " - is what was left. She'll taste it and will be disgusted so we'll tell her not to mention anything to Rose since it would probably break her heart."
"Which is a lie." Albus grins. "I like it."
"Sounds like a good plan." Lily nods. "But who's gonna clean all these up? Mum will be here in less than an hour and it would takes us days to clean all these. Plus, we can't use magic."
Before the other two can answer, they hear a knock on the door. They look at each other in horror.
"Oh no," Lily squeaks.
James heaved a sigh.
"Stay here," he orders as he stepped into the living room. "Who's there?"
"James?" a male voice answers. "Open up. It's me, Teddy."
All three sigh in relief. James opens the door to let Teddy in. Teddy does a double-take as he sees him.
"What, in the name of Merlin's beard, happened to you?"
"We tried to make a pancake," James answers dryly.
"You tried to make a pancake out of yourselves?" Teddy chuckles as Lily and Albus enter the living room.
"That's funny, Ted," James bits out.
"Oh, come on. It is funny."
"Hey, I have an idea!" Lily announces, looking like those cartoon characters that has light bulbs appear on their head whenever an idea hits them. "Teddy's of age, right?"
"Of course I am." Teddy snorts. "I'm already twenty."
"Ignore him," James says with a roll of his eyes. "Go on."
"He could clean the kitchen!"
"What? No way." Teddy starts to back away. "No way am I cleaning your mess."
"But you can use magic!" Lily insisted.
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please, please, please?"
"No."
"Give it up, Lily," James says. "Look here, Teddy. If you won't clean the kitchen for us, we'll tell Victoire that you have a crush on...er...on..."
"Dominique!" Albus equips.
"Great idea, Al!" James and Albus high-fived each other.
"What?" Teddy looks scandalized. "That's ridiculous. I don't like Vic's sister."
"Oh, we know." James rolls his eyes. "But Victoire doesn't, does she?"
Teddy scowls at them.
"You're impossible."
"Well? Are you gonna do it or not?"
There is a pause. Then Teddy pulls out his wand.
"Fine," he grumbles.
When he saw the kitchen, his face turns white as sheet, and so did his once raven-colored hair.
"Bloody hell," he mumbles to himself. "I'm gonna have to sleep with the lights on tonight."
There. Posted earlier than what I've said. Please review. REVIEW, okay? REVIEW. Tell me how bad, good, horrible, great, lousy it went. Thanks.