A/N: This chapter is based off of one of my head cannons. Enjoy the pain once you realize. Don't be afraid to let me know what you think about it.

Chapter 3: Cooking Lessons

Lily received a letter on Tuesday. She had been back at school for just two weeks, and she was finally starting to fall into a routine. It was in the morning, before breakfast, when she read it for the first time. She regretted it instantly, even though she had no choice but to receive it. Her father had written to her, and explained to her that her mother's illness was getting worse. They would be lucky if she survived until Christmas. Lily's heart sank, and she was in a hazy lull all day. That's when Dorcas and Marlene decided to take her down to Hagrid's, for a pick-me-up.

That's how Lily found herself with Dorcas and Marlene in the kitchen of Hargrid's hut. They watched, fearful, as he attempted to, "whip summit up for yeh". That would have been a nice thing to do, but Hagrid didn't have the greatest reputation for cooking. The three girls knew this first hand; they had fallen victim to his kitchen endeavors more than once. They watched Hagrid sprinkle and unknown seasoning on an unknown dish. Dorcas gasped and reached out for Lily and Marlene's hands. They were all nervous about what was about to be served to them. They squeezed each other's hands and watched with bated breath.

When Hagrid turned around, he was smiling wide. The three girls, gasped. Not out of disgust for the dish (yet), but due to his beard being on fire. Hagrid was confused for a moment until-

"Your beard!" Lily finally exclaimed, pointing to the growing fire on his face.

Hagrid threw the pot onto the table. He needed to use his hands to put out the flames. The dish of what Lily thought was maybe supposed to be pasta spilt over on the table. A terrible stench wafted up their noses. Marlene gagged.

"Girls, I'm sorry," Hagrid apologized, "I've been practicing, but…"

Lily stood up and pulled out her wand, "No need to apologize, Hagrid. Practice makes perfect. Just keep on trying."

Hagrid looked as though Lily's kind word would reduce him to tears. The girls, meanwhile, looked betrayed. Lily held out her wand, gave it a wave, and the spilt pasta went back into the pot. Hagrid placed three empty plates in front of the girls and scooped them each a serving. They all tried it.

It only took one taste of the pasta for Lily to appreciate Dorcas's knack for nonverbal spells. After the first bite, Dorcas gave them the sign to let them know that she would take care of the rest. And by 'she', it was her vanishing spell.

Later that night, the girls sat in a circle on their dormitory floor. They were eating Marlene's stash of Cauldron Cakes, when Lily had a wild idea. (An unknown fact: Cauldron Cakes are brain food).

This idea she had would help keep her mind off her mother. Her mother's illness had been in the back of her head all day. She had no control over it because she was so far away from her family at Hogwarts. She knew this, but that didn't keep her from thinking about it all day.

Her amazing idea would also help someone she cares about. It was the perfect solution to not only her problem, but also Hagrid's.

"What if I give him cooking lessons?" She asked out loud.

Dorcas giggled. "James would think that's hot!" It was the sugar from the Cauldron Cakes talking. Marlene kicked Dorcas in the side. Dorcas giggled again, "owe."

"Hagrid's hopeless, Lily," Marlene let out a belch, then realized, "You can't even cook. It'd be double hopeless."

"No, I can!" Lily said, trying to convince herself. "I make a really good fruit cake."

"Fruit cake?" Marlene and Dorcas were both unimpressed by the thought of this.

"It's a start!" Lily insisted.

And like that, Lily dedicated an entire Sunday to teaching Hagrid to make fruit cake. It was the one recipe Lily knew. She had informed the girls, as well as the Marauders, that they were expected at Hagrid's at 4:30 Sunday afternoon. She also told them to come hungry. Somehow, they all agreed.

"It's like brewing potions," Lily explained to Hagrid as she mixed the ingredients together. She felt as though demonstrating first would be the best way to go about teaching him.

"I've never been great at potions," Hagrid sulked.

Lily chose to ignore him.

At 4:30 on the button, there was a knock on the door. Lily let her classmates in. They all considered Hagrid to be a friend, so they all had their favorite seats to sit in when they came to visit. Hagrid, who was on his fourth batch of fruitcake, called for Lily from the other room. Lily rushed into the kitchen, hoping for the best. She prayed to the entities that be that this round wasn't as rock-hard as all the others.

"Lily, they're just as bad as the last batch," Hagrid's confidence was completely shaken.

Lily knew that he needed to get his act together. If not, he wouldn't even consider sharing the fruitcake with anyone. Lily did the first thing that came to mind and followed the example of one of her professors; Lily had witnessed McGonagall put confidence back into students with a quick, stern lecture on many occasions.

"Stop it Hagrid!" Lily demanded, doing the best imitation of McGonagall she could. She held up a finger and waved it as she spoke. "I have already seen you improve tenfold. You are going to plate this fruitcake, and you are going to serve it to your guests! They're waiting."

And like that, Lily left the kitchen for Hagrid to recompose himself. She entered the other room and sat herself between Remus and Dorcas. They awaited Hagrid's grand reveal, some more nervous than others. James and Marlene casually discussed quidditch plays. Sirius disagreed with most of what they were saying; he was still bitter that he wasn't allowed to play this year.

Finally, Hagrid entered with a tray. He placed it on the table, beaming. He was proud. So was Lily.

"They aren't as good as Lily's, but… Help yeh'selves."

Lily was the first to grab one. Then Remus. Then James. Soon, they all had a rock solid fruit cake in their hands.

"How do yeh like 'em?"

"They're delicious, Hagrid." Lily insisted.

Once again, Lily had been thankful for Dorcas's vanishing spell.

They returned to the Gryffindor Tower that night, and sat in the common room. They gathered around the fire, and looked at each other awkwardly. They had lost Peter on the way, because he had lost a tooth in a cake and had to go to Madam Pomfry. James gave Lily a pat on the shoulder.

"It was a nice idea," he said.

She sighed. Her plan had failed. She would now have to face reality. Unless…

"Maybe next week-" she began.

"No, Lily," Dorcas said, cutting Lily off from the idea of trying to give Hagrid more cooking lessons.

"We aren't ever going to allow you do try to do that to us again," Marlene said.

Lily looked to Sirius, who was avoiding eye contact with her. Then to James, who was admiring his shoes. She looked at Remus, who sighed.

"It's for our own safety," Remus said. He sat down in an arm chair and closed his eyes. He would be asleep in thirty seconds.

"Guys!" Lily exclaimed, looking around at all her so-called friends. "This is for Hagrid! Not me!"

"Lily, we love Hagrid, we do, but…" James started.

"We just don't like when he cooks for us," Sirius finished for him.

Marlene's stomach growled and she fell to the floor dramatically, clutching her abdomen. She groaned, "I'm dying. We ate all my Cauldron cakes earlier this week. Now I've got nothing to provide nutrients to my body."

"Stop it, Marlene!" Lily exclaimed at the theatrics.

"We can get you food," Sirius offered.

Marlene gasped, eager. Dorcas smiled, as though she had just fallen in love. Lily narrowed her eyes at Sirius. She was suspicious.

"Where?" She asked him.

"The—"

James elbowed Sirius in the gut. Sirius groaned and fell dramatically, mimicking Marlene's style. He smiled at her when he fell beside her, "What's your favorite?"

"Chicken wings," Marlene said dreamily, her eyes wide with hope.

Dorcas moaned in agreement.

The thought of chicken wings danced through Lily's mind. Her stomach growled. Sirius interpreted this as Lily's approval.

Sirius smiled, "You got it."

He stood up and grabbed James by the arm. The two of them left the common room with their mission in mind. Lily turned to Remus, who was sitting in an arm chair, his eyes closed. His breathing was steady.

"Remus, where are they going?" Lily interrupted his adventures to dream land.

Remus opened opened one eye at her. He shrugged, then closed his eye again.

"Remus! You're a prefect! Keep them in line," Lily reprimanded him.

"I heard nothing," he said, with a smirk. "Marauders honor."

Initially, Lily had been annoyed. But she was over it as soon as James and Sirius returned with chicken wings. Peter had returned shortly after James and Sirius, with a healed tooth. They sat around the fire, eating and laughing. Lily soon decided that her irritation had just been due to her hunger. That night, they were the last to leave the common room. The next morning, they paid for it when all seven of them had been late to their Transfiguration class.