Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Assignment 6

Muggle Cultures with Professor Lizzy - Task 2: Double-Double - Write a coffee shop!AU / Alt: Write about one's reliance on a food/beverage to start the day

Word Count: 632

Summary: Lucius is not himself until he's had his first sip of morning coffee

Coffee: A One-Sided Love Story

A rumbling growl left Lucius' throat of its accord as light tried to push past his tightly shut eyelids. He rolled over to hide his face away from it, burying it into his pillow.

"Morning to you too," Hermione said cheerily.

He heard the next set of curtains being opened at the second window. He could practically feel the room getting brighter. Then the blanket was ripped away from his body.

"Come on. Busy day!" Hermione declared loudly.

He growled again into his pillow. He loved his wife dearly, he really did, but after three years of marriage, he was still struggling with her ability to be this awake before a cup of coffee.

As if reading his mind…

"No coffee in bed, but I'll have it ready for you," she said as a parting, the door closing loudly after her.

With a heavy sigh, Lucius forced himself to get up, the thought of the drink keeping him going as he dressed. Unfortunately, getting clothes onto his body was the easiest obstacle he had to overcome to get to it.

When he stepped outside the bedroom, the long corridor before him (he should really move to a room at the staircase), he was tackled by a small person with wild, white hair.

"Morning, Grandfather!" Scorpius cheered, his arms wrapped tightly around Lucius' waist.

"Indeed," Lucius muttered, removing his skinny arms from him. Hermione was having too much of an influence on him.

Scorpius laughed. "Coffee time?"

"Quite."

Lucius went on his way as Scorpius raced back to his room, his dark green dressing gown flapping behind him. Then Draco stepped into his path, coming out of Carina's nursery, holding the baby in question.

Carina shrieked happily, raising her arms to Lucius. Draco eyeballed him with a smirk. "Father's not had his coffee yet," he whispered into his sister's ear.

Lucius' felt his face pull into a sneer. "Give me my daughter."

"I'm not sure you can be trusted with her. I'm her guide on what it's like having you as a father pre-coffee."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Carina, my love, my favourite child, you understand my need for coffee, do you not?"

She stared at him, with those big brown eyes she'd inherited off Hermione, and gave him a gummy smile.

"I see," Draco said, a dangerous tone in his voice, mischief in his eyes. "Carina is your favourite child?"

"I meant before me!" Lucius said quickly to Draco's retreating back, Carina still in his arms. "Of course Hero is her equal!"

"So I just need to be a girl then?" Draco asked one this shoulder.

"At least they know to not to speak to me before my morning coffee!" he started to shout as Draco disappeared into Hero's room.

He really had to get to his drink before another person spoke to him.

"Morning, Lucius," Astoria greeted him as she came out of the room she shared with Draco.

"No!" he snapped.

Her tinkling laugh followed him. Was he a joke to these people? The man who housed them all, made sure food was on the table, and the children were spoiled with all the gifts they could want.

Finally, he reached the staircase and he could see Hermione waiting at the bottom, holding a cup of glorious coffee in her hands. She smiled serenely at him. He glided down them, carefully with his footing as the last thing he needed was to break his neck before having his first sip, and took the coffee with a kiss to her cheek.

She watched him take one… two sips. Then a third. He sighed contentedly. Now the day could start.

"So you have a favourite child?" Hermione asked.

"Nope. I'm going back to bed!" Lucius took his coffee back to the bedroom.