The invitation had arrived by owl one crisp October morning, its golden parchment shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
Hermione Granger eyed the ornate seal skeptically before breaking it open.
Dear Esteemed Alumni,
You are cordially invited to Hogwarts' first-ever Inter-House Alumni Bake-Off! Strengthen bonds, celebrate unity, and showcase your magical culinary skills!
Hermione blinked. Magical culinary skills? She could barely toast bread without burning it.
Still, the promise of returning to Hogwarts for a lighthearted event piqued her interest.
xxx
A week later, Hermione stood in the Great Hall, which had been transformed into a gleaming kitchen wonderland. Long tables were lined with enchanted baking tools, floating recipe scrolls, and bowls filled with ingredients that shimmered with magic.
"It's like the Yule Ball met Honeydukes," Hermione muttered, marveling at the decorations.
"Granger," a familiar drawl interrupted.
Her stomach sank as she turned to find Draco Malfoy, smirking as always.
"Malfoy. What are you doing here?"
"Same as you, apparently," he said, gesturing to the hall. "I couldn't resist the chance to humiliate Gryffindors with my superior culinary talent."
Hermione scoffed. "Do you even know how to bake?"
"I'm a Malfoy," he replied smoothly. "We excel at everything."
"Of course you do," she muttered, already regretting her decision to attend.
xxx
Moments later, Headmistress McGonagall appeared at the front of the hall, her stern expression softened by the faintest hint of a smile.
"Welcome, alumni, to the first-ever Inter-House Bake-Off," she began. "This competition is designed to promote unity among houses through teamwork and… sweet treats."
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd.
"The twist," McGonagall continued, her eyes twinkling, "is that you will not be paired with someone from your own house. Instead, you'll be working with an alum from a rival house."
Hermione's heart sank.
"Your partners have been assigned at random," McGonagall said, raising her wand. A scroll unfurled, displaying the pairings.
Hermione scanned the list, her dread growing as she reached her name:
Hermione Granger – Draco Malfoy
"No," she whispered.
xxx
Draco, on the other hand, looked thoroughly amused.
"Fate seems to enjoy tormenting you, Granger," he said, sauntering over.
"Don't talk to me," she snapped.
"Oh, but we're partners now," he said smugly. "You can't avoid me."
"I'll survive," she muttered.
Barely.
xxx
The First Challenge
Their first task was deceptively simple: bake a sponge cake.
Hermione read through the recipe scroll meticulously. "We'll need eggs, sugar, flour, and—"
"Relax, Granger," Draco interrupted. "It's a cake, not a potions exam."
"If you're not taking this seriously, we're going to fail," she said, already gathering ingredients.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Start whisking the eggs," she instructed, handing him a bowl.
"What's a whisk?"
Hermione froze. "You're joking."
"I'm a wizard," Draco said defensively. "I use magic for everything."
She groaned. "This is going to be a disaster."
xxx
As predicted, their baking efforts quickly descended into chaos.
Draco, determined to prove himself, cast a whisking charm on the eggs. The bowl immediately spun out of control, sending egg whites flying across the table.
"Malfoy!" Hermione shrieked, ducking as a glob of egg hit her shoulder.
"It's fine!" he insisted, trying to stop the enchanted whisk with his wand. Instead, he managed to knock over a bag of flour, covering them both in a white cloud.
Hermione glared at him through the haze. "This is your idea of superior talent?"
"Don't worry," he said with a smirk. "I'll fix it."
He didn't.
xxx
By the time the timer buzzed, their cake resembled something that had been dropped from a great height.
The judges—McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid—approached their table.
"It's… unique," McGonagall said diplomatically, poking the lopsided cake with her wand.
"It's got character," Hagrid offered, taking a large bite. His expression froze. "… A bit crunchy."
Flitwick simply coughed and moved on.
Hermione buried her face in her hands. "We're doomed."
Draco, however, looked unbothered. "Plenty of rounds left, Granger. Don't give up hope yet."
xxx
Meanwhile
At another table, Harry and Ginny were faring much better.
"See?" Ginny said as Harry carefully folded batter into a pan. "You're not terrible at this."
"High praise," Harry replied dryly.
Nearby, Neville and Luna were crafting an impossibly colorful cake, complete with edible flowers that Luna insisted would "ward off nargles."
"Do nargles even eat cake?" Neville asked.
"They might," Luna said serenely.
Meanwhile, Ron—partnered with Pansy Parkinson—was struggling to keep up.
"Stop stirring like a troll," Pansy snapped.
"I'm stirring fine!" Ron retorted, glaring at her.
"Honestly, Weasley," she said with a smirk. "It's like you've never held a spoon before."
xxx
As the first round ended, the Great Hall buzzed with laughter, groans, and the occasional explosion.
Hermione glared at Draco as they cleaned up their station. "You're hopeless."
"And yet, you're stuck with me," he replied with a grin.
She sighed. It was going to be a very long competition.