SPOILER!!: good thing his suit is flame retardant ^^

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

Special Gourmet Marshmallows? No more explanation need happen, it all equated to sugar and thus the love of Alexa's life. Lex watched the Professor pull the pack from it's wrapping and hold it up for her to see. Butterbeer flavour wasn't chocolate but marshmallows were marshmallows and she'd never been picky about the sweeter things in life. Before she could exercise her right to begging for sugar the Professor saw her need and tossed her one. Bless him. "Thanks." She said, swiping it from the air and wasting no time in lodging it between her teeth, "It's nice I didn't have to ask Sir, you know some Professor's just can't take a hint." And she may not only have been referring to their sharing habits.

Just saying.

While munching on her treat she considered what he said, in the end agreeing COMPLETELY. "Rotten habit from what I've seen. One tried hitting himself with a rolling pin for practically nothing." She couldn't actually remember it right now, it'd been a while back but those elves took their jobs way too seriously. "I didn't know free elves--or happy elves acted like that. Do you reckon they expect us to do the same?" It was just.......odd.

Wait dry cereal? "Actually, I think I know where I can get some of that. Hang on." Lex hopped off the counter and headed for the cupboard to the end of the room. She threw open the door and reached for the box of dried cereal she'd found last week during her midnight trip with Felix. "Here you go." Let the record show, Cambridge was useful in the kitchen. Someone write it down quickly.

He chuckled as he popped one of the butterbeer marshmallows into his mouth and sucked on it for a few moments to savor the unique flavor. "It seemed the only logical step since you asked me if I had anything edible," he mused. Surely an exaggeration; his colleagues not being able to pick up on such an obvious hint. Although hint wasn't even the word he would use for this situation. A hint implied an air of mystery. Miss Cambridge was rather blunt. "Would have been more interesting had you caught it with your mouth rather than your hand."

Just sayin'.

Ah, an interesting question and one that he could only speculate the answer to since he was not a house elf. "I seriously doubt that the house elves expect witches and wizards to behave like them. They have a different genetic makeup and way of life from us with a different set of cultural values and beliefs. Surely you would not expect a chocolate frog to taste like a jelly slug just because they are both sweets, yes?" That made sense, didn't it? He was rather distracted by the chewing going on in his mouth.

Waiting eagerly for the prefect to return with her find, he accepted the box and then rolled back on his heels as he read the label and glanced over the recipe again. "All Bran," he read, turning it on its side and glancing over the nutritional information and ingredients. Seemed to be made up of a lot of the same ingredients as the other cereal suggested in the recipe...just lacking in sugar. "This ought to work. I think we will just need to add more sugar to the mixture," he confirmed with a firm nod of the head.

Oh yes, Miss Cambridge, you had just been recruited as his sous chef.

Now that the panic was over and he was sure she wouldn't kill him, Cosgrach breathed better and Elodie's words reached his brain. "Elodie, you misunderstood me," he said softly and carefully. "I promise I didn't mean bad! I was just trying to prepare you to the hard truth - if! it's true. I mean, maybe he couldn't really forget you. Then I thought maybe you'd cheer up with the potions or something. Promise. I don't think you're ugly, murderous or horrible at all. You're probably the best girl any could ever find." Could she read the honesty in his eyes? Please?

The only TRUE part of 'that's what you said, no?' was the 'no' part.

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe I said 'we,'" Schuyler answered, bumping the other girl's leg with her hip. If Olly didn't cook, she wouldn't eat. ...Or that's what she'd say, at least. She probably wouldn't follow through with the threat if it came down to it. But Olly didn't need to know that.

The salt and sugar had both been measured out, and so she dumped them into the mixing bowl. Now the salt looked like sugar. Or the sugar looked like salt, but the point was that they looked the same.

And Olly's answer. She liked that guess. "I love you more than anything," she smiled, leaning her elbows on the counter while her girlfriend finished up with her two ingredients.

She'd said 'we'? Olly shook her head. "Okay. I'll help you. But only if you ask nicely." Hint hint.

She took a little longer than necessary on puporse to measure out the flour and baking powder. It was nice to focus on something that wasn't talking to Schuyler. Eventually she did pour the two ingredients into the mixing bowl, though, before looking around for something else to do. She was supposed to help, wasn't she?

"More than anything, huh?" That was an...interesting way to put it. And while she wasn't entirely sure if they were being completely serious right now, Olly still smiled at Schuyler's words. So, wait, had she guessed right? Was that really what Schuyler had wanted to say? No, that seemed too easy.

Schuyler was good at asking nicely. So she could do that, yes. "Pleeeaase, will you help me make our pancakes?" See, Olly didn't even have to help with the bacon. Very nice. Mhmm.

She watched her girlfriend finish up with the flour and baking soda. They weren't in any rush. And Schuyler got to zone out a little for the brief period when they weren't talking.

More than anything? "Yes." She didn't even have to consider it. Though she'd said so more to just be dramatic, it was still true. The Gryffindor hooked the egg carton with her fingers and tugged it over so that it sat on the counter between the two of them. "That wasn't what I was going to tell you, though." She picked up an egg and cracked it against the rim of the bowl.

Not EXACTLY the type of 'asking nicely' Olly had been looking for but this was alright too. She couldn't say no to Schuyler anyway. Plus, she wasn't serious about not helping. She actually quite enjoyed cooking with her girlfriend.

"..." She grinned. "You owe me though." Yes. Olly was sure Schuyler would be able to think of something.

Yes she did. And something told her that Schuyler didn't mean it in an exaggerated sort of way. Olly nodded slowly, wiping some flour off her pants. She did too. Of course. But Schuyler already knew that. Most likely. No, definitely. So she wasn't going to bring it up again. More nodding was happening instead. Yes.

Oh. "No?" Really, no surprise there. "What did you want to tell me then?" Her tone was light and she casually reached out to take an egg out of the egg carton, holding it up to her face.

"You'd think it sounds logical because it's you. I guarantee that Professor Bellaire would have hid the bag and Headmistress Truebridge would have come up with something outlandish then left." And that would be without tossing her one first. Can you even believe that? It was true though. Most of the Professors didn't feed the students. You could swear there was some rule of sorts against it--was there?? Why hadn't she been told about this? It hardly seemed fair. Everyone knew the Professors had the best of the pickings. Ah and there would have been a great stunt. "Don't think I've ever really been trained in the art of food catching with my mouth. I should learn though." For convenient reasons obviously but for now her hands would do just fine.

Lex leaned against the counter next to him, her hazel eyes fixed on the pack of marshmallows he'd placed there. Would he mind her swiping another? It was likely he wouldn't be using all of these anyway........and it was better to ask forgiveness than to seek permission so...she nicked another two and helped herself. "I guess..." She conceded at his explanation, "but I meant whether they expected us to hit them with roller pins too." One had been very insistent that one time after she'd swiped it from him.

And just what kind of cereal had she brought the Professor anyway? Despite having found it she'd never tried knowing. Not being made of chocolate was the fastest way to lose her attention. "Bran?" Curious eyebrows rose high into her head as she waited on an explanation but she didn't figure one would be coming. The thing that really got her was more sugar.

THAT she definitely knew how to find. "I'm right on it Sir." She said, offering a quick salute before turning to grab the sack of sugar behind the larger sack of flour and levitating it onto the counter. "I could have grabbed the tin of sugar but you said we'd need more and I figured MOAR was good."

Why settle, right?

...

..?

Aaand, that was a yes. Schuyler matched her grin. "Fine, fine. I owe you." Because chances were, she'd probably end up enjoying paying off this debt of sorts.

It was quite established that they loved each other. And that they loved each other a lot. But Schuyler never did mind repeating it. Or reminding her girlfriend of it. There were plenty of people who never did say things that they ought to, so maybe she was determined not to be one of those people.

"I wanted to tell you that I talked to my mom. And my dad did too, kind of like.. helping me out," she nodded to herself. She'd forgotten the eggs for a moment, but then remembered them and took one more to crack it as well. "It went well, too, I think." This time it didn't end with Schuyler yelling or either or them being very angry or upset. And she attributed this partially to her dad being a good mediator. "Anyway," she looked Olly's way and smiled. "I thought it was progress."

SPOILER!!: lolol of course. He IS a gentleman, after all. Sort of

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

"You'd think it sounds logical because it's you. I guarantee that Professor Bellaire would have hid the bag and Headmistress Truebridge would have come up with something outlandish then left." And that would be without tossing her one first. Can you even believe that? It was true though. Most of the Professors didn't feed the students. You could swear there was some rule of sorts against it--was there?? Why hadn't she been told about this? It hardly seemed fair. Everyone knew the Professors had the best of the pickings. Ah and there would have been a great stunt. "Don't think I've ever really been trained in the art of food catching with my mouth. I should learn though." For convenient reasons obviously but for now her hands would do just fine.

Lex leaned against the counter next to him, her hazel eyes fixed on the pack of marshmallows he'd placed there. Would he mind her swiping another? It was likely he wouldn't be using all of these anyway........and it was better to ask forgiveness than to seek permission so...she nicked another two and helped herself. "I guess..." She conceded at his explanation, "but I meant whether they expected us to hit them with roller pins too." One had been very insistent that one time after she'd swiped it from him.

And just what kind of cereal had she brought the Professor anyway? Despite having found it she'd never tried knowing. Not being made of chocolate was the fastest way to lose her attention. "Bran?" Curious eyebrows rose high into her head as she waited on an explanation but she didn't figure one would be coming. The thing that really got her was more sugar.

THAT she definitely knew how to find. "I'm right on it Sir." She said, offering a quick salute before turning to grab the sack of sugar behind the larger sack of flour and levitating it onto the counter. "I could have grabbed the tin of sugar but you said we'd need more and I figured MOAR was good."

Why settle, right?

In his defense, the astronomer did not know either of the women well enough to pass any sort of judgement or really say anything in regards to their actions. He would be too terrified to ask either of them for food, however. Nothing really beyond the respectful greeting on his part and brief interactions in staff meetings. And he would point out that it was logical because that is what it was - not just because it was him - but there wasn't much point in stating the obvious. "Really? Never tossed them across the dormitory from bed to bed into each other's mouths?" he questioned with just the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice. "Really out to give it a go sometime, just make sure that you don't leave a mess."

Oh, oops. "I don't think they would want us doing that either," he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck while anxiously looking around the kitchen at the house elves going about their business. But back to the box in his hand. "Mhmm...bran," he repeated. Looked like especially healthy looking cereal, so maybe he could pass these eventual creations off as a healthy treat.

He too was looking about the counters for some sugar himself, figured he need to at least double what the recipe called for due to the cereal's low level of the substance, and found a tin half full of the white granules nearby. Must have been the tin that the prefect had been referring to. "Ah, thank you Miss Cambridge," he saluted. "I think I'll begin with this container seeing as it is already in use, but we may need to did into that bag as well." Pulling the recipe towards him, and popping another marshmallow into his mouth while being blissfully unaware that Miss Cambridge was somewhat salivating over them, he read it over and summoned a frying pan to him and.... "A fourth of a cup," he muttered to himself. Did it matter what cup? If this was anything like chemistry it probably did - seeing as it was an exact science.

Frying pan on the stove, the astronomer unceremoniously dropped an entire stick of butter into a large mug and then charmed the mug to heat itself so the butter would melt. How else was he supposed to measure 1/4 cup of butter? Once melted, he poured a fourth of the mug into the frying pan on the stove and wrinkled his nose at the mild burnt smell and filled his nostrils. "Levitate those marshmallows over to me?"

YES!

Olly smirked - genuinely this time - feeling a bit lightheaded at the moment even. "I'll remember that..." Yes, it would come up again. These were the type of things she never forgot. Ever. So yeah, Schuyler would have to do something for her soon. Maybe it would even have to something to do with food. Maybe. She'd come up with something good.

There was an egg in her hand but it seemed forgotten once she heard what Schuyler was saying. Only when she averted her gaze down for something else to look at, did she notice the ingredient and softly put it back into the carton. Her mother. Again. But at least this time it seemed like something worth telling her about so Olly was going to assume it hadn't been as...difficult than other interactions between Mrs. Emmons and her daughter.

Still, Olly frowned slightly to herself, absently brushing some flour - or baking powder, she wasn't sure - off the counter with her hand. Finally she looked back up. "And...?" Schuyler hadn't actually TOLD her anything about the conversation apart from the fact that her father had been supportive. And that it had 'gone well'. Whatever that meant exactly.

Now didn't that sound like a neat idea? Shame it never actually happened and the Gryffindor shook her head slowly. "Nah. Never really got on well with the girls in my dorm. They're chatty and I don't mind but it's what they go off about for hours if you let them." She couldn't have gotten paired with worst people if they went through the entire Gryffindor Sixth Year Hoard and hand picked them based on the things Alexa couldn't stand. "It's why I usually stayed in Alice's dorm and she didn't want me tossing food on her bed. She was real nit-picky about it--and about Felix shedding but I swear he doesn't shed, it must have been Atole." The ocelot may have been chained under the bed but anything was possible.

Well thank Merlin they didn't expect any hitting from her part, though she wasn't opposed to a whack for them to knock it off but nothing more. It was just MEAN, even if they couldn't see it as mean. That however wasn't at the front of her overly active brain anymore. "What's Bran? Is it something they put in chocolate bars?" Might be good to know for future reference, just in case the second question happened to be a yes.

The Gryffindor leaned eagerly over the huge sack of sugar, thinking that if the Professor wouldn't use it then she would--so it wouldn't go to waste of course. She cared about the ingredients in this place, obviously. Oh but he'd use the tin? "Well......suit yourself. I guess there's no harm in me tasting this one here...." But she didn't have a legit reason, she just grabbed a spoon, ripped open the sack and scooped some into the palm of her hand for eating. She leaned closer to see the recipe. "A fourth cup of what?"

And you know what tastes amazing? Sugar and marshmallow. Speaking of, the Professor needed the bag? The WHOLE thing? But she wasn't done ogling it! Lex reached into the pack of marshmallows and fished out a handful before levitating it over. "Here you go."

Schuyler didn't doubt that Olly would remember that either. Selective memory? Maybe. She just smiled and shook her head as she started mixing up the pancake batter.

And though she was saying good things regarding her mom, her girlfriend still didn’t seem all that happy about it. The brunette snuck a glance at the other girl as she turned the stovetop up a little more. And..? "..And it had come up because she thought we might take a break once we graduate. So I said no. And then I got into how she wasn't ever fair to you and that that hurt me, too." She mixed the batter some more even though it was already mixed pretty thoroughly. Lifting her head, she looked to the ladle, as if it would float over to her without being summoned.

Oh.

Olly didn't lower her gaze this time. Instead she simply looked at Schuyler for a long moment after she'd elaborated on her conversation with her mother. She wasn't surprised that Mrs. Emmons had suggested they take a break to be honest. The woman had made her thoughts on them quite clear during that camping trip, especially regarding how things would go after graduation.

They wouldn't be taking a break though. Not ever.

She remained quiet for a while longer, trying to process what Schuyler had just told her. Olly did follow her girlfriend's line of sight however and quickly reached over to take the ladle and hold it out for her. "What did she say?" Olly spoke softly, leaning over slightly to be closer to Schuyler.

Oh. Olly must have picked up on the ladle stare because now her girlfriend was handing it to her. Thank you, Olly.

She took it and dipped it into the batter, filling it almost all the way before dumping the contents on the heated frying pan. She watched it spread and sizzle. "Well, at first she denied it." The whole part about being hard on Olly. And them in general. "But then I gave her all these examples and I asked her why she was like that and she said it was because she wanted what was best for me." She switched out the ladle for the spatula. Here Schuyler pretty much was doing all the cooking.

"..To which I answered that you are what's best for me," she smiled over at her, and leaned in to give her a soft, cheek kiss. And then flipped the pancake. "I think the turning point was when she admitted to knowing I was happiest with you. She even apologized." And Schuyler wasn't quite so naive as to think that things would completely change overnight. But she did think it was a notable step in the right direction.

One that Olly should, you know, be happy about. Ahem.

Her arms folded again, and she sighed as he spoke. She supposed...well she guess she might have exaggerated. But only a little bit. He had a problem with wording things in ways that didn't deserve a punch. A really big problem, if you asked her. "You should really work on your gift delivery, Professor..." And his advice. She supposed there was a reason he was a potions teacher and not a therapist.

Because he'd be awful at that.

"M'sorry for...throwing cakes at your head.. The icing totally brings out your eyes though..."

If you squinted or closed your eyes and imagined, that was.

...

Cosgrach burst into a deep, genuine laughter. He knew she was likely to throw that last cupcake to him because he was laughing at her and stuff, but he didn't mind it at the time. What she said - how she said - was precious! And her bravery to say that to HIM - he was just going to ignore the yearbook that said he was grumpy only on the outside - she was great!

Unless she wanted to attack him again. Did she? Then she'd be BAD.

You're welcome, Schuyler.

Olly only briefly glanced at the frying pan before looking back at her girlfriend's face again. She liked watching Schuyler's face when she talked. It was like additional context to what she was saying. Her facial expression that is. It was sometimes saying more than the words coming out of her mouth. Though what her girlfriend had to say about her mother was certainly interesting as well. Of course she wanted what was best for her daughter. To a certain extent, Olly even understood what Mrs. Emmons' problem was.

Actually, she understood more than she'd care to admit.

"...I am?" Olly wasn't trying to be coy. Or questioning Schuyler's judgement. Actually, she wanted to take the words back right after they'd left her mouth. But it was too late now. So after a moment of silence she quickly looked down at the frying pan again. "You're getting really good at that, you know." The cooking. Yes. Ignore the other thing I said.

She wasn't quite sure how to feel about the part about Schuyler's mother apologizing just yet.

The good thing about pancakes was that they were easy. And fast. And you didn't really have to focus all that much. Schuyler shoveled the finished ones onto a plate and started laying the bacon slices on another pan.

But when Olly questioned her statement about being what was best for her, the Gryffindor looked at her. Schuyler thought that was fairly obvious. "Yes.. of course you are." She lifted her eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

..And then Olly mentioned that she was good at it. Yes, she was. Cooking, that is. She was good at cooking. "Practice makes perfect," she grinned. And she was pretty proud receiving the compliment. The pancakes looked fluffier this time around, no?

Of course she was.

Olly wasn't going to argue. Couldn't really. There was nothing she could say to change Schuyler's mind. Besides, she didn't WANT her to change her mind. She just wanted her to be right. She wanted to be the person who was best for Schuyler. "Okay." She looked back up as well, holding the other girl's gaze for a long moment. Okay.

Once she noticed that the pancakes were already mostly done, Olly hopped off the counter. And went ahead and set the table, just like the last time they'd been in here. Wait, Schuyler had been practicing. "You should cook for me more often." She sent a small grin to her girlfriend while walking back over to her.

Okay.

Okay. It didn't sound completely convincing. Or unconvincing, for that matter. It just kind of sounded like she agreed because Schuyler had said so. She looked back down at the frying pan and stared at it for a moment before realizing that she better flip the slices.

As Olly set the table, Schuyler waited for the bacon to get a little crispier. Wasn't much else she could do but watch and wait. And when the other girl walked back over, she returned the smile and handed over the pancakes. "If you'd like." She wouldn't mind.

Her eyes returned to the bacon.

Mmm pancakes. In her hand. Well, on the plate in her hand.

A second later a piece of the pancake on the very top of the pile was in fact in her hand though. And yet another second later it was in her mouth. "They really are great." Who had she been practicing on? Or had she just made them for herself? Curious. Olly certainly hadn't eaten any of them so far.

After she'd torn off another piece of pancake, Olly held it to Schuyler's lips so she could taste it too. It was only then that she replied to her girlfriend's offer. "You could cook for me every day." Well, maybe not at Hogwarts but...after maybe. Yes? She smiled, not yet moving back to the table. Her eyes briefly flicked to the bacon which already smelled delicious as well.

Her head lulled to the side as he laughed, and she frowned. Why was he laughing? A hand reached tentatively for her face and she checked there wasn't anything specific on it, before chuckling and shaking her head. "Y'alright, Professor?" Was he having a breakdown or something? Was someone standing behind her? Had he flipped? Was he hinting when he'd called her a murderer? Was he going to kill HER?

Oh, how the tables had turned.

Her back had been turned when Olly had decided to tear off a piece of one of her hotcakes. But when her girlfriend commented on how they tasted, Schuyler glanced over her shoulder and saw the top pancake looking more like a dysfunctional crescent moon than a pretty pancake.

"Why, thank you." She was in the midst of relocating the bacon to a clean plate - with a paper towel on it so it soaked up more grease - when she found a pancake piece being held before her for taste testing. And she happily taste tested, catching a bit of Olly's finger at the end. Mmm. Yes. Good. "They're even better with syrup, you know."

Schuyler smiled when Olly suggested that she could cook for her every day. She didn't say so, but it made her imagine a slightly older them, happily cooking away in their own flat somewhere. And she liked the image. "I wouldn't mind that." One hand took the plate of bacon and she turned and walked back to the table to set it down.

Once he was done laughing and she was giving her funny looks, Cosgrach nodded. "Yeah. It's just - your way of apologising was amusing. In a good way." In case she thought he took her for a clown or anything. "I mean, I hope you don't hate me. I have a good puffy heart, ask Sophie Brown if you don't believe me." And he liked her! Otherwise, why would he give her presents?

Olly's fingers lingered on Schuyler's lips for a few seconds, even after the other girl had put the pancake into her mouth. Heh. She'd missed her girlfriend, was it obvious? Even though they'd of course seen each other around school the last two days but it still wasn't the same. Plus, the Hufflepuff had stayed in her Common Room for most of it so there was that.

So this cooking date was particularly nice.

"I know." Pause. "Everything is better with syrup." She grinned, watching Schuyler finish the bacon. Once that was done Olly followed the other girl over to the table, still holding the plate with the pancakes. Oh wait, speaking of syrup. Quickly setting the plate down, she then moved back over to get some maple syrup off one of the shelves. Who'd put it up there? Some giant West, surely. After a few tries and climbing onto the counter, she finally succeeded though.

"I like the sound of that." Schuyler cooking for her all the time. Olly sat down on one of the chairs, eyes still on the other girl. "I'm sure you'd grow tired of doing that every day though." So maybe, Olly would cook too. Once in a while. Actually, she'd prefer it if they cooked together.