In The Fight To Survive (Golden Trio Era) {4}

Cooking And Chains

Fred found Mikayla later that day hunched over the desk in the Manor's office, scribbling notes furiously on a scrap piece of parchment, and flicking through post pieces to compare her findings. He knocked in the office door to alert her of his arrival, her stressed head shooting up to look in the direction of the door. A smile breaking out on her face once she spots Fred's amused expression in the doorway, "hi, how was duelling practice?" Mikayla questioned, momentarily abandoning her work to go greet her boyfriend, taking his hand in hers.

"It was actually really fun, what are you up to?" Fred questions after dropping a kiss on her forehead, Mikayla led him over to the messy desk, "my vision was of an undetermined future. I was given the choice of staying behind and Cairo dying, or going to fight and get hurt by Cairo when his wife dies. I'm looking for a loophole to go and save them both, and perhaps myself." Mikayla explained gesturing to all of the research that she has compiled, stacked in a pile on the edge of the desk.

"Alright, what can I do to help?" Mikayla smiled brightly at her boyfriends offer, looking over at the clock to see that it was almost five o'clock. "Kreacher will be here soon to teach me how to make Coq au vin for dinner. Maybe you could analyse my notes and see if you can spot something I missed?" Fred agreed to plan after a moment of consideration. The couple gathered all of the parchment with Mikayla's handwriting scribbled on it to relocate it to the kitchen island. Making it ideal for them to bounce their thoughts off each other as Mikayla and Kreacher cooked.

Mikayla grabbed two bottles of butterbeer from her fridge, handing on to Fred while placing a fleeting kiss on his lips before beginning to prepare the kitchen for Kreacher's arrival. Fred was quietly reading notes, pausing to make hurried notations in the right margin of the parchment every now and again to gather his thoughts. Mikayla cleaned down every surface, taking all the equipment out and weighing out the ingredients that Kreacher had listed out the night before.

Kreacher apparating into the room at exactly five o'clock, "evening Miss M, has you been well?" he asked as he moved to the sink to wash his hands, "I have, thank you. How was your day?" Mikayla questioned as she set up his stood to stand on so he can reach the high countertop of the kitchen island. "Kreacher had a busy day, I has to help Peppy and Peeves distract the Carrows Professors. They were following Mr Neville and Miss Daphne cause they wants to find the DA room." Mikayla nodded and thanked Kreacher for helping her friends keep their secrets.

"Miss Daphne asked me to deliver this to you. Does she not knows that I am not an owl?"  Kreacher mumbled quietly as if he was in disbelief that she could mix a house-elf with an owl. "No, she knows that you're a House-elf Kreacher, I'm just not taking owls anymore after Selene was almost killed last month. Daph knows that you come see me everyday, so she asked you to bring it to me. Thank you." Mikayla accepts a brown parcel with a letter tied to the top from Kreacher, "what is it?" Fred gestured to the letter as Mikayla tore the envelope open.

"Daphne's been helping me with my research of the magical properties of rare flowers. Her Mum is a famous Herbologist and has access to some banned literature that I really needed to get my hands on." Mikayla responded as her eyes scanned the letter, a soft smile etching on her face as Daphne confirms that those books have a lot of information on purple roses, as well as Queen of the Night tulips. "For Avery?" Mikayla confirmed Fred's curiosity with a quick nod. She had shown him the letter that Avery had left for her and then had to give him the insider knowledge on Snape.

"With these and Cairo's studies I might be able to figure out how to break her blood vow or unlock her Máistir Eilimintí powers. There's very little information about our favourite flowers in Ministry approved literature, most of it just referenced in passing, that must mean something." Fred agreed with Mikayla, "we both have the rest of the weekend off after tonight, I'll stay and help." Mikayla thought about the plan, and felt guilty when she'd have to decline it, "shit, I'm sorry but I can't this weekend, I've already made plans." Mikayla admits, she was sad to disappoint Fred but she wasn't regretting the plans she's already made.