Narnia Winter Writing Challenge

Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows

Setting: England (pre-war)
Characters: Mr. (Arthur) Pevensie / Mrs. Helen Pevensie / Peter Pevensie / Susan Pevensie / Edmund Pevensie / Lucy Pevensie

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Four ceramic mugs sat in a perfect little line on the tiled countertop, each one bearing some symbol of Christmas. Steam billowed from the kettle, indicating the water would boil at any moment.

A gentle figure stood at the sink, eyes wet with tears as she gazed out the window. Her hands idly wiped the already-dried dish she grasped and an absent smile played at her lips.

“You’ve been wiping that dish for nearly 10 minutes, love.” A warm voice hummed in her ear as the voice’s bearer wrapped their arms tenderly around her waist.

“Look at them Arthur…” she choked out wistfully, resting her head against the figure behind her.

They watched in silence, the scene playing out before them on the other side of the window. Four children, bundled head to toe in coats and scarves, chased each other around in the snow, laughing and shouting gleefully.

The white landscape looked to almost swallow their small figures as they frolicked about. Every now and then a white blur would fly past the window, followed promptly by Ed’s grumbling “OW! Pete, stop it!” and Peter’s boyish giggle.

Arthur chuckled and hugged her tighter. “Wishing you could freeze time? Hold onto these days forever?”

“I do.” she sighed. “I want them to grow up and become everything they can be but…there is a part of my heart that longs to keep everything as it is at this moment.”

“Just don’t keep it too long my dear or this hot chocolate won’t be very hot anymore…and you know how I feel about hot chocolate that isn’t hot.”

Helen turned around, giving her husband an amused smile. “I haven’t even poured the water…”

Arthur returned her smile with a mischievous grin of his own. “In that case, I’ll go get the kids.”

The smell of warm, chocolatey goodness wafted about the kitchen by the time Arthur returned with the kids in tow, pushing and shoving their way to the counter.

“I get the snowman cup!” “I want the Christmas wreath!” “Lucy get’s the one with a present on it!” Peter, Susan and Edmund all hollered over each other.

“Excuse me!” Helen exclaimed, raising her hands in the air. “We all know the rules…”

All three children hung their heads and looked at each other sheepishly.

“No shouting in mum’s kitchen.” they replied in unison.

“No shouting in mum’s kitchen…” Helen echoed softly.

“NO SHOUTING IN MUM’S KITCHEN!”

Four heads turned around with looks of shock and warning on their faces.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Arthur said in mock remorse, covering his mouth with his hands.

His words this time a whisper, he smirked, “no shouting in mum’s kitchen.”

Lucy was the first to break, a tickled giggle ringing through the air. Soon the whole room resounded with hilarity.

Soon Arthur found himself being tackled to the floor by his four rambunctious children, all of them rolling in laughter.

“All right! All right!” he gasped from the bottom of the pile, “I’m eating ALL the marshmallows!”

This announcement was met by a round of pleading protests and Edmund, squirming free from the pile, rushed to the cupboard and fished the marshmallows out of their corner.

“I’ve got the marshmallows!” he declared triumphantly.

"All right, you ruffians." Helen laughed melodically. "Everyone sit at the table and drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold."

Feet shuffled across the floor as each Pevensie found their designated chair.

Ed still clutched the marshmallows protectively, smushing them into his chest as his father poked at his ribs playfully.

"Mr. Pevensie behave yourself or there shall be no marshmallows for you!" Helen chided, mischievously poking her husband as he had poked Edmund.

Arthur grabbed his ribs and slumped over, putting on quite a show to the delight of little Lucy who giggled still at his side.

"Ed, if you're quite done flattening the marshmallows, would you mind sharing them around the table?" Susan urged, groaning a little at the large clump of white that plopped into Ed's cup.

"At least they melt!" Peter laughed.