The Importance of Intent: After the Credits

Big Night - Part 2

To her surprise Rosie sat down at the table as well, a pleasant smile plastered on her face. She struggled to remember the elf ever sitting at the kitchen table with her. "Everything all right Rosie?" she asked.

"Yes Miss Daphne, the elf replied brightly. "Rosie asked Harry if she and Winky could watch him today."

"Really?" Daphne replied. "I thought you'd be furious he was mucking about in your kitchen. When I made biscuits you complained about it for weeks afterward."

"Harry asks Rosie and Winky good questions. Rosie can tell Harry knows what he is doing. Miss Daphne was bad cook and wouldn't listen to Rosie. Messes are okay if they are done for good reasons. Miss Daphne made a mess and made bad biscuits," Rosie said disappointedly.

"I was seven!" Daphne protested.

"Seven or seventeen makes no difference. Bad is bad," she explained, shaking her head at the memory.

"Fair enough," Daphne said with a smile. "I've been meaning to ask, why do you call him 'Harry and not "Mister Harry' or 'Mister Potter.'"

"Harry asked Rosie to," the elf replied as if the answer was obvious. "Rosie likes Harry," she continued. "Miss Daphne much better in relationships than in the kitchen."

"All right, all right, I get it," she laughed, "leave the cooking to you and Harry. You know you are supposed to be afraid of insulting me."

Rosie patted Daphne's arm patronizingly. "Rosie knows Miss Daphne likes it and that Miss Daphne's bark is much worse than her bite."

"You've been spending too much time around Tori," she answered as Harry entered the room with Winky trailing closely behind. He stopped and quickly kissed her before he began.

"Remember what Winky and Rosie be saying and Winky knows cake will be fine," the elf said reassuringly as she hopped into a chair, never taking her eyes off of Harry.

"Can you turn on the music Rosie?" Daphne asked as Harry reviewed his recipe one final time. With a snap of the elf's fingers the opening notes of Come Together filled the room.

"I know this one!" Harry exclaimed in surprise.

"Rosie likes this one," the elf commented, nodding her approval.

Daphne smiled, shut her book, and leaned back in her chair. Homework could wait. "Need any help?"

Not a bit of homework was completed as Daphne had set to fetching ingredients, setting timers, and cleaning up as best she could as Harry toiled away. She particularly enjoyed when they had to wait for the cakes to cool before applying the icing. With nothing else to do she did her best to distract Harry to pass the time.

Despite it taking an hour the cakes cooled much too quickly for her liking. As he returned to the task at hand Harry asked her to sit back down, muttering that he needed to focus and she was too much of a distraction. Before leaving she quickly sampled the confection and smiled.

"The icing is perfect. Not too sweet," she complimented.

"Yeah, Rosie told me not to make it very sweet for you...that you had boring taste buds," he smirked as he set to work.

She smacked his shoulder playfully before making her way over to her seat, leveling the elf with a mock glare. "You say boring, I say refined," she commented haughtily.

"Boring is boring," Rosie replied dismissively, causing Harry to laugh.

Twenty minutes later Harry nervously placed the finished product on the table. Daphne knew she had been spoiled by the excellent preparation skills of Rosie and the Hogwarts house elves but there was no two ways about it...Harry's cake looked...not good.

"It's a bit-"

"Lopsided," Harry said with laugh, "and I need to get better at putting on the icing. It's not very even."

"Master Harry's cake is very good for first time!" Winky protested. "Winky's first try was ugly too."

"Thanks Winky...I think," Harry said as he began slicing the cake.

"Winky is right," Rosie reassured. "What really matters is taste. Rosie is sure it will be good." Daphne suppressed a chuckle as she watched Winky furiously nod in agreement.

Harry's expression as he handed her a piece was eerily reminiscent of when he had shared the prophecy for the first time. Though the stakes were astronomically lower he looked just as nervous about her reaction. Daphne had never lied to Harry before but was ready and willing to do so now.

She hesitantly took a bite, reminding herself not to pull a face no matter how bad it turned out to be. To her utter shock the cake was...not bad...not bad at all. She quickly took another bite and was thrilled as she realized it was almost on par with Rosie's best efforts. "This is really good Harry," she said enthusiastically as she took another bite.

"Really?" he replied, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Really,' she confirmed. "I was prepared to lie through my teeth if it was awful but it isn't."

"Not awful," Harry chuckled, "I suppose that is something."

"You know what I mean. Try it for yourself," she commanded, feeding him a bite.

"It is all right isn't it?" he answered with a surprised smile.

"Miss Daphne is right!" Winky nearly shouted with joy. "Winky's first try not be nearly as good!"

Daphne watched as Rosie nodded her agreement, taking another bite before commenting. "The icing should be sweeter but that not Harry's fault," she stated, looking accusingly at Daphne.

"I think the icing is perfect," Daphne said defiantly as she took another bite. "Mmmm...," she murmured, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll make it sweeter next time Rosie," he reassured as he sat down beside her.

"Heathens," Daphne muttered with a laugh.

They continued to eat in companionable silence as the music played on...Winky and Rosie having volunteered themselves to clean up the remaining mess in honor of Harry's efforts.

"I like this song," Harry commented as he ate his last bite. "What record is this from?"

"Rubber Soul," she replied, pausing as she remembered Harry's 'dream'. "Like mother like son," she continued, her voice breaking slightly with emotion. Daphne remembered her own mother's good natured teasing earlier in the day and realized she was ready to take the next step with Harry. Really ready.

Harry smiled and looked down at his plate. "I'm so glad I asked you for help."

Somehow the day had been better than she'd ever imagined and it had nothing to do with how well the cake turned out.

"Me too Harry," she nearly whispered, leaning into his side. "Me too."