SPLITAPARTS: lessons in love ✔️

Playing Nicely

Cassie sat down at the hotel kitchen table with a blank piece of paper and pen. Across from her was Sirius who sat with his chin in his hand. To her left was Julie and to her right was Remus. In the middle of the table were several cook books borrowed from a local library.

"I thought this was supposed to be about preparing your favorite foods," Sirius asked.

"It is."

"And you don't know how to prepare them?"

She looked up. "Not yet," she replied.

"So what we have to do is help you decide what it is you want to share with the Dark Lord? I got it! How about a hot steaming bowl of cyanide laced with a lovely sprinkling of arsenic as a garnish! No?"

"Sirius, honestly," Remus chided.

"Obviously, this isn't easy for her," Julie said.

Sirius sat back in his chair. "I'm here to help, aren't I?"

"You're here because apparently, everyone thinks I need a babysitter," Cassie said flatly.

"When we all know, it's ME who needs the sitter," Julie teased.

A knock came from the door and Sirius' head snapped toward it and Remus produced his wand from the sleeve of his sweater. Cassie tried to pretend as if nothing was amiss, then she grinned at her friend. "Ain't that the truth!"

Remus left the trio to answer the door and was all smiles again when he escorted Lily toward the dining room. Cassie placed a book in front of her three assistants and each opened a book. "We want to find stuff that's not going to be too hard and won't be too expensive to buy for. I don't have a whole lot of money to spend."

"Wouldn't be more logical to figure out what it is that you really like and then look for those recipes," Sirius asked, looking far more relieved than a moment prior. Lily approached the table smiling.

"Logical is the way to go," Remus agreed as he offered Lily a chair.

"I like a lot of stuff."

Sirius sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Right. Have it your way."

"What's going on here," Lily asked.

"Looking for recipes," Sirius replied dryly.

"I really do like a good Yorkshire—but I've never made one. I've watched my mom make it a hundred times on Sundays, so I could probably do it, but I just wanna be sure. Does that make sense?"

"I've never had a good Yorkshire. Or even a bad Yorkshire," Julie said. "I don't even know what a Yorkshire is."

"It's traditional English fare," Sirius began. "It's basically a bread, that soaks up beef drippings as it bakes. It's not difficult, takes about twenty minutes to make, but the timing has to be just so, or it'll get cold and taste like shite."

Remus chuckled having seen Cassie's expression and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "He's a very good cook."

"Who are you cooking for, Sweets," Lily asked.

"Her father," Sirius said. "Perhaps YOU can talk some sense into her? The gods know I can't and neither can Remus."

"Cass, you simply can't do that," Lily said.

"Yes I can," she replied. Cassie turned a page of the old book. "I don't want roast beef," she stated.

Sirius raised a brow. "Well, thanks for trying Evans. Then what, pray-tell, do you want?"