Of Life, Love, Magic & War [A FBAWTFT FanFic]

Chapter 15: Entry Wounds

"You've come in the off-season I'm afraid." The lodge manager said as he led Percival and Edith into the dining room which looked like it had been rarely used in the last few months.

Percival didn't need to be told that this was not the peak time of year for business, it was obvious to him by the plethora of vacant rooms. In fact, he hadn't passed a single person on the way out that morning except for the older woman who had given Edith the glass of water when they arrived the previous day. Edith however seemed genuinely surprised by the statement, complimenting the tidiness of the place as the manager showed them to the mostly closed-up dining room. He gave them a table overlooking the small garden, away from the tables and chairs that were draped in covers to keep them dust free until the summer.

"Our menu is limited but we can prepare you an excellent lunch nonetheless." The manager said as he took Edith's coat and pulled out her seat for her.

"We have roast beef, boiled ham, beef tongue, and sliced chicken served with rolls and butter. Or if you'd prefer, we can make you anything off the breakfast menu." The manager added as Percival took a seat as the man began setting out silverware for them.

A young girl no older than twelve brought them glasses of water and she smiled shyly at Edith who smiled right back.

"I'll have the roast beef please and coffee if it's not too much trouble," Percival asked, looking over at Edith who was still browsing the menu.

"The pancakes are delicious." The young girl said as she hid behind the manager, who Percival assumed must have been her father.

"Are they now?" Edith asked with sweet but false curiosity causing the young girl to smile shyly at her again before nodding.

"Grandma makes them with an apple kam.. kam.. umm.." The young girl trailed before looking to her father for the correct word.

"Compote." The manager whispered to her.

"Apple compote." The young girl finished.

Edith gave her another smile and said she would love nothing more than to try it and with that the manager and his daughter left them, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Oh sure, be nice to the child but not your boss." Percival teased as Edith unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap while scrunching her nose and letting out a half laugh. 

They bickered lightly as they waited for their food with Edith claiming that he was incapable of cooking otherwise he wouldn't blow all his money dining out. He quipped that he could absolutely put a meal together for himself before asking her if burning eggs qualified as cooking. She let a hearty laugh at that and he was enraptured by the way her lips curled into a playful grin. She called him helpless and he called her prude for her reaction to his state of undress that morning before getting on her case about not locking the bathroom door the previous evening.

"But why would there be a deadbolt on a closet?" Percival asked again after she declined to answer him the first time by blaming the whole thing entirely on him.

"Who doesn't knock first?" Edith demanded to know.

"You knocked first and still got me off guard this morning." He pointed out and she went to speak but words had suddenly failed her.

"Did you like what you saw Miss Matasen?" He teased with a wicked grin as she turned various shades of red in front of him.

Percival suddenly felt very bold and he slid his hand across the table, taking his index finger and hooking it with hers all the while never breaking eye contact with her. The air grew thick and for a moment he thought Edith had stopped breathing as her other hand played with the small charm of a necklace he hadn't noticed her wearing before along with several faint but obvious scars atop her hand. She was incredibly cute in her exasperation and words absolutely seemed to be failing her as their fingers intertwined though the silence was broken by the sound of a door opening and the appearance of the young girl.