Flora And Fawna [HARRY POTTER]

51

Penny rolled her eyes and waved her friend away.

"Sure, babes. Just get out of my kitchen before you get hair in something. That's the absolute last thing I need."

Rosie waved, blew a kiss, and sashayed out, the eyes of every male employee following her as she did so.

*******

"I'm here!" Penny called as she walked into Number Twelve, blowing a raspberry at a scowling Walburga as she passed the larger than life portrait that was permanently a fixed to the entryway's wall.

"In the kitchen!" She heard Harry call back, laughter in his voice. A small smile crawled its way onto Penny's face as she began to anticipate seeing her favorite boy. Since Rosie and Penny had graduated, Penny had fallen in love with the little boy Rosie called her nephew.

"How's my favorite little marauder doing today, you little mischief maker?" Penny opened her arms just in time to catch Harry as she sprinted towards her, laughing himself an ottoman that probably cost more than Penny's car.

"Pendulum!" The ten-year-old was really getting too big to launch himself at people, but he was on the small side and Penny knew to grace herself against the wall when she heard the telltale sound of little feet against Kreacher's impeccably polished hardwood floors.

"Harrison!" Of course, they couldn't call each other by their given names. So over the years, they developed pet names that were much longer, and much more fun to say.

"Why haven't you been over? It's been weeks!" Harry pulled back and pouted, causing Penny to roll her eyes. Too much time spent with Bill as a child had caused this blooming attitude as he came into adolescence. Penny just knew it.

"It's been less than a week and you know it, mister," Penny said sternly, eyeing him with laughter in her eyes. "Besides some of us have jobs."

Harry didn't even have to think, he responded so quickly.

"I have a job too! I do chores around the house!" There was a victorious gleam in his eye until Rosie walked into the parlor, Kreacher on her heels.

"Young master barely does his chores," the house elf scoffed, shooting a stink eye at Penny. "Kreacher has to follow the little master around the house, fixing everything he does wrong."

It was Penny's turn for the victorious look, and Harry just went back to pouting, sticking his tongue out at Kreacher. Only Rosie saw the house elf reciprocate.

*******

"Oh dear!" Mrs. Figg yelped as the potion she was working in began to spit out green smoke, a far cry from the silver steam it was supposed to be emitting. Penny was there in an instant, her hair pulled back in a knot and a blizzard gizzard in her hand.

She dropped it into the potion and the brew calmed down a bit.

"Perhaps we should call it a night," Penny suggested, dark circled under her eyes. Truly, she had to wonder how Mrs. Figg managed to brew alone for all those years. After the fire, she'd had to put out earlier, the red sparks that had begun to spit everywhere halfway through, and now the green smoke. It was a disaster from start to finish.

"Yes," Mrs. Figg agreed shakily, putting her hand over her heart to slow it after the most recent mishap. "Perhaps you're right, dear."

Rosie, who had come in a few moments earlier with a tray of snacks for the women and had also heard the agreement, waved her wand and vanished the potion ingredients.

"Looks like I got here just in time then," she grinned as she set the tray of tea and cookies down, far away from the still bubbling potion. "Here are some refreshments."

Both women looked quite relieved.

*******

"I need some firewhiskey." Penny groaned as she collapsed back into a chair, after having walked Mrs. Figg to the door with Rosie. "That woman about killed me."

Rosie smiled softly and snapped her fingers.

"Well, then I'll be sure to make it up to you," she grinned. A few seconds later, Kreacher hobbled out with two glasses of whiskey. The expensive kind. "I made sure to have a bottle of this on hand when you agreed to come to help out."

Penny glared at her friend for putting her through hell but then gasped as she noted the treat.

"A bottle of this probably cost more than my apartment!" She said with delight, before taking a deep swallow of it. "This is wonderful."

Rosie grinned and began to nurse her own glass.

"I think we both deserve it after this week." She noted lowly. The two of them sat in silence until Kreacher appeared with a 'pop'.

"An owl just came with this," he handed Rosie a letter. "An owl from Hogwarts."

Penny leaned forward to get a better look.

"That's sure to your acceptance letter, Rosie! And you were just talking about how they were never going to write you!" Penny seemed elated to see the letter, but Rosie's face remained neutral. "Well? Aren't you going to open it?"

Rosie shrugged, continuing to stare down at the letter.

"What if it's bad news?" Rosie asked, still staring down at the envelope. "In the back of my head, Hogwarts has always been home. I think if I open this letter and find out they've taken my lesson and hired someone else, I might cry."

Penny moved over to Rosie's chair, took the letter, and set it aside. Then she pushed Rosie to the far side of the chair and crowded up beside her.

"Now listen here, Rose Black. Hogwarts would be lucky to have you. If they take your lesson and leave you here high and dry, you take that lesson yo another wizarding school. You've got everything you need to succeed, babes. All you have to do is-"

The sound if ripping filled the air and both women paused and looked over to where Penny had set the letter. Kreacher had picked it up and opened it.

"Albus Dumbledore sends his congratulations that Mistress got the position as professor of spellmaking at Hogwarts." Kreacher tells them, his big eyes unremorseful. "Stupid mudblood and stupid squib's sister worry too much."

The little house elf rolled its eyes, threw the letter aside with a huff, and stalked away. All the while he muttered about how Rosie and Penny always had to make things so difficult.