The Founders

Chapter 11

"Kinky," said Oscar from his spot in the apple tree, craning to reach the bigger ones higher up. Kyra glowered up at him, holding a basket. It was late afternoon on Sunday and Kyra, despite having a mound of homework to complete, was helping Oscar collect apples to stew.

They were standing in the orchard that Hagrid had planted before his retirement, right on the edge of the forest, and the sun was so low that golden light slanted through the branches directly into Kyra's eyes. When she blinked, the hot pink outline of the tree flashed against her eyelids.

She squinted up at Oscar, trying to glare. "It's not kinky. It's actually cowardly."

"Huh." Oscar tossed her an apple which she caught with the basket.

"Instead of beating me properly," she explained mutinously, "he keeps using these stupid ropes. It's not fair."

Oscar dropped to the ground in front of her and unloaded an armful of large green apples into her basket. She buckled slightly under the weight. Oscar preferred the green apples since they were a little sour and had a much better flavour when stewed with sugar and cinnamon.

He also insisted on stewing a huge amount, so that he could send some jars back to his mother and various family members. Not to mention that Nina loved stewed apples; Kyra was pretty sure that this was a further part of his plan to make Nina love him more than Kyra and Grace. Since starting at Hogwarts, she would often join Oscar in the kitchens, and help him measure flour or whisk eggs, or just sit on the counter, legs swinging.

"Why don't you just learn the same spell and do it back to him?" Oscar offered, examining an apple for bruising and then placing it back in Kyra's basket, before bending down to pick up the full basket on the ground.

Kyra considered a moment as they began heading back to the castle, the green lawn gleaming in the sunlight. "You know, that's not a bad idea."

"Oh, so now it's not cowardly?" Oscar laughed. Kyra shoved him so that he almost tripped into a passing tree.