A Taste of Magic

Chapter 5: 5th Course - Families and Recipes

"What's wrong Parvati?" Lavender asked, sitting down beside her friend.

"Nothing really, I guess," Parvati said. Her expression was slightly glum however, her tone subdued.

"Is something wrong with steak and kidney pie?" Lavender asked.

"No, aside from that it's steak and kidney pie," she replied.

"What's wrong with steak and kidney pie?" Harry asked.

Parvati giggled at his look of vague affront. "Nothing really, just not what I was wanting, I guess. It's weird, I kinda miss having what my family usually has for dinner."

"Oh that makes sense," Lavender said sympathetically. "I guess my family usually ate this sort of thing on the regular so it feels more familiar to me." She looked at Harry. "How about you?"

"Pretty much the same," Harry said. "The Dursleys didn't really like foreign food really. So I never got the chance to learn or make very different things. Always wanted to, though."

"Hey!" Parvati straightened, her expression brightening. "Do you think you could make something if I gave you the recipe?"

"I can try," Harry said slowly. "I'm good at following recipes but if it's a different kind of food, I don't know if I'll do a good job at it. Since I've never made anything like it before."

"I bet you could!" Lavender said brightly. "Your biscuits and muffins are amazing and you do those with a recipe in your head. I'm sure you could do a good job with a recipe written out. Especially if Parvati knows what it's supposed to look and taste like."

"Yeah! I mean, I never learned how to make it myself but I have watched before. Please Harry?" Parvati gave him a soulful look, her eyes wide open and blinking slowly.

Harry went beet red. "Oh! Uh, I mean, sure I'd be happy to try," he stammered.

"Thank you!" Parvati said happily. "Hmm, I don't remember recipes completely. I could write home. Oh! Wait, I have an idea." She looked over at the Ravenclaw table. "Drat, she's not there. Let me go find her." She took off running.

"She probably went to find Padma," Lavender said, frowning as her friend ran off.

"Oh that makes sense. Should we wait for her here or follow?" Harry asked.

"We can finish dinner. She'll find us later or we can find her first."

Parvati did not return and Harry and Lavender finished their dinner and started walking back up to Gryffindor tower. As they got off the last moving staircase and entered the hall leading towards the upper part of the castle, they stopped when someone shouted for them. They waited for Parvati and Padma to reach them.

"Finally found her," Parvati said, gasping a little.

"I was reading," Padma sighed, giving her sister a look.

"I know, I saw. Padma, you've met Lavender. This is Harry. Harry, meet Padma, my twin."

"Hello," Harry said, nodding shyly.

"Hello," Padma said back, giving him a curious look. "What's this about?"

"Harry's going to try and cook something for us," Parvati said. "He's a really good cook and if we can give him a recipe, he'll try and make it for us."