I'll Be Home For Christmas

December 23rd

"So we're making a gingerbread house?" Harry asked.

"That and baking cookies." Piper nodded. Harry huffed but nodded as she pulled out the gingerbread house kit. She laid everything out before reading the instructions.

"You need to read the instructions? Don't you know how to make a gingerbread house?" Harry grumbled. He set about kneading the icing pack and laying out the sides of the house.

"Are you going to be grouchy all day?" She asked.

"I am not grouchy." He defended. "I just don't need to read instructions to make a gingerbread house." He grumbled.

"Sound pretty grouchy to me." She said in a sing song voice. Harry tried to keep his concentration on piping the sides of the house and not think about how cute Piper looked as she swayed side to side. Ultimately though, he was failing.

"Alright now we've got the walls put up, time for the roof." He said straightening up.

"No, you have to let them dry for 10 minutes before assembling the roof. Thank god you're not putting together a real house, one puff from the big bad wolf and it'd be knocked down." Piper said.

"Well then what are we supposed to do as it dries?"

"Well, we can turn on a movie...get the batter ready for cookies...dance..." She threw suggestions out there.

"I'm a terrible dancer." Harry proclaimed.

"I'm sure you're not that bad. My mom and I always dance in the kitchen as we make cookies." Piper said shrugging.

"I'll bet that's cute to see." Harry commented.

"We know how to boogie." She confirmed. "One day, not today, but one day I'll get you to dance." She said.

"One day." He agreed. He liked the sound of that, one day, because it made him think that maybe she saw something beyond their time in Holmes Chapel together. He wasn't sure how it was going to work, especially with her living in another country, but he was willing to give it a shot if she was.

"Wait, that's not how the windows go. You have to put the yellow runts in the windows." Piper directed.

"What are you talking about? You put the orange ones. They fit better than banana shaped ones." Harry argued.

"No it has to be yellow to mimic the yellow of lights. Everyone knows this Harry." She said.

"You've lost your mind. The weird shape won't fit in the windows. Unless you want to perfectly cut them in half so they don't break." He said.

"You are too much." She shook her head.

"Says the woman going on about which candy to put on icing of a gingerbread house." Harry said.

"Just because you want an unrealistic looking house doesn't mean I want one." She snarked.

"Oi, is someone getting smart?" Harry responded.

"Damn right." Piper grinned.

"Was that a curse word? Piper! I'm appalled. And at Christmas time no less." Harry gasped.