Author: Kelleypen
Story: Christmas Biscuits
Rating: Everyone
Setting: Post-DH
Status: Completed
Reviews: 10
Words: 1,515
Teddy ate his breakfast, hurriedly shoveling in spoonfuls of porridge, then gulping his juice. "Grandmum? Today's the day I go to Gramma Molly's? What if you get lonely? You might need me to help you do the shoppin'. I can carry things for you."
Andromeda stroked his turquoise hair lovingly. "I need to do this shopping without you. Christmas is coming soon. Besides, your Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur are going shopping today too, and Molly needs you to play with Victoire."
Teddy smiled. "I like Victoire, for a girl,” he qualified. “When are we going?"
"As soon as you finish your breakfast and brush your teeth."
"Yes, Grandmum.'' He climbed down from his tall chair, pushed it in, and headed to the loo to clean his teeth. He knew his grandmum didn't put up with any sloppiness on his part, but he loved her best in all the world, so he didn't mind--well, except when he made mud pies. Grandmum just couldn't see that sometimes getting messy was fun. He finished brushing his teeth, then wiped off his mouth with the back of his hand and put his toothbrush in the cup.
When he was finished, Grandmum took his hand and threw some powder into the Floo. "The Burrow," she said clearly, as she and Teddy stepped in.
When they got there, Grandma Molly was waiting to hug him. "How is my little man? You're getting so big!" She squeezed him, then let him go. "Victoire is in the other room. I need you two to help me bake biscuits today, if you want to find her and tell her." Grandma Molly then turned to Grandmum and talked softly. Teddy raced out to find Victoire and didn't hear Andromeda leave.
He found Victoire sitting on a chair, her feet just reaching the end of the seat cushion, a big picture book propped on her lap. He took in how she looked--golden shiny hair (Grandmum called it strawberry blonde, but it didn't look anything like strawberries to him), big blue eyes, and small pink mouth. But she always wore such girly things . . . not things to play in. He approached her. "Hi Vicki. Whatcha reading?"
"Ohh, Teddy." She smiled at seeing him. "I'm weading a dwagon book fwum Uncle Chawwee."
Teddy loved dragons, but the prospect of helping bake biscuits was much more exciting. It might even be as fun as mud pies. "Grandma Molly is going to make biscuits. She needs our help. She told me to come get you."
She handed him the book and carefully scooted off the chair. She tried to put her hand in his, but he pushed it away. Silly girl stuff. He put the book down and raced to the kitchen. "Come on, Vicki. We have to hurry or Grandma Molly will start without us," he urged.
She picked up speed and followed him into the kitchen. "Grandma, we're here to help you with the biscuits," and "Gwamma, we to help you wif biscuits !" they chimed nearly in unison.
Grandma Molly put aprons on each of them, then handed them each a spoon. "All right, the bowls are on the table. You two are the stirrers. I'll put in the ingredients, and you two stir them." They each climbed up on the kitchen chairs and stood on them at the table. Victoire insisted on taking the biggest bowl. Molly smiled and poured flour, rising powder, salt and cocoa into her bowl. "Mix these carefully and don't let it fly out of the bowl."
Teddy looked frustrated with his smaller bowl until Grandma Molly began putting softened butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract into it. "I need someone with muscles to stir this one." Teddy proudly stirred the soft mixture. Then he helped Molly add the contents of his bowl to Victoire's and mix the two together.
"Use two hands, Vicki . . . you has to use your muscles." Teddy instructed her. Soon he and Victoire discarded their spoons and were mixing it with their hands, snitching tastes as they went.
Victoire grinned over at Teddy as she squished the dough between her fingers.
Once they had it all mixed, Grandma Molly chilled the dough with her wand, then gave them each a little rolling pin and a ball of dough. She did the same herself, and they copied her as she floured the table and the pin, and flattened the dough. Flour and dough got all over, but both children were seriously doing their best and intent on the project.
Teddy kept watching Grandma Molly, taking the people shaped biscuit cutter and pushing it into the dough. He turned to Victoire, "Once you roll it out flat, you press the boy on it and make it a boy, only yours is a girl, cuz you're a girl." He handed her the cutter. "No, not there, you has to space it like Gramma Molly did. She does it right."
Little Victoire did her best to do hers like Teddy, her eyes glowing with her eagerness to please him. Teddy watched as Molly pressed tiny candies in for the eyes, a raisin for the mouth, and shredded coconut for the hair, then proceeded to do the same, making sure Victoire did it just right, too.
Grandma Molly had just excused herself to go to the loo, when Ron and Hermione walked in. "Oh look, Ron . . . how darling they are." Hermione bent down to look at Teddy's creation. "No, dear, the eye doesn't go there. It should be farther down on the face, not at the top."
Teddy put his hands on his hips. "I'm making mine like Gramma's. She said put it there. You don't do it right."
Hermione puckered her lips a moment thoughtfully. "Well, anatomically, the eyes are in the centre of the head, not near the top. Here, Victoire. Let me show you." She reached over to help the tiny girl.
"No! You aren't doing it right! You have to do it Gramma Molly's way!" Teddy insisted loudly.
Ron snickered at Teddy and stole a spoonful of dough. Victoire saw him and joined Teddy in shouting. "Uncle Won! You 'tole it. It not cooked yet. You not 'posed to 'tole it!"
Grandma Molly re-entered, quickly sizing up the problem. "What is this all about? Ron, get out of the dough. Hermione, let the children make them the way they want to. Teddy, yours are just fine. So are yours, Victoire." The children resumed making their biscuits. Grandma Molly turned to Ron and Hermione, giving them each a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "If you two are going to be here, make yourselves useful. The upstairs needs cleaning--all the bedding changed. I haven't the time to do it when I'm busy with my grandchildren."
Ron sulked off, stealing a bit of dough as he passed Victoire's bowl. "Ron, leave it alone. We're not wanted here. Let's go clean upstairs," Hermione told him in a hushed voice as they left.
"These look lovely, children." Grandma Molly said warmly. "Let's bake these, then you can frost some clothes on them if you want to."
Within a very few minutes, thanks to the help of Molly's wand, they were frosting baked biscuits, along with frosting their own noses, chins, cheeks, hands, and arms.
Suddenly, Victoire began crying. Molly turned to comfort her and see what was the matter, but Teddy beat her to it, and Molly didn't have the heart to interrupt him. "It's all right, Vicki. Here. Put your finger in the cold water. It won't hurt so much." He handed her a cup of cold water.
"It burned me. Was mean one. Hot." A big tear rolled down her cheek while Teddy held her hand in the cold water.
When she stopped crying, Teddy pulled her hand out and looked at it. "Almost better." Then he kissed her finger tip. "There. Now it's all better. That's what Grandmum always does to fix things."
Victoire smiled up at him through her wet eyes. "You my best fwend, Teddy."
Teddy didn't answer, but his hair went from turquoise blue to Weasley red.
"You did exactly as you should have, Teddy." Grandma Molly beamed at the orphaned boy, loving him every bit as much as she did Victoire. "Let's get you two cleaned up. Then you can each have a biscuit and a glass of milk." Grandma Molly's motherly magic worked quickly to put the children and her kitchen to rights. Then she gave the two their biscuits and milk.
Soon Teddy had eaten two biscuits and Victoire one. "You want to see my dwagon book?" Victoire asked shyly after she put her milk down.
"Sure. I know all about dragons. I can tell you what kinds they are." This time Teddy let her take his hand.
When Andromeda returned, the two were sitting in the big chair together. A golden haired Teddy was looking at the dragon book, but Victoire had fallen asleep, leaning against Teddy. He looked perfectly content.