The Icing on the Cake

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Sun streaked through the shallow minefield of fluffy white clouds. Patches of light spotted heavily down upon the streets below, picking out the gleaming windows and freshly polished woodwork. In one of these houses, voices were chuntering away merrily in an open kitchen doorway, discussing what it was that they should bake that day.
Larissa, ever the eagle-eyed mother, watched over her excitable daughter with a warming smile. She had grown so fast in such a short time, and another school year had only just simmered to an end. Now the rich heat of summer was cast upon them, and it had inspired the child to get to grips with the kitchen. Larissa was happy to help.

"Well," the blonde began, sweeping a finger across her face to pull bag a few stray hairs, "we could always bake Grandad a cake. You know he loves everything bad for him.." Larissa's voice trailed off as she thought about her words. Yes, it was exactly that which had landed the wizard in Azkaban for ten years in the first place. "Maybe we could even make a party of it- invite over some of your school friends."
This sentence caused an abrupt silence. One which was filled with many a raised eyebrow. The highest of these brows belonged to the witch's husband who had just set foot through the open door and was now eyeing Larissa with disbelief.

 

[Andrew Sedgwick]

Andrew had just finished tying up his shoelaces when his ears pricked up at the sound of his wife's voice. Was she speaking to him, again? Was he supposed to be stood in the kitchen with her in a deep and sincere conversation about something very important? As Andrew stood up and turned to approach the kitchen, he noticed the small girl practically dancing about in her Wellington boots and delicate summer dress. Well, the child did have a very personal dress sense.

Walking over in the hopes of a goodbye kiss before he headed off for work, Andrew was struck by the words tumbling so nonchalantly from Larissa's beautiful mouth. In fact, he was so surprised that he found himself grasping at the doorway for support.
"Y-You want to invite.. Other children?" The man spoke carefully, afraid he had misheard and would be in for a clouting. "As in.. Children that might not be of our kind?" He couldn't believe it. His wife, a woman who he had begun to suspect as particularly over prejudice against muggles was now suggesting that they invite muggle children into their home for a party.
Andrew, himself, held no ill against muggles or any person of that ilk, but even he had to wonder if this would really be such a good idea.

 

[Lily Sedgwick]

Lily was thrilled.
She danced eagerly around the kitchen, skipping and jumping, almost colliding with the furniture. She was a very social child, at school, though not particularly loud. She enjoyed spending time with a small group of outcasts, each with their own unique differences:
There was Kai, the boy with tightly knitted eyebrows that made him seem aggressive, but really he loved nothing more than to snuggle up with a teddy bear and a bedtime story. Then there was Iris, the girl who never seemed to stop daydreaming. Leona, a short and dumpy child with outrageous red hair and a voice that could silence any crowd. There was Annegret, the quiet one, and then there was Brynjarr, the only boy of the class who did not want to fight everyone he met. He was a sweet child, underneath his playful and teasing exterior, and Lily rather liked him.
"Oh!" The girl squealed with delight, resuming her dance around the kitchen's floorspace, "Yes please, Mumie!"

 

[Larissa Sedgwick]

Larissa drew her staring blue eyes to her husband's face, letting them rest upon his own dark pupils. She watched him, studying the twitches of his lips, the flinching corners of his mouth as he attempted to conclude whether or not this was a positive step in the right direction, or of this was simply just another of his wife's cruel jokes.
"That wont be a problem, will it, Darling?" She smiled with amusement. "Nothing quite like playing host to a party, every now and again. Besides, we want Lily to blend in with the other children until she is old enough to fully join our kind, don't we?" Her tone was not really one of question, but of command. Andrew had pressed her for years, now, to allow their daughter a little more freedom around muggle children. Well, now he was getting his wish, however shocking that may be.

"Lily," Larissa spoke softly as she settled back into her motherly voice, her eyes lightening and growing warmer, "I will get the cake ingredients ready while you go and write Mumie a list of children you would like to invite- not too many, please. We're not made of cake." She sounded out a small chuckle, though it felt a little hollow. Once the kitchen was vacant of children, Larissa turned back to face her husband, flicking her wand over her shoulder to summon together a collection of bowls, spoons, whisks, and food. The eggs rolled across the table towards the blonde's hands and she scooped them up, juggling them almost absent mindedly.
"You have work soon, don't you?" Larissa prompted, thinking of the empty fireplace and the jar of floo powder beside it. "You don't want to spoil your record by being late."