Author's note: Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.
Dedication: For Aya, happy birthday!
Hogwarts: Assignment #6, Photography, Write a story involving cooking a meal
Warnings: End of life preparation; terminal illness
Everything Just Right
It was as if the stars had aligned today. Scorpius had been invited to attend a Quidditch game with Al and their family, which left her and Draco home alone. Her husband was sitting in the solarium, having abandoned work for one of their favourite reading spots in the whole house. Her nausea was under control and her lungs felt clear and full. They wouldn't stay that way, mind you, but Astoria felt in her bones that she had a wide enough window to get this done.
She prepared the kitchen and the assortment of cutting boards, knives, and her favourite soup pot—which was tucked away in the back of the cupboard since the house elves didn't like using it much. It just reminded Astoria of how out of touch she was with her regular routine.
She set it on the stove and a wave of dizziness hit her punishingly.
"You stood up too quickly," she whispered to herself. "You stood up too quickly, that's all…"
She gave it a minute and it did indeed pass.
"Mrs. Malfoy?" a small voice asked. She looked over and, standing in the doorway, was Anni the house elf nurse. Anni looked at her with concern.
"Mrs. Malfoy, if you need something, Anni would be happy to help," the elf promised.
"That's very sweet of you, but I'm quite alright," Astoria said. She straightened up and offered the house elf a smile. She seemed unconvinced.
"Well, Mrs. Malfoy knows to call Anni if she needs anything…" Anni squeaked.
"Thank you," Astoria said.
When Anni had moved on, Astoria readjusted the shawl wrapped around her shoulders and drifted to the solarium. She loitered in the doorframe and watched Draco, squinting as he read in such bountiful sunlight. His pale skin, light hair, and the light made him look positively brilliant.
She smiled and wondered if it would be easier to just join him with a novel or journal of her own, but instead she called out his name. He smiled when he looked up and saw her.
"Hello, love," he said. "Everything alright?"
"Everything's perfect," she said, leaning her head against the doorframe and enjoying the way that the sun illuminated the frew graying streaks in his hair.
"Will you join me and make it more perfect?" he asked, reaching out a hand.
"I actually have something to show you," he said. "In the kitchen?"
"Is your appetite back?" Draco asked. She hated how hopeful he sounded; that he had to hope for such benign and little things…
"A little bit," she said. She held out her hand. "Come."
He never needed an excuse to follow her, and so he did. When he walked into the kitchen, she registered a momentary frown on his face before it was restored to its de facto neutrality—even around her so many years later, he still fought to keep his face plain and inscrutable. She saw him take in the pork shoulder, the egg, the tofu, the different types of soy sauce lined up next to the sesame oil and rice vinegar and chili oil…
"What's all this?" he asked.
"It's everything you need to make hot and sour soup," Astoria said. "To make it the way my mother made it, at least. I'm sure there's a million recipes, but this is… I think it's time you learned how to make it too."
Draco looked at her for a second. Then he dropped her hand.
"Astoria, love…"
"No," Astoria said. "No, don't…"
"We don't have to do this," Draco said.
"We do, Draco," she said. "We do while I'm breathing well enough to stand in the kitchen and walk you through the steps all at the same time—if that's not today, then I don't know when."
"Astoria, the Healers were happy with your last exam and tests," Draco said, taking her hands. "You don't have to worry…"
"I do have to worry," she insisted. "I have to worry because I need you to know that dehydrating shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms is different. I need you to know how to cut bamboo shoots and prepare pork shoulders and slice tofu so it's that perfect not-too-thick and not-too-thin thickness that Scorpius likes best."
Draco looked at her, stunned for a minute.
"Too thin and it crumbles in the soup, too thick and it doesn't take in any of the broth's flavour," he said, quoting their son's reasoning.
Astoria nodded.
"This isn't me panicking or worrying or being fatalistic, Draco. I need to know that you know how to get everything just right in our son's favourite comfort food. Because he's going to need to eat it after his first break up, if he and Al get in a fight, if he worries about what he'll do when he grows up, on days where his mood is just low… and one of us is going to have to make it for him, so I need to know that you could."
Draco looked at her and opened his mouth and closed it again. She stepped closer to him and cupped his face in his hands.
"You aren't doing anything wrong," she said. "I'm not losing hope, Draco, I'm full of it. Full of hope that you and Scorpius will be alright and that you two can do this on your own. I just want to help how and while I can."
She saw him swallow and it looked hard. He turned his eyes towards the line-up of sauces and vinegars on the counters.
"So," he said. "What… What's the actual difference between all these soy sauces?"
She sighed in relief. She stepped closer to him, cupped his face, and kissed him. Draco hesitated and then put his hands in her hair, keeping her close.
"Can you teach me how to make those scallion pancakes too?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "I'll show you everything."
Stacked with: Hogwarts; Shipping War; Spring Bingo; Link Maker
Individual Challenge(s): Slytherin MC (x2); Ethnic & Present; Disabled; Rian-Russo Inversion; Hold the Mayo; Short Jog
Word Count: 983
Spring Bingo
Space (Prompt): 3C (Eggs)
Shipping Wars
Ship (Team): Draco Malfoy/Astoria Greengrass (Stellar Legends)
List (Prompt): NA