Whack!
The cabinet smacked Pansy in the back of the head for the third time.
“Everything alright dear?” asked Molly.
“I’m sure it was a mistake,” Pansy gritted out, scowling at the cupboard.
This didn’t make sense.
It was true that the semi-sentient kitchen would only allow those it liked to cook there, but it liked her! She had worked hard to make sure that it liked her! She had cooked in this kitchen with Molly more times than she could count, and her mother-in-law had assured her that she had won it over and that she would certainly know if it had a problem with her. A case in point, it did not like Draco - much to Pansy’s delight - to the extent that if he so much as tried to make a cup of tea, the cupboards would mysteriously not open, mugs would go missing, and the water just would not boil. Molly explained that the kitchen was extremely protective of Ginny, and wasn’t yet convinced that Draco was worthy of her.
Well, today was Ron’s birthday, and Pansy was baking a huge cake with Molly - the kitchen shouldbe happy about that!
She reached for a cutting board and it danced out of reach.
“WHY?” shouted Pansy, her frustration finally reaching boiling point. By the time Molly had turned around to see what was happening, the cutting board had floated gently into Pansy’s still outstretched hand as though nothing had happened.
“Now, really, dear - what’s all this fuss about?” Molly’s eyes were concerned, but Pansy could detect a hint of impatience in her voice. Cake baking, Pansy knew, was not something Molly took lightly. Narrowing her eyes at the cutting board, Pansy assured her mother-in-law that all was well. This was turning into a battle of wills, and Pansy was determined to win.
A few minutes passed, during which time Pansy was able to cut up the fresh lemons without any bother. Clearly, the kitchen didn’t think whatever indiscretion had so offended it was worth risking her cutting off a finger, for which Pansy was grateful.
WHACK!
Pansy couldn’t help letting out a little squeal as a spatula smacked her, quite hard, on the bottom.
She whirled around in time to see a flash of chestnut curls retreat behind the door frame. Suddenly, everything clicked into place.
“Theodore Nott, get your arse in here this instant if you know what’s good for you!”
“Language, dear.” Molly chided half-heartedly, eyes already slipping into the famous Molly Weasley glare directed at the scallywag who had just popped into the room - a winning grin on his face.
“Molly! Pansy! How lovely to see you, I didn’t realise you two were in here! Baking a cake, I see! Well, it smells delicious so don’t let me stop you!”
Pansy opened her mouth to reply, but caught Molly’s eye just as the older witch gave her a small smirk and discreet wink. Suppressing the telling-off she had been about to give Theo, Pansy happily stepped back and watched Molly at play. While the witch had a well-deserved reputation for being exceedingly kind and welcoming, she also had a wicked sense of humour.
“Theo, dear, what have you been doing since we’ve been in here?” Molly asked, in a deceptively sweet voice.
Pansy had to suppress a grin as Theo started lying about playing Quidditch in the garden with the children. She could see where this was going. If Molly didn’t take kindly to people lying to her, then the kitchen certainly didn’t. Theo seemed to notice his mistake in lying to Molly Weasley in her own kitchen a second too late, his blue eyes widening as he realised what was about to happen.
Pansy had never been close to her own mother… had never imagined herself bonding, much less cooking, with a mother in law.
But, as she watched the frying pans chase Theo around the kitchen, and as Molly gave her another sly wink, she thought it had all turned out better than she could have hoped.