[Joseph Maverick]

Joey is in the kitchens with the old, tattered cook book out on the table. The spine is so wore from years of use that it remains open without effort. There are no pages constantly flapping this way or that and Joey can easily look down at the familiar, old handwriting to read the recipes. Since it is Christmas, and he's spending it at Hogwarts, Joey has decided to try his hand at making Christmas cookies out of the old cook book. He's starting off with an easy recipe for sugar cookies. Before him, on the table, Joey has set out the ingredients he needs to make the cookies and the oven is heating nicely to slip in the cookie sheet once the dough is spread out and cut into shapes. The trouble is, Hogwarts does not have cookie cutters and Joey is trying to puzzle out how he will get the cookies into holiday shapes. He's doing this, distracted by his thoughts, while he is scooping flour out of the large yellow container to dump into the metal bowl before him. And being distracted while he is measuring out flour is simply poor planning on his part. Not quite paying attention, Joey dumps the measuring cup of flour into the bowl, or so he thinks he has. Instead, he has dumped the measuring cup on the table, narrowly missing the bowl and finding a cloud of flour puffing up into his face. He sneezes and coughs while waving his hand in front of his face to clear the cloud out of his vision. That's about the time in which the kitchen doors open. tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

This Christmas Vireo was staying at Hogwarts rather than returning home. His mother had dragged the family to France to visit his Uncle in Versailles, who had opinions on the fact that Vireo was not dating a nice girl. He may not have come out to his family yet but he suspected his mother knew, as she always got between them if the topic was brought up. His mother was amazing for that, even if they had not had the opportunity to actually talk. Perhaps it was best if they didn't though, he wasn't sure what would happen if she dismissed the topic.

Not one to linger on that the blond greeted others in the halls as he passed, all charming smiles and well wishes as he made his way to the kitchens. While Hogwarts put on a good spread he had something specific he wanted to eat. As everyone knew the house elves never minded people coming to the kitchens to ask after things, even seeming to be very excited to help. He thought they were cute, stumbling over themselves to be of assistance. His own family did not have one as Muggles so he had found the idea of them charming until he found out they weren't doing these things freely.

As he tickled the pear to get into the kitchens he thought he heard movement behind it. This proved to not be the house elves but instead another boy who was now waving a cloud of flour out of his face. He was struck by how adorable he was. It put a smile on his face to see him waving about to clear the flour and he was worried he might startle him into getting more flour in the air, but also did not want to be caught staring either. "Are you alright, mon ami? Are you needing some help?"

Joseph Maverick

[Joseph Maverick]

Through the cloud of flour dust, Joey sees a figure enter the common room. The distinguishing features tell him it's a male, and his voice confirms it. Otherwise, Joey is unsure of who this fella is. The white layer blurring his vision makes the young man appear rather ethereal before him. Like he's some kind of vision from a dream; a fantasy. Joey knows it's silly of him to think this way and can already hear his uncle telling him to grow up. He's uncle is not very nice. "Help?" Joey isn't necessarily confused by the request. He's unsure how the other can help him. Any type of magic might make the remaining flour explode even further and then they'd be in a larger mess than he already is. "I am unsure how you can but if you have ideals beyond letting the dust settle, I'm all ears and no eyes." He feels flour getting into his eyes, up his nose and talking had him coughing it out of his mouth. It's not the most pleasant scenario. tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

"Oui, I can help." While the settling flour was funny to witness he figured the other guy likely did not wish to remain standing there covered in it. He got closer so he could visualize the mess he needed to clean off and then raised his wand. "Tergeo." In the blink of an eye the spell seemed to siphon all the flour from the air and off of Joey. Vireo was pleased to see that the mess had disappeared, even if it meant the flour could not be reused.

"Te voilà, all clear." Without the flour in the air and coating the other's face he could see him a lot more clearly than before. It took a lot of his willpower not to stare too long at him. He did notice a speck of the flour near Joey's ear and reached up before he could halt himself, his thumb brushing it away before colouring a little about the ears. Dropping his hand back to his side he surged forward to cover the moment. "Désolé. What were you doing? Cooking?"

Joseph Maverick
(Yes / There you are / Sorry)

[Joseph Maverick]

If Joey could hear Vireo's thoughts then he would have agreed he did not desire to be covered in flour for any length of time. It's itchy and makes one all stuffed up when being breathed in. He's certainly uncomfortable and thankful that the older student had some ideas on how he could be helped. The older teen casts a spell and suddenly, Joey is feeling rather silly for having forgotten about that one. The fact of the matter is, he's only just learning basic healing spells and Tergeo is one of those. He might not have thought of it on his own since this isn't a healing catastrophe. It's a flour catastrophe. "Thanks," Joey comments now that he can breathe easier and talk without his mouth filling with flour. He appreciates the other's assistance in this matter. "I never thought of using Tergeo," Joey admits. He's not sure what the other is about to do as he lifts his hand until his thumb brushes Joey's face. He feels warm all over from the contact and looks down at the cookbook. There's flour still on it which he brushes away before clearing his throat to answer the question. "Well, yes. Sugar Cookies." He looks back up at the blonde man and notices his eyes for the first time, a strange mix of blue and brown that has Joey at a loss for words for a moment. "Joey." tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

"You are very welcome." Vireo was glad he could help him, even if he had missed some flour in the spell. Trying not to think about how he had just so rudely reached out to brush the little he had missed he simply smiled a little. As long as they didn't address it they could both move on from the tiny gesture and, hopefully, get back to whatever it was the other had been trying to cook. "Oui, yes, it is usually for cleaning blood or such things, but I find it is quite useful in cleaning other things as well."

Clearing his throat a little to dispel the moment he turned his gaze from the other and to the flour-covered cookbook. Vireo had never cooked or baked himself, not alone anyway, so to see the other guy here doing it alone made him curious. "Sugar cookies, those are a very good cookie." Vireo thought they had a lot of use too. They were a favourite to decorate and were fairly easy to make, at least he had to assume they were. "Enchanté, Joey, I'm Vireo. Do you come here to cook very often? I have never given much thought to trying to myself."

Joseph Maverick

[Joseph Maverick]

He offers a sheepish smile. "I'll uhh...have to try and remember that one in case this happens again and...and you're not around to rescue me." Crap. That is a dumb thing for him to say. Of course, the older man isn't going to be around. Why would he be around a kid like Joey? The guy appears to be significantly older, probably a sixth or seventh year so like, three years older than him or something. Joey doubts he's interested in hanging around a third year. Joey can still feel the brush of Vireo's fingers against his cheek. He's trying to ignore that and the warmth it had brought to him. He thinks the other is ignoring it as well since nothing is said. And obviously, it meant nothing. He's just being nice. "I have to agree with you there." He loves sugar cookies. There's something magical about them. He nods. "All the time." The kitchens are his favourite place at Hogwarts. "I umm...used to cook with Mum before...before she passed." Why is he telling Vireo this? Joey's not exactly known for being an open person, though he's sure it's not a secret that the Maverick siblings are parentless. His parents had died before he even started school. He looks down, kind of embarrassed, and stares at the cook book for a moment. His thoughts are briefly on his mother, remembering her smile. Then he clears his throat and says. "You can help...if you want...Or umm...hang out in case I need your expertise in tidying up again..." Crap. Stupid. tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

"Un chevalier blanc." Vireo said in response, a white knight, not exactly a bad position to be equated with. Not that Joey needed that sort of saviour or anything! It was just the first thing his mind jumped to and he had to remind himself that even the smallest person here had magic, which gave them an advantage over those without. "A white knight I should say. Though I am not thinking you need any such thing outside the flour non?"

Cookies were a safer topic than broaching the brief awkwardness that cropped up from the touch to the other's face. Or one would think. Mentions of cooking with his mother before her passing touched his own heart. While his family was still whole he had similar memories with his grandmother and her love of fantasy novels. His own mother thought they were nonsense so his grandmother's passing had been hard, losing that one other person who understood his interests. "I am very sorry to hear of your mother's passing, it must be hard to cook without her?"

It made him want to help and shelter him. Mon Dieu, he was a white knight, wasn't he? The other boy likely did not even need his intervention, but that did not stop the feeling of wanting to. To make the hobby fun again. So when he was invited to stay he smiled at him. "Oui! Yes, I would like to very much. Perhaps you can show me how it is done? I admit to being something of a disaster in the kitchen. So it will be at least your tidying and my own. Where are we beginning?"

Joseph Maverick

[Joseph Maverick]

He can feel his cheeks burning. He doesn’t even know what the older, blonde boy is saying but he likes the way he sounds with his French accent and speaking his own language. He chews on the inside of his cheek and then nods when Vireo clarifies what he had just said. “Something of the sort, yes...” Joey agrees. If he had to pick a white knight, he surely wished for this one before him to do the rescuing, otherwise Joey might just have to save himself. He still feels silly, even with Vireo’s kind words about his loss, by bringing up his mother’s death. Joey has not spoken about it much outside of his immediate family; Janie and Nanny June. “I feel...closer to her, here, it’s nice.” He’s not sure anyone would understand but himself. A bit sad, missing that presence and having to cook or bake alone, but he has the memories. “This is sad. I’m sorry.” He forces himself to smile. He’s glad for the company. Even if the other man doesn’t know much about baking cookies. With Janie away, and not being home for the holidays, and his parents gone, Hogwarts can get rather lonesome and he’s feeling that with the holiday season upon them. Joey dusts off the cook book so they can read the recipe. “Generally, best practice is to mix the wet ingredients separate from the dry ones, do you have a preference?” You just have to measure it out and pour it into the bowl.” tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

"I am understanding the feeling, it is good to have a hobby in kind to have in memory." Vireo always thought of his grandmother when he read lord of the rings, a book series she had loved so much. It had quickly become his too with its rich characters and history. Plus what books had a complete language made up just for it by the author nonetheless? It was an amazing literary piece. Plus it had elves and Dwarves and Ents. Sure the wizarding world was amazing but it was not the same as the fictional books he loved.

"Is that really how it is done? Perhaps that is why I am not so good with cooking!" Vireo had always just added the ingredients as they were listed on the page, or by the recipe instructions. He was never sure if it mattered which order they went in or not as long as it came out right. Now he was finding out he likely should not be doing that at all. "Mmm perhaps the dry ingredients for me? We are not wanting any more flour in the air, non?"

He was teasing him a little of course but he figured the said talk about his mother needed to be steered away from and this was an easy way to do so. There was a high probability that he might make a mess as well, but he was hoping that as long as he was careful he could avoid it. The house elves were kind usually to everyone who came in here though he suspected even their patience could be tested if they made too much of a mess. "Measuring, oui, I can do that, les doigts dans le nez! it is just these cups here then?"

Joseph Maverick
(fingers in the nose - similar to the English expression “to do something with one hand tied behind your back” or to say “I could do this with my eyes closed.” xD)

[Joseph Maverick]

Oftentimes, people say they understand and they do not fully understand. Loss and grief, people understand. Everyone experiences those things but no two people experience it the same way. Joey's not going to put too much stock in the other saying he understands, not that he doesn't think his new acquaintance; Vireo, isn't sympathetic to Joey's feelings. They simply don't know one another well enough for Vireo to get the entirety of how Joey feels. There's only one person who truly understands and she's slowly disappearing before his very eyes. Mental health is a frightening illness and Joey suspects he will soon lose his sister long before he reaches adulthood. "Mhm. I suppose it's not entirely crucial but it allows for a smoother blend of ingredients," Joey clarifies. He does not think it affects the overall cooking or baking process but surely there is some reasoning behind why bakers mix dry and wet separately. A quip of a smile turns at the corner of his mouth when Vireo suggests he does the dry ingredients to prevent further messes. "I'm not usually so messy," he retorts but he allows the older boy to take the reigns on the dry ingredients. Joey pulls the eggs, milk and butter towards him and begins his own task of measuring and cracking eggs. He's careful not to get any shell into the mixing bowl while he breaks open the eggs and listens to Vireo talk about... "I don't have a clue what you just said," but he doesn't mind listening to the sound of Vireo's chatter. It's almost peaceful. tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

"You know as you say that, I am understanding a bit more about why it is done." Smoother blending made a lot of sense after all and if that is what made everything bake the same way he should follow it too. It was likely why the instructions were written that way too. He had just never seen any use in them as he had not really needed to be good at it before. Maybe this would be good though, he could perhaps impress his mother with properly made cookies the next time he was home.

"Are you not? I suppose I came into quite a random encounter for us both." It was cute honestly, even if it was a fluke thing he had not minded seeing the other in a cloud of flour. And as long as he let his thoughts stay there he could ignore the fact that he thought he was cute. It was hard to tell who he could approach and who he could not, the wizarding world was much more backward than the Muggle one and even there things were problematic.

"It is hm...a saying that is popular in English but in French it is not quite the same. 'Fingers in the nose'. How do you say it?" Vireo was wracking his brain for the English equivalent of the saying but it was escaping him now. Even after all these years he sometimes forgets phrases. It was likely because he spoke nothing but French when he was at home or in the letters he sent to his family. As he thought about what it could be he put the dry ingredients together to mix them together thoroughly. "It has something to do with shut eyes I think?"

Joseph Maverick

[Joseph Maverick]

He's a lot more knowledgeable about cooking and potions than he is about most magics they are studying at Hogwarts. Isn't that always the case? People are better in subjects they find interesting. For his sister, it had been defense against the dark arts. She loved learning about curses and protection - said it made her feel more like a pirate to study that sort of magic. And ancient runes. She enjoyed those classes as well - probably for the same reason. Joey preferred potions. It's so similar to cooking that he finds there to be a simple calmness about it. He smiles as he mixes in the butter in with the eggs and slowly adds the sugar while Vireo is explaining something to him that Joey is not following. "Umm..." He stares over at Vireo for a moment with the obvious confusion still creasing his brow. He's trying to decipher this strange language barrier between the two of them but it's not quite working out well. "The only saying I know about eyes shut is being able to do something with your eyes closed - like you are really good at something and so well practiced you can do it without trouble..." He's not sure if that is the saying Vireo is referring to and offers him a nervous smile. With the sugar mixed into the bowl smoothly, Joey adds the vanilla and stirs it up a bit longer. "How are your dry ingredients coming along?" He leans over, shoulder brushing Vireo's purposely, and peers into the bowl. tagged; Vireo Archambeau

[Vireo Archambeau]

"Oui, that is the one! I am always finding it difficult to remember the English variations of sayings. Even after all of these years at Hogwarts." French was his native language and what he defaulted to when he couldn't remember something or when upset. Sometimes he would mutter in it knowing that most anyone else would not understand what he was saying. Luckily he had been taught English in Muggle school even before coming to Britain but the habit was always to revert to French. "Doing things with one's eyes closed is something I am good at with spells, but cooking is certainly one to keep my eyes open for."

The smile on his face was directly from the joke he had told at his own expense. It was fine, honestly, since it was blatantly clear that baking was not his forte. All the dry ingredients had been put in together and he was stirring with a wooden spoon which was going as one would think. Slowly. The shoulder brushing into him tore his attention from it to look at the other. This close he could almost see every freckle on his face, how pretty his eyes were and he forgot, for a moment, that he had been asked a question. "What? Oh! Oui, yes, it is...slowly, yes, mixing."

Joseph Maverick

[Joseph Maverick]

“We got there,” Joey admits. There’s nothing wrong with taking their time and a little bit of mix up in it all. It’s kind of fun to figure out what he’s trying to say. Like a puzzle almost. And at least the guy can speak English. It’s not like he’s talking in French and Joey is talking in Gaelic and neither of them can understand one another. They share English in common. He makes a noise of acknowledgement. “Potions is more my strength.” They are like cooking after all. It’s easy to connect the dots and figure out why Joey’s better with potions than he is with spells. The closeness is a warm welcome. He’s not been close to anyone in awhile. With both his parents gone and Nanny June busy dealing with Janie’s disease progression, he’s been on his own for the better part of this school term, and he doesn’t have a lot of friends to fill in the holes. He’s peering into the bowl, avoiding the gaze of Vireo’s mix-matched eyes because they make him feel uncomfortable in a warm and exciting sort of way he knows he shouldn’t feel. “It looks mixed enough for me. We can mix them together now.” tagged; Vireo Archambeau