It's Better If You Do

Bellamy and George’s dinner was nearly completely quiet, spare the clank of cutlery against the sides of dishes, or George helping himself to third’s and fourth’s of the bouillabaisse, which he decided tasted much better than the time he had it at Hogwarts. Bellamy merely sat there, with an empty plate, watching him eat. She’s been told since she was very little it was rude to leave the table when someone else is eating, at least when there are only a few people in the room. Finally, George put down his spoon and let out a heavy sigh, placing his hands on his abdomen and massaging his stomach. Bellamy leaned forward curiously to see that he had cleared nearly the entire cauldron, spare a bit of fish down at the bottom.

“Well…I suppose you liked it then,” she said with a small smirk as she looked up at George.

“Liked it? I loved it,” George said before groaning a bit. “I ate too much of it though.” Bellamy let out a laugh and shook her head at him. “I know you’re thinking I’m a right pig…but it’s just too good not to eat it. And who knows when you’ll make it again.” Bellamy grinned at him and nodded slowly.

“This is true,” she said with a shrug, “I probably won’t make it again for a very long time since I hate it so much.”

“You’re bloody good at making something you don’t like, that’s for sure,” George said, stretching backwards in his seat as he hoped to create more space for the food to go. Bellamy stared at him for a few moments before smirking a bit. George suddenly got a very scared look on his face, as if he expected something to happen to him now that he had eaten all the bouillabaisse.

“What if I said there was more?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at him. George gave a strangled groan before letting his head fall back.

“If I didn’t have such a high metabolism, you would fatten me up,” he said before looking over at her. She was still smirking, watching him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “There isn’t anymore, is there?” Bellamy’s expression suddenly grew disappointed as she stood walking over to the plate with the pot turned over on it. She lifted off the pot and took the plate in her hands, turning around and facing George. She had made him a perfectly chocolate iced, chocolate cupcake. His jaw dropped a bit and he just stared at the confection on the plate in awe.

“But…I guess you’re too stuffed to eat it, so I’ll suppose I’ll just have to feed my lovely, chocolaty cupcake to those puffskeins,” she said with a slight shrug, “I’m sure they’re appreciate my hard work.” She turned and began to walk toward the box of puffskeins, but George quickly stood from the table and blocked her way.

“No…I want it,” he said, almost pouting as he looked down at Bellamy. She glanced down to the cupcake then back up to him as she gave a heavy sigh.

“I suppose you can have it,” she said with a small smile, extending the plate to him. George took it and looked down at it before glancing toward the kitchen area. He frowned a bit before looking back to Bellamy.

“You haven’t made anything for yourself?” He asked. Bellamy let out a laugh and shook her head a bit.

“I’ve been around cakes and sweets so much that I’ve lost my appetite for them,” she said softly, “but thank you for caring to ask.” George merely stood there, smiling a bit as he stared at Bellamy. “You best eat that soon before one of those puffskeins jumps up and gets it,” she joked before she turned and walked back to the table, taking a seat. George didn’t bother to sit down before he bit into the cupcake. Plopping down into his seat, he closed his eyes and let out a hum of delight that had Bellamy looking at him with a raised brow.

When George finally opened his eyes, he saw that Bellamy looked like she was suppressing laughter. He pulled a bit of a face and she quickly lapsed into quiet laughter. He took another bite, saddened by the fact there was only about two more bites left of the cupcake.

“I’m not laughing at you, George,” she said, snickering a bit, “well…maybe I am. But I’ve never heard a noise like that come out of someone whilst eating one of my cupcakes.” George merely grinned, showing Bellamy a mouthful of chocolate cupcake and causing her to scrunch up her nose at the sight.

“Sweets bring me great pleasure in life,” he said, though it was slightly muffled by the amount of icing and cake in his mouth.

“Obviously,” she said with a raised brow and a humored expression in her eyes. George merely shrugged and continued on with eating the cupcake. She remained silent, staring off at her plate since she didn’t know where else to look. George quickly finished with the rest of the cupcake and leaned back into the chair, placing his hands on his stomach once more.

“Ugh…I shouldn’t have eaten so much,” he moaned, “I’m not going to be hungry for days now.” Bellamy let out a snicker as she stood, clearing the cauldron from the table.

“We both know that’s a lie,” she said with a smile on her face, “you’ll be beginning for breakfast tomorrow morning.” George merely gave her a crooked grin but didn’t say a word before he began to clear the dishes off the table. Bellamy quickly rushed over and began to collect them as well. “Don’t worry about the plates, George. I’ve got them.”

“It’s only fair that I help you wash them,” he said in a stern voice, staring at her in a way that she knew he wasn’t going to let her. She merely sigh, gave him a disapproving look, and collected the plates along with him. Once their few dishes had been collected, they made their way up the stairs and quietly began to wash the dishes.

Bellamy handed off one of the washed dishes to George, who gently look it from her. His fingertips brushed up against the raw blisters on her hands and he let out a gasp, nearly dropping the goblet.

“What?” Bellamy asked, suddenly looking wide-eyed and scared. George pulled the sudsy plate out of her hand as he placed the goblet aside, taking both of her hands in his and looking at her blistered palms.

“They look horrible,” he said, a bit flabbergasted at how many blisters littered her skin.

“I can’t feel them and it’d be worse if I popped them all,” she said in a soft voice as she pulled her hands from his and began to wash the dishes again.

“At least let me wrap them when we’re done,” he said as she passed him a soup bowl. She merely shook her head a bit, looking down into the sink and the soapy water.

“No…they’re alright,” she said softly, shooting George a stubborn look from the corner of her eyes.

“Please, Bellamy,” he pleaded, “they could get infected.” Bellamy sighed and thrust the last plate at him, giving him a hard look.

“If I let you get the shower first, will you let me wrap them myself?” She asked, drying her hands off and crossing her arms over her chest. George merely stared at her for a moment, knowing she had a certain look in her eyes that clearly stated she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. So, he let out a sigh and gave a nod of consent.

“Magnefique*,” she said before turning and walking out of the small bathroom. George shook his head as he watched her retreat before going and fetching his pajamas.