(1938-11-30) The Parsnip, the Peach, and the Pepper
Details for The Parsnip, the Peach, and the Pepper
Summary: Sorcha returns after a long absence and she and Graham invite Rhyeline for dinner.
Date: Saturday, November 30, 1938
Location: Cohen Residence
Related: Bridesmaid Dresses
Characters
GrahamRhyelineSorcha

It's double-time crazy at the Cohen residence as the owl arrived announcing Sorcha would be returning today, and asking about dinner to meet his adopted sister. Graham's changed out of his work robes and into his suit even showered and the rest. He's now cooking and setting places at the table all at once. He isn't normally one to use magic when it's not needed but today it's needed he swipes his wand cleaning up and setting things just so. He moves back to the food cooking which seems to be a stew of some sort and some rolls.

Since Sorcha's been given a key as it were to apparate in, she does just that. There's a snap in the living room and moments later a cloaked Sorcha steps through towards the dining area and kitchen. Seeing Graham using magic all about she grins, "Well, someone looks quite propperly dapper this evening." She flips out her wand and guides a basket of warmed rolls down onto the table when they start to wobble just a little in the frey of everything. "Fancy any help with that, Auror Cohen?"

Graham turns around quickly at the sound of apparating into the house he spots who it is and a smile spreads to his face his wand tosses onto the table. He rushes forward to wrap her up tightly in a hug, and even spins her around once, before giving her a kiss. "Welcome back Sorcha I missed you." he pauses kissing again "Nice save on the rolls, Auror Cohen huh?" he asks her grinning

Grinning when Graham sees her, Sorcha returns the hug and laughs a little at the spin before she kisses him back. "I missed you, too." She kisses him again and continues to grin, shrugging her shoulders a bit with a cheeky air as her feet get back on the floor again, "Thanks. You may be much better at hexes than I am but I do have more experience with charms and cooking than you do." She grins, "It just seemed like it fit." She kisses him lightly again on the nose before pulling back to unfasten her cloak.
The young man smiles as she speaks and it only grows as they kiss and the kiss to the nose makes it scrunch up a bit. "I never under estimate your hexing ability." he says easily enough he will help her with the cloak and will hang it up if allowed. "How was your trip? I couldn't believe that huge order came in, and you had to leave. It's good for the shop though I suppose." he says over to her kind of running to gather in his excitement.

"My hexes are horrid, you shouldn't overestimate them certainly." Sorcha says with a smile, letting him take her cloak easily to hang up with a nod, "It was good. The order was quite fortunate, honestly. Nia still hasn't told me what the repairs to the shop were or how much they cost, but I can't imagine she doesn't need the additional income for it. But the trip itself was lovely. Spent time with some family friends I hadn't seen in some time. Though… I will say it is divine to be home again." She leans to glance at the seats around the table, "Is Karma hiding in the study again?"

A soft tapping on the front door announces the arrival of the pair's dinner guest. Rhyeline clasps her hands behind her back, standing at her full, diminutive height as she waits for Graham to open the door. A witch stands with her, a woman in her mid-thirties wearing a no-nonsense expression.

Graham nods turning back though he's still listening he moves back and puts his arm around the waist of the other. "I still wish i'd been there to protect the store, but there was so much going on had to try and stop people getting hurt first." he says with a small sigh of course he cannot be everywhere at once. He looks up rolling his eyes "She's probably in my room trying to rip a whole in my mattress. The knock on the door turns his attention and he'll walk along with the other if she'll come along and open the door "Hello sister." he will say opening the door further.

"Don't tell me you hid the catnip in there again?" Sorcha says with a slightly scolding tone, "I can get you a proper jar for it for in the cabinet." She leans in and kisses him lightly with a shake of her head, "Don't be silly. Nobody there was hurt, you had much more important things to do." When the knock comes she smiles and nods to the door, glancing around out of habit to make sure that there isn't anything Graham left half done. She lets him greet Rhyeline first without interupting, stepping over into the living room a bit back from the door, enough of a pace away not to startle any guards that might be hanging about, "Lovely to see you again, Rhyeline. I hope things have been well?"

Rhyeline looks up at Graham a soft, warm smile before stepping into his home. "Hello, brother." Her guard follows, offering the auror a brief nod. She observes Sorcha a moment before moving to stand near the door. Hands clasped behind her back, Rhyeline peeks over at Sorcha with a rather shy, but bright little smile, "Yes… they have been well, thank you. And- and with you?"

The auror offers Rhyeline the same smile at her greeting "Glad you could make it." a nod returned to the guard he'll shut the door behind them before moving back to join Sorcha and answering. "Hm maybe that's what it was. I forget about moving it a jar would be fancy. Suppose your right cant be everywhere at once." Graham offers before adding to both "Dinner should be ready soon. I think i've got everything in order."

Smiling to the guard when she comes in, Sorcha turns her attention to the other girl once everyone seems to be getting settled, "Well, thank you. I'm just getting back from a trip to gather some lemongrass. Quite a bit of lemongrass, really. But it's lovely to be home." She shakes her head a little at Graham before turning back to Rhyeline again, "I'm so glad we could see eachother again, it's been since tea at the shop, I think?"

Rhyeline looks a touch dazed when Sorcha mentions that tea in the shop and she realizes just how much has happened since then. "Yes," she murmurs, nodding at Sorcha. "Much has happened… good things and- and bad… I- I hope that- that the riots didn't affect your shop so much? You- you weren't there, yes?"

Graham nods "We were just talking about the riots, it seems things have been fixed at the shop so luckily not too badly damaged." He says though still doesn't seem happy about it "Ah yes the night in the Alley with that creepy wizard." he shakes his head remembering the gathering a bit better now as it's brought up. The sound of an alarm magical sort goes off he moves into the kitchen "Ah, looks like food is done."

Sorcha shakes her head, "No, I wasn't there. It was while I was away." She nods at Graham's explanation, "Though my sister hasn't really given me much information on what did happen at the shop. I know there was some damage, but she had it fixed before I came home today." Smiling when food is mentioned, she takes the chance to ask, "Do you need any help? Or have you gotten everything squared away already?"

Rhyeline blinks, having forgotten the unpleasant beginnings of that particular evening. As Graham heads off to check on the food, the little one watches him go before peeking over at Sorcha. Even though Sorcha is dear both to her adopted brother and her healer, the little mouse still seems rather shy. Her guard remains as an impassive, stone statue.

"I think i'm okay, thanks for saving the rolls." Graham says from in the kitchen the sounds of getting everything plated can likely be heard. He steps back and looks at everything a moment "Okay diner is ready when you are." it's an invite to join him in the kitchen where he has the table set for them bowls of soup and rolls set out with utensils and the like of course also setup a bottle of wine set out and glasses are there as well.

Sorcha offers Rhyeline a smile but doesn't push, instead following Graham into the kitchen and taking up the bottle of wine to begin pouring for everyone with ease. "It smells delightful." She leans over and drops a kiss on Graham's cheek before she sets the bottle of wine back in its bucket, moving to sit down in one of the chairs, "Oh, Phil came by today. We spent most of the day looking through wedding magazines to try and find dresses. She's asked me to be a bridesmaid after all."

Hands clasped behind her back, Rhyeline follows Sorcha into the kitchen. Her guard remains standing by the door. Graham is on a very small list of those to be trusted around Rhyeline. The little one can't seem to help but smile as she watches the affection shared between her brother and his beloved. The girl sits down at the table to Graham's left, leaving the place of honor for Sorcha. At the mention of Phil, the little one hesitates and her smile fades a bit. Hoping to hide it though, she bows her head and busies herself with neatly folding a napkin in her lap. She assumes the news is more directed at Graham anyways.

The young man smiles seeing Sorcha move to help him he returns the kiss easily "Thank you." Graham finishes up with a few small things while he listens "That's great, I knew she'd ask you. Oh that reminds me. I met a fashion designer the other day just by chance in the alley, i've been meaning to tell Phil but double patrols with the riots have made it tough." he says watches as Rhyeline moves in as well knowing how she's rather shy he'll still speak to her hoping to bring her out some. "I hope it's okay?" he'll move to pull a chair our for Sorcha and with push her in before he sits down himself.

"Oh? She mentioned having an appointment with a seamstress, but she didn't mention who. I'll make sure and tell her though." Sorcha answers, smiling over to Rhyeline as she gets settled in her chair, "Thankfully I don't have to wear pink. It was the only thing I was worried about." Being a ginger and all. She turns back to Rhyeline again and asks, "So, I was hoping you could help me with something, actually, Rhyeline, if it's not too much trouble?" She reaches over and picks up the basket of rolls, passing it first across the table to Rhyeline before she takes a sip of her wine.

Rhyeline peeks over at Graham and offers him a small, quiet nod. "…yes, it's lovely." Her attention gets drawn when Sorcha speaks to her. The little one blinks andshe tilts her head to the side, cautious but curious of what Sorcha will ask of her.

Graham nods smiling "She said having an owl sent to Braewyn Potts, and she'd setup a consultation." He responds about telling Phil of his random encounter though he other words get an eyebrow raised "I think you would look great in anything but i'm glad your a bit more comfortable with the color choices." The auror turns to look at his adopted nodding "Good i'm glad." he takes a bite of a roll and will look between the pair while he finishes chewing it.

"Graham is good at many things. Determining if someone is a dark wizard, finding hexed clocks." Sorcha says, "But, when it comes to books he's quite generally besotted, I'm afraid." She picks up her spoon to stir her stew around just a little, "I know he thinks well of this Thomas fellow, but unfortunately, I worry that he's just slightly blinded by the fact that he owns a book shop. And, having never met him, I can't get an opinion of his character without some bit of bias I'm afraid." She blows on a spoonfull just a little and asks, "What do you think of him?"

Rhyeline takes one of Graham's fresh-baked rolls and nibbles it as she watches Sorcha, listening to her carefully introduced request. Her dark gaze flickers to Graham and then back to his beloved Sorcha. "Em… well, I- I think that most of all he- he is honorable… but… perhaps… a little impulsive… But, he- he seems devoted to Phil…"

"I'm good at getting bitten by dragons too, if we're listing my skills. I owe you a full explanation on that." Graham starts as he hears the other speak but he'll be quiet as it's perhaps not the time as he hears the question asked of Rhyeline. It seems odd to him but he'll not interrupt at watching back and forth in silence given that it's his perception in question he'll think on that a bit for the moment.

Graham gets a look for his latest skill with a shake of her head before she turns back to Rhyeline, nodding when she seems to think that the other girl might have more to add, "Go on?" Sorcha takes a bite of stew and chews for a bit, offering plenty of time for her dinner companions to speak before she smiles to Graham, "This tastes just as grand as it smelled as though it would."

Rhyeline hesitates as she nibbles on the fresh-baked roll. She peeks over at Graham once more before looking back to Sorcha. "Well… what- what has- has Phil told you of him?"

Graham smiles to Sorcha the look he gets seems to bring humor to his face knowing that it will be an interesting conversation. "I'm glad you like it, I was worried i've never tried to make it like this before." He catches the look from his adopted sister but smiles encourgingly for her to answer freely though he knows she is slow to trust anyone. "He was one of the shop keepers who was willing to take a stand against those who rioted so honorable works." he adds to be helpful though he's eating and drinking as well.

Taking a roll and breaking it apart to dip a bit in her stew, Sorcha says thoughtfully, "Well, she obviously thinks he's grand. And she's mentioned that he's estranged from his family, though it wasn't my place to ask too many questions as to why. Though I did learn he's Mikhale Carrow's brother, so that was quite interesting." She adds to Graham, before turning back to Rhyeline, "I can tell she worries for him though wants him to be able to be independent as much as possible. And she worries for his feelings quite a bit, so that says that while she doesn't think he's overly sensitive she does feel that he does care about how others view him."

Rhyeline seems encouraged by Graham's smile. However, at the mention of Mikhale, the girl's dark, expressive eyes cannot quite hide the caution his name evokes. Lowering her gaze, she takes another bite of the roll. "I'm not sure how much he cares of- of what others think of him.. but… estranged frm his family… that- that was… because of- an impulsive action." Taking a sip of wine, she explains, not looking up at either of them. Her cheeks are rather warm as she murmurs, "You see… he- he seemed to- to fall in love with me… rather quickly… he asked to court me after- after knowing me less than a few days… I- I was cautious… I said no… but- He- he went to Berlin… and- and tried to find the wand that- that caused my curse…" She pauses, taking another sip of wine. "He didn't find the wand, but- but when he returned, he was dismissed from his position at the I.M.C. and- and as a result, disowned by his family…" Keeping her gaze averted, she takes another sip of wine.

The auror nods at the conversation at large before he speaks further "I'd heard that Mikhale was his brother though i've not seen him in a while myself he got into a disagreement with Auror Bates." Graham says shaking his head at the memory of that occasion and takes another drink of wine. He is silent while his sister speaks but will look to Sorcha "Yes he opened the bookstore after that and started seeing Phil."

"Wait… he's that odd fellow that was in Diagon Alley just before you and I went in for tea?" Sorcha asks Rhyeline, pausing with obvious surprise on her features as she lowers her spoon and looks over to the other girl for confirmation, "That was… frankly a bit creepy before he ran off to go and do whatever it was that he was doing?" She takes another broken piece of her roll to eat thoughtfully at this revelation.

Rhyeline blinks and shakes her head a little. "N-no… That was- was someone else… a barrister… No, Thomas is- is someone else… but- yes, he- he took interest rather swiftly." The little one shifts in her chair, looking rather uncomfortable as she lowers her gaze and takes another sip of wine. "But… Phil is strong. I'm sure she'll be alright. He… he took interest in her as… as quickly as he lost interest in me- once he saw I- I still did not return his- his romantic interest… but- now they are to be married… so… to him, I don't think she is as- as fleeting of an interest…"

Graham winces but shakes his head as well at the mistaken identity of the one they speak of. "No, I cant remember that guys name but i've seen him since at work. We'll have to visit the bookstore sometime Sorcha it is well stocked. He figured when I was buying spy novels in bulk that I was starting a bookclub." The auror says though he'll take a bit more to eat while the other speaks a bit more in full as to the series of events.

"Oh, that's a relief." Sorcha replies with an expression that says that she was really getting concerned, "Not that you should be pleased with the way all that was handled but at least they are two different people." She takes another bite of stew and says, "So it sounds as though you think that he's at least a decent sort, so that's also a relief." Smiling she turns to Graham, "Dragons?"

Rhyeline gives a small shrug when Sorcha says she shouldn't be pleased with how it was handle. Though the little one seems even more reserved than usual when talking about it, there she'd described Thomas' fleeting interest in her without pain. She had expected nothing else, hence her initial caution to accept. However, she nods in silent confirmation when Sorcha mentions that she and Graham seem to think he is a decent sort. Impulsive, but honorable. When the conversation focuses on Graham, the girl peeks up at them both at last. Sipping her wine, she takes small, measured bites of food.

The young man sets his wine glass down watching back and forth as they talk, but as Sorcha looks to him he cannot help but grin in return "I owe you another picking day." Graham starts to her though he'll try and remember what he said in his owl to her so he wont repeat deciding to give the short version. "Well I got a tip on a darkwizard, I went to arrest him and got him with only a minor fight but apparently the information failed to get that he dealt in illegal dragons. So it bit my thigh and jabbed my hand with it's spiked tail." he gives a shrug "I'm okay, the worst part was the potion which made me taste like a vegetable so the dragon would let go." he laughs.

Rhyeline can't help but grin when he mentions the vegetable potion. She even gives a soft, impish little giggle. "Asparagus," she tells Sorcha.

"Ahhh. So… 'I arrested an illegal dragon breeder and we had a bit of a row' was just a slightly abbreviated version of the encounter, then." Sorcha replies, giving Graham another look that's part amusement but somewhat pointed as well, "Do you still taste like asparagus?" She takes another drink from her wine glass and sends a covert wink over to Rhyeline as she gives Graham another firm grilling look.

Rhyeline blinks at Sorcha's covert little wink. But then- oh dear. Just as she is sipping her wine, she gives a bit of a squeak. The innocent creature turns bright red and looks down studiously at her dinner. No, she doesn't know what Sorcha was implying, not at all. Except, her recent courtship has taught her about a few things. Oh dear.

Graham grins looking apologetic to his lack of detail on his note. "I guess when I got home I should have sent something better. Was a little out of it." The auror says but he shakes his head to her question "Luckily no was only for the day, it's worn off worst potion i've ever tasted to be honest." he answers as normal. The squeak gets a look that direction a bit of confusion it seems he's missed the wink as well given he had been talking. He looks to Sorcha though

Sorcha sips her wine again and doesn't let him off the hook that easily, "Mmm, I see." She sets the glass down, "I'll have to decide then if one gathering trip is quite enough. There could be additional clauses involving limited messages that we haven't explored yet." She doesn't give Rhyeline any kind of look for her squeak. Or give Graham a break, "We'll review later." But, she does turn back to Rhyeline and shakes her head, "You have to keep an eye on him every second, don't you."

"Yes…" murmurs Rhyeline with a small nod. Her dark gaze flickers to Graham a moment before she leans forward towards Sorcha. In a rather quiet tone, she tells her, "He even got out of bed to go to the Leaky Cauldron that morning." Having gotten her brother into a bit /more/ trouble, the little one can't help but give a mischevious little grin.

"We'll have to discuss that different clauses and terms later. Yes though a dragon clause I can understand." Graham says to her smiling he is definitely in one piece and doesn't wish to worry her too much. He looks to his adopted sister as she speaks about his adventure out the next day shaking his head as he's tag-teamed. "Yes and Phil decided that if I were to be a vegetable i'd be a parsnip." he says laughing and shaking his head.

Sorcha shakes her head a bit, "And then you did what?" She sighs, "I suppose you couldn't be expected to go to all the trouble of cooking for yourself after just surviving a harrowing dragon attack." She wrinkles her nose at the mention of him being a parsnip, "Oh dear. I'd recommend asparagus first. Parsnip is a bit much perhaps."

Rhyeline takes another sip of wine, but pauses at Graham's words. Blinking, she tilts her head to the side. "A parsnip? Why a parsnip?" she murmurs, looking like a curious little kitten.

Graham nods to Sorcha first "Indeed, i got a free breakfast so it was a win-win right?" he knows that he's not off the hook for the dragon. "I'll make a note if i'm given a choice to go with asparagus." he says to her reaching over to take her hand. He looks to his adpoted sister and chuckles at her question "Ah yes what was it a parsnip because i'm unassuming and a little boring until roasted with honey and then unexpectedly sweet." he explains with a grin.

Letting Graham take her hand, Sorcha laughs a bit, "Well, a free breakfast is always quite nice." She grins when he gives his explanation about the whole parsnip business, "I see. So… now I need to roast you? And… cover you in honey? Is that close to what the dragon did? Or did that limit itself to impalement?"

Rhyeline frowns just a touch at that explanation. "I don't think you're boring. Even when- when we first met, you- you showed me such wonderful books… and brought cake…"

The auror listens to Sorcha brushing a thumb over her hand lightly having missed her it's clear. "I mean if you'd like to have more discerning tastes than a dragon who found no issue with raw me, than yes that's apparently the recipe." he gives her his own wink he smiles to the other as she speaks "Thank you Rhyeline I appreciate the vote of confidence. I've gotten much less boring Sorcha and Phil wont let me be too dull it's a good thing."

Sorcha leans forward over the table towards Rhyeline, "He used to simply spend all day locked in his room with books. In fact, once he was tied in there with a scarf somehow and didn't even notice for hours." She shrugs, "I have no idea how that possibly could've happened." She sits back in her seat again and picks up her glass to take another sip of her wine.

Rhyeline can't help but grin at Sorcha's little anecdote. She peeks over at Graham with much warmth. As an avid reader herself, she knows well how that sort of thing might happen. But then, peeking curiously from one to the other, she hesitates before murmuring, "What sort of- of vegetable do you think- that- I might be?"

Graham shakes his head "Well I still read a lot but I also go out and do things now." he says which is true he's more out going than he had been before "I may or may not have dragged my bed a few inches when I got up." the question gets a bit of thought "vegetable is hard, but if a fruit i'd say a peach a bit soft on the outside, but with a strong core." he says looking to Sorcha "A vegetable for you though a pepper beautiful outside, smart in many different things, but dangerous if handled improperly."

Sorcha smiles, "Peach is a good choice." She laughs a bit at his story about the bed, "What in heaven's name would you do that for?" She laughs at her being a pepper, "Pepper and parsnips? I'm not sure how those would come together in terms of a meal." Turning to Rhyeline she smiles, "Would you care for any more wine?"

Rhyeline's eyes widen at Graham's observation that she is a peach. Sorcha's agreement makes the subtle warmth in her cheeks deepen. Looking almost bashful at the two of them, she hides behind her glass of wine, draining the last of its contents. At Sorcha's offer, the little one gives a small nod and holds out her glass. "Thank you…" Then she adds, glancing from one to the other. "Thank you both… you both are… are so kind."

"Not knowing one is attached you see. I didnt get very far trust me." Graham says to Sorcha at her question about him and the bed incident but he gives a small shrug as it only happened the once after all. "I don't know, I think we as peppers and parsnips do fairly well for ourselves." he says giving her a warm smile a moment before he looks back "Not sure i've done anything, but your welcome." he says to Rhyeline

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