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“Are you hungry?”
Regulus felt his cheeks heat up slightly from where he sat on the couch in the Granger household as he turned to look at the Granger family matriarch—the woman he ’d started calling maman .
“I heard your stomach growl, so I know you are,” she smiled at him. “How about I teach you a few simple things you can do on your own if I’m not here, so you can be more independent. Would you like that?”
A pair of silver eyes widened in excitement. She motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen, but she walked him over to a device. “Let’s start with this. Have you seen this before?”
Regulus shook his head.
“It’s a toaster.”
“Oh.” He knew that the device was for toasting bread.
“This—” She pointed at a long thing coming out from the wall. “Is the plug and it gives the toaster power, but you can plug and unplug any device with a plug.” She showed him how to do that, before plopping a couple of pieces of toast. “And for this, you push it down like this.”
“That looks easy,” Regulus noted. “I simply need to butter it when it is done. Add jelly?”
“Now, let’s make some eggs.” He watched her pull out a pan, much like the ones he saw Kreacher use in the kitchen. He took it from her and set it on the stove.
“Good. You also want to be sure to properly oil the pans you use, so stuff you cook doesn’t stick.”
“Noted.”
She handed him the oil. “The best way to learn is by doing.”
So, while she got eggs out, he oiled the pan by putting oil in, just as he saw Kreacher do whenever he cooked, though without magic. What happened after that, he didn ’t know.
“Oh, good. We turn it on here, and this adjusts the heat level.” Regulus nodded his head, watching her carefully. “Now, we’re going to crack the eggs.”
Regulus took the egg he handed her, unsure, but then—the first egg broke all over the pan.
“That’s okay. We’ll scrape it out and try again. Try being more gentle. A light tap will do.”
This time, Regulus did it, but he watched the egg cook, stirring it as she instructed, but then the egg went onto the toast he buttered. He sat down, stopping when he realized she didn ’t have anything to eat.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make myself something to eat now, so go ahead and eat your eggs and toast.”
He started eating but found himself quite pleased at the first meal he made himself.
Eventually, she came over. “Do you like your eggs?”
Regulus nodded his head. “Yes. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Would you like me to teach you how to cook more things?”
He nodded his head, liking how he was becoming more independent than he ’d ever been under the roof of Grimmauld place.