One Lump or Two, Mr. FloppyEars?

"Hermione dear, the tea's ready!" called Mrs. Granger towards the direction of her six-year-old daughter's bedroom. "I think the guests should be here soon!"

"All right, Mummy, I'll only be a moment!" the young girl called back as she struggled to scramble into a pink dress trimmed with white lace that she had set aside for this specific occasion.

Hermione pulled on her stockings and buckled her black, polished Mary Janes; she pulled a large, purple hairbrush from her bedside drawer and ran it through her hair to make sure it was tangle-less. She retireived and elegant pink ribbon from the same drawer before walking---not running, a lady never ran---into the kitchen where Mrs. Granger, donning green quilted mittens was pulling a trat of hot scones from the oven.

"Mummy, will you put this ribbon in my hair? I want to look especially pretty for our guests!" Hermione said quickly, dangling the silk ribbon infront of her so her mother could view her selection.

"Of course, sweetie." Mrs. Granger olbiged, accepting the ribbon from her daughter. She made a perfectly straight part in her little girl's hair, separating the top layer of her hair from the bottom. Her mother took the upper layer in her hands and tied the pink ribbon tightly around it before twisting the ribbon into a full, flawless bow.

"Thank you!" Hermione squealed before skipping out into the entry way, probably to look in the mirror, to search for flaws. What could she say? Hermione was a perfectionist . . .

"All right, Mummy, what's left to do?" asked Hermione gleefully, skipping happily into that kitchen where her mother was setting the table.

"You can fold the napkins if you want." her mother offered. "D'you remember how Mummy taught you?"

Hermione nodded and crawled into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, she pulled the midnight blue napkin towards her and began to fold. Mrs. Granger left her daughter to her work and went to make sure the living room was clean for their "guests", honestly she didn't really care but she liked to humor Hermione because she loved the way her eyes lit up when she'd had a good day. Upon returning to the kitchen she discovered that Hermione was nearly done folding napkins she only had one left, Mrs. Grnger directed her attention to the napkins that had already been folded.

"Hermione, who taught you how to do that!" Mrs. Granger replied eagerly.

On the table infront of her lay four perfectly folded origami swans.

"I'm sorry Mummy, am I doing it wrong?! " Hermione asked fearfully, her mother's tone of voice had shaken her a bit. "I didn't mean to, the book said all I have to do is fold this over this corner over here and then twist it an---"

"No Hermione, that's really beautiful. How long did it take you to learn this?" her mother asked interestedly.

"Well . . ." said Hermione thoughfully, scrunching up her face and tapping her chin in only a way that a child would do. "I read about it seven days ago," she held up seven fingers. "But I haven't tried until today. But if you don't want me to do it anymore---"

"It's fine, Hermione, I just think it's really pretty is all---why don't you set them in their places and---"

"Our guests are here!" Hermione exclaimed happily, before running to the door.

*~*~*

They were all seated around he table, the beautiful swans Hermione had folded infront of them.

"Scone, Mummy?" Hermione asked, gesturing towards the plate of buttered scones that also lie before them.

"Yes, please." said Mrs. Granger.

Hermione placed the scone on her mother's plate with a napkin, before turning to her left.

"One lump or two, Mr. FloppyEars?"

An reply was whispered that only Hermione could here before the brown-haired girl dropped three cubes of sugar into her stuffed rabbit's cup of tea.