(no subject)

[clumsy_auror]

"All right, there, Fireproofing Charm on the deck accordingly renewed."

Nymphadora straightens up, nodding with satisfaction as the deck planks glow blue for a moment. Then she adjusts her fuzzy pom-pommed hat, and turns back to her husband.

"Is there anything else likely to be set on fire by your little toys?"

The witch squints out over the darkened lakefront as though expecting to see errant piles of drapery or old newspapers.

Comments

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

Bernard rolls his eyes heavenwards with dramatic flair.

"Maybe the roof."

[clumsy_auror]

"--Oooh, yes, good thinking, love." Nimbly she climbs up on the deck rail and, tongue sticking slightly out in concentration, waves her wand in a great sweeping arc. The roof, too, glows blue.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

He snorts in disbelief and wraps a hand around her ankle; he'd been teasing her.

"Are you quite finished?"

[clumsy_auror]

"I suppose so," she replies, rubbing her nose reflectively and then putting a hand on his shoulder to steady her jump down. "...What?"

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"Nothing." His hands at her waist steady her further, and as she lands in front of him, he kisses her cheek warmly. "Hi."

[clumsy_auror]

A grin. "Hi, yourself. This is gonna be fun, don't you think?" Nymphadora's mittened hands rest on his forearms with an affectionate squeeze.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"Uh-huh." He grins back, and reaches up to tweak her silly hat. "It'll give me a chance to set your pom-poms on fire, which is my greatest ambition."

[clumsy_auror]

Giving Bernard a look of mock affront, 'Dora reaches up and protectively bats his hand away from her hat. "You like this hat."

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"I do like this hat. The pom-poms mock me and make me want to set things on fire," he laughs. Evading her hand, he reaches up again and plucks it off her head, holding it up almost out of her reach.

[clumsy_auror]

Almost, but not quite. She jumps up at snatches it out of his hand, pulling it down over her hair again with a prim sniff. "Git."

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"Oh, please," Bernard scoffs, his arms once again slipping around her waist. "Nobody teases you anymore, hardly. It's good for you."

[clumsy_auror]

"So you say." But she pecks him on the mouth all the same, not really at all bothered. "So it's nearly quarter till, I think..."

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"Geez, is it really?" He looks at his watch, eyebrows quirking. "Where did you wanna do it? We could go towards the woods a bit. Set the trees on fire." An unholy light comes into his eyes at the suggestion.

[clumsy_auror]

"Nnnnno, I'd rather stay closer to the deck -- maybe just on the stretch of lawn between here and the lake. Want to be close to the kids, if they need us."

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"Damn," Bernard mutters, disappointed, and picks up the box they'd sat on one of the porch chairs. "Come on." He holds out his free hand. "I like giving you explosives on New Year's."

[clumsy_auror]

"And you do it so well."

'Dora takes his hand and follows him onto the lawn, peering at the box with interest.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

"Well, you're just so inspirational and all," he replies with an expressive eyeroll which does nothing to dispell the inherent truth of the statement.

When they're a good distance from the main bar building, but close enough to run home if there's any trouble, he sets the box down and kneels on the cold ground pulling all manner of interesting rocket-shaped items out. "What's the time?"

[clumsy_auror]

She checks her watch. "Thirteen till. Oooh. That one looks interesting," 'Dora continues, leaning down to inspect the closest.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

He instantly reaches out to slap her hand away. "No grabbyhands, magpie." But he's smiling as he sets the fireworks in an order of his own making, braiding fuses together in an intricate pattern as he goes.

[clumsy_auror]

She watches admiringly as his deft fingers work, then turns to look up at the night sky. There are patches of clouds here and there of the same wispy quality as the puffs of air that appear with each breath from her lips; but there are stars, too, twinkling between the bare branches of the trees and over the great open expanse of the lake.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

Bernard bites his lip as he weaves ten fuses together with the practice of twenty years' detonation, and smiles, pulling the spool of extra fuse out of the box and weaving it, too, into the center of the bundle. He ties it all off with a spare bit of twine and stands, walking over to adjust the trajectory of a couple of rockets.

Then he steps back and picks up the spool, turning to his wife.

"Do you have the blanket all charmed up? I'm ready to step back if you are."

[clumsy_auror]

She nods vigorously, and trips back to the deck to retrieve a warm bundle of blankets, and a thermos lying alongside.

Trotting back, Nymphadora sets the thermos down with care, and then snaps the blanket open.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, Bernard has unwound the fuse a good twenty feet and meets her in the middle, kneeling on the blanket and pulling out his pocket knife to cut the end.

He turns to Nymphadora with a grin.

"Okay. We're all set."

[clumsy_auror]

The witch drops down beside him and sits cross-legged, the thermos tucked between her legs. "Let 'er rip, mate."

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

He snickers and settles back, pulling his matches out of the pocket of his peacoat.

He looks at them in his hand for a moment, then offers them to her. "If this isn't love, I don't know what is."