dinner with the Jordans (family & puff girls)

[Genevieve Danforth]

Genevieve was a nervous wreck as Lance opened the door to his home and led her inside. But her smile never faltered. When Mr. Jordan stepped up to greet her, she blushed prettily. "Mr. Jordan, it's so nice to finally meet you," she said. "Lance and Josh and Eve all speak so highly of you that I almost feel like I know you already. Thank you so much for inviting me into your home."

Merlin, she sounded like a muggle beauty pageant contestant. Well, at least maybe she'd win for Miss Congeniality...

[Lance Jordan]

Lance could tell that Genevieve was nervous, she sounded so polite and proper he chuckled quietly watching. When she was done he winked at her and held out his hand to go introduce her to his mother. "We'll be right back dad, I better take Genevieve to meet mum then." He waited for her to join him before draging her to the kitchen behind Eve.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh smiled as Eve took off towards the kitchen. She was already a part of the family, and it was Josh's goal to make her a permenant member one day. Yes, he was only sixteen, but he hadn't really thought too much about another girl as much as he did Eve. He did like Genevieve at one point, but it was just a slight crush. With Eve around, that had faded and he didn't notice any other girl the way he did with her.

Deciding that he'd let his mother fuss over Lance, Genevieve, and Eve first, Josh turned to his father. "So dad, how have things been going," he asked with his hands in his pockets, after he watched Eve disappear into the kitchen.

[Tom Heywood]

Thomas beamed at the thought of the children being home again. The Jordan's weren't your usually family, they pretty much adopted Eve and they had no issues of extending the same offer to Genevieve. Their sons were their lives and any woman who could make their boys smile was about as good as it gets and the only requirement they ever had for the girls their sons dated.

As Josh turned to him and asked him how things were, he motioned back to the living room. "Come let the women fuss over the food, lets sit down and talk Joshy." Moving back to his recliner he sat down and took a sip from the coffee cup that had been sitting unnoticed. "You won't believe some of the things Josh...someone filled one of those muggle boats with crates full of pygmy puffs....Took ten of us a good five hours to fix a good one hundred and fourty muggles.." With a small chuckle, he leaned back in his recliner a bit. "So how are you and Eve? You better be taking care of that girl Josh.."

[Josh Jordan]

Josh smiled and took a seat on the couch. He was always interested in what his father did. "Gosh. Why would anyone want to fill boats with pygmy puffs?" He shook his head. He didn't understand what the purpose of disliking muggles was, other than just have someone to look down upon.

"We're good dad. I still haven't asked her out," he said with his ears turning red. "Although I really want to, I'm just not sure if she'll believe me. But I am taking care of her, I promise. She was sick a few days ago, but now you wouldn't be able to tell it. I let her stay in my room while she was sick." Josh knew that his parents knew that he always let Eve share a bed with him so she could sleep rather than have a restless night alone. Of course, nothing ever happened. He wasn't that type.

[Tom Heywood]

Thomas beamed at his son, he raised his kids to treat a lady like a lady and they always seemed to exceed his standards. "Honestly Josh, you'd be surprised what some of these wizards think is funny. Those muggle kids fell in love with the puffskeins....if we hadn't caught the boat before it made port we could of been in some serious trouble." Taking another sip from his coffee cup, he eyed his boy. "Now why haven't you asked that girl out yet, everyone but you can see she's head over heels for you..."

[Josh Jordan]

He raised an eyebrow at his father's comment. "I don't know dad," said Josh. "I just don't want her to feel like she's forced into anything or that I'm just asking because I can." He shook his head. Eve was head over heels for him? "I've been dropping subtle hints that I like her, and she's responding like she always has, although I'm not complaining about it. I kind of enjoy it actually. I almost kissed her on the lips twice. The first time was in Hogsmeade and we were in the three broomsticks, but Lance and Genevieve have 'perfect' timing." The memory of that still made Josh want to smile because Eve didn't act like she wanted to pull back. If he remembered correctly, she had even inched towards him too. "The second time was when she was sick. I tried to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head and I caught the corner of her mouth."

Josh sighed. "I'm just going to take things easy and see how they play out. I don't know what I believe when it comes to her being head over heels. Although, I plan to ask her out closer to Christmas, so it will be a great gift, if what you say is the complete truth, not that I ever doubt you."

[Genevieve Danforth]

Genevieve smiled shyly as she followed Lance into the kitchen to meet Mrs. Jordan. Eve was already there, trying to help out with the cooking. This made Genevieve feel even more nervous, realizing that she couldn't really do that. She'd tried to help her mum in the kitchen before, and she found that she wasn't really good at it. Maybe she could set the table or something, but she couldn't so much as boil water without spilling it.

[Beth Jordan]

Beth gave Eve a hug when she entered the kitchen. Eve was already one of her daughters in all but name as far as she was concerned, and she hoped that eventually Josh would marry the girl and make it official, though of course there was no rush as all things happen in their own time and the boys still had a few more years of school. "Hello Eve dear, can you check the pie in the oven for me? I think it should be just about ready and needs to cool. The cooling rack is already on the window shelf." She always treated Eve like family and gave her a motherly kiss before turning to see Lance and Genevieve enter the kitchen. Well it was about time he'd brought the girl home, she thought.

Beth smiled warmly and walked over to the girl to give her a hug. Lance and Josh had spoken of her so often in the last six years that she felt as if she already knew the girl. "Welcome home, Genevieve. I'm glad to finally meet you, and you are as pretty as they said you would be. Lance give your mother a hug before I box your ears, and where is your brother?" She gave Lance a hug and motherly kiss on the cheek. "Go keep your father company while us girls finish getting dinner ready. And tell Josh he owes me a hug." She chuckled and shooed her son back out of the kitchen before he could try to snag his usual taste tests from the food.

She turned back to Genevieve, "How about you help me set the table, then. Most of the cooking is already done and about ready to be served." It was her way of making the girl feel comfortable and welcome and part of the family. Lance had already warned her that the girl couldn't cook, and was thankful that Lance had actually been decent at cooking. "Eve, when you're done with the pie will you join us in the dining room, dear?" Beth pulled out the food from the oven and set it on the wooden working table in the middle of the kitchen to cool a bit while they set the table.

Beth pulled out the place settings and handed some to Genevieve to help her set the table. "So tell me, child, what do you like to do when you aren't in school?"

[Lance Jordan]

Lance knew his mother was like a whirlwind in the kitchen and when she told him to go see his father he didn't argue. He was happy to see his mother accepting Genevieve into her fold and was smiling as he went to join his brother and father. "I think I was kicked out of the kitchen..." his statement was more bemused than anything and not really requiring a reply as he sat down on a nearby chair.

[Eve Mallory]

Eve was quick to help and be about her work, she enjoyed being in the kitchen and she enjoyed especially being in this kitchen. Lance and Viv were just behind her and as introductions were made Eve kept one ear on what reactions Viv received. Not that she expected the girl to have anything less than a warm welcome, but that nigging doubt in the back of her mind wondered if the Jordan's would like Viv more than her.

As she was thinking all this she wasn't even watching Viv or Mrs. Jordan but instead had her hands on that pie, which while she was standing there thinking, managed to slip and burn her wrist. "Mmph!" she hissed before quickly making it to the cooling rack to set the dish down.

When she was done there and had run some cool water over her wrist she went into the dining room to help set the table.

[Beth Jordan]

Beth smiled at Eve and gave her another hug as the dinner placements were finished being set. "I'm so glad to see you again Eve, I've missed having you three around. It's so quiet here without everyone. Genevieve will you call the boys to dinner? And Eve, honey, can you help me bring out the food?" Beth enjoyed doing things the more muggle way, even though she was good at food charms. But she felt that more love went into dinner when it was cooked by hand and served the same way. Beth dissappeared back into the kitchen with Eve to get the food.

[Eve Mallory]

Eve was reassured looking into the motherly eyes of...well her second mother really, she nodded at once losing that hesitation in her eyes, " Sure Aunt Beth." she said following her into the kitchen.

Mrs. Jordan wasn't her actual aunt, obviously, but the woman had bounced Eve on her knee when she was a baby. Eve's mother was just starting her pregnancy when Mrs. Jordan's was over and they obviously had been closer before Eve's mother died so to Eve Mrs. Jordan had always been aunt Beth.

She needed that reaffirmation in her life after her mother died...she needed to know that she still had family other than her father...who wasn't even like a father anymore the Jordans had really taken care of her and she would always love them for that, and for everything else.

Once in the kitchen she proceeded to do as she was told. She learned her muggle way of cooking more from Mrs. Jordan and she enjoyed it, in fact she thought best when she was in the kitchen.

[Genevieve Danforth]

Genevieve was uncharacteristically quiet as her nerves took over. Mrs. Jordan was a wonderful, warm and caring woman, and although she helped to set Genevieve at ease, she couldn't help feeling nervous. She was afraid that she would do or say something dumb, and it would ruin the woman's impression of her.

She had set the table in silence, thankfully managing to avoid dropping or breaking anything. When she was finished, she waited for a moment, feeling uncertain, until Mrs. Jordan told her to call the boys for dinner.

"I can do that!" she said a little too enthusiastically, as she bounced out of the room and into the living room.

"Dinner's ready!" she said, her eyes connecting to Lance's. She felt a little more secure with him by her side.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh looked from his father to Genevieve as she entered the living room. A smile appeared on his face as she said dinner was ready. He stood up. "Well, I'm heading for the dining room. I'm starving."

He passed Genevieve with a smile and headed to the dining room. His eyes sparkled brighter as he saw Eve. Josh looked to his mother. "Mum!" He went directly to her and gave her a hug. "Whatever you're cooking smells wonderful!"

[Eve Mallory]

Eve grinned when he came in to hug his mother.

Was it so bad that she wanted this for herself some day? That she wanted her own son to come in like Josh had and nearly pick her up with hugs, only, she wanted Josh to be her husband in said manner. She wanted to get a small house in Godric's Hollow near the Jordan's and live her life very simply, very happily there with Josh by her side.

[Josh Jordan]

Once he finished hugging his mother, he turned to Eve with a smile. He couldn't help himself. Josh walked over to her and pulled her chair out so she could slid in and he could help her slide up to the table. He loved the idea that Eve felt like she was at home in his home. It made him feel more comfortable, and in addition to that his parents loved her. It wouldn't be a problem when he would finally ask her out. Obviously, according to his father's reaction eariler, it would be a good thing when he did. Josh still couldn't get the idea of Eve being head over heels for him out of his head.

[Eve Mallory]

She turned to him slightly and briefly her eyes met his it was obvious to other people that they had something going on between them, except they just didn't seem to know it. The fact was Eve could stand there and stare at his face dreamily for twenty minutes and think that she barely glanced at him. This time when their eyes met and held she didn't move, she was saying thank you of course, just with her eyes, but Josh read her well enough that he would know what she was saying. Her smile softened a bit just for him. She was happy to be home...to feel at home.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh looked back at Eve, not bothering to break eye contact. Oh, he could do this for hours. He could tell by her expression she was being polite, so he softened his smile a bit as well. Of course, there was something going on between them, and Josh liked the feeling. He wasn't quite sure if Eve was really head over heels for him. Maybe his father was just exaggerating a bit. Although, if Josh knew for sure that she was, he wouldn't wait for the dance to ask her out. For tonight he wanted to see her reactions.

Underneath the table, Josh reached for Eve's hand. "It's great to be home, is it not?"

[Eve Mallory]

Eve took his hand and laced her fingers with his then squeezed once. "It's very good." she nodded.

His hand was much bigger than her dainty one, and his was semi rough from playing quiddich but she loved his hands even the rough patches, she loved his arms, and his frame, she loved all of him really. Hands that took hers, arms that held her, a frame she could lean against.

Maybe when they danced...when they danced at the ball she would tell him that...well that she couldn't live without him.