[c&c] modern love. [tag; torsten]

Christmaaaas!

Kind of. Almost. The festive season was almost within touching distance. The temperature had dropped and the heavy laden grey skies threatened to snow. Excitement was in the air and everything smelt like cinnamon and ginger. In fact, she smelt like cinnamon and ginger.

Madeline was in the kitchens, happily getting her hands into some sweet, enriched dough for some buns. She wore an apron over her powder blue dress but she already had flour on her rosy cheeks and vanilla sugar in her long blonde hair that was tied back into a sleek ponytail high on the back of her head. Despite working in a magical bakery, she very rarely used her wand. What was the point? Being a baker, she was supposed to get her hands dirty, that was the best part.

She slid various trays into the oven back and forth, checking everything was cooking as music played from somewhere. She liked Crust & Crumbs. Everyone was friendly and everyone who bought something seemed to genuinely enjoy it. It was a little after three in the afternoon and it was already starting to get dark outside. Perhaps wearing a sleeveless dress wasn't the best idea but it was warm in the kitchen.

She didn't have any plans for Christmas. Since Ernie had left, she'd been by herself. Her brother Ben had festive plans and her parents were spending Christmas and New Year in Grenada. Lucky them. Maddie thought she might try and unload herself onto her grandparents because she didn't really want to spend the day by herself, on the sofa in her underwear, eating noodles. Maybe she should get a cat or a goldfish. Something that wouldn't break her heart.

The tall blonde had spent most of the day making genoise, a sweet, light Italian sponge cake, and rolling it into a cylinder for Birch de Noel. It was one of the bakery's Christmas menu options and it was basically just a Yule log. But it was delicious. She knew some customers wanted to buy a whole one for their families and some just wanted a few slices and to cater for everyone, she'd made three. The sponge had been rolled and covered with a thick ganache of dark chocolate and cream and she'd taken the time to run a fork over it to make the log look like it was covered in bark.

Her finger tips were pink because she'd made teeny little meringue toad stools that sat on the log itself and they were dusted with a small amount of shimmering golden edible glitter. Madeline smiled. She was a mess but it looked gorgeous and that was the main thing. The logs were placed on large silver trays and springs of Nordic spruce, for a very festive feel.

The kitchen was her domain. The bakery employed a few bakers but since graduating Hogwarts a few years ago, Maddie had moved to Paris and she was classically trained. Intricate basket work, delicate icing flowers, figures made out of modelling chocolate, six tier wedding cakes, they were really where her skills laid. Who wouldn't want to make someone a cake of their dreams? Her favourites were children's birthday cakes. She liked making seven tiered rainbow cakes with popping candy. This place was like working in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory but with better pay.

The apron she was wearing had taken the brunt of the flour but she had some in her hair and on her forearms as she carried a tray of freshly baked goodies out  of the kitchen and to the front, quickly manoeuvring through and around customers and employees alike. She liked the Tricketts. They were all very kind and sweet and exceptionally good looking, she noticed. It was like the entire family had won the genetic lottery. It was utterly bizarre. She was sure that she'd met most of them but from what she'd hard, the family was rather large and spread out.

Dropping off the Yule log safely, Madeline backed up and turned to exit from behind the counter, ready to head back to the kitchen to check on her sweet buns when she collided hard and fast with something or someone blocking the kitchen door. Letting out a squeak of surprise, she stumbled backwards, her hand flying to her nose where it had been the first thing to hit the object, her eyes watering with the sudden pain. "Ow."

Christmas was one of the best times of the year. Everybody was in a hurry to get holiday shopping done. Torsten Trickett was doing the same. He had a huge family to shop for. Normally he would just get his closest cousins something, his father, and then his brothers. If he bought something for the whole family he would be broke. Actually, that would be impossible to be broke because Torsten did have enough money to get every one of his cousins something small and still afford it. He just did not want to do it. He spent most of the morning shopping in Diagon Alley and a couple days earlier in France shopping. This man did not enjoy shopping. Usually he was distracted by items he wanted, not something his brothers or father would want. He had to use self-control to stop from buying new quidditch gear and some new clothes. Maybe it would be good to take a break from shopping. If he kept doing it his head would explode.

One thing during Christmas that was hard was all of his brothers, including him, were born in December. Somehow his father and mother had all Capricorn children born around the giving season. Torsten birthday was a few days after Christmas, so he normally got the mixture of Christmas and birthday presents. He really did not mind. He preferred that. Every year he got older and really did not prefer celebrating birthdays. He did do one thing ever year for his birthday that he would not stop. Enjoying cupcakes from Geri's shop. Crust and Crumbs. Tor always ordered red velvet cupcakes to be ready before his birthday. He actually did not do the order yet. He knew that during the Christmas season everybody was busy there and you would have to order it before to be able to get the product. His Diagon Alley shopping was done. Now Hogsmeade shopping.

Torsten took the floo network to Diagon Alley. As much as he hated using that system it was the easier way to get there. He appeared at an inn there. It was dark and spiderwebs were everywhere in the fireplace. Torsten was covered in soot again. He felt dirty. Leaving the inn unto the street of Diagon Alley. Thankfully it was not a day that the students were visiting. Torsten really did not want to get stopped by children today. He wanted to have an ease free day where nobody knew him. He dusted the soot off of his beanie and the rest of his clothes. As he spotted Crust and Crumbs he made his way to the business. He loved the smell of this place. He could survive on baked goods alone if his coach would let him. He enjoyed everything with cupcakes and cakes, even random filled desserts. He just enjoyed sweets. Torsten was not even paying attention to anybody on the floor. He knew when he came there he could go in the kitchen and grab whatever he wants. He was family. Plus, he really could afford most of this so if Geri had an issue he would just give him the money for it.

In the kitchen he smelled something delightful cooking. He could just melt into the aroma. He had no clue what was baking. He did spot what he came in here for. There was a new batch of red velvet on a tray. He grabbed one that was unfrosted and started to shove it into his mouth. Maybe he would find whoever was working today to make his order. Going to the exit back on the floor the door did the budge. He heard an ow. What the hell? He pushed the door back more and seen the woman behind the door. Oh god!? Did he hurt someone?! With his mouth full he instantly started a muffled apology, "Wor-rey...." He realized she probably couldn't hear him and he quickly swallowed the wonderful cupcake. "I mean-" He had a few pieces stuck in his throat still. He ended up coughing them up and continuing... "Sorry. Are you okay? I was not even paying attention." He looked at her face. She was pretty. Very pretty. "Is your nose okay? I can try to fix it... but might mess up your pretty face." He was trying to give him a compliment, but Torsten was really bad with girls when he was nervous.

Pain. So much pain. The fact she'd run headlong into the door both caused her the pain but also the sheer embarrassment and at that moment, she couldn't decide which one hurt her more. Behind her, she was dimly aware that someone was laughing. Maddie didn't feel like laughing. The force made her eyes water and her vision was blurry, everything looked like brightly coloured squiggly lines. Her nose throbbed. It was so intense that it could easily be broken. Wouldn't that be just super duper? She'd broken her nose once when she was nine. She took a bludger to the face after a pick-up game of Quidditch in her back garden one summer's evening.

Who the Hell was in the kitchen? Everyone working was out front serving customers. Suddenly, her blood ran cold. Uh-oh. What if it was a burglar? Trying to use the back door?

"Motherfu--"

The tall blonde let out a grunt of pain in a very unladylike fashion, the end of the swear word cut off by the noise she made. Taking a step backwards, she pinched the bridge of her nose, dismayed by the fact that the action caused a fresh wave of pain the spread through every fibre of her being. Rather than making a big scene, Madeline clenched the fingers of her other hand into a tight first, her sensibly short nails digging deep into the flesh to leave little blood filled crescent shaped marks on her porcelain skin.

Her knowledge of first aid was very basic but she knew that, if she was bleeding, not to tilt her head backwards. If she did, she ran the risk of swallowing the oxygenated blood and having it possibly get into her lungs. "Ungh," the baker mumbled as she blinked back tears quickly, hoping to the first deity that sprung to mind that her mascara wasn't running down her face.

Hearing a strange noise, she continued to pinch the bridge of her nose and moved her hand to look around. Ah. Tall, broad man. He must have been her assailant. "I beg your pardon?" Madeline asked, her voice sounding odd and muffled to her own ears, much like she had a cold. She didn't understand what he was saying. He had a face full of cake. Where had he gotten that from? Her big honey coloured eyes dropped to spot the red crumbs on his collar. The red velvet cupcakes weren't on the shop floor yet.

When the stranger coughed, she grimaced and took a step back. "Did you mother not teach you to chew your food?" The tall blonde asked, sounding terse. She wasn't usually to impolite but she was sore and she was angry and if this was his fault, she was going to punch him right back.

Despite herself, she let out a soft snort of derisive laughter. "Clearly," she mumbled before she dropped her hand, wiggling the tip of her nose and instantly wishing she hadn't. Bollocks. Youch. "Ow. Yes, I'm fine," she managed to say as she pinched the bridge of her nose again. "Am I bleeding?" She asked up, reaching up to gingerly press her finger tips to her philtrum, alarmed to see a tiny speck of blood on her marble white skin.

Her nose had swollen a little and her left her, just around the socket, was starting to bruise. It was her fault. She should be more gentle in her movements. She wanted to cry. "I think so," she said diplomatically, sliding a slim index finger up the bridge of her nose to feel for a tell-tale bump. There wasn't one. She sighed, her slender shoulders slumping in relief. That was something at the very least.

Her large eyes widened as he offered to fix her nose for her. "No thank you," she squeaked. He seemed familiar. It was entirely possible that he'd been in here a few times. The bakery had a few regular customers who ordered the same things. Someone even had a preference as to which baker had made the cakes. Everyone had their favourites. Unable to help herself, Maddie laughed. It took her a few seconds to realise he was serious and her smile faltered. Oh. "Thank you," she said softly. "But I fear I know look a bit like Quasimodo," she joked, referencing the Hunchback of Notre Dame book. She did like classic literature.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked politely, fanning herself with her left hand in a poor effort to try and dry the tears that were spilling out of the corner of her eyes. Blarg. "And why were you creeping around in the kitchen?" She frowned at him, the creasing of her forehead causing her nose to wrinkle and in turn, her to gasp in pain. "Unless you're wearing an apron, it's a no-go area." She didn't ask his name. She wasn't sure she wanted to know it. Boys like him were trouble. 

This one was a feisty one. He liked feisty ones. Blonde but she did have a personality. Torsten instantly had an attraction. He did feel that way towards most women, but he did have a weakness for a certain type. He was still pretty flabbergasted that he hurt a woman with a door. He really did not mean too. At least she yelled at him for chewing with his mouth full, the boy lacked some manners sometimes. This was the first person who actually yelled at him about it. It was actually pretty nice. It would be something his mother would say if she was around, but he was stuck with some fumbling brothers and an amazing dad. When she asked if she was bleeding, he could not really see anything there. Her hand was in the way. He did see it swollen though. He hoped he did not break it. She was already a beauty and a broken nose would ruin a face... but that was what magic was for. Torsten broke his nose almost every week thanks to quidditch. He has had more broken body parts than girlfriends, but that's not saying much. Torsten probably had one of those in his lifetime. It was pretty pathetic. After her comment about Quasimodo, he couldn't help to chuckle slightly. "Well, let's hope you do not turn out like him... yet, I am not that bad with my wand skills." He smiled at her. "Maybe some ice... let's get you some ice for that nose."

The next question from the woman, made him smile... well he normally always hung around the kitchen when he was in town. Obviously his family was not around. He did not mind this beauty though. With the next remark he smiled even larger. He quickly went back toward the kitchen and put on a apron. It looked like it had chocolate batter all over it already. He did not mind. Normally he would expect something clean, but he was only interested in helping this damsel in distress. It was his fault she was in distress. Torsten went to the icebox and took a kitchen rag and filled it with ice. He then returned to the woman. "I have an apron on now, I can enter the kitchen." A sly smirk played upon his lips.

Without a care of personal boundaries, Torsten took the rag filled with ice and placed it gently on her nose holding the back of her head with his free hand. "Keep this there, cupcake. That should bring down the swelling and soak up any blood, with no magic involved. I guess we could some things muggle around here." He smiled gently as he made sure she was holding the towel before carefully removing his own hand. "I'm Torsten, Torsten Trickett... which is shocking that you don't know me... do you watch quidditch at all? My team isn't half bad, but I am bragging a wee bit." He smiled. "Whats your name, darling? Or should I keep calling you cupcake."

Despite herself, she offered a weak smile. "Forgive me but for all I know, your wand work could be terrible. I usually get to know someone before I let them out their wand in my face." No sooner had the words left her mouth, she regretted them. In fleeting panic, her honey coloured eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she mentally kicked herself. Oh what on Earth was happening to her? This was awful.

As he mentioned getting some ice, Madeline opened her mouth to protest but he'd already left. As soon as he was out of ear shot, she let out a low groan of frustration as she slapped a hand to her forehead. Was this her life now? Making an arse out of herself whenever a vaguely attractive man spoke her to? Maddie had a strange love life. The first boy she'd ever loved broke her arm in a Quidditch match, graduated then never spoke to her again. Then there was Logan.

For a time, it was nice. They got along and she liked him a lot but he broke up with her suddenly to chase Jane Lennon and she wasn't sure she'd ever truly gotten over it. Then there was Ernie. She was so sure he'd been The One, he'd earned the elusive title and then, poof! Gone. Everyone had gone up in smoke and she was by herself. Again. Maybe she should get a cat.

Over her hand, Madeline rolled her big expressive eyes. "Oh har har," she stated sarcastically but she felt the corners of her lips tilt upwards to form a smile. "You're hilarious," she said. It was meant to sound scathing but actually, she was amused.

Her eyes widened as he returned and her slender body made a move to jerk backwards and away from the sudden cold against her pale skin. But he had a hand against the back of her head and she was forced to stand perfectly still and stare at his chest. His collarbone was directly in her eye line and she frowned, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the sudden disregard for personal space. She swallowed nervously.

Cupcake? Madeline suddenly felt a flare of righteous anger as a wave of feminism smacked her upside the head. Her eyes narrowed a little, unaware that he was only kidding. He was kidding…right? Grumbling lowly to herself, she reached up to hold the towel wrapped ice against her nose as she sighed deeply.

Uh-oh.

Torsten Trickett. Bollocks. She'd been sassing one of the boss' relatives. "No," she answered truthfully with a shrug of her shoulders absently. She didn't watch Quidditch. She had no interest in it. She was a member of the reserve team at Hogwarts but that was really about it. She blinked slowly at Torsten. "Sorry. I don't follow it," she admitted as she had no desire to start now, that was for sure.

She frowned at him and primly offered him a hand to shake. "Madeline," she said gently. "Maddie, really," she blushed. No one really called her Madeline. Unless it was her mother when she was annoyed with her. "Yeah don't call me cupcake," she said swiftly, pressing the towel back to her nose. It was sore and tender but it was fine but she left it against her skin anyway. She took a half step back and lowered her hand, letting out a hiss off pain as she wrinkled the tip of her nose.

"Gah," she said intently. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Did you want some cakes or something? I imagine that was why you were here and not to assault young women with kitchen doors." Leaving him standing there, she cursed underneath her breath and went back into the kitchen to try and get away.

His wand work wasn't half bad but not the best. He was no way going to tell her that. He will just keep it quiet. He was just about to use a repair spell on a girl's face and she had no clue of his magical skills. At least he did not attempt it and the muggle way was a little easier. One thing he could not believe is the woman did not know who he was. She didn't follow quidditch. Who the hell does not follow quidditch? Well it was little nice not having to worry about a fan girl. Those people always annoyed him. Most of the time it was nice to have a conversation with someone who won't ask him for his autograph or just ask him a million questions about his quidditch skills or just the sport. He could have a simple conversation with someone. When she spoke her name, he drew her attention back to her. Maddie. Cute name. Just like her. He was not going to say another until she said don't call her cupcake. He smirked. He instantly wanted to call her cupcake again. It fit her. She made cupcakes. She seemed as sweet as a cupcake. "Well, how about sweetheart..." he smirked, "I'm only joking. Maddie it is. Nice to meet you." He smiled at her.

As she mentioned why he was there and made her way into the kitchen he followed her. He really was interested in her now. Not because he hit her face with a door, but because she was absolutely adorable. She was extremely attractive even with ice on her face. Plus he felt a little bad for hitting her. "Actually came to order some red velvet cupcakes. My birthday is coming up, its a tradition." He smiled at her. "So do you make some mean cupcakes? If you baked the ones I kidnapped then you are an amazing baker and I insist you make my cupcakes for me." He smiled at her softly. "I'll even pay you double." He usually got them free but he was not going to tell her that.

"I am sorry again. The swelling looks like its going down though." He studied her face. "You still look very cute." Oh, there goes the flirts....

Sweetheart? Madeline blanched. She wrinkled the tip of her bruised nose in distaste, grunting at the pain as she tried not to throw up everywhere. This man was utterly ridiculous. "Easy there, Cassanova," she said darkly, her voice coming out more gravely and aggressive than she meant it. She wasn't very good with the opposite sex. She didn't know how to talk to boys, really. Her relationship with Logan had dented her and the ending of her short marriage to Ernie had pretty much broken her.

In spite of herself, she snorted with laughter, still pinching the bridge of her nose just in case. "The pleasure's all mine, I'm sure," she said brightly. She'd never met a real Quidditch player in the flesh before. She didn't follow it. There were too many rules and over three hundred types of fouls and the play was so fast, her head snapped back and forth and she was sure that she'd given herself whiplash. She shrugged absently, totally unashamed of the fact that she had no idea who he was. He was clearly used to people fawning over him but boo bloody hoo for him.

Madeline was decidedly bristled that Torsten had decided to follow her into the kitchen. What part of out of bounds did he not get? Begrudgingly, the apron joke he pulled was sort of cute. Leaving one hand on her nose, she used her free hand to pull a tray of the now cooled red velvet cupcakes and placed them on the counter, scooting around him to grab a large mixing bowl and a piping bag, dumping butter and copious amounts of icing sugar on top, ready to make the thick, sweet butter cream icing to top them.

His birthday? "Oh," Maddie said softly with a frown, momentarily caught unawares as she blinked. She was being so rude. He had apologised already. She shifted on the spot awkwardly. "Happy Birthday," she began. "For…whenever it is," she tacked onto the end and internally cringing. "You still get cupcakes for your birthday," the tall, elegant blonde stated, amusement clear in her honey coloured eyes as she smiled slowly, dimpling her left cheek. "You're just precious," she chided, clearly making fun of him.

"You stole one of my cupcakes?" Madeline asked sharply before she stopped. He was part of Geri's family so she supposed the occasional free cake was to be expected. Stepping back over to her bowl, she gingerly removed the makeshift ice pack and placed it down on the counter. "It stings like a bastard," she grumbled as she added a careful measure of dark, sticky vanilla essence into the bowl. Out of a drawer, she grabbed a large whisk and went at it, bashing the soft butter into the icing sugar to cream it, whisking it together to try and combine the two things. Years of whisking my hands made her a pro and she had arms that a Beater would be proud of.

There was a bruise developing underneath her left eye, dark and purple and downright livid. There wasn't really a need to visit St. Mungo's. It was purely cosmetic. "Mean cupcakes?" Madeline's eyes widened in surprise. "Not at all. Mine are positively Heavenly," turning his statement into a joke as she set down her whisk to grab a white order form for cakes. "How many would you like and when would you like them?" She asked, her quill paused above the paper as she waited to jot down the necessary information.

"Oh," Maddie said again, alarmed to see Torsten so close and starting so intently at her. Without meaning to, she blushed a cute shade of pink that suffused her cheeks. Swiftly, she reached up to touch her nose and winced. "Still a bit tender though," she remarked but she didn't take a step away. This was her kitchen, not his.

The idea of double money seemed appealing but she shook her head, blonde curls bouncing as she did so. "I'm sure the going rate is fine," she said primly, wiping her hands on her apron before picking up her whisk and starting to work the mixture into a smooth, pale white colour and consistency. Hold on a second. Madeline's head jerked upwards to stare at him, wanting to make sure he was actually hitting on her. Was he hitting on her? No one ever hit on her.

"I'm a mess," she admitted. And she was. With her swollen nose and bruised eye, flour covered apron with vanilla sugar in her hair, she was faaaar from cute. Madeline peeked at him coyly from beneath her long, sooty eyelashes. "I suppose you're not bad yourself," she said softly in a semi-compliment. "Instead of standing there looking like a lemon, fill a piping bag with this," she pushed a flexible spatula and the mixing bowl towards him. "And help me pipe these cupcakes. I've got sixty four to do before closing time."

This woman was simply amazing so far. Tough as cookies and can make cookies. What a great mix! He was more happy that he did not have to answer quidditch questions or have to focus around the gossip that was around him. Torsten really was not in the mood to deal with people. He just wanted to be alone with a million cupcakes and coffee. He smiled when she told him happy birthday, but her comment about getting cupcakes for his birthday he nodded like an idiot. "I'll probably never stop getting cupcakes. One of my favorite things in the world, other than quidditch obviously." He could add women to that list too, but he did not want to seem like a pig to this girl. With the other jokes that flowed out of her mouth he knew he was going to get along with this girl. She could take a joke and give a joke. "More like borrowed a cupcake, I can try to make you another one but I doubt it would be as heavenly as yours." He tried to copied how she was saying heavenly. He smirked gently at her and winked.

"On a serious note, I would probably just need a half dozen or a dozen. Depending if I am spending it alone or not. I would say a dozen, I could eat all of those if I am." He thought about it for a second, he definitely could eat a dozen by himself. He would have the worst stomach ache, but it was worth it. He was already drooling thinking about the delicious cupcakes. He might just start eating her batter if she wasn't around. He wouldn't do it in front of her. He might just get smacked.

The going rate was probably fine for her, but not for him. She did have amazing cupcakes. He was going to pay her extra even if she did not want to. He had another idea in his mind, but he was going to wait a bit to see how they reacted to each other. When she commented on being a mess and he wasn't bad himself, he chuckled. "You make a black eye look good. Are you sure you don't want me to heal it? I know a few spells. I am a beater, I need to know simple healing spells so my face is not messed up for photo-shoots." He chuckled. "I broke my nose a week ago. Its healed now." He smiled. When she said grab piping bag and help him, he nodded. He will do basically anything to keep talking to this girl. She had his full attention. Torsten filled the piping bag with the batter from the bowl and then went to the cupcakes and helped her fill them. He watched her from the corner of his eye, glancing back at them. "You want them filled half or three fourths? I know everybody fills them differently." He remembered doing this when he was a kid. A lot of the kids helped their parents cook, but Torsten helped his brother. His family was close knit. Maybe that is why he fought with Leifr so much. They were so much alike. All Torsten wanted to be when he grew up was his big brother.

"I had another idea for extra payment if you are willing to do it." He smiled at her. "What are you doing for Christmas?"

Madeline had to admit, a man of his age getting cupcakes on his birthday was sort of cute. Her smile soon faltered as he mentioned Quidditch. "Obviously," she echoed with a swift roll of her eyes. She wasn't very sports-orientated. She'd really only ever dated one Qudditch nut and that had been Logan when she was fifteen. He didn't give a valid reason why he'd broken up with her but she was still convinced it was because of that damned game.

She shook her head, feeling an odd mixture of amusement and exasperation. She wondered if he could hear the words coming out of his mouth and if he even tried thinking first. Busy wiping down the countertop, she looked up sharply at pointed at Torsten. "Funny," she observed dryly. "You're very droll," she replied gently. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was flirting with her. She couldn't tell. She'd never been able to. She vehemently refused to acknowledge his wink.

"Okie dokes, a dozen," she said breezily as she scribbled something down on one of the order forms, ticking boxes and writing down the quantity. "What date?" Madeline asked, her quill tip poised to write it down before depositing the paper into one of the files in the kitchen. She usually sorted through the order forms and placed them in the correct order at the end of every shift and she still had a few hours to go.

She offered Torsten a smile. "I think I ate fifteen once," she said with a frown as she whisked the batter once more to make sure everything was smooth and glossy and without lumps. She blushed faintly. "I know, I know," she added hastily before she swallowed. "It was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done and it took me three weeks before I could look at another cupcake." She sighed. "I'm still a bit iffy about them now, to be honest. I much prefer pastries."

"No no, I'm fine," the tall blonde said breezily, flipping a hand through the air as though to dismiss Torsten's offer. "I'm sure it's nothing a bit of powder don't handle." Maddie wasn't really a vain girl and it was only a bruise, it should fade considerably within a week so there was no need for all the fussing about. She squinted at him. "You nose looks great," she said. Clearly he was adept at charm work. "But I usually like to get to know a man a little better before letting him put his wand in my face," she smiled brightly, aware that what she said was a bit of an innuendo.

"A third," she said brightly, confused by his odd use of fractions. Madeline's long bare legs moved so she was by his side and she leant over him a little, gesturing to the cupcake liner. "To about here," she explained. "Leave about half an inch for the batter to rise so you get a nice dome on top when they're cooked." Satisfied he understood, she went back to her station and began to expertly fill the liners. She worked like a machine, wasting none of the batter with messy drops and spills. She was always worried that Geri might take it out of her wages.

Extra payment? Why did that sound creepy and make her feel dirty? Madeline finished filling the final liner in her tray and looked up to blink at him. She shrugged. "Nothing," she said casually. She didn't have any plans. Her brother was working and her parents were going on holiday to the Algarve. "I was probably just going to eat noodles on the sofa in my underwear," she said breezily, pausing to lick a spot of batter off her index finger before starting to fill up the next tray of cupcakes.

"Why'd you ask?" Maddie inquired, curious. She didn't know much about the Tricketts other than there was a whole lot of them and they liked a good party. Though in all honesty, she wasn't in the position to turn down any extra cash. The rent was expensive and so was food. Plus she had to buy all of her Christmas presents next week to make sure she had enough money to last her until January. It was tough.

"My birthday is the twenty-eighth, so I'll pick them up around the twenty-seventh if that's okay with you?" He hated that he was growing one year older. Time fly's the older you get. Every time he thought he was accepting his age, he grew another year. At least he wasn't gaining the grey hair or wrinkles yet. He would not cope with aging then. He checks in the mirror every day for a grey hair. His fan base would diminish so much if one little grey hair was noticeable. A little self-conscious but that was how Torsten was. He really did care about his appearance, only because it was looked upon all he time. People took photos of him and he was seen in magazines. He needed to make sure he looked good twenty-four-seven. As she continued with how many she ate before he couldn't help to laugh pretty loud at it. He thought it was pretty stupid of her to eat that many but was going to be nice about it, "Probably learned your lesson... I could probably eat donuts the same way I eat cupcakes... but they're just not the same." He smirked at her gently. He will always be a cupcake guy.

At least she was flirting with him, at least he thought she was. The woman commented on his nose and then said something that made him snort-chuckle. "Let's hope you get to know them before that... oh Merlin... I am so kidding..." Then he thought for a second, "Well, kidding on my comment but seriously... get to know a man before letting him put any wand near you." He wanted to add that is why he was still talking to her, but it would come off completely perverted and then he would be out of luck with this one. He was starting to like this blonde, cupcake maker.

As he followed her movements and she got closer to show him how much to fill the liners, he paid attention. She smelled wonderful being close to him. Just reminds him of a constant bakery.  He started to push the batter out of the bag into the liners. He was focused and trying to make sure he didn't make a horrible mess. He was more trying to impress her. It was really hard to impress a girl with pushing batter out of a bag, but he was trying.  She was finished before he was done. He still had about two rows. When she mentioned sitting on her sofa in her underwear for the holidays, he looked away from the tray shocked. How could someone not spend time with their family during the holidays?! His family was everywhere, but they still get together for the holidays. "You can't be alone. Not for the holidays." He looked back down at the tray and continued to fill the liners carefully. "Well, you can always come to my family party..." He finished and put the bag down upon the counter. "That will be the extra payment. Just enjoy yourself at our Christmas party. It'll be fun, trust me. Only thing is.... you have to deal with my annoying brothers." Actually, Torsten never even brought a girl to his family before. This would be new and his brothers most likely would be questioning the hell out of her.

Twenty eighth? Maddie wrote down collection on 27/12/99 on the order slip and placed it on top of the already neat pile. "Sure," she said with a bright smile. "Do you know what time you'll be stopping by?" she asked as she looked up, her honey coloured eyes meeting his swiftly. "Just so I can make sure they'll be nice and fresh for you. If you're not sure, I'll just make them first thing in the morning and leave them in a box at the front for you," she replied breezily. She didn't think she'd be seeing him again after today. He'd be off doing…whatever it was he did. Quidditch-y things, probably.

Then a sudden thought struck her. "Do you get separate birthday and Christmas gifts?" Maddie asked softly, blinking quickly as she frowned at Torsten. In school, she had a few friends with birthdays close to the festive holiday and family members often gave them one present for both days. If anyone asked her, she'd always say it was cruel and it a bit stupid. She was sure the Tricketts knew better than to do that to one of their own.

"Did I ever," the tall blonde said with a lopsided grin. "Urgh. Haven't touched one since. I can't. I never eat anything I bake anyway," she said carelessly as she deftly filled a few more liners deftly and quickly. "I'm always surrounded by sugar and treats that when I get home, all I want to do is have a hamburger and a nice soak in the bath." Her dinky little Parisian apartment hade an amazing enamel roll top bath tub. It was a wonder how they even got the damned thing into such a small space in the first place. "Good choice on the preference of cupcakes," she said as she flashed him a grin.

Maddie laughed along. Deep down, she'd always been one of the boys. Banter and sexual innuendos always came easy to her. She felt comfortable around boys. She'd never been a girly-girl, much to her mother's disappointment. Baking was pretty much the only "female" (she used the term loosely) orientated thing she did. She couldn't draw, she couldn't flirt but damn, she could decorate a darned cake. "My mum says the same thing," she smiled, finding the way he corrected himself rather amusing. Poor guy.

Finishing filling the liners, Madeline smacked the tin on the counter with an echoing bang! She always did that. The force flattened the batter out, allowing them all to be the same so they could all bake and rise evenly for uniform cupcakes. The public liked perfect cakes whereas she didn't really mind. Even if they were a bit wonky, they all tasted delicious. Carrying the two trays to the oven, she checked the temperature was correct before sliding her trays in and turning to Torsten. "Ready?" She asked, extending her hands to him for his cupcakes, ready to slide them on the bottom rungs of the oven.

Maddie took out a small timer, a Muggle electronic one, and set the timer for twenty five minutes' time and stuck it back on the oven. She blew at her hair, wiping her pale hands on her already messy apron before rubbing at her sore nose, smudging a little batter across her increasingly bruised cheekbone.

She looked up sharply, her eyes wide as she momentarily stopped wiping down the counter with a damp towel. "Why not?" Madeline inquired, sounding surprised. "It's just one day and I don't mind," she said with another smile. In fact, she'd even volunteered to work Christmas Day but Geri wasn't having any of it. She offered to work New Years Eve and New Years Day but he still said no. It was a bit annoying, come to think of it. It might be nice to just wander around in the snow.

"I mean, at least I don't have to cook a huuuuge Christmas dinner," she chirped cheerfully as she continued wiping the counter down before cleaning up and taking a large, round chocolate cake off a shelf and procuring a sharp knife, ready to start cutting them up into decent size wedges. "My parents are on holiday and my brother's going to be working and I don't think it's fair to impose myself on my grandparents." She didn't get the Christmas fuss. It just seemed a bit…anticlimactic. Three months of cinnamon scented preparation for one day, one stressful dinner and a house full of wrapping paper. Maybe she was missing something. She usually was. Oh well.

Family party? Madeline stopped cutting the cake, her knife paused at an angle as she looked at Torsten like he'd grown a second head. A Trickett party? She'd heard they were legendary. "Oh," she said softly. "That's really very sweet of you but I can't cause you any trouble and have you go to any lengths for me." There. That was a diplomatic way of letting him down gently.

"Oh I've no doubt it'll be fun," she said with a soft smile, blushing faintly as she made a precise cut in the dense chocolate cake, avoiding his eyes. He said "party" but she was sure he meant "ball." She wasn't very good at important, fancy soirees. Her legs were so long, she didn't know what to do with them and she spent most of her time wobbling around like a newly born foal.

"I'm sure they're not that bad," Madeline said with a gentle smile. "My older brother is a bit overbearing sometimes but he means well," she said fondly as she thought about Benjamin. She should really call in and see him soon, she missed him. He was her rock. She fell silent for a few seconds, chewing on her lower lip as she weighed up her options. She knew most of Torsten's family already, most of them worked in the bakery. "Do you think it'd be weird? Going to a family function with the boss?" she asked, referring to Geri as she put down her knife and nervously picked at her clean, sensibly short nails.

It'd beat sitting in front of her rickety old Muggle television or listening to the old, creaky central heating in her apartment. "Oh sod it," she said swiftly. "I'd love to," she replied as he offered him a smile.

When would he pick the cupcakes up? He did not think about it. Usually they were already ready by his birthday and he randomly showed up. Maybe if he told her a certain time she would be there... or maybe she was asking so she wouldn't have another broken nose from this man. "Cross your fingers for noon, I'll try to get here a little before though. I still have no clue whats going on that day." He smiled at her. It would be nice to see her then, but he was not going to hope for it.

Her question made her chuckle slightly. "Well, of course I do. Its hard on my parents. My youngest brother's birthday is five days before mine... then my oldest brother six days after. We all are born so close to each other." All of the boys were Capricorns. December and January was a broke month for their father when they were growing up. It was always nice though. Every boy got what they wanted. There was perks of having such a large family. He enjoyed his large family and wanted one himself when he got older. He knew it was going to be hard because every year he was getting even older and hasn't found that right girl. He actually only had one serious girlfriend and she walked all over him. After that he just dated and flirted, never had that commitment part of the relationship. He was not even sure if he completely knew what commitment was. He never had the chance to experience it. As she commented on his choice of cupcake, he smiled. "Always been a fave."

Did she really just compare him to her mother? He wanted to keep laughing, but she might think he was just awkward and did not know how to respond to anything. "Well she sounds like a wonderful woman." He smiled at her gently. Oh, did he just comment on her mother? At least it wasn't a your momma joke. He really was feeling awkward around her. That was normal when he started to like them. Obviously he was interested in her.

He watched her move around the kitchen. The giant bang made him jump slightly. He was not expecting that. He knew about how cupcakes worked, but never knew that they did that with them. He would be afraid of getting batter all over him. Seeing her hands for his trays he carefully handed her them. He continued to watch her and when he seen muggle timer he smiled brightly. "I love muggle timers. I had one for my cooking in my apartment when I worked in the Ministry. I worked with muggle items." He smiled. He loved muggle things in general. It made him feel closer to his mother.

As she continued about being alone is okay, he was not okay with it. Nobody as sweet as her should be alone. Then she continued about her brother and how he was overbearing, he couldn't help to laugh. "My oldest brother, Leifr, is not overbearing... just a sarcastic arse... but I am sort of the same way so I can't really say anything about it. They will just be very shocked if I bring someone." No way was he going to tell her that she would be the first girl he brings to visit the family. She probably would not come then. He was not going risk that, now since she said she would go. He had a huge grin. "By the way, Geri would not mind at all. At least you would have him to talk too. You would fit in fine though." He smiled. He was beyond excited for Christmas now. "And if you want, we could always go to the party for a little while and then do Christmas however you were planning?"  He did not want to force her to go to the party all night. Plus he did want to go the whole night either. "At least you won't be alone." He smiled gently at her.

"Oh it's not a big deal," Madeline said flippantly, waving her hands through the air flippantly. She was normally at the bakery way before seven in the morning to get started on the enriched dough for a number of savoury items. "Or I can get someone to drop them off. Regardless of what happens, they'll be ready in time for whatever you want to do with them," she said brightly. He had such a large family, she imagined he was showered with love on his birthday and she felt a pang of something that felt like jealousy. It wasn't that her birthdays weren't fun, they were and she was always spoiled growing up but she was from a rather small family.

Maddie winced. "Your poor parents," she said, genuinely troubled by the amount of kids his mum and dad needed to buy for. There would be no respite for them and December was an expensive month as it stood. "I bet it's never boring in your house," she grinned at him, a stray curl escaping the hold of the ponytail and curling against her shoulder, hanging over her ear as she blew at it. She was impressed with how hard his parents must have worked to provide for three boys. Boys were tough but girls were worse. The more they spoke, the more interested she was becoming.

Unable to help herself, Madeline snorted. "Oh she would love you," she laughed with a shake of her head. She knew her mum would be pleased as punch if she walked through the front door with Torsten. Her eyes would probably pop out but it was too early to be thinking about that. "She's a headstrong woman. Very bossy," she said fondly, feeling a pang of homesickness. "In fact, I'm pretty certain she's a huge fan of yours. Dad, too," she said as she frowned. Madeline didn't follow Quidditch. The games lasted too long and she got bored and she didn't see the attraction.

"Eighteen, nineteen," she mumbled, pressing the little up arrow on the timer before turning to face him, looking a bit sheepish. "I take them out a little early," she said, referring to the cupcakes and the traditional twenty minute cooking time. "They're cooked but they don't dry out," she explained as if Torsten actually cared at all about the moisture content of her baked goods.

"Really?" Madeline asked, turning to face him with wide eyes and she found herself starting to smile gently. The fact that he could cook, no matter how well, made him that much more attractive. "That sounds interesting," she said, genuinely interested. "So you left the Ministry for sport?" she asked. She could see the pull. Money, fame, travel, girls. It probably beat sitting at a desk for hours every day. "Did you like it?" She asked conversationally as the timer started to countdown, wiping her hands on the hem of her apron swiftly. "I imagine you like Quidditch better," she said with a smile.

"I don't mind sarcastic," she quipped swiftly. "In fact I'm rather comfortable with it." When Torsten said he was quite similar, she blushed, accidentally stating that she must be comfortable with him. Shoot. "Really?" Maddie asked, shock clear in her voice and on her face. She would have thought he'd have the opposite problem. He was handsome and famous, she would have bet on him bringing three girls to every single family party. "Why's that?" She asked, genuinely curious. Her dating history was brief and disastrous. But she liked dating. It was fun to meet new people and now that she was single again, she could have some fun.

She'd been propositioned a few times in Paris. The French were very amorous. They extolled her virtues as she passed in the streets, wolf whistling, calling after her. One even offered her a flower, it was a bit full on. Her French was pretty much perfect now so she understood the lewd comments some made about her. Dating was a minefield.

Maddie laughed, feeling a bit self conscious as she folded her arms tight around her slender body. "I shouldn't really bother him when he's not at work," she said as she chewed on her lower lip nervously. She didn't want to be left alone in a room full of strangers. She offered him a grateful smile as she hugged her arms to her chest. "Thank you," she said softly, already fretting about what to wear. Did she have anything appropriate? What about shoes? And her hair? Should she straighten her natural curls? How much make up was too much make up? She was being ridiculous. She was trying to impress a man she'd known for less than half an hour.

"Well like I said, I was just going to spend Christmas in my underwear," she began. "And unless you're wanting to do that too, let's stay at the party. I don't mind. I like a party." She laughed, feeling a bit more relaxed as her shoulders softened just a little. "Don't throw me in at the deep end, yeah?" she joked. "And I'll have to introduce myself. "Hi, I'm Maddie and I'm not his girlfriend"," she said, looking a little anxious. They really weren't even friends. She had no idea how Torsten was going to introduce her to his family. An acquaintance? A maker of cupcakes? "Oh no. What if someone asks me if we're dating?" she asked with wide eyes, having a horrible vision of her disappointing his grandmother.

At least she was willing to get someone to drop off his cupcakes. He rather show up there to see if she was working or not though. Her pretty face would make his birthday amazing. As she continued about parents he had a lump in his throat. "Parent. My dad raised us." He glanced down at his cuticles. He wanted to start picking them thinking of his mother. He really never had the chance to even meet her. The reason why he was so into muggle items. They made him feel closer and more full. "My dad made everything an adventure and exciting. We were raised pretty well." He smiled gently at her. He listened to her talk about her mother and father being fans of quidditch. He chuckled gently. Well, at least it would be easy to win her parents over if they end up being friends after this. "Well I am glad your fans, as long as your mom is not one of those creepy fans.... I have a few that have shirtless posters of me..." He did not want to know what these women did with the pictures when they were alone. They were the fans that wanted to rip his shirt off when he would speak one word during interviews or during book signing. They probably were just very lonely women though.

He watched her movements and listened to what she said about cupcakes. "Usually when I bake it comes out like rubbish anyways." He chuckled gently. It was true. His cupcakes would either come out rock hard or like mush. He really was horrible at cooking. He always tried to do it when he can. Usually his salt content of anything was an overload and just would be ruined.

"I got a job at the ministry right after school, I excelled in muggle studies. I was there for two years and tried out for Montrose and got the job. I was working the ministry and quidditch at the same time but it was hard... and the war... it was just a little to much." The war was hard on everybody. Torsten was one of the rare adults that went to the Battle of Hogwarts and participated. His brother was going there and basically Torsten tagged along. He was within the battle and survived. He was more focused on protecting the students. He tried not to do spells at anybody, only because it was confusing during the whole battle. He did know a few people that lost their lives. He did not put much of his focus on the battle though. It was time to move on and continue with life. He was now an active member in the Order.

When she questioned him about him bringing someone, he chuckled. "I really only have one super close friend and she is basically family. That's the only other girl I brought around my family." Sorcha could deal with his family sarcasm and jokes. He was not sure about Maddie, but she said she could handle sarcasm. "Now don't go around saying, Torsten is a loner... that will ruin my chances at even being super, duper famous." He winked at her and chuckled. He was not worried. He thought she could handle herself around his family. He liked her, they will probably like her too.

"I really do not mind being my underwear. Just no taking pictures of this body to give to the media. I don't need any underwear shots in the Daily Prophet." He chuckled at her when she mentioned what she would called, he thought about it. "Your Maddie my friend. And if someone asks you if were dating, just say were friends." He did not want to make anything uncomfortable for her. That would just ruin his chances to get with her. Force a girl to a party and say she is your girlfriend... how low would that be? That would be like renting someone for the night... or god was he renting someone for the night with cupcakes..... He won't think about that. "Maddie. Friend. Yes?" He smiled at her, talking like a caveman.

Shit.

Maddie winced. Her and her bloody big gob! He'd lost his mother. Why did she have to go and be so stupidly moronic? "I'm so sorry," she said softly, her honey coloured eyes wide and apologetic. She couldn't imagine living without her mother. Her father or her brother. Without any family, really. She extended a warm, pale hand and gently placed it Torsten's forearm in a brief, comforting manner. She felt awful. Had he lost her recently? In the war? "I had no idea," she added with a frown that deeply etched her smooth forehead.

She returned his smile as she nodded. "I'm sure you were," the blonde said, genuinely believing that he and his brothers were raised correctly. She felt awkward. She'd never known what to say to someone who had suffered such a monumental loss and she fell silent for a little bit, looking down at her flour covered shoes. She'd accidentally ruined a perfectly nice conversation. She didn't know Torsten at all but she suddenly felt the need to hold him.

"Lucky them," Madeline replied with a bright smile, referring to shirtless posters. She wasn't daft. That apron didn't hide the well defined muscles she knew where underneath his shirt. It wasn't right to be having such impure thoughts but she was human. And he obviously enjoyed the attention.

"I can give you some recipes?" She offered, pointing a slim finger over to a large, bulky and garishly pink binder on one of the shelves that belonged to her. "They're pretty easy and they're guaranteed to impress the ladies," she said quickly. Girls liked a boy who could cook. Not that he needed any help getting one.

The war.

Maddie halted as the night came flashing back. That was the night she'd been proposed to. Her life was such a colossal mess. She offered Torsten a weak little smile as she nodded to show she understood exactly what the war had done. "I totally understand," she said politely. Juggling two jobs was hard. She was juggling two jobs. She didn't have the courage to tell Geri that she might be leaving Crust and Crumbs in a few months' time to work fully in Paris.

"Oh?" The tall blonde asked interestedly as he mentioned another girl. She felt a misplaced stab of jealousy in her gut. It was unsurprising, really. Torsten mush flirt with a hundred girls a day, always charming and suave. Maddie had well and truly been suckered in and she was trying to back pedal as fast as she possibly could. Super close friend was probably code word for an ex with benefits. "That's nice," she said diplomatically. His friend probably wouldn't like her. His family wouldn't, either. She was too tall and too awkward and didn't do well in the company of others.

"I'd like to meet her," Madeline said with another gentle smile. As soon as possible so she could face the firing squad early on in the evening and slip away quickly. She'd hate to intrude. "Nah. You've got your entire career in front of you. It'd take more than me to derail that," she said amicably, just now realising she was going to a party with a bona fide celebrity. Shoot. What the Hell was she supposed to wear? What style of dress was appropriate? She didn't want to be underdressed. This was awful.

Was the underwear thing meant to be funny? Maddie blinked and frowned. Did he think she was one of those girls? Who would sell stories and photographs to the media? "Maybe the underwear thing should be left alone," she joked weakly, feeling incredibly awkward. She knew it was a joke but she felt like it was a character assassination of sorts. She was willing to bet a million women would want to be within a hundred miles of Torsten in his underwear and she felt herself starting to blush uncontrollably.

"Right! Right, yeah. Of course. Silly me," Madeline said with a laugh as she rolled her eyes, internally wanting to die on the kitchen floor. Of course they were friends. Why the Hell would his family think they were dating? She was such a dolt. Awkward. Despite of herself, she found herself laughing. Properly this time. Her laugh was tinkering as it echoed around the quiet kitchen, her hand flying to her mouth to try and suppress her mirth. "Maddie. Friend. Yes," she echoed his words as she gave him a sparkling grin.

"What time and where am I meeting you?" The baker asked quickly, tearing off another blank order form and grabbing a quill, poised to right down the address for the party. As she waited for him to answer, she pulled another piece of parchment and wrote down her name and address in looped and swirling handwriting. "In case you need me for anything else," she said, folding the parchment and holding it out to him. A sudden thought hit her; had she just given a man her contact details? That was a bit presumptive and she blushed accordingly.