Ernie had been eating his pasta when Theodore replied and started talking about his friend, whose name he had not said until this moment. At the sound of Draco's name, he breathed and swallowed at the same time and started choking on his food. He coughed and lightly pounded on his chest, then reached out for his tea, needing to drink something to get his food down.
Malfoy?! He'd known Theodore had been in Slytherin, but he'd never actually thought about the fact that he would have known Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle. He really should have thought of it before, but the vision he had of his friend was so different from what he had in mind for the others in that House.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice raspy. "Went down the wrong hole." He took another sip of tea and forced the fact from his mind, for now at least. He'd have to think on it later - he knew that anyone who dated him would have to accept his friends, and he'd always known the opposite was true as well, he just had never imagined having to accept Malfoy.
"I do. Sometimes just baking something sweet, and others its making a dish to bring to a friend's. It's fun, relaxing, sort of like making potions actually, except it tastes much, much better." He tried for a smirk. "Maybe if you're lucky, you might get to taste my chicken pot pie."