While it might have been a turbulent few weeks with one thing or another, Ernie felt a deep relief at the fact that things were finally getting back to a point that count be broadly described as normal. Admittedly, that new definition of normal for him meant that he was now quite openly living with the girl that he had been protesting for several years was just a friend, but honestly? Ernie couldn’t have been happier if he had tried. Yes, he knew that Daphne could come across as somewhat standoff-ish to people that did not know her, but he had never thought of her that way.
Right from the first time that he had met Daphne when they were barely knee-high, she had always been funny and warm towards him. It was only when societal expectations began to kick in for the pair that she began to shift her outward persona a little. That never really changed the way she was towards him though, the way that she made him laugh, the way that they could happily sit in each others company for hours at a time, without the situation feeling forced.
Arriving back at the house, he had barely gotten his key in the door, when he spotted the plume of black smoke. Drawing out his wand, he tore through the length of the building, half expecting to see some scenes of carnage, only to see Daphne despairing over the charred remains of something. With a few small flicks of the wrist, first, the smoke cleared from the air, before the charred remains were deposited into the sink, under the water to cool down before disposal.
“Daph, what have I told you? I honestly do not mind cooking when I get in from work, it’s completely fine” he reassured her, shaking his head as he placed his wand back into his holster.