''Because you can’t post up author’s notes anymore…here’s the last bit of RSC, and then a chunk of stuff later.

''Disclaimer: once again, Harry Potter characters do not belong to me.

''===

''Not a day after Draco had left, Su trudged into the Café Tombe de Cheval, looking mournful. It just wasn’t going to be the same after Draco was gone. Sure, she would hire a new chef and make new friends, but it was going to take a long time to get used to them. She pushed open the kitchen door, automatically reaching for the light switch, then stopped as she glanced around the kitchen.

'' Orla and Wayne were already at work peeling potatoes and stirring batter. Castor, in a pristine white apron and rolled up sleeves, was snapping out orders, as well as smacking a big slab of meat with a hammer.

'' “Castor…?” Su asked, puzzled. “What are you doing?”

'' “I’m cooking,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Something wrong?”

'' “Well, nooooo, but when did you…cook?” Amazed, Su took a step in, and stopped, eyebrows raised. Castor laid the hammer down and wiped his hands on his apron.

'' “I originally was one,” he told her. “Remember who came up with the idea of a café? I wasn’t exactly going to just open a restaurant for no reason, you know.”

'' Gaping, Su pointed. “You cook?” Smirking, Castor bowed, half mockingly.

'' “Guilty as charged. I think I’ll be able to take on Draco’s legacy,” he said, a smile playing on his lips. It faded a little, and uncertainty tinged his voice, and he asked, “That is, if you don’t mind…”

'' Shaking her head vigorously, Su squealed and nearly bowled him over.

'' “You mean we don’t have to hire newbies?!”

'' “Nope.”

'' “And I won’t have to make new friends?!”

'' “Not unless you want to.”

'' “Castor, you life-saver, you!!” she laughed, smacking a kiss on his cheek. He grinned, but then stopped her with a finger.

'' “Ah, wait a second here,” he said, and turned away. Puzzled, Su watched as Orla disappeared behind the refrigerator and handed something heavy to him. When he turned around, he held a beautiful mascarpone torte, piled high with strawberries. Su’s eyes widened.

'' At the very top of the pyramid of strawberries, lay a small, simple golden ring inlaid with a circle of diamonds that surrounded a deep blue sapphire.

'' “Castor?” she breathed, staring awestruck at the ring. Carefully, he plucked it off the fruit, and hesitantly slid it onto her finger.

'' “I hope you don’t mind, but I can only cook Italian,” he confided in a low voice. She looked up, and he grinned nervously down at her.

'' Su Li smiled. She stood on tiptoes and kissed him lightly.

'' “Well then, if that’s the case…we’ll have to change the name of our café,” she said, grinning back. Castor’s smile grew so wide it nearly split his face. With a sudden whoop, he embraced Su, lifting her feet off the floor. She threw back her head and laughed as he spun and they nearly lost their balance. As Orla and Wayne crowded beside them, clapping them on the backs and shouting their congratulations, the side door of the kitchen opened, and Cho Chang entered, tugging something on the ground behind her. She stopped when she saw the scene.

'' “Chang, she agreed! We’re getting married!” Castor shouted, all his reserve forgotten in his windfall of luck.

'' Cho’s eyes widened. “Congratulations! Oh, Su!” she cried, rushing forward to hug her friend.

'' “Cho, look! Look!” Su waved her hand wildly in her friend’s face and laughed giddily, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.

'' “It’s great! This is wonderful! Congratulations, you two, I really do mean it!” Cho enthused, also giving Castor a hug and peck on the cheek.

'' “Come on, Chang, we’re going to pop a bottle of bubbly and celebrate!” Castor roared his arm around Su.

'' “Oh, actually…” Cho stopped and looked a bit abashed. “Sorry guys, but I’ve got to go.”

'' “Where?”

'' “I’m going to catch the Hogwarts Express after it drops off the kids at the station and hitch a ride to Hogsmeade,” she said lightly, glancing at her watch.

'' “What?!” the four others shouted in surprise.

'' “Why are you going back?!” Orla asked incredulously.

'' Smiling, Cho finally pulled her suitcase completely into the kitchen.

'' “To make sure I get something very personal returned to me,” she replied simply. Waving and grinning at her open-mouthed friends, she wrapped her hands around the handle of her suitcase and Disapparated.

''===

''Sorry Evan M., but actually, I did plan for a sequel….eeehhehehe?

''Of course, you don’t have to read it and stuff…

''A/N:

'' RSC was begun with the intention of being much more drama, playing more off of the Draco-Cho-Harry triangle, as well as Draco’s past. It was also supposed to include [that’s right, a lot of you guessed this,] an Iron Chef spoof, where the prize was ultimately, Cho.

'' However, the more I wrote into the story, the less it seemed to follow what I wanted it to be. In fact, by the end of the last chapter, the story had completely changed. Ren was written out, as his character became less important, and so was Ginny. Su and Castor became a lot more prominent than I’d expected them to, and Harry a little too addle-brained for what was planned. Instead of all the food I’d wanted the story to include and stuff, Café Tombe de Cheval only became a convenient setting. Simply put, RSC in the beginning and RSC at the end are two different stories put together, almost.

'' The newer plotline is not done. Originally, I was going to just continue writing it under the same title and section, but I realized that this second part was going to have a completely different feel, a lot more different character interaction, and a different setting. I also debated ending it a little after chapter twelveish, but I ended up discarding that idea, since it was too far from what I wanted to do.

'' So, to finish up RSC, I had to end it while the setting and stuff were still familiar. Hopefully, ‘Almost Overcooked’, the title of the planned sequel will be able to wrap up the story once and for all, but even that is iffy. I’m kind of pleased with the ending myself. I don’t even see a point in that little blathering up top, only a little transition for those who would like to get a sequel.

'' It’s not totally exactly a sequel…think of it as one story broken into two halves, yeah? I’m still working out the rest of the kinks, but I’m also going to take a little break from this plot and work on some of my other stuff that needs wrapping up.

''I thank you all for having this much patience and tolerance for my erratic-ness and eccentricities. Thank you for reading and reviewing!