The batter poured out onto the skillet easily. She sighed quietly as she saw bubbles start to rise to the top of it. She shifted her weight onto her other foot, reaching for her cup of tea. August sipped at it, eyeing the cooking pancake carefully. When the bubbles popped, she flipped it, smiling in satisfaction at the perfectly browned pancake. She licked her lips quickly, pushing a stray strand of her auburn hair out of her eyes. As she flipped the pancake again, only a few moments later, she felt that she was in desperate need of a shower.
She had woken less than an hour ago, at half past eight. Her long-term boyfriend, Fred, had still been sound asleep beside her, his arm around her waist and his face buried in her neck. She had laid there for a few moments, toying with the ends of his hair and working up the motivation to get out of bed. Once she'd silently slipped from the comfort of their bed, she pulled on a pair of knickers and one of Fred's hand-me-down t-shirts that brushed the tops of her thighs. August had pulled her hair back into a knot at the back of her neck and brushed her teeth. She stopped in George's room to ask if he wanted any breakfast, only to find that he had either gotten up very early, or he hadn't come home the night before.
She used the spatula to pick up the pancake, placing it on a plate before pouring another. As she cooked, she smirked slightly, knowing that if Fred were awake and watching her cook, he would tease her for doing it the Muggle way. Her mother had been a Squib, so August herself had been raised, doing much household work the Muggle way, which didn't bother her at all.
Her cooking process continued for another ten minutes, until six pancakes had been made, three for each of them. She turned off the burner, setting the plate of pancakes in the middle of the extremely small kitchen table. She returned to the sink, where she washed plates and silverware for them to eat with before setting them on the table as well. She put more water in the kettle, allowing it to heat up to make fresh tea.
Catching a chill, she shivered as she started down the hallway, the wooden floor rough against her bare feet. She reached the door of their bedroom, pushing it open as quietly as she could. The floor creaked slightly as she crossed it. Fred was still tangled in the blankets, lying on his back with his head on her pillow. She smiled at the serenity of the room; the peace and quiet that would vanish as soon as Fred awoke.
She climbed onto the bed, straddling him by placing a knee on either side of his lean pelvis. The addition of her weight caused the bed to creak loudly and Fred stirred. His eyes still closed, he frowned and tried to roll over. When he realized he couldn't, he opened his eyes and looked around the room seeming disoriented. His eyes finally settled on her and the corners of his mouth turned upward.
"Good morning, love," he said with a sigh that lapsed into a yawn. He ran a hand through his hair before settling both of his hands on her hips.
"Is it, now?" August teased, leaning down to kiss him as her hips lowered to his for a few seconds. Their lips moved together for a moment, Fred's hands already toying with the seam of the t-shirt she was wearing. She pulled away, licking her lips quickly.
"You wear too many clothes," Fred told her, sounding a bit disappointed as his hands still remained on her hips. She laughed quietly, the sound music to his ears. She bit her bottom lip gentle and he couldn't help but smile.
He stared up at her, taking her in. Her skin, normally the color of ivory, was sunkissed from helping his mother work in the garden. Her auburn hair was dark and tied back, yet her bangs and the front of her hair were still down. There was a twinkle in her navy colored eyes as she grinned down at him, her white teeth still closed on her rose coloured bottom lip. His eyes moved down her frame, he cursed silently for the fact that her clothes were still on. The shirt was covering her soft, sweet curves and he sighed quickly in irritation that he couldn't see all of her.
In the silence, August smiled. She leaned down again to kiss him very softly, her lips lingering over his. "Come now," she said, leaning away from him. "I've made you breakfast, and if we wait much longer, it'll be cold."
He rolled his eyes at her words as she unstraddled him and left the bed. He watched her walk towards the door, glancing over her shoulder at him as he sat up. He pulled on a pair of pants before following her out of the room.
She was already seated at the table when he arrived in the kitchen, a grin on his face. "Aww, look at this: You're being domestic," he teased with a wink as he sat down across from her.
She made a noise of disgust, much to his amusement. "Don't call me 'domestic.'" She said the word as if she was saying something truly vile. As much as she hated the word, she knew it was what she was becoming.
Since she'd lost her job as a Healer at St. Mungo's two months before, she'd mostly kept close to the flat above the shop. She did a lot of cleaning, since neither Fred nor George would even touch a broom, and she did most of the cooking as well. When she had extra time, she'd help down at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes or even go to the Burrow and help Mrs. Weasley around the house.
As they ate, a silence enveloped the pair of them. The only sound in the room was that of their forks clinking against their plates. August could feel Fred's eyes on her often, and she only smiled, looking down at her food.
When they finished, she cleared their plates and set them in the sink, deciding to wash them later. She toyed with the hair around her face that had fallen from her bun with a sigh as she walked back over to the table.
Fred's hand circled around her wrist and he tugged it gently, pulling her to him. She laughed quietly as she stumbled and ended up in his lap. He smiled confidently, his fingertips brushing over the smooth skin of her thigh. She closed her eyes, trying to slow her pulse, which had skyrocketed upon his touch.
After a moment of turning her head away whenever he tried to kiss her, she finally gave in, kissing him with a smile. His hands slid effortlessly up the back of her shirt, the pads of his fingers moving over the bumps of her spine. Her fingers tangled themselves through his hair, his tongue gliding along her bottom lip. They stayed like that for a while, kissing in the kitchen.
She leaned away with a sigh, trying to catch her breath. His lips, however, didn't leave her skin. He kissed the line of her jaw, her cheek, her collar bone, and the spot behind her ear that made her knees shake. She suppressed a sound of pleasure, biting down on her tongue. They played this game often; hiding their satisfaction from one another. She knew that the instant Fred knew how much she was enjoying this, the rest of their morning would be spent in the bedroom and nothing would get done other wise.
She let his lips move over her skin for a bit longer, the hot suction of his mouth pushing her to the edge, before she stood up abruptly, clearing her throat. She tugged at this hem of her shirt, straightening it out. She licked her lips, meeting Fred's eyes. She could see the lust clouding his vision and she took a deep breath, letting her own desire subside a bit.
"I, uhm, I think it's time to shower," she said, her eyes flickering to the door in the hall that opened into the flat's sole bathroom. Fred only nodded, bolting from his seat and racing her to the bathroom.
He beat her there and she closed the door behind her. She laughed loudly as Fred's arms encircled her waist, pulling her into the bathtub as he turned on the shower head, the water spraying out and drenching them, both of them still dressed. The water was frigid for a moment, and Fred held August under the cold water as she cursed and fought against him. Finally, as he laughed, he released her as the water turned warm.
He had done this many times to her before, and each time, it irritated her more than the previous times. She cursed at him loudly, swinging her fist at him without aiming. He laughed, kissing her rather roughly. She pulled away, still cursing from the feel of the icy water, to remove her now soaked and heavy t-shirt, throwing it to the bathroom floor. Fred's lips found her own again feverishly as he tugged the elastic out of her half-wet hair, running his fingers through it. His hands roamed down her body, feeling the contours of her back. She pressed against him, her hands holding onto his biceps, the toned Quidditch muscles of his arm tensing under her touch. His lips pressed against her collar bone, before moving up, kissing under her jaw.
"Y'want to know something?" he asked, his lips still against her skin.
"Hmm?" she hummed blissfully, her arms wrapping around his neck more tightly. Much to her distaste, he pulled away from the skin of her throat to kiss her now swollen lips. He leaned a few centimeters away, smiling down at her.
"I love you," he told her, her heart melting slightly.
Their joint shower lasted an hour and by the time that Fred turned off the water, it had been running cold for twenty minutes. Her skin plastered with goosebumps, August stepped from the shower first, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for a towel. Fred reached around her for a towel of his own as she wrung out the water from her hair. Fred kissed the back of her shoulder before stepping out of the tub, wrapping the towel around his waist.
They dressed in silence. Fred pulled on a pair of loose fitting jeans and a green and yellow striped rugby shirt while August slipped into a wine colored ribbed tank top and a white, flowing skirt that brushed the tops of her knees. She flicked her wand and her hair dried to it's naturally curly state.
"Auggie, I think I'm going to go down and work the shop for a bit. I reckon that George is a tad irritated that I haven't come down yet," Fred said after a moment. His warm palm was resting on her bare shoulder as he wrapped one of her curls around his index finger.
"All right, then. I've got to do some cleaning and I figure that I should make something to take to your parents' tonight." She licked her lips, looking over her shoulder to find him smiling at her.
"And you say you're not domestic," he joked, kissing the crown of her head. She rolled her eyes, grumbling something under her breath. He pulled away from her, grabbing his wand from the table on his side of the bed. She heard the bedroom door close once he left, and she sighed loudly.
She started cleaning up the clothes that littered the floor from the night before. She tossed them into the hamper that was now over flowing with dirty clothes and towels. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, bewitching the hamper to take it to the wash room.
As she looked through the book of housekeeping spells that Mrs. Weasley had given her a few weeks before to find the spell to set the clothes wash themselves, she thought about Fred. She found the spell and set the book on a shelf, setting her wand in the book to keep her place. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned a pair of Fred's jeans right-side out and tossed them back onto the pile. She set up the wash and smiled in satisfaction as the spell worked perfectly. She returned to the bedroom and stripped the bed of the sheets and put on a fresh set. Even looking at the bed made her miss Fred, despite the fact that he was only ten feet beneath her in the shop.
She moved onto the kitchen and washed the dishes by hand. As always, she managed to get water everywhere. Scrubbing a pan that just did not want to come clean, she licked her lips. She heard a noise in the alley below and nearly jumped out of her skin. She dropped the pan in the sink, water flying everywhere as she rushed to the window to see what was going on.
To her relief, someone had only set off a firecracker in a tin trash can on the street. Regardless, her heart thundered in her chest. She returned to the sink, sighing as she slid her hands back into the warm dish water. She wasn't sure how much longer she could live on Diagon Alley. She'd been living there for nearly two years, with Fred and George, and with the fear of You-Know-Who's imminent attack, she was tired of living in fear.
She woke up several times during the night, and before she could fall asleep again, she'd have to check the protective charms on the lock of the door. Fred was such a sound sleeper that he knew nothing of her anxiety. The only nights she slept soundly were the nights they spent at the Burrow with Fred's family, where Fred would sneak into the guest room, where August slept, the second his mother went to bed.
August spent the next two hours cleaning the flat from floor to ceiling, only skipping over George's room. She was sitting on the sofa and folding clothes, listening to a Muggle radio station on the radio Mr. Weasley had salvaged for her, when Fred and George came up the stairs, entering the flat. They were both laughing loudly. As soon as they saw her though, they both stopped laughing and she eyed them suspiciously.
George paused as Fred walked over to the sofa, sitting down beside her. As George looked around the open space of the flat, Fred took advantage of his brother's turned back and kissed August quickly. The pair had been dating for nearly four years, yet Fred still felt uncomfortable kissing her in front of his twin.
"Wow, Augs, this place hasn't been so clean since the last time you cleaned it," George commented with an appreciative nod. August laughed, dropping the last folded towel onto the high pile of towels already folded. She leaned back against Fred and he put his arm around her shoulders.
"Very good, George. With skills like that, you didn't even need to finish Hogwarts," she teased, lacing her fingers through Fred's. George made a face at her, and she winked. He didn't stick around long, disappearing to his bedroom.
Fred sighed quietly, and August looked up at him in question. "Long day," he said simply, understanding the question in her eyes.
"It's barely even noon, love," she reminded him, a hint of amusement in her voice. Fred only shook his head before leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Did you guys close up early?"
"Yeah. Business was slow and I missed you."
August snorted quietly. "Yes, I'm sure your yearning for me was a key factor in deciding to close the shop for the day, especially when I was only ten feet from you." He shrugged silently, tightening his arm around her.
She rested her head on his chest, her eyes heavy all of a sudden. His body was warm against hers and the steady sound of his heart beating in his ribcage was relaxing. Her hand curled around the cotton of his shirt, taking a deep breath and inhaling his familiar scent.
Leaning against him as she was, she couldn't help but feel a rush of nostalgia. She felt sixteen again, nodding off in the Gryffindor common room in front of the roaring fire curled against Fred in the early stages of their relationship. It seemed so long ago, and life seemed so simple. Then, the only thing to be afraid of was Sirius Black and Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class. Her heart ached for those days, where she could sleep through the night and she still had her parent's home to return to. Now, terrified, she woke at the slightest sound and Fred and the rest of the Wealsey's were the only family she had left. Trying her hardest to push thoughts of her broken family out of her mind, she somehow dozed off.
When she opened her eyes next, after an unknown amount of time, she was in her bed, Fred curled up beside her. She scooted closer to him, thoughts of her family returning to her mind. She bit down hard on the inside of her lip as tears stung in her eyes. She grew restless, for every time she closer her eyes, her family was all she could see.
She sat up, causing Fred to stir. He sat up behind her, rubbing her shoulders gently as he sensed something was bothering her. She didn't admit that she was thinking about her family, knowing Fred would tell her again what he'd told her countless times before: that there was nothing she could have done.
They had slept for nearly three hours. They left the confines of their room and August began to gather the ingredients for her mother's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that Fred and George's family enjoyed. Fred sat at the table, watching her measure out the ingredients the Muggle way and couldn't refrain from teasing her. She finally gave him a stern look that shut him up but couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
As much as he teased for her Muggle cooking habits, he enjoyed to watch her cook. She seemed to have a bit more of a swing to her step and a carefree smile was often found on her lips. She spoke to herself quietly, reminding herself of the next step of the recipe. From his chair, he studied her.
August's hair was still curly, but slightly matted from her nap. The neckline of her tank top was lower than he remembered it being earlier, yet he wasn't complaining. Her wine colored tank top was slimming on her, and it looked as if he were to put his arms around her waist, she'd break in two. Her shoulder blades and collar bones seemed to be more pronounced that he recalled. Her white skirt still brushed her knees, making her slender, toned legs looked long. She was barefoot, her toenails painted an olive green. Fred couldn't help but smile as she bent to put the cookies in the oven to bake for fifteen minutes.
She stood again, closing the oven door and wiped her hands on a dish towel. She looked at him, lips pursed. She had known that he was watching her the entire time she'd spent cooking. "We ought to start packing," she said with a quiet sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Fred frowned. "For what?"
"Your parent's house. We're staying the night, aren't we?" she asked, licking her lips.
"I hadn't really planned on it," he responded, his voice trailing off. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. "Do we really need to?"
"I'd like to," she said rather quietly. She could feel her body and mind tense up. "I just...I feel better sleeping there."
Fred raised an eyebrow. "What d'you mean?"
August glanced at him quickly before looking away again. "I uhm- I just don't sleep well when we're here," she explained, shrugging as she bit at the inside of her cheek. Her frowned, standing from his chair to approach her.
She lowered her eyes, staring at the buttons on his shirt. He kissed her forehead softly, cupping her upper arms with his hands. Tears stung in her eyes as he stepped a bit closer to her and she took a deep breathe. She bit down on her lip hard.
"Shh," he said quietly. His hands moved to her waist and he wrapped his arms around her. "We can stay at the Burrow tonight. We can stay there every night, for as long as you'd like."
She sighed nearly inaudibly, relaxing in his embrace. She heard George's footsteps in the hall, and they halted upon the threshold of the kitchen. George cleared his throat, and to her surprise, Fred continued to hold her. George stepped around the pair to get to the small refrigerator.
"You should really consider moving this to your bedroom," George said awkwardly, sitting down at the table. August couldn't help but laugh, pulling away from Fred.
"Nothing was happening, Georgie," she teased him, opening the oven door quickly to check the cookies. George gave her a skeptical look before asking Fred a question.
As August packed a trunk for her and Fred, packing enough clothes for several days. She left Fred and George in charge of taking the cookies out of the oven in a few minutes. She tossed her favorite blanket into the trunk on top of their clothes before latching it shut. She heard shouting from the kitchen and cursed under her breath before returning to the kitchen quickly.
When she returned to the kitchen, she was not shocked at all to see that the oven door was open, the twins yelling at each other, and the cookies on fire. The twins looked up at her at the same time, and pointed to the other, saying, "It's his fault!" in unison. August shook her head, finding the situation to be more amusing than infuriating. Trying to hide a smile, she extinguished the now ruined cookies.
Grabbing a towel, she set the cookie sheet on top of the stove, not even bothering to do anything to clean it. She turned the knob on the over, turning it off. She turned around to face the twins, her hands on her hips. They both offered apologetic smiles and Fred told her that he loved her. She sent Fred to retrieve the trunk from their bedroom and as soon as she returned, she latched onto his arm. With a deafening crack and a pull from behind her navel, they had Apparated out of the flat.