***Really sorry for the wait. I work really hard on this one story, so I do hope it was worth the wait. PLEEEASE rate/review. Thanks!***
Only Joking
Chapter Seven
Kaydy pressed her forehead against the freezing glass, watching it fog up as her hot breath collided with the frosted sheet. Haley had excused herself to the loo a moment ago, and George was nudging Kaydy's foot with the tip of his sneaker. She moved her eyes to him without lifting her head from the window, a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifting on her forehead.
"I was…uhm…hoping to speak with Haley before we arrived," he confessed.
"Right," Kaydy said, rising slowly to her feet. "I'll leave you to it, then."
"Thanks, Kaydy. Listen," he called as she slid the glass door open. "I'm not kicking you out. You're welcome to come back. I just want a few minutes alone with her…to talk about…"
"No, I understand," Kaydy forced a smile as she left the compartment.
She wandered the narrow corridor of the express aimlessly, having nobody else to sit with. Although joining Draco in his compartment where she had seen him sitting all alone was extremely tempting, Kaydy could not shake her anger, and decided to avoid him at all costs. And the Golden Trio's compartment would undoubtedly be full to maximum capacity as it normally was. She continued to walk, dragging her fingernails along the wall as she went, the rubber soles of her sneakers pounding against the floorboards.
She curiously glanced into the compartments as she passed. She smirked to herself, noticing several doors with their curtains drawn, knowing exactly what was going on behind those violet drapes, though she'd never experienced such endeavors for herself. Her eyes lazily swept over the next compartment on her left, and she found herself rooted to the carpeted floor, her knees locking as her body stiffened. Kaydy watched as long, manicured fingers knotted themselves in the auburn hair Kaydy had grown familiar with as their lips moved skillfully in sync.
Hot tears stung her brown eyes and she bit her bottom lip as she fought the urge to collapse and she somehow managed to storm away. She burst through the door to the lavatory and clicked it locked behind her. She leaned her elbows on the cold porcelain sink and buried her miserable face in her hands, her long velvet hair fanning around her. She spent the rest of the journey feeling utterly pathetic, sobbing all alone, her steady flow of tears soaking the dark denim of her jeans.
As the train came to a screeching stop, Kaydy wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and blinked her eyes rapidly, determined to erase any redness they held. She tugged the damp sleeves of her olive shirt into her fists as she exited the lavatory with a final sniffle.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Haley cried, gripping Kaydy's thin forearms in her fingers. "I have marvelous news!"
Kaydy simply stared at her sparkling blue eyes, waiting for her to continue.
"George and I are officially a couple!" she squealed practically jumping up and down.
Kaydy smiled at her friend and watched her bounce happily.
"Finally!" Kaydy said, grinning, though it felt a little forced.
"I've got to go," she said growing sad, "my parents are right over there."
Kaydy followed her friend's finger as it pointed at a happy couple scanning the crowded platform for their beautiful daughter. Haley was a spitting image of her stunning mother, wearing the same long platinum hair and bright blue eyes. Her father, however, was a stout gruff looking man with hair of salt and pepper. He spotted his little girl first and whispered in his trophy wife's ear. The blonde woman's eyes sparkled as she waved frantically at Haley.
"I'll see you in a couple weeks," Kaydy smiled into Haley's shoulder as she was enveloped in a crushing hug.
"I'll miss you!" Haley cried, waving before turning to run to her parents. "Have fun at the Weasleys'!"
Kaydy grimaced to herself.
"Kaydy!"
She turned around, wiping the grimace off her face, replacing it with an indifferent smile. The twins walked towards her and she felt her body tense as Fred grinned down at her, completely unaware that Kaydy had witnessed his escapade behind that glass door. George threw his strong arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight to his side.
"Ready to go home?" he smiled down at her.
She nodded silently, glancing up at him for a quick second. Fred smiled again, and Kaydy tried to ignore the fire smoldering in her chest, before leading them to the barrier.
"You alright, Kaydy?" George asked in a hushed tone, ducking his head down to her ear.
She nodded again, the corner of her mouth twitching in pitiful attempt at smiling.
"You sure? Your eyes are all red and puffy," he noted.
"I'm fine. I fell asleep in the loo," she lied, spitting out the first excuse she could think of.
He nodded thoughtfully, making it clear he didn't particularly believe her, but kept his mouth shut anyway. Kaydy jogged through the barrier beneath George's wing and was instantly engulfed in a warm, loving embrace.
"Oh Kaydynce, we were so worried about you! Are you alright, dear? A bit peaky, but we'll fix that straight away," Molly Weasley gushed, holding Kaydy out at arm's length.
"I'm alright, Molly. Really," she smiled at the closest thing she had to a mother.
Molly smiled once more before turning to her identical sons, hugging them simultaneously. Arthur Weasley stepped forward, wrapping his arms affectionately around the small brunette and she smiled against his rough wool coat.
"Nice to see you up and well, Kaydy," he said, his embrace ending much faster than Molly's had. "Gave us quite a start, you did."
"Sorry, Arthur," she smiled sheepishly.
"Let's go home, shall we?" Arthur offered to the rest of the huge group gathered just outside the platform's barrier.
Kaydy and the Weasleys arrived at the Burrow shortly after, and were rushed inside by Molly. The plump woman urged them to get cleaned up and relax while she prepared dinner. Kaydy obliged, hurrying up to the attic, her designated living space while she stayed at the Burrow. She unpacked her things and showered before lying down on the lumpy cot she had grown accustomed to. The springs poking out of the fluff here and there no longer bothered her, considering she had been sleeping on this very mattress for the past nine years. She twiddled her thumbs over her growing breasts and stared up at the ceiling, sighing deeply to herself.
"They're not together, you know."
Kaydy's breath caught in her throat and she sluggishly shifted her gaze to rest on the small figure in her doorway. The small girl leaned casually on the doorframe with her slender arms locked over her own chest. She smirked at Kaydy before shaking her head slowly, her long auburn hair falling in front of her green eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Kaydy asked stupidly, returning her blank stare to the ceiling.
"My daft brother and Johnson," Ginny clarified as she entered the bedroom further, closing the door behind her. "They are not together."
"How would you know?" Kaydy muttered, untwisting her fingers to twirl a strand of hair instead.
"I know everything," Ginny said simply. "They're just fooling around. Fred's not all that interested in her."
"Interested enough to snog her the entire train ride home," Kaydy bitterly grumbled, turning her head away from Ginny.
"He's fifteen, Kaydy. He's bound to…desire certain things," Ginny replied, sounding years beyond her age.
"And what, exactly, do you know about desires, Ginevra?" Kaydy asked, suddenly very aware that a twelve year old was speaking to her in such a mature manner.
"Trust me, I know more than you think," Ginny winked as Kaydy's eyes widened.
"You'd best be behaving yourself, Ginevra Molly," Kaydy warned.
"We're not discussing my behavior! We're discussing Fred's," Ginny replied, her cheeks flushing the tiniest bit.
"I'd rather not," Kaydy grumbled. "I don't care what he desires, or who he wishes to fulfill those desires with."
"Please," Ginny snorted. "Do yourself a favor, and be honest with yourself for once, Kaydynce."
"I am being honest. Why should I care what he does? I'm not his mum or his…" she broke off. "I'm only his friend. It's none of my concern who he chooses to snog."
"That doesn't mean you aren't hurt by it," Ginny replied sympathetically. "I see the way you look at him, Kaydy. Trust me, I know what jealousy feels like."
"I'm not jealous," she replied, cowering under Ginny's fiery glare.
"If his fooling around, and snogging Angelina upsets you so much, you should talk to him," Ginny suggested, rising to her feet. "Tell him how you feel."
"There's nothing to tell," Kaydy denied.
Ginny shook her head and strolled to the door, grasping the brass knob in her small hand.
"Fine then," she said defeated. "Mum says dinner's ready, by the way."
Kaydy shut her eyes as her door clicked closed. With a sigh, she pushed herself from her bed and swung her feet around until they dangled over the creaky floorboards. Her sneakers slapped against the wooden floors as she descended down the whiny stairs to the dining area. Her eyes surveyed the table and her stomach gave a dreadful lurch, noticing the only vacant seat was on Fred's left side. Kaydy willed herself to feign confidence and normalcy as she strode to the available spot and sat down gracefully, ignoring Ginny's watchful eyes.
With the endless amount of food scattered across the table, one would think they were sitting in the Great Hall for the Christmas feast. Kaydy piled some roast beef and potatoes on her plate. As her hand reached for the bowl of brown gravy, her fingers fell on someone else's, an instant spark shot up her arm as though she were electrocuted, a powerful bolt surging through her veins. She yanked her hand back to her lap and blushed violently against her will as Fred sent a lopsided smile down at her. He lifted the bowl in his fist and drizzled some of the steaming hot liquid over Kaydy's plate before doing the same to his own.
"Thanks," she mumbled, and dinner carried on quietly.
"The meal was delicious, Molly," Arthur complimented his wife.
Kaydy watched the woman's round cheeks flush slightly at his kind words before she bustled around the room, clearing the cluttered table. Kaydy smiled at how flustered the man's words had made her and she wondered if she would ever experience a love like theirs. She wondered if she'd find someone who could make her blush like that, even after years and years of marriage. Merlin, she hoped so.
"I'll help you, Molly," Kaydy offered, gathering several plates and utensils in her hands, balancing on their forearms as she followed Molly into the kitchen.
"Thank you, Kaydy," Molly smiled, her blush slowly leaving her round cheeks. "You wash, I'll dry and put away?"
Kaydy nodded at the suggestion and rolled up her green sleeves to her bony elbows. Her hands plummeted into the soapy water and she began scrubbing the dishes clean, one by one. She handed the clean ones to Molly, who dried them and sent them soaring into their respective cupboards. From behind her, Kaydy heard the twins enter the room, their booming laughter bouncing off the walls. George just barely dodged a goblet soaring towards his head on its way to its home, and Fred laughed loudly as he leaned his weight on the counter beside the sink.
Kaydy felt his warm eyes on her and she refused to meet his stare and, instead, focused on the bubbles floating along the surface of the water. George randomly pecked the side of his mother's face before leaping up the stairs to his bedroom. Molly smiled at the unexpected affection from her goofy son and turned to Kaydy.
"You can just leave the rest in the rack over here, I'll get to them later," she instructed, releasing the knot of her apron.
"Of course, go relax, Molly," Kaydy's soft voice encouraged.
Molly hung the dirtied apron on a nearby hook and left the room to sit with her husband on the large sofa. Fred's eyes trailed along Kaydy's body while she completely ignored his presence, taking in her maturing appearance. He recalled the first day of term, the train ride to school, when he first noticed her developments: the new curves of her hips, the narrow dip in her waist, the fullness of her chest. Only a few months had passed, but Fred swore Kaydy's body had continued to change at a rapid pace. The way her dark denim jeans hugged her wide hips and round rear was intoxicating, almost as much so as the way the thin fabric of her shirt clung to her waist, rising up to reveal a thin strip of her abdomen, all remnants of her summer tan faded away, leaving her skin its natural creamy color that Fred loved so much.
As if in a trance, Fred removed his weight from the counter top and stood dangerously close behind her, longing to reach out and run his fingers along the dramatic curves of her body. He stepped even closer, his front mere centimeters from her backside, as he towered over her and watched her busy hands over her shoulder. Kaydy tried to ignore him, pretending to be oblivious to their close proximity, but she could feel his warm breath on her shoulder, blowing thin strands of her silky hair into her face. His sweet scent floated all around her, contaminating the air she was breathing.
"Why don't you come upstairs with me," he suggested, his voice low and rough.
Kaydy had never heard such a lustful tone, let alone coming from Fred. The hunger in his deep voice sounded strange to her. Strange, but enticing all the same. She blinked her eyes rapidly, desperately trying to remember that she was upset with Fred and did not wish to speak with him anytime soon. But as his strong, thick fingers trailed along the slope of her waist, slithering to her stomach, any trace of fury she had felt vanished. She gasped as his fingertips, calloused from years of quidditch, dragged along the exposed bit of flesh above the waistline of her jeans and her hands clumsily fumbled in the sink.
A soft yelp escaped her lips and she ripped her hands from the water, clutching her left inside her right. Startled, Fred stepped away from her, the enchantment seemingly broken. A thin line of blood dripped down her wrist as she clung to her hand. Fred's eyes widened and he reached for her injured palm, examining the smooth abrasion in the flesh. It didn't look too bad, but he called for his mother nonetheless.
"Kaydy, dear, come sit," Molly urged, as Fred ushered Kaydy to a nearby chair. "We'll fix that up in no time."
"It's just a scrape, really," Kaydy argued as Molly approached her with her wand. "Believe me, I've had worse."
Molly ignored her and shooed Fred's frazzled hand away, allowing her to perform the proper healing spell. Within seconds, Kaydy's wound was cleaned and sealed and she could only feel a slight sting in her palm.
"How did you cut yourself, Kaydy?" Molly inquired, examining her work closely.
Kaydy's eyes flashed towards Fred who stared back at her with wide, shameful eyes.
"You know how clumsy I am," she forced a laugh, pushing her waist length hair away from her face.
Molly shook her head, a slight smile on her thin lips, before she patted the back of Kaydy's smooth hand.
"Go on upstairs, I'll take care of the dishes in the morning," Molly dismissed despite Kaydy's protests.
Kaydy walked slowly up the winding stairs, Fred hot on her tail. She was about to pass the twins' bedroom when Fred's long fingers wrapped around her wrist to tug her inside with him. She fought his grip for a moment, satisfied by the sudden hurt that flashed in his eyes, before submitting to him and following him into his bedroom.
"Where have you two been?" Ron asked, raising an orange eyebrow at his older brother from his spot on the floor.
"I was helping with the dishes," Kaydy replied, plopping down on George's bed, kicking her sneakers off.
"I was watching," Fred smirked honestly.
Ron snorted and returned his attention back to the game of wizard's chess he was playing against George. Fred sat down on his bed across from Kaydy and laid on his back, his hazel eyes staring at the crimson canopy over his bed. Kaydy surveyed their bedroom, happy when she did not see any panty-clad witches dancing along the walls. Fred had several photographs stuck to the wall beside his dresser, mostly of him and George and Kaydy. George's dresser, extremely cluttered with papers and splattered ink, had its drawers wide open, articles of clothing poking out here and there. She returned her gaze to the two gingers on the floor before she felt a thoughtful set of eyes on her. Fred, propped up on his strong forearms, stared intently at her from across the room. Their eyes met for a moment before Kaydy's fell back to the Weasleys on the floor. She did her best to ignore the creaking springs of the mattress as it sunk beneath Fred's weight.
Kaydy twisted the silver band around her index finger, pursing her lips together. She wanted so desperately to forgive Fred, hug him and laugh with him like they had since they were five year olds. But the crippling ache in her chest that throbbed every time she pictured Fred with Angelina hurt too much to ignore. She could not erase the encounter from her memory. The way her slender chocolate fingers tugged at his luscious locks, or how his strong hands roamed the curves of her body hungrily.
Warm fingers wrapped around her bicep, and Kaydy felt herself being tugged to lie on her back. Fred released his grip on her arm once her back was flat against the bed beside him. Her thick coffee-colored hair fanned out across the warm blanket, its vanilla scent tangling itself in the fabric. She hesitated before turning her head to look at Fred and found him already watching her face intently. She chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering what was going on inside his head, and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. With a sigh and a soft smile, Fred turned his head again, his nose pointing at the canopy and closed his eyes. Kaydy breathed silently and did the same, allowing her eyes to flutter shut as she felt the warm skin of Fred's forearm press against her own, pushing away her anger for the time being.
"This is all very sweet, but I'd like my bed back, please."
Kaydy peaked through her thick eyelashes, sticky with mascara, finding herself tucked between a strong arm and a sturdy body. George and Ron snickered, their rust colored eyebrows raised on their freckled foreheads, and Kaydy shot away from Fred's warm embrace. The ginger woke with a start and pressed his fists into his tired eyes.
"You two are absolutely adorable," Ron snorted.
"Yes, very touching, but I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight," George smirked, kicking the toe of his brother's sneaker.
Fred grumbled and propped himself up on his forearms. His eyes raked over Kaydy's body as she rocked her weight from side to side, tugging her shirt towards her hips. She ran her fingers through her hair, her long locks falling over her shoulder, revealing her reddening cheek. He smirked to himself, a wave of accomplishment flowing through him as he watched her try, and ultimately fail, to appear casual. She tucked her hands into her back pockets, giving Fred a much appreciated excuse to glance at her rear, before bouncing uncomfortably on the toe of her sneakers.
"Right," Kaydy said awkwardly. "I'm just going to…uh…go to bed, then."
"Night," George and Ron called, a slight tone of mockery creeping into their deep voices.
"Night, love," Fred said quietly, though she had already left his room.
Kaydy awoke early the next morning, the orange sun barely peaking over the horizon, lighting the indigo sky the slightest bit. She pulled herself out of bed, sliding her socked feet over the wooden floor until she reached the lone window of the attic, leaning her weight on the windowsill. She locked her slender arms around her torso, hugging her bathrobe tight to her body as she gazed through the sparkling clean glass. A thick sheet of snow covered the backyard and countless more flakes fell from the sky, landing on top of the heaps.
Kaydy stifled a yawn and ran a sleepy hand through her tangled hair. She assumed she was the only one awake so early in the morning, and she took it upon herself to begin preparing breakfast for the family. After rummaging through the cupboards, Kaydy began mixing the ingredients with a skillful hand, adding just the right touch of different spices and seasonings. Stirred by the delicious aroma floating throughout the Burrow, the Weasley clan slowly trickled into the kitchen, their mouths watering at the meal Kaydy was preparing. Molly immediately took to assisting Kaydy, gushing over how lovely and grown up she was becoming as the girl effortlessly flipped a pancake from the skillet, adding it to the growing golden stack on a porcelain platter.
Arthur sat at the table, flipping through the daily prophet, his eyes scanning the moving pages idly as he sipped his morning tea. Ginny soon trudged down the stairs, her long hair pulled back in a braid, slightly messy from her sleep. Molly put her daughter to work right away instructing Ginny to set the table for breakfast, ignoring the twelve year old's disgruntled muttering. Kaydy smirked at Ginny's crankiness and continued flipping pancakes and stirring the fluffy yellow eggs around their respective pan.
"Kaydy, dear, I can take it from here. Why don't you go upstairs and wake the twins," Molly dismissed, taking the spatula from Kaydy's reluctant fist.
Before she could decline, Molly gently shoved her in the direction of the twisting staircase, ignoring Ginny's devious smirk as she went. Kaydy knocked on their bedroom door, awaiting a response she anticipated she would not receive, and entered the dark room cautiously. Her eyes struggled to see through the blackness and she slowly tiptoed across the floor, careful to avoid the random cauldron and parchment, no doubt holding notes pertaining to their mischievous products and inventions. She rolled her caramel eyes at their carelessness and bent down to gather the scattered records, storing them inside one of the boys' desk drawers, safe from Molly's curious eyes.
"George, get up," Kaydy whispered, shaking her friend's shoulder.
He opened one hazel eye just a crack and groaned in response. Kaydy smiled down at him as he propped himself up on his elbows before swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. Kaydy patted his fleece clad thigh before moving closer to his twin's bed, hoping awaking him would be as simple as it had been with George. She glanced down at him, able to see the sparse freckles scattered across his pale cheeks now that her eyes had adjusted to the dark. She was only vaguely aware of the faint click of the door closing behind George as he headed to meet his family downstairs for breakfast, and Kaydy brushed her fingers lightly over Fred's forehead, pushing his rusty hair away from his shut eyes.
While she watched him sleep, she could not find it within her to be angry with him. Perhaps it was because, with his eyes closed, she could not see the smug look that would sweep over his entire face whenever he caught her blushing, or the lust that hooded his eyes whenever Angelina's skin came in contact with his. However, she could not erase the painful memories no matter how hard she tried.
"Up," she growled, shoving his shoulder roughly.
He did not stir and she shook him again, digging her fingertips into the exposed skin of his shoulder. She had not noticed that he was sleeping shirtless, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She loosened her grip on him and delicately trailed her fingers down to his muscular bicep. She inhaled an uneven breath, suffering from the whiplash brought on by her own mood-swings, and stroked his cheek.
"Fred, it's time to wake up," she whispered, her lips close to his ear.
He stirred slightly, slowly bringing his hand towards his ear, laying his hot palm against Kaydy's cheek. His eyes fluttered open, danced over her beautiful face, determined to remember every detail, like the way her eyes widened slightly at his touch, or how she sucked her bottom lip slightly between her teeth, or the smooth waves framing her face, sweeping ever so slightly against his bare chest. She felt her cheeks heating beneath his palm and an odd laugh slipped between her lips as she backed away from him.
"It's…uh…time for breakfast," she stuttered stupidly.
She stood completely straight, looking anywhere but his curious eyes, and pushed her fingers nervously through her hair. She fiddled with the ribbon-like bow of her ruby robe before placing her hands awkwardly on her hips. Fred watched her closely, her discomfort apparent, and he gently took her fingers in his, pulling her towards his laying body. She kinked her eyebrows in confusion until her thigh hit his mattress, and he ushered her to sit beside him, her hip pressing into his hard stomach.
"Come on, Fred, the others are expecting us," she said softly, goose-bumps rising to her flesh as he draped his arm around her, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her bicep.
"Just stay with me a while longer," he whispered. "We never spend time alone together anymore."
Her eyes fell to her lap, the obvious reason why they never had time together pushing its way to the front of her mind. She was reminded of their hands curious traveling each other's bodies, and Kaydy bit back the urge to spit a nasty response at him. Instead, she glared at the sliver of mattress visible between them.
"Something's changed," he mumbled, his eyes still focused intently on Kaydy.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes in irritation. She turned her head to look into his wondering eyes and shook her head slowly as she rushed to her feet.
"Everything has changed."
