hmmm, I bet you're wondering where I've been...that would be two different countries and a few states. Sorry about the delay. And some answers will be revealed in part 12. I hope you enjoy -Puppy

Hotter Thank Most

Part 11

"Masterful, Mr. Weasley."

"I bow to your imagination, Miss White," he complimented...with a little bow, I giggled. "Oh, and please remind me never to get on your bad side."

"Will do. Shall we retire?" I asked, curling my arm around his. He leaned over and kissed me lightly. I went all warm and dreamy.

"Let's retire," he answered with that deep serious voice guys have that instantly sends us into blushes. I tried to stop it, but an unquenchable smile lit my face.

What would I do when it came time to leave? Damn those pesky voices in my head, I thought I gave you that cookie. But it was too late; the thought had interrupted my fluffy train of thoughts.

"What is it?"

"What is what?" I tossed back, grin returning. He peered at me for a moment, but obviously sensing no retreat, I can be very stubborn, he sighed and laughed and led me away, back to the house.

Behind us, floating peacefully above Catchpole Lake, were two Weasley's slumbering quietly in their beds; their snores echoing off into the woods. I love having a wizard boyfriend.

"Whatever will your mother say?" I asked, sounding scandalized.

"Cast a silencing spell," he whispered in my ear. I'm sure my eyes bugged out at that part and I know my feet suddenly decided they could remember where the path was, but seemed to find a root...yeah that's it, a root. Luckily Charlie was there to steady me and we paused for a moment in the path.

The comment was a bit unexpected. But see, here's the conundrum...you can't look away from something like that because it creates an awkward pause and you'll crush the poor boys ego, and you can't look at them silently because...well you just look a little daring, and shall I say scandalously so, eager. So here's how I decide to handle situations like these. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said,

"Mr. Weasley are you insinuating that your mother condones hedonistic acts in her household?" That got 'em. He chuckled and we started walking again. "Now your father on the other hand..." He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. At least I can make him laugh.

"My friend Tatiana," he paused for a second. Another girls name and serious pause, that's not good. "She's invited you to stay with her during the game." Okay heart, you can start again. "It's just that Ron's two friends and my little sister are coming home..."

"That would be a bit much for you mum to handle," I gave him. He looked at me and smiled.

"I didn't want you to feel too crowded," he started explaining rapidly. "You don't have a big family or anything and..." I cut him off.

"Don't worry about it," I told him, giving him a reassuring smile. Awww, he looks all sheepish. I looked ahead and continued, "Plus, I'm sure she can tell me all sorts of scandalous stories about you at school." I glance at him from the corner of my eye. Aww look, he's squirming. Score. "And as long as I get to ravage you every few hours..." I looked at him devilishly, and coaxed the same look into his eyes before darting off. Suffice it to say, I didn't get very far before I was pinned to a tree for the next...actually, I'm not really sure how long it was. Who needs sleep? sigh

Morning found us grinning at each other at the breakfast table...not because of anything like that! One tracked mind much. We were trying, not too successfully, to suppress our laughter. All the Weasley clan, well the ones currently sleeping there, were up. That is, except Fred and George. Mrs. Weasley had been calling after them for the past ten minutes. Charlie was attempting to distract himself with the book I'd bought him. Currently he was on a chapter titled, "What food should and shouldn't do." When I first saw that yesterday I thought it was just silly...then I George tried to give me some candy...and got sent to his room for it. I made a mental note to self, "Do not eat anything not handed to you by Mrs. Weasley." Mrs. Weasley guessed my thoughts and quietly told me not to eat anything Charlie cooked either. But that was for another reason entirely.

Charlie looked up at me and I swear to God said, "Do muggles really drink juice made from oranges?" I was mid gulp into my pumpkin juice and miraculously kept it from exiting my nose. It did send me into a coughing fit however.

"Honestly! Did those boys fall into a coma? Fred! George! Breakfast!." That definitely made it worse and Charlie had to pound on my back after that. Though I don't really know why people do that, it never seems to help. Finally I could breathe again, but I had a napkin firmly held over my face, partially trying to wipe the tears away and partially to cover my smile.

"You going to be all right?" Charlie whispered in my ear, causing a set of silent giggles to shake me and I shook my head, no.

"Fred! George! If you don't come down this minute..." and, as if on cue, the kitchen door swung open and two soggy pajama wearing red heads walked through.

"Morning mum," Fred...I think, said cheerfully.

"Sorry we're late," George finished; they were heading straight through and going for the stairs.

"Wha What," Mrs. Weasley stuttered, in their wake. "Stop!" she ordered as they reached the stairs. They paused. "Turn." They turned. "Explain."

"Well, you see," Fred started. I shook my head at the amateur, still trying to control my laughter. That is not a good phrase to start on. I could feel Charlie shaking lightly beside me.

"We wanted to go swimming," George continued.

"In your pajamas?" Mrs. Weasley said with loud skepticism.

"It was the only option at the time," Fred finished and they made a dash for safety. Charlie and I burst out laughing; I'm sure Mrs. Weasley looked at us suspiciously, but my forehead was planted on the table and I was trying not to hyperventilate. Finally we calmed down and Mr. Weasley looked up from his paper.

"Make sure you bring their beds back before lunch," He said. I looked at him in shock. He winked and returned to his reading.

Later that night, I was sleeping up in Ginny's room. Which was now officially...and rechecked by Charlie every night, creature free. He's so sweet...and, well, he used it as an excuse to wish me good night in private...for about a half hour.

That night, I woke up from a dead sleep. It was what my father and I use to call the moment of silence. When I was little, we had these Siberian huskies and in the middle of the night they would creep into someone's room, noiselessly get a running start and pounce on the pre-chosen victim. Maybe their paws made some noise at lift off, or some prehistoric warning system would be triggered, but you would wake up to an unnatural silence as they were flying through the air and had a split second to curl up and protect your vital areas, the consequences being painful. I awoke to such an unnatural silence.

"Don't even think about it," I said.

"I told you she wasn't asleep yet," I heard one of them whisper as they retreated.

I waited for a while, probably about a half hour and sure enough I heard the door creak open. sigh I told you they were amateurs.

"If you two don't go back to bed right now, I'm going to make you wish you were never born."

I heard muttered curses and the door shut again, I laughed to myself. Unfortunately, as I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before...well, many of the nights before, not that I was complaining mind you as they were hours worth lost sleep, sigh...but, anyways, it was getting to the point that if I fell asleep now, I was going to be comatose and vulnerable. I sighed loudly, got out of bed and shivered. Man, England is cold; it was summer! After a quick trip to Mrs. Weasley's broom closet, I stalked quietly down the stairs, past the twin's room (who I could hear awake and scheming btw) and into Charlie's. His brother Bill had arrived that afternoon, a tall lanky dude (dude is probably the only descriptive word needed for him really) with a really wicked looking earring, and was in the bunk above.

I stopped for a moment and looked at Charlie sleeping. It was so cute, the blanket was half falling off and he was sprawled out, arms flung randomly.

"Julia?" I heard my name and looked up. Bill was peering down at me.

"Hey, Bill," I whispered. "Do you mind if I sleep in here?"

"No, of course not," he said in a sleep muffled voice. I love how the Weasleys just accept you into their family; it makes me feel so comforted. "Is anything wrong?" Just then we heard a rush of water, a shout of surprise, and the sound of plastic bucket hitting the floor. I giggled and looked up at Bill, he was smiling as well.

"My room's not quite safe tonight," I answered cryptically, "and I don't think they're going to admit defeat." He nodded and disappeared back over railing.

Charlie was on the side closest to me, so I had to lift up the blanket and kind of straddle him to get over to the empty space....sooo glad he doesn't wake up easily. I landed beside him, my decent not quite as graceful as I intended, to a sharp pain in my side.

"Hey, no funny business down there," Bill teased.

"A herd of stampeding Hippogriffs wouldn't wake him up, do you think I could," I threw back. I could hear him chuckle. See, I did read the book! Hippogriffs, get it...never mind.

I suddenly realized these were really big for bunk beds; there was plenty of room for two people. I didn't know they made them like that.

About the time I went to get comfortable, I remembered the pain in my side. I reached down and pulled out a book. It was the one I had bought for him. There were little slips of paper sticking out of the pages. I had to grin, he was studying just for me, and it was so adorably sweet. I looked at him, just as he let out a little snort in his sleep. Okay that's not so adorable, but still adorable. I've got it baaad.

I opened up to one of the marked pages and squinted in the moonlight. It was a section on telephones; a grin lit my face as I saw the diagram. I turned another page and it was on...oh my! I just skipped past that section, though probably valuable information for him to know. The third section filled me with warmth and dread at the same time. Possibly it was just for future knowledge, but the fact that he had marked a page on muggle engagement and wedding customs made me pause (though the fact that that section was in a book titled "So You Married a Muggle; Here's How to Not Get Them Killed," stuck out oddly in my mind). But back to it....Oh great! The spastic cookie loving voices in my head were going to love this. But I decided to deal with it as I do most uncertain situations I can't do anything about; I decided to go to sleep.

I set the book down on the floor as quietly as I could, which means it made a loud thwump, and of course the action involved leaning over Charlie again. I lay back down facing away from him. After all, I was stealing into his bed; it would be a bit rude of me to sprawl out all over him...I was reeealy tempted though. I tried to clear my mind for sleep, but the marked section still nagged at me, not that I didn't like him and didn't have momentary wonders about if it would happen, where the ceremony might be, what our children would look like, where we'd retire to...but still I didn't mark pages, though I suppose that's unfair to say as my book didn't have a section like that and I wonder if there was that section if the wonders in my head would adapt themselves to fit wizard customs. And what if Charlie's book is completely wrong and...my thoughts were cut off there, as the large, wonderful smelling, wizard beside me shifted and suddenly there were arms around me, pulling me closer. His head nuzzled against my neck, into my hair and he inhaled deeply, causing me to shiver and melt at the same time...oh who cares about some stupid book.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered in my ear. God I love that accent.