Thank you guys so much for all the reviews. I'm sorry it took me awhile to get this chapter out but I went camping this week and havent been home to get it up. I feel like this chapter sucks a lot but I know the next chapter will make up for it because I've already started it and I was practically dying! Ok I'm not gonna thank you all individually today, but just know that you all make me extremely happy when I see a new review pop up. Thanks again! Now lets get going!
Remember When
Chapter 11- A Knight in Shining Armor
"You think she murdered him?" Lee Jordan pushed open the door to Katie's apartment and stuck his head partially inside. It was quiet.
"I'd be surprised if she didn't." Katie shoved him into the door and they both stumbled into the sitting room. "I still can't believe Angie left them here together."
Taking Katie by the hand, Lee brought his index finger to his lips and made a hushing noise. The apartment was dead quiet and Katie wasn't sure if that was supposed to make her feel good or very nervous. With her hand in Lee's she gave a tight squeeze and pointed towards the spare bedroom.
"Kate I really don't think this is the time…" Lee's eyes went wide. " I mean Alicia could have killed our very good friend and all you can think about is getting on a quick snog in the bedroom! I'm disgusted!"
"Lee!" She laid a hard smack on his shoulder. "I let Alicia have the spare bedroom. I'm just guessing they are in there."
A wide grin spread across his face. " Oh…you think they…ya know…" He made some very crude hand gestures and Katie felt her face go red.
"I don't know why I put up with you." She turned from him.
Actually, she knew exactly why she put up with him. It was humor like this that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. The playful smile that always seemed to be pressing at his lips could make her worries seem to drift away. When Angelina had pointed out back in school how perfect they'd be together Katie had laughed for two hours straight. Now she didn't know what she would do without him by her side. His warm chocolate skin, those silly dreads, and those hands…. God…
"Katie?" He gave her a shove.
Pushing up to the tips of her toes she pressed her lips against his own. " How about after we find George's body and make sure Alicia doesn't have alcohol poisoning we head out to the lake by Gracie Square. I just wanna spend the day with you."
Lee felt his face blush. " Don't you have work?"
She placed a phony pout on her face. " You don't want to spend the day with me?"
His eyes raked over her body. Her long blonde curls hung down around her shoulders but that didn't even compare to her sparkling blue eyes. The teal tank top she was wearing with her tight blue jeans made his stomach lurch slightly and he took a breath in order to control his animal instincts. He reached out to touch her cheek and grinned at the deep contrast between her milky white complexion and his dark chocolate exterior.
"I want to spend every day with you." He watched the smile on her face grow so large that it seemed to light up the room. Sometimes he marveled at how charming he was.
"Well lets hurry up and check on these two." She turned her head slightly and kissed at his hand.
Katie slipped around her off white armchair and over a pair of shoes she quickly assumed were Georges. She pointed to a discarded shirt and tried to stifle her own laughter. Lee picked up the shirt and mouthed 'They totally did it' before tossing it back on the sofa.
Pressing her ear to the door of the spare bedroom, Katie listened for something… anything. Unfortunately the room remained dead quiet and she bit at her lower lip. Facing Lee again she shrugged.
"What do we do?" She hissed through her teeth. "Should I knock or maybe just stick my head in and take a peak?" She was all for the knocking considering she didn't want to intrude on something private.
"Look it's way too quiet in there. They are probably sleeping. Just stick your head in and make sure George isn't dead and then we can go." Lee wiggled his eyebrows. " Hurry up…"
Katie glanced over towards the discarded shirt and shoes and scrunched her nose. " No way! You look in there! What if- what if they did 'make up' and George is naked or something!" She shuttered. " I don't want to be scared for life, Lee!"
"Oh and I want to look in there and see George in all his naked glory?" Lee made the most disgusted face he could muster.
" The three of you used to run around naked in your dormitory! You've seen him naked plenty of times…" And then she paused and shook her head. " which is so utterly disturbing …"
Lee grinned. " You think Alicia's naked?"
"Lee!" She hit him repeatedly across the back.
" It was just a thought." He took a few steps away from her so he was out of range of her slapping. " Look I want to get out of here so I can be with you, ok?"
"I know that and I wanna be out of here too but-"
"Forgive me then." And with a chuckle, Lee reached for the door knob, turned it and pushed Katie into the room.
Katie screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands immediately flying to her face so she could shield her eyes from anything that might kill her.
Two more screams sounded from the room, and as Katie removed her hands from her eyes she looked down to see a very terrified Alicia who was clutching the hell out of her pillow, and George who had taken the liberty of grabbing the closest thing he could defend himself with. Alicia's hairbrush.
"Katie!" George yelled through his panting.
"Alicia!" Katie looked across towards Alicia who was trying to untangle herself from the comforter on the queen sized bed.
"Lee!" Alicia glared at Lee as he sauntered up behind Katie.
"George?" Lee scratched his head. "What were you planning to do if I was a mugger? Threaten to brush my hair?" He lost it and fell back against the wall hysterical.
George looked down at the hairbrush in his hand and blushed. He had meant to grab his wand but in the process of screaming like a little girl he grabbed the brush instead. Tossing it back on the floor and rising to his feet he glanced between the three pairs of eyes that were staring at him intently.
"What?"
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Alicia, finally pulling herself out of the comforter, slipped off the bed. A slight breeze blew up her back and she glanced down. The only thing she was wearing was her old white tee shirt, she was missing the lower half of her attire. Her face went scarlet as she looked up at the two boys who were trying to hide their smirks. "One second." She held up her finger and bolted towards the bathroom.
A second later she emerged in a pair of torn up jeans and her hair pulled back out of her face. With her eyes still glued to George she folded her arms across her chest. " Now where was I? Oh right…what are you doing in my room?"
Katie and Lee both snapped their heads towards George who was busy pulling up blankets from the floor. "Calm down your majesty, I slept in here last night just to make sure you were ok."
Alicia paled. " Ok from what?" She kicked at the floor with her right foot.
George felt his eyebrows arch. " You don't remember what happened last night?" He tossed the pile of blankets onto the bed.
"I do!" Lee piped in, his hand raised in the air as though he was answering some question in class.
"What happened?" She looked away and out the small window that was in the corner of the room.
Lee grinned. God he loved telling stories. "Well Oliver lost his eyesight and you -"
"I remember that, Lee. I mean what happened here last night? I don't even remember coming back to the apartment." She reached for her wand which was placed on the nightstand next to the bed. Waving it at the comforters she watched as the sheets began to tuck and fold and land perfectly in place. Making the bed had never been so easy.
"You got wrecked last night when you got back here. I came by to talk to you and Angelina left me here to take care of you." George ran his hands along his stomach and realized that he had been shirtless this entire time. Actually he realized he was standing there in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Scanning the floor he located his pants and quickly put them on so he didn't feel so exposed.
"Then why are you sleeping in here! There's a couch out there ya know." She balled her fists.
"You were really messed up last night, Alicia. I wanted to make sure you were ok." Especially after she threw up all down the front of his clothes. It had taken him three cleansing charms to finally work the stains from his shirt. "Look its not important anymore I'm leaving now."
"Wait!" She turned around so quickly that she nearly fell over the bed. "I need to talk to you a minute…alone." She eyed Katie and Lee who continued to stand there. "Um, alone…minus you two." She pointed towards the door.
Katie blushed. "Oh right. The door. We're going. I'm actually, we are actually going to be out all day. I'll see you later tonight, Ali. Oh and don't stay out too late, we have dress fittings tomorrow." She grinned and grabbed Lee by the hand.
"Alone time then?" Lee wiggled his eyebrows at the two. " Good luck, mate." He tossed George a wink and yelped as Katie pulled him out the door.
Alicia took a breath.
The last time she felt this nervous was when she was standing in her dorm room waiting for George to arrive. The funny thing about it was that she didn't even know why she felt so nervous. Hell, she should have been furious that he had spent the night in her room, but as she brought her eyes up to connect with his she couldn't help but feel her icy exterior soften.
"I remember everything that happened last night." She spoke quietly.
George shifted his weight uncomfortably from his right foot to his left. " Then why'd you lie to Lee and Katie?" He ran his hands down the front of his chest again and silently wished he hadn't left his shirt out in the sitting room.
She chuckled. " Would ya believe I was embarrassed?" She turned her back to him and leaned against the side of the bed. The tiny throw pillow at the foot of the bed fell to the floor and she bent over to pick it up. Tucking it under her chin she felt like a little girl, and at that very moment she suddenly wished she was five again. Life was so simple then.
"You don't get embarrassed. You get angry and then usually beat up the other person." He moved around the bed and halted right in front of her. Standing before her he never really noted how much taller he was than her, but standing there now he seemed gigantic compared to her teeny tiny hunched over body.
"Yeah well I just didn't want them to find out what had gone down here last night." She brought her chin up briefly but dropped it down almost as fast. " And I'm not talking about how I threw up on you, which I really am sorry about…" She smirked. " it's mostly about how I got wasted and brought up some harsh memories."
His heart dropped. " No, I deserved it. I was a jerk, Ali…and I- " She held up her hand.
"This isn't George apology time, ok? Take this for what it is cause you'll probably never hear it again. I don't hand these things out too often." She looked up at him again and shrugged. "I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry for being a twit cause I know that's exactly what I was."
He stared at her for a second before running around the bed and out into the sitting room. Alicia quirked her eyebrow. That was definitely a reaction she wasn't expecting. Where was the pointing and laughing? Where was the 'I cant believe you apologized to me, Spinnet!'. Then he ran back inside clutching a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Could you just write down what you said to me. I wanna make sure I hang on to this cause I doubt I'll ever get an apology from you again."
"Git." She threw the pillow at him.
Dodging it with a smirk he just continued. "Look it's not everyday you apologize to someone, let alone me." He waved the parchment and quill in front of her face. " Come on, Ali! Just write down that you said you were sorry and sign the bottom or something."
"I'm not signing anything." She pushed the parchment away but smiled an actual genuine smile.
George squinted. Did she just smile at him? He hadn't received a genuine Alicia smile in years.
"What are you grinning at." Taking the parchment and quill from his hands she tossed them both on the bed.
"That smile just reminds me of when we were younger." He shrugged. Oh and how he missed that smile. The way she'd look up at him with her big wide hazel eyes and grin wildly. When she grinned like that a tiny dimple popped up on her left cheek, and he often wondered if she even knew it existed. He of course knew every detail of her face. Right down to each tiny freckle that sprinkled across her nose.
" Yeah well don't get used to it." She placed her hands on her hips. "You know…I really am sorry though…plus " Her eyes turned away and she casually ran her right hand through her hair. "Thanks for taking care of me. I mean this doesn't mean I'm not ticked with you, its just-"
"I get it." He caught the wave of relief that washed over her face.
Letting out a defeated sigh she shook her head. "No you really don't. I've been nothing but a pain in the arse, but you still stayed here and helped me out when I was in a bind."
George watched the emotions burn at the surface of her skin and he bit back every impulse that was telling him to hold her. All he wanted to do was to forget the past and make up for it by living in the present with her. He couldn't force her though. Cause chances were she'd never let him that close to her heart again.
"It just - remember when we were in fourth year and I got sick a few weeks before Christmas holiday. Everyone went to Hogsmeade weekend but I had to stay back cause I was too sick. You took care of me. You stayed up in the common room with me after Pomfrey gave me that nasty headache potion."
"I wasn't up for going anyway." He lied. He remembered wanting to go to Zonko's so badly that weekend, but he just couldn't do it knowing Alicia would be stuck up in the dormitory all alone. So he told her that Fred wanted to spend alone time with Angelina and he didn't want to be Katie and Lee's third wheel. In the end he was glad that he had stayed with her. She had even kissed his cheek before she went to bed.
"I'm glad you stayed with me then… and I'm glad you stayed last night."
"So does this mean-"
"I still hate you." She stated firmly.
"I know." His shoulders slumped.
"But maybe I can start acting a bit more civil. Maybe I don't have to bite your head off every time I see you." She noted his immediate reaction and held up her hand. " Don't push it." With a grin twitching at the corners of her lips she gave him a shove. " Now go home so I can get ready for my date."
He was pretty confidant that his heart just exploded into twelve million pieces. "Date?"
"Yeah, ya know the one with Oliver." She moved into the sitting room and tossed him his shirt. "Boy Katie and Lee didn't waste any time getting out of here. Were they that frightened of us?"
"We are pretty intimidating individually. Together we must be a nightmare." He pulled his shirt up over his head. "So you really like Oliver then?" He was following her so closely that she must have been able to feel his breath on the back of her neck.
"I don't know. I didn't really get a good chance to enjoy the date last night seeing as he went blind. That's the only reason why I agreed to go out again." She came to a sudden halt which only caused George to careen into her back. " Hey!" She glared. " This is none of your business anyway, Weasley!"
"I was only curious."
"Go home."
"But I-"
"Don't make me regret this civil attitude I've taken." Reaching up she took him by the shoulder and directed him towards the door.
"Come on Ali, I just-"
"Goodbye George." She held the door open for him, though she couldn't deny the pang of guilt as he slipped on by her.
He grumbled under his breath. Well, might as well go out with a bang. "Oh and by the way. Those pink frilly under garments you wore last night were adorable. Oliver would love them." He was sure he saw steam erupt from her ears before she slammed the door in his face.
Alicia stared at herself in the mirror for a long ten minutes. Silence. Nothing more or nothing less. She took in the tangerine colored tank she borrowed from Angelina, and wondered why she never wore the color regularly. If she didn't sound so conceded she'd say she looked ravishing, but too keep from sounding too cocky she just settled that she looked decent. The white pants she wore offset the tank, and she grinned at the outlook in the mirror. If this didn't set Oliver off then the poor man was completely blind.
Flattening out her dark hair she moved from the mirror and sat down in the armchair closest to the door. He had said seven, but the clock on the wall read seven fifteen. Maybe he forgot about her? Or maybe he just realized that she was a complete waste of time and decided to blow her off at the last minute.
A knock at the door broke her from her daydreaming.
" Coming." She yelled as she jumped from the armchair and bolted towards the door. Giving her hair one more flattening she placed her hand on the knob and swung open the door with a grin. "Oh, what are you doing here?"
George stood at the door with his arms folded across his chest. When he had left his flat the notion of checking up on her before her date seemed brilliant. He just wanted to make sure Oliver was going to treat her the very best. Now, looking at her all dolled up for him, his stomach flopped. "I left my money bag here this morning. You threw me out before I could notice it wasn't in my pocket."
Alicia stood at the door with her lips pressed into a firm line. " You've had all day to come pick it up, and you come here now? Oliver will be here any minute, hurry up." With a shake of her head she moved aside and let him into Katie's apartment.
He pushed by her and made his way through the sitting room and into the kitchen. He knew he left the bag on the dresser in the bedroom, but he wanted as much time with her as possible before Oliver came. "Hey Ali, I don't think I have ever seen you dressed up in so many fancy ensembles. You look nice."
Alicia closed the door to the apartment and felt her heart skip a beat when he spoke. Why did he have to make things so bloody difficult? " Uh, thanks." She dropped her gaze down to the outfit. "It's not the most comfortable choice of clothes" she grimaced when she thought how great it would be just to go out to dinner in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, " but I'm not really complaining." Even though she secretly wished Oliver wasn't as high maintenance as he was.
"You should just wear what you want then." She watched as he made his w ay through the kitchen and back into the sitting room. " Your just making yourself out to be something your not then. It's like your wearing a bloody costume only to make him pleased. That's sad, Ali."
She shrugged. "Can we not talk about this." She didn't need dating advice coming from the man who had broken her heart.
"Yeah sure." He shrugged as well and moved into the bedroom. "I found the bag." He yelled out to her which washed a wave of relief over her.
"Great you can leave now." She grinned as he came back out of the bedroom. "I need to finish getting ready before-" but the knock on the door cut her off. "Damn!"
George emerged from the room with a smirk plastered on his lips. He was hoping Oliver would arrive before he left. It made his plan that much easier. With his money bag in hand he leaned against the side of the sofa and waited for Alicia to open the door.
"Oliver." Alicia felt her cheeks go red as she opened the door. He was absolutely gorgeous. The dress robes he sported were a deep navy which only accented his beautiful sparkling blue eyes. And that smile! Oh his smile was simply divine!
George grumbled as Alicia practically threw herself into Oliver's arms. It was pathetic. What made it even worse was when Oliver pulled out an enormous box of chocolates and a single red rose. Bloody git.
"I decided that tonight is going to be all about me making up for last night. I set up a splendid evening for us." Oliver moved into the sitting room and was almost startled to see George standing there. "Oi, Weasley. Nearly gave me a heart attack there. How's it going?"
"Dandy."
Alicia took one look at the death glares George was shooting Oliver and quickly intervened. " How are your eye's Oliver? Everything all right?"
Oliver smiled and waved his hand casually in the air. " Oh yeah everything is perfect. They released me a little after you left last night, and I went back home and just got some rest. But the eyes have never been better…." He smirked. "Which I am so very pleased about because I'd simply die if I couldn't take in how beautiful you look tonight."
George gagged. What a lame pick up line! There was no way in hell Alicia would fall for it. He knew her far too well.
"Oliver!" She swatted at him playfully. "You are making me blush."
George felt his jaw go slack. Normally Alicia would have laughed and or punched a bloke if he used pick up lines like that. But there she was cooing and giggling and prancing around Captain Blood as though she were some air headed school girl. This had to be stopped.
"You ready then, Alicia?" He handed her the flower and chocolates and shot George a look of triumph when she went to place them in the kitchen.
George felt his fists ball up.
"Yeah lets get going. Come one George, I'll see you out as well." She extended her arm and both men exited the apartment. " I hope there isn't a chill in the air tonight, I didn't bring oh my god…" She stopped abruptly in her tracks when they reached the front of the building. "Oliver, this isn't for us, is it?" Her eyes went wide at the display before them.
George too felt his mouth go dry. How the hell was he supposed to compete with that?
There at the side of the road stood a man holding open the door to an enormous white carriage. And it wasn't even the fancy carriage that caused her to blink. Two beautiful hippogriffs were fastened to the front of the carriage, gold harnesses keeping them in place. It was beautiful. SO beautiful in fact that Alicia couldn't even find the strength to speak. She was speechless.
"Your carriage awaits my dear." Oliver placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the carriage. "See ya, Weasley." He called over his shoulder while Alicia stepped up the golden staircase and into the carriage.
"Yeah, see you." He mumbled again, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a disk like object. He smirked and waited until the door closed and the driver to assume his position back at the front of the carriage. With a quick flick of his wrist he shot the disk towards the carriage and watched it stick firmly to the side.
The man driving the carriage gave the reins a bit of a pull and the hippogriffs reared back and began to gallop down the road. From the window in the carriage he caught Alicia's eyes and forced a smile to his face. The hippogriffs reared back and began pulling the carriage up into the air. His gut sank even further.
"See ya, Weasley."
Oliver's words just seemed to cut through him. Something was off about the wanker. Just the way he spoke didn't settle right in Georges stomach.
He glanced up at the carriage and caught a glimpse of the tiny disk. " I'll see you sooner then you think, Wood." He smirked, and with a pop he aparated back to his flat. It was time to be the knight in shining armor. He had a date to get ready for.
The next chapter will have the entire date, and we will find out exactly what the little disk provided George. It should be fun. Thanks again for reading, and please leave a review cause it makes me so very very happy!