Chapter 26
Asked Out
When George and I crossed the threshold, the incredibly heavy amount of groceries weighing us down and having made the trip up the stairs quite eventful, the flat's living room appeared to have been turned upside down.
"Fred," the two of us groaned at the exact same time as we let the groceries fall on the kitchen table; except I said it with annoyance, and George with absolute resignation.
The place looked like it had been run over by a couple of maniacs (and quite frankly, that was probably not so far from the truth). The couch had actually been turned upside down, with a cloth thrown over it, while the rest of the furniture appeared to have been pushed out of the room; the culprits, of course, were nowhere in sight at the moment.
"This is getting beyond ridiculous," I fumed, marching to the living room and opening the blinds in one swift pull. "It's the third time this week they've turned the house into a wreck!"
George kept on putting away the groceries while I attempted to straighten things out, silently planning to assault Fred as soon as he came home.
"How can you not say anything?" Without anyone else present, I directed my annoyance towards George as I tried to retrieve a cushion from where it appeared to have been thrown on top of the bookcase.
"What do you want me to say?" he asked, shrugging. "Jamie's bored, you know. Bill said we couldn't take him back to muggle school, so Fred has to entertain him somehow."
"Yeah, well, maybe Fred could clean up after himself, that'd be a nice change." I pulled the living-room table from Fred's room back to where it belonged, scraping the wooden floor on the way. "Or maybe he could entertain Jamie with something a little bit less extreme, don't you think?"
Right on cue, the door swung open, and the two little demons appeared on the threshold, covered in what appeared to be mud. Jamie smiled angelically and all but threw himself at me, swinging his arms around my waist, while Fred beamed from where he was standing, as if waiting for congratulations.
"Didya see our fort, Mel?" Jamie was babbling, pulling me by the hand towards the couch, which had yet to be turned the right side up. "Fred helped me built it, see? I'll let you visit, if you want. Me and you can be the good guys, yeah?"
I couldn't believe the amount of self-control I'd gained in the last couple of weeks since the twins and I had been put in charge of Jamie. I smiled back at him, relaxing just a bit.
"Yeah, I noticed the… the fort. It's pretty extreme."
"Nice, huh?" Fred's voice, however, was far too smug for my liking. I shot him a deadly glance from the living room, and my voice came out clipped and with a chilling tone to it now that I was addressing (supposedly) an adult.
"Fred. Why are you covered in dirt?"
"We went to the park," he seemed to visibly be shrinking under my glare, losing his smile for a far more appropriate (considering the circumstances) apologetic expression. "There was a dog there, and we just started playing with it, and…"
That last information broke right through my thin control.
"That's it!" I all but yelled, making George jump from where he was fiddling with a cereal box and hit his head on the cupboard door, "There'll be no more destroying this apartment, Fred Weasley, and no more messing with animals on the streets, do you hear me?!"
Fred nodded, looking scared, which I appreciated. Jamie, on the other hand, appeared puzzled by the situation.
"Mel," he whispered, pulling on my sweater sleeve. "Are you mad?"
"No, Jamie, I'm not mad," I put a hand on my forehead and made an effort to remain calm. "Well, not at you anyway," I added, glaring towards Fred again. "I'm glad the two of you are having fun, but you can't keep messing up the entire flat and leaving me to clean up after you, okay? That's just not an option!"
"Okay, well, what should we do then?" Fred shot back, having regained some assurance in my brief moment of gentleness. "I'd be happy to hear your ideas concerning this; keeping a little kid busy during an entire day is no simple business, you know!"
George came out of the kitchen then, patting his head carefully, and shot the two of us exasperated looks.
"Enough fighting!" he ordered, wincing. "Mel, Fred's been helping a lot with Jamie lately, so you could show a bit of appreciation instead of bitching him out, alright?"
"I know that!" I fumed, my tone disbelieving.
"Well, good! Next time, it'd be nice to let him know, too! But Fred," he turned towards his brother swiftly. "You've got to stop messing this place up, okay? And you can't take Jamie outside like that, without protection; you know the Ministry's going to be looking for him soon enough, so start behaving like a responsible adult already! As for you," George whirled around to face Jamie, whose lower lip had started to tremble. George saw this, however, and the serious façade was soon replaced by a more gentle tone. "Jamie, isn't there any other way to spend the day than mess the entire living room up? Why don't you play with your little wooden soldiers or something?"
"He can't do that all the time, George," Fred put in with the exasperated tone of the one who knows way more about the matter than his interlocutor; George pretended not to hear that.
"What about books? Do you like to read?"
"I don't read very well."
"Well, we could teach you. Right?" George raised his eyes and looked alternatively at Fred and I. "That's an idea, isn't it?"
"What about TV?" Jamie asked, cocking his head to one side. "Or the movies?"
The twins didn't have any answer to that, understandingly. I just sighed.
"Well, Ands could install that. Couldn't you?" Fred said pleadingly after a minute of silence, pursing his lips. "Like you did with your comfuter thing?"
"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get a wifi in here?" I shot back bitterly. "And it's called a computer."
The twins pretended to know what I was talking about, but failed miserably. I put a hand on my forehead and tried to think.
"I'd have to get a TV in here, electricity running, maybe a DVD player, some sort of signal…"
"What about cable?" Jamie asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought, and it was just impossible not to smile when he looked like that.
"Fine. Fine!" I put my hands on my hips, as if getting down to business, and looked at George, frowning. "But I have no idea how I'm going to do this on my own. I'm no mechanic."
"Maybe our father could help." George said vaguely.
"Yeah!" Fred put in with enthusiasm. "He collects plugs!"
"In any case, this should definitely be interesting." I whispered and Jamie nodded, grinning crazily at my words.
oOo
"Hey, Mel, wait up!"
I turned around, my scarf flapping crazily around me in the freezing February wind. Despite the cold, however, I found myself smiling when I saw who'd just called to me.
"Hey, Ollie!" It had been almost a month since I'd last seen Oliver; he had participated in another Potterwatch session then, and we hadn't spoken since that day. "What's up?"
"Oh, you know," he grinned as he ran to catch up with me. "Same old, same old. Living with my brother, listening to Death Eater propaganda on the radio, praying that You-Know-Who wins the next elections."
"Nice." I smiled, thinking that taking things this way was probably better than sobbing over the situation. "Hey, I missed you these last couple of weeks."
He seemed pleased. "Well, it's good to see you again, too. Where are you headed?"
"Muggle London."
"Why?"
"It's kind of complicated." He smiled in encouragement, so I tried to explain a bit. "I'm turning the flat into a muggle home, sort of. I've been trying to get a TV working in there for more than a week now."
"A TV?"
"Yep."
He chose to ignore the fact that this was more than incomprehensible to him and changed the subject abruptly. "Well, should you really be going there on your own?"
"George said he'd pick me up back at the Leaky Cauldron once I was done with everything." I answered casually, as the two of us started walking up the street again.
"I should have guessed as much. The Weasley twins never really leave you alone, do they?"
The bit of steel easily detectable in his voice startled me, and I shot him a surprised look. "Sure," I replied hesitantly, wondering what was wrong. "We're friends."
"Friends," he repeated slowly. "Right. I suppose you'll be spending next Saturday with George, then?"
"Why would you ask that?" I was puzzled by the annoyance in his voice, and poked his shoulder to make him more at ease. It didn't exactly work.
"Don't you muggles celebrate Valentine's day?"
"Valentine's d – Oh! Is it this Saturday?" Man, I really needed to get my internal calendar fixed. Then, the full meaning of his words hit me and I started blushing crazily. "No, of course not! Me and George, we're not… I mean, the twins both have girlfriends, you know, so it's nothing like that, of course not! They most likely have dates on Saturday, anyway." Then I let out a little embarrassed giggle and looked back down at my feet.
"Oh." He seemed to brighten considerably at that last piece of information. Once we'd reached the entrance to Muggle London, he turned to face me with a bold front.
"Well, if you're free then on Saturday, how about you and I do something together?"
I think I must have gaped a little. My eyes, in any case, must have appeared wider than normal.
"Are you… Are you asking me out?"
He didn't seem to need any time to think this through. "Yeah, I am."
Okay. Well, that was clear, at least.
What should I say? Should I say yes? I couldn't say yes! I had a crush on George! Going out with Oliver when I only saw him as a friend was simply too mean! And wasn't that betraying George, a little?
But George had absolutely no idea I felt this way towards him; it was also more than clear that he only saw me as a friend. Why should he be allowed to go out and enjoy himself with his girlfriend while I stayed at home crying over my broken heart? It didn't make any sense that I would save myself for him; I didn't owe him anything. Obviously, me and George was a story that would never take place.
And Oliver was a good friend, yes, but that was exactly the problem. In my mind, he was just a good friend.
But maybe being with Oliver, or having a boyfriend in any case, would make looking at George and Alicia just a tiny bit easier to bear?
Maybe I could fall in love with Oliver, thereby finally being able to put George out of my
mind for good – in a romantic sense, at least. I'd been wanting to get rid of my feelings for him ever since Christmas.
It was worth a try, wasn't it?
But was it really fair to use Oliver like that?
Maybe a compromise was in order.
"How about this," I replied, smiling at him in what I hope was just a friendly way. "There's a little kid staying at Fred and George's flat with me, and I just can't leave him on his own Saturday night, since the twins will both be out; so how about you come and spend the evening with us, at the apartment? It'll just be the three of us. We'll watch a movie, if you want."
He attempted to hide the disappointment written plainly on his face with a bit of curiosity. "A movie?"
"I'm sure you'll love it," I grinned, and reached out to give him a quick hug. Things would be better this way, I resolved, as my cheek pressed against the softness of his winter coat. Maybe being with a friend would be enough to distract me from George, and this at least didn't feel like I was using Oliver for my own benefit. "I'll see you this Saturday, then?"
"Right," he replied as I stepped away, smiling softly. "See you then."
oOo
"IT WORKS!" I screamed, making Fred curse as he dropped something that sounded like a glass as it crashed down on the kitchen floor. "Arthur, it works!"
Mr. Weasley stuck his head out from behind the TV set, his red hair plastered over his forehead, his glasses looking as though they were on the verge of falling off from his nose, and frowned at me.
"Are you joking?"
"No, I'm not!" I grabbed the remote and started moving the little arrows clearly visible on the screen from side to side gleefully. "Oh my goodness, look at all these channels! JAMIE! Come check this out!"
Fred came out of the kitchen, George following, and Jamie came out running from the bedroom we shared, his face alight with enthusiasm, while Arthur attempted to extract himself from behind the TV set without rattling the cables and destroying all of today's hard work.
"We've got Disney Channel!" I yelled, grabbing Jamie around the waist and spinning him around crazily.
"And Cartoon Network!" the little boy added, hugging my waist and jumping up and down with me on the carpet.
"They've gone absolutely bonkers," Fred whispered in a horrified tone as he, George and Arthur watched us celebrating our new-born TV set. "Do you see what electricity can do to your brain?"
oOo
"Ands, I need some advice!" Fred's voice boomed from his bedroom as I lay sprawled on my belly on the living room carpet, playing cards with Jamie.
"Well, come in here, then!" I yelled back, not even considering getting up from my spot.
"I'm not wearing a shirt!"
I sighed, exasperated. "Don't be such a prude, Fred! It's nothing we've never had nightmares about before, is it?" Jamie laughed and Fred's bedroom door swung open. He marched over to us with exaggerated dignity and held out two shirts towards me. I raised my head and rested my chin in my cupped hand, mildly interested.
"Right," he said, all business-like. "Pink or red?"
"Red," I answered without any hesitation, and he shrugged it on almost immediately. "Pink clashes with your hair, it might be time you Weasleys realized that."
"Why would you wear pink?" Jamie asked with disgust, his eyes wide and horrified. "Pink is for girls!"
"It's Valentine's Day!" Fred answered, frowning at the little kid's lack of admiration for his evidently formidable wardrobe.
"So?" Jamie asked, looking back towards his cards, shaking his head at Fred's foolishness. "Boys aren't supposed to wear pink. Maybe you're not a real boy."
Fred looked so insulted that I had to bit back a giggle. George came out of the bathroom then, and I had to look away from him almost immediately so as not to make a complete fool out of myself.
Yeah, Fred was wearing a tuxedo too, but it just didn't look as good as it did on George. There was absolutely no comparison, not in my mind anyway. So what if they were supposed to be identical twins?
Jamie, who evidently did not share my opinion on the matter, asked slowly:
"How will your girlfriends tell you apart since you're wearing the exact same clothes?"
Easily, I wanted to answer the little kid. You see, George always raises the right side of his lips first when he smiles, which is why his grins are always a bit more crooked that Fred's; George is a gentleman and will be holding the restaurant door open for his girlfriend; he'll do that with his left hand, despite the fact that he's right-handed, but don't ask me why. He'll bring Alicia white roses, not red, because he doesn't like to do what everyone else is doing, and in any case white is one of his favourite colours, because it was the colour of his bedroom walls when he was a little kid, because it reminds him of the clouds and of the pleasure of being able to fly on a broom, of a childhood dream he used to have of touching the moon. George will be careful to please his girlfriend during the entire evening; at the restaurant, he'll be looking at the deserts he's thinking about ordering before even considering any of the main dishes; he'll be gentle, and kind, and absolutely perfect.
But I didn't say anything of the kind, obviously. I only laughed and ruffled Jamie's hair, wishing I could be the one George would give the white roses to tonight.
"Will the two of you be alright, then, tonight?" Fred asked, running a hand in his flaming hair. "You don't mind us going out, do you?"
"Of course not," I replied easily. "We'll be fine. I bought a couple of movies, the evening should go smoothly. Oh, and Oliver is coming too."
George's head whipped around and he stared at me, surprised. Fred raised an eyebrow.
"You mean Wood? He's coming here?"
"Yep. Oh, Jamie, you might want to go and get into your PJs now." The little kid shot up from his spot on the carpet and ran over to our bedroom. I got up and stretched my arms above my head, yawning. George's voice brought me back to the present time.
"Why would Wood be coming here tonight?"
"Relax," I rolled my eyes. I knew this protective crap would be along pretty quick. "He's not going to steal my virtue. Ollie's just a friend, and I thought it might be nice for him to meet Jamie, that's all."
"Why tonight, though?" George asked again, frowning, his lips set into a thin, hard line. "Didn't you want us to be here when he came?"
"No, that has nothing to do with it," I answered calmly. "I just thought tonight would be funnier if there was somebody else to help me watch Jamie."
George didn't seem convinced. He fiddled with his tie furiously for a minute, glaring at his shoes, as Fred smoothed his hair back in front of the entrance's mirror.
"I can cancel the evening," he finally said, making both Fred and I look up at him in surprise. "I'll help you look out for Jamie."
"Don't be stupid," I countered, wondering why he wouldn't let this go. "It's Valentine's Day. I don't mind you guys going out with your girlfriends. It's fine, George, really. Don't worry."
He just stared at me seriously, as if trying to decipher something in my eyes. I looked back at him, confused; thankfully, Fred was the one who spoke next.
"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" he asked his brother curiously, and George appeared to shake off his strange attitude as soon as he heard his twin's words.
"I'm not," he answered quickly, grabbing his coat from the couch. "Let's just go." He was out of the flat in less than five seconds. Fred cast a surprised look my way and I just shrugged at him to convey my cluelessness. He nodded as if to show he shared the sentiment.
"See you later, Ands," he only said, and followed George out the door.
oOo
I shut the bedroom door behind me and went back to the living room, sitting next to Oliver on the couch. He smiled;
"Is he asleep, then?"
"Yeah," I replied, stretching my legs and resting them on the small coffee table in front of us, which was covered in whatever was left of the three giant pizzas we'd shared during the evening. "Thanks for enduring Peter Pan with me."
"No problem," he laughed, looking back towards the TV screen. "I'd never seen anything of that kind before. It was quite an experience for me."
"I can imagine," I giggled. "Animated films are really something you have to go through before you become an adult."
He looked at me silently as I laughed, so seriously that I became a bit self-conscious (Did I have peperoni on my face?).
"What?" I asked him, and he just shook his head, his eyes never leaving my face.
"I just think you look really pretty tonight."
"Oh." I answered, panic rising in my chest almost immediately. "Ollie, look…"
But he didn't exactly wait for me to explain that I only saw him as a friend. Bending down, he lightly pressed his lips to mine. My eyes closed almost automatically, and I took the time to ponder what the hell was happening.
This kiss wasn't making the stars align or anything. It was exactly what it was; his lips, which were softer than I'd imagined, touching mine lightly. But I couldn't argue that it wasn't nice. But was it right? Should I kiss him back? Should I push him away?
All of this thinking was making my head hurt.
Couldn't Ollie become more than a friend? Wasn't that a possibility? Why did I always have to fall for the guy I couldn't have?
Being with George was something that would never happen. Being with Oliver was something, an opportunity, that was being offered to me right now. Couldn't I take it? Couldn't I try to make something out of this?
I deserved my share of happiness. Oliver was one of the nicest people I knew, and he deserved his, too.
Maybe… maybe we could make this work.
He pulled away quickly, perhaps startled by my lack of response as I thought all of this through. As he looked at me carefully, I could almost hear Alicia's disgusting giggles in my mind; because, of course, George was elsewhere, kissing somebody else too. And how the hell was that fair?
"Is this okay?" Oliver asked, as I finally took my decision.
"Better than okay," I replied. And then I grabbed his neck and pulled his lips back to mine.
oOo
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