52
Taylor
"Mmm….ahh…no…no…stop…uugggghhh….!"
…
…
"Taylor?"
"AH!"
My eyes shot open and my body jolted as I gasped, sending me flying off the couch and sprawling on the floor. I grunted painfully, and lifted my face, my nose numb as I turned my head.
Harry cocked an eyebrow from behind the couch, and I huffed.
"Yes?" I asked, or, drawled, really.
"Bad dream?" He replied, sitting on the couch as I crossed my arms on the floor.
"Ron was stealing my last chocolate frog." I answered truthfully, tilting my head up. "What are you doing down here?"
"What are you doing down here?"
"Not fair! You keep responding with more questions." I accused.
"I got up because I couldn't sleep." He chuckled.
"Well I…I don't know." I huffed. "But I'm pretty sure I never even made it to bed, so…yeah."
"So, you just, fell asleep on the couch?"
"Um…yeah, basically." I nodded, pursing my lips as I sat up.
"Didn't Alyssa tell you to always make sure you're in your bed when you fall asleep?" Harry inquired, propping his elbows on his knees as he looked down on me.
"That was weeks ago," I scoffed, rolling my eyes and waving him off. "Besides, I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Right, well, at least you weren't on the rug this time." He shrugged, and I gasped mockingly.
"Blasphemy! The rug is FUZZY! I thought we went over this."
He laughed and I sighed, biting my tongue as I got up, rubbing my ribs.
"Still tender?" He asked, sliding over on the couch.
"A little," I confessed, an embarrassed smile playing on my lips. "Madame Pomfrey's spell wore off, and now I'm all paranoid about the stupid scar. I keep thinking it's gonna tear open at any given moment."
"You know that won't happen," Harry assured as I sat down, my hands interlocked on my lap. "Madame Pomfrey healed it; it's not going to hurt anymore, and it'll fade." He smiled and I smiled back, if weakly. His eyes met mine, and he opened his arms in invitation. I laughed and hugged him, thankful that he was finally back.
Then I remembered the dance – and my face was heated all over again.
"Hey – what are you guys doing?"
MOTHERF*CKER DAMNIT RONALD!
"I fell asleep on the rug – COUCH and Harry couldn't sleep." I answered quickly, coughing as we backed up, sitting on nearly opposite ends of the couch as Ron eyed us suspiciously, reaching the bottom of the stairs.
"So, you never actually made it to bed then?" He continued, arching an eyebrow.
"….Nnooooo…" I drawled out, looking away innocently and tapping my fingers against my knees.
"And Harry just happened to be unable to sleep, and came downstairs?"
"Yeeesss," Harry answered, returning Ron's suspicious glances. "What are you getting at exactly?"
"Oh? Oh, nothing. Certainly not a secret meeting between two secret lovers who want to keep their love a secret." He mused, bouncing on the balls of his feet with his hands clasped behind his back.
My fingers twitched on my knee as my eyebrows knitted together, and in a split second, I had grabbed a pillow from the couch and promptly whipped it as my cousin's head.
"Ronald you git!"
Harry kept quiet as Ron fell over from the shock of the impact, and caught himself before his head hit the floor.
"I was just saying!" He cried, hiding behind the pillow as I got up, my death glare burning holes in the fabric.
I assumed he turned his head behind the pillow, as he soon dropped it and was hiding behind me instead.
"Oh bloody hell, a spider!" He cried as he jumped, grabbing my shoulders as I scoffed.
"Ron, honestly, it's just a – " I took a second to look at the thing and gaped. "Oh f*ck that bitch is HUGE!"
Harry issued an amused laugh from behind us, and soon joined us in looking at the spider.
It looked…spiderly, with eight legs, even more eyes, and pincers. It was fuzzy, and I was fairly tempted to coo at it and call it George. Then I remembered that my cousin's name was George, and decided not to subject the spider to that sort of inner torment.
Ron whimpered quietly behind me, and I leaned over to get a better look at it.
"Be careful!" He cried, his voice cracking. I hushed him and tilted my head curiously.
"Why – are – you – here?" I asked slowly, peering down at…whatever I was going to name the spider.
"No, nonononononoNO. Last time we talked to a spider it tried to EAT us." Ron scolded, trying to drag me away. The spider crawled up the wall, disappearing behind a tapestry, and I sighed, pouting.
"You see? You insulted Carl."
"Carl?" Harry asked, smirking.
"Yes – Carl." I nodded, crossing my arms as I turned around. "I have a pet iguana named Carlos; I'm not all that original."
"You have a pet iguana?" Ron asked, "Where is it? I've never seen it."
"He likes it at home – my Aunt gives him tea and biscuits at lunch time. He sorta just…wanders around. Caught him watching Fear Factor once; smart bloody little thing." I nodded, mostly to myself as I mused. I missed Carlos. Silly little iguana.
"Right…ok…um…I'm, going back to bed…now." Ron stuttered, sidestepping me and heading back up the stairs. "No secret lover meetings now."
"RONALD! Give me back my chocolate frog you bitch!"
I sat at home, the remote control for the big screen television under my claw as Kendra was forced to mush up worms with her feet and then drink it from a coffee mug. I could hear Aunt Giselle's tea pot whistling, and my spine frill ruffled in excitement.
Jasmine today? Perhaps Bengal Spice? Ooh, and biscuits.
I looked over as she walked into the open living space, the biscuits laid out on a platter that she placed on the end table beside the couch.
"I'll be right back with your tea Carlos." She smiled warmly, looking into my large, reptilian, blank eyes.
Yes woman, yes you will.
Because if not,
I'll run away, find Mother, and we'll scheme something deliciously horrendous that involves no more tea times for you!
Or I could just plug in all of your hair styling tools and short-circuit your power lines.
I told you he was a smart little bugger.
