Title: A Lid For Every Pot, George Weasley
Author: BooksVCigarettes
Summary: Set a couple of years post-war. Still struggling with the absence of his twin, George Weasley needs some time away from the world he grew up in to heal. Alice Clark wants a flat mate who doesn't want to kill and eat her. It was perfect... Except not really. George/OC Ron/Hermione Harry/Ginny
Chapter Thirteen – Draughts
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"Wakey wakey Doctor Clark..." Alice cracked open one hungover eye to see Fred sitting cross legged at the end of her bed. Today, he was wearing a waistcoat so violently pink it hurt her eyes and made her head pound even more than it already did. She opened her mouth to speak but could only rasp brokenly "I need coffee if we're going to be talking today. Lots of coffee. And Aspirin."
"Can't help you, I'm afraid." Fred wiggled his fingers "Ghost hands, you see. Not so good for carrying."
"Urgh..." Alice threw back the covers and rolled out of bed, trying to ignore the acrid taste in her mouth. She cast a glance at her watch, groaning when she saw that it was nearly ten AM "Stay here then. George might see you otherwise."
"He went out earlier. Poor bugger never could sleep off a hangover."
Alice fixed Fred with a stare "Are you telling me you've just been loitering at the end of my bed watching me sleep all morning?"
"Not all morning. I also may have spent an hour teasing next door's cat because he seems like a haughty little git."
Alice thought on this for a moment before shrugging and shuffling toward the kitchen. Next door's cat was a haughty little git.
X
"So, are you any closer to working out why I have to endure your spooky presence in my life?" Alice was tucked back up under the covers, an aspirin solution in her hand and a steaming mug of coffee complete with Daniel's special syrup in it on her nightstand. Fred had not moved from his position at the foot of her bed and Alice suspected that even in life he had probably failed to grasp the concept of personal boundaries. He was staring at the glass she was holding "Why is it fizzing like that? I've never seen a draught do that before." He cocked his head to one side like Snow White listening to the animals "It's making a strange noise too."
Alice took a big gulp and grimaced at the chemical taste while he watched with interest "My mother always used to put ginger syrup in potions so we would take them. Maybe you could try that."
"Do you think you could at least try and talk like a normal person? I feel like you're talking like a bemused Victorian on purpose to annoy me..." Alice swallowed the last of the solution, screwing up her face as she did so "Anyway, you haven't answered my question."
"I rather think you're the last person to judge what's normal given that I've just watched you ingest something that gives you a face like a teenaged Mandrake." Fred said mildly "What was the question again?"
Alice sighed irritably "Have you figured out why you're here yet?"
"Oh! Well, I thought about it but beyond the fact that you happen to be living with my brother, I fail to see any sort of connection between us..." Fred furrowed his brow, thinking hard "What school did you say you went to?"
"I didn't. Why would that matter?" Alice rubbed at her forehead frustratedly. Fred shrugged.
"Just brainstorming, trying to come up with a reason we could be connected in some way. Where did you go then, if not Hogwarts? You don't seem the Durmstrang type," Fred cast a glance around the bedroom "Not nearly neat enough."
Alice frowned "I went to a comp in Battersea... What's Hogwarts?" She was surprised to see Fred blanch a little bit at her question. He stared at her for a moment, his mouth slightly open and his expression frozen. Alice stared back expectantly "Why are you looking at me like that?" She reached for her cup of coffee and took a gulp. Fred was sat so still, she wondered if he'd crashed "Do I need to reboot you?"
Fred cleared his throat awkwardly, not meeting her gaze "I um... It was a joke. I was joking. You're right; I was doing it on purpose to annoy you."
"If you think for one moment I'm going to believe that then..." Alice trailed off as a sudden image of Daniel and his smouldering gaze invaded her mind. She giggled girlishly before she could stop herself, looking up at Fred "Sorry, what was I saying?"
Fred frowned "Are you always this easily distracted?"
Alice shivered as she took another sip of coffee and the feel of Daniel's touch surfaced in her memory "I don't know what you mean. You were asking me something, I'm sure of it."
"It's not important," Fred said hurriedly, gesturing to coffee cup in Alice's hands "That must be some pretty fantastic coffee."
"It is..." Alice said, more dreamily than she intended. She was starting to wish Fred wasn't here now so she could sit and fantasise about Daniel in peace "So, basically what you're saying is you've got nothing."
"I thought so, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe..." Fred said thoughtfully, sliding off the end of the bed and beginning to pace around the room "Alice, if I asked you where Hogsmeade is, you would say..."
Alice shrugged "Next door to Trumpton?"
"And if I asked you what a Bezoar stone is..."
"I'd say it sounds like something you wouldn't want to pee out."
Fred wrinkled his nose "You're disgusting. OK, I have to go but I'll be back when I know more."
"Aren't you going to tell me why I just had to play the weirdest pub quiz game ever?"
Fred smiled winningly at her but Alice thought she detected a hint of nervousness in his eyes. He tapped his nose with his index finger "All in good time, Doctor Clark..."
Alice pressed the heel of her palm to her eye socket, sighing. She knew when she opened her eyes that Fred would be gone, but somehow looking up and seeing her empty bedroom before her still surprised her. Settling back on her pillows, she sipped her coffee and tried to concentrate on her newly acquired paranormal sidekick, but soon found herself distracted once more by visions of Daniel filling her head.
X
George grimaced as his head pounded in time with every step he took. The morning sky was bruised, the air was unseasonably cold even for October, and people he saw on the streets hurried past him, shrinking back into their coats. All the muggle shops were getting ready for Hallowe'en, their garish plastic pumpkins and witch toys too violent a clash of colour for his hungover eyes. He averted his gaze as he passed them, his thoughts turning to the previous nights' events.
In the end, nobody had needed to carry anybody home. After throwing what could only be described as some pretty ambitious shapes on the dance floor to her favourite song, Alice had bounced back to the table and beckoned for another pitcher of beer. They talked until closing time and it was only as the waitress began to glare at them from the bar, presumably waiting for them to leave so that she could clear their table and go home herself, that George became aware of a strange aching. Not in his heart, but in his face. He must have brought a hand up unconsciously to touch his cheek because Alice stopped as she was putting on her coat and reached up to push her forefinger and thumb into the dimples on either side of his mouth "Smiling is like exercise," she said gently, her words slurring together only slightly "When you haven't done it for a while, it tends to hurt a bit."
George felt his cheeks become warm at her touch. He had caught a hint of the perfume she had sprayed on her wrist – floral, but somehow deep and earthy. He could feel the beginnings of guilt at having had a good time, but the drink must have numbed him. He knew eventually he would feel the full force of it, but right then he couldn't bring himself to care. He followed Alice dumbly outside and they had stumbled into a waiting taxi. When they arrived back at the flat she had bade him goodnight with a soft smile. George had gone to his room and passed out without even getting undressed, the ghost of Alice's perfume still haunting his senses. For the first time in a long time, he had dreamt of something other than fire and smoke and the unseeing eyes of his twin. Instead, visions of bottled music that looked like the ocean in moonlight had danced behind his eyes.
And now here he stood in the middle of muggle London, having awoken with an indescribable pain in his head and a churning in his stomach. Whenever they had indulged in one too many Firewhiskeys, Fred had always been the one who could drink a pain reliving draught and go back to bed whereas George, once awake, was seemingly destined to suffer through the hangover. He recalled one such occasion when his twin, having brought a particularly lovely young witch back to the flat above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes after a drunken night in the Leaky, proceeded to stumble to the kitchen and take something that rendered him un-rousable for the next nine hours. George meanwhile, had been forced to make awkward conversation (and breakfast) for his twin's sleeping companion who had been initially confused but then completely delighted by the fact that Fred and George were identical to say the very least. Not the brightest star in the galaxy.
George grinned slightly at the memory and as he did, he felt something in his chest loosen momentarily. It was not all that often those memories of Fred surfaced wherein he was alive and happy and laughing, which was unusual for someone who had spent the majority of his life doing just that. George wondered if his decision to try living as a muggle was beginning to help him distance himself from everything that had happened. Whether being around someone like Alice was starting, finally, to heal him.
X
When the doorbell rang, Alice assumed George had forgotten his keys. As she padded down the hallway to let him in, she found herself wondering how he felt about Chinese food. Namely, the consumption of it. With her. Last night had been a lot of fun. Well, about as much fun as it was possible to have when you were trying to coax your bereaved lodger into perhaps seeing that there was still a lot of life left to live. Strictly speaking, she hadn't needed to take him out. She hadn't needed to check on him when she had heard him shouting in his sleep, but there was something so broken in his cries that she hadn't been able to ignore them, stirring from her bed and going to his aid.
But broken cries or not… what was she doing? Was she simply trying to be friendly with George for the sake of an easy life? Or did she want to be around him because she suspected that deep down inside him there was a person who, once upon a time, had lit up a room simply by being in it?
All thoughts of George vanished however, when she opened the door to find Daniel leaning casually against the frame, looking as delicious as ever. Alice was suddenly very conscious of the way her hair was flattened to her head on one side "Oh hi…" She stammered, unconsciously tugging at the t-shirt she had worn to bed in an effort to tidy herself up "I didn't expect to see you…"
Daniel smirked and Alice felt a tingle run up her spine "I thought you might want some company today to help ease your hangover." Without waiting for an invitation, he strolled into the flat, deliberately grazing his hands over her hips as he passed. Alice suppressed a swoon before frowning "How did you know I would be hungover?"
Daniel turned and levelled his gaze at her "I stopped by last night and you were out."
He had stopped by? To see her? And she had been out? Alice inwardly berated herself for the thing that she had, moments before, been congratulating herself on. How could she have been so foolish, taking George out for drinks when Daniel had wanted to see her? Alice resolved never to leave the house again. She concentrated very hard on controlling the blush that was creeping up her neck and tried to act as nonchalant as possible "You came to see me?"
"Well I didn't pop in to see your lanky flatmate did I?" Daniel sounded vaguely peevish, but Alice was still reeling from the fact that he had attempted to seek out her company the night before so she barely noticed "Is that who you were out with?"
"George? Yeah," Alice affected a casual air "He doesn't know that many people in London."
"I don't imagine he knows that many people in general – looks like a bit of a weirdo if you ask me." Daniel had reached for Alice and pulled her toward him "I wouldn't associate with people like him if I were you. People might think you have a soft spot for the losers." Alice sighed as he gave her arm a gentle tug and began to pull her toward the bedroom "Come on, I didn't come here to talk about your flatmate…"
X
By the time he made his way back to the flat, the crippling pain in George's head had begun to ease a little. He wondered if Alice was suffering as well – should he bring her something? He ducked into a pharmacy but wasn't too familiar was muggle medicines, so spent a considerable amount of time staring mystified at what turned out to be a shelf full of feminine hygiene products. By the time he realised his error, the sales clerk had been giving him a concerned look from behind the counter for far too long for George to rectify the situation so he simply gave an embarrassed nod and made a quick exit.
As he reached the front door of their building, he noticed a familiar pair of shapes making their way up the road from the opposite direction. Arlene Appleby was dressed for the cold weather in a tartan raincoat and Driscoll, bounding alongside her, was wearing a matching bodywarmer. As she reached the steps in front of the house, she looked up at him and smiled warmly "Why hello there, young George."
"Hello Arlene. Hello Driscoll…" George mustered a smile as he reached down to pet the dog, who responded with an enthusiastic wag of his tail.
"What are you doing out on such a filthy morning? You look frozen," Arlene shivered as if to emphasise her point "I wouldn't be out here myself with my arthritis but I have to take the baggage for a walk or else he whines something chronic; what's your excuse?"
"I like to walk," George said mildly "I go out most days – I could take Driscoll with me if that would make your life easier." He offered. Driscoll barked, seemingly giving his consent. Arlene gave him a glowing smile "Oh you are kind. I would be terribly grateful, you know. I would be happy to pay you…"
George shook his head "That won't be necessary, I'd be happy to do it."
They talked for a little while longer out on the front step, their breath rising in the air above them and Driscoll sniffing contentedly about their feet. Eventually the door opened and George turned, expecting to see Alice but instead was met with the face of that simpering git from her band, Daniel.
What was he doing here? Daniel smirked first at George, then down at Arlene "Sorry to interrupt your little…" He paused, as if searching for the right word "Chat."
He trained his cool gaze on George, seemingly squaring up to him. His eyes were hard and unfeeling, almost black. George felt his jaw tense. There was something about this bloke that he couldn't stand the sight of, if only he could put his finger on what it was. He moved out of the way to let Daniel pass but still felt their shoulders bump against each other slightly, as though he had deliberately pushed George out of the way. He unconsciously clenched his fists as he watched the arrogant git amble down the front steps and stroll off up the street. He wasn't even wearing a jumper for goodness' sake! Who did he think he was?
"Well, he's got half a crown on himself, wouldn't you say?" Arlene's voice broke into his thoughts and George allowed her a distracted smile "I wouldn't worry too much about him, dear. A lion never has to prove he's a lion, isn't that right?"
George gave an 'Mm', his eyes still trained on the retreating figure of Daniel. Arlene glanced down at Driscoll "Well then baggage, I'd better get you inside." She gave George's arm an affectionate squeeze before disappearing inside. George stayed on the step a moment longer until Daniel had turned the corner and disappeared altogether. It was only once he turned to go inside himself that he had a chance to think about what Arlene had said 'A lion never has to prove he's a lion'. What had she meant by that?
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