Of Flowers, Extendable Ears and True Feelings
Katie Bell awoke to see one of her best friends, Angelina Johnson, smiling down at her. "Ange!" She cried, sitting up at once.
"Shhhhh" Grinned Angelina. "Don't excite yourself, the Matron will eat me! How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Not the best I have ever been, rather like after that quidditch practise and I ate a blood blisterpod." Katie replied, returning Angelina's grin. Her friend laughed and bent to hug her. "It's great you're awake, we were all so worried. Now lie back down, don't want you overexerting yourself." Katie did as she was told. Looking around the little room she saw vases upon vases of flowers and a mountain of chocolate at the foot of the bed.
"Who are all the flowers from?" Katie asked. Angelina's eyes twinkled.
" Me, Alicia, you're relatives, but mostly George. Brings a new bunch every time he comes and he visits just as often as me and Allie!" Katie blushed scarlet and pulled the covers up around her head hoping to mask it. Angelina laughed and carried on. " Never seen a bloke so infatuated as him. Oh the chocolates are mostly from people at Hogwarts. She added. "Oh no, matrons coming and she told me to leave a while ago, better go!" Angelina winkled and with a "pop" she was gone.
The Matron was a round, rosy woman who bustled in and out in a blur of lime green robes. She smiled at Katie.
"Hello dear, marvellous, simply magnificent see you up, I'm matron Mildred, but everybody calls me Mamma." Katie grimaced. Matron talked to her as though she were six, not eighteen!
Next morning as Katie opened her eyes she felt something warm gripping her hand. A haze of red hair and magenta robes. "George?" He looked up.
"Katie!" he exclaimed. "Angelina said you were up yesterday, I would have come sooner but the mummy lime" George jerked his thumb in the direction of matron whom Katie could see busying about on the ward outside. "Wouldn't let me." He finished. Katie laughed and nticed, not to her displeasure, that George was still clutching her hand. Its presence sent tingles up her arm. She and George had never exactly been an item, but he had taken her to the Yule ball back in her fifth ear and they had gone into Hogsmeade together a couple of times.
"Thanks for all the flowers." Katie gushed. "Oh no, it was nothing." Said George, his ears turning a delicate shade of pink. She could think of nothing to say. "Nice weather." Katie looked to the window. It was pouring with rain. For goodness sake girl! First you talk about the weather then say something completely ridiculous about it! She thought furiously. "Er, yeah." Agreed George hopelessly.
Most of the morning passed in silence, until matron bustled in. "Miss Bell needs rest." She announced, plumping the pillows. "Oh, er of course, I'll be off then." George smiled weakly at Katie, bowed slightly to matron then hurriedly left the room. Well done Katie! She frowned. All morning and all you can think to talk about is the weather! She sighed. "Sleep!" Ordered matron. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.
Muttering to himself on the way back to the shop, George shook his flame red head. "Why couldn't you just come out and say it?" He murmured, thunderously.
"Because you're a Weasley boy and therefore clueless!" Piped up a voice behind him. George turned to see Angelina standing there. He stared. Well, she should know, Fred has only told her a couple of months ago that he had been madly in love with her since the age of eleven.
"Hey" Said the voice of his twin who was coming up behind Angelina. "I hope that didn't include me!" Angelina playfully punched him, Fred returned this by wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "Why don't you go back and tell her tonight?" Fred suggested. George resolved that was exactly what he would do.
Heart leaping as the door opened, Katie sat up. It was Alicia. Her heart sank. She loved Allie dearly, Ange to, but she really wanted to see George. She had had so many visitors today and each time the same thing happened. Her heart leapt, then sank, then leapt…. And sank. After about fifteen minutes, Alicia saw red hair drifting down the corridor. Hastily she said "Got to go", hugged Katie and disapperated grinning.
George entered the room. Katie had dropped off to sleep at last, yet he hadn't noticed. "Hey Kat" he said softly. "I just came to say, well that…" Manic laughter was issuing from the other side of the door. Behind it sat Fred and Angelina, listening in on extendable ears. George turned around, spotted the flesh coloured strings, pointed his wand and they instantly tied in a knot. Fuming, he wrenched open the door to see his twin and said twins girlfriend rolling around on the floor roaring with laughter.
Hearing the commotion, Katie had woken up. "What in the name of Merlin is going on?" She asked, sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "And why are you pair down there?" Katie looked down at her friends, shaking her head. At this, Angelina burst out anew and clutched Fred. "My twin has come to see you fair lady!" He said, gesturing towards George, who seeing the funny side of things, sank into a bow, closed the door and put an impertuable charm on it.
"Soppy old bugger!" Giggled Angelina. Fred pulled her to her feet. "Yeah he is." He fluttered his eyelashes and put his hand on his heart. "Oh Katie dearest darling my heart belongs to you now and forever!" Angelina snorted and pressed her head against the glass window to try and hear what was going on inside.
"See thing is…" George was saying. Katie leaned forward and kissed him. Angelina took a step back, jaw almost hitting the floor. "Time to go I think!" Said Fred, pulling her close. With a "pop" they were gone.
Katie and George, in between kisses, sat arguing about who loved who more, and who had liked who first. He stroked her hair, she let her head loll on his shoulder. The arguing persisted until matron "mamma" Mildred came in. "Mr Weasley, you shouldn't be here, visiting hours are over!" He had to restrain a laugh. "Oh, awfully sorry!" He stuttered, Katie bit her hand to stop herself bursting out laughing to. "See you tomorrow miss Bell?" Said George. "Most definitely!" Miss Bell replied, grinning. With that, George disapperated.
"A nice young man." Said matron, approvingly. "Oh yes." Said Katie. "The nicest I ever met!"