Note: Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! I'm beginning to realize this may end up the length of a novel so buckle in my little ducklings.
The music didn't deafen her like it did at Muggle clubs. At this club she could still carry on a normal conversation without her ears bleeding. Not that she'd talked much with George tonight. They'd been too busy dancing to the upbeat music. The last time she danced had to have been at least two years ago at a school friend's wedding. She'd forgotten how much she loved dancing, especially with a hot redhead to hold onto and sway with.
She checked her hair in the bathroom mirror before heading out to the bar where George had promised to get her a drink. Something cold and non-alcoholic. She didn't need alcohol to make a fool of her in front of George. Drinking had lost its appeal shortly after graduating. Partying had never been her thing and she had a feeling if she'd gone to Hogwarts Hermione and Luna would have been her type of friends. She would have groaned along with them to the twin's antics while harboring a quiet crush on George.
She spotted George at the corner of the bar and stopped mid-step. A pretty brunette leaned toward him from her barstool, giving him a perfect view down her top. Her perfect red lips moved into a pout as George shook his head. With a flick of her hair and one last pout the woman flounced off.
She flexed the tension out of her hands. Having a gorgeous boyfriend came with such a price, she told herself, and she trusted George. Easier to trust George than be suspicious and jealous of every woman who made googly eyes at him. One of her best friends had a jealous boyfriend during their last two years of school. The jealousy made a mess of things and lost her a few friends over all the drama. She didn't want to become like that, not even after dealing with her cheating ex. If she wanted a healthy relationship she wouldn't get one by bringing her own baggage into it. She'd discussed as much with her therapist.
Lucy continued her journey and sat down beside George. He slid her drink over to her, the ice cubs clinking together. The icy coolness of the drink soothed her dry throat.
"I forgot Fred likes this place too. Already got mistaken for him once while you were gone. I vote we take off after these drinks."
"Sure, but I have questions and you promised to answer them tonight!" She swiveled her stool, turning toward him. Beside him she felt more relaxed. It was that calming aura of his.
George sipped at his drink, watching her over the rim. "Right, but if you're about to interrogate me I'd like to be warned."
"Not an interrogation. Well at least I don't think so."
A corner of his mouth quirked up. "Don't leave me waiting. I'm curious and prepared to spill my drink all over myself if you ask anything too embarrassing. It'd be impolite to continue after that instead of letting me clean up."
She inched to the edge of her seat. "Nothing embarrassing. But you have quite a few brothers, right? The way Luna has talked about your family makes me think your older brothers are all ripped hunks. Is that the Weasley boy gift or something?"
George snorted. "Have you see Ron?" His eyes crinkled as he grinned. "Bill is a curse break and Charlie works with dragons if you're into that brooding dangerous thing. And if you are I'm afraid I have to break your heart with the news that Bill is already married."
"The only Weasley boy I'm interested in dating is you." The words tumbled out before she could think to stop them. Their gazes met and her cheeks blazed. She'd specifically promised herself to not say anything desperate or clingy. She turned away and squeezed her hands between her knees. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"Please don't be." With a finger he turned her head back toward him. Then he kissed her, a sweet kiss that made her pulse speed up. After a few seconds he pulled away. "What's the next question?"
She held up two fingers. "Two more. First can you show me some of your card tricks? I always seem to walk into the store when you are in the middle. And two, tell me something embarrassing about you. You've got me thinking about it and I can't resist."
He pretended she'd stabbed in the heart, earning a laugh from her. "The card tricks are easy. I can even teach them to you. As for something embarrassing…" He stared at his drink, his thumb sliding up and down the glass. "Okay, here's one. I'm shy. Not so much when Fred is around, letting him take the lead in social situations helps and I learned to soldier through the shyness at a young age thanks to him. At work I put on my salesman persona to keep the shyness at bay. But when Fred isn't around and I'm just trying to be myself I get nervous when I'm meeting new people. I think I'm also the quieter one in general." The tops of his ears pinkened in embarrassment.
"That one shouldn't count. Almost everyone gets shy but since you were so honest and adorable I'll let it slide. Personally I still have nightmares about forgetting to go to class or bombing a test."
George chuckled. "You definitely would have been a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. Toward the end of summer break I sometimes dreamt I missed the Hogwarts Express and would wake up in a panic. I was always so eager to see my friends that the thought of missing the train was my nightmare."
A person pushed between them, slinging an arm over their backs. "Hello my little lovebirds," Fred sang out. "How 'bout you buy your favorite brother a drink?" He batted his eyelashes at George.
George rolled his eyes. "Had a feeling you were around." He waved the bartender over. "One water, please."
"Georgie," Fred whined.
George presented the water with a head bow and a twirl of his free hand. "Nothing but the best water on tap for you my dear brother."
Fred grumbled under his breath but accepted the offering. He slid onto the empty stool beside George. "Any grand plans tonight?"
"Home soon probably. We have work tomorrow. The weekend isn't here quite yet."
"Yeah, yeah." Fred waved it off. His left leg bounced on the rung of the stool. "That doesn't mean you need to cut the night short."
"We don't all have your energy."
Fred leaned forward to give Lucy a pointed look. "What about you?" She shrugged. "I'll probably curl up with a book before bed."
Fred threw his hands up. "Book nerds! I should have known better than to come to you two on a Thursday night."
"Well there is a book shop around the corner open late if you want a change of scenery." Lucy suppressed a smile at the exasperated look she received.
He chugged down his drink like a beer and then slammed the cup against the counter. "I'm going to find someone to dance with. You two have fun being lovey dovey." He hopped off the stool and headed for the dance floor. He approached a blond who by all appearances appeared to be a third wheel next to the couple cuddled up to each other. A moment later he was leading her onto the dance floor. The music had changed since Lucy and George danced, and with it the dancing got raunchier. The woman turned her back to Fred and practically ground her ass against his crotch.
A brief moment of jealousy laced with panic tore through her. He wasn't George, she reminded herself, no matter how identical they looked. She reached for George's hand, giving it a squeeze for reassurance. She glanced at George and found him watching his brother, his face scrunched in worry.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Bad tendency to worry over Fred is all. He's bad at opening up. Sometimes I'm good at guessing his emotions and actions, but that's only because we've spent so much time together. And despite what everyone seems to think about twins, we can't reach each other's thoughts." George finished his drink. "I'll leave him alone tonight. If he stays up too late and is exhausted at work tomorrow that's his problem to deal with." A moment of silence passed between them as they both watched Fred.
"Want to hit the book shop before calling it a night?" Lucy asked. She didn't want to stay here with Fred having sex on the dance floor. It made it too easy to imagine George in his place and her all alone. The thought made her want to throw up.
"I hear there's a ridiculous time travel romance out about a woman who falls in love with a monk. I'm dying to take a peek. Sometimes the bestseller list baffles me."
"Aren't monks celibate?"
"Not this one apparently."
"Night, Luce." George leaned against the wall beside her door. "See you tomorrow afternoon, right?"
"Yeah."
He shifted on his feet, his smile melting away. "I just wanted you to know Fred told me about what happened. I hadn't understood why you felt it so important to tell me about your grandparents but I get it now, I think. I don't care about blood status. My family is pureblooded, but quite a few Slytherins back in school loved making a big deal out of calling us blood traitors. Blood status means nothing, all right?"
Her emotions burned the back of her throat. She feared if she spoke she would start crying. She hugged him, blinking away the tears against his shirt before he could notice them. There was no way she could explain to him how much his words meant. While Voldemort's followers in England were dying out or getting caught and sent to Azkaban, American purebloods liked to pretend his capture had never happened. So while the hatred died down in England, the flames continued to grow overseas. "Thanks," she finally managed to force the word out when she let go of him.
"No problem. Maybe tomorrow we can stuff ourselves with sweets while I read this to you." With a mischievous grin he held up the book he'd bought. The cover sported a monk dipping a woman while he gazed longingly into her eyes. George had deemed the writing and story too ridiculous to pass up.
"The waiting will kill me. Truly."
"I'd hate to leave you without something to look forward to." He ruffled her hair. "Night."
"Night." She opened her door, waiting until he disappeared from sight to go inside. Despite Fred's teasing, the book shop had been a great choice to wind down the night before her feet started hurting from all the dancing.
She kicked her shoes off and then couldn't help but do a little twirl on her way to the kitchen. Too bad Oliver was gone for the weekend for an away game. She wanted to gush to someone and he'd understand. Plus he hadn't gotten around to telling her about his last date yet either. She put the kettle on and then did another spin toward the teapot to drop a spoonful of chai tea in.
A knock on the door made her jump a foot high. "Coming!" Thinking George must have forgotten something she ripped the door open and upon spotting the tall red head, she threw herself against him for another hug. Butterfly wings kissed the sides of her stomach.
He leaned down, his breath tickling her ear. "Wrong twin."
She jumped backward so fast she stumbled over her own feet. Fred grabbed a hold of her, keeping her from reeling over.
"You're so easy to get worked up." Fred grinned in delight. Apparently his drunken confession hadn't taken away his evil side.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She yanked her arm away.
"Just visiting."
"At eleven in the evening?"
"Yeah." He kicked his shoes off and made himself comfortable on the couch, lying down with his feet up on the far armrest.
"You missed George."
"I know. I watched him leave. Is the kettle on? I'd love some tea."
She ran her hands through her hair in exasperation. "Please do make yourself at home." Sarcasm dripped from her words.
Fred's grin returned. "Will do, thanks."
She shook her head as she headed back to the stove. She pulled out her wand to boil the water with magic. She usually preferred the old-fashioned way because it reminded her of her grandparents, but anything to get Fred out the door faster was worth it. She dumped the water in the teapot and grabbed two mugs and then carried everything into the living room and set them on the coffee table. Instead of sitting in the chair she grabbed the thick cushion beside the coffee table and repositioned it before plopping down onto it. Her vantage let her glare across the coffee table at Fred. "Well?"
He held a hand to his chest with a pout. "I'm here to save you from a dull night reading."
She rolled her eyes. "That sentence alone tells me you aren't a big reader."
"Hey, I read. Mostly nonfiction and research for new products, but I could blow you away with the dry books in my collection."
"Come out with the truth, Fred. You're avoiding something."
His amusement faded. "Why do you think that?"
"Because I doubt you came here to do nothing but make jokes at me. You're here because you want something."
He sat up, his cheerful demeanor washed away. He poured himself a mug of tea and sniffed at it before taking a sip. "I went to my first appointment. My next one is scheduled for Tuesday."
"You mean with the therapist I recommended?"
"Yeah. You've been to therapy before, right? I was just wondering…well how long does it take?"
"Depends I guess. You have to stick with it and be dedicated on your side of things. It's not an overnight thing either, you've gotta have patience with it."
He blew out a large breath. "I'm trying to be patient. I just…I just want to be better." The words came out quiet. He stared at his mug, the happy mermaid on it a far cry from his sullen mood.
"It's a process. Give it your all and you'll make improvements before you know it."
His forehead wrinkled in thought. "You ever wonder why mermaids always wear seashell bras? Wouldn't seaweed be easier?"
She snorted into her tea. "Can't say I have, but I guess seaweed would be more comfortable."
He nodded and raised his head to look at her. "What did I tell you about the night I was drunk?"
"You really don't remember? I didn't think you were that out of it. You weren't drinking again tonight, were you?" She leaned forward and sniffed the air. All she smelled was the scent of chai mingled with overly sweet perfume clinging to his clothes.
"I'm not an alcoholic. I just tend to drink too much when I'm struggling with something. It's one of the things I'm working on, to find healthier ways to cope instead of using alcohol and sex."
Her sip of tea went down the wrong pipe and she coughed. "Didn't need to know that last bit."
"No matter what I said that night, please don't tell anyone, okay? I don't like people knowing. I don't even like talking to George about my issues. I don't care if I told you about killing the death eater or not feeling whole without George, keep it to yourself."
Her gaze softened. "Sounds like you love your brother. That's not something to be ashamed of."
"It's more than that." He laid back down, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. "I love Georgie, but sometimes being a twin feels like a curse. People tend to view us as being exactly the same in more ways than looks. It's always made me feel like I'm only half a person. And I shouldn't be telling you any of this because it's embarrassing and I'll regret saying anything." He shook his head. "Does it ever get easier, getting better?"
She took a drink of tea to give herself time to gather her thoughts. "It never feels easy, but you get better at it as you understand yourself more and learn better coping techniques. You feel more capable then and the problems less daunting."
He grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and flung it over himself. "George talks about you as if you're some sort of sweet innocent angel. I warned him that even sirens lure their prey with beautiful song before drowning them, but I guess you're okay."
"Wow, such a big compliment, thanks." She flexed her hand, fighting the temptation to fling her mug, hot tea and all, at his head.
"Can I crash on your couch tonight? I'm not ready to go home yet." His eyes drooped as he asked the question.
She considered saying no, but he was George's brother. If she was nice to him now then maybe he'd start to lighten up on her. "Fine, but no snooping."
His eyes closed but his mouth quirked up in smirk. "That makes me want to all the more."
"Not allowed." She grabbed her mug and stood. On her way to the bedroom she turned the lights out. She shut her bedroom door just in case he decided to snoop after all.
"George." Fred shook him. He had snuck off before Lucy woke up. His determination to tell George energized him. No doubt he'd feel the lack of sleep later at work, but he'd nap during lunch. Something about talking to Lucy had made him feel ready to open up. He'd been so close to spilling everything to her and that would have been too embarrassing. George had always been the one he confided in and he wanted to keep that closeness. That feeling of them against the world.
George groaned and opened his eyes, blinking away the fuzziness of the morning. He'd fallen asleep on his stomach. His pillow was damp with drool. "What's wrong?" His voice came out thick as though he had a cotton ball in it.
"I need to talk to you." Fred shifted closer. "I started going to therapy. You know how Tuesday I left for a late lunch? Well it wasn't for lunch. I have Tuesday appointments if that's all right. The therapist is popular and didn't have many spots left. I just…thought I should tell you the truth." His voice hitched at the end.
"That's fine." George reached out with a heavy hand to pat Fred on the shoulder. "Proud of you, Freddy, but later. Ten more minutes." His arm sagged.
Fred almost let out a laugh of disbelief at George's reaction. But he was right, now wasn't the time to discuss it. Fred moved closer, letting his forehead rest against his brother's shoulder. Within minutes George was snoring lightly again. Fred's emotions were too wound to let him consider sleeping too and if he was being honest with himself, he liked being this close to his brother. They hadn't shared a bed since they were kids. At Hogwarts and the Burrow they shared a room. It wasn't until after they graduated and moved out of the back of the shop a year after opening that Fred got to have his own room. Sharing with only George felt quiet compared to their days back home and Hogwarts. He missed the noise and bustle. He missed having so many friends in close quarters.
Eventually he'd come clean about all his issues to George, but not today. He needed to come to terms with everything better himself. He was the true womanizer between them, but only because fucking a woman was the only time he felt truly seen. It was when he felt like Fred and not Fred and George. Too many people assumed they were exactly the same. Too many girls wanted one of them and didn't care which. What was it his therapist had said? That he used alcohol and sex to cope. She had a point.
What was even worse was he feared he couldn't be whole without George. He was terrified of George moving out to be with someone. Living alone sounded terrifying, lonely, and too quiet. He noticed the way George looked at Lucy. The day of him moving out might not be too far away and Fred wanted to be prepared for it. And if he worked hard enough maybe he could have his own relationship soon, someone who looked at him the way Lucy looked at George. The way she'd spoken to him tonight made him feel seen too.
He'd snooped before leaving. He hadn't been able to resist. The amount of books stacked around her flat weren't a surprise. The sex toys under the bathroom sink on the other hand had come as a surprise. George always had a thing for the Ravenclaw type. Claimed the quiet ones always had a secret wild side whereas Fred's type was simply more open about it. Fred's type had always been like Angelina: athletic, aggressive, and great at ripping pieces out of his heart.
He wanted something different and that made Lucy dangerous. No use getting a crush on his brother's girl. His interest in her was solely to protect George he told himself. It wasn't his fault she proved to be more than he expected. He'd admired the way she held her own against him. Now he could look back and be impressed by the way she stole his wand.
She'd be good for George, he decided. But why did that make his heart ache and his throat close up? Was he really so terrified of being alone?