Lucy poured herself a cup of tea. Her argument with Fred hadn't been enough to keep her away from the cookies and chai teas at her favorite shop. Listening to Fred talk about his therapy had reminded her how important self-care was, something she'd worked on with her therapist, and so she resumed her weekly visits to the tea shop to curl up with whatever book she had on hand. The cozy visits helped her unwind and the large windows of the shop gave the perfect views to watch the rain from.
Her latest book was one she borrowed from George, a horror set on a space colony. It was full of creepy murders and mysterious clues. Whenever she found herself pausing to take in an intense moment, she wondered if George had done the same. On one page a few drops of what looked to be tea had spilled onto the page. She touched them, wondering what type he'd been drinking. Had he been at the register at the shop getting a chapter in during a lull? Or curled up on the sofa at home?
"A pot of English breakfast and the cinnamon apple donut, please."
The voice jerked Lucy from her book just as the waiter left. Fred set a thick book and notebook on the table. When he noticed she was watching him he gave her a cheerful wave. "Have you ever heard of skydiving? It's a Muggle thing."
Ah, not again. Leave it to Fred to ruin her peace by invading the tea shop. "I know what skydiving is." She set her book down and reached for her tea. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm. "Why?"
"I want to do it."
"Are you crazy?" She raised her eyebrows at him.
"Think how exciting it would be! Ceece says I need to make sure I continue my identity outside of George, so I figure why not do something bloody awesome? Nothing but muggle devices to keep me alive would be a thrill. Way better than flying a broom."
"Don't tell me you are a daredevil doing thrills to feel alive again or some other cliché nonsense. I like to feel alive by you know, staying alive instead of getting hurled into the ground. And who the heck is Ceece? I thought the therapist's name was Cee Cee."
Fred gave her a boyish smile. "Her name is Cee Cee, but I like to shorten it to Ceece. I'm not usually a daredevil, but I do like a nice thrill sometimes. It's also fascinating the risks Muggles will take without magic to save them. If they can do it so can I."
"Well if you do it don't invite me along. I don't want to watch you fall to your death. I wouldn't be able to look." Although there were a few times she wouldn't have minded watching him fall out of a plane and hurtle toward the ground. Maybe she'd have to take back what she said. "Is that one of those dry nonfiction books you mentioned last time?" She peered at the cover. Something about transfigurement charms that were way more complicated than anything she'd read for school.
"Sure is. Product research. Gotta make sure everything is safe and all that." His face turned entirely too serious for her tastes. It made her stomach flip with worry.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you planning to use me as a guinea pig or something?"
"No. It's just that I started dating again. Ceece is helping me work out rules to keep it healthy. I can't ask Ginny for help or she might let something slip to Mum. Hermione doesn't have the vaguest idea how to flirt or seduce. And Luna is sweet but I don't understand a third of what she says. That leaves you."
"Leaves me for what?" Her voice rose, squeaking at the end.
"Dating advice. I'm considering a quidditch game as a date since we both like the sport so much. The local team is playing one of our biggest rivals this week. Do you think a quidditch game is okay for a date once you're past the first two?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought we could go out for drinks or dessert after. Give us more time to talk."
"I don't see why not as long as you're sure she likes quidditch too."
"She loves it." He looked down at his notebook. "I'll let you get back to reading. I need to get through this bad boy." He patted his book.
"Thanks." She leaned back with her book back in hand. She watched over the top of it as Fred opened his book and began making notes and charts in his notebook. She'd never imagined she'd see Fred look so studious. It made her wonder if he and George had been good students in school or the bad boys or put off doing homework and studying to have fun. She found it easy to picture Fred pulling George away from homework to go prank someone and George giving up to go with him after a weak protest or two. Fred's forehead wrinkled as he studied a diagram. His pencil hovered over the notebook. He was almost cute wrapped up in his research. She jerked her gaze back to her book before that line of thought could go any further. Totally normal to think such a thing when his face was identical to George's, she promised herself.
They stayed that way for almost an hour, Lucy reading and Fred making notes. He even convinced her to trade her second cookie for half of his donut. His suspicion of her seemed to have melted away and she wondered if this was the side of Fred George knew. Seeing him this way made it hard to remember how torn up he'd been in the darkness of his living room in the middle of the night. And then his anxiousness at her place. It made her wonder how much of it he kept hidden away as he put on a more confident façade.
She remembered her days of therapy and the way talking about it to others scared her. Her friends had been supportive but her mother had looked at her in such disappointment, a look that stung more than she cared to admit. And the issues she worked through had clawed at her for weeks until she feared they'd drown her. On the outside she went about business as usual, locking up her fears and insecurities after the attack to hide them from others. She and Fred might not be what she considered to be friends yet, but she wouldn't shoot him down if he needed to discuss therapy. She knew from experience how a little bit of support could mean everything.
Finally Fred began to pack up.
"Leaving?" She finished off her last bite of donut.
"Yeah, got a hot date in half an hour. Don't worry though, I won't let our spot slip to her." He winked at her and she scowled.
"Excuse me but this was my spot first."
"Our spot now." His devilish smiled returned. He stood and threw his messenger bag over his shoulder.
"Good luck," she said, meaning it with her whole heart. If dating kept him nice to her, she hoped the girl fell madly in love with him and kept him out of her business.
His eyes lit up at her words. "Thanks. If it goes well maybe we can do a double date before long. And get home safe, okay?" His voice softened. "There was an attack outside of Hogsmeade today. A lone Death Eater."
She swallowed. "I will." Her voice managed to stay even despite the ice ripping through her veins.
He gave her one last nod and then left. She stared toward the tall windows at the front of the shop. How long before nightfall? She checked the clock. About an hour, an hour and a half perhaps. Plenty of time to get home even if she skipped the shortcuts to stay on the busy main roads. Or she could duck into the magical shop nearby and use the floo network to get closer to home and skip most of the roads. Her hand tightened on her teacup. Damn Death Eaters. Why couldn't they accept defeat and go away? She'd never felt ashamed of having Muggle blood, but with Death Eaters still lurking in the shadows somedays she found herself wishing she was a pureblood.
She finished her tea and shut her book. No need to tempt fate by waiting too long. She'd head back now before the streets began to empty out and she found herself looking over her shoulder every other step. Besides, her table suddenly felt too empty and lonely to stay.
"We don't need to join them on the double date," George said as they waited for their train. They sat side by side on a bench, the only open one they'd managed to find. "Fred will understand why you'd want to avoid Hogsmeade right now. I can join them alone another day if you don't want to come."
"I'll be fine. It's been a week with no other incidents plus security there has been increased, right?"
"Right. At first I wasn't even going to ask you to come after what happened at Hogsmeade this month but with the way Fred begged I struggled to say no. He said Ceece…" he paused, his eyes widening as his ears turned pink.
"Oh, his therapist?"
His mouth hung open a moment. "You know about his therapist?"
"Yeah, I'm the one who gave him her card. He said they are working on guidelines for healthy dating or something along those lines."
"I'm surprised he told you about that. He tends to be private about personal matters." He smiled. "He's starting to trust you then, that's good." George kissed her forehead and caressed her hand with his thumb. "Thank you. You must have said something to convince him because I've failed every time I tried to bring up the topic of getting therapy. He's been back more to his optimistic self lately already instead of gloomy. I hope dating will work out for him but…well to be honest I don't approve of who he's seeing and I'm afraid she could make things worse."
Lucy's attention snapped to him. "Who is it?"
"Clara. You know the one who tried to kill you during the quidditch match?" His nostrils flared. "I should have known she was his type. He likes them aggressive."
She churned the information over. Clara's name made her hackles rise, but she didn't forget how happy Fred had been lately. Her emotions teetered between the two evils of Clara and single Fred. "I'll be fine as long as you're with me. And this time she has no bludger to hit at my head."
He rubbed her shoulder. "If you want to leave at any point just let me know, okay? I already warned Fred Clara is going to have to really impress me to earn my acceptance."
Their train pulled up and she squeezed his hand back. "Fred wants your support and I'm not letting you go without me."
By the time they reached The Three Broomsticks, Fred and Clara were already at a table waiting. Fred's arm was wrapped around the back of her chair. Lucy's hands fisted when her gaze landed on Clara. The fact that she looked great from her pink lipstick to her perfectly waved hair didn't stem the anger boiling in the pit of Lucy's stomach. Fred could have dated anyone else and yet in his usual evil way chose the one woman she didn't want to be around. The quidditch match soured her too much. She had come more to keep Clara's hands off George than to support Fred.
Fred spotted them and waved a hand in the air.
"Here we go," George said as he marched toward the table. "Let's hope this isn't a disaster waiting to happen."
"Hey!" Fred was so excited he practically bounced out of his seat. "Clara, I'm sure you remember George and Lucy."
"A pleasure." Clara smiled at George while ignoring Lucy.
"Want me to go put you in orders for some butterbeers?" Fred asked.
"If you're buying, sure," George answered.
Fred hopped up to put in the order. Clara rested her head on the top of her hands as she watched George. "Glad you were able to join us. Fred's been talking nonstop about how excited he was for this."
"Yeah? Glad to be here." He shot Lucy a look of uncertainty.
"So Clara, how was the Quidditch game today?" Lucy gave her an empty smile of politeness.
"Our team lost when our rival caught the snitch. They won by a measly twenty points."
"Ouch."
"They've had a good season otherwise, though. This loss shouldn't be much of a setback."
Fred reappeared, drinks in hand. The conversation continued, Fred bursting with giddiness. Lucy didn't miss the way Clara avoided speaking directly to her as much as possible, or the way her gaze tended to stay on Fred and George while avoiding her.
"We're considering a weekend trip to Paris soon," Clara told George. "Fred told me about his recent trip. Can you believe I've never been there?"
"I haven't either," Lucy piped up.
Clara rested an adoring hand on Fred's arm. "I want a picture of us at the Eiffel Tower. Talk about romantic. And we should wear berets!"
Frustration boiled in Lucy's stomach.
"Do you want to go sometime?" George asked Lucy.
"I was thinking more of Italy, actually. I haven't done much exploring outside of England yet. I want to see the vineyards and museums. And don't forget Ireland."
"Right, the sheep!"
Fred's brow furrowed. "Does Lucy want to pet the sheep?"
"George wants to pet the sheep. I'll settle for looking at them."
"You have to pet them too or else what's the fun?" George protested
Clara's upper lip curled in disgust. "Why sheep?"
"Because they're cute and fuzzy," George said. "And impossible to avoid so why not pet them?"
"I don't think I've ever pet a sheep before," Fred said.
"Exactly!" George answered.
Fred gave him a serious nod as though George had just said the wisest thing he'd ever heard. "Do you think they'd chase garden gnomes? It'd give mum an easier time of things. Well maybe not if the sheep ate her plants."
They exchanged mirrored grins.
"Don't sheep smell?" Clara wrinkled her nose.
"Dunno," the twins answered in unison.
An awkward silence descended on the table. Fred and George's eyes met for a moment and then they both looked away. Clara sipped at her drink, oblivious to the awkward air.
"Be right back." Lucy made a beeline for the bathroom, eager for a break from Clara. The large mirror caught her reflection as soon as she stepped into the room and she approached it. At the other sink a teenager applied fresh lipstick, the color similar to the bright color of Clara's. Lucy turned her gaze back to her own reflection, taking in all the little details she could imagine being better. Should she have worn brighter lipstick instead of lip gloss? Darker eyeliner? Perhaps she should get the drops from George's store to change her eye color to complement her hair better. She tried to picture an icy, sharper blue to her eyes instead of her muddy ocean blue.
Compared to Clara she felt too plain. Damn her insecurity. She did her best to shove it down and try to remember how cute she'd felt when she picked out her dress that morning. It'd been a new purchase, one of her first outfits from Britain. She liked how fashionable and sleek it looked. It was the exact sort of thing she hadn't been stylish enough for during her school years when school uniforms left her with no idea about fashion and trends. The best part about being an adult was dressing however she wanted to, robes be damned. She wasn't ready to put comfort completely over fashion yet.
She brushed her hair to give herself time to prepare for her return. The thought of being ignored by Clara again made anger fizzle in her chest. For Fred and George she'd keep her mouth shut, but she couldn't promise to do the same after today. She shoved her brush back into her purse and headed out. Her steps slowed once she spotted their table. Her empty chair was occupied. By Emily. And she sat far too close to George for Lucy's liking. Emily leaned toward George, giggling too loudly at something he'd said. Lucy crept up to the table. With Emily's back to her, she didn't notice Lucy's approach.
"Do you like this place too?" Emily asked as she smiled too sweetly at George. "Clara and I come here all the time."
George rubbed the back of his neck. "I used to come here all the time during the Hogwarts days, but not so much since."
"That's too bad." Emily's lips turned down into a pout. She turned to Clara. "Have fun at the game? Heard your team lost."
"I thought we were going to win until the last minute. Fred and I will have to keep going until we get to see a winning game."
Fred spotted Lucy and hopped up to grab her a new chair, his giddiness deflated.
"Are you going to go too, George?" Emily asked.
"Maybe, if Lucy wants to go." George flung his arm around her shoulders as soon as she sat back down.
Emily's smile fell. Another awkward silence fell.
"Does anyone else want any snacks?" Fred held up the menu.
Lucy chewed on her bottom lip as Clara and Emily grabbed the menu and began discussing all of their options, neither of them able to make up their minds.
"Maybe we should get some tea too. I've been brushing up on my tea leaf reading," Emily said. "I could tell you if your romantic life is going well."
Clara's eyes lit up at that. "Maybe we'll have to get some tonight."
"Do you want anything?" George asked Lucy.
"Actually I was hoping to hit up the candy store."
He checked the clock on the wall above the counter. "Then we should get going so we can eat without spoiling our appetites for dinner later."
Clara's head snapped up at his words. "But Emily just got here!"
"No worries," George said, latching onto the lifeline Lucy had tossed. "You can keep hanging out here while we do our boring shopping. Maybe we'll meet up again later."
Lucy's bobbed her head with enthusiasm. "I wouldn't want to bore you. Enjoy your drinks." She grabbed George by the hand and took off for the door. She didn't let go until they reached the candy store.
"Take it that didn't go so well," George said as he opened the door for her.
Fred dating Clara was going to be a problem, Lucy knew that much. And if Clara kept bringing Emily around she would be sorely tempted to try some frowned upon spells. Or maybe turn her into a teapot.
She paused in the doorway. "Emily wants you. You understand that, right?" She fidgeted with the belt to her dress.
George cringed. "I was hoping I was imagining that." His face softened. "Don't worry about her. How about we get ourselves all the chocolate we want?" He rested his hand on the small of her back and urged her inside. "Chocolate makes everything better, right?"
By the time they left the shop George carried a bag loaded with sweets. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Fred glanced up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. "Want to head out before the storm hits?"
"Yeah. Can we go to your place?" Her place felt so dinky compared to his. And like a schoolgirl, being in his personal space made her feel giddy.
"Sure thing. And I meant what I said about Emily, all right? I'll have a talk with Fred later about Clara."
"For now I'd like to take all double dates off the table for consideration if you don't mind. I don't think she looked at me more than once."
"Consider it done. I wish Fred would find a different type, someone less bitchy. After seeing her play quidditch can you imagine getting into a fight with her?" He shook his head and rubbed his arm. "I bet she goes for the throat."
"Probably. I hope you have a great life insurance policy on him."
"I'll make that my first priority next week. If he survives long enough, that is."
Thunder rumbled again, this time closer. "Out of curiosity, if Fred is into the aggressive murdery type, what's your type?" Her palms sweat and she regretted asking, afraid she wouldn't like his answer. Maybe Clara was his type too with her perfect hair and willingness to bludger someone in the head to get what she wanted.
"Fred says I'm into the librarian type." He gave her a sheepish smile.
She snorted in surprise. "Do I sense a sexy librarian fantasy?"
He chuckled. "It would be hard to turn down a sexy librarian telling me I've been a naughty boy. It's a shame I don't have any overdue library books." She laughed and he leaned in closer to her. "Hogwarts gave me another fantasy too."
"Like what?" Her question came out breathy.
"I always thought it'd be hot to do naughty things on a train. I blame the Hogwarts Express. I walked in on a Slytherin girl masturbating once on the way to school while her boyfriend watched. As a young and impressionable horny teenager I couldn't forget about it. Looking back on it she definitely wanted to be caught judging by the way she'd smiled at me."
Lucy blushed. "What if you got caught?" She would die of embarrassment. The most she'd done in public places was kiss.
"The right precautions would prevent that, but the chance is part of the thrill." He gave her a cheeky smile.
They reached their platform just as the train pulled in and a light drizzle started. She stuck close to George as he nabbed them an empty compartment. He let her in first and then shut the door behind them, grinning at her.
He sat the chocolate on the floor and scooted up close to her. "Want to have some fun?" He gave her a smile, his eyes lighting up.
Her heart raced. "Here? Right now?"
"Only if you're up for it. I locked the door to make sure no one will come in."
She chewed on her bottom lip. In the past she would have said no and refused to consider doing something in such a public place. But she liked the idea of pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Of trying to be more carefree instead of too scared all the time and unable to push her limits. If George wanted to do something wild, she could be wild for him. That thought made her grab George by the shirt and yank him in for a kiss. Their tongues danced around each other as the thrill of taking such a risky chance shuddered through her.
His hand slid under her shirt and he grabbed her right breast. He slid his free hand up her dress, gliding his palm up the inside of her thigh. Heat gathered in her middle. He dipped a finger inside her panties. "Mmm, getting wet for me already." He gave her clit a quick rub before pulling away.
"Don't stop touching," she pleaded. "Please."
"As much as I like hearing you beg, I want to watch you touch yourself. Do that for me and I'll do whatever you want later."
Her eyes widened as she considered his request. Now wasn't the time to back down and be a coward. Not with the wetness pooling between her legs and desire clouding her mind. "Okay. I'll do it."
"You spoil me," he purred. "Slip your knickers off and turn to face me." He watched as she followed instructions. When she stepped out of her underwear he slipped them into the pocket of his jacket with a grin as though they were some sort of trophy. Her gaze darted toward the door.
"Don't worry, no one will see what you're doing with your back to the door." He grabbed her and yanked her closer until her legs were around him. She let out a squeal that melted into a giggle. He dipped in for another quick kiss.
Her heart raced as she slid her hand down her body. Behind George trees flew past the window, the glass blurred by large raindrops. The low hum of the train was a soothing melody that distracted her from wondering if anyone would be able to see her from the window. She slid her hand over her folds and then dove in. Her finger reached her clit and she trembled.
"That's it." George watched her, his lips parted slightly. The heat in his gaze encouraged her as strong pangs of desire pulsed between her legs. His hands rubbed the outside of her thighs, the warmth of them making her long for him to replace her hand with his. Her tempo increased as her legs squeezed him. She dipped a finger inside and her muscles tightened as she wished it was George inside her. She continued her show, all the while enjoying the way he watched.
A few minutes later his hands crept toward her center. "Can I touch you again?"
"Yes," she said, her voice breathy.
He shifted and next thing she knew he was clutching her ass and pulling her upward as he bent over her. He kissed the inside of each of her thighs before trailing his kisses to her center. She covered her mouth to muffle her moan. And then his mouth was on her clit, his tongue darting back and forth across it. Another tremor shook her.
A minute later she couldn't take it any longer. "Fuck me, please," she pleaded. She ached with longing. In her haze of desire she no longer cared they were on a train. All she could think about was the bulge in his pants and how good she knew he'd feel inside her.
"I don't have a condom on me. Are you all right with me cumming inside you?"
"Yes, go ahead. Just hurry, please." She couldn't keep the desperation out of her voice. George gently dropped her back down. He pulled himself out from the fly of his pants. Lucy let out a low mewl when she spotted his cock. He grabbed her ass again and pulled her closer. A breath later he sheathed himself fully inside her in one stroke. A low grunt escaped him as Lucy bit down on her hand to keep from crying out.
"I'm going to cum inside and fill you up." He began thrusting, keeping a fast tempo as he rushed toward the finish line. His words made her clench around his cock. "I think you like the sounds of that." The huskiness to his voice gave her goose bumps.
"Almost there." She rocked her hips against him. A few thrusts later she burst, her body arching as her climax washed over her. George finished, burying himself to the hilt when he came with a growl.
He pulled her onto his laps and held her. Then the train slowed to a stop. "I guess we'd better get ourselves in order."
She reached for her purse. "I have tissues in here." She handed him one and used another to wipe herself up. "I need my panties back."
He gave her a devilish grin too reminiscent of Fred. "Do you? I rather like the thought of you going without."
"George!"
His grin widened. "We'll be back to my place within fifteen minutes. You can go that long without your knickers, can't you? I'll keep them safe for you." He patted his pocket where the lump of her panties rested. His gaze heated all over again. "Can you feel my cum inside you? It's hot filling you up." He kissed the side of her jaw.
Voices filled the hallway as the other riders left their compartments.
She let out a strangled squeak. "We need to get going."
He zipped himself up and smoothed her dress down. "There. Right as rain."
She groaned against his shoulder. "Fine. But later I want to know more about this cum fetish you seem to have."
He nuzzled her neck. "Let me fulfill it again next time and I'll fuck you while I wear any suit you want."
"Deal," she gasped out.
When she strolled onto the platform she didn't put another thought to Clara or Emily or whether they'd be eating Fred alive or plotting to steal George away. Those were problems for another day. The high from her climax didn't let her give more than a passing worry that the wind of the storm would blow her dress up and flash whoever might be looking her way. Instead she cuddled against George's side as she considered which suit she'd like him to wear.
Preferably one with the jacket off so she could admire the way he looked in the waistcoat.