Part 13 - Ham Bone
"I'm sorry."
Izzy can tell with fair certainty that Nero Roman has very little experience in apologizing to anyone. A spoiled little rich boy like him... well, she wouldn't put it past the tall brunette to have never had to apologize even once in his entire over-privileged life.
That fact makes his meager effort all the more touching. Sure, Izzy told the boy that if he wanted to remain her friend he would need to apologize for his priggish behavior once he sobered up, but she didn't entirely expect him to actually do so. She thought Nero Roman was far too proud.
But here he is, all sad, downcast blue eyes and slumped shoulders and hanging head, really looking ashamed and regretful. The girl smiles a brilliant smile; there might be some hope for this Slytherin after all.
"Apology accepted," Izzy answers sweetly, gracing Nero with her lovely grin as they walk side-by-side into the Great Hall. She knows it's taking a lot for him to ask forgiveness, to willingly be seen talking to a muggle-born Gryffindor by the entire school, and she thinks that it shows wonderful growth in the usually snobbish and self-centered young man.
He nervously rubs the back of his neck, smirking slightly as he asks, "Just like that? Really? I expected to be jumping through a few more hoops."
Izzy knows that he's truly sorry, that no amount of hoop jumping will heal her nightmares; they're not really his fault anyways so why should he be punished? With a laugh like rainwater, the girl jokes seriously, "Well, I suppose if you want a hoop, I can think of one." After Nero gives an apprehensive nod of submission, she announces, "Ask Trinh Tien to Hogsmeade."
He pulls a face, trying not to sneer as he questions, "The Hufflepuff with the green hair? Why?"
"I told you," Izzy answers, taking a seat at the front end of the Gryffindor table, barely batting an eye when Nero takes a seat across from her, "You need to date some smart girls, and Trinh happens to be one of the smartest ones I know... besides, she's less likely to be scared off by your... aggressive dating strategies since she seems to have quite a few of her own."
Nero gives a slightly uncomfortable laugh, joking, "I like her already... but, seriously, I don't even know her. I'm just supposed to go up and ask out of the blue?"
With a laugh of her own, Izzy grabs some dry toast to eat as she teases, "You requested a hoop. It's not meant to be easy, but if you think you can't handle it..."
The young man's gaze narrows at the challenge, chest swelling as he get right up and stalks over to the Hufflepuff table. Izzy watches with mild amusement and fascination as he takes a seat next to Trinh and begins flirting shamelessly, as her bright friend flirts right back. She smiles; she knew they'd be perfect for each other.
Two flashes of red in the corner of her eyes grab her attention away from the couple. Izzy glances quickly to both sides of herself and grins fondly at the identical freckled faces of Fred and George Weasley.
"Morning!" They chirp together, smiles broad and brilliant, chaotic ginger hair falling into crinkled, clear blue eyes.
"Good morning, boys," Izzy laughs warmly, directing her smile to each in turn, "You're looking rather chipper today. Off to cause more trouble, I'll bet?"
The first-year twins match each other with perfectly acted looks of mock scandal. "Who, us?" The one on the right gasps, leaving his brother on the left to echo, "Never!"
The girl laughs lightly, munching on a corner of dry toast. "Of course not," She teases, "Don't know why I would've ever thought such a thing. So what's the real plan for today then? Charity and good works? Public service? Handing out puppies to the underprivileged, perhaps?"
"Well, you know us," The one on the left answers happily, "We're all about the children."
"Indubitably," The one on the right continues importantly, "We want to help the children... because they are our future."
"Mhmm," Izzy hums thoughtfully, smirking at both boys, "And this plan to 'help the children,' it wouldn't happen to include some sort of explosive device, would it?"
The twins gape, blurting out a shocked chorus of, "How'd you know?"
"Dirt under your fingernails," The petite seventh year answers, abandoning her half-finished slice of toast in favor of picking up a thick Potions manual, "Which means you've been sneaking around in the greenhouses again, which means you've been stealing sacks of fertilizer again, which means you've been in need of ammonium nitrate again, which means you've been building some sort of explosive device... again."
Both boys blush hotly but don't look even the least bit guilty. In fact, they're grinning and gazing up at Izzy with expressions of pure adoration. "So... will you look over our calculations?" The twin to the right inquires, his brother producing a stack of crinkled parchment scraps and holding them out with a pleading smile.
"Depends," Izzy counters, taking the proffered papers and flipping through them idly, "Is this going to physically or emotionally scar anyone or get either of you expelled from school?"
The boys emphatically shake their heads.
"I don't see the harm then," She beams, folding down the creased pieces of parchment and filing them neatly into her satchel, "I'll have some time to give them a going over this afternoon and you can come meet with me in the library before dinner to discuss my findings. Is that suitable, gentlemen?"
"Perfectly," Both twins chime, smiles bright with barely contained excitement as they bounce up from their seats, "Thanks, Iz!!" They run away cackling, whispering furiously and making everyone present incredibly nervous.
Shaking her head and laughing, Izzy gets up from the table. She slings her overstuffed book bag over her bony shoulder, hefts a stack of thick texts into her slim arms, and walks towards the door. She has quite a lot of work to do today and needs to get started on it as soon as possible. With only a half hour before her first class, she doesn't have much time.
But she stops briefly just inside the Great Hall, catching sight of Charlie Weasley from across the Gryffindor table. The stocky redheaded seeker is obviously anxious, poking at his breakfast with disinterest as he mutters a list of dates and ingredients and spells to himself. He has a round of exams today which will decide whether or not he is allowed to stay on the quidditch team, as well as if he is allowed to graduate at the end of the year.
Sensing that he's being watched, the young man picks his head up and his eyes fall on Izzy's slight body. He blushes, all nerves, and offers a shy, uncertain grin.
Izzy returns a look that has Charlie relaxed and more nervous all at once, the dazzling, gorgeous smile shining right through her amber eyes and right onto him. "Good luck," She mouths, rearranging her armful of books to give him a delicate little wave as she continues out of the Hall.
xxXxx
"EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS!" Charlie Weasley shouts at the top of his lungs as he comes running out of Professor McGonogall's office. He's still in his quidditch kit, sweaty and muddy, and he scares the daylights out of a group of third year Ravenclaws when he buzzes by them and shrieks disbelievingly, "EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS!!!"
"I take it that means your exams went well?" Lark Nolan, the Gryffindor team's keeper laughs as she bounds up beside her captain. Unlike Charlie, the tall girl went up to the Tower and showered after practice, her pale face freshly washed and her long black hair hanging in a slightly damp curtain down her slim back.
"EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS!!!" Charlie squeals again, barely able to contain his broad grin and completely unable to control the volume of his voice as he continues to gallop along down the hallway at full speed, "I-I can't believe it!! I passed!! I passed everything!! I exceeded expectations in every class but Potions!! And even then, I was acceptable!! ACCEPTABLE!! I did work that Snape thought was ACCEPTABLE!!"
"Congrats, Captain," Lark chirps happily, clapping him on the shoulder, "We all knew you had it in you, and now you can focus on leading us to victory over the Slytherins in a week."
"I-I-..." The young man stutters, still in shock, still running even though his destination has yet to make its transfer into the conscious portion of his mind, "I have to tell Izzy!! I have to thank her!!"
They arrive at the Great Hall. It's packed but it only takes a moment for Charlie to realize that his tutor is not present. His joyous mood comes down to earth a bit.
"Library," Lark informs him, rolling her bottle blue eyes, "Working through dinner again, the little sneak. She never used to pull this shite when Myron was here. I've got half a mind to tattle on her..." The girl trails off, glancing over at Charlie's expression of sullen disappointment. A light bulb clicks on in her admittedly dim skull. A knowing smile comes across her face.
She gives the stocky redhead at her side another encouraging clap on the shoulder, stating, "Why don't you bring her some dinner, mate? A girl's got to eat." He hurt Izzy once, but... afterwards, everyone noticed how much he changed, how much effort he put into being a different person. He obviously learned his lesson. All of Izzy's friends are very protective of her, but they've given the seeker a little credit and Lark doesn't see the harm in cutting him some slack. He is trying so hard, after all.
Nodding dumbly, Charlie agrees, "Ya... ya, I will... thanks."
"Not a problem," The tall, willowy keeper sings out as she looks over the assorted dishes of food, "She likes turkey with cranberries and all the fixings and... the cheesecake looks good."
"Nuh uh," Tonks butts in, hair dark purple and face solemn as she leans backwards into the aisle. "Got peppermint in it," She proclaims, nearly spewing her mouthful of turkey onto Charlie's shoes.
"Oh," Lark gasps gravely, very aware that she almost just made a dire mistake, "Oh. Well, then definitely not the cheesecake..."
"She doesn't like peppermint?" Charlie questions blankly.
Shaking her head, Lark states, "Hates the stuff. Can't stand it. I've seen her get ill just smelling it on other people's breath... take the chocolate pudding. That's a safe bet."
Filing away the useful bit of Izzy-trivia, Charlie eagerly states, "Ok." Very quickly, he leans over the table with a plate and piles it high with turkey and cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and rolls, and a cup of chocolate pudding on the side. With a mute nods of thanks to both Lark and Tonks, the boy turns and trots out in the direction of the library.
He finds her in the secluded back corner he's learned that she's partial to. She's changed her hair since he saw her that morning, pulled the wild amber curls into a neat braid to keep them away from her eyes. Her tie is loose around her graceful neck. She's bent low over a pile of parchments, speaking quietly with both Fred and George. She has a smile on her pretty face, laughter and mischief and pride purely evident.
For a few seconds, Charlie can't breathe.
He's in a trance, hypnotized by her. And she's glowing again, that impenetrable, ethereal glow that reminds him she's... too good. Too good for him.
He shakes himself and walks forward with the plate of food.
"Hey," The young man calls softly, smiling as he stands awkwardly beside the table, "You three aren't planning anything I should know about, are you?"
Izzy smiles up at him, takes his breath away as she wrinkles her lightly freckled nose and giggles, "Just a bit of fun and educational hypothetical theorizing between likeminded individuals... how did your exams go?"
Grinning merrily, he puffs out his chest and answers, "I exceed expectations."
"Oh, Charlie!" The girl beams happily, "That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"
The boy blushes hotly, more thrilled that the girl is proud than that he's not getting kicked out of school. "I, um," He goes on, clearing his throat uncomfortably as he offers out the plate of food, "I brought you some dinner."
Before she has a chance to answer, tall, burly Cale Eyret comes walking around a corner and into view, shaggy blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of his neck. His expression instantly darkens when he sees Charlie, the Slytherin's hot gaze jumping to the plate of food the Gryffindor is holding and then back to the one in his own hands.
"Hey, Bel," Cale greets suspiciously, standing beside Charlie and trying to stare him down, "Brought you some dinner."
"Oh," Izzy states awkwardly, glancing between the tall blonde and the stocky redhead, both carrying plates of food and looking at each other like wild dogs about to fight to the death over a ham bone, "Well, thank you. Thank you both, but I'm, um, I'm really not hungry."
"We are!!" The twin to Izzy's right, George, she'd discovered, pipes up, leaning across the table to snatch the high-piled plate out of Cale's hands. Fred does the same, taking Charlie's plate and adding, "We'll eat! Thanks, mates! Right thoughtful of you!"
The older boys are stunned for a few moments, speechless and at a loss for what to do as they watch the twins dig in with gusto. After a moment, they simply go back to glaring at each other out of narrowed eyes.
"If you don't mind," Fred announces around a bulging mouthful of turkey, "My twin and I are in the process of conducting some very important business with the lovely lady here-"
"-and we'd appreciate some privacy," George cuts in, shooing the two teenagers away with a dismissive, rather smug wave of his dinner roll, "Top secrety type stuff, this is."
Charlie makes a mental note to pummel both his little brothers later. "But I thought we were supposed to study," He pouts to Izzy, very aware of Cale's hands turning to fists at his sides.
Smiling up at him, Izzy coos, "You've earned a night or two off. We don't have very much homework and it's nothing that can't wait until Sunday."
"I think I might be a bad influence on you, Bel," Cale teases halfheartedly, glaring at Charlie.
The girl returns a look of playful annoyance, scolding, "Oh, hush. You act like all I do is study when you know very well that isn't true."
The blonde gives her a wry smile, still eyeing Charlie as he asks, "Yes, dear. What time am I meeting you tomorrow?"
Blushing, Izzy suddenly becomes very interested in the scraps of parchment on the table as she quietly answers, "Ten o'clock on the front steps will be fine."
"Excellent," Cale beams, sending an extremely haughty smirk at Charlie as he turns to leave, "Can't wait!"
Once he's gone, it only takes a few moments of the twins giving him identical "you're not wanted here" looks for Charlie to begin to squirm. "Well, um," He states, resisting the urge to ask why Izzy was meeting Cale, why she looked so nervous and embarrassed about it, "I'll just... be going then. See you Sunday night?"
"Of course," The girl answers, smiling softly, "See you then. And congratulations again, Charlie. Really. You should be very proud of the progress you've made. I know I am."
His face, neck, ears, hell, his entire upper body flushes to a flaming red. For a few moments, he stutters dumbly, searching for a response as the twins snicker and make kissy faces at him behind Izzy's back. Eventually he settles for a curt grunt of, "Thanks." The young man then turns and flees for all he's worth, so bloody embarrassed he can barely see straight and doesn't notice the bookshelf until after he's barreled right into it.
It wobbles and tilts in slow motion, Charlie's thick arms flying out helplessly in an attempt to keep the heavy stack upright. Not really thinking, he yanks it backwards towards himself, hard, eyes going wide as he realizes too late that doing so was not exactly a good idea.
The last thing he sees before everything goes black is a waterfall of thick, dusty books coming straight for his head.
xxXxx
"CHARLIE!!" Izzy shouts, coughing on the plumes of dust as she and the twins work together to levitate the bookshelf off of the hapless seeker beneath it. "CHARLIE!!" She cries, forgetting to keep her voice down as she goes diving into the pile of books and begins tossing them aside as carefully as she can, "CHARLIE!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
A pained groan cuts through the room just seconds before Izzy plucks a huge text ironically entitled Practical Applications of Anti-Gravity Charms off of a pale, freckled face. She sighs with relief.
"Charlie," The girl says again, shoving more books off of his burly body before tenderly prying open one of his eyelids, "Charlie, are you alright? Can you breathe? Is anything broken?"
He doesn't answer, blinking dizzily in the harsh light and struggling to shove himself up into a sitting position. Pressing insistently on his shoulder, Izzy commands, "Lie still." She turns to Fred and George, standing over her wearing identical expressions of puzzlement and concern. "Would one of you fetch the nurse, please?" Izzy requests sweetly.
"Sure," Fred chirps, very eager to be helpful, turning on his heel and sprinting away. George fidgets, leaning over Charlie's prone form to ask, "Is he dead?"
Rolling her eyes, Izzy responds, "He most certainly is not dead, George Weasley. Don't be ridiculous. Pulling a bookshelf over onto one's head isn't healthy, but I'm sure it's non-fatal in the vast majority of cases. Help me move some more of these books. And be careful not to damage them anymore than they already have been."
Together the pair manage to excavate Charlie, who is obviously barely conscious and quite delirious. When Izzy carefully brushes her fingertips along the large welt in the middle of his forehead, the boy smiles adoringly up at her. "You're really pretty," He confesses, a huge grin splitting his rough, freckled features.
Izzy blushes red hot, uncomfortably scolding, "And you've just been whacked in the head, you oaf. Not exactly a reliable source at the moment, are you?"
Charlie pouts, his glassy blue eyes drifting shut as he claims, "Just 'cuz I got whacked... doesn't mean you aren't pretty... The two have... nothing to do... with each... other..."
He's fading and, instead of letting him, Izzy begins firmly slapping him about. "Don't go to sleep, Charlie!" She admonishes loudly, "You know better than that! Come on, open your eyes!"
"Huh?" He grunts, gaze bleary and unfocused even as he manages to cooperate with the order, "Whuzzit?"
"I said that you can't go to sleep," The girl answers brightly, grabbing her red and gold striped Gryffindor scarf off the back of a chair and bunching it up to slide beneath Charlie's head as a pillow. "You wouldn't let me sleep when I got whacked," She chirps, once again examining the knot on his forehead, "I'm returning the favor."
"Oh," Charlie says dumbly, relaxing under her touch, still grinning as he stares up at her, "Ok. Anything you want, pretty lady."
Izzy gives the tip of his freckled nose a sharp flick. Charlie yelps shrilly.
xxXxx
"My head hurts," Charlie whines, pouting at Izzy in a highly immature manner from his hospital cot the next morning.
The girl raises one thin eyebrow, desperately trying not to laugh as she answers, "Well, you just think about that pain next time you want to pull a bookcase down on top of it. Hopefully, the possibility of more will dissuade you from repeating such an inadvisable action."
Blushing, Charlie responds cheekily, "Wasn't my fault. The bloody thing jumped out at me. This just proves that libraries are dangerous places and should be avoided at all costs."
Izzy snorts, taking a few steps closer as she states, "Too bad for you then, since you'll be heading over there as soon as you're released to begin mending all the books you broke."
"What?" The redhead moans, flopping about in a mock temper tantrum, "But I don't wanna! This is so unfair! You're the meanest mother ever!"
"Oh, hush," Izzy scolds, losing control for a moment and letting a bright giggle bubble up out of her throat. Charlie grins proudly. Making Izzy laugh has turned into one of his absolute favorite hobbies.
Izzy takes another step closer, looking slightly nervous. "Are you really ok, though?" She asks seriously, eyeing the tender lump on Charlie's freckled forehead.
"I'm fine," He's quick to assure, giving the girl a warm, cocky smile as his blue eyes trail over her pretty face, "Don't worry. I've been hit way worse plenty of times."
"That's comforting," Izzy mutters, rolling her eyes and slowly lowering herself down onto the edge of his bed. Grinning, the redhead sprawled out in it claims, "It should be. Proves I'm practically indestructible."
"Hmm," Izzy answers with a small smile, "You know, if that weren't so ridiculous, I might actually believe it."
"What's not to believe?" He answers happily, "I've got a phenomenally hard head!"
"Well, I believe that much at least," Izzy teases as the both of them break down into hysterical giggles.
xxXxx
She's late.
Cale checks his watch yet again and scowls. Izzy is over twenty minutes late meeting him and he's getting nervous. What if she changed her mind? Was she standing him up? Had it all been just one great big joke?
No way.
Cale would not believe that and he most definitely would not let Izzy back out of their date now. She'd promised, after all, and she really needed to just get over her irrational fear of normal social interaction.
Cale stands up from the front steps, brushing off the seat of his nicest trousers before stomping off to search for his girl.
He finds her in the hospital wing, even though he didn't want to. He had a suspicion that's where she'd be and can't decide if finding her there is worse than if she just would've stood him up. He doesn't like that he's second to Charlie Weasley on the girl's list of people she wants to talk to that morning.
Cale stands in the doorway, silently seething as he watches them laugh, as he watches Charlie make Izzy laugh so brightly, as he watches her sit so close to the Gryffindor on the bed, as he watches her hand almost brush against the redhead's by complete accident on her part. That sort of thing never happens with anyone else, not even Myron!
"Hey, Bel," He calls into the room, making Izzy jump. Offering a highly forced smile, Cale asks, "Forgetting something?"
"Oh!" The petite brunette gasps, hand flying up out of the blanket and, thankfully, away from Charlie's to cover her perfect pink mouth. "Oh, Cale," She coos regretfully as she gets to her feet and smoothes out the dark blue jeans she's wearing over her lean legs, as well as the heavy, black wool coat that bulks up the rest of her tiny body, "I'm so sorry! I just wanted to check on Charlie before we left and I must have lost track of time."
Glaring at the stocky young man lounging quite smugly in the bed--the thick, freckled arms tucked behind his head of ridiculous red hair, the mocking smile on his freckled face out of place beneath such a large and ugly welt--Cale answers, "It's alright. Are you ready to go now? We missed the carriages so I guess we're walking."
"Hogsmeade, huh?" Charlie inquires, looking vaguely crestfallen when he realizes that the two are going together.
Izzy nods, sheepishly announcing, "Yes. Cale asked me and, well, since Myron is too busy..."
Cale's brown eyes darken and he feels slighted. He thought she wanted to go with him, but it turns out that he's just a bloody plan B.
But Izzy faces him and he smiles once again as she says, "I'm sorry about making us miss the coaches, but the twins told me about a shortcut we can use instead of walking the long way."
"Ok," The tall Slytherin grudgingly agrees, rather unhappy about taking directions off those two hooligans. He's already given them three detentions a piece for various infractions and he doesn't trust either one. "Let's go then," He says, struggling to keep his tone even.
Izzy spares on more smile on the boy in the bed, stating, "Of course. I hope you feel better, Charlie. And, remember, straight to the library as soon as you're released.""Yes, ma'am," The teen answers, saluting dutifully as a wide grin splits his handsome features, "Soon as I'm released... though, I must warn you, I'm still feeling a bit woozy. I might be in her for days... weeks, even.
He laughs and Izzy purses her lips in lighthearted mock annoyance. "Oh, hush up, you big baby," She scolds, reaching out to give the tip of his nose a dainty but sharp flick.
"OUCH!!" He squeals, hands flying up to cover his face as he whines, "Bloody hell, woman! That hurt!"
"Ready, Cale?" Izzy asks sweetly as she turns around, completely ignoring Charlie's theatrical moans and whimpers. Cale takes a moment to close his gaping mouth, to choke down the rising lump of jealousy in his throat before responding, "Ya... ya, I'm ready."
"Have fun, kiddies!" Charlie yells. The tall blonde turns for a moment to glare venomously before following Izzy out the door.
xxXxx
"Free sample?" The a shop girl in Honeyduke's offers brightly, hardly seeming fazed by the fact that Cale is embroiled in a moment of deep brooding. He snatches a confection off the tray and pops it into his mouth without a glance, barely tasting the peppermint sting on his tongue as he glares across the small shop and where his date is talking animatedly with Nero Roman and Trinh Tien.
She's been doing the same thing pretty much all afternoon, paying attention to everyone but him. He's sick of it! Izzy can't have finally agreed to go out with him just to ignore him! She can't just play with his feelings like this!
He watches as Nero and Trinh, who, against all odds, seem to be completely taken with one another, wave goodbye and walk out of the store. Thinking it's about damn time, Cale saunters over to his date.
Before he can get to her, suggest maybe the go somewhere where there won't be so many damn interruptions, Izzy starts chatting with the clerk behind the counter, a tall, pretty blonde woman with her hair clipped up into an unusual series of twists. "Shame he couldn't be here," She chirps, leaning against the register and sighing theatrically, "I like that brother of yours. He's damn foxy." Her brash American accent is out of place and just a little jarring.
"Myron's not my brother," Izzy corrects gently, sucking on a chocolate candy and pursing her perfect little lips as she turns the confection over in her mouth, "Not really. He only acts like it. I met him on the train and he just sort of adopted me."
Another spike of jealous courses through Cale's body as Izzy talks about their friend, as she continues to ignore him in favor of others.
"That's so cute," The clerk coos, going all starry eyed at the story. Freaking Myron. Girls always think he's cute. He could have anyone he wants and he's got to keep Izzy all to himself, even when he's several continents away.
"I'll tell him you said hello," The petite brunette says with a laugh, "Let him know he's got to get down here and treat you to dinner for all this chocolate you've been giving me... stop that, by the way. I'm going to get horribly fat."
Cale and the clerk snort in unison. "Skinny little thing like you could use a bit of meat on your bones," The young woman behind the counter argues, "It's a wonder you don't blow off on windy days." She turns to grin at him, winking as she asks, "Right, man?"
"Right," The teen agrees, offering out his hand and greeting, "I'm Cale."
"Sue Green," She chirps, grinning as she gives your arm a firm pump, "I remember Izzy mentioning you once or twice. How's it going? You want a piece of chocolate?"
"I'm fine," Cale replies gruffly, shooting his date a significant glance and trying hard to communicate that he wants to leave.
She doesn't seem to get it. She goes back to chatting with Sue, asking her about her unusual hairstyle.
Cale wanders away to sulk near the free peppermints.
xxXxx
Charlie doesn't really mind cleaning up his own messes. He would have gladly come to the library and straightened up the books, even if it hadn't meant making Izzy happy. He only made a fuss about it for her, to be able to tease the girl and watch as her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed and her cheeks flushed prettily. It was a sight to which he was rapidly becoming addicted.
However, futile crushes aside, the only problem the stocky seeker can find with his task of repairing and reshelving an entire stack of books is that Madame Pince is hovering and glaring, sort of irate at him for disturbing the quiet and order of her library.
With the back of his freckled neck itching rather violently under the weight of her stare, Charlie tries to ignore the old woman, tries to stay focused on his task. The muscle end of picking up the jumbled pile is no problem, he thinks with a proud quirk of his lips. Charlie is a fit bloke, after all. Unfortunately, he is having a bit of an issue with alphabetizing. Damn dyslexia. Putting everything right is going to take all day.
He's thinking of Izzy--as he is most of the time these days--when he finds it beneath a thick leather-bound tome whose title he doesn't bother reading. The flash of red and gold draws his eyes and he soon finds himself with a handful of soft, faded cotton: a scarf.
And he knows that it's her scarf, has a vague memory of her sliding it beneath his head while he was half passed out on the ground the afternoon before. He remembers the feel of her fingertips dragging lightly across the surface of his skin. Charlie smiles, grasping the length of material that was so recently wrapped around the girl's lovely neck.
His mind is made up in just a second.
"Madame Pince," The stocky teen calls, voice as quiet and miserable as he can manage. He stands, shoving the scarf into a back pocket and holding his forehead.
The librarian fixes him with a dark look.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Charlie moans pitifully, swaying a bit on his feet, "But I just don't think I can do anymore today. My head is starting to hurt again and I really need to lie down."
He doesn't think the woman particularly believes him, her lips drawing into a tight, colorless line in her wrinkled face, but she still snaps, "Fine. I expect you back to finish early tomorrow."
"Of course," He replies, turning and limping away towards the exit, "Thank you."
Once outside, he believes he's in the clear, grinning and making his way to find Fred and George. He remembers what Izzy said that morning about the pair of them showing her a shortcut to Hogsmeade and he needs them to show him as well. It's sort of a long walk and he wants to find the girl as soon as possible. Not getting caught skipping out of his punishment would be a plus as well.
Besides, Izzy must be cold without her scarf. And it's due to start snowing soon.
The twins are lounging on the front steps of the castle, identical ginger heads bent over that strange scrap of insulting parchment they've been carrying everywhere with them lately. The pair of first years are, once again, poking at it with their wands, giggling and whispering incantations. It sort of sounds like... like they're trying to get it to do something beside make crude remarks...
"Hey," Charlie calls, plopping down between the boys and giving their hair a fond tousle, "Mind showing me that shortcut to Hogsmeade?"
They fix him with matching skeptical glances. "Why?" The one on his left questions, "You don't need to sneak out."
"I sort of do," Charlie replies, "I'm supposed to be cleaning up the library. Besides, I want to get there quick so I can give Izzy her scarf. She left it the other day."
They grin impishly. "Don't you think she's a bit out of your league?" The twin on the right teases, "I mean, I don't blame you for fancying her but she's a ten and you're closer to about a five-and-a-half."
"Shut it," Charlie growls in response, thumping the boy hard on the shoulder.
The other one speaks up, adding, "Not our fault you decided to crush on the Untouchable."
"The what?" Charlie asks, frowning in confusion because he's never heard anyone else refer to Izzy by that name.
"The Untouchable," The first twin answers, scowling and rubbing his sore shoulder, "That's what some people call her. 'Coz she can't stand to be touched, you know? Lots of blokes make passes at her-"
"Including Gred," The other twin interrupts with a laugh.
"Oi," Gred goes on with a self-important humph, "Can't blame a man for trying. And at least I wasn't as bad as Percy, not to mention that idiot Slytherin she's always hanging around. He's completely pathetic."
"Can't be that pathetic seeing as how Izzy's on a date with him right now," His brother argues, sighing sadly, "What is the world coming to when a pretty Gryffindor like her stoops to the level of dating one of those snakes?"
"They're just friends," Charlie growls, fists tightening at the very thought. Damn that Cale.
The twins shrug, the one on the left stating, "Well, no offense but he's still probably got more of a chance than you. He's never almost killed her."
His face growing pale as a knot of guilt twists up into his stomach, Charlie quietly asks, "Who told you about that?"
"Everyone," The twin on the right answers, "It's been big gossip ever since Izzy started tutoring you, especially the fact that you used to hate her and are now so ridiculously smitten."
"Ya, what's up with that?" The other twin chirps, smirking maliciously, "Do you fall hopelessly in love with all the girls you try to kill?"
"I didn't try to kill her!" The stocky redhead vehemently defends, cheeks growing hot and his resolve weakening, "It was an accident! A mistake!"
"Relax," They laugh in unison, the one of the right finishing, "We know you didn't really try to kill anyone... you're just not very bright, is all. It can hardly be helped."
Glaring, Charlie snaps, "Gee, thanks." He's starting to rethink this now. He is sort of an idiot; he doesn't get good grades and everyone--except for Izzy--says so, often straight to his face. It's not like he would have a chance with such a smart, pretty girl, even if she wasn't untouchable, so why bother? He's probably just going make an arse of himself yet again...
"Don't get all discouraged," The twin on the left states, giving him a comforting yet painfully condescending pat on the shoulder, "We're just taking the piss. If you really want her, we'll help you get her."
"Ya," The other one agrees, preening rather importantly, "Because you're our brother. And because we're awesome like that."
Charlie has a sudden and very strong desire to run away screaming but, against his own better judgment... he's also sort of intrigued. The twins are well known for ingenuity and creativity and, he thinks, if anyone can help him catch Izzy's eye, it's the two of them.
Still, he has his misgivings. "What's in it for you?" The teen challenges, openly skeptical because they're not really the type to offer their services pro bono.
They grin, evilly and in unison. "Not much," Gred says with a flippant shrug, "Just a copy of your rounds schedule-"
"-and a promise that we'll be invisible when we pass you on them," The other one--Feorge, Charlie supposes--adds mysteriously.
He frowns at the pair, not entirely prepared to become party to their mischief, but also sorely tempted by any help they might give. "What are you going to do?" He asks, narrowing his blue eyes and trying to stare down both at once. The task is not an easy one.
"You've already done most of the work for us," Gred replies with rather conspiratorial grin and whisper, "Izzy fancies you."
Barely even noticing that the twin answered a different question that the one he was asking, a bright, boyish smile breaks out on Charlie's face. "Really?" He presses hopefully.
"No," Feorge giggles, effectively bursting his brother's fragile bubble.
Charlie socks him hard in the arm, scowling darkly.
"Such a bloody woman," The boy laughs, wincing a bit as he rubs the forming bruise, "And Izzy is sort of fond of you... like an ugly puppy she rescued from the shelter and taught to fetch her slippers. There's some potential."
"You are really asking for it," Charlie growls menacingly, quite fed up and ready to scrap this entire scheme. He should have gone with his first instinct, the one that said that he should under no circumstances trust the twins and that Izzy is far out of his league. "Just..." He sighs defeatedly, "Just forget it. Forget the whole thing. She beautiful and smart and perfect and I don't stand a chance."
"Take it easy," Gred orders, sensing their Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card slipping away with each passing moment of Charlie's misery and angst, "We were screwing around. She does like you. And we can help. Just say the word." At his older brother's look of longing and indecision, the boy holds out the scrap of parchment, stating, "Ask Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. Let them settle it."
"Ya!" Feorge pipes up, nodding enthusiastically, "They give advice and haven't steered us wrong yet."
Glaring, Charlie snaps, "You want me to ask a piece of enchanted parchment for dating advice?"
"What've you got to lose?" Gred beams.
"My dignity," His brother growls.
"Can't lose what you never had," The other twin snickers, shoving the parchment into Charlie's hands, "Just ask."
Glaring, he sighs heavily and unfurls the blank scrap open in his wide lap. "Should I go after Izzy?" The seeker questions, even though he feels foolish for doing so, "Do I have a chance at all with her?"
The three brothers wait on edge for the answer to appear and are not disappointed:
Mr. Moony believes that Mr. C. Weasley would do better to leave chance up to card games. Futile or not, love is always worth chasing.
Mr. Prongs is of the opinion that Mr. C. Weasley should spend less time moping and more time wooing. He thinks that Mr. C. Weasley should under no circumstances take no for an answer. Persistence is key when pursuing reluctant women.
Mr. Padfoot heartily concurs with Mr.s Moony and Prongs and would like to take this opportunity to make several crude remarks questioning Mr. C. Weasley's manhood. He strongly advises Mr. C. Weasley to grow a pair and go get the girl already.
"Well," Gred chirps resolutely, a mocking and victorious smile splitting his freckled face, "There you have it."
Charlie pauses briefly to think of a counterargument, doesn't, and then states, "Alright... what's the plan?"
xxXxx
She's trying. She really is. It's not like she wants this date to go down in flames. It's not like she wants to be so terrified all the time. It's not like she wants to be such a broken little freak.
But that's her life. That's what her life has been like since she was two-years-old. And there's nothing she can do about it.
"Cale," Izzy calls nervously, walking a few paces behind the tall blonde as he leads them through the snowy woods, "Where are we going? Is this really safe? Maybe we should go back before we get lost..."
He smiles flatly over his shoulder, breaking the terse silence that's stretched on between them because he's annoyed and she knows it, doesn't want to feel so bad about it being her fault but does anyways.
"It's not too much further," Cale replies, turning back around, "Don't worry about get lost. I know where we're going."
Izzy fidgets nervously, shivering and wondering where on earth she left her scarf. It would be so nice to have at that very moment... but she's got more important things to worry about, like trying to figure out Cale's intentions and whether or not she wants anything to do with them. She... likes him. He's her friend, has been for years, but, recently... Izzy's found herself rather reluctant to trust him.
Because he touched her without permission, while she was unconscious and unable to stop the boy from doing so. The very thought makes her sick to her stomach, makes her feel violated and unclean. And she doesn't know if she's ever going to be able to get past that.
"Come on," The boy calls, stopped up ahead and beckoning her to join, "I want to show you."
After a few tentative steps, Izzy is beside him, hugging herself against the cold and looking down over the edge of a small cliff. She gasps quietly as she catches sight of what's at the shaded base: a congregation of sparkling fairies dancing around a large circle of toadstools.
"It's a fairy ring," Cale whispers, voice deep and sincere, "I found it the other day when I was helping Hagrid run a detention... I thought you'd like to see it."
"It's beautiful," Izzy replies softly, unable to look away from the perfect twirling bodies, all the colors. Vaguely, she thinks she can hear a sweet melody drifting up from the glittering ring.
"I-" Cale begins, nervous clearing his throat, "I thought that..."
Izzy looks away from the fairies, into her friend's intensely focused brown eyes.
"I'm glad you like it," The boy finally mutters, frost-pink cheeks growing even pinker, "And... I'm glad you came with me today. I like spending time with you."
Giving a small, embarrassed smile, Izzy replies, "I like spending time with you, too, Cale." Her gaze drops because her face is getting hot. She's confused, conflicted. She doesn't know what to do.
Slowly, the girl manages to force herself to look up again, just in time to witness Cale's face leaning in towards her own. Their lips touch, just barely. It's sweet and gentle.
Every inch of Izzy's small body tenses into high-alert mode, fight or flight reflexes she never entirely turns off kicking into action.
Because he's touching her.
Because his breath smells--oh, God, tastes--like peppermint.
Like... "My pretty little Isabel..."
It's a split second and it's uncontrollable, her hands shooting out to plant roughly against Cale's firm chest, her arms shoving him as hard as she can away with a strangled scream.
But he's big. He's solid and she's a skinny little waif. She shoves so hard and he doesn't move but she does, loses her balance and trips backwards.
Cale takes a moment too long to realize what's happening. His fingertips just barely miss Izzy's grasping hands as she free falls over the edge of the cliff.
This feeling of sickening helplessness and certain death, the girl realizes as she plummets towards the ground, is why she hates flying.
The whole world vanishes in a flash of white hot color and a quiet melody.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sorry the update took so long. School was a bitch but I'm on vaca now and am working diligently on writing and posting more chapters of (hopefully) all my stories. Anyways, in the meantime I would love reviews like I love candy and booze. And I do love my candy and booze.
