Chapter 02: Girls Day
Kellie came bouncing down the stairs, Ginny in toe, as they came into the kitchen a couple days later after Kellie's arrival. "What makes you so fancy?" George asked, "Got a date?"
"Yes." Kellie said triumphantly, causing a pit to fall in George's stomach and Fred looked almost devastated that she would say it with such a smile. "Ginny and I haven't had our girls day yet." George let out a breath he had been holding, and the two twins looked at each other quickly, thinking the same thing. "Once Hermione arrives, we'll be going out again."
"Good to know it's not with some git." George snorted having Fred and Ron nod agreeing.
"You haven't asked me, yet." She teased turning in time to miss George turn as scarlet as his hair, "We'll see you at dinner." She waved and pulled Ginny with her as the two left the house. "Your Mum all ready knows by the way." She called before Percy could question.
"Why are you blushing?" Ginny teased once they were down the road from the Burrow.
"What? I am not." Kellie protested, causing her cheeks to turn an even deeper crimson.
"Is it because you just told George, my brother and your best friend, to ask you out?" Ginny teased playfully.
"N-no." Kellie said, her face deeper red that a strawberry.
"You may be good at acting when it is rehearsed, but you suck at lying when you don't plan it." Ginny teased causing Kellie to push her playfully, "You know he likes you too."
"He's my best friend." Kellie protested, "And the twins are just that... twins. You can't choose one over the other."
"There's more than just twins, Kellie." Ginny giggle, delighted to know that Kellie had indeed liked George. "Fred's the one that always speaks, and even when you don't want him too, he still will. He has his manners, but George is the more behaved one, especially when you're around." Ginny pointed out, "He's more considerate, although he does get caught up sometimes with the prank-making, and he is the smarter one of the two."
"How do you know that?" Kellie asked, but she knew the same as Ginny, but just questioned to see if it was true.
"Fred got four O.W.L.'s, and George got five." Ginny explained, but Kellie had all ready expected it, "I think he tries harder so that he has the chance to be with you more." Kellie blushed once more and looked away, allowing Ginny to continue, "It must be hard..."
"Why?" Kellie asked, her mind drifting back to her conversation with Ginny.
"To fall in love with a twin." She pawed at her blouse, "Muggles wear such strange things."
"I'm sorry." Kellie smiled, "I thought it suit you."
"I like it, but it just feels so... weird." The deep blue matched her eyes, and it suited her skin very well. Kellie had picked it up for her over the summer, a gift for her to have when they went on their girl days. "The jeans are okay, I've been getting use to those."
"I like the bell bottoms, although they have been growing out of fashion lately." Kellie said as she kicked the large bell bottom pant leg out in front of them, making Ginny laugh the slightest. "Although I grew up as a Muggle... so it's not weird to me."
It fell silent as they came up to the town that the Burrow was placed only a half mile away from. "You're wrist the other day..." Ginny began, "It wasn't from the fire place, was it?"
"Of course it was." Kellie said blowing it off, "I mean, what else could it be from?"
"You ran away to the leaky cauldron. Muggle fireplaces can't use the floo network." Ginny pieced together and Kellie knew that Ginny was now going to know what Fred, George and herself had tried for years to hide. "Your uncle, right? He hurts you?"
"It's nothing to much." Kellie said licking her lips, her nerves showing, "I mean, everyone gets disciplined."
"Not where your wrist is fractored." Ginny said, hesitating the slightest, "Fred and George know, don't they?"
Kellie didn't say anything but nodded instead, "They've been wanting to just have you move in with us, but Mum and Da' say you have your uncle who needs you."
"He doesn't need me." Kellie said quickly, "He'd be better off without me."
Ginny stopped Kellie before going into a store and hugged her tightly, "We all need you in our lives, Kellie. Don't forget it." Kellie smiled down at Ginny and hugged her back. "You're like the sister I never got to have, and for five years you've been in my life, and made it so much better."
"I'm glad to know that." Kellie hummed out as Ginny let her go after one last squeeze. "Come on. I want to get some chocolate." Ginny nodded and they walked around until they found a sweets store. "Ever since Professor Lupin gave me some chocolate last year after I had an encounter with a dementor in the woods, I've been addicted."
"Professor Lupin? Dementors? Woods?" Ginny said, unfamiliar with the story.
"I went into the forbidden forest to look for a special herb that would help with a potion I was conjuring last year for- well you don't need to know what- and I came across a dementor. Of course I had read about the patronus charm, and I attempted to use it, but it was to weak, and the dementor had enclosed around me." Kellie explained like it was just another version of the Three Blind Mice. "Suddenly, a bright light came and the dementor left. Professor Lupin brought out some chocolate, and gave it to me, telling me to hurry off to my dormitory and not be caught out after hours."
"Did you know...?" Ginny asked, "That he was..."
"I had suspected him to be a vampire..." Kellie miffed, "...turns out he was a werewolf." She let out a small chuckle, "Professor Lupin has been the best I've had so far, and it's a shame that he couldn't be back this year." She sighed, "I haven't sent him a letter in about a week, I should let him know I'm okay and not at my uncles anymore."
"You've stayed in contact with him?" Ginny asked, a bit surprised.
"Yes." Kellie nodded, "He's a brilliant man, and although he's not my teacher anymore, he's helped me a lot over the summer so far." Ginny nodded understanding, "I hope all is well with him... The full moon hit the other day..." Kellie licked her lips, thinking on the night that the professor had saved her from the dementor. What if she had ran into him just a little bit later? He would have been a werewolf, and could have easily killed her. She had to be thankful to the heavens that she was still alive.
"Yeah..." Ginny said as she spotted the candy store, "There!" She spotted and grabbed Kellie's arm. The two girls rushed into the store and looked around, "It's like Honeydukes!"
"Only more chocolaty." Kellie grinned as she looked around. The two girls looked around before Kellie turned and bumped into a tall boy with dark hair that fell messily around his face. "Oh, I'm sorry." Kellie blushed, embarrassed a bit.
"It's okay." He said with a smile towards her, "It was my fault, Ms..."
"Kellie." Kellie put her hand out, "Kellie Cotton."
"Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?" He said with a warm smile that made Kellie's stomach do a back-flip. "Stevie Carter." He lowered his lips to the back of Kellie's hand, placing his lips softly on the back of her hand. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around. Are you new to town?"
"I'm just staying at a friends until school starts again this September." Kellie said with an idiotic smile on her face.
"Maybe we might be able to hang out some time." Stevie said pocketing his hands casually, "Y'know... like a-"
"And who are you?" Came Fred's voice from one side of Kellie as she was pulled by her arm away by George.
"I thought you said you weren't dating a git." George huffed, obviously displeased.
"I am not." Kellie protested, "I just met him."
"Oh, so you were going to date a git." George seethed as he looked over to Fred and Stevie talking before Fred left him and grabbed Ginny.
"C'mon, we're leaving." Fred said as Ginny looked confused as George pulled Kellie out of the store.
"You two are impeccable!" Kellie huffed, freeing herself from George as they were down the street aways away from the chocolate shop. "You couldn't let me be with Ginny for a day?"
"Yeah, I'm sure tall, dark, and gitty was Ginny." George shot, his blood boiling in the slightest. "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I was going to buy chocolate, and I bumped into him." Fred pulled Ginny into the store they were by, leaving his twin and best female friend outside to settle their row.
"I'm sure." George accused, crossing his arms, "You were going to buy chocolate for him, and share it."
"I was not." Kellie argued back, then paused, "I bet he'd be a whole lot better than you."
"What's that suppose to mean?" George shot, the slightest of hurt in his voice as the look in his eyes confirmed it.
"It means I'm sure he would actually trust me when I say I'm going to do something." Kellie said, upset with herself and with George.
"Kellie, I do trust you, it's just-"
"Just what? You don't?" She huffed, her finger tips digging into her arms as she had crossed them. Her eyes were burning with tears that weren't planned this time. "George, you've known me for five years."
"I know." George bit his bottom lip, Kellie was more than upset at him, she was mad. "Kellie... please..." She turned away from him before he could say anything else and stalked off to the store which Ginny and Fred had now occupied. She found Fred instantly and hugged him tightly, the tears she never thought would show unless it was planned, was now brimming her cheeks and down onto the white tank top she had on.
"Kellie..." Fred said but she shook her head, burying herself into him as she cried. Fred didn't need to say anything more, but to let her know that he was there for her, he was the shoulder to cry on when it was George's fault. George had entered, looking more down that ever, and Fred gave him a sympathetic look while Ginny scowled just like their mother at her brother.
A week had passed and Kellie hadn't spoken to Fred or George during that time. Hermione had arrived that day, and the three girls sat in Ginny's room on the three beds placed in there for them to stay in. Mr Weasley had gotten the tickets for all of them, and it was only mere days away from the Quidditch Cup.
Ginny helped Kellie explain to Hermione what had happened between Kellie and the twins. Hermione could only reply with, "How crude, they're your best friends, and should be able to trust you when you say something." Hermione frowned, matching the one on Ginny's face, "But they are boys."
"Is it wrong of me to stay mad at them, Hermione?" Kellie asked, unsure. Hermione wasn't a master of relationships, but Fred and George weren't her boyfriends, they were her best friends, and Hermione had two best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. She should know how to deal with the troubles of them.
"Of course not." Hermione said, "If Ron or Harry ever did something like that, I would be furious."
"But for how long? I can't avoid them forever." Kellie heaved a sad sigh, "I feel so horrible for being mad at them."
"Well the guy was pretty cute." Ginny pipped in as she remembered the boy. "...especially for a Muggle and all."
"He was?" Hermione asked, "What did he look like?"
"He was tall, maybe as tall as Bill." Bill was Ginny's oldest brother. He was tall, with long red hair, an earring, and a style that looked like he had just come from a rock concert. Hermione and Kellie had both secretly agreed that Bill was as hot as the sun, but he was way to old for either of them. "Had shaggy black hair to his shoulders, and deep brown eyes."
"Like chocolate." Kellie added, "Not that I was looking."
"What was his name?" Hermione asked, curiosity getting the better of herself.
"Stevie... Stevie Carter." Ginny said with a daze of a smile.
"Ginny, he's to old for you." Kellie shot at her. "He was like seventeen."
"He was still cute." Ginny squeaked. There came a knock on the door before Bill's voice popped through, "Mum says it's time for dinner."
"Thanks Bill." Kellie called back to him and he left, "C'mon. Tomorrow we'll have to go back into town and make sure no Weasley boys follow us."
"Agreed." Ginny and Hermione nodded as they stood up, the ginger looking cat hopped off the bed and circled their ankles as they left down the stairs.
It was mid-August, and the sky had began to darken outside. The Friday air still clung as the nine Weasleys and their two female companions all sat under the stars that began to shine in the sky as the sun was setting. Gnomes ran around like potatoes with legs, Crookshanks finding them amusing and began to chase them, never seeing such things before.
The three girls were placed on one side of the table, Bill and Charlie, the two eldest of Weasley's children, sat between them and the rest of the family. Kellie got into a deep conversation with Bill about Goblins, and how Gringotts was ran, and how it was to be one of the few wizards to be working there. Hermione and Ginny occupied themselves with small talk of their summer so far, while Charlie got into a small debate with Percy about Dragons and their habitats. Ron listened interested in his brothers debate, rooting for Charlies' side. Percy refused to wear his glasses until he would be able to get them cleaned properly. Mr and Mrs Weasley discussed Mr Weasley's day at the office while Fred and George sat sulkingly between Percy and the other end of the table, talking in small murmer to each other.
Percy cut over to Bill and Kellie's conversation, hearing how Bill was talking to her about maybe doing summer work at the wizarding bank, "The Ministry of Magic has internships that might suit you more well than a bank ever will, Kellie."
"Well I've been working at a Muggle burger joint during the summers for some small cash." Kellie explained, "But I figured I should move more to the wizarding world for money in our economy here." Fred and George had taken interest into the conversation, as Kellie wasn't just talking to Bill anymore. "At Gringotts I'd be able to meet wondrous witches and wizards, whereas the ministry would be a desk job." Bill grinned, proud that he had influenced Kellie more to Gringotts than anyone had to her towards the ministry.
"Mr Crouch would love to have someone of your level of intelligence, Kellie." Percy started, "You'd be more than likely move up into the ministry quickly, and maybe-"
"Become minister of magic?" Bill laughed, "Percy, you obviously only know Kellie as a school girl."
"She's so much more than that." Fred laughed, "If you knew all the stuff she's done-"
"Like what?" Mrs Weasley said, drawing the attention to her.
"She's more of the extraordinary type of worker. She'll do the book work, but then she'll go out and try to learn it hands on too." George explained, "If there's a potion we've read about in a book, she'll have to go and try and make it."
"Is that why you're always in the hospital wing?" Charlie laughed, hearing from Ron and Ginny how occasionally Kellie had found herself in the hospital wing in her previous years.
"Maybe." Kellie said with a small laugh. "I'm not just a book work type of girl."
"Maybe you should get into the field of Dragons." Charlie began, "That's real hands on."
"I like dragons..." Kellie said licking her lips, "...when they're in pictures in books."
"You should come out to Romania some time, maybe over Christmas for a week, try it out, see how dragons suit you." Charlie pressed, "It's real fun, except when you have to go and take someones pet dragon away for burning down a village of Muggles."
"Yeah, sounds like loads of fun." Percy sneered, "Risking your life for Dragons."
"Sounds loads better than getting killed by a paper cut of an over late paper." Fred shot, and Percy sent him a dark glare.
"And what is it that you two want to do?" Percy sneered.
"Own a Joke Shop." The two twins chimed together. "It's been our plan, and we're sticking to it."
"I think if you put your mind to it, you'd make fine Aurors." Kellie told them with a small hum. The twins raised their eyebrows, it was the first time in a week that Kellie had spoken to them directly.
"Fine as in dead sexy, or fine as in extremely good looking?" George flashed her a smile.
"Does it matter?" Kellie teased, and the two of them were shot looks from Percy and Mrs Weasley for their shameful behavior. Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look that read a very confused expression on Kellie's behaivor after they had just been talking upstairs about how she was mad at them still.
The conversations all fell back into small talk as everyone enjoyed the meal Mrs Weasley had prepared. Kellie grinned as Charlie began to tell her, Bill, and the two girls about when he was first in Romania, and how he had his first encounter with a hungarian horntail. "That reminds me." Charlie cut himself off, "I'm sure you're going to enter this year."
"For what?" Kellie asked, looking at Charlie confused.
"Can't say much, but I know you will." Confusion showing on Kellie's face, Bill supplied a, "It's all in the wraps." Kellie nodded understanding a bit.
"That's good?" She said still slightly confused.
"Are you going to be taking your Apparation test in October?" Bill asked, starting a new topic to discuss.
"Oh, yes." Kellie nodded, "My birthday landed on a Sunday, and I talked to Professor Dumbledore last year, and I'm going to floo out to the ministry to take the test."
"Are you nervous at all?" Bill asked.
"Not really. Even though I was a year behind everyone else last year when they had the practices, I was the first one that had been able to complete it without splinching." Kellie grinned, "I haven't splinched yet."
"That's always good." Bill said with a small laugh, "It took Charlie twice to get it."
"Oh?" Kellie looked at Charlie interested, "And what happened the first time?"
"Landed five miles south of where I was suppose too..." Charlie said scrunching his nose up, "Scared a lady to death when I landed on her shopping."
"I could imagine." Kellie laughed, "Apparating would be a life savior on vacations. Lock the door in my bedroom and just pop away."
"And free willing magic." Ron chimed, "I bet you can't wait to have that."
"Kellie lives in the Muggle world, Ron." Hermione said matter of factly, "She wouldn't be able to use magic with Muggles running around all the time, now would she."
"Yeah, I don't need another warning." Kellie snorted as she stuffed another spoon of mashed potatoes into her mouth.
"Another?" Bill and Charlie both asked, amusement riding their voices as they looked to Kellie to explain.
"Well I had just gotten my wand and all, read a couple of books, and had got the hang of a couple spells down in secret. I had my wand for nearly a year before I started Hogwarts due to when my birthday is." Kellie glanced to Hermione, "You're the same, right Hermione?" She nodded and Kellie continued, "Well, my uncle happened to stumble into my room, drunk off his rocker at about three in the morning, mistaking my room for his, and I just grabbed my wand and blasted him down the staircase in defense.
"I got a letter that morning and I had no idea what was going on. Ministry of Magic? I had never heard of a place." Kellie explained, "I was terrified, crying, and shaking badly. I explained what had happened, and my uncle was to drunk to even remember what happened, so modifying his memory was quite simple for them. They just gave it to me as a warning."
"Sounds like loads of fun for being eleven." Charlie commented chuckling as he went.
Once dinner was over and cleaned up with, the hours flew past to when everyone was in their beds. Hermione, Ginny and Kellie all climbed the stairs and sat in Ginny's room, amongst their beds, talking rapidly about that nights dinner. "It seems like everyone just loves talking to you, Kellie." Ginny giggled, "It's quite amusing to watch."
"What do you mean?" Kellie asked as she glanced up from her Defense Against the Dark Arts book, fifth addition, going over everything from previous years.
"Well, it's like Bill wants you to go to Gringotts, Charlie wants you to go to Romania, Percy wants you at the Ministry, and I'm sure Fred and George want you at the joke shop once they get that going." Hermione said pointing.
"Actually, Fred and George don't." Kellie said and Hermione and Ginny looked at her in shock. "We've talked about it, and they agree that I should pursue my dreams before theirs."
"That's real sweet." Hermione cooed, "At least their not forcing you, or begging you."
"I told them I could help out when they get it started, but they both want me to continue with trying to be an inventor of spells and potions." Kellie said with a small laugh, "It's fun and all, but I wouldn't be able to live off of it."
"What do you plan on doing?" Hermione asked very seriously.
"I suppose become an Auror for the mean time." Kellie shrugged, "Although the unspeakable really call to me."
"So you're going to land in the ministry like Percy wants?"
"No, no no." Kellie shook her head, "Percy wants me to be an errand girl, following others orders and having a desk job." She sighed, "That's to boring. I need more umph, something that isn't the same every day." There came a knock on the door, and Kellie sprang to her feet as her bed was the closest, "I'll get it." She told the two girls as she walked to the door.
She opened it and peered into the hallway, "George?" She paused, spotting her friend looking quite impatient. Kellie frowned at this, "Yes?"
"Can we talk...?" He asked as he played with the hem of his shirt. He had obviously tried to go to bed, but couldn't. "Please?" Kellie looked behind her into the room before stepping out into the hallway and closed the door behind her.
"Make it quick, they'll be soon to listen when they figure out it's you." Kellie warned him in a low whisper, to not wake anyone else up.
"Then let's go to the garden." He took her hand and pulled her lightly down the stairs, past Percy's room where a small light scratching of a quill came from. They were able to get outside quietly and undisturbed anyone else in the house. "It's been a week now, Kellie..."
"I am aware of that." she replied as he led her away from any windows by the house.
"You know I'm sorry." He continued, taking a small glance back at her before he pulled his wand out and conjured two chairs for them away from the house. "I just don't know how to make sure you understand how much I am."
"I know you're sorry, George." Kellie began, "It's the matter of the fact that you'll do it again."
"It's only for protection matters." George assured her, "What if someone tried to kidnap you?"
"Like someones really going to kidnap me." Kellie scoffed, "George, I was raised a Muggle, my dad made sure I knew how to self defend myself in any circumstance because my mother died when I was young, and he didn't know how to raise a daughter alone."
"That doesn't mean I still don't worry." George told her, and in the dim moon light, Kellie could read his eyes like a book, and they did read what he had told her. "What if someone decided they didn't like Muggleborns, and knew you were one?" He began, "You would never return back home then."
"I'm sorry to worry you." Kellie said with a small frown as she rised from her chair. She pulled George to his feet and took a glance to the Burrow to see that a couple lights were still on. "Tomorrow, I'm going with Hermione and Ginny into town once more. It's our girls day while we're all together before Harry arrives on Sunday." George nodded and Kellie continued, "I will forgive you if tomorrow you and Fred don't follow me into town and beat up any guy that talks to me."
"So we can still follow you as long as we don't beat anyone up?" George said finding the loophole quickly.
"No." She paused afterwards, "You and Fred are both to stay at the Burrow. I'm with you two all the time. I need time to be with girls."
"I understand." George said pulling her into a hug. "Tomorrow you'll be able to trust me once more." Kellie smiled as she hugged George back, burying her face into his tank top as a cool breeze picked up. "Let's get inside, I'm freezing, and stuff disappears when I'm cold."
"That's so disgusting." Kellie said hitting George playfully in the chest as he let out a small chuckle. George flicked his wand and the chairs disappeared as he wrapped an arm around Kellie's shoulders, Kellie leaning into him slightly, "Although I am cold myself too."
"Lucky you nothing shrinks." George teased, causing Kellie to shove him that time, making a sour face at him. "It's true."
"Shh.." Kellie said putting her finger to his lips, "You'll wake them or have Percy catch us." She said as they approached the house. George went cross eyed as he looked at her thin, fair finger that lied on his lips at the very moment.
The lights flickered on and Kellie stopped quickly, George nearly toppling over her as the two looked at the red haired, tall figure that was standing in the doorway into the kitchen. "Hey there..." Kellie said shyly, licking her lips.
"What are you doing up this late?" George said with a small nervous laugh.
"Thought I spotted a red head and a bright blond out in the gardens and decided to make sure everything was being kept PG." Bill teased as he summoned himself a cup and filled it with water. "So what were you two doing out in the gardens at a quarter to midnight?"
"Just talking." George said as he moved past Kellie and towards his brother. "Y'know, we're friends and all."
"Well, I'm off to bed." Kellie said heading towards the stairs, embarrassed to have been caught. Luckily, it wasn't Mr or Mrs Weasley that had spotted them, or even Percy, who would give them a lecture on being out past dark. "G'night."
"Night, Kellie." The two Weasley brothers said in a low whisper as Kellie made her way back up the stairs, hearing that Percy had settled in for the night. Kellie reentered Ginny's room to find the two girls asleep, which led to Kellie not having to explain what had happened, and fell asleep almost instantly as she pulled her covers over her shoulders.
Disclaimer: I am NOT JKR. I own Kellie and her family.
A/N: What do you think of George and Kellie's relationship so far compared to hers and Freds? Does it sound okay?