Phoenix
(George's Point of View)
"Weasley…" I hear a voice say. Small, soft hands were shaking me repeatedly. I try to open my eyes but the lights in the room or wherever this person and I are at, were too bright. I tried once again to force my eyes open but my eyeballs felt like they were on fire and started to water. My head was pounding and I honestly just wish it was Death shaking me. Yelling at me to get up, that it is time to take my soul away. Then I felt the iciest water I've ever felt cover my skin and I've skinny dipped in the Black Lake at Hogwarts, drop on top of me.
"What in the bloody hell?" I shoot up and run right into a door and fall back to the ground. I groan and then squint my eyes at this purple haired, pixie looking girl. She wasn't petite, kind of thick or well-toned. Like maybe she played Quidditch often or something.
"Are you good mate," she tried to say without laughing, holding a rather large bucket.
"Are you mad? The bloody hell you do that for?" I said rubbing my head sitting up.
"You've been passed out for a while now, I thought it was time you woke up," she said handing me a glass of water.
"You couldn't have thought of a better way than drenching me?" I snapped.
"Honestly…no. I mean none that I wanted to do. This idea seemed the best and most entertaining," she said bluntly.
"Where are we? Who are you?" I questioned extremely irritated.
"I'm not entirely hurt by the fact you don't remember me but, my name is Vio..,"she started to say.
"V! Right, sorry. No, I remember you, my eyes are just adjusting still," I cut her off quickly. I try to remember what had happened and my mind was completely blank. Bollocks, please Merlin hear me say, that if you watched over me and caused me from doing no mischief, I solemnly swear to be a very good lad for the rest of my days.
"No worries Weasley, you can unclench, nothing bad happened. We just talked and you drank your fair share," V chuckled, handing me a white towel. I thanked Merlin and then told him if he knew me at all he should know I was lying just now.
"Where are we?" I asked scared to know the answer.
"We're on my boat, on the water," she started to say.
"BOAT? You have a boat? Yes, a boat! I'm daft as ever, where are we? Where did we sail to?" I said remembering, feeling like my head was going to explode.
"You've lost your trolley, we're docked," she started laughing uncontrollably. "It's a house boat, we never left. You should have seen you last night though, thinking we were moving because you took the rope off the dock," she laughed holding her gut.
"Well, excuse me if I knew what a little slapper you would be I wouldn't have accompanied you to this very fine establishment. Who in the bloody hell has a boat that doesn't run anyway?" I asked bluntly, standing up finally.
"Nonsense! You're mad! You wouldn't have lasted out there, last night, without me for a second. THIS slapper has a HOUSEBOAT, THICKHEAD," she snapped pointing at herself. "I don't need it to sail anywhere anyway. Not that it's your business but, I'm fixing her up. Also, it's a secret spot surrounded by extraordinary things, I was considering showing you. However, I think the time has arrived to throw you out because I might murder you seriously this time," she said annoyed and somewhat gravely causing me to change my tone quickly.
"I apologize V, I'm just not feeling too great," I said honestly. Her facial expression changed and I was relieved.
"Don't fret Weasley, I know you've been through a lot lately. But, you need to calm down or have another drink. You were more fun then anyway," she said walking to shut the blinds. "Is that better for your eyes?"
"Yes, loads, thank you. So this is your home?"
"Yes, this is it," she said spreading her arms out, circling around everything.
"Brilliant," I said walking around looking at the random bits and bobs. "So, what extraordinary things are we by then," I said curiously. I see a shaggy black dog snoring on her purple sofa.
"That's Oliver, pathetic isn't he?" She said smiling.
"A little bit," I laughed, walking over to scratch behind his ears.
"Follow me," she said smiling, reaching for my hand. I follow her outside the boat and we walk off it onto the wet grass. The boat was surrounded by trees, it seemed somewhat like a swamp but, enchantingly beautiful? White lilies and violets were freckled throughout the endless line of bushes, circling us all around. I see fairies living here floating around everywhere. There is a small stream big enough for her boat to fit through in front of us. The secret garden, I guess you would call it, was extremely secluded.
"You stay out here all alone?" I questioned somewhat concerned.
"I have protection spells surrounding it. No one will ever find me unless I allow them to see," she smiled walking along the stream. I followed close behind not having a clue where we were. I feel like since I trusted her enough to be here I shouldn't worry about her. Fuck, why can't I remember anything? It's her bloody fault why would a girl give a stranger more booze knowing he had just woke up from being black out drunk? She's a mental case that one. I wonder what all my stupid mouth spilled to her last night.
"So, what exactly is it that you know I've been through lately?"
"Shh, we're almost there just come on," she said hunching down walking through this small hole arched by thick trees. How in the bloody hell am I going to fit through there? I hunch down and squeeze through cutting my arm to shit. I get through the archway not paying attention to what's in front of me and bump right in V.
"Sorry," I said reaching out to see if she was okay.
"Shh, look," she said smiling pulling back a tree branch like it was a small window. I look through the small opening and I instantly felt like my eyes were deceiving me. It was the Quidditch pitch in Romania, one of the biggest in the world. 500+ feet of oval shaped beauty. This must be what Merlin is doing half his week. Levitating in the sky watching his angels play a rough game of Quidditch. I get lost in a trance and just see wizard sized blurs zooming through the field. I couldn't turn away from it.
"Brilliant," I said lost for anymore words. My cheeks started to hurt from the smile frozen upon my face. V snapped me out of my trance when she touched my shoulder.
"I had a feeling you would like it, considering you mentioned it ten or so times last night," she chuckled pulling out a blanket from her satchel laying it on the ground. She sits down and I walk over to her and sit beside her.
"This is brilliant, I'm sorry I was a fowl git," I admitted.
"No worries," she said smiling again. I met her eyes and had never noticed them before, they were brown but would change color every so often. They would go from brown to grey to a light pink. It was extremely interesting and she obviously was a very clever witch.
"You're eyes are insane, in a good way I mean."
"Thanks, I never liked just have one color."
"Is that why you have you know the hair," I said pointing at the light purple locks running down her face.
"Yes," she laughed again and then pulled out some biscuits handing me one.
"Thanks." We sat in silence for a moment but, it wasn't uncomfortable. We both just watched through the small tree shaped window at the Quidditch players in a match, practicing.
"Do you play?" I asked curious sipping some tea she brought.
"For fun, yes. I don't like to get competitive, it turns people mad," she laughed.
"You would hate playing with Fred and I then. We are competitive but for the most part it's all good fun for us," I smiled and realized I missed playing Quidditch with him. We go back to our comfortable silence and just watch the match.
"I'm sorry about Hermione," she said breaking the silence. I look at her and then away quickly, sighing.
"So, you know then," I said putting the biscuits down.
"Enough, yes. But, don't worry about it heartbreak takes a mind to a place it shouldn't go," she said sighing herself. I look away from her back to the opening to the pitch.
"I'm trying to do better and I really think I'm getting there. I just feel betrayed by Fred you know? I never thought he would do something like this to me. However, I do understand because they love each other and I can see it. Why did he not just tell me from the beginning? Before my feelings had to grow for her? I could have stopped myself from this painful, growing infection inside of me. Flabberghasted leeches are sucking my insides dry, I'm a bloody mess. I just feel so empty and out of place now when I'm around him and then if she shows up? It's just awkward and the tension is annoying. I'm not use to tension and uncomfortable situations especially with my twin brother. He's my best mate and always will be. I have never been like this before. I'm usually joking around with Fred and we never allowed serious situations to get to us. We are an endless joke, I mean we own a joke shop for Merlin's sake, it's our life, our blood," I said feeling like I should have shut it a while ago. I'm spilling my heart AGAIN to the same stranger I've just met. How pathetic am I? "It's like," I started to say.
"You didn't want to fall in love and you blew it?" She cut me off, setting her biscuit down next to mine.
"Exactly," I said looking back to her face. She looked away.
"I hope you find a way to be yourself again," she said finally. I didn't know what to say at first and then looked at the sky. I hadn't noticed that the sun was going down and it was getting nightfall quick.
"This has got a bit too sappy for my taste," I said standing up. She stands up too and grabs my hand.
"I think I know something that will make you feel better," she smiled pulling me back to where we came from.
"Better than the secret pitch are you're joking?"
"Just hurry come on." We both go back through the smallest hole archway imaginable, I was prepared this time so not to hurt myself. We run along side the stream back to her flat. She lets go of my hand and runs inside. She rushes back out with loads of supplies and drops it to the ground. She lays down this weird looking tapestry on the grass and then goes back grabbing bottles of what looked like paint.
"So, what are you doing," I said curiously walking over to her. She hands me scarlet and light shade of red bottles of paint and pops the cap at the tops.
"Go mad," she yelled.
"What?" I said confused at the point of all this.
"Just go crazy, lose your mind with the paint." She then takes gold and a black and then squirts me in the chest with it.
"You will pay for that," I grinned and then squirted her back with the red paint. We then start chasing each other on top of the tapestry. Paint was going everywhere, it was all over the tapestry and all over our bodies. I could not stop laughing, it was making my gut ache. Eventually my bottles run up empty and I wave them like a surrendering white flag. "I give, you win," I said trying to catch my breath. "Now, not saying that wasn't fun but, what was the point?" She grabs my hand and we walk off the tapestry looking at the colorful mess we had made. She then pulls out her wand and points it at the tapestry.
"Leviosa Fenix, Flagrate," she whispered, sending a fire red light towards the tapestry. The paint then lifted and shifted around. The colors started to collide together and move around to form a swan-like bird. The fire then burst brighter and it just was floating in front of us. "Phoenix," she said smiling still holding on to my hand.
"Wicked," I said not believing the mess we had caused turned into something so mesmerizingly beautiful. I look over at her and see her eyes blazing from the reflection of the Phoenix. "You're brilliant, and look bloody ridiculous right now. Your hair is no longer purple, it's phoenix colors now," I said laughing at all the paint on her face and hair. "From the looks of it, I won."
"Come off it, you surrendered remember?" She said laughing. She pushes me and I lightly push her back and she trips over the empty paint bottles taking me with her. I fall on top of her and start to push myself up.
"I'm sorry," I said and before I could get up she grabs my face and then kisses me. I get lost for a moment in the kiss and then snap out of it slowly pulling away. Her phoenix eyes stared back at me and they were enchanting. I slowly get up and then help her to her feet. "Did you hurt yourself," I asked looking at her legs.
"No, I'm brilliant, thank you," she said while swatting grass off her shorts.
"I think I better get going, Charlie is going to kill me, he probably thinks I got ate by a dragon or ended up in Azkaban by now," I joked awkwardly, running my painty fingers through my hair making it slick back.
"Right," she said glumly.
"It was a pleasure to meet you V," I said reaching out my dirty painted hand.
"Pleasure was all mine," she smiled shaking my hand back.
"If we don't meet up again, you should visit my shop in London. It's in Dragon Alley you can't miss it. It's the most colorful place in the alley. There's a huge statue of me in front of it with a top hat showing a rabbit," I said lifting an invisible hat off my head.
"Sounds promising, maybe I will," she smiled walking back to her flat. She turns around and gives me a small smile and wave before returning into her flat. I look at the now closed door and smile before apparating back to the front of Charlie's. I walk into his flat and walk into the kitchen. I grab an ale off the counter and then walk into the spare room Charlie was letting me stay in. I crash backwards onto the bed and then set my head against the headboard. I smile thinking of the day I had and take a swig of my drink.
"Why are you grinning," Charlie said cunningly appearing at the door.
"Bugger off," I said laughing.
"And you're laughing? Merlin's beard, what have you been up to?"
"Where's Fred and everyone?" I asked changing the subject. He walks in and plops down next to me taking my ale from me drinking it.
"No clue, bunch of hellions they are," he said smiling, handing me the beer back. "I know Fred had to get back to the store because of your obvious state of being lately. But, maybe you'll be able to go back to work from the looks of it," he said smiling mischievously.
"Maybe," I smirked back hitting him. "Let me be, will you? I need rest if I'm going to get back to my shop tomorrow." He gets up from the bed and walks to the door and stops before leaving.
"I want to meet this girl that has you looking the way you do," he winked and then left the room. I sit the bottle on the end table and open the window above the bed. I look at the moon and move the pillow to the end of the bed so I can look out of the window to it. I let my imagination wonder and the moon suddenly seemed like it was covered in fire. I think I'm going to find a Phoenix one day, I know they're hard to tame but once you do they're loyal forever. They are majestic creatures and I can see why some see them as a sign of hope. They are reborn from the ashes and hope is reborn as well. A new beginning is born for your story of life. New chapters and a fresh start to find yourself. I keep staring at the moon and realize it reminded me of something. Violet's eyes from when she made her phoenix. The flames reflection off her grey, glowing eyes. I snap out of the thought and turn to my side. I don't really know what to think about V. I definitely haven't felt this happy for a bit, and this smile won't leave my face. But, my head is a mess and I don't know where it is. I'm not in the right state of mind to be thinking of V. I try to dose off and not think about it, the day was exhausting so, I drifted quickly. A colorful, pretty mess that one though, a chaotic phoenix.
A beautiful phoenix.
Nox.