Warnings: bad language, mature topics, and a language other than English

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.

A/N: I really don't hate Charlie. He's my second favorite, which means he gets lots of . . . abuse.

Translations are at the end.

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Chapter 2: The Importance of Frivolity

April 11, 1912

Annelies proved to be an interesting addition to the Weasley dinner table, which, considering that included Fred and George, was really saying something.

Bill had invited her over, via Charlie, after he'd spotted her sitting alone at dinner the evening after he'd met her. Since Charlie had already been seen with more than ten different women, Bill decided it was time for him to claim a few of his own . . . Not in a domineering sort of way, but it a way that would tell his younger sibling to back the hell off.

This was going to be difficult, especially since the woman he was currently courting didn't speak a word of English, and he was the 20th century Shakespeare.

All through supper, Annelies kept making what Bill assumed were snide comments, but since only she and Charlie understood them, he could only guess. One of the younger Weasleys would say something, Annelies would snicker, and then she and Charlie would guffaw about it for a few minutes. (None of the other Weasleys paid much attention to her, even Ginny, who just that afternoon had been complaining that she didn't have any girls to talk to, "just stinky brothers.")

It made Bill jealous to witness the way the two of them carried on, laughing and speaking in clipped tones in their own secret language. After all, hadn't it been Bill's idea to invite her over? Hadn't he been the one who met her first? If all that was true, why was she cavorting around with Charlie the Charmless Wonder, the boy who was never above telling a fart joke in public?

Bill kept trying to catch her eye, and to get his brother to translate for him, but it was all in vain. The younger Weasley was obviously trying to win her over too, and wasn't about to give up his edge. This led to a fairly silent battle of wills that, unfortunately, did not go unnoticed by the object of their affections. Towards the end of supper, Annelies became rather cold to both of them, and chose instead to simply watch and listen.

Bill had the feeling that she was a lot smarter than she let on. She obviously knew how men worked, and Bill guessed that she was going to make the deciding move in who she went with.

As supper ended, and the band tuned up again, Bill stood up and walked purposefully around the table to Annelies. Charlie had insisted she sit near him so he could translate for her, but since he had done nothing of the sort the entire way through dinner, Bill decided his time was up.

"Ask her if she'd like to dance with me," he ordered his younger brother, trying to sound pleasant all the while. He'd discovered that even if Annelies didn't understand what he said, she could still understand his tone.

"And I suppose you two'll just bugger off and leave me with the kids again?" Charlie said by way of an answer, just as cheerily. "No deal. I watched them last night, you're on it tonight."

"Like hell!" Bill chirped. "You got laid last night, I didn't."

"How unfortunate for you then," Charlie said, not having to feign his amusement this time. "I'm not watching them, and I'm not going to ask her."

Annelies had been following the entire exchange, and stood here, taking Bill's arm and smiling innocently. Bill grinned triumphantly at his younger brother.

"I guess you won't have to," he said, leading her away. "Make sure Fred and George stay out of trouble. I had to talk to one of the officers today about something they managed to break; it nearly sank the ship."

As he walked away, Bill thought he heard Charlie mutter something like, "effing wanker," but chose to ignore it.

Once they reached the dance floor, Bill and Annelies immediately began a merry jig. Even though Bill didn't particularly like dancing, he wasn't terrible at it, and having Annelies snuggled against him was extra compensation for having to do something physical.

She was better at it than he was, and spun easily around him and swayed back and forth, pulling him along most times. Some of her hair fell loose from the tight braid she wore it in, and Bill was daring enough to brush it from her face. She laughed at him, and let his hand linger at the base of her neck before pulling away slightly.

Feeling he should say something to her, but knowing she wouldn't understand him, Bill leaned close and whispered,

"I think you're the loveliest thing I've ever met."

"Thank you," she whispered back, and Bill's face raced to match the color of his hair. He wasn't usually so forward, and now she was going to think he was a manwhore like his brother.

"I thought . . . You said," he began awkwardly, but stopped when he saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "So you can understand English?" he asked finally.

"More than you think," she said, still spinning around with the music.

"So . . . if I said I loved you," Bill began slowly, seeing an opportunity and taking it, "What would you say?"

"Ich würde sagen, dass Sie nur das mir sagen, um mit mir zu schlafen," she said quickly, the gleam still dancing in her eyes. She was either too embarrassed to say this in English, or honestly didn't know how.

"Come again?" Bill said, having caught a few words, but missed the important ones.

"Ich hab' gesagt, dass Sie nur mit mir schlafen wollen," Annelies told him, leaning in closer and laying her head on his shoulder. Bill still didn't understand. He was about to go running to Charlie, but decided better of it.

He didn't need his brother to translate. He could get by on his own.

"That's right," Bill said, and felt awkward when Annelies laughed into his jacket.

Apparently, he had just confirmed something amusing.

Charlie came up to them then, followed by what had to be his twelfth blonde lady friend, and tapped Bill on the shoulder.

"What?" he said peevishly, suspecting where this conversation would go.

"I really need you to watch the others," his brother said in what he obviously thought was a polite voice. " . . . Please."

"No," Bill said firmly. "If you need it that badly, just wait until they all go to bed and then find someone else's room. I want a night to myself, thank you."

"You had one last night," Charlie argued, trying to keep the blonde girl from climbing all over him. It was quite clear that she wanted the younger Weasley as much as he wanted her.

"I don't care," Bill said. "You're not leaving them alone, and that's the end of it. Now go away . . . Please."

Charlie gave him a death glare that was eerily akin to the ones their mother used, and stalked off, dragging the insistent blonde behind him.

Bill turned back to Annelies to find that she was laughing into his jacket again, and he remembered what she'd said about understanding more than she let on.

"Charlie ist eager, ja?" she said slyly, managing to mix English and German, and wrapped her arms around Bill's neck before leaning against him. They were both still swaying to the beat of the music, but were very far from dancing.

"Yeah, well, he's always been that way, I guess," he replied, being audacious and looping his arms around her waist. "It's just the way the Weasleys are."

Annelies smiled, and stood on tiptoes to reach up and plant a small kiss on Bill's lips.

"I like you," she said simply, but Bill guessed she meant something a little more.

"How much?" he asked, pulling harder on her waist. She kissed him again and said,

"Enough . . . Ist your room empty?"

"It should be, why?" Bill tried to sound innocent, but failed fantastically.

"Gehen wir da," she said, pointing towards the corridor that led to the staterooms.

Bill didn't need a translation for that.

German Translation:

Ich würde sagen, dass Sie nur das mir sagen, um mit mir zu schlafen. – I would say that you're just saying that to get me in bed. (lit. "sleep with me")

Ich hab' gesagt, dass Sie nur mit mir schlafen wollen. – I said that you only want to sleep with me.