A/N - YAY! The last part of the dragon bit.
LOUISA!! Our faithful reviewer. HUGGLES!
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"No, he's not a serial killer." He sighed as he dragged her a bit closer to him, again. Distracting it might be, but he just couldn't dive with her dangling so far out on the broom.
"He... he's not?" The relief in her voice made him burst out laughing. It didn't help that those sweetly concerned brown eyes were presently glaring at him in confusion.
"He's my brother." Charlie's seeker trained eyes swept over the street as he got lower, ignoring her squeak of surprise. It was hard to see anything through that infernal cloud of dust, but he could go ask... he glanced at his armful suddenly, feeling her tense. She was staring hard at the ground, and if he wasn't mistaken, was trying to slip down off of the broom. Tightening his grip on her, he gauged the distance to the ground. There was still a good thirty feet to fall if she jumped now, he estimated. "Going somewhere?"
Nancy tried to make sure her breathing stayed normal as his grip tightened and made physical contact with his very muscular body impossible to avoid. A moment ago, she'd been so lost in the smoky blue depths of his eyes that she'd actually forgotten to let the air out of her lungs. She knew her reaction - to tense up and try to get some space between them - was overdoing it, as there was really nowhere to go. Not yet at least. She jumped as his deep voice murmured amusedly right into her ear, "Going somewhere?"
"No..." Dammit. I sound all breathless and... oooh, DAINTY again, she thought with frustration, her face flushing to match his hair. Trying to pull herself back under control, she closed her eyes and brought up Jenni's face in her mind, hoping that it would help her calm down. Instead, she almost choked when she saw her mind's-eye Jenni WINK at her!
Charlie was low enough now to scan for Bill and this friend of hers, but he didn't yet, too arrested by the tension emanating off of the girl's body, and that breathy answer she'd just given him. I have GOT to put this girl down somewhere, before I forget how to fly all together he thought rather desperately. Glancing down at her flushed face, he couldn't restrain a grin. At least he wasn't the only one suffering here.
Suddenly, he yanked up on the broomstick with all of his might. Nancy's eyes flew open, and she yelped as she felt her feet collide with the ground for a moment before he was able to stabilize them about four feet up.
"Oh good, we're here." Nancy started to disentangle herself from his grasp. The linguist had NEVER made her blush like this, she thought ruefully. Air was definitely needed right now.
Charlie could tell she was trying to get off the broom, but as he took a few deep breaths and got some blood back into his brain, he wasn't too sure that he should let her. The dragon, he noticed, while keeping a restraining arm around her waist, was still awake even if it was calmer. And if her friend HAPPENED to be standing anywhere which would require her to run past it...
Nancy's blush was deepening. She had managed to get both legs over one side of the broom, and would have jumped immediately, except for the very firm arm that remained locked around her. As it was, she just sort of slid halfway off and dangled helplessly in midair. She glared up at the muscle- bound gorilla - well, to be fair, she thought, the muscle-bound gorilla with beautiful blue eyes and the nicest smile. Not much of an insult.
"Hey! What are you..." She was suddenly hauled back onto the broom, and tucked neatly against his chest, her head just under his chin.
Charlie had made his decision. There was no way she'd stay out of harm's way if he just let her down. "It's still, er, a bit dangerous down there," he started off diplomatically, adding in his head 'at least for YOU it is.' "I'm going to put you somewhere while I go find Bill and your friend." He glanced around, trying to ignore her indignant struggles, and his eyes fell on the roof of one of the houses lining the street. It was a bit less slanted than the others near it...
Before Nancy had a chance to catch her breath, he had flown them up to it, and she was lifted out of her sheltered position, and plopped onto a roof. She jumped up, utterly confused, and winced a bit when her left leg throbbed in protest.
"What!?! Where are you going? A ROOF??"
Charlie pulled back a little, so she wasn't tempted to make a leap for the broomstick, and grinned at her.
"Well, I can't have you running off to make friends with the Horntail, can I?" With a wink he turned his broom around, and tossed a laughing, "I'll be right back!" over his shoulder.
Nancy whipped out her wand and tossed a rather nasty hex after him. Well, she was pretty sure that blur was him. It might've been a rather distant tree... but at any rate, whatever it was would be sprouting purple hair from their ears and nose for a few days.
Charlie heard the hex coming and ducked, letting it whiz past his head. He glanced back. She was standing on the roof, wand out, squinting after him with a seriously annoyed look on her face. He chuckled, wondering just what it was she'd tried to do to him. He did feel a bit bad about leaving her there, but he just wasn't able to concentrate with her sitting so close. This way he'd find the two missing people in no time, and double back for her once he was sure it was safe.
Nancy was abso-bloody-lutely furious. Well, she supposed, stopping to consider for a moment, not really. That was more something Jenni would be. But she was really annoyed at being left behind, and on a ROOF! Nancy hated being left behind. People always doubted her ability to be of use in tough situations, just because she had the tendency to jump first and look later. She paced back and forth on the roof. Jenni had never thought so. She'd seen right away that Nancy just suffered from over-enthusiasm, and when entrusted with something important would perform perfectly well. It was just, there hadn't been much to DO outside of classes, and so my innate curiosity usually got the better of me, Nancy thought indignantly.
She glared out at the blurry street. Obviously HE did not understand. Well, she'd just have to take care of things herself, then. First thing's first... it would be nice to be able to SEE again.
"Accio glasses!"
She waited for a moment, listening, and then a small metallic object flew past her head and landed on the roof. As she turned to pick it up, she felt something slide by her leg, and heard a light bump as it came to a stop near the edge of the roof.
"Figures," she muttered in frustration, slowly feeling her way down towards the slightly raised lip that directed the rainwater to a pipe further down the wall. Her left foot caught it first, and the jarring stop reminded her that her leg was really rather achy. Ok, now to find those glasses, she thought.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Bill was grinning as he pocketed Jenni's wand. However, his smile faded as soon as he saw the look on her face. Anger he could have dealt with. But this, this was totally unexpected. She was standing there staring at him, her eyes red rimmed and wet. The look in her eyes was like nothing he had ever seen before - it went straight to his gut, and he found himself feeling guilty, feeling that he had caused her tears.
Jenni stared at him. This was just what she needed. She blinked fast trying to stop the tears, but to no avail. Everything she felt - her confusion, anger, and the worry over her best friend all spilled out, running hot and wet down her face. As she began to sob uncontrollably, she turned and ran, not wanting to stand there any longer with Bill just watching her. She was vaguely aware of footsteps behind her and a voice calling her name. Jenni kept running. She didn't want to face anyone right now.
Bill finally caught up with her, slightly out of breath. Damn she was a fast runner. He grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop and gently turned her to face him. Jenni put her head in her hands, crying harder. Bill moved her hands and lifted her chin so he could see her face. "I'm sorry." He spoke gently. "I didn't mean to upset you so much."
Jenni looked into his blue eyes, tears streaming down her face. "It's not you." She said brokenly. "I just... I'm worried." She didn't know why, but she felt the need to explain. "I've never been very good at controlling my emotions. And I don't know where Nancy is, or if she's okay for that matter." Jenni felt more sobs coming on and turned away as she fought against the urge to cry.
Bill put his hands on Jenni's shoulders to keep her from walking away from him yet again. He didn't know why, but seeing her like this stirred something inside of him. He didn't like the lost look in her eyes or the fact that she felt helpless to do anything about her friend. "Listen, as soon as all this clears up, I'll help you go look for Nancy."
Jenni looked up. She couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to hug him, but restrained herself. "You would do that?" she asked with a watery smile.
Bill smiled. It wasn't the same arrogant smile he had flashed when she first met him. In fact, it was a sincere smile, and it made Jenni's knees feel extremely weak. Especially when he finally spoke. It was in such a low voice, almost a whisper. "Of course I would."
Jenni was just about to ask Bill why he was being so nice to her, when all of a sudden she felt really strange. For some odd reason, everything was spinning and she felt very lightheaded. Jenni reached a hand out to steady herself as she felt her legs give way. She could hazily see Bill's face contorted with worry. She needed to sit down. What happened next, she didn't know. Everything went black.
Bill stared as Jenni's face lost all of its color. He felt her sway slightly and gripped her tighter as he watched her. As her hands clutched his arms for support, he realized she was going to pass out. His arms went around her instinctively as she started falling to the ground.
Bill knelt, settling the limp girl in his lap. He put a hand to her forehead to wipe her hair away from her eyes. "Come on Jenni," he pleaded softly. "Wake up." He lifted her slightly, allowing her head to rest just under his chin.
A bit panicked, he looked for signs of injury but couldn't see anything obvious. Then he remembered - she had hexed him. They fell... and she hit her head. He ran his hand gently over the back of her head and found a rather large bump. Bill thought fast; he needed something to bring the swelling down. He conjured up an ice pack and gently applied it to the swollen area on the back of Jenni's head. He felt her stir slightly. His heart was racing. Thank goodness she was ok.
Jenni slowly came to her senses. The first thing she noticed was something cold on the back of her head. She reached a hand to see what it was. What she found was a large warm hand, connected to a rather familiar arm. She opened her eyes then, her hand still resting on the arm. She looked up and met Bill's worried blue eyes. His hand moved away from the back of her head towards her face, dropping the ice pack.
Light with the relief that had flooded through him the moment Jenni opened her eyes and looked at him, he ran his hand gently down her cheek. His thumb wiped away the last wetness left by her tears, and as he watched her eyes drifted closed again on a sigh. Without stopping to think, Bill leaned forward, drawn toward her slightly parted lips. He forgot everything else as his lips brushed hers. He could feel his heart pounding, and he was having trouble breathing.
Jenni's eyes closed softly as she suddenly felt the world spinning again. This time however, it wasn't because she was about to pass out. He was kissing her! She lost herself in the moment, shivering with the electricity of that first gentle touch, and gasping as he deepened the kiss.
Bill tensed as Jenni kissed him back. He was aware of her fingertips against his arm, burning like fire. Her lips were soft, and sweet. Intoxicating. He was reminded of his first taste of wine. The way it left a sweet taste on your mouth, the way it warmed your insides, and the feeling of wanting more.
Jenni's eyes opened as they slowly pulled apart. She had never been kissed like that before. She stared, waiting for Bill to say something, anything to break the silence. Instead he only stared back at her. Blue eyes locking with blue eyes.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Charlie was worrying about her as he flew around, darting around buildings and searching for his brother's red head. He kept coming up with reasons that he should NOT have left her on that roof. She'd lost her glasses, and was barely able to see. That was one. She was susceptible to anything that decided to have a go at her. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't think she could handle herself in a fight, but she was vulnerable. And hurt, he reminded himself, picturing the look of pain he'd caught on her face when he'd first set her down. A look that had vanished immediately, but still... something inside him clenched painfully and he urged his broom to go a bit faster.
As he zoomed up on an intersection, his worries were put on hold momentarily by the sound of an argument coming from somewhere to his left. Veering towards it, he grinned in relief when he clearly heard his brother's voice calling out, "Jenni!"
Swooping down towards them, Charlie pulled to a stop suddenly when they came into view. Another small brunette was running down the street, obviously upset, and his absolutely unflappable brother was RUNNING AFTER HER. His jaw dropped. He'd never seen his brother do that - chase after a woman. Usually, they came to him or he didn't need them. A devilish grin started to form on Charlie's boyish face, and leaving the couple to work out their problem, he turned around and headed at full speed back towards his own ultimate distraction who he'd left waiting for him on a rooftop.
Except that, she was no longer, technically ON the roof.
That odd clenching feeling that he'd experienced off and on ever since first pulling her to safety hit him so hard that for a moment, Charlie couldn't breathe. The intensity of the fear that he was feeling was astonishing. And he couldn't even yell out her name, he realized suddenly, because he didn't know it! He settled for a hoarse, "I'm coming!" as he sped back down the street.
Now she'd done it, Nancy thought a bit dejectedly. All she'd been trying to do was grab her glasses! She'd never meant to knock them off the roof completely and then almost follow. And she couldn't imagine how idiotic she would look when he came back, hanging from the edge of the roof like she was. She readjusted her hands and looked around her, squinting hopefully.
Ah HA! With a triumphant grin, she spotted the column into which the water from the roof was poured. It was only a few feet away, and if she could just get to it...
"Going somewhere?"
Charlie's heart rate had slowed somewhat, as he got close enough to establish that she was not screaming for help or crying or trying to fight anything off. She was just hanging there, with a frustrated look on her face. He felt his fear melt away, to be replaced by an outright suspicion of just WHY she was hanging off the edge.
Nancy nearly lost her hold on the roof out of surprise; he was back. And she'd been so close to the darned drainpipe.
"Not exactly, no." She turned her head, trying to figure out where he was.
"Down here," Charlie couldn't hold back a grin, "enjoying the view." He grinned harder when she gasped and looked down, instinctively trying to gather the material of her robes with her legs so that he couldn't see anything. Not that he was ACTUALLY looking, he thought, winking at her and watching her blush deepen. But she was so cute when she turned that shade of pink.
"Well, if you don't mind moving a bit to one side?" Nancy did her best to glare down at him through her blushes. Her arms were starting to ache. "I'm not entirely comfortable with you there."
His blue eyes were dancing, and he kept his grin firmly in place as he hovered directly beneath her.
"Well, you see... I would, but what's in it for me?" he teased laughingly. "How about, you answer a few questions if I do?" Like who you are and where I can find you again...
She sighed. He could see her arms beginning to shake. He wouldn't leave her hanging there too much longer, or she might pull a muscle, but he had a few things he wanted to know first.
"Fine." Knowing that he was so close was actually a bit of a relief, even if he was playing games with her, she was fairly confident that he wouldn't let her hit the ground if she fell.
"We'll start with an easy one... why are you not sitting where I left you?" Charlie flew over just a smidgen to the right, letting her know that he was honoring her request.
"I was just... well, you LEFT me. So I tried to summon my glasses and come up with a plan to..." why did she keep TELLING him these things? Nancy wondered suddenly. Usually she was very able to bend the truth a bit when the times called for it, but every time she looked into his dark blue eyes she had the sudden urge to tell him everything. It was entirely unnerving. "Well, I summoned them, and didn't catch them, and they slid down here..."
"And you followed?" the laughter in his voice put her on the defensive.
"It was an ACCIDENT." She wasn't sure her arms would hold her much longer. Her hands had started to slip and she'd lost feeling in her right arm. The strain of holding herself up made her voice waver a bit as she continued, "I didn't mean to."
Charlie glanced up at her, hearing that catch in her voice. He shouldn't tease her like this, he thought with a sigh.
"Come on, let go now, I've got you." His voice was gentle, and Nancy trustingly released her hold on the edge of the roof. She only fell for a second before he had her safely in his arms.
Charlie hovered there for a moment, massaging her shaking arms as she relaxed into him. How could he have thought she was strong enough to just hang there and play games with him? She was such a tiny little thing... shorter, even than his little sister, Ginny. She just had this infectious confidence, he acknowledged with a smile, which had led him to believe her show of strength.
He needed to revise his evaluation of her as a poker player. She'd be an awfully good bluffer. He'd have to learn to read her before playing.
Nancy opened her eyes after a moment of just enjoying the feel of his hands on her, and found him grinning down at her devilishly. Her stomach did a flip, and she felt the heat returning to her cheeks. She scrambled to sit up, ignoring the shouts of protests from the muscles he'd been relaxing so well just a second ago. Blinking up at him, she suddenly remembered why he'd left her in the first place.
"Did you find them?"
It took a moment for her words to penetrate Charlie's fogged brain. He was somewhere else, shuffling cards, staring into her brown eyes. When she blinked again at him, he realized she was waiting for a response, and answered the only question he could imagine that she'd asked.
"Bill's around the corner, and he's with your friend, Jenni, right?" He watched her reaction, hoping that he'd guessed correctly. Her face lit up and he relaxed.
"Well, let's go!"
"What do you say?"
"NOW!"
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jenni broke eye contact first as she heard footsteps approaching. Turning her head, her eyes widened when she saw Bill's brother Charlie. Realizing how she and Bill must look, Jenni scrambled up quickly. Bill stood close behind her, one hand around her waist supporting her as if waiting for her to pass out again, the other hand resting on her shoulder.
Jenni gave a small gasp of surprised delight as she noticed another person. Following close behind Charlie was Nancy. Jenni was grateful for Bill's supporting hands when her knees gave way from the immense feeling of relief. Feeling his grip tighten on her shoulder as she suppressed a sob, she instinctively reached up and grabbed his hand. Within seconds, however, she had composed herself and broken away, running towards Nancy and engulfing her in a hug.
Jenni broke into a round of rambling which seemed not to bother Nancy in the least. "Oh thank goodness you're okay. I was so worried about you! Don't you ever go off and do something like that again! You could have been hurt. Do you realize how worried I was?"
Nancy patted Jenni on the back with a smile. She had become used to Jenni worrying over her like a mother hen whenever she had become involved in one of her silly incidents. Not to mention her Quidditch accidents. However, as she shifted uncomfortably on her wounded leg, Jenni went into full hysterical mode. "You've been hurt? Nancy what happened? What have you done to yourself? Here you are going off to who knows where, getting chased by dragons, slicing up your leg, and what if something worse would have happened? How do you expect me to explain something like this to your parents?"
"I'm fine... have you been CRYING Jenni?"
Jenni glared furiously at Nancy. "Of course I've been crying. I've been worried sick about you. Knowing you, you were probably dangling from a roof top somewhere." Jenni's attempt at sarcasm was met with glares from Nancy and a hearty laugh from Charlie.
"And just WHAT is so funny, Charlie Weasley?" Jenni turned from Nancy and advanced on the younger of the brothers.
Bill, standing behind Jenni, saw as the blood drained from Nancy's face. She was staring at his brother as though she'd never seen him before.
With a grin that would make most girls melt, Charlie replied, "Nice to see you again too, Jenni," before paling as he realized what had just happened, and how Nancy had reacted.
"Don't try to pull that charm on me. It won't work." Jenni glared at Charlie, totally oblivious to Nancy's current state of discomfort. Charlie had become quite uncomfortable himself, from Bill's reproving glare as much as the flushed silence of the girl next to him.
He was saved from answering Jenni however as Bill walked over and grabbed her by the arm. "We need to talk for a minute."
Jenni felt a rush of heat as Bill's hand touched her arm. She nodded and walked off after him, uncertain of what he wanted to talk about, and uncertain of her reactions.
Nancy just stood there, silent and red, the laughing words they'd had about Charlie and his abilities running over and over through her mind.
Charlie couldn't bear to meet her eyes; he could practically FEEL the embarrassment radiating off of her. He should've just TOLD her when she'd first brought up his name...
He smiled gratefully at his brother, watching him lead Jenni away so he could have a moment to explain himself. When he looked back at her, she'd turned away from him. He could see that the tips of her ears were red. Charlie cautiously approached her, reaching out to put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She shivered, and muttered, "THE Charlie Weasley... oh god... I'm such a bleeding idiot."
"Listen... I've never had such a pretty fan! How's a guy supposed to know how to react?" His voice was soft and gently teasing, as her turned her back around to face him.
"Hey," he called softly, trying to get her to look at him. "We never did get to introduce ourselves." He swore inwardly as she reddened further, hoping she didn't take this as him rubbing anything in. He smiled gently and stuck out his hand. "Charlie Weasley." His smile widened when she finally glanced up at him, those soft brown eyes all wary and uncertain.
"Nancy Gwin," she whispered, taking his hand. Charlie gaped at her. "THE Nancy Gwin?"
"Er..." she stared at him outright, rather taken aback. "I suppose so, yes."
His deep blue eyes twinkled, "THE Nancy Gwin who was such a good beater for Gryffindor? THE Nancy Gwin whose exploits around school, even as Head Girl, nearly caused Snape to retire and inspired my twin brothers to create the dungbomb?"
"Potions never was my best class," she muttered, red faced. "Had a habit of blowing things up..."
Charlie was grinning at her. So THIS was Nancy Gwin. Interesting. He saw the tentative smile she shot back at him, and melted. That girl's eyes should really be a registered lethal material. He reached out and ran the side of his hand down her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Nancy. Friends?" His roguish wink made her giggle in spite of herself, and she nodded. "Friends."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Jenni asked, trying to hide the nervousness from her voice. Why was she suddenly acting like she had never been kissed before? 'Because,' Jenni mumbled to herself, 'no one has ever kissed you like that before, that's why.' She looked up at Bill waiting for his answer and suppressing a grin. He suddenly looked very boyish. He had shoved his hands into his pockets and was looking at the ground with great interest. And, Jenni noticed slightly amused, his ears had begun to turn a brilliant shade of pink.
"Well," Bill started out slowly. "About what happened earlier... I mean..."
Now it was Jenni's turn to blush. "Oh." She responded. She too had put her hands in her pockets when she suddenly realized her wand was gone.
"Where's my wand?" She turned around and looked on the ground, forgetting that Bill had taken it from her earlier. Realization dawned on her as she looked up to see Bill grinning devilishly at her.
"What did you do with my wand?" Jenni yelled at the top of her lungs. The sudden outburst caused several passersby to stop and stare. Jenni, however, gave no notice. She continued yelling at Bill, causing him to back away from her. "If you think for one minute that this is funny, you are dead wrong, mister!"
"I was going to give it back. You.I mean.when I tried." Bill was stuttering hopelessly, an entirely new experience for him.
"You tried? You didn't try hard enough. Or maybe," Jenni had once again become quietly furious with Bill, "just maybe, your mind was on other things."
Bill couldn't deny that. His mind had definitely been on other things.
"Now I know why I gave up dating!" Jenni was on a rampant yelling contest with herself. She turned her back towards Bill still yelling at the top of her lungs. "It's because every guy I've dated has been arrogant, conceited, or acted like a complete prat in one way or another. I should have learned my lesson. But NO! The first guy I meet in Romania turns out to be the worst one of them all!"
Bill had retrieved Jenni's wand from his pocket and reached out a hand to her to give it back. "Jenni, I'm really sorry." He was trying desperately to apologize. She turned around, her blue eyes looking deep into his. She snatched the wand from his hand and pointed it at him. "Don't you dare come near me again."
Bill stopped short as Jenni continued her ranting. When she finally finished yelling, Bill asked her, "Are you done yet? Because if you are, there are a few things I'd like to say to you."
Now it was Jenni's turn to stare in silence while Bill spoke his mind. "First of all, I had to save you from being crushed by a very furious Hungarian Horntail, then, you yell at me about being inconsiderate because I won't let you go off to get killed while you searched for your friend. Secondly, you hex me into losing my balance and making you bang your head on the road. Third you pass out in my arms, and instead of letting you fall on the road once again, I catch you. Then lastly, after all's said and done, you yell at me, call me every name under the sun, and I still offer to help you find Nancy. You don't even have the decency to thank me, and I'M the ungrateful prat?"
Jenni stood with her mouth hanging slightly open, trying to come up with any words at all, just so that Bill wouldn't think he'd gotten the last word. Unable to make any sound besides an annoyed squeak, she stormed over to Nancy and said, "Let's go," totally ignoring the way her friend was looking at Charlie Weasley.
Bill was still fuming when he came over to stand with Charlie and watch the two women make their way back to their hotel, Nancy limping slightly. Charlie spared him a glance, "Little hot under the collar there, aren't you, brother?"
Bill's glare would've sent a weaker man than Charlie running for cover. But Charlie had grown up with him, and knew too many of his embarrassing secrets to ever really take his "oh too cool" attitude seriously.
Suddenly, Charlie blanched. "Shit. I never found out where she..."
"Works?" Bill smirked. "Lives? Got it covered, dragon boy."
The girls had almost reached the door of the hotel, with Jenni sparing a few worried glances at Nancy's leg, when Nancy stopped suddenly. "Oh! I..." she glanced at her best friend and blushed. "I'll be right back."
Jenni stared as her friend hobbled back at a half run towards the two red headed men. Warily, she followed, in case Nancy needed help or something. By the time she was within hearing distance, Nancy had reached the two surprised Weasleys.
Charlie looked up and saw the brown-eyed pixie limping back towards them at a fast pace. His eyes narrowed worriedly. Why was her limping so bad? But in the next moment, he was reaching out to stop her before she plowed right into him and likely fell onto her cute arse.
"Nancy?" She almost lost her nerve, almost simply got lost in those deep blue eyes, before she remembered why she'd come all the way back here.
"I've always wanted to say this to someone," she said softly, a devilish sparkle in her eyes, as she leaned on his arm gratefully. Charlie held his breath, no idea what to expect to come tumbling out of that mouth next.
With a saucy grin, she said rather loudly, "You saved my life! MY HERO!!" Then, Nancy pushed herself up on her tiptoes, and thanking the heavens that her rescuer hadn't been any taller, planted a quick kiss on the astonished Charlie's lips.
Both of them were as red as Charlie's hair, and the man in question seemed frozen in shock for the moment, giving the blushing Nancy the chance to step back and take the arm Jenni offered, heading back toward the hotel.
Bill was staring at his brother, who was just now blinking and had brought a hand to his lips in confusion. A sly grin spread across his face as he turned and caught one last blue glare from the irascible Jenni. Beside him, Charlie was still red, and BIll laughed. "And I thought I had it bad... this is going to be fun."
LOUISA!! Our faithful reviewer. HUGGLES!
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"No, he's not a serial killer." He sighed as he dragged her a bit closer to him, again. Distracting it might be, but he just couldn't dive with her dangling so far out on the broom.
"He... he's not?" The relief in her voice made him burst out laughing. It didn't help that those sweetly concerned brown eyes were presently glaring at him in confusion.
"He's my brother." Charlie's seeker trained eyes swept over the street as he got lower, ignoring her squeak of surprise. It was hard to see anything through that infernal cloud of dust, but he could go ask... he glanced at his armful suddenly, feeling her tense. She was staring hard at the ground, and if he wasn't mistaken, was trying to slip down off of the broom. Tightening his grip on her, he gauged the distance to the ground. There was still a good thirty feet to fall if she jumped now, he estimated. "Going somewhere?"
Nancy tried to make sure her breathing stayed normal as his grip tightened and made physical contact with his very muscular body impossible to avoid. A moment ago, she'd been so lost in the smoky blue depths of his eyes that she'd actually forgotten to let the air out of her lungs. She knew her reaction - to tense up and try to get some space between them - was overdoing it, as there was really nowhere to go. Not yet at least. She jumped as his deep voice murmured amusedly right into her ear, "Going somewhere?"
"No..." Dammit. I sound all breathless and... oooh, DAINTY again, she thought with frustration, her face flushing to match his hair. Trying to pull herself back under control, she closed her eyes and brought up Jenni's face in her mind, hoping that it would help her calm down. Instead, she almost choked when she saw her mind's-eye Jenni WINK at her!
Charlie was low enough now to scan for Bill and this friend of hers, but he didn't yet, too arrested by the tension emanating off of the girl's body, and that breathy answer she'd just given him. I have GOT to put this girl down somewhere, before I forget how to fly all together he thought rather desperately. Glancing down at her flushed face, he couldn't restrain a grin. At least he wasn't the only one suffering here.
Suddenly, he yanked up on the broomstick with all of his might. Nancy's eyes flew open, and she yelped as she felt her feet collide with the ground for a moment before he was able to stabilize them about four feet up.
"Oh good, we're here." Nancy started to disentangle herself from his grasp. The linguist had NEVER made her blush like this, she thought ruefully. Air was definitely needed right now.
Charlie could tell she was trying to get off the broom, but as he took a few deep breaths and got some blood back into his brain, he wasn't too sure that he should let her. The dragon, he noticed, while keeping a restraining arm around her waist, was still awake even if it was calmer. And if her friend HAPPENED to be standing anywhere which would require her to run past it...
Nancy's blush was deepening. She had managed to get both legs over one side of the broom, and would have jumped immediately, except for the very firm arm that remained locked around her. As it was, she just sort of slid halfway off and dangled helplessly in midair. She glared up at the muscle- bound gorilla - well, to be fair, she thought, the muscle-bound gorilla with beautiful blue eyes and the nicest smile. Not much of an insult.
"Hey! What are you..." She was suddenly hauled back onto the broom, and tucked neatly against his chest, her head just under his chin.
Charlie had made his decision. There was no way she'd stay out of harm's way if he just let her down. "It's still, er, a bit dangerous down there," he started off diplomatically, adding in his head 'at least for YOU it is.' "I'm going to put you somewhere while I go find Bill and your friend." He glanced around, trying to ignore her indignant struggles, and his eyes fell on the roof of one of the houses lining the street. It was a bit less slanted than the others near it...
Before Nancy had a chance to catch her breath, he had flown them up to it, and she was lifted out of her sheltered position, and plopped onto a roof. She jumped up, utterly confused, and winced a bit when her left leg throbbed in protest.
"What!?! Where are you going? A ROOF??"
Charlie pulled back a little, so she wasn't tempted to make a leap for the broomstick, and grinned at her.
"Well, I can't have you running off to make friends with the Horntail, can I?" With a wink he turned his broom around, and tossed a laughing, "I'll be right back!" over his shoulder.
Nancy whipped out her wand and tossed a rather nasty hex after him. Well, she was pretty sure that blur was him. It might've been a rather distant tree... but at any rate, whatever it was would be sprouting purple hair from their ears and nose for a few days.
Charlie heard the hex coming and ducked, letting it whiz past his head. He glanced back. She was standing on the roof, wand out, squinting after him with a seriously annoyed look on her face. He chuckled, wondering just what it was she'd tried to do to him. He did feel a bit bad about leaving her there, but he just wasn't able to concentrate with her sitting so close. This way he'd find the two missing people in no time, and double back for her once he was sure it was safe.
Nancy was abso-bloody-lutely furious. Well, she supposed, stopping to consider for a moment, not really. That was more something Jenni would be. But she was really annoyed at being left behind, and on a ROOF! Nancy hated being left behind. People always doubted her ability to be of use in tough situations, just because she had the tendency to jump first and look later. She paced back and forth on the roof. Jenni had never thought so. She'd seen right away that Nancy just suffered from over-enthusiasm, and when entrusted with something important would perform perfectly well. It was just, there hadn't been much to DO outside of classes, and so my innate curiosity usually got the better of me, Nancy thought indignantly.
She glared out at the blurry street. Obviously HE did not understand. Well, she'd just have to take care of things herself, then. First thing's first... it would be nice to be able to SEE again.
"Accio glasses!"
She waited for a moment, listening, and then a small metallic object flew past her head and landed on the roof. As she turned to pick it up, she felt something slide by her leg, and heard a light bump as it came to a stop near the edge of the roof.
"Figures," she muttered in frustration, slowly feeling her way down towards the slightly raised lip that directed the rainwater to a pipe further down the wall. Her left foot caught it first, and the jarring stop reminded her that her leg was really rather achy. Ok, now to find those glasses, she thought.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Bill was grinning as he pocketed Jenni's wand. However, his smile faded as soon as he saw the look on her face. Anger he could have dealt with. But this, this was totally unexpected. She was standing there staring at him, her eyes red rimmed and wet. The look in her eyes was like nothing he had ever seen before - it went straight to his gut, and he found himself feeling guilty, feeling that he had caused her tears.
Jenni stared at him. This was just what she needed. She blinked fast trying to stop the tears, but to no avail. Everything she felt - her confusion, anger, and the worry over her best friend all spilled out, running hot and wet down her face. As she began to sob uncontrollably, she turned and ran, not wanting to stand there any longer with Bill just watching her. She was vaguely aware of footsteps behind her and a voice calling her name. Jenni kept running. She didn't want to face anyone right now.
Bill finally caught up with her, slightly out of breath. Damn she was a fast runner. He grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop and gently turned her to face him. Jenni put her head in her hands, crying harder. Bill moved her hands and lifted her chin so he could see her face. "I'm sorry." He spoke gently. "I didn't mean to upset you so much."
Jenni looked into his blue eyes, tears streaming down her face. "It's not you." She said brokenly. "I just... I'm worried." She didn't know why, but she felt the need to explain. "I've never been very good at controlling my emotions. And I don't know where Nancy is, or if she's okay for that matter." Jenni felt more sobs coming on and turned away as she fought against the urge to cry.
Bill put his hands on Jenni's shoulders to keep her from walking away from him yet again. He didn't know why, but seeing her like this stirred something inside of him. He didn't like the lost look in her eyes or the fact that she felt helpless to do anything about her friend. "Listen, as soon as all this clears up, I'll help you go look for Nancy."
Jenni looked up. She couldn't believe her ears. She wanted to hug him, but restrained herself. "You would do that?" she asked with a watery smile.
Bill smiled. It wasn't the same arrogant smile he had flashed when she first met him. In fact, it was a sincere smile, and it made Jenni's knees feel extremely weak. Especially when he finally spoke. It was in such a low voice, almost a whisper. "Of course I would."
Jenni was just about to ask Bill why he was being so nice to her, when all of a sudden she felt really strange. For some odd reason, everything was spinning and she felt very lightheaded. Jenni reached a hand out to steady herself as she felt her legs give way. She could hazily see Bill's face contorted with worry. She needed to sit down. What happened next, she didn't know. Everything went black.
Bill stared as Jenni's face lost all of its color. He felt her sway slightly and gripped her tighter as he watched her. As her hands clutched his arms for support, he realized she was going to pass out. His arms went around her instinctively as she started falling to the ground.
Bill knelt, settling the limp girl in his lap. He put a hand to her forehead to wipe her hair away from her eyes. "Come on Jenni," he pleaded softly. "Wake up." He lifted her slightly, allowing her head to rest just under his chin.
A bit panicked, he looked for signs of injury but couldn't see anything obvious. Then he remembered - she had hexed him. They fell... and she hit her head. He ran his hand gently over the back of her head and found a rather large bump. Bill thought fast; he needed something to bring the swelling down. He conjured up an ice pack and gently applied it to the swollen area on the back of Jenni's head. He felt her stir slightly. His heart was racing. Thank goodness she was ok.
Jenni slowly came to her senses. The first thing she noticed was something cold on the back of her head. She reached a hand to see what it was. What she found was a large warm hand, connected to a rather familiar arm. She opened her eyes then, her hand still resting on the arm. She looked up and met Bill's worried blue eyes. His hand moved away from the back of her head towards her face, dropping the ice pack.
Light with the relief that had flooded through him the moment Jenni opened her eyes and looked at him, he ran his hand gently down her cheek. His thumb wiped away the last wetness left by her tears, and as he watched her eyes drifted closed again on a sigh. Without stopping to think, Bill leaned forward, drawn toward her slightly parted lips. He forgot everything else as his lips brushed hers. He could feel his heart pounding, and he was having trouble breathing.
Jenni's eyes closed softly as she suddenly felt the world spinning again. This time however, it wasn't because she was about to pass out. He was kissing her! She lost herself in the moment, shivering with the electricity of that first gentle touch, and gasping as he deepened the kiss.
Bill tensed as Jenni kissed him back. He was aware of her fingertips against his arm, burning like fire. Her lips were soft, and sweet. Intoxicating. He was reminded of his first taste of wine. The way it left a sweet taste on your mouth, the way it warmed your insides, and the feeling of wanting more.
Jenni's eyes opened as they slowly pulled apart. She had never been kissed like that before. She stared, waiting for Bill to say something, anything to break the silence. Instead he only stared back at her. Blue eyes locking with blue eyes.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Charlie was worrying about her as he flew around, darting around buildings and searching for his brother's red head. He kept coming up with reasons that he should NOT have left her on that roof. She'd lost her glasses, and was barely able to see. That was one. She was susceptible to anything that decided to have a go at her. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't think she could handle herself in a fight, but she was vulnerable. And hurt, he reminded himself, picturing the look of pain he'd caught on her face when he'd first set her down. A look that had vanished immediately, but still... something inside him clenched painfully and he urged his broom to go a bit faster.
As he zoomed up on an intersection, his worries were put on hold momentarily by the sound of an argument coming from somewhere to his left. Veering towards it, he grinned in relief when he clearly heard his brother's voice calling out, "Jenni!"
Swooping down towards them, Charlie pulled to a stop suddenly when they came into view. Another small brunette was running down the street, obviously upset, and his absolutely unflappable brother was RUNNING AFTER HER. His jaw dropped. He'd never seen his brother do that - chase after a woman. Usually, they came to him or he didn't need them. A devilish grin started to form on Charlie's boyish face, and leaving the couple to work out their problem, he turned around and headed at full speed back towards his own ultimate distraction who he'd left waiting for him on a rooftop.
Except that, she was no longer, technically ON the roof.
That odd clenching feeling that he'd experienced off and on ever since first pulling her to safety hit him so hard that for a moment, Charlie couldn't breathe. The intensity of the fear that he was feeling was astonishing. And he couldn't even yell out her name, he realized suddenly, because he didn't know it! He settled for a hoarse, "I'm coming!" as he sped back down the street.
Now she'd done it, Nancy thought a bit dejectedly. All she'd been trying to do was grab her glasses! She'd never meant to knock them off the roof completely and then almost follow. And she couldn't imagine how idiotic she would look when he came back, hanging from the edge of the roof like she was. She readjusted her hands and looked around her, squinting hopefully.
Ah HA! With a triumphant grin, she spotted the column into which the water from the roof was poured. It was only a few feet away, and if she could just get to it...
"Going somewhere?"
Charlie's heart rate had slowed somewhat, as he got close enough to establish that she was not screaming for help or crying or trying to fight anything off. She was just hanging there, with a frustrated look on her face. He felt his fear melt away, to be replaced by an outright suspicion of just WHY she was hanging off the edge.
Nancy nearly lost her hold on the roof out of surprise; he was back. And she'd been so close to the darned drainpipe.
"Not exactly, no." She turned her head, trying to figure out where he was.
"Down here," Charlie couldn't hold back a grin, "enjoying the view." He grinned harder when she gasped and looked down, instinctively trying to gather the material of her robes with her legs so that he couldn't see anything. Not that he was ACTUALLY looking, he thought, winking at her and watching her blush deepen. But she was so cute when she turned that shade of pink.
"Well, if you don't mind moving a bit to one side?" Nancy did her best to glare down at him through her blushes. Her arms were starting to ache. "I'm not entirely comfortable with you there."
His blue eyes were dancing, and he kept his grin firmly in place as he hovered directly beneath her.
"Well, you see... I would, but what's in it for me?" he teased laughingly. "How about, you answer a few questions if I do?" Like who you are and where I can find you again...
She sighed. He could see her arms beginning to shake. He wouldn't leave her hanging there too much longer, or she might pull a muscle, but he had a few things he wanted to know first.
"Fine." Knowing that he was so close was actually a bit of a relief, even if he was playing games with her, she was fairly confident that he wouldn't let her hit the ground if she fell.
"We'll start with an easy one... why are you not sitting where I left you?" Charlie flew over just a smidgen to the right, letting her know that he was honoring her request.
"I was just... well, you LEFT me. So I tried to summon my glasses and come up with a plan to..." why did she keep TELLING him these things? Nancy wondered suddenly. Usually she was very able to bend the truth a bit when the times called for it, but every time she looked into his dark blue eyes she had the sudden urge to tell him everything. It was entirely unnerving. "Well, I summoned them, and didn't catch them, and they slid down here..."
"And you followed?" the laughter in his voice put her on the defensive.
"It was an ACCIDENT." She wasn't sure her arms would hold her much longer. Her hands had started to slip and she'd lost feeling in her right arm. The strain of holding herself up made her voice waver a bit as she continued, "I didn't mean to."
Charlie glanced up at her, hearing that catch in her voice. He shouldn't tease her like this, he thought with a sigh.
"Come on, let go now, I've got you." His voice was gentle, and Nancy trustingly released her hold on the edge of the roof. She only fell for a second before he had her safely in his arms.
Charlie hovered there for a moment, massaging her shaking arms as she relaxed into him. How could he have thought she was strong enough to just hang there and play games with him? She was such a tiny little thing... shorter, even than his little sister, Ginny. She just had this infectious confidence, he acknowledged with a smile, which had led him to believe her show of strength.
He needed to revise his evaluation of her as a poker player. She'd be an awfully good bluffer. He'd have to learn to read her before playing.
Nancy opened her eyes after a moment of just enjoying the feel of his hands on her, and found him grinning down at her devilishly. Her stomach did a flip, and she felt the heat returning to her cheeks. She scrambled to sit up, ignoring the shouts of protests from the muscles he'd been relaxing so well just a second ago. Blinking up at him, she suddenly remembered why he'd left her in the first place.
"Did you find them?"
It took a moment for her words to penetrate Charlie's fogged brain. He was somewhere else, shuffling cards, staring into her brown eyes. When she blinked again at him, he realized she was waiting for a response, and answered the only question he could imagine that she'd asked.
"Bill's around the corner, and he's with your friend, Jenni, right?" He watched her reaction, hoping that he'd guessed correctly. Her face lit up and he relaxed.
"Well, let's go!"
"What do you say?"
"NOW!"
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jenni broke eye contact first as she heard footsteps approaching. Turning her head, her eyes widened when she saw Bill's brother Charlie. Realizing how she and Bill must look, Jenni scrambled up quickly. Bill stood close behind her, one hand around her waist supporting her as if waiting for her to pass out again, the other hand resting on her shoulder.
Jenni gave a small gasp of surprised delight as she noticed another person. Following close behind Charlie was Nancy. Jenni was grateful for Bill's supporting hands when her knees gave way from the immense feeling of relief. Feeling his grip tighten on her shoulder as she suppressed a sob, she instinctively reached up and grabbed his hand. Within seconds, however, she had composed herself and broken away, running towards Nancy and engulfing her in a hug.
Jenni broke into a round of rambling which seemed not to bother Nancy in the least. "Oh thank goodness you're okay. I was so worried about you! Don't you ever go off and do something like that again! You could have been hurt. Do you realize how worried I was?"
Nancy patted Jenni on the back with a smile. She had become used to Jenni worrying over her like a mother hen whenever she had become involved in one of her silly incidents. Not to mention her Quidditch accidents. However, as she shifted uncomfortably on her wounded leg, Jenni went into full hysterical mode. "You've been hurt? Nancy what happened? What have you done to yourself? Here you are going off to who knows where, getting chased by dragons, slicing up your leg, and what if something worse would have happened? How do you expect me to explain something like this to your parents?"
"I'm fine... have you been CRYING Jenni?"
Jenni glared furiously at Nancy. "Of course I've been crying. I've been worried sick about you. Knowing you, you were probably dangling from a roof top somewhere." Jenni's attempt at sarcasm was met with glares from Nancy and a hearty laugh from Charlie.
"And just WHAT is so funny, Charlie Weasley?" Jenni turned from Nancy and advanced on the younger of the brothers.
Bill, standing behind Jenni, saw as the blood drained from Nancy's face. She was staring at his brother as though she'd never seen him before.
With a grin that would make most girls melt, Charlie replied, "Nice to see you again too, Jenni," before paling as he realized what had just happened, and how Nancy had reacted.
"Don't try to pull that charm on me. It won't work." Jenni glared at Charlie, totally oblivious to Nancy's current state of discomfort. Charlie had become quite uncomfortable himself, from Bill's reproving glare as much as the flushed silence of the girl next to him.
He was saved from answering Jenni however as Bill walked over and grabbed her by the arm. "We need to talk for a minute."
Jenni felt a rush of heat as Bill's hand touched her arm. She nodded and walked off after him, uncertain of what he wanted to talk about, and uncertain of her reactions.
Nancy just stood there, silent and red, the laughing words they'd had about Charlie and his abilities running over and over through her mind.
Charlie couldn't bear to meet her eyes; he could practically FEEL the embarrassment radiating off of her. He should've just TOLD her when she'd first brought up his name...
He smiled gratefully at his brother, watching him lead Jenni away so he could have a moment to explain himself. When he looked back at her, she'd turned away from him. He could see that the tips of her ears were red. Charlie cautiously approached her, reaching out to put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She shivered, and muttered, "THE Charlie Weasley... oh god... I'm such a bleeding idiot."
"Listen... I've never had such a pretty fan! How's a guy supposed to know how to react?" His voice was soft and gently teasing, as her turned her back around to face him.
"Hey," he called softly, trying to get her to look at him. "We never did get to introduce ourselves." He swore inwardly as she reddened further, hoping she didn't take this as him rubbing anything in. He smiled gently and stuck out his hand. "Charlie Weasley." His smile widened when she finally glanced up at him, those soft brown eyes all wary and uncertain.
"Nancy Gwin," she whispered, taking his hand. Charlie gaped at her. "THE Nancy Gwin?"
"Er..." she stared at him outright, rather taken aback. "I suppose so, yes."
His deep blue eyes twinkled, "THE Nancy Gwin who was such a good beater for Gryffindor? THE Nancy Gwin whose exploits around school, even as Head Girl, nearly caused Snape to retire and inspired my twin brothers to create the dungbomb?"
"Potions never was my best class," she muttered, red faced. "Had a habit of blowing things up..."
Charlie was grinning at her. So THIS was Nancy Gwin. Interesting. He saw the tentative smile she shot back at him, and melted. That girl's eyes should really be a registered lethal material. He reached out and ran the side of his hand down her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Nancy. Friends?" His roguish wink made her giggle in spite of herself, and she nodded. "Friends."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Jenni asked, trying to hide the nervousness from her voice. Why was she suddenly acting like she had never been kissed before? 'Because,' Jenni mumbled to herself, 'no one has ever kissed you like that before, that's why.' She looked up at Bill waiting for his answer and suppressing a grin. He suddenly looked very boyish. He had shoved his hands into his pockets and was looking at the ground with great interest. And, Jenni noticed slightly amused, his ears had begun to turn a brilliant shade of pink.
"Well," Bill started out slowly. "About what happened earlier... I mean..."
Now it was Jenni's turn to blush. "Oh." She responded. She too had put her hands in her pockets when she suddenly realized her wand was gone.
"Where's my wand?" She turned around and looked on the ground, forgetting that Bill had taken it from her earlier. Realization dawned on her as she looked up to see Bill grinning devilishly at her.
"What did you do with my wand?" Jenni yelled at the top of her lungs. The sudden outburst caused several passersby to stop and stare. Jenni, however, gave no notice. She continued yelling at Bill, causing him to back away from her. "If you think for one minute that this is funny, you are dead wrong, mister!"
"I was going to give it back. You.I mean.when I tried." Bill was stuttering hopelessly, an entirely new experience for him.
"You tried? You didn't try hard enough. Or maybe," Jenni had once again become quietly furious with Bill, "just maybe, your mind was on other things."
Bill couldn't deny that. His mind had definitely been on other things.
"Now I know why I gave up dating!" Jenni was on a rampant yelling contest with herself. She turned her back towards Bill still yelling at the top of her lungs. "It's because every guy I've dated has been arrogant, conceited, or acted like a complete prat in one way or another. I should have learned my lesson. But NO! The first guy I meet in Romania turns out to be the worst one of them all!"
Bill had retrieved Jenni's wand from his pocket and reached out a hand to her to give it back. "Jenni, I'm really sorry." He was trying desperately to apologize. She turned around, her blue eyes looking deep into his. She snatched the wand from his hand and pointed it at him. "Don't you dare come near me again."
Bill stopped short as Jenni continued her ranting. When she finally finished yelling, Bill asked her, "Are you done yet? Because if you are, there are a few things I'd like to say to you."
Now it was Jenni's turn to stare in silence while Bill spoke his mind. "First of all, I had to save you from being crushed by a very furious Hungarian Horntail, then, you yell at me about being inconsiderate because I won't let you go off to get killed while you searched for your friend. Secondly, you hex me into losing my balance and making you bang your head on the road. Third you pass out in my arms, and instead of letting you fall on the road once again, I catch you. Then lastly, after all's said and done, you yell at me, call me every name under the sun, and I still offer to help you find Nancy. You don't even have the decency to thank me, and I'M the ungrateful prat?"
Jenni stood with her mouth hanging slightly open, trying to come up with any words at all, just so that Bill wouldn't think he'd gotten the last word. Unable to make any sound besides an annoyed squeak, she stormed over to Nancy and said, "Let's go," totally ignoring the way her friend was looking at Charlie Weasley.
Bill was still fuming when he came over to stand with Charlie and watch the two women make their way back to their hotel, Nancy limping slightly. Charlie spared him a glance, "Little hot under the collar there, aren't you, brother?"
Bill's glare would've sent a weaker man than Charlie running for cover. But Charlie had grown up with him, and knew too many of his embarrassing secrets to ever really take his "oh too cool" attitude seriously.
Suddenly, Charlie blanched. "Shit. I never found out where she..."
"Works?" Bill smirked. "Lives? Got it covered, dragon boy."
The girls had almost reached the door of the hotel, with Jenni sparing a few worried glances at Nancy's leg, when Nancy stopped suddenly. "Oh! I..." she glanced at her best friend and blushed. "I'll be right back."
Jenni stared as her friend hobbled back at a half run towards the two red headed men. Warily, she followed, in case Nancy needed help or something. By the time she was within hearing distance, Nancy had reached the two surprised Weasleys.
Charlie looked up and saw the brown-eyed pixie limping back towards them at a fast pace. His eyes narrowed worriedly. Why was her limping so bad? But in the next moment, he was reaching out to stop her before she plowed right into him and likely fell onto her cute arse.
"Nancy?" She almost lost her nerve, almost simply got lost in those deep blue eyes, before she remembered why she'd come all the way back here.
"I've always wanted to say this to someone," she said softly, a devilish sparkle in her eyes, as she leaned on his arm gratefully. Charlie held his breath, no idea what to expect to come tumbling out of that mouth next.
With a saucy grin, she said rather loudly, "You saved my life! MY HERO!!" Then, Nancy pushed herself up on her tiptoes, and thanking the heavens that her rescuer hadn't been any taller, planted a quick kiss on the astonished Charlie's lips.
Both of them were as red as Charlie's hair, and the man in question seemed frozen in shock for the moment, giving the blushing Nancy the chance to step back and take the arm Jenni offered, heading back toward the hotel.
Bill was staring at his brother, who was just now blinking and had brought a hand to his lips in confusion. A sly grin spread across his face as he turned and caught one last blue glare from the irascible Jenni. Beside him, Charlie was still red, and BIll laughed. "And I thought I had it bad... this is going to be fun."