Chapter 9

Bill thundered down the stairwell and burst through the door. Running in Cairo this late at night wasn't the safest activity but he didn't care. Arrogant, was he? If that were true, he had earned the right to be. Who earned O.W.L.s in all twelve subjects? Outstanding O.W.L.s? And seven N.E.W.T.s? Who wasn't just prefect, but Head Boy? Who was accepted into Gringotts's curse breaker program the summer after Hogwarts, when everyone said you needed two years of work experience? Which of those eleven trainees, from all over the wizarding world, had been given the plum assignment in Egypt? Who had the exotic life and the cool job and a beautiful witch whenever he wanted one?

Bill crossed against the light, dodging traffic and heading for the football stadium a few blocks away.

Charlie was full of shit, Lindsay had been a silly girl with no ambition other than the tastiest piece of arm candy, and as for Amy— Bill had warned her. She said it herself, he had told her he was not interested in a serious relationship. It was why they broke up in the first place. All the expectations, and the nagging, and the responsibility. He had enough responsibilities, thank you very much. He did not need them in his love life too.

The stadium was in sight. Bill increased his speed, vaulted the gate, and attacked the stairs three at a time.

It wasn't his fault he was sexy and charming and great in bed. He hadn't asked Amy to fall in love with him. He hadn't asked Charlie for his opinion, either. What did Charlie care, anyway? He had just met the witch a fortnight ago. And he had been wrong about Bill being jealous. He wasn't jealous of his little brother. Just because Charlie flew better than anyone, and had been both prefect and Quidditch Captain, and was always popular with Bill's friends, and was a bloody dragon keeper, and made Amy laugh, why should he be jealous of that?

Bill slowed his pace slightly so as not to trip going down the stairs, ran along the aisle in front of a section of seating, and headed upstairs for the third time.

And he wasn't jealous of Amy, either. So she was damn good at her job, having pulled in almost as many galleons in treasure last quarter as he had, despite fewer field assignments. He could handle a little competition; it made you better, stronger, more determined. He didn't care who she dated, either. Hadn't she gone out with that bloke from the loan department last month, and some Auror she met at a club the time before that? He had told her to make sure she took her wand and some cash and to have a good time. Hell, for all he cared, Charlie could be at her flat right now—

Bill staggered up another two steps, turned, and collapsed, panting. He couldn't do it. He couldn't pretend Charlie's words didn't hurt, he couldn't pretend he didn't care about Amy, and most of all, he couldn't pretend he didn't know he was an arse. He bent forward, resting his arms on his knees and his head on his hands, controlling his breathing, trying to ease the stitch in his chest. He had known it was wrong, flirting and tempting and teasing when she was only trying to follow the boundaries that he had set in the first place. He wasn't even sure why he had done it, unless it was . . . just because he could. Amy was a beautiful, successful, desirable witch, and he had liked knowing— and liked everyone else knowing— that she wanted him.

He flung himself backwards, relishing the pain in his back and neck and head as they hit the concrete steps. Charlie had been right, all the way round. Amy was in love with Bill, he was jealous, and he was damned lucky Amy was an only child. Amy had been right too. The sex was fantastic, but that wasn't friendship. If he really cared about the brunette witch, he wouldn't take advantage of her heart. He sighed. He had been right too, when he told his brothers there was more to having a relationship with a woman than thinking she was hot. He could admit he was jealous, but what about Charlie's other accusation?

Bill shifted slightly, and every muscle in his lower body burned in protest. This was the second time in two days he had gone running without warming up, and tonight he was running full- out. He stopped moving.

No, he wasn't in love with Amy. His jealousy had more to do with the competition between brothers than it did with her. And it wasn't just Charlie. Amy had been warm and vivacious with each of his brothers, and the older, the flirtier. But Bill did like her, and he didn't want tonight's events to ruin what was left of their friendship. He closed his eyes and sighed again.

This was going to take more than charm.

()()()()

Amy pressed one eye to the peephole, then stepped back.

Charlie Weasley was standing on her doorstep.

She looked again. With— was that ice cream?

"Rocky Road or Mint Chocolate Chip?" He held up his hands like an offering.

She took both containers and headed for the kitchen. He followed and sat down at the table.

"Which do you want?"

"None for me, thanks."

Amy looked up, but he smiled and shook his head, so she served herself a scoop of each, put both cartons away, and sat down across from him. "Did Bill send you?"

Charlie snorted. "Not bloody likely. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"How did you know my favorite ice cream?" She took another bite, savoring the contrast between sweet and fresh.

He grinned, looking much more like the flirt she'd seen over the last two weeks. "I didn't. But I've yet to meet the female who turned down both."

Amy stopped with a spoonful of Rocky Road halfway to her mouth, but Charlie's smile only widened until she felt the corners of her own mouth turning up.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault."

"I'm still sorry."

Amy shrugged, watching the green and white run together in the bowl.

"It's not your fault, either," Charlie said.

Why was he being so nice? She was going to start crying again, and she'd only just gotten out of the shower. "It's not Bill's fault, either. He was always straight with me, right after the first time. It just is."

Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Amy said.

"I got the impression you kept trying to break it off, but he kept pushing you.″

She made a production of scraping the last of the ice cream out of her bowl.

"What happened to the shirt?"

"What shirt?"

"Bill's shirt you wore home."

"Oh. It's gone." She had ripped it by hand (much more satisfying that way) and ignited it with her wand.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

Was that a proposition? No, there was no trace of the rogue in his expression now. "It's not the first time I've cried over a wizard, Charlie, and I'm sure it won't be the last," Amy said dryly, Banishing her dish to the sink. "I'm fine. Go home."

He made no move to get up. "I didn't think you would be here, or at least there would be another witch with you."

She swallowed against the immediate rise of a lump in her throat. Gods, what wouldn't she give for a girlfriend in the flesh right now? Over a year in Egypt, and she still didn't feel like she fit in. "All my close friends are back home, and it's the middle of the work day there. Come on." Amy got up and motioned him toward the door. She couldn't hold it together for much longer, and she'd humiliated herself enough for one evening.

He followed her through the apartment but paused in the open doorway, lifting one hand to her face. "My brother is an idiot."

And then he was gone.

a/n: There have been a couple of reviewers I haven't been able to PM: thanks to Il'Diko and mykk47! For anyone who is new to my stories, or simply hasn't noticed (because life is random), I update every Wednesday :) And a special shout-out to my beta vancabreuniter whose favorite ice cream is-yes, Mint Chocolate Chip. I know the last couple of chapters (especially this one) have been short, but it was necessary for tension and flow, I promise. Chapter ten is over 4,000 words, so I will make it up to you. And there's still a favorite character yet to make an appearance. . . .