Chapter 38 - Yule
GN
When we got back to Bill's place, Charlie and Bash were cuddling together on the couch. I grinned and threw myself on top of them, sitting on Charlie's lap with my feet in Bash's.
"Had fun?" Bash asked, putting his hand on my calf.
"Bill's okay."
"Oi!" He shouted as he put the bags on the dresser, making the three of us snicker. "You loved my company, admit it."
"Fine, fine." I rolled my eyes. "I had fun. He can be funny if he wants to, not like what you told me about him, Charlie."
"What?! What did you say to her about me?"
"I'm just messing with you." I laughed and kicked off my shoes.
"What do you think you're doing, missy?" Bill asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uhm, making myself comfortable?" I said uncertain as I glanced to Bill, who was still standing near the dresser, with his coat on.
"No can do, little one." Bash smiled.
"It's time for us to leave." Charlie added.
"For Bill and you." I pointed at Charlie as I stood up, Charlie and Bash followed. "You're celebrating Christmas with your family. Bash and I are eating in, aren't we?" I turned to Bash.
"Sort of." He grinned.
"The four of us are celebrating Christmas with our family." Bill said with a grin.
"What?" I looked between the three grinning men. "Why didn't you tell me? Does your mum know? Does George know?"
"First, we wanted it to be a surprise. Second, no but dad does. Third, no." He smirked.
"I can't go, I don't have any presents! We were together for almost an entire day." I stomped to Bill and pounded on his chest. "I could've picked things up!"
"Hey, little one. Calm down, it's all taken care of. I bought them gifts from the two of us." Bash placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Besides, our mum and dad aren't big on presents, more on the company." Charlie reassured me.
"Fine, okay." I sighed. "How fancy is it? Do I need to change?"
"If you need to change, so should we." Bill snickered. "You look beautiful."
"She's taken, Bill, and way too young for you." Charlie laughed and clapped his brother on the shoulder.
"Only by a year or seven." Bill chuckled, pulling me against him with his arm around my shoulder. "Oh, I'm going to tease George endlessly."
"That's crude." Bash said but a smile appeared.
"He has it coming from the prank they pulled when they came to Egypt."
"I'll go get the present and then we can get going. Mum will go into a frenzy if we're late." Charlie said before he disappeared in the hallway.
"Here." Bill took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. "Both read it carefully." He waited patiently as we read it. "Did you memorize it?"
"Yes." We both said and Bill let the paper burst into flames.
"Charlie will apparate you, Bash and I'll take you." He looked to me. "Once we're there keep your focus on the address, or we won't get in."
"Ready to go?" Charlie asked from behind us, a bag in hand. "Alright, see you in a second." He winked and locked arms with Bash before they both disappeared.
"Nervous?" Bill asked as I fidgeted with my fingers.
"A little. I met your mum and dad already, but that was before..."
"Before you and George became a couple."
"Yeah."
"It will be fine, even if you only seen them once or twice, they love you already. Saving little kids would do that." He grinned.
"Maybe, still different. Now I'm dating her son." I said as I locked my arm with his.
"It will be fine, trust me." He padded my arm. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be." I gave a short nod, and we disappeared from the flat.
GN
We apparated right next to Charlie on the pavement in front of a row of houses. The street was empty except for the four of us. Everyone was probably already celebrating Christmas eve as night became to fall.
"Focus on the address." Charlie said, and I did. The moment I pictured the address, the house in front of me started to shake as another house appeared between them. It didn't look like the muggles in the houses noticed what was happening as the black house appeared in front of me.
"Wow!" Bash and I gasped.
"A Fidelius Charm?" I asked.
"Right, you are." Bill grinned. "Maybe you should work as a curse breaker."
"Oh, no she doesn't." Bash said immediately. "She's seen enough."
"Let's just not talk about my future line of work and enjoy Christmas, yeah?" I shook my head.
"Why don't we go first. Then you two come in later to surprise everyone?" Charlie suggested. We all nodded as we crossed the street to the new house. Bill opened the door with his wand. "Oh, and be quiet in the hallway, there is a painting you don't want to wake up." Before Bash or I could ask about it, Charlie walked in the house and Bash followed. Bill and I trailed in a few meters behind them. The house was quiet, and you could hear dampened voices coming from a room a little further down the dark hallway.
Bill stopped me as Charlie and Bash stopped in front one of the doors. Charlie looked back to us and winked before opening the door with a flourish. "Your favourite Weasley is here." He exclaimed loudly in the room, but it was quiet in the hallway.
"Silencing charm." Bill whispered and I nodded. We could hear the dampened voices in the room, welcoming Charlie and Bash.
"Let's get a bit closer." Bill walked in front of me and stopped just before the door.
"Where's your brother?" I heard Mr Weasley ask.
"He'll be here soon." You could hear the grin in his voice.
"If he's talking up some girl again." His mum grumbled and Bill and I shared an amused look.
"I believe he's taking a bird with him tonight."
I could hear Mrs Weasley gasp. "He finally found himself a girlfriend?"
"She is a Weasley's girl alright." Charlie agreed.
"Oh, he's horrible." I laughed softly and Bill shared the same look.
"I'll go in first." He whispered and walked in the room, leaving me alone in the dark hallway. "Merry Christmas everyone!"
"Where's your date?" His mum asked in an instant. "Charlie said you were bringing someone."
"We just had a date this morning actually. Oh, honey!" He called over his shoulder to me. Oh Helga, are they really going to introduce me like that?! His mum will hate me. I took in a deep breath and stepped aside, standing in the doorway. All eyes were on me. Charlie and Bill both grinned broadly, Bill even wrapped his arm around me as I stepped in. Molly looked confused between me, Bill and George. Arthur, who was bandaged up, smiled knowingly. My eyes found George, they were large and full of surprise, but a smile grew on his lips.
"I think you all know, Gwen." Bill smiled.
"But -" Mrs Weasley shot between us. "You - her- George."
George had jumped up from the couch and nearly ran to me, enveloping me in a tight hug. Bill let me go and I wrapped my arms around George's waist. I knew everyone was looking at us, at me, but I didn't care. I just relished the feeling of being in his arms.
"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Mrs Weasley nearly screeched.
"Molly." Arthur said from his chair. "Charlie asked if Gwen could come with them to celebrate Christmas with us."
"But she – George- Bill."
"Mum, it was just a joke." Bill said. "She's just George's girl."
"That's not funny, William!"
"I did say she was a Weasley's girl. I just didn't say which Weasley." Charlie pointed out and the rest laughed.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Weasley." I said as George had stepped next to me, his arm around my shoulder.
"It's not your fault, dear. The twins didn't get their mischievous side from nowhere." She smiled at me. "Why don't we head to the kitchen?" She patted my shoulder softly as she passed.
"Where are we anyway?"
"It's my godfather's house." Harry said from his place on the couch. "Speaking of the devil." He nudged his head behind me. I turned to see Sirius Black leaning against the doorway. His long black hair reached over his shoulders; his grey eyes fixed on me.
"Well, who is this lovely young thing?"
"Gwen." I smiled and held out me hand. Sirius Black took and leaned down, placing a kiss on top of it. "And I will add that I'm this one's girlfriend." I pointed to George with a grin. "Before he gets all jealous and what not."
"Duly noted." He grinned.
"I don't get jealous." George protested, but the rest of the room snorted at his proclamation. "I'll show you our room." He ignored the others and dragged me upstairs. When we reached the right floor, he pulled me in and closed the door behind us. "Maybe I can get a little jealous." He admitted as he pinned me against the door. "When I first saw you and Bill together..."
"I'm a one guy at the time kind of girl." I grinned up at him as I curled my arms around his neck. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, now that you're here. Dad got home yesterday; it's going to take a while before he's completely healed but he'll get there."
"I wish I could've been there for you." I leaned my forehead against his. His arms went around my waist, pulling me close.
"I wish you were there too, but I know it wasn't possible. I'm just happy that Charlie got you here." He nudged his nose against mine before our lips crashed.
The kiss was intense, filled with love, angst and need. His hands travelled lower, so they cupped by bum and lifted me up. My legs went around his waist as his kisses trailed my neck. He took me to one of the beds and laid me down softly.
"George." I breathed out as he sucked softly on my collarbone. "Your family is just downstairs."
His lips trailed back up and found my lips again. My heels involuntarily dug into his back, crashing him against me. My hands trailed up and down under his shirt, while he cupped my breasts. He groaned as he pulled away, he rested his head against mine and we breathed hard.
"You make me crazy." He said with a smile. I chuckled as I pushed him off and turned on my side to look at him. "This is the best Christmas gift I could ask for."
"I have another one, but you'll have to wait until we're back at Hogwarts."
"Can I know what it is?"
I leaned closer and purred in his ear. "It's something lacey and very revealing." I felt him shudder against me. "Let's head back down before your mum comes looking for us." I laughed as George pouted and pulled him up. "Let's go, love." I placed another kiss on his lips before we headed down.
GN
Before George could pull me between him and Fred, Bill had pulled me down between him and Sirius. Mrs Weasley looked confused again before shrugging and filling everyone's plate.
"You're horrible." I whispered to Bill, but he just winked at me. I rolled my eyes with a lopsided grin and looked across from me where George and Fred had taken their seats. I tossed George a wink, and he smiled.
"So, what was this about your date this morning, Bill." Mrs Weasley asked.
Bill leaned back and placed his arm on the back of my chair with a relaxed grin. "Oh, I took Gwen here on a lovely breakfast date, just the two of us. Then we spend the whole afternoon shopping. We got to get to know each other before we walk down the aisle together."
The ladle Mrs Weasley was holding dropped down in the pot in front of her, her eyes wide. Even the twins, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione looked confused.
"You're saying it like we are getting married." I slapped his chest. "What he means is -" I pursed my lips at him before turning to the others. "Is that he's Charlie's best man and I'm Bash's Maid of Honor, best woman, whatever you want to call it." I smiled at the engaged couple. You could hear a simultaneous breaths of relief fill the air.
"Oh, that's lovely, dear." Mrs Weasley smiled and sat down. "Speaking of the wedding." She turned to Charlie and Bash. "Did you set a date?"
Charlie and Bash shared a look before turning back to Molly. "We did, you're all invited to our wedding on July 28th."