Burnt

Chapter 25

The footsteps got louder. Whoever it was, kept coming along the corridor, and they would soon see that the candles were lit in the classroom.

'Ah, crap,' whispered Oliver. I had to muffle a laugh at his tone of voice.

'Come on,' I said, letting go of him and moving quietly over to the candles, beginning to blow them out. Oliver went over to the fire and muttered something, and the flames died then went out. I blew out the last candle, and the room became totally dark except for a small stream of light that came through the window that was in the door.

The footsteps got louder, then the person walked past the door. It was Flint.

I heard my breath hiss in the darkness as I sucked in a mouthful of air. As soon as his shadow was past the door, I heard Oliver whisper 'Lumos', then saw his face illuminated by the glow that his wand was emitting.

'Are you ok?' he said as he stepped around a desk and put his arm around me. I nodded.

'Yeah, I'm fine Oliver.' I said. He raised his eyebrows.

'Really.' I insisted.

'Ok, ok. Then do you want to go and have some lunch?'

'Sure,' I said. That niggling feeling of nervousness that I had before was gone. Next time, Flint would be sorry he even existed. Ok, so I was taking the tough stance, but who was going to stop me?

'I know kung fu,' I said suddenly. Damn those muggle movies that Emma made me watch, just because she thought she saw some Neo guy in Diagon Alley one day. I'll get you for this Emma Bell, I'll get you.

'Oh really?' said Oliver, laughing as he spoke. How endearing, he should laugh when he talks all the time...or maybe only some of the time. It did come out funny with his accent, but it would just be garbled nonsense otherwise.

'Ah, shuttup,' I said, elbowing him in the stomach. I snatched his tie off the floor and handed it to him. He was laughing all the way to the Great Hall.

'Next Hogsmeade visit's been posted,' said Fred around a piece of strawberry and coconut tart as we sat down opposite him. This meant that we got sprayed with bits of coconut.

'Ugh, thanks Fred,' said Oliver, wiping it off his robes.

'Sorry Oliver,' he said. More coconut spray.

'Fred! Just keep your mouth shut!' exclaimed Angelina, who was sitting next to him. He turned to say something to her, but she was too quick and had clamped her hand across his mouth before he could speak.

'Come on Fred, just swallow,' said Lee, with accompanying smirk.

I rolled my eyes. I was getting very worried about that boy. Oliver choked on a piece of macadamia pie he had just bitten into. I saw Alicia try and hide a grin. Fred's eyebrows shot up, and he turned to Lee in amazement, Angelina's hand falling away. Chewing furiously to empty his mouth, he shot back -

'Get your mind out of the gutter, Jordan.' Then grinned and winked. Angelina shifted slightly away from him. Oliver was laughing. I slapped him across the arm, and he turned and gave me an innocent look. As if...

***************

Hogsmeade was muddy. Yup, I think the word 'mud' pretty much summed it up.

'True indoors weather,' said George, taking a swig from his mug of butterbeer. Nearly everyone was in the Three Broomsticks, clutching at steaming mugs of butterbeer. Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, Oliver and I were all seated at a table in the corner, trying to warm up. I took a sip out of my own mug, feeling the warm, honey-butter froth explode and fizz inside my mouth and run down my throat. Bliss.

'Have you been to Honeydukes yet?' I asked Oliver.

'Nah, I'll go there next.' He said. I nodded and had another mouthful of butterbeer, noting that George's eyes kept flickering to Alicia. I think I'll have to do something about that. I just needed a partner in crime.

Fred snorted butterbeer out of his nose as he saw George's eyes rest on Alicia again.

Bingo.

'Hey Fred, can you come with me for a second?' I said, standing up. Oliver frowned. So did Fred, but he stood up obediently.

'Back in a minute,' I said to Oliver. He was still frowning. 'Don't worry,' I added, touching his cheek briefly. He nodded.

I stepped out into the chilly wind with Fred. My freezing had better be worth this.

'Did you see George?' was the first thing that escaped from between Fred's chattering teeth.

The boy was a mind reader. How scary. 'Yeah I did. That's why I called you out here to talk. I need your devious Weasley brain,' I said.

Fred bowed. 'Why thank you Katie, I take that as the highest order of compliment,' he said. 'So how should we get them together?'

'I didn't know you were such a cupid, Fred,' I said, laughing.

'Hey, you were the one that put the word 'devious' into the deal,' he said, shrugging. Then he grinned.

'It can be done though. I say we stick to the tried and true method - lock them in a broom cupboard together and let nature run its course.' I punched his shoulder. 'I was just kidding about the nature part,' he said defensively, stepping out of reach of my arm.

'So you seriously think we should shut them in a broom closet together?' I said disbelievingly.

'Shut who in a broom closet together?' said Oliver, coming out of the Three Broomsticks.

'George and Alicia,' Fred replied.

'Good idea, it's about time those two got together,' agreed Oliver.

'Whoa, what happened to this being a covert operation?' I said. Oliver looked offended.

'Don't you want me?' he said in a mournful tone. I saw Fred's grin. I would get him for this, asking questions with two meanings. Damn, what's the name for that? I should pay more attention in class.

I grinned. 'Of course I want you Oliver,' I said in my reassuring tone of voice. He grinned back, and Fred started chuckling as Oliver came and stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, effectively blocking the wind that was blowing from behind us. Mmmmm, nice warm Oliver.

'Ok, so we'll go with the broom closet strategy for now?' said Fred.

'I guess so,' I said.

'Then I am going to go and finish my butterbeer,' he said.

'Okay, bye,' said Oliver, keeping a firm hold on my waist as Fred disappeared back inside.

'And just where are we going?' I said, turning around and looking at him. Oliver grinned.

'Well, Honeydukes have made up a little something special for me - I ordered it weeks ago, and they said they would have it ready for the next Hogwarts visit. It's not something the traditionally make, but...' he said, his lips twitching with a smile.

'Oliver, what is it?' I said suspiciously, noting a gleam in his eyes.

He winked, and with his arm still around me, started to walk towards Honeydukes.

'Wait and find out,' he murmured.

___________________________________

I. Totally. Ship. Galicia . Which is probably good because I'm the one writing it but I hope you love them as much as I do. 

-Kat