Bad Decisions | Fred Weasley

Twenty: Philophobia and Firecrackers Part II

"I'm a natural." Fiona said proudly and proceeded to beat Alicia in all but ten moves.

Fred came back in and sat next to Fiona, by the sliding door. He threw a polite smile her way and she realized her music was still playing. She went to click the stop button and Lee threw a raised eyebrow from the seat opposite.

"What the bloody hell is that contraption?"

"Yeah, why does it have ear muffs on it?" George flicked a finger at the headphones around her neck.

Sylvia pulled them over her head and held it out a little, like she was displaying it for them.

"It's a Walkman. It plays music."

"What, through these?" George grabbed the headphones and inspected them before placing them around his own neck.

"Yeah, but you have to put them on your ears." She reached over to adjust the little orange pads on his ears, "And you put the tape in this and it travels through the cords up to the headphones."

She motioned to each part of the little machine, the rectangular box that popped open to slide the cassette in and the cord that coiled up to the ear pieces. He still didn't understand it, even after she reminded him that wizards new what records where, and that tapes were similar, and this was just a compact version of that, George just turned the box over in his hands like it was some futuristic object or a relic from the past. She pressed play and he nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement.

Fred told her to meet him in the left hallway of the seventh-floor corridor at 10pm that Wednesday. She waited on one of the stone benches, leaning her back up against the wall and feeling a canker sore with her tongue that she'd caused by chewing on the inside of her cheek in her sleep.

He stepped out of a door she hadn't seen before and held it open, looking down either end of the hall and waving her to come in. He had taken his sweater and off and held in his crossed arms and his tie was loosened around his neck. There was a fire crackling on one side of the room and a mirrored wall on the other, and the ceiling was arched all over with vaults that turned into suspended columns. Fred grinned and slowly walked backwards, proud of the space. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and she couldn't stop staring at his damn arms.

"I'm sure you've shown lots of girls this spot, huh?"

He shrugged and looked up at the architecture, "Yeah, but you're the first who's asked."

Sylvie laughed and reached out to push at his shoulder, "You're a piece of work."

He grinned wide and stepped away a little so his back was against the wall that faced out, spotted with tall gothic windows that looked out onto the top of the forest, and he watched her step in little circles, swinging her feet around her as she turned.

"Come here." He said.

She stopped looking around and turned to him, planting her feet in place as she looked at him with her head tilted down in skepticism. He widened his eyes a little and spoke to her in a thin, impatient voice.

"Come here."

The air seemed to grow warmer with every step she took towards him and she felt like she was walking through water. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and he reached out to touch her hair, tucking it behind her ear. It was the first time he'd touched her since they got back and she closed her eyes. She could feel him come in close, his breath against her cheek and his nose brushing at her temple as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then on her jaw, and her neck. She breathed in deeply and let it out through her nose.

"I missed you." She whispered.

He smiled against her neck and leaned back, resting his hand on her waist, "Yeah?"