Lemon Grass and Sleep

BREAKFAST AT THE BURROW

"Could I kiss you again?" Fred asked, a little softer than before, just barely hiding the desperation in his voice. "Sorry, I don't want to scare you off, but you look really good right now."

"I just woke up," I laughed quietly, "But sure."

This kiss was a bit longer than the last one, and I felt his hand slip under the covers to cup around the small of my back. He pulled me a bit closer to him, nestling our legs together. I had to look up at him a bit now, which made me feel weird, but he wordlessly kissed me again just as I began to think about it.

"I've never-" He began talking but cut himself off. "I haven't ever kissed a guy before, I hope I'm not too bad at it."

"I wouldn't be able to tell," I joked.

"What?" Fred eyes widened as he whispered. "That was your first kiss?"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly the most popular bachelor."

"I would've put a little more effort into it if I had known, I don't even have any rose petals and candles around."

"I don't think all that's necessary."

"Ah, just my gorgeous face, then?"

"Oh, of course," I replied, the two of us falling into a comfortable silence.

We laid there with our eyes closed, arms wrapped around each other loosely and legs overlapping each other under the covers. It was the most relaxed I had ever felt in my life.

"So, does this mean we're dating now?" Fred murmured.

"I would certainly hope so. Or do you go around kissing every cute boy you come across?"

"No, just you. I'd like to keep it that way," he glanced back down at my lips again. "I'd actually like to-"

"You don't have to ask every time," I cut him off, smiling a bit as he looked surprised.

"Well, I guess I don't, no..." He muttered to himself, still looking me over like he hadn't ever looked me in the face before. "Now that we're dating, of course."

"Of course," my lips barely moved to pronounce the words as he leaned back in.

"Alright you two bumbling idiots, it's-Ah!" George cried out and shut the door practically as soon as he'd opened it, and Fred and I sat up in a hurry.

"Breakfast," we heard muffled through the door.

I planted my face in my hands as my face heated up at the thought of George seeing us like that, now I would have to go sit and eat a meal with Fred's family and pretend like we didn't just...oh, I don't know, start dating.

Fred looked at me like he really didn't want to leave this room, nevermind leave the bed. Still, we quietly stumbled down the stairs into a kitchen that didn't wait up for us.

My anxiety was quickly pushed away by Molly who was racing back and forth between the table and the kitchen with heaps of breakfast foods.

"Go on, we already pulled up your chair," she gestured me to the same wicker chair pulled up to the corner between Fred and Ron.

Once again I found myself sitting quietly as the family talked loudly around me, hopping from one topic to the next until we'd talked about everything from muggle religion to Ginny's first year at Hogwarts.

"Tom, will you be staying with us next Christmas as well? I like to know these things ahead of time, you know."

"Oh, I don't know if I'd want to impose again," I responded. "Your sons are very persuasive, though."

"Tell me about it," Ron muttered beside me.

"Well, we'd love to have you. The more the merrier, and I'd hate for you to be in that cold castle on Christmas."

"It's really not that bad, and the Christmas feast is always nice."

"Nothing compared to Mum's cooking though, is it?" Fred piped up, shoveling waffle into his mouth.

"No, I can't say it's a fair fight," I admitted, taking a few bites of my meal as the topic swiftly changed to something about gardening.

I looked out the window onto the snowy clearing, the snow just beginning to melt a bit in the sun. While it looked inviting, I'm sure it was just as cold outside as it was yesterday, possibly even more. Nothing sounded more appealing than curling up on that heavenly couch with that blanket again, perhaps a herbology book in my hand...

"Tom, you looking at my garden? It is a beaut, isn't it?" Molly proudly asked.

"Ah, yes, it is lovely. I was actually thinking about studying in a bit, though."

"Studying?" Arthur chimed in, "Over holiday? What for?"

"Oh, you know, just...to study?"

"Soot, you'll realize very quickly that people tend to not study for fun in this household," George laughed.

"When you said he was studious, I didn't think it was so intense," Molly chuckled along with everyone. "Very admirable, though."

"Be proud of that work ethic," Percy piped up quickly, "It'll get you far in life."

Percy's words were covered up by the clanking of dishes as everyone stood to clean up without saying anything, and my empty plate was swooped off the table by someone. I slowly continued to chew the pastry I'd had in my hand, watching as everyone bustled around me and cleaned up. I knew better than to try and help, flashbacks of Molly swatting away my hands and fussing at me to go sit down repeated in my mind.

I brushed the crumbs from the crumbly bread on my pants before going back up to the twin's room to grab a textbook from my luggage. My beat up copy of 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' was calling my name, but I ought to start studying for D.A.D.A., even though I hate it.

So, very reluctantly, I grabbed onto the faded purple cover and made my way back downstairs to see a slightly less chaotic atmosphere.

"How about you study in the garden, it's charmed to stay warm in the winter." Molly piped up from beside me.

"Sounds nice," I replied, following her to the backdoor and entering a small vegetable patch with some mismatched patio furniture tucked in a corner.

"Just try not to hex my carrots, George has done it on 'accident' one too many times."

"Your poor carrots." She gave me a smile of approval before leaving me to my practice.

I tapped my wand against my knee gently, just to wake it up for good luck, and began murmuring incantations and slowly mimicking wand movements. Though I hated defense against the dark arts, something about practicing the spells felt therapeutic, like the rhythm of the spells flowed through my body despite not actually casting a single one.

"Sorry to bother you," Fred called out quietly, shutting the back door as he entered the garden. "I'm supposed to bring you this," he placed a steaming cup of tea on the table beside me, glancing over at my book.

"Not studying herbology in the garden? What a farce."

"I've got to be well-rounded to do well in my O.W.L.s," I countered.

"You sound like Ron's friend," he plopped down on a chair next to me, and I rested my book on my knees. "Her name's Hermione. I'm almost certain she should've been in Ravenclaw."

"Glinda says the same about me."

"I can see why," the corners of his mouth hitched up into a smile.

"Don't flatter me," I blushed, sliding my wand in between the pages of my book.

"It's my favorite hobby, though."