Lemon Grass and Sleep

A BIT OF A TOUR

The flat was bigger, alright. Last time I stood here, I remembered thinking it was closer to Snape's ingredient stores than living quarters for two grown men--well, three. Now, there was a small kitchenette I'm sure the twins had no idea how to use alongside a decently sized area for a living room. Two doors faced each other on opposite walls, colored a deep red and purple.

"Guess which one's ours," he mumbled, looking between the two doors.

"Ours?" I whispered quietly, eyes instantly gravitating toward the red door.

"Bingo," he kissed the side of my head gingerly, his chin brushing against my scarf that was still haphazardly pulled above my ears.

Fred grasped my wrist silently, pulling me across the empty area toward the door. I don't know what I was expecting, probably just a decently sized empty room like I'd been seeing this entire time. My eyes widened as I saw the double bed, must've been at least a full-sized mattress. What shocked me even more was that, well, there was bedding on it.

"Is that-" I cut myself off, sucking in a gasp of recognition as my eyes delved over the bedspread. It was red, with a subtle floral print woven through its fabric. It looked so, so very similar to the bed that was in the Room of Requirement.

"Is it to your liking, so far?" Fred whispered, still standing beside me. "I wanted to make sure you didn't think it was too cheesy."

I stepped into the room without answering him, my hand drifting over the back of a chair resting at an empty desk. Just above its surface was a window, and I looked out to see the cobblestone pathway just below. The streetlamps had come on, meaning we were more than late for curfew.

"I do," I finally answered. "It's cozy."

He released a breath that seemed like I'd taken fifty pounds off his shoulders. When I looked back at him, Fred was smiling with something that seemed like pure happiness as he approached me, looping his arms around my waist as he followed my gaze out the window.

"I'm glad," he mumbled.

"Why prepare this now?" I asked, "Are you expecting to be sleeping here soon?"

Despite already sort of knowing the answer, I wanted him to say it out loud. I closed my eyes as Fred's arms slowly left my waist, his hands drifting down to my hips hesitantly.

"Now, it's pitch black outside," Fred's lips curled into a smirk, "And it's awfully cold. I don't think it's worth it walking all the way back to that castle..."

"Oh, you don't say?" I pretended to be concerned, twisting around and peering out of the window.

"Yeah, so I suppose we'll have to sleep here tonight, what a bother."

Fred pulled my shoulder to turn me back to him, his free hand gripping my chin lightly to pull me in for a kiss. My scarf was still wrapped around me tightly, and I could feel Fred trying desperately to pull off my layers.

"It's freezing in here," I mumbled, not necessarily feeling the cold, but I knew once all my layers were off it'd be a nightmare to stay warm. Fred pulled away from me, quickly licking his lips as he pulled out his wand.

"Incendio," he cast quickly, jabbing his wand in the direction of an unlit fireplace in the corner of the room.

"Wow," I breathed out quietly, a small laugh escaping me as Fred pulled me toward the bed. "You've thought of everything in your little plan, hm?"

"Like I said," he mumbled, his adam's apple bobbing nervously, "I'm quite thorough."

"Mmm, sure." I smiled, straddling his lap as we slowly crawled onto the red bedcover. "Did you think I forgot you could apparate?"