Let the sass commence! I hope you're having a nice weekend, I'm stuck on the couch with a stuffy nose. I've got plans to go running tomorrow though, I might or might not survive.
Did that really happen? Had she just spent hours on a Brazilian beach with Bill?
She had gotten back to the burrow pretty late, the clock striking nearly three when she and Bill had landed back in the cold night. They had stood there for a moment, smiling kinda awkwardly as Bill didn't let go of her hand immediately.
The Sparks that never wanted to die out made her skin tingle like a thousand feathers fell down on it.
"You're doing it again." She said. A frown creasing her forehead. Bill let his other hand reach out to touch where she crinkled her skin. Gently he stroked it as she relaxed her face.
"I can't help that your magic is faulty." He chuckled, watching the almost evil glint in her eyes. Man, she was something else.
"It's not faulty, you're just mucking up my self control." He put one finger under her chin, looking down at her deep, blue eyes. Those doe like eyes that would look at him with mischief, happiness and occasionally a little malice. It was quite a feat not to be run over by the tornado that was Claire Dubois.
"I can make it worse, you know." She pouted, looking up at him through severe eyes.
"No fair."
"But that's up to you, you have... Four days." He beamed.
And then they had gone back inside, both carefully sneaking up to their own bedrooms. Luckily Ginny had been fast asleep - Claire did not want to tell the young Weasley about her night. Man, she just wanted to ponder on it herself.
She slept in mercifully long that morning, not getting out of bed until 10. Not even Ginny had tried to wake her up and she guessed that the younger girl was trying to butter her up.
As she finally woke up, after a little under seven hours of sleep she payed there stretching in the empty bedroom. She could hear the family chaos going on downstairs, everyone seeming to be located at the kitchen. They were probably already done with breakfast and planning some sort of mischief. Yet she only felt like reading a book today, reading a book and avoiding eye contact with Bill Weasley.
That or... She could always plan up some mischief. Oh yes, she would drive Bill as mad as he drove her.
With some determination Claire got out off bed and started to dig through her bigger-than-possible suitcase. She opted for comfort, yet the type of comfort that would make sure he noticed her.
After pulling on teal yoga pants and an awfully muggle-esque t-shirt she braided her hair down the front of her shoulder and slip on some comfy slippers. She trotted downstairs and beamed tiredly as most of the current clan sat around the table.
"About time!" Grinned the twins, petting the seat next to George.
Claire grabbed some food and sat down next to the twins, drinking coffee like it was her new religion. Nobody commented anything about her absence, or Bill's for that matter - so they probably didn't know.
Speaking of Bill, he sat at the end of the table with a chagrin smile.
"Slept well?" Grinned Ginny, knowing all too well that Claire must've come in very late to miss her notice.
"Excellent in fact!" She grinned back, digging into her breakfast.
"So, aren't you a little underdressed for Quiddich?" Fred pointed out, staring at her rather flamboyant cozy wear.
"No, I'd say I'm perfectly dressed up for a nice day with my book." She shrugged, smiling innocently as the twins made noises of utter disappointment.
She finished her breakfast in peace and got up from the table, fetching some more coffee for herself before a distinct, cheery voice called her name.
"Claire! Why don't you and Máni come up to our room? I wanted to try some tricks with him, and I have books..." He trailed off as Bill started to laugh.
"Why don't you just marry the Kneazle?" He chuckled, Claire didn't miss the almost taunting look Charlie sent his big brother.
"Sure, up in the fifth floor right?" Charlie nodded, grinning. Claire brought her coffee and trotted her way up the stairs. "Máni, kom!" She called with a clear voice.
The stairs were an absolute drag. The couldn't help but to pant a little as she ran up until she hit the last darn door in this impossibly tall house. She tore up the door and let Máni enter, her a little out of breath.
The room was weird, like every other room in the house. The walls were bright orange and tastefully decorated with posters of The Chudley Canons. Two beds were at the end of the room, it wasn't big - but it was as every other room very cozy.
Her and Máni perched themselves at one of the bed, the one who had a large Chudley Canons quilt. The Kneazle purring noisily as he started playing with the tips of her hair.
"Does it look better up?" She asked the cat, earning a soft blink. She nodded and put her hair up in a messy bun on the top of her head. The cat looked intensely at her making his feelings know. "What, not relaxed enough?" She pulled out small tendrils so that they framed her face. Then again the Kneazle blinked and she couldn't help but to laugh. "You know that you should be nicer to him. I don't get what's so bad anyways." She looked down at the Kneazle, now wishing that the cat could answer her back. But it couldn't, of course. Yet he looked up at her with utter sass.
As the door opened up, Máni stood up and moved so to sit down on one of Claire's hands. "Excuse me?" She whispered softly.
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Bill whistled, grinning as he and his brother entered the bright room.
"Be careful, Máni doesn't like you to begin with." She smirked, watching how the Kneazle made himself to look way bigger, which was pretty darn big. Charlie slung himself down on the floor while Bill sat on the other bed.
"Bring the books and you can have the cat!" She exclaimed, ready for the Kneazle to get his butt off her hand. Immediately Máni turned his head to her, staring up at her with utter disbelief. "Honestly, I'm just going to read!" She was exasperated as Máni stared her down with his big yellow eyes. The cat was also exasperated and she had a feeling that Máni wanted to make sure that she and Bill kept away from each other. "I'm sure he'll feed you until you're fat. Now let me have my hand back!" She pulled her arm away, earning a disgruntled look from the feline.
The boys snickered as they watched the scene unfold, the petulant cat that sat on Claire like he was marking his territory.
"You know, it's perfectly normal for them to be territorial." Charlie shrugged, offering Máni some treats. With a last disgruntled look, Máni jumped down from the bed and over to Charlie. At least the two of them got along.
"Books!"
"Fine, over there!" Charlie pointed, chuckling. Claire immediately got up and hurried over to the stacks of books. She eyed a copy of Advanced Potions Making. She picked it up and turned to head back to the bed.
"What would your mum say about your outfit?" Chuckled Bill, only poking fun. Claire stopped mid-step and twirled before curtsying.
"She would tell me that it would be easier to trick a man into wedlock if my top was a few inches shorter." She grinned and jumped onto the bed. Both of the boys snickered.
"Your mum sounds lovely!" Charlie exclaimed, looking up from Máni with twinkling eyes.
"Oh indeed, she's all about getting me married to some filthy rich inbred fool." She shrugged, winking at Bill.
"Then why are you here and not somewhere down in Peru?" Charlie sat up properly, one hand stroking Máni while he looked at Claire with more interest than she had expected.
"Because I'm an annoying twat that will do anything to look less desirable to the guy they want me to marry."
"Wait, you're engaged?"
"No, no, no! It's not forced marriage that my family practices, but arranged marriage. They find me a beau and I, according to them, have to say yes. By slowly ruining my chances." She grinned, flopping over to her stomach. She knew very well that her butt looked magnificent in these pants, so why not share that with Bill. Charlie was only collateral damage. Charlie whistled while nodding, looking amused.
"Fighting the system, 'eh?" He reached out and fistbumped her.
"Always! And turn into a filthy blood traitor who shames her inbred family." She grinned.
And that was how she spent her day, and even the next. It seemed that the three of them ran up to the bedroom at the fifth floor as soon as the opportunity hit. Charlie and Máni were becoming more and more chummy, Bill read and talked with the others, and Claire got some schoolwork done. It was actually even easier than usual, seeing as she had two really smart Hogwarts graduates to confer with.
At the 30th of December, the day before New Year's Eve the twins grabbed her by the arms.
"Quick, come!" So redundant... Yeah, she would've been quick if they hadn't positively lifted her as she ascended the staircase. They pulled her back up to their bedroom and shut the door with paranoid expressions on both faces.
"What the heck?" She sputtered, almost falling on her bum as they let her go. She put both hands at her hips, staring them down with a look that promised violent beatings if they wouldn't explain now. Fast.
"Mom is onto us." Fred hissed, once again looking towards the door.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know the experiments? The stuff we're developing?" George whispered, a little more relaxed than his brother.
"Yes?" Oh, man if she knew... She had lived with their constant tries to make stuff to make you sick. It was annoying.
"Ginny said something to her and now she's gonna raid the bedroom." Their eyes were huge with worry, obviously goading her into helping them.
"And what am I supposed to do?" She hissed back, a little annoyed. Fred looked at a large crate that was partially covered by a ragged blanket. She sighed deeply, looking rather annoyed at the boys.
"Well, you're kinda the only one of us that can do magic outside school. So... Can't you do something?" Man, she would probably live to regret this.
"Fine! But there is one condition." She crossed her arms and looked at them in a way that made the shiver in trophies trousers.
"Anything!" Fred said, still looking now and then at the door.
"I will ask you about something soon, and you must say yes."
"That it?" They look relieved. She nodded and the three of them shook on it. She stepped over to the crate and looked at them.
"Is everything in here?" One eyebrow raised.
"Yes, but it's heavy - so careful!" She just shot them a dirty look before she picked up the heavy box. While shooting daggers with her look, she disappeared with a soft crack.
There was only one place she would hide this stuff in the house, and her thoughts immediately sent her straight up into the fifth floor. There sat two of her favorite Weasley's, on their own bed. She fell to the floor, the crate tumbling over here.
"Assistance, please." She wheezed from under the heavy crate.
Two sets of strong arms lifted it from her and left her a little dazed. Apparating with big, inanimate objects was no fun.
"The hell, Claire?" Bill said softly, bending down to help her up.
"Would you mind putting that crate up in the attic?"
"Why? Are you being shady?" Charlie grinned, especially when Bill lifted her to her feet. she brushed off her grey skinny jeans, the fabric tattered with a layer of dust.
"I'm doing the twins a favor." She said, distaste at her lips and face. Bill sighed.
"Let me guess, this is what's got mum in such a mood?" Charlie looked to his brother, smiling like the twins would. "Sure!" He grinned, lifting the crate and getting it up in the attic.
"Is it the experiment?" Bill sighed, tucking Claire by the hand until she sat down in the bed, next to him.
"Yeah, that's the stuff." She smirked, looking at Bill as he started to chuckle. He let her hand go as Charlie came down the ladder, but not soon enough. Charlie saw that his oldest brother had held her hand.
"I hope you asked for a favor back?" He looked at her, his beautiful eyes making her cheeks flare up a little.
"Yeah, I asked them for a future favor. They're not allowed to say no."
"Nice going! Gotta keep those two in a line." Charlie said, a smirk on his face as he slung down into his own bed.
"So... We need to do something good for your birthday!" Bill leaned back, his tall and almost lanky form easily taking up over half the bed.
"Yeah, you're turning eighteen! Wohoo!" Charlie called from his end of the room. Claire chuckled.
"Just promise me that I'm not gonna be hungover on the train back to Hogwarts." She groaned, sensing a disaster in the making.
Claire picked up one of the books that lay on the floor and continued yesterday's reading. The boys were obviously not giving her a straight answer, and she felt like channeling out the noises of a searching Mrs. Weasley. As the three of the, kept quiet for a few minutes, the door sprung open.
Mrs. Weasley stood there, a suspicious look on her face and just as out of breath as the stairs made Claire.
"Can we help you, mum?" Charlie beamed, making Mrs. Weasley snap out of her focus and look at the three of them. Her gaze softened a little as she looked at Bill and Claire on his bed, both with books in their hand. But it was the fact that Claire softly was stroking his leg that set her mother's heart fluttering.
But she snapped out of it, back on her mission.
"Has the boys hidden something up here?"
"No, it's just been us up here all day." Bill shrugged, smiling sweetly at his mum. She seemed to chew at her answer, but she deflated soon enough.
"Alright, I trust you three." She crooned, looking especially at Claire. Mrs. Weasley exited the room and left the three of them staring out into the open air.
"How much trouble would we be in?"
"Loads."