CHAPTER TEN: A MOMENT ALONE
Looking around at Hermione, Angelina, Ginny and I, I had to admit, we looked gorgeous. I smiled and the three of them grinned back.
"C'mon then!" Ginny said with a wide grin, and then she dashed down the stone steps without the rest of us.
"Ginny!" Hermione called after her. We all followed her down the stairs. As we entered the common room most of the boys were lounging on the couches and chairs, but Harry and Ginny were already off in the corner talking. As soon as they saw us they all stood up wide-eyed. I glanced over at George, who was staring at me, eyes looking me up and down, making me blush lightly. Angelina bumbled straight over to Fred. Harry and Ginny stood close together while Hermione and Ron were clumped awkwardly together. I slowly edged toward George.
"Now c'mon group! Let's get a move on!" Angelina announced.
"To Hogsmeade!" I chimed in, glancing slyly at Fred and George, they picked up on my inside joke. The whole lot of us left the castle in a massive clump. Hermione, Ginny, Angelina, and I linked arms as we skipped down the long snowy path to Hogsmeade as George, Harry, Ron, and Fred followed in a more manly fashion behind us.
"Can we go to Honeyduke's first?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"'Course! I think the boys are going to Zonko's anyway." I responded.
"But before we go back to Hogwarts let's stop by the Three Broomsticks." Hermione added in.
"Wouldn't be a trip to Hogsmeade without it!" Angelina added with a laugh. We entered the gate of Hogsmeade. The tall, old, crooked stone buildings lined the streets and we were suddenly overwhelmed with sights, scents, and sounds. The sounds of self-playing instruments echoed all around the village and the muffled screams from a Mandrake came from the front window of a floral shop. People messing about on brooms, the aroma of sweets wafting towards them, and bright lights flashing in the windows of Zonko's.
Young witches and wizards who were too young to have wands peered into the window of Ollivander's. The bright pink Honeyduke's sign glittered under the snow and sunlight. A display showed off their puking pastilles, while another window had vines of candy floss wrapped like tornadoes. In the last window was a massive chocolate frog that stood croaking in its box, and shelves of chocolate frogs sat invitingly behind it.
"Honeyduke's!" Ginny exclaimed. We turned around just in time to see all the boys file into Zonko's.
"Let's go!" I called. The four of us rushed in through the door of Honeyduke's. We were greeted by shelves upon shelves of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Puking Pastilles, pepper imps, ice mice, peppermint toads, sugar quills, and most importantly-Chocolate Frogs. We all split up and separated through the shop. I pulled a box of Bertie Botts every flavor beans off the shelf, a Chocolate frog, and several sugar quills.
I approached the counter and paid with a few galleons before leaving to wait for the others outside. The door set off an ancient rusted bell as I stepped outside into the snow. I sat on the stone wall that separated the two sides of the street, and opened the chocolate frog, expertly pulling out the card: Godric Gryffindor. The frog jumped out onto my hand and I struggled to catch it.
"Hi Iris!"
"WAAH!" I flipped backwards off the road divider. I peered up and George was leaning over the divider reaching for me.
"Oh my God! Iris I'm so sorry!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me up, effortlessly hopping over the stone wall.
''It's fine, really!" I said. We were standing so close I was practically talking straight to his chest.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, his voice was full of concern.
"Never better." I responded, suddenly breathless. I rested my hand on his chest absentmindedly. He was wearing his Quiddich sweatshirt. His hands cupped my face, I looked up at him, our eyes locking. Slowly, gently, our lips touched and fireworks went off in my head. His arms snaked around my waist and I didn't hesitate to wrap mine around his neck, tangling my fingers in his soft hair. He deepened the kiss, and I nipped playfully at his lower lip.
Two rather loud bells rung in unison. We continued kissing rather energetically...and then saw the guys leaving Zonko's and the girls leaving Honeyduke's. The girls were giggling and the guys were attempting to avert eye contact. George rubbed the back of his neck and we both blushed bright red, dashing back over to our individual groups. Ginny, Hermione, and Angelina swarmed me.
"Iris, what happened?" Ginny asked. I swallowed.
"Talk about this somewhere else." I whispered.
Hermione nodded. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks." She suggested. I nodded and we all followed Hermione to the bustling little pub.
~
"Will you tell us now?" Angelina asked, taking a gulp of her Butterbeer. I blushed and almost choked on my butterbeer.
"Fine... Well I just went outside to wait for you lot and he scared me and I fell, he helped me up... and well-we just.... Kissed." I blushed and even deeper red. Ginny grinned.
"More like publicly made out." Ange muttered.
"I told you he liked you! I wish someone liked me like that!" she sighed wistfully.
"Me too..." Hemione said quietly.
"Are you kidding me?!" I exclaimed, sloshing my butterbeer. "Ginny, Harry has the biggest crush on you! And Hermione, have you seen the way Ron looks at you? You guys just haven't noticed it..." I said. They both stared at me.
"Really?!" The asked in unison.
"Yes!" Angelina and I chorused.
"Clueless, you two are."
"Don't worry, we'll get you guys together." Angelina said to them.
"But first we have to get George and Iris together." Ginny said mischievously, I blushed again.
'Yeah, don't worry Iris we'll figure something out!" Angelina batted her eyes dramatically. I shoved her playfully.
"What about you Ange? We should set you up with Fred!" Hermione and Ginny squealed in agreement with my statement and this time Angelina's dark skin flushed.
"Wait, you already like Fred, don't you?" Hermione gave a small smirk.
"Well- maybe... just a bit." She held her fingers an inch apart and squinted, making Ginny squeal.
"We can all be Weasleys together!" She exclaimed. "But, I have no idea what any of you see in my brothers!" She mock gagged. We broke out in a chorus of laughter, finished off our butterbeers, and left to shop around Hogsmeade.