The hum of George's laugh filled the Weasley kitchen as he watched his oldest brother's face turn as red as Ron's jumper. Bill wasn't the kind of person to get embarrassed easily, in fact the last time he was embarrassed was when Molly had walked in on him and Charlie discussing his relationship with Quinn. The sentence that had left his mouth was now a regular statement around the Weasley house when someone found an item that belonged to the dark-haired woman.
Looking around the room, both Bill and Quinn began hoping that the ground would swallow them whole. Suddenly the pair realised that their hands were still intertwined, letting go, the pair jumped back putting enough space between them while still being close. Both of them knew that they had to talk about what had just happened, but then was definitely not the time to do so.
"Mum's gonna kill you," Ron spoke as his eyes met the pool of water that had caused the entire moment to happen in the first place. Eyes widening with fear, Bill and Quinn turned to face the pool, both of them cursing into oblivion. Picking her wand up from the table, Quinn quickly pointed her wand at the water guiding it back into the washing up bowl. Turning back, Quinn looked at Harry who was now stood eyes and mouth wide open. The boy may be starting his 4th year at Hogwarts but he was still amazed at magic every so often.
"I'm Quinn by the way," Quinn smiled holding her hand out to the boy who shook it after staring at her for a moment. Internally screaming at the awful first impression she must have just had, Quinn managed to keep a straight face as she introduced herself. However, as her eyes fixed on the fact that he looked so familiar, like she had seen him before. Maybe she had, he was famous after all, but it was more like she had met him before. It was more than just appearance that was familiar to Quinn, it was his person, the way he had stood.
"I think I have met you before," Harry stated as he looked at Quinn who was stood still trying to work out where he had known her from. "You were at Diagon Alley when I was there with Hagrid. Hagrid said you were an old friend of his, an old student from Hogwarts."
"That's right," Quinn smiled. "I was coming out of Gringotts as you were going in. That must have been a while ago, I wasn't working for the ministry then."
"About 3 years."
"That makes sense," Quinn stated looking down at her shoes before looking back up and smiling. "Well it's good to see you again."
"And you."
Each of the remaining Weasleys looked at each other shocked by the fact that Quinn had ran into Harry before, when she arrived she was a complete workaholic. It looked as though she hadn't left the ministry in weeks, yet there she was having a conversation with Harry about how they ran into each other at Gringotts. However, for Quinn that had been a lifetime ago, it was before she knew how she really was seen. Back then she wasn't afraid of being seen with other people, she welcomed old friends with open arms.
Stepping forward, Bill tried to ignore the slight squelch in his step that was caused by Quinn dousing him in water from the washing up bowl. However, as he stepped closer to Harry it was more obvious. Glaring back at Quinn, Bill mouthed 'just wait' causing Quinn to raise her eyebrow innocently.
"Bill, not as much like Percy as everyone thinks," Bill chuckled causing Quinn to roll her eyes at him and the twins to snigger at the raven-haired girl's actions. "It's true, all they tell you is I work for a bank and was head boy, everyone thinks I am like Percy."
"Definitely not like Percy," Harry spoke still getting used to Bill's appearance. "In all honesty, I thought you were Charlie." At this comment Quinn let out a small laugh before clasping her hand over her mouth, her eyes still holding the laugh that was threatening to leave her mouth. "Why was that funny?"
"Charlie is more like Percy," Quinn spoke quickly before clasping her hand back over her mouth desperate not to let her first conversation with Harry be full of her laughing at things he said.
"He is not!" The twins cried in unison, something that had always creeped Quinn out.
"You two did not spend 7 years in his classes at Hogwarts." Quinn stated as she looked over at Bill who looked just as confused as the others at her statement. "He is such a spoil sport. I even tried to talk once and he would go on a 5-minute rant about how if we had a conversation we would fail and end up in muggle jobs."
"One time!" Charlie exclaimed from behind Quinn, who turned around with an overexaggerated smile on her face, her teeth flashing at him. "Can I also point out that this was in Potions with Snape. Not only was I a Gryffindor and Quinn a Slytherin but Snape was like an older brother to Quinn until she was 9. I did something wrong and I got a detention, she did and it was just 'Quinn I am warning you'."
"Oh come off it, it was the same in Care for Magical Creatures, only you were the favourite."
"That's because you were always getting burnt by something or other." Charlie stated causing Quinn to wait a moment before nodding at him. Glancing over Bill and Quinn, Charlie's face turned confused. "Why are you and Bill wet?"
"She poured a washing up bowl of water over me."
"Then why is Quinn soaked?"
"That is an excellent question Charlie," George stated with a smirk on his face and a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
"Why don't you answer it Quinn," Fred finished causing Quinn to hit him on the arm, a scowl on her face. This however only increased Charlie's intrigue in that matter due to the limited number of things that could turn his older brother red, and at that moment his face was competing with his face on which could be brighter and his face was winning.
Before anyone could say anything else, there was a faint popping noise and Arthur appeared out of no-where. Turning to the twins, he looked angrier than any of the people in the kitchen had seen him in the time they had known him.
"That wasn't funny Fred!" Arthur stated and for a second the shortest twin looked confused about what his father was meaning. What had gone on in the kitchen had claimed the most prominent spot in his mind, but as his father's face grew angrier Fred remembered what he had done at the Dursley home. "What did you give that Muggle Boy!"
"I didn't give him anything," Fred smirked looking at his father with a matter of a fact look that only made his face worse. "I only dropped it, he ate it himself. I didn't force him."
"You dropped it on purpose!" Arthur cried causing Bill, Quinn and Charlie to look at each other, each of their faces paler than any other. It was always Molly who yelled, Molly who disciplined. Arthur was always the one who stood there and watched, a sliver of pride in his eyes. Quinn could remember many times she had gone to the Weasley home the summer after hexing the Slytherin bullies and being scorned by Molly while Arthur just nodded at her.
"How big did his tongue get?" George asked enthusiastically causing Arthurs attention to turn to him, still not amused.
"It was about four-foot-long before his parents let me do anything about it!" The entire room burst with laughter, the oldest 3 hiding it behind coughs that didn't fool Arthur who for the first time turned to them looking disappointed. "It isn't funny! That kind of behaviour goes against everything I stand for! My own sons-"
"But we didn't give it to him because he was a muggle," Fred stated shaking his head at his father causing Quinn to put her head in her hand, they were never going to stop digging a bigger hole for themselves.
"We gave it to him because he is a bullying little git!"
"Language!" Quinn exclaimed clasping a hand over her mouth as she did, nothing like that had ever come out of her mouth. She didn't care if they cursed, it was no different that she was at their age.
Looking at Quinn confused, George added to his earlier comment, "Harry can verify for us."
"He's right Mr Weasley." Harry sighed solemnly rubbing the back of his neck slightly as he did, from the look on his face Quinn could tell he had hoped to be kept out of this as much as possible.
"That does not excuse it!" fulminated Arthur. "Wait until I tell your mother-"
"Tell me what?" Molly asked as she stepped through the door to the kitchen Ginny and Hermione on her heels, both of which's eyes floated from Harry to Arthur to Quinn and Bill, who had inched further together as Arthur yelled.
"I'm going to go and dry myself up," Quinn spoke awkwardly as she saw Molly's eyes narrow with suspicion.
"Me too," Bill added, as he did, Molly's gaze moved to him and Quinn looking more suspicious than she had before.
"What happened to you two?"
"We were left to wash up unsupervised. You should know we are worse than those two," Quinn gestured the twins before walking towards the stairs, but was stopped as she heard the sniggering form the twins. "They gave some muggle something that made his tongue grow."
"Thanks Quinn," the twins groaned before realising that they brought it upon themselves.
"She was going to find out any way. Ron had loose lips."
"Do not!" Ron murmured defensively.
"You really do." Quinn smirked before making her way further up the stairs none of the boys remaining wanting to let out what had happened because they knew Quinn probably had something on all of them.
Walking into the room she was sharing with the two oldest Weasley boys, Quinn rolled her eyes at the fact that in 2 days they had managed to mess the room up more than she had in almost 4. The room was the largest in the house, especially considering that it was holding two people and before Bill and Charlie had moved out had held 3. It smelt vaguely of gun powder and had multiple black marks on the walls where the twins had caused multiple explosions. For some reason, Quinn had felt more at home due to the hint of dangerous powder than she would have without it, though it probably had something to do with the numerous times she had woken to the sound of an unknown explosion form this room.
Stopping just in the doorway, Quinn waited for Bill to walk through the door, her mind filling with all the multiple things that could happen. Turning to face the door, Quinn began chewing on the inside of her cheek anxiously. What if the kiss was nothing to Bill? She wasn't sure how she would react if that was the case. Part of Quinn wanted it to be nothing, that way it was easy to forget and move on when they went back to work. Yet the rest of her wanted it to be the start of everything, everything that she had ever dreamed of having with Bill. Everything the people around them had expected them to have.
"You decent?" Bill called through the door causing Quinn to loosen up slightly. He was her best friend at one point, there was nothing to worry about they were going to be fine no matter what.
"Yeah." Quinn called out watching as Bill stepped through the door closing it behind him as he walked in. "I think we should talk."
"So, do I," Bill stated stepping into the room taking a seat on the bed that he was using while he was here. Crossing over to Bill, Quinn suddenly remembered that Ginny and the twins had a tendency to eaves drop. Moving over to the door, Quinn pulled her wand back out of her boot placing an Impertuable Charm on the door.
"Ginny likes eaves dropping if I remember correctly." Proclaimed Quinn.
"I forgot how smart you were." Bill smiled at Quinn as she moved to sit on the space next to him. Crossing her legs, Quinn looked down at her hands, chewing the inside of her cheek once more. "You only bit your cheek when you are anxious."
"Maybe I am," Quinn announced softly as she looked up at Bill who had taken her hands from her lap holding them in his own. His hands were unusually cold, but given the fact that Quinn had doused him in water less than 30 minutes prior to that moment it wasn't as odd as it could have been. "What was it? We haven't spoken in almost 4 years, was it that?"
"Q, these past 4 years-"
"Almost 4!"
"These past, almost, 4 years." Bill chuckled looking at the raven-haired girl with a smile on his face. "I have spent trying to push you to the back of my mind. Everything I see reminds me of you. I spend every day I have off comparing the blue of the Nile to your eyes, the Nile falling short of your eyes by miles every time."
"William-"
"I wasn't finished." Bill interrupted looking at Quinn whose eyes met his, slightly glazed with tears. "Q, I have spent these past, almost, 4 years trying to get over you. When I looked into your eyes earlier, I realised something that changes everything. Q, I realised that no matter what I did I would never forget you, I would never get over you. As I said before, I would walk away from a Veela for you." Wiping a tear from Quinn's cheek, Bill smiled at the slight smile that filled her face. "The truth is, I think I love you Quinn. After almost 4 years you still hold my heart." Smiling at the ginger-haired man that sat before her, Quinn allowed the tears of relief fall from her eyes and streak her face with mascara. "Your turn Panda."
"Shut up," Quinn smirked looking at Bill who was trying to hide the crack in his voice as he spoke. "When I was told you were going to be coming back for the world cup I was scared. I thought that you hated me, but that wasn't why I was scared. I was scared because I had spent the last, almost, 4 years trying to get over you, fighting the urge to write to you. I used to tell myself, he hates you Quinn you saw his face when you walked away, hoping that it would stop me from thinking about you so much. It didn't work." Taking in a shaky breath, Quinn silently cured the fact that she was always so emotional. Luckily, Bill had been used to it due to knowing her when she was in Hogwarts, her emotions haywire for many reasons. "When you got here, I wasn't sure I could face you. I ended up rushing around the house doing everything for everyone just to keep myself busy so I could avoid you, now I think I know why. I was afraid, still am. I am afraid of what happens when this week is over, when you go back to Egypt and I go to Hogwarts. We are already sailing on rocky waters; the distance will be an extra storm cloud making it worse."
"What is it you used to say?" Bill asked looking at Quinn who was in tears, her eyes a watery black with mascara. Allowing a small smile to fill her face, Quinn looked up at Bill who was now holding her face in his hands wiping her face with his thumb. "We don't grow when things are easy, we grow when..."
"We face challenges," Quinn stated smiling at the fact that Bill remembered the words she had said so many times. Those words were the foundations of Quinn's life, or at least they had been in Hogwarts.
"Even if I have to come back here every weekend until the Tournament is over I will. Q, this will work out if we let it." Bill assured as he pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Okay, but you are going to have to ask me properly. Especially considering you didn't last time." Stated Quinn as she sat up straight on the bed, her face no longer looking weak but determined.
"I did!"
"You didn't, it kind of just happened." Quinn spoke breathing in through her teeth and raising her shoulders.
"Okay," Bill stated pulling Quinn up off the bed with him, holding her hands in his as he searched her eyes a smile filling his face. "Q, will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?"
"I am going to have to think about it," Quinn joked a smile firmly on her face as she did. Rolling his eyes, Bill leaned down placing a light kiss on her nose causing Quinn to scrunch it up. "Still thinking."
"Maybe I can help you make your decision," Bill smirked, leaning down once again placing his lips on hers. Bill's kiss contained all the words they had just said, every emotion they had just let slip out of their mouths was brought together in the connection of his lips on Quinn's. From that moment, Quinn knew that she was never going to lose him, he was always going to be hers no matter how much distance was between them. In the comfortable silence, everything that mattered was let out, all doubt that they had about ever being together again was gone. In that moment, they both knew that no matter what they were each other's missing piece.
Pulling away from Bill, Quinn looked up at him their eyes meeting for a split second before she blinked and nodded. "To answer your question, yes."
"Is it bad that I'm pretty sure my mother's plan worked?"
"Yes, yes, it is." Quinn chuckled as she walked over to her bed pulling her trunk out from under it. "Now, I would suggest you change before you catch a cold. Merlin, I sound like your Mother!"
"You have been doing it all day," Bill stated as he pulled a new shirt from in his bag. "George tried telling me you were pregnant."
"WHAT!"
"You are mothering everyone." Bill shrugged as he watched Quinn step towards the door holding her clothes in her arms. "And you can hear a whisper. Ron called it Mother's hearing."
"I am going to kill your brothers!"
"Go ahead!"