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Sep. 19th, 2006 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fics_by_mapleWithin You, Without You
Chapter Six – All Together Now
~^~
“Hullo, chicken legs,” Ginny heard a familiar voice taunt.
“Frog face!” she exclaimed to George, standing to hug him, and then quickly snatched the take away bag from his hand. “I’m starving. What’d you bring?”
“Falafel – good?” he asked.
“Mm! Let’s eat it here on the stoop. It’s fun to watch the Muggles going to the market.”
They ate their lunch on the limestone steps of the Quibbler, in Covent Garden, and watched a pair of unicyclists dodge the tourists on the cobblestone street.
“Old Man Lovegood all right to work for, then?” George asked, nodding up at the building behind them.
“Oh sure, he’s sweet enough. Odd as a Skrewt, as you can imagine. Besides, it’s only ‘til Luna comes back this autumn.”
“How’s Luna taking to Scotland? Is Nessie cooperating?”
“Very well. She says they try to keep him deep in the loch, but you know the Muggles pester him the most during the summer.”
“Yeah, poor old beast.”
They ate and nodded occasionally to the magic folk who passed them. Wizards blended easily enough with the eclectic crowd in this part of London.
“How are ya, Forge?” Ginny finally asked. “You look... happy.”
He smirked without looking at her. “Not so bad anymore. Lee’s better these days.” He seemed to hesitate, concentrating on chewing a bit more than necessary. “Well, he wants to get out of his mum’s place, and she doesn’t want Lee on his own, so...” He took another big bite to muffle his words. “We’re gonna get our own place. I’m gonna move out of the flat.” He watched people in the street, casting a wary eye in her direction.
She was containing her smile. It wasn’t often George looked uncomfortable about anything. It was the perfect time to tease him, but she knew he was still too sensitive.
“I think that’ll be nice for you. Does Fred know?”
“Know?”
“Know about you moving, of course.”
“Oh right. Yeah, I mentioned it. I’m not there all that much anymore anyway; he doesn’t care.”
Ginny was grinning.
“Shut it, you,” he said in a mock warning and shoved her shoulder, “or we can start discussing why you’ve been smiling so much lately.”
“It’s no secret why I’m so happy. I feel like half my dreams have come true with Harry.” Then she got more serious. “I’m really glad you made peace with him finally. It’s wrong how you treated him all this time. He was really hurt.”
George clenched his jaw. He wasn’t accustomed to taking too much guff from people, but they both knew full well she was right.
“I know it -I’m sorry, ‘kay? Let’s not get into it again.”
“I’m not trying to ‘get into it’ again. I knew you were looking for an excuse to stay away, at first. I don’t like how you went about doing it, but now you’ve had plenty of time to deal with it. You’ve finally patched things up with Harry. Why don’t you just come clean with it?”
“Bloody hell, little sister, nuh –uh!” He dropped the last of his food into the paper wrapper in his lap, cutting short her pending protest. “Just because you work in the nutter factory over here, you’ve got used to people accepting the unusual. But that’s not reality in our world, is it? … Besides, none of them really want to know anyway.”
“Everyone in our family loves you.”
“Right. Have you met our brothers? Charlie? Perce? Ron? … They couldn’t handle it.”
Ginny put her hand on George’s shoulder. “I think you’re wrong about them. They’re all gits, but they love you.”
A shadow of sadness passed over his face. He shrugged.
“You are one of the bravest Gryffindors I’ve ever known. It’s not like you to hide or fret over what other people think. Chin up, already!”
“Oy, this isn’t just about me.” George’s eyes flashed. “I’ve a business to consider. This will affect Fred too.”
“Fred’s Man-About-Town reputation hasn’t hurt business any,” Ginny reminded him, staying calm while George was still escalating.
“And Dad at the Ministry!”
“Dad’s never cared what people say about him or the family. He’s judged by his character, as are you.”
“And there’s Lee’s mum as well!”
“I reckon Lee’s mum has always been pretty progressive, hasn’t she?”
George slumped. Sharp jokes and clever charms he could do, but getting personal wore him down.
They listened to musicians begin to play down the street. After a moment passed, Ginny changed the subject.
“So, Harry thinks it’s someone right there in Diagon Alley that’s been doing the attacks.”
“Yeah, he’s been tying it all together: the curse on Fortescue’s grand daughter, the break in at Malkin’s, then Ollivander’s owl -just like Hedwig…” George swallowed hard and frowned. “When he was telling me about Malkin’s cousin, that it was the same hex used on Lee… I ‘bout came unraveled. I thought for sure Harry was going to figure it out.” George looked almost green as he recalled his feeling.
“Oh please, Harry’s clueless. He’s just so glad that you don’t hate him. Honestly, George, this is a big deal for you because you’re living it, but no one else has any idea. Try to quit fretting about it. It can’t be good for your relationship either.”
George’s ears turned pink underneath the freckles. “It’s not easy,” he admitted, but then smiled with trademark naughtiness. “But we do pretty good otherwise.”
“Well, the details you can keep to yourself – yeck. …unless you really want to tell?” Ginny teased. George look scandalized.
“It’s good to be in love, isn’t it, Frog Face?”
~^~
When Harry and Ron Flooed into the Burrow’s kitchen, they found Mrs. Weasley in agitation, cleaning by hand.
“Mum? You doing all right?” Ron asked, stooping to allow her to kiss his cheek.
“Yeah, where is everyone?” Harry asked, hoping that hadn’t sounded as obvious as where is Ginny?
“The girls are still out; the rest of the lot are outside. I told them they couldn’t have it in the house, so now they won’t come in at all,” Mrs. Weasley said, sounding like she needed a bit of a rant.
“Couldn’t have what?” Ron asked.
“That horrible liquor of Charlie’s. He’s got one last crate full of it, and he seems bound to finish it off today.” She was scrubbing manic circles over the counter top as she bustled about.
Ron grinned at Harry. “We can make sure it’s all gone before the end of the day, Mum.”
“You boys will be good now!” She menaced them with a tea towel. “But Charlie-” Her voice cut short as her face twisted in a look of frustration.
“What are you on about?” Ron asked, standing in front of her so that she nearly slammed into his chest.
She melted into the arms of her baby boy, who now towered over her.
“You know how upset he’s been about not being able to go back to the reservation all this time.”
Harry nodded to himself. The Romanian and British Ministries had a falling out after the war. British conservationists hadn’t been permitted in the country.
Mrs. Weasley clutched Ron’s shirtfront. “Knowing he’s going to go back to sick and injured dragons, and only half the colony still alive that he left behind. It’s been trouble enough keeping him in check with his family to look after him. But out there?” She broke free of Ron’s embrace as her eyes welled up, and sniffed as she began moving about again. “Just try to keep him under control today, okay? He’s got a long travel tomorrow.”
“We’ll do our part, but Bill is the only one who can keep Charlie in line. You know how it works, Mum.”
“Oh I know all about the Rules you boys have.”
Harry had learned about ‘The Rules’ long ago. In a house full of growing wizards, the natural hierarchy takes over to keep the order. The ‘Rules’ of the house simply state that younger brothers can not use magic against older brothers. Harry could see right away why this had left Ron always a bit fearful of his older brothers, but also had left him particularly skilled with his fists. Bill was the only one who could use his magic against Charlie. Percy never did exercise his prerogative against the twins very often, leaving them wildly unchecked, but they were merciless to Ron. There seemed to be a gray area where Ginny was concerned.
“Now listen to me, Ron, please. After everything he went through, Bill wasn’t there for Charlie like he used to be. I know how the other boys idolize Charlie; they do anything for his approval. …and besides, I’m not talking about using wands.” Mrs. Weasley’s voice began to get quieter, but with a higher, conspiratorial pitch.
“Mum! You sayin’ you want me to whip Charlie? Are you mental, woman?”
“Of course I don’t want you to, but if it has to be done… You’ve been playing Quidditch for the past year, while Charlie’s been drinking too much.”
“Charlie’s a mean drunk too.” Ron grumbled and Harry was inclined to agree. Mrs. Weasley acquiesced, muttering something that sounded like ‘Gideon.’
She began to fan at her face, and her nose went red again. “If somebody doesn’t take that boy in hand, he’s going to get burned alive by one of those silly creatures. He’s become so careless – and if Bill won’t, you’re the only who can do it, Ron.”
“He’ll do the right thing if it comes to that, Mrs. Weasley. He always does,” Harry spoke up, as Ron just gaped at his mother.
“Good boys,” she said, smacking them both affectionately on the cheeks before she gave them bowls of pretzels and crisps to take with them.
“Her mood changes are scary,” Harry whispered. Ron just looked out of the doorway at the gathering.
“Oh, bugger me on a broom. Fine. Let’s do this,” Ron groaned. “Don’t leave me hanging, mate. If they start lobbing Bludgers at me, you’ll have my back, yeah?”
Harry acted offended. “I’ve gone out on a limb for you plenty! Have you forgotten how bad they took the piss when I took up with Shannon?”
Ron looked thoughtful for a second then sniggered. “Fair enough; they were brutal.”
Harry had not easily forgotten how he had suffered the Weasley brothers’ torments about losing his virginity to a young woman with a resemblance to Tonks. Harry only tolerated them to distract them from tormenting Ron about being a newlywed.
“Yeah, they were brutal, and the potential is even worse now,” Harry reminded him as they opened the front door and stepped out into the garden, “seeing as I’m dating your sister.”
Ron snorted. “Right, well if they start in on that, you’re on your own there.”
“Thanks a lot, wanker.”
“No problem, mate.”
Charlie’s booming laughter and Fred’s animated voice filled the air.
“Sounds like it’s on already,” Ron muttered. “I might need to give you my wand later.”
The five eldest Weasley men nodded their acknowledgment of Ron and Harry’s arrival, not interrupting Fred’s story.
“-No, no, it’s true and you know it. Makes perfect sense, see? When Charlie goes in, he chats up the finest bird in the place. Prettiest witch of the lot, with legs so long they can wrap around him three times, and an arse so tight you could play Snap off it.”
Charlie’s tanned face was turning pink, but he held his chin up, looking fairly smug. Harry snorted, catching bottles of Romanian whisky that George levitated to them.
“Now me, I don’t mind playing Reserve to Charlie -because every fine bird inevitably has... a friend.” Fred waggled his eyebrows, encouraging his small audience to agree with him. There was a collective “Uh-huh” around the group. Harry glanced at Ron, and both shrugged. This was true in their experience: didn’t they always travel in packs?
“Right? Yes?” Fred continued, “And now, the Hot Bird’s friend has inevitably got an arse like this.” Fred held his hands wide apart at waist level in front of him, causing snorts and snickers all around.
Bill shook his head as he laughed under his breath. Percy’s lips were pursed into a thin line, as though trying not to permit a smile, while Charlie tossed his head back with open laughter.
George was sniggering quietly with his arms folded, but remained subdued during his twin’s story. He’d spent the better part of the past year helping with Lee’s recovery, while Fred and Charlie coped with their post war stress by partying.
Fred was clearly thrilled with being on for an attentive crowd. “Now, all due respect to the dragon master over here,” Fred said as he jerked his thumb at Charlie, “who may be able to pull the hottest bird and bag her behind the bar – you wanna know something about those skinny girls?” asked Fred, holding up a warning finger. “The skinny ones are as uptight as their own little arses. Nothing but missionary from them.”
Harry felt his face burning, and knew Ron’s was the same as they watched Fred toss back his bottle and drank it half gone before wiping his mouth.
“Why sell yourself short?” Bill asked. “You could pull the pretty ones as well.”
“He certainly could!” agreed George, his brotherly support really only an endorsement of his own face’s ability to pull.
“Oh, no, no, no, there’s an art to it, see? If you go for the prettiest one first, then you’ve gone and offended all her friends. So you’ll be out of luck with all of them too. And then she won’t go out with you because all her friends are pissed off.”
“It’s ghastly the amount of thought you’ve put into this,” Percy muttered, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.
“Well when you play the pitch, Perce, you gotta have a game plan,” Fred chided, undaunted.
“I can pull just fine without-” Percy retorted, but suddenly looked flustered and silenced himself. Seeing the amused faces on the rest, Percy pushed his glasses up on his nose and stared at his feet.
“Git tries too damn hard,” Ron whispered to Harry. Fred grunted at Percy and continued, deciding not to detract from his own story by admonishing Percy further.
“Now, you may get those perfectly proportioned, skinny little things on their backs and spread out before ya,” Fred continued. Percy huffed and Bill palmed his forehead. Ron just blushed brighter, and he held his own bottle in front of his mouth as though trying to hide behind it. “But the fat-bottomed girls already know they aren’t perfect. And they are so chuffed that you asked them first and not their skinny friend, they’re willing to do anything in your bed. They don’t mind being face down in your pillow with that enormous round arse up in the air. The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin’; you know what I’m saying?” All were breathless with laughter, and Harry’s sides were beginning to hurt.
“Does this plan of yours always go so well?” Bill asked after a few minutes, wiping tears from his eyes. His now shoulder length shaggy hair hung over the scarred half of his face.
“Ah well, there was one luscious, full arse that got away from me. Tricky bird that one.”
“The Mount Madeline Expedition?” George noted.
“That’s the one,” Fred agreed. “I put four weeks into that one, and never did come away with the Snitch.”
“That’s a serious waste of four weeks, mate,” Charlie commented.
“M -Madeline?” Percy’s steady, slightly nasal voice piped up. “Madeline Finley?”
Fred raised his eyebrows and looked from George to Charlie, and then they all grinned and looked back to Percy.
“Why… yes, old man, I do believe that was it.” Fred hopped onto the low wall next to Percy and leaned against his shoulder. “Let’s have it then, big brother. Did you mount Miss Finley, then?”
Percy’s flush crept up his neck and overtook his nose, and though his eyes betrayed his consternation, he set his jaw and shrugged Fred off of his shoulder. “Piss off, Fred. As though I would divulge any such thing to you lot.”
Fred sniggered. “Oh I think you would, you scrot. We’re all freckled here –‘cept Harry of course, but he’s as good as. Tell us the tale now. D’you use your charms to get Mighty Mattie to kick her knickers off?”
“I would never say such a- I don’t mean -I do, but I- bugger!” Percy stammered. He seemed conflicted between respecting the girl and wanting to show up Fred. Harry had been in those shoes before.
Fred clapped him hard on the back, knocking his glasses askew again. “You’re no nancy boy after all, are ya, Perce? Good on ya, mate.” This time Fred put his arm heartily around Percy’s shoulder. It was subtle, but came a long way in securing Percy’s once lost place among his brothers.
“And here I took you for a bloody woofter, Percival,” Charlie teased and after a flip of his wand, the back of Percy’s shirt bunched up his back and tried to hook over Percy’s head.
“I certainly am not!” Percy said, struggling with his shirt, and then snatched his glasses as they were floated off his face on Charlie’s guidance. “And don’t call me Percival.”
“But it does seem you take a leaf out of Fred’s book: you take to the fat bottomed girls too, yeah? Interesting…” Charlie eyed Percy while he tilted his drink up and emptied the bottle.
Percy triumphed in controlling his shirt before taking a modest sip of his own drink, avoiding eye contact with Charlie.
“You should come out with us some time then, Perce,” Charlie said, sitting on the garden wall on the other side of Percy from Fred. “George won’t ever join us: he’s chosen the perverse life of Celibate Nursemaid.”
George choked on his drink, but smiled and shrugged.
“You’re very quiet over there, George. Can you hear us properly?” With a quick spell, George’s ears grew to three times their normal size. “There now, maybe you’ll hear us better.” George rolled his eyes, grasping his new ears.
Charlie Accioed another bottle of whisky and took a drink before continuing. “We had Harry with us for a little while, right, Harry?”
“Yeah, but I never played it up out there like you two,” Harry admitted, waving him off.
“No, heavens no.” He mocked Harry. “You never took to the birds stuffing their knickers into your robes, but you still had your piece-o-the-Irish though, didn’t ya? Schooled you well, that one!”
Harry rolled his eyes. In the months following the war, drinking with the Weasleys was the chief form of recovery. That’s when he discovered, regrettably, that he talked too much when he was drunk.
“I think you lot managed to get me to confess plenty with several bottles of Ogden’s. I’ve got nothing left to say.”
“That’s all right, Harry, just as long as you haven’t bestowed your Irish education on our baby sister,” Fred added with a wink.
“Oh, ho, ho. You haven’t been teaching our innocent sister, have ya?” Charlie said, tossing aside his now empty bottle.
The hair on the back of Harry’s neck prickled, and he suddenly felt defensive with all eyes indicting him.
Scratching his forehead with the thumb of the hand holding his beer bottle, he shook his head. The rousing memory of Ginny’s hair lying across his lap and the sound of his own voice keening as pleasure coursed through his body from her delicate and clever mouth was at the forefront of his mind. She was no innocent - a fact that had actually left him wondering about her education over the past year.
“You’ll have to take up Legilimency to get anything out of my head, fellas.”
“Actually, I’ve been studying Legilimency,” piped up Percy.
Harry’s eyebrows shot up as a wave of panic had him wondering if Percy could see his memory of Ginny coming around his fingers.
Then Harry realized that Percy was flushing crimson, and his eyes were far too wide; and then he broke. “No, I haven’t. I’m only joking. Sorry.” Percy was shaking his head, and his shoulders slumped with embarrassment.
All the brothers looked around to each other with astonishment.
“Good on ya, Perce!”
“Spiffing, old man!”
“Well played!” All the brothers praised him.
“Shit, Percival, you’re a sarcastic bastard too. Full of surprises, aren’t ya?” Charlie wrapped his strong arm around Percy’s head and noogied him.
“Maybe he really is a Weasley after all, eh?” Fred teased. Percy was still blushing, but beamed at receiving his brothers’ approval, even though it was at Harry’s expense.
“But, this still doesn’t answer the question at hand, does it lads?” Charlie said, drawing his wand on Harry. “You looked damned panicky for a second there, Harry.”
Charlie moved his wand, and Harry felt the magic of invisible hands grabbing a hold of the elastic of his underpants and yanking them upwards.
“Fuck, Charlie!” Harry yelped, grabbing the seat of his trousers, trying to keep them from riding higher. “There’s no way I’m saying a thing about Ginny – ah!” He yelped again as he was raised up to his toes by the seam of his pants digging into his arse. He struggled to talk through clenched teeth as the rest sniggered at his struggle. “As much I appreciate the –shit! -the arse kicking potential of six older brothers, I’m not saying a word on the subject of your sister’s purity.”
“Noble, that one,” George said.
“Had better keep your wand tucked into your robes, Harry,” Fred taunted.
“Saving my eleven inches for you, Fred,” growled Harry, still struggling.
Charlie kept his wand on Harry while he finished his bottle.
“Ease up on him, Charlie,” Bill said, chuckling, and Harry was immediately released from his torturing pants, letting out a fairly emasculating whimper.
“Bloody bastards,” Harry muttered, as he shoved his hand down his trousers, trying to put his twisted pants and tackle back into place. “Why’d I have to fall for a girl with so many brothers?”
Ron nudged him, while George winked. Harry huffed, knowing that however naff, it was still a sign of acceptance that they tormented and laughed at him.
“I’m afraid poor Bill and Ron just don’t know what they’re missing,” Fred bemoaned.
Harry saw Ron and Bill catch each other’s eye, and Bill winked. No matter how much Fred and Charlie would like to talk up their blokey sex lives, Harry’s instinct told him that Ron and Bill had the better arrangement.
“Oh I don’t know, Fred. Can you imagine what half a Veela could do for ya?” Bill gave his brother a slight smile, and held up a warning finger.
Charlie heeded Bill’s warning and skipped tack without missing a beat. “And little Ronnie over here; that wife of his must be doing something right to keep him home every night.”
Ron rolled his eyes, turning towards Harry to open another bottle himself. “And we’ve arrived at me, at last,” he muttered with annoyance.
“Tell us, Harry, have they forgotten to cast a Silencing charm, recently?” They laughed at remembering one of Harry’s drunken confessions he’d let slip.
Harry bit his lip and shook his head, looking apologetically at Ron.
“She’s a right pretty girl you got there, Ronnie,” Fred commended. “Not quite enough cushion in the tail, but a solid build overall.”
“You can leave off the broom metaphors unless you want to talk about my handle.” Ron gripped his crotch and cocked his head at his brother.
Fred snickered and toasted his bottle at Ron, approving his quip.
“But I think you’re right about that, Fred: Mrs. Ronald Weasley is not at all bad to look at, that’s for certain. Good enough to make Ron wait ‘til their wedding bed, right?” Charlie said, his speech now becoming slurred, and he appeared to concentrate on the spell he was conjuring. A swirling, smoky image of something rather Hermione-shaped erupted from Charlie’s wand and floated in front of Ron. “Ahh – there she is.”
There was collective gasp, along with nervous sounding chuckles.
“All right, Charlie, very fuckin’ funny. That’s enough.” Ron’s manner was gentle enough, but Harry recognized the crackling tension under his guise. The muscle in his jaw popped out. Ron had little tolerance when it came to Hermione… neither did Harry, for that matter.
“Oh come on now, Ronnie. Tell us what keeps that smile on your face?” Charlie taunted, and he flicked the cloudy form of Hermione onto her knees at Ron’s waist.
“I don’t think so,” Ron said, his voice flat, as he banished the ghost-like form of his wife.
The laughing in the yard had quieted significantly, but Charlie didn’t seem to have caught on.
“No? Well she does seem to have a thing for Quidditch players, yeah? Likes ginger hair too.” And as he spoke, Charlie conjured the image of Hermione on her knees again, only this time she was at his own feet.
“You’re out of line, Charlie,” Ron growled, shoving his wand at Harry as he walked towards his largest brother, fists balled. “I’ll knock you flat if I have to.”
Charlie stepped up toward Ron, with the satisfied look of a bully who found bait.
And then it happened.
Harry saw the tiniest movement in Bill’s wand, and suddenly Charlie lurched forward. Both of his feet were stuck fast to the ground, causing him to fall forward and catch himself on his hands.
“Argh! What the fuck?!” Charlie roared, stuck in a bear stance on all fours. His hands seemed stuck as well. “Bill! Bill, you bastard! Lemme go!”
“Sorry, Charlie, no can do. I’ve let you get away with far too much already. You’re making a right fine arse out of yourself.”
“Fuck you talking about?” Charlie yelled, twisting awkwardly to look at Bill. The rest of the men were in hysterics.
“You’ve been unchecked for too long of late, little brother.”
“Suck my freckled prick, Willie boy. I’m going to kick your arse!”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Bill said mildly, trying to keep his own composure. “As a matter of fact, since you persist in making an arse of yourself, you may as well do it up proper.” With another tiny swirl and jab of Bill’s wand, Charlie’s baggy denims and white underpants fell to his knees, revealing a well muscled and moderately bespeckled backside.
The roaring sound of laughter drowned Charlie’s curses and threats. George and Fred were positively rolling on the ground, Ron didn’t look like he could breathe, and Harry had never seen Percy laughing so hard.
Tonks suddenly walked into the garden, followed by a bewildered looking Remus.
“Wotcher, Charlie. Nice to see you haven’t let yourself go, mate.” And she gave him a resounding smack as she passed him.
Charlie practically squeaked while Remus’ eyebrows shot up.
“T –Tonks, that’s just not. Well, I mean, I don’t think you should…” Remus said, as he absentmindedly shook hands with Harry.
“Oh tosh, Remus, s’no big deal. You’ll not find a person in Gryffindor house during our time that hasn’t seen Charlie Weasley’s nekkid arse. He streaked the Common Room after every Quidditch win – didn’t ya, Charlie?”
“You were always first in line to see the show, weren’t ya, Tonks?” Charlie growled into the ground, fighting the charm that had his heels and palms stuck to the earth. He couldn’t even bend his knees to conceal himself.
“Now, now, you start behaving yourself,” Bill reprimanded, his own voice shaking. “I think you’ve forgotten who the big brother really is around here.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything, you fuckwit! You-” snarled Charlie, but he stopped short when a shadow fell over him.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, each with platter of sandwiches in hand, stood silent and blinking.
The laughter quickly died into a guilty hush. Mr. Weasley’s eyes were red and watering. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, feigning blowing his nose.
“We just brought out some food,” Mrs. Weasley carried on casually, passing Charlie’s bare bum and setting the platters on the picnic table. No one looked anyone else in the eye, in case they broke the silence.
“Almost time to tuck in.” Mrs. Weasley took her husband’s arm and started back inside. “And Bill?”
“Yes, Mum?” answered Bill, sounding quite innocent.
“If Charlie gets a sunburn, you’ll be the one applying the cream.” The chuckles and snorts broke out again.
“Yes, Mum.” Bill answered. They waited a moment for their parents to leave before erupting again.
“Okay, ha-fucking-ha,” Charlie grumbled at the ground. “You’ve had your go, now let me up. …Bill?” He was beginning to sound contrite.
“No more abusing The Rule. If you keep it up, I’ll take your wand and give Ron his.” Charlie huffed, but nodded.
Suddenly Harry felt Ginny arrive behind him. She hopped onto the garden wall and put her arms around his waist, pulling him close.
“Oh my!” squeaked Hermione as she arrived by their side, suddenly spinning away from the exposed Charlie. She hid her red face against Ron’s chest, while he chuckled at her modesty.
Bill released Charlie from the Sticking charm, and he pulled his trousers up as he stood. Charlie first fixed George’s ears with an apology.
“’m sorry, Ron,” he grumbled, casting Ron and Hermione a brief glance and looking back at the ground.
“Yeah. Sure.” Ron nodded, giving his humbled brother a nod of acceptance.
“Looks like Charlie got into some trouble,” Ginny said over Harry’s shoulder, nuzzling his neck in greeting.
“What did he do?” Hermione whispered, looking up at Ron and then Harry.
“Just drinking too much,” Ron said with a shrug. He and Harry shared a look, both agreeing that this lie by omission was acceptable, to spare Hermione embarrassment over Charlie’s magical incarnation of her.
Bill took Charlie around the shoulder, giving him a rough hug, and he and Remus hauled him back into the house. “Let’s get you sobered up, Charlie. You’ve got a lot of work waiting for you,” Harry heard Bill say.
Ron and Hermione joined the others in conversation, leaving Harry to turn around and face Ginny, giving her a proper hello kiss. His heart felt that warm swell that happened whenever they were together.
“Same ol’ ‘cock and bull’ around here?” Ginny asked.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Harry said, fidgeting in pants that still didn’t feel right.
“I can imagine what they ribbed you about,” she said with knowing smirk, running her hand over the side of his face.
“Oh yeah. They all threatened me plenty about your good virtue.” Harry lowered his eyes and blushed slightly.
“Ha! Hypocrites. A lot they know about my virtue. What’d you say to them?”
“Not a word, honest. Under torture, even,” Harry answered, shifting on his feet.
“Under torture?” she sniggered. “Oh Harry, you could have just told them.”
“Actually,” Harry said, absently picking at her shirt sleeve, “I’m not sure I really know the answer.”
“The answer to what?” Ginny asked, pulling away from him.
“Well, as to, if you… you’re a -you know,” Harry stammered, his cheeks turning a beautiful light pink.
Ginny lifted his face to meet her questioning eyes. “A virgin?”
~^~ Next Chaper Seven
A/N – Remember at the beginning when you all thought I killed George? Heh, heh.
I did not even know that was a line from Spinal Tap – honest! I apparently have useless pop culture floating in my head, and I don’t even know it.
So many people offered their tidbits and help with this one, even if they don’t know it:shocolate, alloy_ , oncelikeshari , allipotter and wandrin_dreamer – thank you.
Pats onmrspadf00t1 ’s crazy little head for her super quick pre-beta. She has made me fear adverbs.
belovedranger has eyes like hippogriff – nothing gets past her. She’s a brilliant beta, and she deserves to be surrounded by Ron’s freckles for taking on a Harry/Ginny story!
I am grateful for all of your comments and encouragement this far!
Chapter Six – All Together Now
~^~
“Hullo, chicken legs,” Ginny heard a familiar voice taunt.
“Frog face!” she exclaimed to George, standing to hug him, and then quickly snatched the take away bag from his hand. “I’m starving. What’d you bring?”
“Falafel – good?” he asked.
“Mm! Let’s eat it here on the stoop. It’s fun to watch the Muggles going to the market.”
They ate their lunch on the limestone steps of the Quibbler, in Covent Garden, and watched a pair of unicyclists dodge the tourists on the cobblestone street.
“Old Man Lovegood all right to work for, then?” George asked, nodding up at the building behind them.
“Oh sure, he’s sweet enough. Odd as a Skrewt, as you can imagine. Besides, it’s only ‘til Luna comes back this autumn.”
“How’s Luna taking to Scotland? Is Nessie cooperating?”
“Very well. She says they try to keep him deep in the loch, but you know the Muggles pester him the most during the summer.”
“Yeah, poor old beast.”
They ate and nodded occasionally to the magic folk who passed them. Wizards blended easily enough with the eclectic crowd in this part of London.
“How are ya, Forge?” Ginny finally asked. “You look... happy.”
He smirked without looking at her. “Not so bad anymore. Lee’s better these days.” He seemed to hesitate, concentrating on chewing a bit more than necessary. “Well, he wants to get out of his mum’s place, and she doesn’t want Lee on his own, so...” He took another big bite to muffle his words. “We’re gonna get our own place. I’m gonna move out of the flat.” He watched people in the street, casting a wary eye in her direction.
She was containing her smile. It wasn’t often George looked uncomfortable about anything. It was the perfect time to tease him, but she knew he was still too sensitive.
“I think that’ll be nice for you. Does Fred know?”
“Know?”
“Know about you moving, of course.”
“Oh right. Yeah, I mentioned it. I’m not there all that much anymore anyway; he doesn’t care.”
Ginny was grinning.
“Shut it, you,” he said in a mock warning and shoved her shoulder, “or we can start discussing why you’ve been smiling so much lately.”
“It’s no secret why I’m so happy. I feel like half my dreams have come true with Harry.” Then she got more serious. “I’m really glad you made peace with him finally. It’s wrong how you treated him all this time. He was really hurt.”
George clenched his jaw. He wasn’t accustomed to taking too much guff from people, but they both knew full well she was right.
“I know it -I’m sorry, ‘kay? Let’s not get into it again.”
“I’m not trying to ‘get into it’ again. I knew you were looking for an excuse to stay away, at first. I don’t like how you went about doing it, but now you’ve had plenty of time to deal with it. You’ve finally patched things up with Harry. Why don’t you just come clean with it?”
“Bloody hell, little sister, nuh –uh!” He dropped the last of his food into the paper wrapper in his lap, cutting short her pending protest. “Just because you work in the nutter factory over here, you’ve got used to people accepting the unusual. But that’s not reality in our world, is it? … Besides, none of them really want to know anyway.”
“Everyone in our family loves you.”
“Right. Have you met our brothers? Charlie? Perce? Ron? … They couldn’t handle it.”
Ginny put her hand on George’s shoulder. “I think you’re wrong about them. They’re all gits, but they love you.”
A shadow of sadness passed over his face. He shrugged.
“You are one of the bravest Gryffindors I’ve ever known. It’s not like you to hide or fret over what other people think. Chin up, already!”
“Oy, this isn’t just about me.” George’s eyes flashed. “I’ve a business to consider. This will affect Fred too.”
“Fred’s Man-About-Town reputation hasn’t hurt business any,” Ginny reminded him, staying calm while George was still escalating.
“And Dad at the Ministry!”
“Dad’s never cared what people say about him or the family. He’s judged by his character, as are you.”
“And there’s Lee’s mum as well!”
“I reckon Lee’s mum has always been pretty progressive, hasn’t she?”
George slumped. Sharp jokes and clever charms he could do, but getting personal wore him down.
They listened to musicians begin to play down the street. After a moment passed, Ginny changed the subject.
“So, Harry thinks it’s someone right there in Diagon Alley that’s been doing the attacks.”
“Yeah, he’s been tying it all together: the curse on Fortescue’s grand daughter, the break in at Malkin’s, then Ollivander’s owl -just like Hedwig…” George swallowed hard and frowned. “When he was telling me about Malkin’s cousin, that it was the same hex used on Lee… I ‘bout came unraveled. I thought for sure Harry was going to figure it out.” George looked almost green as he recalled his feeling.
“Oh please, Harry’s clueless. He’s just so glad that you don’t hate him. Honestly, George, this is a big deal for you because you’re living it, but no one else has any idea. Try to quit fretting about it. It can’t be good for your relationship either.”
George’s ears turned pink underneath the freckles. “It’s not easy,” he admitted, but then smiled with trademark naughtiness. “But we do pretty good otherwise.”
“Well, the details you can keep to yourself – yeck. …unless you really want to tell?” Ginny teased. George look scandalized.
“It’s good to be in love, isn’t it, Frog Face?”
~^~
When Harry and Ron Flooed into the Burrow’s kitchen, they found Mrs. Weasley in agitation, cleaning by hand.
“Mum? You doing all right?” Ron asked, stooping to allow her to kiss his cheek.
“Yeah, where is everyone?” Harry asked, hoping that hadn’t sounded as obvious as where is Ginny?
“The girls are still out; the rest of the lot are outside. I told them they couldn’t have it in the house, so now they won’t come in at all,” Mrs. Weasley said, sounding like she needed a bit of a rant.
“Couldn’t have what?” Ron asked.
“That horrible liquor of Charlie’s. He’s got one last crate full of it, and he seems bound to finish it off today.” She was scrubbing manic circles over the counter top as she bustled about.
Ron grinned at Harry. “We can make sure it’s all gone before the end of the day, Mum.”
“You boys will be good now!” She menaced them with a tea towel. “But Charlie-” Her voice cut short as her face twisted in a look of frustration.
“What are you on about?” Ron asked, standing in front of her so that she nearly slammed into his chest.
She melted into the arms of her baby boy, who now towered over her.
“You know how upset he’s been about not being able to go back to the reservation all this time.”
Harry nodded to himself. The Romanian and British Ministries had a falling out after the war. British conservationists hadn’t been permitted in the country.
Mrs. Weasley clutched Ron’s shirtfront. “Knowing he’s going to go back to sick and injured dragons, and only half the colony still alive that he left behind. It’s been trouble enough keeping him in check with his family to look after him. But out there?” She broke free of Ron’s embrace as her eyes welled up, and sniffed as she began moving about again. “Just try to keep him under control today, okay? He’s got a long travel tomorrow.”
“We’ll do our part, but Bill is the only one who can keep Charlie in line. You know how it works, Mum.”
“Oh I know all about the Rules you boys have.”
Harry had learned about ‘The Rules’ long ago. In a house full of growing wizards, the natural hierarchy takes over to keep the order. The ‘Rules’ of the house simply state that younger brothers can not use magic against older brothers. Harry could see right away why this had left Ron always a bit fearful of his older brothers, but also had left him particularly skilled with his fists. Bill was the only one who could use his magic against Charlie. Percy never did exercise his prerogative against the twins very often, leaving them wildly unchecked, but they were merciless to Ron. There seemed to be a gray area where Ginny was concerned.
“Now listen to me, Ron, please. After everything he went through, Bill wasn’t there for Charlie like he used to be. I know how the other boys idolize Charlie; they do anything for his approval. …and besides, I’m not talking about using wands.” Mrs. Weasley’s voice began to get quieter, but with a higher, conspiratorial pitch.
“Mum! You sayin’ you want me to whip Charlie? Are you mental, woman?”
“Of course I don’t want you to, but if it has to be done… You’ve been playing Quidditch for the past year, while Charlie’s been drinking too much.”
“Charlie’s a mean drunk too.” Ron grumbled and Harry was inclined to agree. Mrs. Weasley acquiesced, muttering something that sounded like ‘Gideon.’
She began to fan at her face, and her nose went red again. “If somebody doesn’t take that boy in hand, he’s going to get burned alive by one of those silly creatures. He’s become so careless – and if Bill won’t, you’re the only who can do it, Ron.”
“He’ll do the right thing if it comes to that, Mrs. Weasley. He always does,” Harry spoke up, as Ron just gaped at his mother.
“Good boys,” she said, smacking them both affectionately on the cheeks before she gave them bowls of pretzels and crisps to take with them.
“Her mood changes are scary,” Harry whispered. Ron just looked out of the doorway at the gathering.
“Oh, bugger me on a broom. Fine. Let’s do this,” Ron groaned. “Don’t leave me hanging, mate. If they start lobbing Bludgers at me, you’ll have my back, yeah?”
Harry acted offended. “I’ve gone out on a limb for you plenty! Have you forgotten how bad they took the piss when I took up with Shannon?”
Ron looked thoughtful for a second then sniggered. “Fair enough; they were brutal.”
Harry had not easily forgotten how he had suffered the Weasley brothers’ torments about losing his virginity to a young woman with a resemblance to Tonks. Harry only tolerated them to distract them from tormenting Ron about being a newlywed.
“Yeah, they were brutal, and the potential is even worse now,” Harry reminded him as they opened the front door and stepped out into the garden, “seeing as I’m dating your sister.”
Ron snorted. “Right, well if they start in on that, you’re on your own there.”
“Thanks a lot, wanker.”
“No problem, mate.”
Charlie’s booming laughter and Fred’s animated voice filled the air.
“Sounds like it’s on already,” Ron muttered. “I might need to give you my wand later.”
The five eldest Weasley men nodded their acknowledgment of Ron and Harry’s arrival, not interrupting Fred’s story.
“-No, no, it’s true and you know it. Makes perfect sense, see? When Charlie goes in, he chats up the finest bird in the place. Prettiest witch of the lot, with legs so long they can wrap around him three times, and an arse so tight you could play Snap off it.”
Charlie’s tanned face was turning pink, but he held his chin up, looking fairly smug. Harry snorted, catching bottles of Romanian whisky that George levitated to them.
“Now me, I don’t mind playing Reserve to Charlie -because every fine bird inevitably has... a friend.” Fred waggled his eyebrows, encouraging his small audience to agree with him. There was a collective “Uh-huh” around the group. Harry glanced at Ron, and both shrugged. This was true in their experience: didn’t they always travel in packs?
“Right? Yes?” Fred continued, “And now, the Hot Bird’s friend has inevitably got an arse like this.” Fred held his hands wide apart at waist level in front of him, causing snorts and snickers all around.
Bill shook his head as he laughed under his breath. Percy’s lips were pursed into a thin line, as though trying not to permit a smile, while Charlie tossed his head back with open laughter.
George was sniggering quietly with his arms folded, but remained subdued during his twin’s story. He’d spent the better part of the past year helping with Lee’s recovery, while Fred and Charlie coped with their post war stress by partying.
Fred was clearly thrilled with being on for an attentive crowd. “Now, all due respect to the dragon master over here,” Fred said as he jerked his thumb at Charlie, “who may be able to pull the hottest bird and bag her behind the bar – you wanna know something about those skinny girls?” asked Fred, holding up a warning finger. “The skinny ones are as uptight as their own little arses. Nothing but missionary from them.”
Harry felt his face burning, and knew Ron’s was the same as they watched Fred toss back his bottle and drank it half gone before wiping his mouth.
“Why sell yourself short?” Bill asked. “You could pull the pretty ones as well.”
“He certainly could!” agreed George, his brotherly support really only an endorsement of his own face’s ability to pull.
“Oh, no, no, no, there’s an art to it, see? If you go for the prettiest one first, then you’ve gone and offended all her friends. So you’ll be out of luck with all of them too. And then she won’t go out with you because all her friends are pissed off.”
“It’s ghastly the amount of thought you’ve put into this,” Percy muttered, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.
“Well when you play the pitch, Perce, you gotta have a game plan,” Fred chided, undaunted.
“I can pull just fine without-” Percy retorted, but suddenly looked flustered and silenced himself. Seeing the amused faces on the rest, Percy pushed his glasses up on his nose and stared at his feet.
“Git tries too damn hard,” Ron whispered to Harry. Fred grunted at Percy and continued, deciding not to detract from his own story by admonishing Percy further.
“Now, you may get those perfectly proportioned, skinny little things on their backs and spread out before ya,” Fred continued. Percy huffed and Bill palmed his forehead. Ron just blushed brighter, and he held his own bottle in front of his mouth as though trying to hide behind it. “But the fat-bottomed girls already know they aren’t perfect. And they are so chuffed that you asked them first and not their skinny friend, they’re willing to do anything in your bed. They don’t mind being face down in your pillow with that enormous round arse up in the air. The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin’; you know what I’m saying?” All were breathless with laughter, and Harry’s sides were beginning to hurt.
“Does this plan of yours always go so well?” Bill asked after a few minutes, wiping tears from his eyes. His now shoulder length shaggy hair hung over the scarred half of his face.
“Ah well, there was one luscious, full arse that got away from me. Tricky bird that one.”
“The Mount Madeline Expedition?” George noted.
“That’s the one,” Fred agreed. “I put four weeks into that one, and never did come away with the Snitch.”
“That’s a serious waste of four weeks, mate,” Charlie commented.
“M -Madeline?” Percy’s steady, slightly nasal voice piped up. “Madeline Finley?”
Fred raised his eyebrows and looked from George to Charlie, and then they all grinned and looked back to Percy.
“Why… yes, old man, I do believe that was it.” Fred hopped onto the low wall next to Percy and leaned against his shoulder. “Let’s have it then, big brother. Did you mount Miss Finley, then?”
Percy’s flush crept up his neck and overtook his nose, and though his eyes betrayed his consternation, he set his jaw and shrugged Fred off of his shoulder. “Piss off, Fred. As though I would divulge any such thing to you lot.”
Fred sniggered. “Oh I think you would, you scrot. We’re all freckled here –‘cept Harry of course, but he’s as good as. Tell us the tale now. D’you use your charms to get Mighty Mattie to kick her knickers off?”
“I would never say such a- I don’t mean -I do, but I- bugger!” Percy stammered. He seemed conflicted between respecting the girl and wanting to show up Fred. Harry had been in those shoes before.
Fred clapped him hard on the back, knocking his glasses askew again. “You’re no nancy boy after all, are ya, Perce? Good on ya, mate.” This time Fred put his arm heartily around Percy’s shoulder. It was subtle, but came a long way in securing Percy’s once lost place among his brothers.
“And here I took you for a bloody woofter, Percival,” Charlie teased and after a flip of his wand, the back of Percy’s shirt bunched up his back and tried to hook over Percy’s head.
“I certainly am not!” Percy said, struggling with his shirt, and then snatched his glasses as they were floated off his face on Charlie’s guidance. “And don’t call me Percival.”
“But it does seem you take a leaf out of Fred’s book: you take to the fat bottomed girls too, yeah? Interesting…” Charlie eyed Percy while he tilted his drink up and emptied the bottle.
Percy triumphed in controlling his shirt before taking a modest sip of his own drink, avoiding eye contact with Charlie.
“You should come out with us some time then, Perce,” Charlie said, sitting on the garden wall on the other side of Percy from Fred. “George won’t ever join us: he’s chosen the perverse life of Celibate Nursemaid.”
George choked on his drink, but smiled and shrugged.
“You’re very quiet over there, George. Can you hear us properly?” With a quick spell, George’s ears grew to three times their normal size. “There now, maybe you’ll hear us better.” George rolled his eyes, grasping his new ears.
Charlie Accioed another bottle of whisky and took a drink before continuing. “We had Harry with us for a little while, right, Harry?”
“Yeah, but I never played it up out there like you two,” Harry admitted, waving him off.
“No, heavens no.” He mocked Harry. “You never took to the birds stuffing their knickers into your robes, but you still had your piece-o-the-Irish though, didn’t ya? Schooled you well, that one!”
Harry rolled his eyes. In the months following the war, drinking with the Weasleys was the chief form of recovery. That’s when he discovered, regrettably, that he talked too much when he was drunk.
“I think you lot managed to get me to confess plenty with several bottles of Ogden’s. I’ve got nothing left to say.”
“That’s all right, Harry, just as long as you haven’t bestowed your Irish education on our baby sister,” Fred added with a wink.
“Oh, ho, ho. You haven’t been teaching our innocent sister, have ya?” Charlie said, tossing aside his now empty bottle.
The hair on the back of Harry’s neck prickled, and he suddenly felt defensive with all eyes indicting him.
Scratching his forehead with the thumb of the hand holding his beer bottle, he shook his head. The rousing memory of Ginny’s hair lying across his lap and the sound of his own voice keening as pleasure coursed through his body from her delicate and clever mouth was at the forefront of his mind. She was no innocent - a fact that had actually left him wondering about her education over the past year.
“You’ll have to take up Legilimency to get anything out of my head, fellas.”
“Actually, I’ve been studying Legilimency,” piped up Percy.
Harry’s eyebrows shot up as a wave of panic had him wondering if Percy could see his memory of Ginny coming around his fingers.
Then Harry realized that Percy was flushing crimson, and his eyes were far too wide; and then he broke. “No, I haven’t. I’m only joking. Sorry.” Percy was shaking his head, and his shoulders slumped with embarrassment.
All the brothers looked around to each other with astonishment.
“Good on ya, Perce!”
“Spiffing, old man!”
“Well played!” All the brothers praised him.
“Shit, Percival, you’re a sarcastic bastard too. Full of surprises, aren’t ya?” Charlie wrapped his strong arm around Percy’s head and noogied him.
“Maybe he really is a Weasley after all, eh?” Fred teased. Percy was still blushing, but beamed at receiving his brothers’ approval, even though it was at Harry’s expense.
“But, this still doesn’t answer the question at hand, does it lads?” Charlie said, drawing his wand on Harry. “You looked damned panicky for a second there, Harry.”
Charlie moved his wand, and Harry felt the magic of invisible hands grabbing a hold of the elastic of his underpants and yanking them upwards.
“Fuck, Charlie!” Harry yelped, grabbing the seat of his trousers, trying to keep them from riding higher. “There’s no way I’m saying a thing about Ginny – ah!” He yelped again as he was raised up to his toes by the seam of his pants digging into his arse. He struggled to talk through clenched teeth as the rest sniggered at his struggle. “As much I appreciate the –shit! -the arse kicking potential of six older brothers, I’m not saying a word on the subject of your sister’s purity.”
“Noble, that one,” George said.
“Had better keep your wand tucked into your robes, Harry,” Fred taunted.
“Saving my eleven inches for you, Fred,” growled Harry, still struggling.
Charlie kept his wand on Harry while he finished his bottle.
“Ease up on him, Charlie,” Bill said, chuckling, and Harry was immediately released from his torturing pants, letting out a fairly emasculating whimper.
“Bloody bastards,” Harry muttered, as he shoved his hand down his trousers, trying to put his twisted pants and tackle back into place. “Why’d I have to fall for a girl with so many brothers?”
Ron nudged him, while George winked. Harry huffed, knowing that however naff, it was still a sign of acceptance that they tormented and laughed at him.
“I’m afraid poor Bill and Ron just don’t know what they’re missing,” Fred bemoaned.
Harry saw Ron and Bill catch each other’s eye, and Bill winked. No matter how much Fred and Charlie would like to talk up their blokey sex lives, Harry’s instinct told him that Ron and Bill had the better arrangement.
“Oh I don’t know, Fred. Can you imagine what half a Veela could do for ya?” Bill gave his brother a slight smile, and held up a warning finger.
Charlie heeded Bill’s warning and skipped tack without missing a beat. “And little Ronnie over here; that wife of his must be doing something right to keep him home every night.”
Ron rolled his eyes, turning towards Harry to open another bottle himself. “And we’ve arrived at me, at last,” he muttered with annoyance.
“Tell us, Harry, have they forgotten to cast a Silencing charm, recently?” They laughed at remembering one of Harry’s drunken confessions he’d let slip.
Harry bit his lip and shook his head, looking apologetically at Ron.
“She’s a right pretty girl you got there, Ronnie,” Fred commended. “Not quite enough cushion in the tail, but a solid build overall.”
“You can leave off the broom metaphors unless you want to talk about my handle.” Ron gripped his crotch and cocked his head at his brother.
Fred snickered and toasted his bottle at Ron, approving his quip.
“But I think you’re right about that, Fred: Mrs. Ronald Weasley is not at all bad to look at, that’s for certain. Good enough to make Ron wait ‘til their wedding bed, right?” Charlie said, his speech now becoming slurred, and he appeared to concentrate on the spell he was conjuring. A swirling, smoky image of something rather Hermione-shaped erupted from Charlie’s wand and floated in front of Ron. “Ahh – there she is.”
There was collective gasp, along with nervous sounding chuckles.
“All right, Charlie, very fuckin’ funny. That’s enough.” Ron’s manner was gentle enough, but Harry recognized the crackling tension under his guise. The muscle in his jaw popped out. Ron had little tolerance when it came to Hermione… neither did Harry, for that matter.
“Oh come on now, Ronnie. Tell us what keeps that smile on your face?” Charlie taunted, and he flicked the cloudy form of Hermione onto her knees at Ron’s waist.
“I don’t think so,” Ron said, his voice flat, as he banished the ghost-like form of his wife.
The laughing in the yard had quieted significantly, but Charlie didn’t seem to have caught on.
“No? Well she does seem to have a thing for Quidditch players, yeah? Likes ginger hair too.” And as he spoke, Charlie conjured the image of Hermione on her knees again, only this time she was at his own feet.
“You’re out of line, Charlie,” Ron growled, shoving his wand at Harry as he walked towards his largest brother, fists balled. “I’ll knock you flat if I have to.”
Charlie stepped up toward Ron, with the satisfied look of a bully who found bait.
And then it happened.
Harry saw the tiniest movement in Bill’s wand, and suddenly Charlie lurched forward. Both of his feet were stuck fast to the ground, causing him to fall forward and catch himself on his hands.
“Argh! What the fuck?!” Charlie roared, stuck in a bear stance on all fours. His hands seemed stuck as well. “Bill! Bill, you bastard! Lemme go!”
“Sorry, Charlie, no can do. I’ve let you get away with far too much already. You’re making a right fine arse out of yourself.”
“Fuck you talking about?” Charlie yelled, twisting awkwardly to look at Bill. The rest of the men were in hysterics.
“You’ve been unchecked for too long of late, little brother.”
“Suck my freckled prick, Willie boy. I’m going to kick your arse!”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Bill said mildly, trying to keep his own composure. “As a matter of fact, since you persist in making an arse of yourself, you may as well do it up proper.” With another tiny swirl and jab of Bill’s wand, Charlie’s baggy denims and white underpants fell to his knees, revealing a well muscled and moderately bespeckled backside.
The roaring sound of laughter drowned Charlie’s curses and threats. George and Fred were positively rolling on the ground, Ron didn’t look like he could breathe, and Harry had never seen Percy laughing so hard.
Tonks suddenly walked into the garden, followed by a bewildered looking Remus.
“Wotcher, Charlie. Nice to see you haven’t let yourself go, mate.” And she gave him a resounding smack as she passed him.
Charlie practically squeaked while Remus’ eyebrows shot up.
“T –Tonks, that’s just not. Well, I mean, I don’t think you should…” Remus said, as he absentmindedly shook hands with Harry.
“Oh tosh, Remus, s’no big deal. You’ll not find a person in Gryffindor house during our time that hasn’t seen Charlie Weasley’s nekkid arse. He streaked the Common Room after every Quidditch win – didn’t ya, Charlie?”
“You were always first in line to see the show, weren’t ya, Tonks?” Charlie growled into the ground, fighting the charm that had his heels and palms stuck to the earth. He couldn’t even bend his knees to conceal himself.
“Now, now, you start behaving yourself,” Bill reprimanded, his own voice shaking. “I think you’ve forgotten who the big brother really is around here.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything, you fuckwit! You-” snarled Charlie, but he stopped short when a shadow fell over him.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, each with platter of sandwiches in hand, stood silent and blinking.
The laughter quickly died into a guilty hush. Mr. Weasley’s eyes were red and watering. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, feigning blowing his nose.
“We just brought out some food,” Mrs. Weasley carried on casually, passing Charlie’s bare bum and setting the platters on the picnic table. No one looked anyone else in the eye, in case they broke the silence.
“Almost time to tuck in.” Mrs. Weasley took her husband’s arm and started back inside. “And Bill?”
“Yes, Mum?” answered Bill, sounding quite innocent.
“If Charlie gets a sunburn, you’ll be the one applying the cream.” The chuckles and snorts broke out again.
“Yes, Mum.” Bill answered. They waited a moment for their parents to leave before erupting again.
“Okay, ha-fucking-ha,” Charlie grumbled at the ground. “You’ve had your go, now let me up. …Bill?” He was beginning to sound contrite.
“No more abusing The Rule. If you keep it up, I’ll take your wand and give Ron his.” Charlie huffed, but nodded.
Suddenly Harry felt Ginny arrive behind him. She hopped onto the garden wall and put her arms around his waist, pulling him close.
“Oh my!” squeaked Hermione as she arrived by their side, suddenly spinning away from the exposed Charlie. She hid her red face against Ron’s chest, while he chuckled at her modesty.
Bill released Charlie from the Sticking charm, and he pulled his trousers up as he stood. Charlie first fixed George’s ears with an apology.
“’m sorry, Ron,” he grumbled, casting Ron and Hermione a brief glance and looking back at the ground.
“Yeah. Sure.” Ron nodded, giving his humbled brother a nod of acceptance.
“Looks like Charlie got into some trouble,” Ginny said over Harry’s shoulder, nuzzling his neck in greeting.
“What did he do?” Hermione whispered, looking up at Ron and then Harry.
“Just drinking too much,” Ron said with a shrug. He and Harry shared a look, both agreeing that this lie by omission was acceptable, to spare Hermione embarrassment over Charlie’s magical incarnation of her.
Bill took Charlie around the shoulder, giving him a rough hug, and he and Remus hauled him back into the house. “Let’s get you sobered up, Charlie. You’ve got a lot of work waiting for you,” Harry heard Bill say.
Ron and Hermione joined the others in conversation, leaving Harry to turn around and face Ginny, giving her a proper hello kiss. His heart felt that warm swell that happened whenever they were together.
“Same ol’ ‘cock and bull’ around here?” Ginny asked.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Harry said, fidgeting in pants that still didn’t feel right.
“I can imagine what they ribbed you about,” she said with knowing smirk, running her hand over the side of his face.
“Oh yeah. They all threatened me plenty about your good virtue.” Harry lowered his eyes and blushed slightly.
“Ha! Hypocrites. A lot they know about my virtue. What’d you say to them?”
“Not a word, honest. Under torture, even,” Harry answered, shifting on his feet.
“Under torture?” she sniggered. “Oh Harry, you could have just told them.”
“Actually,” Harry said, absently picking at her shirt sleeve, “I’m not sure I really know the answer.”
“The answer to what?” Ginny asked, pulling away from him.
“Well, as to, if you… you’re a -you know,” Harry stammered, his cheeks turning a beautiful light pink.
Ginny lifted his face to meet her questioning eyes. “A virgin?”
~^~ Next Chaper Seven
A/N – Remember at the beginning when you all thought I killed George? Heh, heh.
I did not even know that was a line from Spinal Tap – honest! I apparently have useless pop culture floating in my head, and I don’t even know it.
So many people offered their tidbits and help with this one, even if they don’t know it:
shocolate, alloy_ , oncelikeshari , allipotter and wandrin_dreamer – thank you.Pats on
mrspadf00t1 ’s crazy little head for her super quick pre-beta. She has made me fear adverbs.belovedranger has eyes like hippogriff – nothing gets past her. She’s a brilliant beta, and she deserves to be surrounded by Ron’s freckles for taking on a Harry/Ginny story!I am grateful for all of your comments and encouragement this far!
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-24 08:46 pm (UTC)1. I told you to start with something nice and non-porny before you started reading my smut.
2. Harry is about to turn 19! Give the poor bloke a break ...and he hasn't even had the sex in this story yet.
3. You'd better not read anything else of mine, because sometimes my Harry gets pret-ty frea-ky.
....don't know how you can like this if you don't like the sex stuff. *squints at you suspiciously*
no subject
Date: 2006-09-24 09:07 pm (UTC)*cough,snort,is oldest sister,laugh*
You're kidding me with that comment right? ahahah. Yeah, I can imagine what that's like. heh.
....blowing is good.
re: With You Without You
Date: 2006-09-29 01:30 am (UTC)Re: With You Without You
Date: 2006-10-05 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-29 07:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 09:10 pm (UTC)Couldn't you just see Charlie's arse in the air like that? lol Who could resist giving him swat? Well, not Tonks of course. *snerk*
I had no idea it was Spinal Tap until my betas told me so! I've only seen it once, a million years ago! heh.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 02:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-05 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 08:53 am (UTC)Please and thank you.
Smooches!
no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 04:20 pm (UTC)I think this is like, the third review I've ever got from you. ..yes, I'm counting.
*fangirlloveyou!*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 05:12 pm (UTC)