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The house had a strange familiarity as though she had been there before, which was absurd! This was Harry Potter’s house. Only a few selected people were allowed here, and even then, they needed to side along with someone who had already been there. The house could have been anywhere in the British Isles, as the windows were dark with night. Pansy released her elbow as she leant to grab a drink for them from the waiting table.
“One thing about Potter is he has surprisingly good taste in Jinglejuice,” The Slytherin smirked as she handed her a glass of something fizzy.
“Is that why we’re here?” Millie asked as she pulled at her top. Pansy had been dismayed at the clothes she had arrived in her flat wearing, instantly insisting that she change whilst throwing clothes at her. The skintight gold dress clung to every lump and bump, and if she was sure, she looked like an over-stuffed sausage. Pansy was at least a dress size smaller and wasn’t as generous in the chest area.
“Stop fussing. You look hideously gorgeous! You should get your legs out more,” Pansy said as she raised the glass to her lips again. “And to answer the question, it certainly isn’t for the company. We can stay for a few drinks and then bail,” Millie nodded.
If she were honest, she would have preferred to stay at home. Work had been positively horrific, So, all she wanted to do was disappear from the neck down in a hot bubble bath with her favourite wine and resume reading her book. But, Pansy being Pansy, had said that she was ghastly old and dull for her age and dragged her out anyway. Millie knew better than to fight it. Pansy always got what she wanted.
“I still don’t understand why we’re here. I thought you didn’t want to get back together with him?” Millie sniffed her drink before sipping at it tentatively. Then, pleasantly surprised by the flavour, she took a bolder sip.
Pansy snorted, “We were never together. We just fucked,” She retorted. “And a house-elf will be the next minister for magic before that happens again,”
“We’ll see,” Millie muttered to herself as they moved through the house. Festive, unfamiliar music filtered through the house as they greeted people. She enjoyed the upbeat, tempo and that it wasn’t Celestina Warbeck or the weird sisters. The house overflowed with dark leafy garlands and shiny baubles, which glittered like gemstones in the dim, multicoloured twinkling lights.
A loud bark of laughter caught their attention, and they turned to find Ginny laughing and chatting with Blaise, her hand gently resting on his arm. Neither had any interest in the rest of the room as they stared daringly at each other.
“Apparently, Ron doesn’t know they’re a couple yet,” Pansy smirked at her, and Millie couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Ronald Weasley was obviously blind.
“Pans, you made it!” A voice called, and The man in question appeared from the next room.
“I did say I was going to drop by,” Pansy said, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Yeah, but you like to change your mind,” Ron smiled as he leant in for a kiss. She offered him her cheek. He hesitated for only a moment before kissing her and pulling back. “Wow, you both look brilliant,”
“I know,” Pansy offered, stroking her hand over her scarlet mini dress. She did look stunning—the sweetheart neckline drawing attention to her cleavage along with the glittering diamond necklace. Millie watched as Ron’s eyes couldn’t help but follow the line of her necklace down, not sparing her a glance. “So, who else is here tonight?”
“Oh, erm. Harry and Malfoy are in the kitchen, Hermione and Nott are on the stairs, Gin and my brothers are all over and erm, same with Dean and Seamus.”
“Isn’t that like the whole DMLE? Who’s actually working tonight if you’re all here?”
“Neville said he was going to try and swing by after his shift, and Dean and Seamus will leave for theirs.”
Pansy waved a hand, “Well, we had better go and say our hellos. See you around in a while,”
“Yeah, brilliant,” Ron nodded as they left him stood by the door.
Once he was out of earshot, they giggled. “Poor thing adores you,” Millie said
“Of course he does. I am very loveable after all,” They shared a look before bursting into laughter again. “He doesn’t love me. He loves what I can do,” She arched a perfect eyebrow at her and smiled conspiratorially.
“Oh?” Millie asked. She had often been curious what her friend’s appeal was. With her lethal tongue and sharp edges, It would be difficult for most men to get anywhere near her. How Weasley had managed was a mystery.
“Well, let’s just say that his mother would pitch a fit if she ever found out,” Pansy winked as she stepped out the way of another Weasley as they moved through the house. “Poor Mrs Weasley doesn’t know her son very well,”
Millie wanted to ask more when they met with an obstruction. But, instead, they took in the man in front of them and sighed.
“You can’t keep leading him on, you know.” Draco Malfoy said as he leant in, kissing them both on the cheeks.
“I’m not leading anyone on,” Pansy said, prickled by the suggestion.
“If you have no intention of sleeping with him tonight, why are you here?” He asked, his grey eyes narrowed.
“Aww, Jealous? Do you have feelings for him? He’s all yours if you want him? My governess taught me to share my toys,”
“Fuck off, I have to work with him, and he’s a shit Auror when he’s pissy!”
“Millicent and I are grabbing some drinks, we’re going to mingle, and then we’ll fuck off. Satisfied?” She asked.
“So, you’re her motivation for not staying?” Draco asked, turning her eyes to Millie. She frowned, shrugged, then nodded.
“It’s not like that!” Pansy argued sulkily. “He’s getting too clingy. The sex is surprisingly adequate, but I am in no mood to become the next Mrs Weasley, and I’m convinced he’s considered it. So it would be a shag tonight and down the aisle, next weekend, much to the dismay of everyone and his mother!”
Draco smirked but nodded in agreement.
“Well, I suggest trying to avoid him because he’s on a mission to win you over tonight. We’ve got a wager on it,”
“Shame on you!” he replied with a smirk. “Can’t we find some other women to throw at him? Slow him down? Who else is here?”
“Some of the dispatchers will be coming along later at the end of their shift, Brown, Bones and Tracey.” They all nodded. “Possibly some of the mediwitches from St Mungos too. Abbott and Turpin?” Millie nodded. She knew the Mediwitches well.
“I overheard them talking yesterday. I think they’re bringing Mcmillan and Vane too,” Millie added.
“So, some good candidates to get in his way tonight,” Pansy seemed hopeful, “He and Brown have history, don’t they?”
They all nodded. “Alas, I don’t think Weaslby would go there again,” Draco chuckles. “She was top-notch insane last time,”
“What about one of the Hufflepuff?”
“We’ll see,” Draco said as someone joined them.
“Pansy, Millie, glad you could make it,” Harry said, his smile genuine and warm.
“Thanks for the invite,” Millie said. “Nice house,”
“It’s taken a long time to get to it, but thanks,” His smile brightened as he looked around. “It was a nightmare before,”
“Potter, we’re trying to set Ronald up with one of the Hufflepuffs. Pansy is trying to kick the habit,”
“Bout bloody time!” Harry laughed, “Erm… Turpin is no good; she’s married, so is Tracey. Parvati and Katie are together and don’t even consider Hannah. She’s Lavender-level crazy for Nev. Not that he seems to notice,” Harry laughed, and they joined him.
“Oh, he notices,” Draco nodded with a roll of his eyes, “You can practically smell the panic whenever she’s near.” He snorted.
“Well, we need someone to soften my rejection,”
“Leave it with me; I’ll speak to Mione and see whether she has any ideas,”
“Mione always was a meddler,” Pansy chuckled. There was no animosity between them all now. It had been far too long forced together by war, work and tragedy to be anything other than close.
“Well, have fun, drink as much as you like, the bathroom is upstairs, first door on the right, and the garden is downstairs through the kitchen if you smoke.” Harry listed before raising the dark glass bottle to his lips. The scent of hops surrounded them fr a second.
“Such a good host,” Pansy teased.
“Fuck off,” He replied with a grin before leaving them and greeting someone else.
“He’s such an idiot!” Draco said with a shake of his head,
“If I didn’t know about the massive hard-on you have for Medler Granger, I’d say shag him already!” Pansy poked.
“At least you think I’m massive!” He coughed, turning slightly pink in the dim light.
“Whatever!” Pansy laughed
Draco snorted and walked off, leaving them alone. They giggled as they lowered themselves onto a random sofa in a quieter corner of the sitting room.
Millie lowered herself carefully onto the fabric, aware of the tightness and worried about having a wardrobe malfunction. When she was finally settled, they sighed and sipped their drink as they listened to the music.
“Evening,” Came a sure greeting as George Weasley appeared, smiling down at them.
“Hi George,” Millie greeted. She knew George well from his visit to St Mungos. After the war, she trained to be a Healer specialising in mind magic. He had been her patient for years now.
“Hi Mills,” He propped himself down on the arm and looked out into the room. “Dull party, isn’t it? I wanted to bring some things from the shop to liven it up, but Ronniekins told me I couldn’t,”
“That’s never stopped you before,” She said before meeting his eyes. He smirked knowingly. “Oh no,” She laughed, realising he had disobeyed his brother, “What have you got planned?”
“Let’s just say, avoid sharing doorways with anyone, don’t drink the punch, and above all, do not play spin the bottle if someone is stupid enough to spin the bottle I’ve left out,”
“Noted.” Millie smiled.
“What have you done to the punch?” Pansy asked, eying him suspiciously. George just grinned before sipping his beer.
“Trust me, it’s going to be good!” he chuckled gleefully. Millie smiled. It was nice to see him enjoying himself, something he hadn’t been able to do much since the loss of his brother. “No, I’ve got my eye on a sausage roll, Have a good time, ladies,” He nodded his head as he stood and disappeared.
“Do people still play spin the bottle at our age?” Millie asked,
“It’s Ronald,” Pansy replied as if that explained everything. It did.
The party filled up slowly. Lots of faces from the past and people she didn’t know. A few people from work said hello after a lingering assessment of her dress. She wished that the ground would open up and swallow her as she considered the conversations she would face come Monday.
“Oh Salazar. He’s back again.” Pansy said, tugging her arm. “Let’s make a run for it,” Millie didn’t get the chance to agree before she was unceremoniously dragged into the corridor again.
“What are you doing?”
“If he can’t talk to me, then I can’t be swayed back into bed with him. It’s foolproof,”
“No. Not coming in the first place would have been foolproof, instead of running around the house avoiding him all night,” Millie argued back as they moved into the hall.
One minute Pansy was there starting to reply; the next moment, she was gone. Millie looked down, only to find her friend on her back in a man’s arms.
“What the-” she started.
“Shit, I’m sorry, are you alright?” The man said calmly as he helped Pansy up again.
“If not for your lanky bloody legs-” She started to complain when she looked into his face.
Even Millie had to admit the man was handsome and tall, one of the tallest at the party. His chiselled jawline was dusted in stubble. It almost hid the scars which rang down his throat and beneath his shirt. Yet, there was something familiar about the man as he brushed his hair back from his face, lifting his navy blue shirt enough at the front to give them both a glimpse of a flat stomach.
“I’m so sorry, Parkinson. We thought we would be out of the way over here,” We? Millie wondered who he could be talking about when she saw the other man climb to his feet. A redhead, so there was a good chance that he was a Weasley, but which one? She knew Ron, George and vaguely remembered the prim and bossy Headboy from school. However, he was not the same uptight person with his open flannel shirt, long curly hair and relaxed smile.
“And you are?” Pansy asked as she tried to stifle the surprise.
“Longbottom,” The man replied. Millie shared a look with Pansy before looking back to the man in front of them. This couldn’t be Neville Longbottom.
“Nice try,” she replied,
“I can vouch for him if you like?” The redhead interjected smoothly. “I’m Charlie Weasley,”
“What happened to you?” Pansy asked as she looked him up and down.
“Auror training,” He replied bashfully.
“Looking good,” Millie replied, watching as his blush deepened.
“Very,” Pansy replied appraisingly.
“Thanks,” Longbottom replied. As awkward as he appeared, Millie couldn’t help notice how his eyes lingered on her friend. Most men leered creepily, but the Gryffindor’s attention seemed almost tender.
“Would you care to join us?” Charlie asked, gesturing to the small space beneath the stairs. They nodded, remembering the approach of Ron behind them.
They moved into the alcove and slowly sat down, the men on the outside hiding them from view. Pansy was already striking up a conversation with the other man when the redhead spoke.
“Well, you have me at a disadvantage.”
“Really? How so?” She asked as she tried tugging on the dress to avoid embarrassment.
“Well, you know who I am, but I don’t know who you are,” He tugged off his flannel shirt, leaving him in just a tight T-shirt. Millie couldn’t help admire how the material clung to his biceps. “Here, have my shirt if it will make you feel more comfortable,” He held out the flannel shirt and pointed to her legs.
Her cheeks blazed, but she took the shirt and hummed as the lovely warm fabric covered her legs. Then, finally, she smiled in thanks, appreciating the gesture.
“Thank you. I had to borrow Pansy’s dress, and it’s a little small on me. I’m Millie, by the way,”
“Millie? Nice name. Were you all in Ron’s year?”
She nodded, noticing how warm and dark his eyes were in the dim rainbow light. She pushed her hair behind her ear and smiled.
“So, what do you do for a living?”
“Dragons,” He grinned brightly. “I work at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. I’m just visiting for the holidays,”
“Wow, sounds dangerous,”
“It is. My mother is a nightmare this time of year,” the genuine laugh escaped her lips as he watched her, a smile on his own face, apparently pleased at her reaction.
“I meant the dragons,” She clarified playfully.
“I know, but I’d take any of them over my mother sometimes,”
“I’d take dragons over my parents all the time,” Milli admitted.
“Difficult relationship?”
“Strict Pureblood,” She replied by way of an explanation. He whistled.
“Yeah, Give me a Ukrainian Ironbelly any day!” they laughed.
“There you are,” A voice interrupted, drawing their attention.
Ron stood looking down at them all with an unsure smile as he spied Pansy with Neville. He had a beer can held in one hand as his eyes darted between them.
“Hey Ron,” Neville smiled.
“Hey, you’re early,” His voice sounded strained as if he wasn’t happy about his friend’s early appearance.
“Yeah, Robards, let some of us go early as its quiet,”
“Oh, right. Brilliant,” He replied halfheartedly.
“I think Hermione was looking for you in the kitchen,” Pansy said, looking up at him, a smile on her face.
“Really?” Ron said, looking away and into the other room.
“Yeah, Harry said that she needed to talk to you a little while ago,” Millie added.
“Right. Brilliant. I’ll be right back,”
“No rush, Neville and Charlie are looking after us,” Pansy added, making Ron pause at the door and look back at them before leaving them alone. She let out a sigh of relief before resting her head back against the wall.
“What’s going on?” Charlie asked, looking between them.
“Ron is trying to pick me up,” She replied.
“And you don’t want him to?” Neville asked carefully.
Pansy shook her head.
“Just be honest with him. He’ll mope about it, but he will take no for an answer,”
Pansy groaned, and Millie tried to stifle her laugh by covering it with a cough. However, it fooled no one as her friend narrowed her eyes and Neville and Charlie smirked.
“Fine, I’ll go and kick the puppy, as any self-respecting Gryffindor would,” She rolled her eyes as she gracefully rose to her feet and disappeared the way Ron had come.
“Were they serious?” Neville asked, looking at Millie again. She thought about it for the moment and shook her head.
“I’m pretty sure Pansy was only in it for fun, but I think Ron was more invested. She sometimes has that effect on people,”
“Oh, alright. So she’s not looking for anything serious?” He asked again. Millie smiled and opened her mouth to speak but Charlie beat her to it.
“Why, Neville. Are you interested?” They both laughed when the blush bloomed on his face again. Then, when he didn’t answer, they laughed more.
“Pansy is my best friend. However, I can’t understand why men fall over themselves for her, especially people who know her.” She shook her head before sipping her drink.
“I can see why men would be interested,” Charlie admitted. “She is beautiful,” Neville looked down and shook his head.
“Don’t you think so?” Millie asked.
“It’s not that. I think she’s stunning, but I also find her funny,”
“Funny?” Millie asked with a frown, and he nodded.
“I like the way her mind works,”
“They do say that love looks not with the eyes but with the mind,” Charlie added wisely. Millie looked at him and wondered what this man would be like to sit down and talk with alone. She felt like they would have a lot in common.
“Who are They?” Neville asked with a smirk.
“William Shakespeare, I believe,” Millie replied. She was a fan of most of his plays.
“It was,” Charlie replied, looking at her in awe. “Most Wizards don’t read the Bard’s work.”
“I love his work,” She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm.
“As do I,” He grinned. Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment when Pansy’s return drew their attention.
“Well, that went better than expected,” She announced as she stepped over Neville’s legs before gracefully lowering herself down onto the ground next to him.
“Really?” Millie asked.
“Yeah. He’s not happy about it, but he did take no for an answer,”
“I knew he would,” Charlie added. “He’ll sulk for a few days, and then it’ll be like it never happened,”
“That’s a relief,” Pansy sighed. “So, did I miss anything?”
“Not really,” Neville said as he warned the other two with a look. They laughed, drawing Pansy’s suspicious gaze once again.
~~~
She laughed again as she listened to Charlie recount another anecdote about one of his dragons and their misadventures. Finally, she found herself relaxing around him, her muscles releasing their tension and anxiety at being surrounded by so many people.
“And then Norberta’s tail swooped down and took him out at the knees sending him face-first into a fresh pile of Dragon dung.” Millie gripped her stomach as the tears rolled down her face. He laughed too; his whole body turned towards her as though there was nothing else more important.
They caught their breath as she fanned her face; the heat filled her cheeks. “Are you warm? We can step outside for a bit if you like? I could do with some fresh air,” He offered.
“Sounds like a great idea,” She agreed as she attempted to stand up. Unfortunately, in her ease in his company, she had entirely forgotten that she was wearing Pansy’s dress. The was a tearing sound from behind her as the dress ripped and the bottom fell out of her world. What would he think?
Her weight had always been an issue for her. Often being the subject others teased and bullied her for. Millie had long been one of the biggest girls in their year. It was only during the stress of the war and striking out on her own that she had been able to control and lose her baby fat. Still, hearing the sound of her curvy arse tearing at the dress drew tears to gather in her eyelashes.
“Are you alright?” Charlie asked, obviously noticing her sudden change in demeanour.
“Erm, yeah. I’ve just remembered, I need to go,” She said, feeling the panic rise inside her.
“Oh, really?” He asked, seeming confused and hurt, and she hated seeing that look on his face.
“Yeah, I just remembered. I’ve got to swing by the hospital on the way home.” She said, thinking of a reasonable excuse.
“St Mungos? Are you alright?” Great, he sounded worried now.
“No, no. I’m fine. I work there,” She explained, watching as the worry left his face. “I really need to go. If you see Pansy, could you let her know I’ve left?”
“Yeah, sure.” He nodded.
“I did enjoy tonight. Honesty,” Millie tried smiling as she kept her backside to the wall.
“Maybe we could meet up sometime?” He asked, a hopeful smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
“Sounds great, Owl me,” She nodded as she reached for her wand.
“You can’t apparate in here,” He pointed.
“I can, It’s one of the benefits of being a healer,” She smiled as she apparated away home.
~~~
It was New Year’s Eve as she walked around the ward. Since seeing Neville at the Christmas party, she had noticed him visiting his parents every couple of days. It broke her heart that he put so much effort into them when she knew how little he would get in return. He smiled and nodded hello when he spotted her, and she wondered how he was getting on with Pansy as all her friend could do was complain about him.
Millie wondered whether she was complimenting him. When she talked about his massive plant collection or how fastidiously neat he was, whether she was admiring those qualities. Millie had caught her fondling a “hideously ugly” scarf Neville had bought her for Christmas with a beatific smile on her face. Maybe this relationship wasn’t the same flash in the pan that her other liaisons had been.
She hummed to herself as she looked down at the notes for one of her patients. When she looked back up, the door to the ward was opening, and Charlie was peering in.
“Charlie?” She asked, feeling her cheeks burning. He had owled her, but she hadn’t had time to reply with work over the holidays.
“Hi, When’s your break?” He asked.
“Oh, In about half an hour. Why?” She asked with a frown.
“Meet me outside. I have a surprise,”
“Okay…” She replied, and as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. Only the slow closing of the door hinting that anyone had been there at all.
She spent the next half hour watching the clock as she tried to complete the notes for her patient. Then, when one of the other healers stepped in to take over, she rushed out, forgetting her jacket.
Bursting through the front doors, she looked around, convinced that he wouldn’t be there. She let out a breath as he stood against the window with the mannequin looking over his shoulder.
“Hi,” She said awkwardly as she stepped forwards, hugging her arms to her chest.
“Hi,” He replied with a smile. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I didn’t get a reply to your owl, and I just wanted to make sure you got my messages,”
“I’m so sorry. Work has been so busy that I’ve barely been home. I got your owls, but I’ve had no time to reply. It’s always the same this time of year.”
“Ah, good. I hoped I hadn’t scared you off at the party with all my dragon stories.
“Oh, no. They were great,” She paused for a moment before continuing. “I’m sorry I had to dash from the party. I wasn’t needed at work. That was a lie. I had an issue with Pansy’s dress.” She replied, feeling her cheeks burn at the memory. She had tried to fix it with magic when she had returned home, but there was no saving it. She had yet to break the news to her friend.
“Oh,” His face fell slightly as he listened, and she felt compelled to explain further. Everything tumbled out. All her fears about what he would think of her to her insecurities over her weight. All things she didn’t realise she was exposing until it was all out in the open. “Shush, it’s ok. I understand. It’s ok,” He soothed as she realised that tears had started to well up.
“I’m sorry,” she said finally, and he chuckled as he offered her a handkerchief. She dabbed at her eyes, hoping that her carefully-applied makeup hadn’t been ruined.
“It’s ok. I’m just glad I didn’t drive you away with my stories. Apparently, I have form…”
“No, your stories were brilliant. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much!” She said as she handed his handkerchief back. He tucked it into his pocket and smiled.
“Good. I know this is really forward, but I was wondering whether you wanted to have lunch with me?” He ducked his head awkwardly.
“Oh, of course. When? I’ll have to check my rota,”
“Now,” He grinned.
“Now?” she laughed in surprise.
“Yeah, You’re on lunch. I thought we could take a picnic to Leicester Square,”
Millie couldn’t help but laugh. “A picnic? It’s freezing out here,”
“That’s why warming charms were created,” He grinned.
“Ok, but by the time we’ve put together the food, I’ll have to come back,” She explained softly, touched that he wanted to spend time with her so soon.
“I thought of that already,” He laughed as he pulled out a tiny basket from his pocket. He held it out in his hand and tapped it with his wand, turning his back to the street to hide his magic. The basket grew until it hid his hand completely. Charlie Weasley had come prepared. There had never been a man in her life that had gone to such trouble for her.
“You’ve already made it up?” She asked, placing her hand against her chest in surprise and affection.
“I thought it would save time. I hope I’ve got things you like,”
“I’m pretty easy to please,”
“Well, you’re certainly pretty,” He offered goofily. She blushed and smiled, lowering her eyes bashfully. “So, if you’re ready and willing?” He asked, offering her his arm. She took it and stopped.
“Give me one second,” She said as she left him and stepped back into the hospital. What was she doing? She couldn’t walk around London in her lime green healer’s scrubs. She took out her wand and waved it over herself. Jeans and a jacket would suffice for her to fit in. The scrubs twisted and warped, stretching into place. Once she was satisfied, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath before stepping back out into the cold December street.
“You look lovely,” He smiled as she reappeared.
“Thank you,” She smiled as she took his offered arm again.
~~~
They strolled the block to Leicester Square before sitting down on one free bench. Millie turned and started. There was a brass statue of Harry Potter flying his broomstick, in full view of the muggles.
“Charlie!” She hissed, “What about the statute of secrecy?” She asked as she drew his attention to it.
“Didn’t you hear? Skeeter was so disgraced after the war that she’s living in the muggle world. So she wrote down Harry’s story, with a few embellishments, and sold it to a muggle publisher. It was astronomically popular.” He laughed.
“Wasn’t she arrested?
“No, because it’s a work of fiction, the muggles don’t realise it’s almost all real,”
“Wow,” was all she could say as she noticed the small children dressed in Gryffindor robes gravitating to the statue. Even adults dressed in loose imitations of Hogwarts robes and scarfs had their photos taken with it.
“Crazy, I know.” He smiled. “It makes you think that just maybe if we were to ever come out of hiding, that the muggles might be ok with it,”
“I’m not sure about that,” she laughed.
“Maybe you’re right,” He chuckled.
“I’m always right,” she teased.
“Well, I had an inkling that you were Miss Right when I met you,” He grinned with a glance to her as he opened the basket. Her heart gave a sudden and loud thump before speeding up. “Not sure whether you’ve noticed, but our beloved bard stands before us too,” He smiled as he motioned to the centre of the square.
William Shakespeare leant against a pillar as he rested her head on his chin, looking out into the crowds. He held a scroll with his other hand, which read, “There is no darkness but ignorance,” All was carved into white stone, stained slightly yellow in some places.
She read the scroll aloud and smiled as she glimpsed back to the Potter statue. “If only they knew,” She laughed as he offered her the basket.
She looked in, noticing the selection. There was no way this had been a spur of the moment collection. This had been planned and baked specifically. As if reading her thoughts, he blushed.
“I may have had help putting all of this together,” he admitted. “I stupidly mentioned within hearing of my mother that I’d met a brilliant person of the female persuasion at the party, and now she’s all over me. You’re probably aware of my mother if you know George and Ron. She is very family-oriented. I just want you to know what you’re getting into before we go any further as she can be a bit much,” He paused and looked at her as if it had been a real burden off his chest. “I like you, Millie.”
She looked down again at the freshly baked pie in the basket. Primarily to hide her reaction as she thought it all through. She knew all about Molly Weasley through George’s therapy and some through her other friends. Millie knew that family was critical to the Weasley Matriarch.
Was she ready to get embroiled with that? She thought of her empty flat, devoid of pictures of her family. Her family unit had been dysfunctional and clinical. She wondered what it would be like to have someone to hold her when the world got too much or to cuddle up to when she was cold. Someone she could champion and support in their endeavours, everything she read about and dreamed of having someday.
“I like you too, very much,” she replied after quite a long gap.
“You do?” He asked, his face beaming with surprise and excitement. He reminded her of a labrador puppy at that moment, and she laughed.
“I do, I’ve not laughed this much… in my entire life!” she said,
“Would you like to go on a date with me?”
“What are we doing now then?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, I mean a proper date. Come to dinner with me tonight?”
“Tonight?” She laughed, “Alright, where are we going?”
“What about Tre e Viverna? It’s a goblin-owned Italian restaurant by Gringotts,”
“Sounds wonderful,” She grinned,
“Really?” He asked again, sounding unsure of her sincerity.
“Really, I’m looking forward to it,”
“Great,” He grinned as they moved onto other subjects, but still excited and uplifted from their exchange. But, all too soon, it was time to return to the hospital. They walked arm in arm, pressing close to each other as she attempted to shield herself from the cold. The conversation never stopped until they were standing outside the doors again.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight, about seven?” He asked,
“Seven sounds perfect,” she agreed as she pushed her hair behind her ear.
“Great, I’ll see you then,” He grinned as she stood there, unwilling to let him go.
“Thank you for lunch,” She muttered as she pressed her lips against his cheek. “It’s one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me.
“Oh, erm. Yeah. Glad you liked it,” Charlie stammered, his cheeks flushing.
“See you later,” she said as she reluctantly pulled away. He caught her hand and lowered his face to it, pressing his cold lips to her skin.
“Until later,” He grinned as he straightened, releasing her. She fled into the hospital so that she could swoon in private. If he could make her feel like this with just a kiss on her hand, what else could he do to her? She grinned to herself. Millie couldn’t wait to find out.