Verbalizing

George leaned back on his heels. "Walk, Bell?" he asked easily, holding out a hand and nodding toward the door.

Katie surveyed him patiently as she pulled her elbows off of the counter. "Always, Weasley," she told him, ignoring his hand and shoving her own in her pocket in one fluid motion.

"Don't do that, Katie. I just wanted to talk."

"Do what?"

"Be...Standoffish. Makes everything harder."

"I'm not being standoffish, George. I'm being cautious. 'S different."

"No, it's not. Not the way you play at it."

"How exactly do I play at it, Weasley? Please. I want to know."

"You're cold. Don't look at me that way. You asked, Bell."

"You didn't have to tell the truth. You could have lied."

"Aren't you cautious against people like that?"

"Don't be difficult, George. You wanted to walk. I'm walking."

"You're not walking. You're running. Could you put a little more distance between us?"

"George, I don't think it's safe to be walking about Diagon Alley at night. We're asking for trouble."

"We're perfectly safe. Haven't you got your wand?"

"Of course I've got my wand. I'm not a child."

"Good. You have your wand and a Weasley. We're fine. Oi, what part of that is funny?"

"Only the part where you think that you'll be of any help."

"Katie, you're walking Diagon Alley at twilight with me. You must feel safe."

"Oh you're good, Weasley."

"See? You just walk right into them. Fred and I keep telling you."

"I haven't learned yet, apparently. Weasley, it's not that funny."

"Oh, it is Bell."

"What was that?"

"Relax, Katie. Madge O'Connell just locked her door. See? You can see her in the window."

"Can you blame me, George?"

"For what, Katie?"

"For being jumpy! Honestly!"

"I've already forgotten, Bell."

"Oh. Well. Good then."

"Which brings me to the reason that we're walking."

"Good. It's about time. We've nearly passed the ice cream parlor."

"Have we? Look at how empty it looks, Bell. Shame."

"Crying shame. Are we just going to loop around, or what?"

"Sure. Right, then?"

"Oh, can't we pass by Quality Quidditch Supplies? Angelina told me that they have this fantastic new broom. 'Beautifully streamlined', she said."

"Oh. Well. If Angelina said so..."

"George. Don't. She's my best friend."

"Christ, Bell. Just kidding. Left it is. Long way around. You've gotten over your jumpiness quite quickly, haven't you?"

"I thought you had forgotten?"

"I forgot that I'd forgotten. Happens more frequently than you might think."

"Ah. Of course."

"Is that it?"

"Oh, what a piece of bloody rubbish! Look at it, George! It's hardly streamlined at all! I don't know what she was talking about."

"I'm going to go against everything that I've previously known and say that Angelina was downright wrong about this broom."

"You and me both. Oh, what a horrible broomstick! Look at the handle, it's all wrong!"

"I see it, Bell."

"Good. If you remember anything, remember that that is not how a broom is supposed to look."

"I'm not going to forget it any time soon."

"Okay. What did you want now, George?"

"I want a lot of things. Would you like the long list, or the short version?"

"I want to know why you asked me to walk."

"Can't a man take a walk with a friend? Must it be interpreted seventy different ways?"

"You told me that there was a reason we were walking."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did, George! Only a bit ago!"

"No need to shout, Katie. You walk right into them. I just can't help it anymore."

"Are you going to tell me? Because I'm not taking another go at this walking lark. It's too dark. I'm telling you, Weasley. It's not safe."

"Calm down, Katie. I'm right here. Nothing will happen."

"Can you be so sure?"

"Nope."

"Then why are you speaking on it, George?"

"Because I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Katie."

"That's just so damn heart-warming, Weasley."

"Good. It was meant to be."

"Now will you tell me? I can just about see the sign."

"That's not our sign, Bell. See? It's says 'Card Shop'."

"Your shop is only a few more doors down then, George."

"Right-o it is."

"George."

"Katie."

"George, do you enjoy keeping me in suspense?"

"Is this another one of those questions where you would like me to lie?"

"So it's a yes, then?"

"No, it's a no. I really don't like to keep anyone in suspense if I can help it."

"So why don't you just spit it out?"

"I'm trying, Katie."

"Now you're lying."

"No I'm not. I'm trying to tell you. It's just so hard."

"Nothing is hard for the 'Weasley Twins'."

"You'd be surprised, Bell."

"George."

"I'm trying Katie. I just don't know how to verbalize it."

"Look, I can see the sign now. Spit it out."

"What I'm trying to say, it's that...Every word seems wrong and every word seems to fit."

"Gone metaphorical on me, George?"

"I'm being serious, Katie."

"I know, George."

"It's that, even though it's gloomy out now, I know it will be sunny in the morning."

"Oh."

"Oh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just as 'Oh' always means. Go on."

"Wasn't that enough?"

"George, I have no idea what you're saying."

"What I'm saying is, that even though you're driving me nutters, I'm happy about it."

"Oh."

"Now what is that supposed to mean?"

"Is it sick that I'm enjoying watching you squirm like this?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, George. Even though I know it's dark out here, and that there are Death Eaters roaming about, I'm not scared one bit."

"Of course. You've got your wand."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it. What else have I got?"

"Oh."

"Yes, 'Oh'."

"So you--"

"Yes, Weasley. And don't smile like that. There's nothing to smile about."

"Of course there's something to smile about!"

"Only you, George."

"You see? You're smiling now!"

"Only because you make me smile."

"Oh, you know it's more than that, Katie. But I do pride myself in being able to make you smile." George grinned down at Katie as he swung open the door to WWW. "But you know what I've been meaning to say?"

Katie's eyes softened. She ran her free hand down George's arm and intertwined her fingers with his. She replied with an identical grin.

"Yeah. I know."