Fury

Fury

Chapter Seven

Tensions

The next week and a half were filled with work and pleasure, though the two never connected. The de-cursing of her apartment took longer than had been expected, because there were a few more unpleasant discoveries, including one that sent a Curse Breaker to St. Mungo's with thorny silver vines wrapped around his legs. And while living with George above the shop made getting to the apothecary as quick as a walk down the street, she still had to contend with the working conditions that Madame Pine seemed determined to keep- Cate doing all of the work and getting none of the credit.

Those moments of anger and frustration were mixed with the sheer goofiness that living with George Weasley could bring. They had known each other for all of two weeks, and yet she thought him one of the most wonderful people she had ever met. He would come back from the shop an hour after she did, and would regale her with the stories of what had happened- what customer had bought what for whom, which mother had nearly cursed his bits for selling her darling little child such-and-such, and which pretty lady had sprouted rabbit ears after attempting to sneak a small trick out in her bag. She found herself laughing more in that week and a half than she could ever remember doing, even before Leo's death.

Harry had come a few minutes every day to tell her about the progress the Aurors were making with her apartment, but there were no leads, and soon he came simply to talk with the two of them, laughing nearly as much as she did.

That Saturday, when George had the day off and she had had to work, Harry popped by and invited George and Cate both to dinner. He dragged her with him as soon as she came back to the apartment, making grandiose claims that he simply could not stand being around his baby sister and her husband if he didn't at least have some company.

It had been awkward, at first, at Harry and Ginny's apartment, when they had shown up so unexpectedly early (George had said that they had to be there right at six fifteen, but she heard Ginny ask Harry whether or not he had told them to come at seven). She could hear Harry snigger in the background as Ginny greeted her brother, but that quickly stopped when she ordered him to set another place and stop being useless. Ginny then swept Cate up in a hug that belied how little they knew each other, and how long it had been since they had seen each other (their last Potions lesson together had been nearly five years ago).

Ginny gave her brother and husband the look, and then took Cate for a tour around their little apartment, chatting the whole time about how long it had been and how nice it was to see her. Gratefully, she didn't really seem to expect Cate to respond. She could hear the boys talking in the kitchen, but didn't know what about.

After the brief tour- the apartment was tiny- she and Ginny went to the living room slash dining room and began to catch up, as Ginny put it. They were acquaintances at best, it was true, but they had known many of the same people. In fact, Ginny was far more up to date on the gossip than Cate was, and she found herself relaxing and enjoying herself.

The boys joined them about ten minutes later, Harry distributing glasses of wine. Cate smirked at George, who seemed completely stunned at his sister's quick acceptance of her. Ginny and Harry sat comfortably on the sofa, Harry with his arm flung casually over Ginny's shoulders, while George lounged in the loveseat and Cate perched on the edge of her chair.

"So, George, how did you meet Cate?" Ginny asked, after a sip of the wine and a wicked grin at her husband.

George smiled dangerously at his sister. "We met in Diagon Alley, sis. It was love at first sight." He made a smooching sound at Cate, who giggled.

"Actually, he bowled me over, and then proceeded to compare me to my sister. What splendid manners your brother has."

Harry perked up. "I didn't know you had a sister."

Cate grinned wickedly. "I would expect that that is in fact a lie, Mister Potter, since you, of all of us here, are the only one to have access to my files."

Harry blushed as Ginny smacked him, and George merely gave her an appreciative look. "That may be true, Cate, but I didn't actually read all of it."

George crowed. "He admits it!" while Ginny snuggled closer. After a few more attempts at banter, they settled on the safer topic of Quidditch, which Ginny, it seemed, played professionally (Cate really only followed one team, though she thought she may have seen something in the papers). George seemed stunned that Cate knew anything about it at all, much less that she was quite eloquent about the sport. They all laughed when she told them her favorite team- the Chudley Cannons. Prepared to defend herself, she was surprised when everyone cheered her on.

Ginny giggled, her wineglass nearly half-empty and red spots on her cheeks. "Ron would love to talk to you, I'm sure."

George and Harry nodded enthusiastically, but it was Harry who broke the silence. "If Hermione would let him, I think he'd probably marry you."

They all laughed, though Cate's was a bit strained, and then the timer went off in the kitchen. Ginny stood, none too steadily, and Harry, looking like nothing so much as a lost puppy, followed her. In a few moments there were the sounds of the oven door opening, and much giggling. Harry stuck his head out with a goofy expression on his face and grinned.

"Talk amongst yourselves, yeah? It may be a bit." They saw a feminine hand pull his shoulder, and his head disappeared again.

Cate laughed out loud at George's disgusted look. "What?"

He groaned. "I know exactly what they're doing in there."

Cate took another sip of the wine. "Yes, and so do I. They're adorable, aren't they?"

George grunted. "That's my sister in there."

Cate stood up and flopped onto the loveseat next to George, after he moved his long legs. "Yeah, and that's the bloody Boy-Who-Lived kissing her, right? You are friends with him, aren't you?"

George nodded. "That doesn't mean I want to know what they do when I'm not around."

Cate laughed loudly. "As if the whole world doesn't know what we did! It was in the bloody paper!"

George smirked, tipping back the glass and finishing the wine. "You have a point."

Cate's smile dimmed. "Why did you kiss me?"

George's eyebrows shot up. "You want to talk about this now?"

Cate shrugged. "Why not? It seems we have time."

George drained his glass and turned slightly, facing her. "I kissed you because I was drunk and you were very pretty."

She blushed. "Really? Well, the first part of that statement wasn't very flattering, but I guess it'll have to do."

George nodded solemnly. "Of course. And if I may ask you a question, now?"

Cate forced her face into a serious look, though her eyes twinkled. "Absolutely."

He leaned closer until his face was just inches from hers. "What would you do if I kissed you again? Right now?"

Cate stared at his mouth, thoughts buzzing around her head at a mile a minute. "Um...that's two questions..."

Harry popped into the room. "Dinner's ready."

George winked at her, standing. "Saved by Harry."

Cate blushed. "We should all be so lucky."

~*~

The fireplace in George's flat flared up in green flames about midnight, and both Cate and George flopped out, laughing raucously.

George staggered drunkenly into the kitchen, flinging the leftovers into the icebox (Ginny was much like her mother, Harry had said, as she tried to give them everything left from the delicious meal). He then giggled as he made his way into the living room, only to see Cate slouched on the sofa.

"All set there, Catie girl?"

She blinked at him, hovering over her like some giant; they hadn't even turned the lights on yet. "Fine, Georgie porgie."

He leaned closer, put a hand to his right side and cupped it around where his ear had been. "Eh?"

She smacked him, laughing, and he tumbled onto the couch on top of her, tickling her sides.

Gasping for breath, she fought back, going for the sensitive areas on his ribs. Soon, they were rolling on the floor, knocking tables over and laughing uproariously. And then he kissed her.

She found herself sinking into it, and pulling him closer by his hair. They snogged for what felt like hours, but must have been only minutes, before she felt the awkwardness of the situation. Pushing him away, she sat up.

He stared at her dazedly. "What?"

Grinning, she pulled him in for another kiss, this time putting herself on top. When they came up for air, she laughed. "Rug was bunched up under my arse. Sorry."

He laughed and tickled her again, but it quickly turned to moans as his hands found better occupation elsewhere.

All too soon, they were removing clothing, their lips never leaving the other for long. And then he laid her down on the couch, putting himself on top of her, his shirt off and trousers undone, and her skirt bunched around her hips, only in her bra.

He kissed her again, and she could see stars behind her eyes.

"George? What the bloody hell, mate?"

They froze. The voice came from somewhere behind them, near the door.

She watched the emotions roll over George's face- first annoyance, then recognition, and then resignation. "Hi, Lee. Perfect timing, mate." He sat up and looked at someone, motioning for her to stay down. "What's wrong?"

Lee's voice was amused. "Nothing. I thought I could crash here tonight, but I can see I'm not wanted. I'll just get a room at the Leaky."

George grinned. "You do that. Alicia kick you out again?"

Lee groaned. "Nah, it was Angie this time. Long story, mate, but I can see that you're busy. I'll Floo you tomorrow, yeah?"

George nodded. "You be sure to do that. Bye, Lee."

Cate heard the door creak open. "Bye, George. Bye, um...bye!"

"And next time, Lee, Floo first." George managed to keep a remarkably straight expression on his face as he said the words, but Lee only snorted.

They waited until the door was closed before George's head sagged near her breasts. "Talk about timing."

Cate giggled. "At least it wasn't five minutes from now."

George's eyebrows shot up. "Really? What would we have been doing five minutes from now?"

She kissed him again, and then proceeded to show him.

~*~

The next morning, Sunday, dawned cloudy and dull, but Cate couldn't help but feel exhilarated. George's arm was flung across her middle, and his snores, though slightly annoying, were muted by his face in the pillow. Her hair, she thought, was a bird's nest of tangles and would be difficult to unknot, but certainly not impossible, especially not today.

George mumbled and pulled her closer, and Cate let him. He wasn't her first (a stupid night with a Ravenclaw seventh year during her fifth had claimed that title); he wasn't even her second, but he had been marvelous; she certainly had never laughed before during sex. She could hear her mother's scolding voice; one just did not do what she had done with George before marriage, never mind that Isabelle and Matthias, among other cousins, probably weren't waiting for the wedding bells to ring.

She frowned when she heard voices in the other room, but ignored it, thinking that surely, George would have told her if someone were coming. When they didn't stop, but grew louder, she shook him awake.

"George?"

"Um?" he grumbled, not really moving.

"George, I think someone's here."

He shook his head, his face still down in the pillow. "Nah. Nobody but us here."

"George?"

He bolted upright as a man's voice called from the other room. "Bollocks."

Cate smirked, ogling his chest. "Told you."

He scrambled over her, poking her once in the stomach and nearly hitting her in the face with his elbow.

She pushed him off onto the floor, where he groped around for his pants. "Who is it?"

He stood and pulled the pants over his scarred and stocky frame. "It's my Dad. What day is it?"

She frowned. "It's Sunday."

George's face paled. "Bollocks."

Cate laughed. "You said that already."

George struggled with a t-shirt for a moment before throwing it on the floor and lunging for the doorknob. "I'm missing Sunday breakfast at the Burrow."

Cate frowned again, this time utterly confused. "The Burrow?"

He glanced at her for a moment, her breasts and legs just barely covered by a thin blanket, and his eyes darkened momentarily. "Merlin's beard. Stay here for just a minute, right?"

She nodded. "Fine, but..."

He raced out the door. Cate sighed and rolled onto the floor, picking up his discarded t-shirt (it was inside-out, bright red, and had a large neon green Wheezes logo dancing- literally dancing- across the front). She slid it over her head and peeked through the open door, hoping to get into her room without being seen. George was kneeling on the ground in front of the fireplace, his hair ruffled and shirtless.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I was out late with Harry and Ginny and lost track of time this morning. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Cate heard George's dad's answer, and froze. "Ginny told me about last night. Bring that girl along with; your mother wants to meet her. What's her name?"

George's voice sounded strained. "Cate? Yeah, sure, I can bring her with. No problem."

The man's voice was full of laughter. "Don't you think you should ask her first?"

George shook his head, dazed. "No, I'm sure she'd love to come. Be there in a bit."

"Bye, son."

George waved absently. "See you soon, Dad."

He stood and turned, his face stunned. "Cate?"

She stepped out from around the door. "Yeah?"

"Want to meet my family?"

She laughed. "Do I have a choice?"

He nodded. "Of course. I don't, but you don't have to come." He sounded disappointed, though, that she'd asked.

She smiled, staring down at the floor. "I'd love to come. After all, you've met mine." She blushed. "I should probably get dressed, though."

He grinned saucily, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "It can wait a little bit."