Lost and Found

Lost and Found

"Harry, have you taken my earring again?"

Harry glanced up from the book he was reading. He frowned, closed and put it next to him on the table. Crack Those Curses shone in silver letters in the light of the lamp next to Harry. "No, I didn't. And anyway, I only took it once!" He cringed when his voice sounded like that of Dudley when he wanted to weasel out of one of the (very uncommon) accusations of his aunt and uncle. In the end even their delusions hadn't been enough at the trial for vandalism and assault.

Bill snorted and went back through the door he had come from, into the bathroom. Harry followed him quietly, watching him as he pulled every bottle and tube from the shelf under the mirror and put it back again when he didn't find anything. A bottle of sun screen clattered to the floor, but Bill didn't bother to pick it up. "I know I had it last night. And I took it out because you wanted to have sex." He threw Harry and accusatory look.

"Hey! Excuse me for wanting to share the love in our relationship. I didn't hear you complaining last night." Harry crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

"Last night I didn't need my earring."

"What is so bloody important about it anyway? I'm sure you can survive one day at work without it." Harry winced when one of the glass bottles of bath oil hit the floor. He already saw himself cleaning the mess from the floor, before he saw the still intact bottle and remembered that every wizarding bottle was charmed to be unbreakable. He really needed to get rid of his Muggle attitudes, he reminded himself.

"At work maybe. But not the way there." Bill threw a stack of towels apart, not finding anything there either.

"Eh?"

Bill sighed, one blue-striped towel still in his hand and turned to Harry. "Have you never wondered why I never get a sun burn even though I have red hair and skin covered in freckles?"

Harry wrinkled his brow. "No. I thought you were so used to it that it didn't bother you any more."

Bill chuckled. "Tried that for two weeks, before the constant sunburn drove me to something a bit more realistic." He threw the towel into a corner and brushed past Harry to get into the hall. Harry followed him with his eyes, and then his whole body into the bedroom which Bill started to disassamble just like the bathroom.

"And what? The earring keeps you from getting a sunburn?"

White boxers with little red hearts flew past Harry into the hallway, but he ignored them, instead focusing on Bill's neck which slowly turned red.

"Yes," was the terse reply he received.

"What's so bad about that that you didn't tell me? For that matter why have you let me struggle with the stupid sun screen when there is such a simpler method?"

Bill stood up from his crouched position and turned to Harry. He looked almost miserable enough for Harry to want to comfort him. But not before he had a few answers. "Can't you imagine what would happen if it came out that I got the earring not because I'm rebellious, but because I get a sunburn otherwise. It would ruin my image!"

Harry blinked at him for a second. Then he broke out into laughter. He doubled over, holding his stomach and simply let the absurdity of that statement flow out of him. Bill Weasley, rebel extraordinaire and self-appointed surveillant of all things cool was worried about him image!

He finally got himself under control again when a shadow fell over him and he looked up from his position to look into Bill's face. He struggled to keep himself in control and finally managed: "Then there is only one thing to do." He cleared his throat and looked at Bill seriously.

"What?"

Harry took a step forwards, collided with Bill's body and slung his arms around his neck. He nuzzled the space just behind his ears. "I'll have to skip studying today and you'll have to stay home." He snorted once. "Can't let you lose your image after all or come home like a lobster." He started to nibble at the sensitive flesh behind Bill's ear and slowly moved him backwards to their bed.

His fingers started working at Bill's shirt and he could feel Bill freeing his T-shirt from his trousers. Warm fingers danced up and down his spine and Harry gave a happy sigh. He backed Bill against the bed, and then drew his own T-shirt over his head and let himself fall onto the bed.

Just as quickly, he stood on his feet again, rubbing his back. That had hurt.

"What happened?"

Harry looked behind him. "Something pricked me." He pressed his hand against the place he had just lain and finally curled his fingers around the offender. "Aha!"

He turned back around and dangled the missing earring from his fingertips. "Found the bastard." He grinned at Bill. "Suppose you can go to work after all."

The mattress collided with his back and Harry bounced a few times on it. Bill was leaning half over him, a hand on his chest and grinning. "I think I'll find an hour or so to spare."

END