Chasing the Chaser - Molly and Arthur

5

Arthur Weasley was trying his hardest to flirt with Molly Prewett. That was the problem.

"Just be natural," she told him as they walked toward the Great Hall for breakfast the morning before the Hogsmeade trip.

"But what does that mean?" he said, his arm bouncing against hers but their hands not touching.

She huffed. "For starters, no more of your clunky compliments."

Arthur scoffed in return. "How can you not like it when I tell you you're brilliant?" he said, a little too loudly.

"Not that. Your other compliments. The awful ones."

"What other ones? I have never paid you a compliment that was not completely sincere," he said as they stepped through the doors and into the hall.

During the week, Molly had got used to not looking in Malfoy's direction as she arrived for meals. He seemed to have trained himself not to watch for her either. The carefulness with which they were never caught looking spoke to how truly distracted they were. But this morning, Molly almost forgot to avoid scanning the Slytherin table as she shouted a laugh and slapped Arthur on the back.

Already sitting at the Slytherin table, Malfoy heard her voice and flinched. And seeing him do it, so did Arthur.

But Molly was still laughing. "You mean, like when you raved about how quickly I finished eating lunch on Wednesday?" she said. "Told me right in front of Reg and Mary Elizabeth that it was the fastest you'd ever seen a girl eat in your entire life."

"But it was," Arthur said, still shocked she didn't appreciate it. "And telling you so was – well, it was natural. And that's what we're after, so..."

She punched lightly at his long, lean left biceps through the sleeve of his scruffy store-bought jumper. "Fine, Arthur. Just never mention it again. Not me at any rate. Save that kind of sweet talk for Mary Elizabeth."

He stood back. "Why would I do that? If you didn't like it, and she's a girl too, then..."

Arthur had fallen silent as Molly threaded her arm through his, turned her face up to smile at him. "It's not the compliment she'd appreciate as much as WHO was paying it."

Arthur raised a finger, pointing at Molly's hand on his arm. "This. This is flirting isn't it?"

Molly let go of him, flouncing ahead. "Now you're catching on, Weasley," she said. She turned to walk backwards, watching as Arthur followed her. "We're sitting with my mates today," she said as he caught up to her.

"Oh," Arthur stammered. "But Reg – "

"Will not leave Mary Elizabeth's side for anything," Molly interrupted. "And I swear if she has to see me sitting next to you acting like I fancy you for one more meal this week she is going to scratch my eyes out."

"No, Mary would never – "

"Yes, she would," Molly said. "Because she fancies you rotten herself."

Arthur stopped in his tracks in the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, his face suddenly pink. He was still shaking his head as Molly tugged him onward by his elbow.

"No," he protested. "Reg is the one who likes Mary."

"Yes, but Mary has the good sense to prefer you, my lovely," Molly insisted. "So we're doing Reg a great favour in letting him dine with her without you for once."

"Lovely?" Arthur said, scuffing along behind her. "That was flirting again."

"Yes, and it's very natural the way you keep calling it out," she said, sarcastic. "Now come along. You're eating with me and the rest of the team. It'll be fun. You know everyone already. And just wait until you see how fast Sharlene can polish off an omelet. You'll be dazzled."