keeper → g. weasley [EDITING]

↝twelve

MALLIE SPENT MOST OF the rest of the day curled up in the armchair beside George's hospital bed reading the book Cedric had gotten her for her birthday: 'History's Best Quidditch Keepers'.

Fred and Angelina had come in at some point for Fred's helping of the "peppermint" beard remover, reacting similarly to his brother at the taste.

His beard hair soon started to fall off and dissolve just as quickly and effortlessly as George's had.

"It's too bad," Fred said sadly as he watched the pieces float away, "Mcgonagall said it suited me."

Angelina gave Mallie a look as if to say "he hasn't shut up about it".

"How's he?" Fred leaned over his sleeping brother as Angelina and Mallie fell into light conversation.

"Sleeping it off, he should be up any minute now." Mallie replied.

Fred blew a soft breath of air onto his brother's sleeping face, George shuffled in his sleep and turned over.

Fred laughed to himself and, satisfied, stood straight up again.

"Right then, when he wakes up, meet us down by the lake, will you?"

Mallie nodded, "Yeah, we'll see you guys now."

They left and she had only read her book two minutes longer before George stirred and his eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the stark light and sitting momentarily confused before noticing Mallie.

"'History's Greatest Keepers'?" he mumbled, reading off her cover.

Mallie looked up at him and smiled,
"Morning sunshine."

"What's the time?" George asked.

Mallie glanced over at the large clock hitched above George's bed,
"Three pm."

George began calculating how long he'd been asleep and immediately felt guilt washing through him.

"Mal, you didn't have to stay for the whole time..." He said sheepishly as he began to sit up from the bed.

She waved him off, "A deal is a deal. Plus, don't you feel better?"

Mallie didn't think it necessary to mention that she'd slipped out every now and again to find another cup of tea.

"Much better." George nodded.

"Right, up you get." she assisted him to stand, arms open in case he went toppling (he didn't), before sitting again to pull his shoes on.

"We're meeting Angie and Fred by the lake," she informed him as Madam Pomfrey signed George out and dismissed them from the wing.

George nodded, barely listening;

"You think if we took double the amount of ageing potion that it would work this time?" He commented to himself.

Mallie punched him in the shoulder and he winced, "I'm not carrying you all the way to the hospital wing again! Forget it Weasley."

George laughed, "I was just joking ... jeepers."

Mallie rolled her eyes for what felt like the too many-th time that day when a loud shriek echoed down the corridor they were walking through.

And without another moments noticed, Peeves came swooping over both their heads cackling with laughter,
"Ickle Fifthies and Sixthies shouldn't be cavorting you know!"

The Poltergeist flew low over Mallie and tugged her hair before flying up again.

"Oy, Peeves," George called, "Give it a rest."

Peeves grinned broadly at the the two in the otherwise empty corridor, as if he'd stolen the whole jar of cookies.

"Ouh, Weaselkins has a girlfriend!" He taunted and suddenly broke into song:
"Weaselkins and Johansie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Peeves swooped down and poked George in the stomach before continuing down the corridor into the next, singing all the way.

Both pretended they didn't hear what the Poltergeist had said and avoided looking each other in the eyes.

A chilly breeze whipped between Mallie's robes as they walked down the hill towards the lake and she shuddered. Autumn was quickly befalling the castle and it was growing colder every night.

Soon enough, they neared Fred, Angelina, Lee and Katie sitting beneath a tree nearby the lake.

The two joined the group, both squeezing in across from Fred and Lee.

They quickly fell into conversation while the lake rippled effortlessly behind them, and every so often a black tentacle would reach out of the water then sink back into its inky depths.

"You guys couldn't have chosen a colder place to sit," Mallie mumbled as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

The thin sweater she wore under her robes were doing her little good.

Katie, sitting beside Mallie, jumped explanation about a portable fire she could conjure with her wand,

"Yeah, it's really useful! I could show you, here look ..."

George, who was mildly interested in Katie explaining the spell, noticed Fred waving his hand frantically at him from the other side of the circle.

George looked at him curiously.

Once Fred realized that he'd caught his brother's attention, he looked hard between George and Mallie, mouthing something.

George sent Fred a "huh?" face but Fred persisted in staring between him and Mallie now tugging on the cloak he was wearing,

"Give her your cloak!" Fred whisper shouted from across the group, Mallie still hasn't noticed the commotion.

Georges eyes widened in realisation,
Oh.

George Mallie nervously and then back at Fred, who was nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Don't you think that would be a bit forward... like, obvious?" George leaned forward and whispered back.

Fred sent him a look that clearly said: 'don't you think we're past that?'

Mallie was watching as Katie lifted the fire from the grass into her hands when an almost heavy weight was placed on her shoulders and a warm pair of hands came around her neck to tie it in place.

Mallie looked back at George, his face a pure crimson.

"George... You're going to get cold I can't take this from you--"

"Do you ever stop worrying? Just take it, you said you're cold and I'm not." He quickly replied, trying to swallow the hot blush he felt crawling up his neck.

Mallie was about to protest again when a small brown owl swooped over the small group and dropped a letter into her lap and disappeared behind the castle walls.

××××

ayoo

I can't believe how cheesy this chapter was but I couldn't resist..
Anyhow, I hope you guys are enjoying the story!

Let me know in the comments, I can promise you that nothing will bring me greater joy;)

-mel