Promising Young Witch | Bill Weasley

Chapter 10

When Fleur said that she and Bill have prepared everything for the party, she really meant she dumped an endless pile of chores on Mrs. Weasley. She wouldn't have time to grunt about it if she wanted to, but Ginny and Hermione did it for her.

"It's amazing how she thinks that her only job is to show up and be pretty," said Hermione, while the three of us were decorating the yard.

"I 'ave no time to do peazant's job, I am too bizy to whip my 'air zis way and zat," said Ginny with a fake French accent, flipping her hair and jumping around the grass.

Hermione and I burst out laughing and only when we stopped, I realized it was the first time I felt happy and carefree for days. Even though the house was packed with people more than ever, and even though Fleur wouldn't leave her future husband alone for five seconds; Bill still tried to corner me every chance he got. The first time on the stairs in the morning, he followed me the moment I left the room to go downstairs for breakfast; I sped my pace the second I heard my name from behind. Then he met me downstairs and the half-lit corridor with Mrs. Black portrait in it. He began to whisper, when "accidentally" dropped the umbrella stand in the corridor, which set Mrs. Black to her usual cries. I would have given him a chance, but every time I remember that they now have their own bedroom, where they sleep together, I just can't. What more important, I didn't want to give him a chance to explain or apologize, he didn't get to lift the weight of guilt off his shoulders.

Meanwhile, I focused all my energy on the lessons with Lupin. I showed him the book, in which he showed much interest, scanning pages back and forth and suggesting what we should try. He also said that some basic Muggle self-defense skills wouldn't hurt, so he tried to teach me that too.

I knew very well it wasn't my day, however, I made sure I looked like it was anyways. My mom said one, the worse you feel the better you dress up. Those words echoed in my head when I looked in the mirror. I was wearing a light brown silk slip dress with the zipper on my back, which I realized I couldn't reach with my hands. I slipped my head out the bathroom door to see whether anyone was passing by to zip me up. Knowing that most of the people were already upstairs finishing up the preparations, I immediately lost hope and already thought that I'd have to go downstairs like that and seek help there. That's when Bill walked past and noticed me before I could shut the door.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need some help." I pulled myself together to ask him, "Can you zip me up?"

"Yeah, sure," he slipped inside the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

I turned with my back on him and collected my hair out of the way, but I realized that he wasn't even touching the zipper after a few long moments. I looked up in the mirror and saw him eyeing me up and down, with his mouth half-open. Our eyes met and he immediately realized that he was staring for too long. He zipped my dress, his cold fingers touching my back through the silk. When he finished, I realized how short the zipper was and regretted it was so.

"You look beautiful," Bill said.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"I should've told you. It was stupid and ridiculous."

"Oh, so kissing me was stupid and ridiculous? Good to know."

"No, no, no. Of course not. It was irresponsible of me; I thought I could control myself, but then I drank so much..."

"Oh, so you can only kiss me when you're drunk?"

I was so angry at him that I could barely hold my tears.

"No, that's not what I meant. The alcohol just pushed all the boundaries and walls I've put up between you and me. I- ...I'm sorry for what I did, it's just... kissing you was all that mattered at the moment... However, I am the one who messed up here-"

"Yes, you did, and by being here you're messing up even more. Why?"

"Because I couldn't bear the thought of you thinking of me worse than I am. I just-"

Before Bill could finish, the door swung open.

"Dear, it's time... what-"

Molly barged in, witnessing the two of us, inches from each other. I swipe the treacherous tear in my eye and smiled.

"Bill just helped me here with the zipper. I'm coming downstairs now."

Without further ado, I fled the scene as soon as possible, leaving Bill alone with his mother. I run downstairs to avoid further awkward encounters, although my head was spinning around. I was grateful for Molly barging in like that, for she helped me avoid saying or doing something I'd regret later. I was angry, and now Molly would think something wrong of me too. I hated him and I wished things were different. However, they weren't. He just came to apologize, to lift the weight of his shoulders, but he didn't cancel the engagement, which meant ...that he didn't really care about me.

Just when I was reaching the last stairs and became visible to everyone who was downstairs, which wasn't a lot since the main event took place in the back yard, I looked up and saw George turning his back at the sound of my steps.

"Wow," he said just when our eyes met, his facial expression turning from puzzled to impressed.

I smiled and let out a chuckled, which was supposed to be a laugh.

"Are you sure this is not our engagement party?" he asked playfully.

"Not yet," I answered playing along.

He raised one eyebrow and smirked.

"Now let's go and show those old farts how to shake it," George said.