Simple and Young

Seventh Year Chapter LVIII - Valentine's Day

Laura was getting out of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop as she had run out of her last quills when she spotted two teenagers walking side by side.

"Cho's already got a new boyfriend, huh?" said Morgan disapprovingly.

"What, they're together?" asked Marina arriving behind Laura's shoulders.

"Yeah, they're both so awkward. They're together." said Laura while rolling her eyes.

"Haven't you seen how they looked at each other at DA meetings?" beamed Peggy.

"No." said Morgan, "Anyway, she's quick."

"If she's quick, then what am I?"

"It's not because she was with Cedric before that she cannot have another boyfriend now." said Laura, especially looking at Morgan who was still eyeing them walking with their eyes narrowed down. "See you later."

Marina and Laura walked together towards Zonko's while Peggy and Morgan went to found their dates.

"How that's making you feel?" Laura asked her friend.

"Nothing special, really. I used to be so jealous of her for having Cedric, but now she's moving on, I really don't care what happens in her love life."

They opened the front door of the shop and stepped in.

"Here's the boys." said Marina looking at Adam and Louis who didn't have any dates either. "Have fun!"

Laura continued further in the shop where there were two tall boys looking at some high shelves.

"Hey there." she said. George looked at his partner and slumped his arm around her shoulders. His brother was oblivious and continued to talk to himself.

"I'll see you later, Freddie."

Fred finally looked around, slightly down and saw Laura, then back to his twin. "You two have fun." and he resumed his search.

George and Laura got out of the shop and wandered around the village. They walked until arriving at the start of the trail which lead to the Shrieking Shack.

"Er-" started Laura.

"You've never been there?" asked George.

"No, well, I've come to see it from far away when I was in first year. But I've never been in there."

"You wanna go have a look?"

"Of course."

And they continued walking while talking about lessons, Quidditch and dreamt of a school without Umbridge. George found a broken window and they both crawled inside, George helding out his hand to help Laura who didn't need it, really, but the regard was sweet.

"See how it could be nice?" asked George, "Of course, it needs some work but imagine-" he quickly walked to the opposite wall and showed the wall, "New paper on the wall. A light blue, with little roses. And the floor: a nice brown wood."

"Aren't wood always brown?"

"Some are white."

"Those are painted with white."

"A nice natural brown wood." he started again, winking at Laura. She was amused by his little performance of a new buyer of a house. It drove her attention away from the weird noise she could hear coming from the first floor. "And there," he waved at her to come in the next room, "A brand new kitchen. A green one. And there," he walked at the centre of the room, "a round table. With four chairs, obviously, for the kids."

"We'll need five, for the little one on the way." Laura smiled, stroking her belly like pregnant ladies always do. George smiled even more, repressing a laugh.

"And there, well, we could keep the fireplace. I'll clean it, promise."

"I'll help you."

"Oh no, no. Darling, you need to rest, for the baby. Here." he presented a wooden chair that seemed more or less robust and Laura slowly sat down. She didn't fall, so the chair was okay. "And here, we'll have a tilivision."

"Television." laughed Laura.

"That's what I said. And there, a nice couch where all the family can sit down."

"Will you bring us chocolate while watching movies?"

"Everything you want." he leaned into Laura's lips, kissing her.

"And what about the first floor?"

They went up the stairs, George still showing every corner of the house to imagine a cozy home.

They argued on which colour to paint the kid's bedroom. George wanted a light blue, but Laura insisted on a lilac. After the important debates, they had danced slowly, turning around in the gloomy room.

"Can we go back to Hogsmeade?" Laura whispered. "This place is giving me the chills." At each step they took, the floor creaked and the wind made a howling sound somewhere in the roof.

"Alright, let's go." George agreed.

Laura went first in the staircase. That was an error. She suddenly felt hands violently pinching her waist. She nearly fell down the stairs as she shrieked. When she finally regained her breath, she turned around to see her boyfriend sitting on the stairs, head buried in his hands, and laughing hard.

"Not cool, George Weasley. I nearly died there!"

He just laughed even more. When he had calmed down and wiped his tears away, he said between giggles, "I love you." then sighed and finally got up.

George kept teasing her all the way back to the castle. When Laura told him that her vengeance would be bloody, he just teased her by poking her nose. Laura jumped on him, making him fall on his back and they wrestled in the snow while tickling each other. When George surrendered, Laura slumped on her back right next to him. They both breathed loudly, looking at the dusk slowly forming in the sky.

"You're unbelievable." George whispered before getting up.

"You're the one to talk!" she said while he offered her his hand to help her get up. His slumped his arm around her shoulders and they resumed walking to warm up in the castle. Before they separated ways to eat at their own House tables, George pulled her next to him.

"Did you have a nice Valentines' Day?"

"Very nice. Like each day with you." she kissed him.

"So cute."

"Very cute."

"See you, Laura." he winked at her.

"See you, George." she squeezed his hand one last time. In the bare second they both still looked at each other while they were parting ways, Laura showed how tall her middle finger could be while her other fingers were hiding in her palm. George smiled at Laura and answered her with the same elegant hand gesture, both shaking his head and smiling while he joined his brother.