Chasing the Chaser - Molly and Arthur

6

The door to the Hogshead pub banged shut behind Arthur Weasley as he fled into the street. He could still taste Molly Prewett on his lips. Or maybe it was just that she tasted like his own mouth, like the pear she'd taken bites of as he held it for her, while they took a turn around the orchard at the Burrow before coming back to Hogsmeade. The fruit was slightly over-ripe, so the juice ran from it and she'd wiped it away with her hand, laughing at herself.

In his favourite place on earth, she'd been happy and beautiful, sunny and rosy, like they'd always belonged there together.

He gave his head a single hard shake. That didn't explain why he – did what he just did to her in that gloomy, noisy, shabby pub.

And she'd let him do it. She'd held still and parted her lips the tiniest bit and she might have even closed her eyes. Molly Prewett stood still as he went completely mad and she let him kiss her.

But that wasn't the same thing as her wanting him to do it – not necessarily.

What had he done?

Arthur was walking fast, veering off the highstreet and into a lane between two shops.

Reg was following him, grabbing at his sleeve so he wouldn't simply disapparate and maybe never come back. "Bloody hell, Arthur, what was that? Since when are you and Molly – and in front of a whole pub full of people. The pair of you must have been snogging in private for days to be as comfortable as all that. And you hadn't said a word about it to me, your best mate."

"No, it's new. Brand new," Arthur said, pacing up and down between the stone walls. "That was the first time I'd ever done – that – to her."

Reg pulled at his own hair. "That was the first time you'd kissed anyone since Marguerite at the holiday village last summer?"

"Yeah," Arthur said. "I've really made a mess of it, haven't I?"

Reg shrugged. "Looked decent from where I was standing. No visible saliva. No slap on the face."

"That is not what I mean," Arthur said, no longer pacing but holding his head as if he'd made himself dizzy. "We'd just had a lovely day together. A picnic and a stroll, but nothing that would have made it appropriate for me to..."

"What were you thinking then?" Reg asked, not rhetorically but with genuine curiosity.

"Nothing," Arthur said. "I was thinking nothing at all. She told me to take my leave of her affectionately and naturally, and as I went to do it – I don't know, Reg. It felt like I'd said goodbye to her a thousand times before and THIS was how I do it. Like there was no other way TO do it."

"It wasn't divination, was it?" Reg asked.

Arthur dropped his hands from his head. "How do you mean?"

"You know," Reg insisted. "It was in our textbook in fifth year. When your life's got a certain destiny, something really big, it can slip out of sequence in the timeline and just – involuntarily manifest in confusing little flashes. Maybe just like this."

Arthur gave his head another shake. "No, I can't excuse myself that way. I need to take responsibility. Destiny's not beyond my self-control – not beyond violating Molly in front of half our year in a public place."

Reg gave a sigh. "Look, Mary's waiting at Zonko's. I can't leave her hanging much longer. Especially since Malfoy stormed out of the pub right after we did. I've just seen him go by and he and that gang of his might take to bothering Mary about her parents. And besides that," he hung his head, "frankly, I'd rather she not hear more gossip about you and Molly from anyone not as careful with her feelings as I am."