11 | Q U I E T

and suddenly I was a lilac sky.

   "HEY, NO MAGIC!", Ember snapped, pouting her lips as Fred took the wand out of his back pocket.

   "Was that a sound, Embergirl?", Fred chuckled. "Who's the loser now?"

   "It's not my fault you're trying to cheat, Freddieboy", she snorted, snatching the wand out of his grin and placing it on the table. "If you'll use it, you lose."

   "Deal", Fred replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. Forgotten was the pie standing on the table nearby, his eyes were fixed on Ember, and she was staring back. "So are we starting now or what?" 

   Falling silent, Fred's cheshire cat grin didn't even flicker as she kicked his shin. His hand raised to cover his mouth for a playful yawn. Ember rolled her eyes, what in retrospect had been not that wise. Fred used this split of a second of Ember's unawareness to grab her wrists and pull her closer to his body; almost did she squeal, but being muffled by finding herself being so much closer to his freckled face than ever before.

   Wriggling his eyebrows, Fred gestured Ember that it was her turn now, but her mind was completely refusing to do its job. He tilted his head, the grin playing on his lips growing wider, revealing two rows of splendid white teeth. Her fingernails were playfully digging into the flesh of her own palm.

   Fred's grip around her wrists loosened, slowly his fingers traced up the bare skin of her arm, covering it in goosebumps. Automatically, she tried to move back just to find her back pressed against the kitchen counter. She brought a hand to his upper arm to steady herself.

   The gap between them slowly shrinked, and Ember shivered at his hips suddenly touching hers, her mouth opened, just so she quickly closed it again, inhaling deeply as his hands cupped her cheek.

   Face turning hot, Ember lowered her eyes, fixating the "F" labled on his sweater, watching his chest vibrating with silent laughter. He was playing his game. Nothing more. Ember pursed her lips at this realisation, staring up at him out of glimming eyes. The corners of her mouth lifted, and her free hand rested on his chest. This was a game she could play as perfect as him.

   Fred's laughter stopped as Ember's fingers traced circles on his muscles, his eyes now showing curiosity. He brought himself closer to her, his hips pushing against hers, and his fingers tracing down her jawline, further down her neck, settling on her collarbone. Ember's knees went all wobbly under his touch, she had a hard time not to sigh, keeping her teeth clenched.

   Not really thinking about what she was doing, her own hand for a second played on the hem of his shirt before she slipped it underneath, skin meeting skin, and Fred twitched under her touch. Crawling up, Ember hoped he wouldn't notice the soft shaking of her thin fingers, as they found his toned chest, while Fred's hand was tucking on the strap of her top.

   All of a sudden she felt his other hand on the small of her back, almost gasping she was pushed against his body, and his face was lowering, coming closer and closer. He was starting to play unfair! The strap of her top was slipping off her shoulder, and Ember sharply breathed in, but she kept quiet, her hands roaming his chest, as she felt his lips brush her jawline in a barely noteable touch. His breath meeting the sweet spot below her ear, sent shivers down her spine and she felt herself trembling.

   Fred — and this was obvious — had the time of his life teasing her like that. Fingers drawing circles on her back, Ember suddenly found his lips so close to hers, they'd touch every second, just a small movement ...

   Warm fingers caressed down her collarbone, a growl like a purring cat formed in her throat and it took her everything to hold it back. There was no way now he wouldn't notice her shaky hands on his bare skin, and his lips curved into a smile as he leaned in the last inches to close the gap —

   "Ouch!"

   As hard as she could, Ember pinched his nipples and Fred jumped back in pain and surprise with a yell bursting from those pair of lips she had almost felt.

   "Seems like we have a winner!", Ember chuckled, trying to steady her hands.

   "But — That did hurt, you evil little creature!", Fred pouted, rubbing his chest. "And it was unfair! I want a revenge!"

   "This was unfair?", Ember laughed, her cheeks burning. "Do we want to talk about that morally reprehensible game you were playing?"

   "I wasn't playing." Dazzled, he looked down upon her, warm chocolate brown eyes burning into hers, and immediately goosebumps covered her skin. "Even though it might has been morally reprehensible." The well-known cheshire cat grin reappeared on his lips, having Ember's mind scream silent curses for blushing even more. "I'm sorry", he snickered. "Maybe we should just go to bed. Fooling around with Firewhiskey in my blood doesn't really underline my decent side."

   "You have a decent side?", snorted Ember, feeling the tension fall off her shoulders as they sacked down when Fred took another step back, reaching for the door handle.

   "At least I didn't try to rip off your nipples, did I?", he scoffed, the corners of his mouth still twitching as he opened the door, and Ember's answer got stuck in her throat, not wanting to wake up anyone in the house.

   They kept silent until they reached Ginny's room, where Bill was still snoring, and Ember rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

   "Okay, I'm definitely not sleeping in here", she whispered, nodding at the closed wooden door.

   "Take Percy's old room", Fred suggested. "It might still smell like old fart, because that's what Percy is, but at least there's no snoring dragon tamer and his beast in there. C'mon, I'll show you."

   Percy's room was on the fourth floor, so passing another staircase with awfully creeking steps, Fred finally pointed at a door to their right.

   "Well then", Ember said, the Firewhiskey still having her dizzy, "good night, Freddie."

   Pushing down the door handle and about to get in, warm fingers suddenly closed around her wrist, and Ember was pulled back against the firm body of Fred. Before she could think of anything, before she could even blink, surprisingly soft lips crushed down on her own like an ocean wave breaking at the shore, having an electric sensation flash through her body, and in a second, her own two arms were wrapped around Fred's neck, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

   His hands pushed against her back, pressing her closer to his chest, until there was no space left between them. Carefully, he moved, shoving her through the open door, their lips still moving in an ardent rythm against each other, and he lifted her from her feet, her legs twining around his torso —

   "What the hell is going on here?!"

   A light flashed the room, and Ember and Fred's lips bursted apart, but still he held her close, as both of their faces turned towards the voice's owner: sitting upright in Percy's bed, long red hair ruffled from sleeping, but her eyes wide awake, her lips parted, was Ginny.

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