Three
Niamh looked up at George with a blank expression. Whether it was shock or that she had hit her head, quite hard on the ground, she wasn't entirely sure.
"I am so sorry" George said, holding out his hand for her to take.
"It's not the first time you've flattened me, George. It probably won't be the last" Niamh joked, placing her hand in his and letting him help her to her feet. Her head spun wildly once she was back on her feet, rubbing at the bump that had formed.
"Least there were no bludgers involved this time I suppose" George noted, scratching the back of his neck as his cheeks and tip of his ear turned pink.
"I wouldn't have minded as much if I had actually been on a quidditch team" Niamh said, the corner of her lips twitching upwards, trying not to laugh at the memory.
He chuckled shaking his head and giving her a shrug and a half smile. Her eyes raked over him, from head to toe.
He was still just as tall as he was at school, but now he had broadened out across the shoulders. His arms more toned under his shirt sleeves, no doubt from the years of lifting boxes in his shop. His hair was longer than it had been the last time she had seen him. It covered the scar of his missing ear, but still not as long as it had been in their fourth year, and he was still just as handsome.
"What's brought you to London?" George asked.
"Myself and mum were bringing owls back to Eeylops. She let me loose to wander while she sorted business, and well...I wanted ice cream" Niamh spoke quickly. She suddenly felt jittery and her palms sweaty now she was stood in front of George.
"Guess I ruined that part of your plan" George muttered.
"It's fine, I'll just get another-"
"No, I'll get you one. It was my fault" George insisted.
"No really it's o-" Niamh hadn't time to finish her sentence as George had walked straight past her and into the ice cream parlour, touching off her shoulder for a moment making her heart speed up.
George appeared moments later with a new ice cream cone in hand and a napkin stuffed in his other.
"I got you cookie dough. It was always your favourite" he smiled, handing the cone to her.
"Thanks George" Niamh smiled, her hand brushing over his to take the cone. She felt her stomach flutter at the slight contact of skin and she looked up the street to avoid him seeing her pink cheeks.
"I, erh, I'd best get back to..." George trailed off throwing his hand over his shoulder, gesturing up the Alley.
"Are you open again?" Niamh asked curiously, trying to see towards Weasley Wizard Wheezes.
"Not yet. Aiming for the first of August" George said proudly, but his smile seemed off to Niamh, like it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'll be sure to stop by so" Niamh said, matter of factly making George's checks flush slightly, "It was good to see you George"
"Yeah" he breathed, "You too"
Niamh gave him a final smile and nod before turning and heading towards Flourish and Blotts.
George stared at her back as she walked away, her hair flowing and a sudden urge came over him.
"Niamh wait!" He yelled, his hand raised in the air, nearly knocking a poor old woman over. Niamh paused mid stride and turned back to face him with a warm smile. He stepped forward, meeting her in 3 of his steps.
"Would... would you...em" he stuttered, before taking a breath, "Would you like to go for a cup of coffee sometime?"
Niamh beamed up at him and nodded, "I'd love to"
"Great" George beamed, "Saturday, about noon? Meet me outside the shop?"
Niamh nodded and simply replied "Perfect"
George gave her a nod, and she watched him walk back up the Alley. She let out a small squeak of the squeal she was containing in her chest, before turning her head around to look for her mother.
When she couldn't see her straight away, she didn't panic. She walked from her spot, happily tucking into her ice cream as she went. She was so ecstatic that she failed to notice the melted stickiness on her hand or the giant stain on her sleeve from the first one.
"There you are!" Anne exclaimed from the doorway of Flourish and Blotts, "What happened to your hoodie?"
"What?" Niamh asked, furrowing her eyebrows together, looking down at the sleeve her mother was pulling towards her.
"It's ice cream" Niamh stated, "I had a small accident"
"What? What happened?" Anne's eyes widened to twice their size in panic at her daughters words.
"Calm down mum. I'm okay" Niamh reassured her, pulling her out of the way of strangers trying to get into the book shop.
"I bumped into someone and my balance isn't what it was, so I fell over. It's nothing" Niamh explained quietly.
Anne eyed her up, narrowing her eyes at her daughter, "It was a boy wasn't it?"
"Mum!" Niamh gasped, blushing. She cursed how her mother knew her so well.
Anne smirked at her, giving her a look that said I know everything. Niamh rolled her eyes playfully, and moved passed her mother into the book shop.
She moved quickly in and around people to the section she wanted, magical creatures. She scanned over the titles of the books, none showing names she actually wanted, or needed for that matter. Many of them were sitting at home on the bookshelves that scattered the house.
With a defeated sigh, Niamh exited the shop and returned to her mother's side to continue shopping. They made a stop for new robes in Madam Malkins, after Niamh was pulled away from staring at the latest model from the Firebolt series that everyone said was even faster than the previous.
With sore feet, pounding headaches and arms full of shopping, Niamh and Anne finally decided it was home time at about three in the afternoon.
Niamh had regressed backwards to a whiny five year old, complaining that she was tired and couldn't go on any longer while they waited for their turn to use the floo network home. Anne told her to be quiet several times before eventually glaring her daughter down. Niamh immediately shut her mouth and didn't speak until she had to call out the house name in the fire.
On arriving back into her own sitting room, and shaking the soot from her shoulders, Niamh flopped down in an armchair in a heap. She pulled off her runners without undoing the laces and pulled her knees into her chest to rub the tired soles of her feet.
Without even saying a word, Anne had floated a cup of tea towards Niamh which she took gladly.
"Thank you mother!" Niamh yelled from her spot on the chair.
"You're welcome! I'm going to feed the owls" Anne called back and Niamh heard the back door close.
She nestled herself further into the armchair, blowing lightly on the hot liquid in the cup in her hands.
She carefully brought it to her lips and the first sip soothe her soul. Her grandmother had always said 'if tea can't fix it, it's a serious problem'. Niamh had always found the words to be true.
Anne returned to the kitchen, and Niamh repaid the favour and made her a cup of tea.
"Thanks love" Anne smiled.
"No problem. I'll put your new robe in your room for you" Niamh said walking towards the door, "Oh and I'm meeting George Weasley for coffee on Saturday"
"Wait! Get back here!" Anne called as Niamh tried to run for the stairs. She returned to the door with an innocent smile on her face.
"Was that who you bumped into?" Anne asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe" Niamh answered, dragging out the last syllable.
"Humm" Anne hummed, "I'm glad, I always liked him"
"Thanks mum, will you help me pick an outfit for it?"
"Of course, if you bring all the bags upstairs now"
"Deal!" Niamh laughed, running to the sitting room and grabbing everything they had bought before climbing the stairs two at a time.
Having sorted their shopping, Niamh went to her room and lay down on her bed, letting out a content sigh. She replayed her interaction with George over and over again in her head. Each time, getting more and more excited about Saturday afternoon.
"I am so sorry" George said, holding out his hand for her to take.
"It's not the first time you've flattened me, George. It probably won't be the last" Niamh joked, placing her hand in his and letting him help her to her feet. Her head spun wildly once she was back on her feet, rubbing at the bump that had formed.
"Least there were no bludgers involved this time I suppose" George noted, scratching the back of his neck as his cheeks and tip of his ear turned pink.
"I wouldn't have minded as much if I had actually been on a quidditch team" Niamh said, the corner of her lips twitching upwards, trying not to laugh at the memory.
He chuckled shaking his head and giving her a shrug and a half smile. Her eyes raked over him, from head to toe.
He was still just as tall as he was at school, but now he had broadened out across the shoulders. His arms more toned under his shirt sleeves, no doubt from the years of lifting boxes in his shop. His hair was longer than it had been the last time she had seen him. It covered the scar of his missing ear, but still not as long as it had been in their fourth year, and he was still just as handsome.
"What's brought you to London?" George asked.
"Myself and mum were bringing owls back to Eeylops. She let me loose to wander while she sorted business, and well...I wanted ice cream" Niamh spoke quickly. She suddenly felt jittery and her palms sweaty now she was stood in front of George.
"Guess I ruined that part of your plan" George muttered.
"It's fine, I'll just get another-"
"No, I'll get you one. It was my fault" George insisted.
"No really it's o-" Niamh hadn't time to finish her sentence as George had walked straight past her and into the ice cream parlour, touching off her shoulder for a moment making her heart speed up.
George appeared moments later with a new ice cream cone in hand and a napkin stuffed in his other.
"I got you cookie dough. It was always your favourite" he smiled, handing the cone to her.
"Thanks George" Niamh smiled, her hand brushing over his to take the cone. She felt her stomach flutter at the slight contact of skin and she looked up the street to avoid him seeing her pink cheeks.
"I, erh, I'd best get back to..." George trailed off throwing his hand over his shoulder, gesturing up the Alley.
"Are you open again?" Niamh asked curiously, trying to see towards Weasley Wizard Wheezes.
"Not yet. Aiming for the first of August" George said proudly, but his smile seemed off to Niamh, like it didn't reach his eyes.
"I'll be sure to stop by so" Niamh said, matter of factly making George's checks flush slightly, "It was good to see you George"
"Yeah" he breathed, "You too"
Niamh gave him a final smile and nod before turning and heading towards Flourish and Blotts.
George stared at her back as she walked away, her hair flowing and a sudden urge came over him.
"Niamh wait!" He yelled, his hand raised in the air, nearly knocking a poor old woman over. Niamh paused mid stride and turned back to face him with a warm smile. He stepped forward, meeting her in 3 of his steps.
"Would... would you...em" he stuttered, before taking a breath, "Would you like to go for a cup of coffee sometime?"
Niamh beamed up at him and nodded, "I'd love to"
"Great" George beamed, "Saturday, about noon? Meet me outside the shop?"
Niamh nodded and simply replied "Perfect"
George gave her a nod, and she watched him walk back up the Alley. She let out a small squeak of the squeal she was containing in her chest, before turning her head around to look for her mother.
When she couldn't see her straight away, she didn't panic. She walked from her spot, happily tucking into her ice cream as she went. She was so ecstatic that she failed to notice the melted stickiness on her hand or the giant stain on her sleeve from the first one.
"There you are!" Anne exclaimed from the doorway of Flourish and Blotts, "What happened to your hoodie?"
"What?" Niamh asked, furrowing her eyebrows together, looking down at the sleeve her mother was pulling towards her.
"It's ice cream" Niamh stated, "I had a small accident"
"What? What happened?" Anne's eyes widened to twice their size in panic at her daughters words.
"Calm down mum. I'm okay" Niamh reassured her, pulling her out of the way of strangers trying to get into the book shop.
"I bumped into someone and my balance isn't what it was, so I fell over. It's nothing" Niamh explained quietly.
Anne eyed her up, narrowing her eyes at her daughter, "It was a boy wasn't it?"
"Mum!" Niamh gasped, blushing. She cursed how her mother knew her so well.
Anne smirked at her, giving her a look that said I know everything. Niamh rolled her eyes playfully, and moved passed her mother into the book shop.
She moved quickly in and around people to the section she wanted, magical creatures. She scanned over the titles of the books, none showing names she actually wanted, or needed for that matter. Many of them were sitting at home on the bookshelves that scattered the house.
With a defeated sigh, Niamh exited the shop and returned to her mother's side to continue shopping. They made a stop for new robes in Madam Malkins, after Niamh was pulled away from staring at the latest model from the Firebolt series that everyone said was even faster than the previous.
With sore feet, pounding headaches and arms full of shopping, Niamh and Anne finally decided it was home time at about three in the afternoon.
Niamh had regressed backwards to a whiny five year old, complaining that she was tired and couldn't go on any longer while they waited for their turn to use the floo network home. Anne told her to be quiet several times before eventually glaring her daughter down. Niamh immediately shut her mouth and didn't speak until she had to call out the house name in the fire.
On arriving back into her own sitting room, and shaking the soot from her shoulders, Niamh flopped down in an armchair in a heap. She pulled off her runners without undoing the laces and pulled her knees into her chest to rub the tired soles of her feet.
Without even saying a word, Anne had floated a cup of tea towards Niamh which she took gladly.
"Thank you mother!" Niamh yelled from her spot on the chair.
"You're welcome! I'm going to feed the owls" Anne called back and Niamh heard the back door close.
She nestled herself further into the armchair, blowing lightly on the hot liquid in the cup in her hands.
She carefully brought it to her lips and the first sip soothe her soul. Her grandmother had always said 'if tea can't fix it, it's a serious problem'. Niamh had always found the words to be true.
Anne returned to the kitchen, and Niamh repaid the favour and made her a cup of tea.
"Thanks love" Anne smiled.
"No problem. I'll put your new robe in your room for you" Niamh said walking towards the door, "Oh and I'm meeting George Weasley for coffee on Saturday"
"Wait! Get back here!" Anne called as Niamh tried to run for the stairs. She returned to the door with an innocent smile on her face.
"Was that who you bumped into?" Anne asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe" Niamh answered, dragging out the last syllable.
"Humm" Anne hummed, "I'm glad, I always liked him"
"Thanks mum, will you help me pick an outfit for it?"
"Of course, if you bring all the bags upstairs now"
"Deal!" Niamh laughed, running to the sitting room and grabbing everything they had bought before climbing the stairs two at a time.
Having sorted their shopping, Niamh went to her room and lay down on her bed, letting out a content sigh. She replayed her interaction with George over and over again in her head. Each time, getting more and more excited about Saturday afternoon.
