It's Better If You Do
Trente-Deux.
George felt like he had made a major accomplishment in getting Bellamy to at least be cordial to him. First, he gave Bellamy cookbooks, which could have been seen as the sexist thing to do, as if he were saying that she was only fit to be in the kitchen. A little part of him truly believed she was going to launch into some feminist rant over the books, but she had been quite the opposite. Then, she had agreed to go with him to Florean Forescue’s Ice Cream Parlour with him, which was a major milestone, indeed. Perhaps, he thought, she merely has a sweet tooth. His thoughts were then thrown to Ron, and how much he loved sweets and the sort.
As they stepped out of the shop, Bellamy took notice of the suddenly dampened spirits of George. This should have been enough to make him happy for days, she thought spitefully as she looked over at him. There was enough space between the two of them as they walked to fit one or two wizards between them.
“You alright?” She asked softly, her voice and expression set in a stoic tone. George looked over to Bellamy for a moment and the smile flew back onto his lips.
“Oh yeah,” he said with a nod, “I was just thinking of home for a moment and all. I haven’t seen most of my family in a long time.” He looked ahead before glancing back to Bellamy. “Do you have any brothers and sisters other than Rose?” He asked curiously. Bellamy shook her head slowly.
“No, it’s always been just me and Rose. Have you got any brothers or sisters other than Fred?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and dodging around a street vendor’s cart. It seemed then all had a penchant for trying to run people over and Bellamy certainly disagreed with it. George’s face suddenly lit up and a grin, wider than Bellamy had seen on him, spread across his lips.
“Do I? I have Bill and Charlie--they’re older than me and Fred--Fred, of course, then Ron, and Ginny,” he said cheerfully. It wasn’t until he saw the look of surprise that he realized he had forgotten Percy. Of course, he’d never really gotten along with Percy, but he was still his brother, he just seemed like less of one now.
“My, my, you’ve got a full house,” she mused softly, a bit of a smile playing on her lips. “Sometimes I wish I had more siblings than Rose, but then again…she’s really the only sibling I need.” She shrugged a bit. George noticed a bit of sadness flashed in her eyes just as they neared the multicolored umbrellas of Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.
“Here we are then,” George said, pulling open the door for Bellamy and waiting for her to walk in before following her. Bellamy stood at the back of the store, which only had a few people seated so early in the morning. George had a feeling Bellamy would want to eat outside though, since it was a lovely day that shouldn’t be wasted inside. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes raked the flavor choices. She grimaced when she noticed the licorice beetle and radish flavors, causing George to let out a small chuckle. “They’ve certainly got a lot to choose from,” he murmured, causing her to look up at him.
“Certainly,” she replied. Letting out a sigh, she glanced up to the flavors once more. “Shall I go first?” She asked softly. George nodded and motioned for her to step toward the ice boxes that were filled to the brim with ice cream. Florean Fortescue was immediately in front of Bellamy, ready to take her order. She grinned and looked up at the flavors once more before turning to the wizard behind the counter.
“I’d like a scoop of French Vanilla in a waffle cone bowl,” she said in her sweet, soft voice, “and could I get White Chocolate Fudge drizzled over the top and some blueberries with it as well.” Mr. Fortescue gave her a single nod and smiled.
“Of course,” he said before turning to George and grinned even wider. “George Weasley! How are you today?” He asked. George laughed a bit and shrugged.
“I’m doing alright, and you?” He asked, glancing nervously to Bellamy. Florean Fortescue, while a pleasant-mannered man, had a tendency of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
“Smashing! Absolutely smashing! What‘ll you have, Georgie, m’boy? ” The ice cream parlour owner boomed cheerfully. Bellamy attributed his slightly hyperactive twitchiness to working around sweets and sugar all the time.
“Oh, just the regular today, sir,” George replied politely and Bellamy was a bit taken back. Besides giving his bed up for the night and sleeping on the floor, this was the most manners she had seen of George at one time.
“I’ll have the lady’s and your ice cream out to you in no time, then,” he said with another nod Mr. Fortescue leaned in to George and stage whispered, “You two are a lovely couple.” He then winked and was off to go make their ice cream before either could heartily protest. George, feeling a bit fearful of how Bellamy was going to react to that, spared a glance at the girl. She was stared at him with a cool look in her eyes, her lips were pursed together tightly, and the tips of her ears and cheeks had turned a bit pink.
“Maybe you should go find us a table,” George mumbled and Bellamy merely continued to stare up at him, before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of sickles and knuts.
“Here, this should cover my ice cream,” she said, holding the money out for him to take. George merely looked and her and shook his head.
“I invited you here, so this will be my treat,” he said softly, managing a small shaky smile for her. Bellamy drew in a deep breath of air through her nose as she continued to stare up harshly at George.
“This is not a date,” she said bluntly with an edge of disgust in her tone, “so, I’d like to pay for my ice cream.” Before George could protest, she shoved the money into his palm and made her way out of the store, finding a seat under a hot pink umbrella. George stared at her for a moment before his attention was drawn away by the presenting of their ice creams. He turned and took the two waffle bowls from Mr. Fortescue and went to pay for them.
“Ah, no, it’s on the house for you and that beautiful French woman that seems to have ensnared you,” he said, with another wink towards George. George quickly flushed a bit and shook his head.
“Oh…we’re just friends,” he said as casually as he possibly could, “actually, no, not even that. She’s one of the new employees at the store and today’s our day off.”
“Oho! Is that so?” Florean Fortescue said, glancing between the two of them. “Well…she’ll certainly draw in a few male customers, that’s for sure.” He winked again then was off to take another order. George let out a heavy sigh and stared at Bellamy before making his way out of the store and onto the patio.
As they stepped out of the shop, Bellamy took notice of the suddenly dampened spirits of George. This should have been enough to make him happy for days, she thought spitefully as she looked over at him. There was enough space between the two of them as they walked to fit one or two wizards between them.
“You alright?” She asked softly, her voice and expression set in a stoic tone. George looked over to Bellamy for a moment and the smile flew back onto his lips.
“Oh yeah,” he said with a nod, “I was just thinking of home for a moment and all. I haven’t seen most of my family in a long time.” He looked ahead before glancing back to Bellamy. “Do you have any brothers and sisters other than Rose?” He asked curiously. Bellamy shook her head slowly.
“No, it’s always been just me and Rose. Have you got any brothers or sisters other than Fred?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and dodging around a street vendor’s cart. It seemed then all had a penchant for trying to run people over and Bellamy certainly disagreed with it. George’s face suddenly lit up and a grin, wider than Bellamy had seen on him, spread across his lips.
“Do I? I have Bill and Charlie--they’re older than me and Fred--Fred, of course, then Ron, and Ginny,” he said cheerfully. It wasn’t until he saw the look of surprise that he realized he had forgotten Percy. Of course, he’d never really gotten along with Percy, but he was still his brother, he just seemed like less of one now.
“My, my, you’ve got a full house,” she mused softly, a bit of a smile playing on her lips. “Sometimes I wish I had more siblings than Rose, but then again…she’s really the only sibling I need.” She shrugged a bit. George noticed a bit of sadness flashed in her eyes just as they neared the multicolored umbrellas of Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.
“Here we are then,” George said, pulling open the door for Bellamy and waiting for her to walk in before following her. Bellamy stood at the back of the store, which only had a few people seated so early in the morning. George had a feeling Bellamy would want to eat outside though, since it was a lovely day that shouldn’t be wasted inside. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes raked the flavor choices. She grimaced when she noticed the licorice beetle and radish flavors, causing George to let out a small chuckle. “They’ve certainly got a lot to choose from,” he murmured, causing her to look up at him.
“Certainly,” she replied. Letting out a sigh, she glanced up to the flavors once more. “Shall I go first?” She asked softly. George nodded and motioned for her to step toward the ice boxes that were filled to the brim with ice cream. Florean Fortescue was immediately in front of Bellamy, ready to take her order. She grinned and looked up at the flavors once more before turning to the wizard behind the counter.
“I’d like a scoop of French Vanilla in a waffle cone bowl,” she said in her sweet, soft voice, “and could I get White Chocolate Fudge drizzled over the top and some blueberries with it as well.” Mr. Fortescue gave her a single nod and smiled.
“Of course,” he said before turning to George and grinned even wider. “George Weasley! How are you today?” He asked. George laughed a bit and shrugged.
“I’m doing alright, and you?” He asked, glancing nervously to Bellamy. Florean Fortescue, while a pleasant-mannered man, had a tendency of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
“Smashing! Absolutely smashing! What‘ll you have, Georgie, m’boy? ” The ice cream parlour owner boomed cheerfully. Bellamy attributed his slightly hyperactive twitchiness to working around sweets and sugar all the time.
“Oh, just the regular today, sir,” George replied politely and Bellamy was a bit taken back. Besides giving his bed up for the night and sleeping on the floor, this was the most manners she had seen of George at one time.
“I’ll have the lady’s and your ice cream out to you in no time, then,” he said with another nod Mr. Fortescue leaned in to George and stage whispered, “You two are a lovely couple.” He then winked and was off to go make their ice cream before either could heartily protest. George, feeling a bit fearful of how Bellamy was going to react to that, spared a glance at the girl. She was stared at him with a cool look in her eyes, her lips were pursed together tightly, and the tips of her ears and cheeks had turned a bit pink.
“Maybe you should go find us a table,” George mumbled and Bellamy merely continued to stare up at him, before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of sickles and knuts.
“Here, this should cover my ice cream,” she said, holding the money out for him to take. George merely looked and her and shook his head.
“I invited you here, so this will be my treat,” he said softly, managing a small shaky smile for her. Bellamy drew in a deep breath of air through her nose as she continued to stare up harshly at George.
“This is not a date,” she said bluntly with an edge of disgust in her tone, “so, I’d like to pay for my ice cream.” Before George could protest, she shoved the money into his palm and made her way out of the store, finding a seat under a hot pink umbrella. George stared at her for a moment before his attention was drawn away by the presenting of their ice creams. He turned and took the two waffle bowls from Mr. Fortescue and went to pay for them.
“Ah, no, it’s on the house for you and that beautiful French woman that seems to have ensnared you,” he said, with another wink towards George. George quickly flushed a bit and shook his head.
“Oh…we’re just friends,” he said as casually as he possibly could, “actually, no, not even that. She’s one of the new employees at the store and today’s our day off.”
“Oho! Is that so?” Florean Fortescue said, glancing between the two of them. “Well…she’ll certainly draw in a few male customers, that’s for sure.” He winked again then was off to take another order. George let out a heavy sigh and stared at Bellamy before making his way out of the store and onto the patio.