The Key
Challenge Nineteen: Bring Out Your Dead!
Title: The Key
Author: ceirdwenfc
Wizard/Witch: Fred Weasley/Verity
Rating/Warnings: PG-13/R
Genre: Romance/Humor
Word count: Exactly 750
Prompt: #53 a daring plan
Summary: Verity is the key to Fred’s daring plan.
She could feel his eyes on her and tried to ignore him. She knew he was approaching when he disappeared from her sight. Soon, she felt his strong palm graze and cup her arse, squeezing slightly. His breath on her neck was warm as he whispered, “I have a plan.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll go to Gringotts.”
“How daring.”
He bit her earlobe and slipped a hand into the pocket of her robe, depositing a small long metal object in there. “Meet me after.”
He stepped to the other side of the till when he heard his brother’s footsteps on the stairs. He looked up as if surprised to see him and spoke louder than normal. “George, do you have the deposit?” George tossed a satchel on the counter. “I think Verity should take it today. We really should give her more responsibility.”
George flicked a glance over to Verity, who was counting the spell check quills. She smiled. After some thought, George responded, “That’s a good idea.”
He slid the satchel towards her, and when she lifted it up, the sound of many coins jingled. “Any other surprises today, Fred?”
“I don’t believe so.”
Verity grabbed her cloak from the stock room and slipped the satchel into her pocket. Fred began to speak. “Oh, damn, George!” he exclaimed. “I forgot. I’m supposed to meet that vendor at the Leaky in ten minutes - you remember about the dragon’s blood. Can you mind the shop on your own for a bit?”
“Yeah, of course,” he responded absentmindedly, fiddling with his robe fastenings. Fred ran out of the shop’s front door, and George shook his head as they watched him trot down the cobblestones of Diagon Alley.
Verity turned to George. “I guess I’ll be off. You all right?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? I own half the shop. I’m fine. Cheers. Off you go.” He winked and waved his hand.
She smiled and waved, leaving the door to clang closed. She followed Fred’s path, although at a much slower pace. It was actually rare that she was able to leave the shop during the day, and she relished the crisp autumn air, a cool breeze on her flushed face, remembering Fred’s hand on her arse. He was incorrigible, he was. She arrived quickly at Gringotts. The trip was much quicker than she had hoped for, and when she found no queue to wait in, she handed the satchel to the nearest goblin. She watched him count out the coins, and verified before taking the receipt. She stepped out and paused on the bottom step, taking in a deep breath as a leaf drifted leisurely past her. She smiled as she thought of the tree that the leaf came from. Her mind remembered resting under a tree, basking in the sun’s glow, a gingered head resting in her lap as she stroked his hair and pushed strands out of the way.
She stepped down and turned towards the joke shop when she felt a compelling pull to her left. She turned left, but stopped, and turning back towards the shop, she began again. Or tried to. Involuntarily pulled to her left once more, she looked in that direction. She decided to follow the path, following the pull and soon found herself in front of the Leaky Cauldron.
She stepped inside, seeing Fred alone at a table near the door, finishing his firewhisky. He raised his glass and smiled. He stood as she reached his table and took her hand. “What took you so long?”
“How did you know I’d be here?” she asked.
He swept her into his arms, a strong hand on her back, a soft finger caressing her cheek, kissing her lips gently at first, but with more urgency as he pressed his body against hers. She could feel his desire, and as his tongue ran along the roof of her mouth, she could feel him whetting her own desires. He reached into her pocket, and pulled out an old-fashioned key. “It’s new. It’s based on what you desire the most. I guess that’s me.” He laughed.
“You think too highly of yourself, Fred.”
“I think you do as well, Verity. Shall we see whose desires are more pressing?” He leaned into her again, and she could feel him through her robes. He kissed her cheek, and in taking her hand, he led her up the staircase to the Leaky’s rooms, finding the one that his magical key fit.
Author's Notes: The Key is my first post for Romancing the Wizard. I hope you enjoy it. This takes place during Half Blood Prince. Thank you to ladywhitehart for proof reading this.
Proof-reader: ladywhitehart