Magical Mugwort

I could hardly breathe. My stomach was doubled in pain. I'm pretty sure I snorted whipped cream up my nose. A hand clapped my back, trying to help me choke down whatever was in my throat. As I sat up with tears in my eyes, I waved George's hand away.



“Oh... my... goddess!” I gasped, struggling to get my breath back under control.



Fred set a hand on my shoulder, still laughing nearly as hard as I was. “You all right, Maggie?”



I nodded, slowly breathing again. “Mmm-hmmm.” Wiping my eyes, I took a loud breath.



“Thank God for that, I thought we killed her,” said George.



“Nice job there, Weasleys!” called a voice from across the room. “I know you two have always had a way with the girls, but this is just a triumphant moment.”



Both guys looked up, then nearly shouted at once, “Oliver!”



They leaped out of their chairs and welcomed a new arrival. I was slowly calming down, then managed to cease my near hysterics when I took a look at the young man who had just arrived. My heart nearly went into overload. Holy shit. As the guys busied themselves in a very heartfelt reunion with an old chum, I took a look at the guy. He was tall, as tall as Fred and George, with dark hair and eyes, a strong chin and a muscular body that I could tell he got from playing Quidditch. He had an easy laugh that made my hair stand on end, especially in sync with his Scottish accent. Ooooh...



I watched the three of them interact, which was almost a spectacle in and of itself. So animated, so lively, so relieved.



“What you doing back here, mate?” Fred asked. “I thought you were off with the team.”



Oliver shrugged, that smile staying in place. “We're taking a holiday. Everyone's got family coming to school, an' they decided to let us break for a fortnight. Fancy running into you losers here!”



“I wouldn't say loser like that, Oliver,” George said proudly. “As I'm sure you've heard, we are proud profiteers now. Respectable and all that!”



“Respectable? That's a bit o' a stretch, don't you think?”



Fred laughed. “You got that right, mate! But at least we can say it's our business and can't anyone take that away.”



“Well, not without a hell of a fight, I'll say that.”



Oliver slapped the two guys on the back. “And right proud of you, I am. I always knew you two would do something with all your jokes. Making any money off it?”



“Bloody right we are!” Fred exclaimed. “Of course, our target audience is a little harder to get hold of since we left school, but they still find us. Friend of a friend and all that. I think the professors may hate us more now than they did when we were there!”



“Now that's hard to imagine!”



As Oliver spoke, his eyes shifted ever so slightly to me. His expression immediately changed ever so slightly. I could feel his gaze settling in on me, and it make me squirm ever so slightly. He was obviously a couple of years older than Fred and George, which might even put him near my age, not to say I was aged or anything, but still.



He blinked once, and tilted his head. “But enough about that. What about your friend here?” he said, nodding to me.



I leaned back and crossed my legs, raising my eyebrows. “I'm Maggie,” I said.



“American. Very nice.” Oliver stepped between his friends and came to stand near me. He had an easy walk. “I'm Oliver Wood.”



I offered my hand and he shook it, a firm grip. Yeah, he gripped broomsticks quite a bit. He he. “So how do you know these two losers?” I asked.



Fred looked wounded. “Maggie, I'm right hurt you'd call us losers after all we've done for you.”



I faced him. “Really? And what have you done for me?”



George purposefully lowered his voice as he leaned in close to me. “Now, now, luv, we don't kiss and tell, you know that.”



“You ass!” I slapped his chest.



George immediately threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest. “Yes, but you wouldn't like me any other way, now would you?”



Caught off guard and off balance, I had no choice but to grab onto his waist to keep from falling out of the chair. For just a moment I realized that he smelled like peppermint and mugwort. He actually smelled really good, and I found myself far too close to certain areas that, once I realized it, made my body start to respond to. I tried to pull away but George kept a tight grip on me.



“Damn it! George, let me go!” Except it came out far more muffled.



“But you're such a catch, Maggie. I couldn't bear it!”



I floundered for a few moments before catching a hold of his leg. I squeezed hard behind his kneecap and he jumped, releasing me immediately. Still off balance I reached out for the table to steady myself, and found Oliver at my side instead. His strong hands held my shoulders, allowing me to realign myself. I looked up at him, meeting his dark eyes.



“You all right there, Maggie?”



I shivered. The way he said my name was positively intoxicating. I could have gone down on him right there and been okay with it.



Ack! Must control thoughts...



I offered a crooked smile, suddenly feeling girlish and also realizing he could look straight down my shirt. Instead of shirking, I sat up a little straighter and reached up to smooth back my hair which had fallen into my face. “Just fine,” I said smoothly. I let my hand fall to my shirt strap and linger. “Now that I'm not being attacked.”



Fred punched his brother in the arm. “You git,” he said.



“Oi!”



I stood up, a little disappointed when Oliver's hands fell away. Sighing, I offered an exasperated smile. “Do you see what I have to put up with?”



Oliver smiled. It was even more attractive up close. “So are you and George together then?” he asked.



What a question!



“Oh! No, not at all. I just met them about... half an hour ago or so,” I replied. “Nope. Not with anyone. How about you? Are you and George together?”



He laughed. “Oh, but of course we are. Been together for ages.”



George grabbed Oliver and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “That's right, don't hide it anymore, Oliver!”



Oliver shoved George off, all of us laughing uproariously. “You are a right bloody git, Weasley. I'll get you back for that one, too.” To me he said, “No, we've all been mates since school at Hogwarts. We were all on the Quidditch team together..”



“That's right,” piped up Fred. “Wood was captain. George and me were Beaters. Best damn ones school ever had.”



“Now that is true,” Oliver admitted. “Both these two were the best you could ever have at your side.”



I tilted my head. “Good to know.”



Oliver focused back on me. “So,” he began, a cunning glint in his eyes. “If you're not with either of these two, you mind me asking if you are with somebody?”



Oh my god, he was actually hitting on me. What the hell? Was there just something in the air today? When the hell did I get to be so damn popular?



Eying him coyly, I shifted my hips. I ran my eyes over him once, quickly, but he saw it. Playing it cool, I shrugged slightly. “No, I'm not with anybody at the moment.”



“Excellent.”



“Oi!”



Fred and George both seemed to take it all personally. Fred pulled Oliver aside, frowning at him. “Mate, we just met her. She may not be taken, but that's something we'd like to set aside for another day, you understand what I mean?”



Oliver raised an eyebrow. He glanced over at me, then back at Fred. “I dunno, mate. I think she's just as open to me as she is to you. And I don't mind saying that I'd fancy having a go at her.”



George stared hard at him for a moment, his brow furrowed. “Listen, Wood. You're our mate and all, but I'd appreciate it if you'd back off. At least let us have the chance to see if she's interested.”



There was a long silence between them. I found it rather amusing. Fighting over little old me? It was almost flattering, but still silly. I decided, let them figure out what they wanted to figure out. I myself? It was high time to leave and head on to bigger and better things.



Grabbing my purse and book, I slung my purse over my shoulder and headed for the door. I patted Fred on the back as I walked. “You guys have fun with this macho bull, all right?” And sauntered on my merry way out the door. I definitely had better things to do than put up with male competition.



The air outside was warm, breezy, a surprising feel for August in England. Granted, Diagon Alley could easily be bewitched at least a little bit to control the weather, but I knew that London was having a nice heat wave lately. I had a feeling it was going to be a late winter coming. I glanced down the street, watching all the families winding through the busy wizarding shopping district. The screeches of owls, bats, even some rats carried amidst the chatter, the whizzing of toys, swishes of wands, and clanging of cauldrons. It was a great place, and I loved it.



“Maggie!”



I glanced briefly over my shoulder to see Fred, George and Oliver all dashing out of the store at once. Raising an eyebrow, I paused, curious to see what they had to say. Each one looked a little flushed. I took about five seconds to marvel at how very good looking they all were.



As they all came around me, I looked up at them all. “So?” I asked. “Are you three done with your little cock show, or have you come to pester me further?”



Exchanging glances all around, Fred and George both said, “Of course not.”



“Look, Maggie,” Fred said. “Sorry about the mess in there. Just seems you're a very popular girl and you can't blame a few blokes for wanting to make sure we're in the top running.”



“Of what? Top running for what, exactly?” I asked, looking each one in the face. “What exactly do you think you're going to get by being in this so-called running?”



“Maggie,” Oliver said, looking a bit bashful. “I'm afraid this is my fault. See, I didn't know you were spoken for. I think you're a beautiful girl and I would love to get to know you better. But it looks as if these two are already interested. I can't pretend to know what you want or like, but I can say this. If you ever want to know me, even as a friend, you can always find me. Just send an owl.” He smiled, a charming smile, I had to admit. “You seem like a lovely girl, Maggie. It was a pleasure to meet you.”



Nodding at Fred and George, Oliver turned and walked off into the crowd.



I took a moment to stare after him. I was confused, even a little angry. Turning to the twins, I glared at them. “What the hell was that all about?” I demanded. “What the hell kind of claim on me do you think you have? For crying out loud, I just met you two! How can you possibly claim to think that I want anything to do with you?”



To give them credit, they at least had the grace to look embarrassed. They even hung their heads a little bit, and as much jokesters as they were, I thought it was genuine. I was feeling flushed, frustrated at the thought of being looked at as a piece of meat. And the damnable part of it was, I liked these guys. I thought they were amazing. But they were also very young, and that meant that there was a shit ton of teenage crap to put up with. The question was, did I want to put up with it?



Sighing heavily, I shook my head. “You two... Trust me, I was flattered that both of you apparently took enough of an interest in me to approach me today. The drinks, the flirting, it's all well and good. But territorialism is another matter entirely, boys. I belong to no one but myself. And the next time either of you tries to pull that shit again, I will not hesitate to walk and not look back.”



“Maggie,” Fred began, tossing his hair out of his face. “We're sorry. We weren't trying to make you feel uncomfortable, or anything like that. We're very sorry for upsetting you.”



“Very sorry,” George put in. “Wood had it right, though. You're a lovely girl. Guess we got so excited at having met you we got a bit carried away. Hope you won't hold it against us.”



Fixing them with my most serious glare, I sighed. “Try anything like that again and I just might have to tie you up and leave you somewhere.”



Fred tried not to laugh but failed. “I don't know, Maggie, we might enjoy that a bit much.”



“I know I wouldn't feel that bad about being tied up by the likes of her,” George added, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Told you that this one had a bit of a fun side to her.”



I couldn't hold back a slight smirk. Their good humor was contagious. And even after what had just happened, I still couldn't hold it all against them. Heaving a sigh, I let out the smile that was hiding behind my face.



“Come on, Maggie, you can't stay mad at us,” Fred said, easing towards me. I met his gaze, filled with goofy supplication. He stood beside me, and I came up just above his shoulders. There was something very... moving about a physical proximity to him. “You do like us a bit, don't you.”



Before I could answer, George moved to my other side, just as coolly, just as confident as his brother. And before I knew it I was pinned in on either side. George offered a slightly repentant gaze as he touched my arm. A small jolt coursed up through my arm. He leaned down slightly and said, “We promise not to trouble you anymore. At least, in a way that would be anything but an entertaining experience for all of us.”



I looked up into his face, casting a slow glance between both guys' faces. There was a singular look between them, something mischievous in their eyes. I fixed back on George's face and met his gaze unflinchingly. “Entertaining,” I repeated. “And what would you have in mind, exactly?”



George flicked a quick gaze over my head at his brother, then back to me. His lips curled up into a smile and he leaned down towards me. He touched my chin and tilted my head upwards, then pressed his lips close to my ear. His breath tickled my skin as he whispered, “I've got quite a few things in mind, luv. All depends on how far you like to delve into what magic can really do, not to mention a couple of virile young men.”



The heat of his breath sent a chill down my spine. My mind was already delving into the dark places his words suggested. I was going with candlelight, cotton sheets, and naked, twisting bodies. It was a tantalizing visual, as I'm sure was intended. I took a quick breath, released it slowly. I seriously needed to calm down my heart. The way these words were going, I could easily go down a road with a very interesting destination.



Suddenly Fred was at my other ear, the heat of his breath sending matching tingles down my spine. “We're not just about practical jokes, you know,” he whispered. “There's a lot of other things that we excel at. Next to making money off jokes, our favorite subject's always been the curves of women. Care to imagine skilled hands touching your arms, your hair, beautiful lips... I might be afraid you weren't interested, but I've seen the way you look at me, at George. There's lots of things going on inside that head of yours, you know. Trust me, luv, we can make it happen.”



My heart was truly going to go into overload. My eyes fluttered a little as I tried to stay upright. What was it in these two guys' words that was making this intense heat course through me? I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, shuddering as I felt a finger touch my back. The touch lingered at the small of my back, massaging slowly, ready to either slide up my back or down the back of my jeans. My whole body was registering lust and want and desire. Warmth was pooling between my legs, and all I wanted to do was sandwich myself between Fred and George, and let everything flow as it was aiming.



I looked up into Fred's face, studying the curves of his cheeks, the strong line of his jaw, the way his hair fell into his face. His lips fascinated me, very expressive, very sensual. His eyes threatened to swallow me whole. I slowly raised a hand and brushed his hair out of his face. His eyes fluttered briefly and I inhaled sharply. His hair was very soft.



“You have the most amazing eyes, Maggie,” he said, staring down at me.



I smiled, lowering my hand from his hair. Fred's brow furrowed slightly and a small noise of protest came from him. I turned to face George, who was looking at me the same.



“Absolutely right,” George concurred, his lips curved upwards. “Never seen eyes quite like that before. They really shine out here.”



“Thanks,” I replied, offering a secretive smile of my own. “You know...”I added slowly, standing tall and raising a hand to George's face. “In certain circumstances, my eyes have been known to change colors altogether. Usually happens whenever my heart rate gets elevated, my mood is excited, or I'm feeling very lost. I'm told it's actually quite the sight. Of course, whenever I'm excited, I'm usually too preoccupied to bother checking a mirror, so I can't say for sure.”



George raised an eyebrow, his lips puckering ever so slightly. I touched his cheek with a feather's touch; his skin was very soft. “Is that right,” he said.



I smiled, turning to look at Fred, still as close as he was. In fact, there was barely inches
between my body and both of theirs. It was a little hard to breathe. I raised a hand and brushed fingers over his shirt, skirting his chest. Tilting my face upward, I smiled as if to invite him to kiss me. He leaned down, until his breath was close to my skin, warm and sweet.



“You do smell very good,” I said softly, eyes flicking over his face.



“I taste even better,” Fred replied, tilting his face down even further until our noses were practically touching.



At the last moment I averted my face and stepped away from them both, turned to face them with a wicked smile on my face. Clasping my hands behind my back, I raised an eyebrow. “I guarantee I taste even better.”



The matching look of shock and unrequited lust on their faces was priceless. Mouths hanging open, eyes wide. “Bloody hell!” Fred exclaimed, looking at his brother.



“Fine one here, isn't she,” George replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Wicked little minx, aren't you.”



I shrugged ever so slightly. “As if you have room to talk. You're practically willing to make out with me here on the street in front of everyone.”



“Not seeing the problem there, luv. I really don't.”



Chuckling, I shook my head. “You two... What am I going to do with you?”



At that, the twins exchanged a wicked grin that I knew meant there was much plotting afoot. “Why, whatever you want, luv,” Fred said.



I grinned. “I might just take you up on that. If you're lucky.”



They both started to laugh, when a voice interrupted. “They'd have to be lucky to wind up with a girl like you.” Their laughs died immediately and they stared with utter malice at someone behind me.