The faint sound of laughter reached Fred's ears as he Apparated into the front garden of Rose Cottage, and he paused in his intended path toward the front porch. He'd been missing Katie, and knew he needed to talk to her again about Greg and what their plans were, however tentative or theoretical. The news of the Dark Mark in fireworks above Hogsmeade had come as a rude shock as he glanced at the Prophet the first morning of November, as well, and while he didn't believe there was immediate danger at hand, he still felt the need to check in on those close to him.

Listening carefully, he followed the giggles carried along by the sea breeze, mixed now and then with barks in two tones, down along the path toward the small beach at the bottom of the cliffs. He found Katie, Kaiya, and Pea romping in the sand, the two dogs racing around like mad, Katie dodging them, bright against the sunset background of the sea in her pink hat and gloves. The wind was brisk so close to the water, cold but not quite biting, blowing the last pale warmth of the sun landward.

"Evening, Princess," he called as he neared where the trio was playing. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?"


Katie turned with a start when she heard a voice call out, lips relaxing into the easy smile she'd had with her puppies only moments before when she saw it was Fred. "Hallo, shiny boy," she answered as she made towards him, the last few steps bringing her next to him. Reaching up with a mittened hand to brush windblown hair out of her face, Katie grinned up at him, a twinkle of humor and more in her eyes. "You're always welcome to join. I don't have any private parties where you're not invited." She paused, laughing as the puppies caught up and danced around their legs before glancing back up at him. "Pea would be so upset if you weren't, after all."

"Ah, and we can't upset the baby, now can we?" Fred ribbed in return, chuckling as Pea bounced joyfully around their legs as if she were spring-loaded. He reached out to sweep Katie's hair back from her face himself, gathering it into a loose tail as he bent to kiss her in greeting. "I'm glad it's not private," he commented idly, rubbing the tip of her cold nose with his warmer one, "I've missed you lately."

"I've missed you too, lots. I've not really seen anyone but Papa and the puppies." Fred's breath was hot across her cool skin, and she leaned into him, not quite touching, as he bent over her. "I was going to go the Hogsmeade festival last night, but ... I just didn't feel like ... I just wanted snuggles and hot apple cider." A little grin slipped across Katie's face as she shrugged. "So I did ... cider and puppies."

Smiling as he brushed his lips across Katie's once more, Fred reminded, "You can always Floocall, you know, or just come over. I didn't stay long in Hogsmeade myself; just the Healing Hands booth with Ginny in the afternoon, though that was a lot of fun." He pulled her properly into his arms, knowing she was probably chilled and just hadn't noticed yet. "I wouldn't have minded the company myself... made do with the wireless and that paving stone of a book I'm in the middle of."

As Fred pulled her to him, Katie slid her arms around his waist, tilting her head back to look at him, for the brushes of lips every few moments. Her lips quirked at his last statement. "You could always try one of my books, yeah? Sensuous Secrets #47 was pretty ... exciting."

"Oh? I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I think I might laugh myself sick," he teased gently, a wicked little grin stealing across his face. "Besides, I can promise you the real thing is significantly better than reading that flowery stuff, no matter how... exciting #47 happened to be." He nipped Katie's lower lip, just a tiny sting, quickly erased by a swipe of his tongue.

Katie's breath caught as he nipped at her lip, the comfortable warmth she'd found in his arms spiking beneath her skin in soft waves of awareness. The wind blew across her now heated cheeks as Fred pulled away. "They're not that bad ... but I think you're right," she said as she tip toed up, voice wry, but soft as her eyes darkened, "I like the real thing better ... despite the naughty filing cabinet bits."

Chuckling a bit darkly as Katie leaned up to him, Fred licked across her lip again, offering in a whisper, "There are filing cabinets in the back at the shop, if that's what does it for you, sweetness. I thought for now, though, you might want to go inside and let me warm you up a little. Or," he paused, trailing fingertips ever so lightly over her neck, "I suppose you could read."

A shiver ran through Katie's body that had absolutely nothing to do with the chill sea breeze as he ran his fingers over her neck, flashes of another night, different touches in the same spot flitting through her head. "I don't much think I could read ..." Fred's lips ran over hers again, a swipe of his tongue, "... I ... I like shiny warmness, and ... and I think I might like filing cabinets too," she murmured, her breath mixing with his in a warm cloud in the cool air.

Blood heating at Katie's unexpected naughtiness, Fred's fingers curled around the back of her neck, tugging her up for a real kiss, tongue sliding against hers before she really had time to react. His brain was supplying him with vivid and plentiful images of Katie, disheveled, perched atop the desk or cabinets in the back office, and he made the conscious decision to slow down for a moment, aware that it was that or risk actually hurting her, which didn't bear contemplating. Drawing away from her pink, kiss-bruised lips, he laid his mouth next to her ear to growl softly, "I'll keep that in mind, then," and took her hand as he stepped back, guiding them both toward the top of the cliff were her cottage stood.

As Fred pulled her up the path, Katie took the time to level out her breathing, his kisses having left her gasping for air, the growling promise he'd made leaving images dancing behind her eyes. Her hair had slipped out of the loose knot he'd tied it in and the wind blew it around her face, licking across her heated skin as she turned her head, calling for the puppies to follow them back to the cottage.

Fred stopped them briefly at the front door, pushing it open to let the dogs in as he dipped his head to capture Katie's lips, hands sliding up her back to press her closer. He edged them through the doorway and inside, nudging the panel back into its frame once they were clear. A moment's contemplation decided that bed was likely a better choice than the sofa, since he had every intention of them ending up there at some point, and he steered them accordingly, pulling Katie free of her jumper as they reached her cheery white room.

A trail of knit pink gloves, hat and jumper led to her bedroom, and Katie found that she wanted, needed Fred. She'd not seen him since the night he'd held her through her nightmares. All she'd had was a week's worth of owls from both him and Greg, a week's worth of worry despite both boys' reassurances that everything was okay, or was going to be.

Down to the silky cami she'd been wearing under her jumper, black leggings and fuzzy knee high boots, Katie needed to feel his skin and her fingers pulled insistently at his shirt even as his tongue danced over hers.

Breaking the contact of their lips, though he was loathe to do so, Fred stripped himself of his shirt and pushed Katie lightly, so that she bounced into a seat on the bed. He knelt and wiggled her feet carefully from their fuzzy confines, setting the boots aside and running his hands up her legs, eyes traveling slowly up the line of her body to meet her gaze. "Beautiful," he murmured, leaning forward to dust kisses over her collarbone. "My beautiful princess."

Katie watched Fred, awareness prickling at her as his eyes traveled over her body. At his soft words, Katie could feel a blush steal over her skin. She was comfortable with herself, but it was different when someone else said things, when Fred said things. Even more though, she liked that he named her as his.

As he leaned forward, lips brushing lightly across her skin, Katie reached out, her own hands running over his shoulders, down his arms, coming to cover his hands as they ran up her legs before retracing her path, just wanting to feel his warmth. She unconsciously tilted her head, just a bit, to the side as his lips moved over her, her voice a whisper when she finally answered him, "Yes shiny, yours."

Interrupting the trail of gentle nibbles he'd been laying between Katie's shoulder and her ear as her words reached him, Fred sat back slightly, one hand moving to cup her face. A smile curled his lips as he turned her statement over in his mind, and he leaned up again to kiss her, the softest of brushes. "I like the way that sounds," he said quietly, not particularly surprised by how true the statement was, had been almost since they'd met. Something about Katie made him want to watch over her, shelter her, even when she didn't need it. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, then her ear, running the tip of his tongue around the outer shell in a slow tease.

Her heart was aflutter in her chest and Katie couldn't decided whether to go with the innocent happiness she felt at Fred's admission or the racing heat of desire that seemed to sit just under the surface of her skin every time he was near. The gentle kisses combined with his tongue swiping around her ear, a spot so sensitive that she could feel it throughout her body, mixed it all together - melted chocolate desire coating her happiness and contentment.

As Fred teased at her ear, swipes of his tongue and nibbles, Katie tried to keep still, just her breath, warm and quick puffs into his hair. But she wanted to touch too, and she slid one hand up over his shoulder, raking her fingernails briefly before tangling her fingers in his hair.

A growl trickled from Fred's throat as Katie's nails scraped over his skin; the mild sting was perfect, exciting, in contrast to the breathy noises she was making, little gasps and exhales stirring his hair. He liked, too, that he could make her need to hold onto him with something as simple as a lick, a nibble, to the deliciously sensitive whorl of her ear. Sliding one hand up her back, the slick silk of her cami catching slightly at the calluses on his palm, he pulled them closer together as he released her earlobe. His lips found her pulse, and he laid a kiss and then a lick there, feeling the tempo of her heartbeat increase at the attention.

Her pulse sped as Fred pulled her closer, the movement bringing her to the edge of the bed. As he moved his lips along her neck, his hand bunching the silk cami, but not touching skin, Katie brought one of her legs up around him, heel resting at the base of his spine as she molded her body to his. Her free hand traced over his chest, just liking the feel of skin, thumb catching at his nipple in a small flick before moving on, over his shoulder, back to his collarbone and starting all over again. She loved that she was allowed to touch him like this now. It felt as if she'd been waiting a lifetime to do so.

Katie's fingers trailing over his skin left tiny tingles behind, arcs of electricity crackling between one point of contact and another. Usually he had little trouble ignoring the wants of his own body until he was quite sure he'd taken care of his partner, but her tentative touches, exploring as she'd not yet had a chance to do, pulled at him in more than a physical sense. He nipped at the spot above the measured thud of her heart, gathering her against him and lifting so that he could pivot to sit on the edge of the bed. He toed out of his shoes, then shifted to recline against the pillows, Katie straddling his hips as his fingers slipped under the hem of her top, playing over her stomach.

As much as her blood was running hot beneath her skin, it wasn't insistent, not yet. Katie reached out to trace the patterns of the freckles dusting across his shoulders, her eyes following the trails her fingers were making. She laid her hands on his chest after a few moments, fingers splayed, liking the look of her golden skin against his lighter, cinnamon freckles peeking through between her fingers. His hands were tracing light paths just under the hem of her cami, leaving tingling paths in their wake. She loved even these small touches, just skin against skin.

Raising her eyes up to his, she saw Fred watching her, dark blue eyes intent upon her. As she looked down at him, she flexed her fingers against his chest, nails digging little half moons into his skin as she watched his face. He seemed to like little pains as much as she did, if the way he reacted to her absent scratches was any indication, and with her current advantage of being atop him, she wanted to see what would pass across his face.

Following Katie's movements as her hands mapped his chest, Fred smiled, amused by her study of his skin, their skin together. He met her gaze and held it as she pressed her nails against him, eyes squeezing shut for the briefest of moments, blinking open to show her the desire he felt, the fact that he liked what she was doing. Sliding his hands from under her cami, he brought them to cover hers, increasing the pressure of the sharp edges against his skin, giving a little hiss of pleasure as he pulled her fingers away, bringing them to his lips to kiss the knuckles of each hand in turn.

Katie watched Fred's reaction, heart speeding at the look in his eyes when they blinked open, slow burning desire and want. As he covered her hands with his larger ones, encouraging more, Katie liked that both of them together, her hands and his, had brought that hissing breath from his lips. He held her eyes as he brushed kisses across each knuckle, the gentle caress of his lips at odds with what the darkness in his eyes was promising. She held still then, only pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, waiting to see what he would do, how long he'd maintain this sweetly languid tension.

Unable to quash the dart of excitement up his spine, the thrill of a conquest, almost, as Katie went still, the jump of her pulse under his hands the only sign of her anticipation as she worried at her lip, Fred uncurled the fingers of one small hand from the loose fist they'd formed. His tongue flicked lightly over the pad of her index finger before he drew the tip of the digit between his lips to lick, suck, nibble. He stroked his thumb whisper-soft across her palm, wondering if he could get her to squirm with only this comparably chaste contact.

Katie kept eye contact with Fred, waiting, watching. As he ran his tongue over the pad of her finger, pulling just the tip between his lips, Katie broke her eyes away from his to watch as he sucked and nipped. They were such small touches, teases, just her finger, but she could feel her skin heat. As he slipped his mouth down her finger, dragging his teeth lightly back, Katie's breath caught, her eyes flying to his as her body tensed around him.

Chuckling quietly as Katie's legs tightened at his sides, Fred released her fingertip, moving her hands to rest at his shoulders and tugging her down into kissing range, his hands running up her arms and over her back. He caught the hem of her camisole as he reached her hips, rucking it up on the return path so he could touch her skin, warm and soft under his slightly rough hands. Her skin was a new fascination of his; it would be terrible if she were any more ticklish, as he was fairly sure he could spend hours caressing, stroking, drawing patterns on her flesh, just to feel her, to smell the almost sweet scent of her soap and listen for the subtle changes in her breathing. He leaned up enough to capture her lips, a slow kiss, just to be kissing, as his fingers explored the small of her back.

Katie's eyelids fluttered down as their mouths came together, the tension that had gripped her body moments before leaking out as she relaxed atop him, molding to him, their kiss slow and deliberate. A small sigh left her mouth as his hands moved over her skin. She loved that Fred touched her; soft touches, comfort touches, heated touches. She just loved the feel of his skin on hers, the roughness of his fingers dragging, leaving goosebumps of awareness in their wake.

Fred smoothed his palms over the gooseflesh spreading up Katie's back, catching her lower lip between his teeth for a gentle nibble as he petted her skin. He'd been quite intent on getting her out of her clothes, originally, and that was definitely still on the agenda, but having her wrapped around him, relaxed, content, was a feeling he wouldn't mind getting used to.

She couldn't help her reactions to him, and when Fred nibbled her lip, her breath caught again. But their hands and lips were leisurely exploring each other, burning intent just underneath the surface of things. They both seemed content to let it simmer though; hands brushing over skin, just for the pleasure of it, tongues swiping across each other because they could.

Hands on each other's bodies, gasps and soft growls the only sounds in the room, Katie sighed as she ran a hand into his hair, loving the feel of it between her fingers. She would be more than completely satisfied to while away the evening wrapped up as they were. Fred had always had the ability to fill up her world with just his presence, and to have him here like this ... Katie wasn't sure there was anyone else out there that would make her feel quite this way. They had a history together, years of being in each other's lives, orbiting in each other's worlds. It wasn't until recently that Katie had figured out she'd always orbited around him, had been drawn to him from the beginning like a moth to fire. A hum of contentment softly vibrated through her as she realized that she'd willingly drown in his flame.

[SUMMARY: Fred visits to check in on Katie; they spend some time just being together.]