Muggle for a Week

Lissy rolled her eyes. "Come on George, it won't be that bad!"

"Are you kidding? Your sister hates me."

"She doesn't hate you she…just doesn't like you very much." Lissy said with a wince. She pounded on the bathroom door again. "Get out of the restroom George, or I'm going to have take Fred along instead."

"You wouldn't dare." He said, though the door finally opened.

She smirked. "Sure I would. I'm sure he'd love to pretend he was you for a week."

"You are a cruel person." He grumbled as he went back to packing. She grinned.

"I know."

"Remind me why I'm doing this again?"

"Because they're my family, George. And I want you to meet them."

"But that's all the way in America!"

"So what?"

"So, you're making me take a plane, that's what."

She grinned. "Planes aren't that bad, George. You don't any trouble with flying on broomsticks, what's the deal with planes?"

"With airplanes, I don't have any control." He complained. Lissy rolled her eyes.

"Well…I suppose now is a bad time to tell you that we won't actually be staying with my family."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…they live in a fancy apartment in New York. There isn't room for everyone. So we're all…staying in hotels around the city."

"Wait…like muggle hotels?"

"It's only for a week! It'll be fine George, really!"

George looked doubtful. "You're taking me away from everything that is good and makes sense, making me fly halfway across the world in an airplane, and you're going to make me live as a muggle for a week."

"That's…about right."

"I hate you."

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Lissy giggled as they got off the plane, watching George's face as he looked around the airport. "So? It wasn't that bad, was it?"

He shrugged, unwilling to admit that she'd been right. "It was ok. Not very comfortable."

Lissy giggled and took his hand. "Come on, we have to get our bags."

"What about your parents?"

"They're at home. We'll take a taxi."

"Great…"

The pair walked hand in hand through the airport to the baggage claim. George was fascinated by the muggle system for getting their bags back to them, and Lissy was only amused by his amazement. She had to admit he was right, it was quite an ingenious solution. But it was so normal for her, she couldn't help but laugh.

She went to grab her bag when it finally came – one of the last, as usual – and turned to see George chatting with some random girl. She was pretty and blond and very sure of herself, and Lissy frowned. She knew George was a good looking guy, but this girl seemed to have waited for her to leave before pouncing.

"Ready?" she asked when she reached the redhead's side. The blond looked at her in distain.

"We were having a conversation."

"Yes, but my girlfriend and I really do need to get going." George said, slipping an arm about Lissy's waist and leading her away.

Lissy turned to see the girl huff and walk in the opposite direction, soon in conversation with another young man. She grinned and turned back.

"I am a horrible person." She said firmly.

"Why is that?"

"Because I really really liked you turning her down with that particular phrase."

George grinned. "I did too."

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The taxi ride took forever, as they'd managed to land during rush hour. And rush hour in New York City was catastrophic. "From now on, we're taking the subway."

"Subway?"

"Sorry, the Underground. Same thing." Lissy said with a grin.

"I agree. This is ridiculous. We should have just-" Lissy elbowed him and he snapped his mouth shut.

"Ixnay on the agicmay." She hissed, eyeing the taxi driver.

"Sorry." He grumbled. He looked out the window, raising his eyebrows at the many people on the sidewalk. "What are those things people have coming out of their ears?"

"Hmm? Oh! George, those are headphones."

"Phones for your head?"

Lissy snorted. "They play music." She corrected. "People have music players, and headphones fit in your ear so you can listen without bothering anyone else."

"And they listen to their music while walking?"

Lissy shrugged. "Some do, I guess. Not everybody."

"No, everybody else is using those mobile phones you were telling me about."

Lissy had to admit he was right.

They finally arrived at their hotel, and they paid the driver grabbed their bags before the taxi could be claimed by someone else. They hurried inside, and Lissy hurried across the lobby to the desk to check in. While she did so, George looked around in awe.

The hotel was the fanciest thing he'd ever seen in his life, with marble floors and columns, a crystal chandelier, and a straight look up the center of the building, revealing the many floors above them. It looked as if every surface was covered with fancy flower arrangements or stacks of magazines, and the carpeted areas served as little seating areas dotting the room.

"Got the keys." Lissy said, popping up at his side with a smile. "Ready to go see our rooms?"

"If they're half as fancy as this one? Absolutely." Lissy giggled and led him to the glass encased elevator, denying a bellboy's offer to carry their bags for them.

"Why didn't you let him lug these around?"

"Because that requires money." Lissy pointed out. "My parents are paying for the hotel, but I'm too broke to even tip him." She said, making a face. Their elevator stopped on the tenth floor and Lissy led the way down the hall, sniffing appreciatively.

"What?" George asked her in amusement.

"I love the smell of hotels." She said with a smile. "Ah ha! Here we are, room 1044."

George watched as she slid a small plastic card into the slot on the door, saw a green light blink, and heard a click. Lissy pushed open the door and held it open for him.

The redhead had to whistle in appreciation. The room wasn't terribly large, but it was still amazing to him. He'd never actually stayed in a hotel before.

Lissy went to the door in the wall and opened it, revealing a second door. She giggled and shook her head. "Hold on, I have to go next door and unlock the door." She said, slipping out of the room. George dropped his bag on the bed and opened it, and a second later, the second door was being opened, revealing a second room.

"Wait…you're not staying here?" he asked in surprise. Lissy flushed and shook her head.

"My parents got the rooms." She reminded him. "They don't exactly want us to share."

"How come?" Lissy gave him a look and he grinned. "Oh. Got it."

Her cheeks turned even redder and he chuckled. "While you pull your head out of the gutter, I'm going to go unpack." She said flatly, dragging her bag through the connecting doors. George smiled to himself and started unpacking himself.

Separate rooms or not…it was still just the two of them. And there was only a door between them.

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George and Lissy piled into the room and shut the door, each taking a deep breath as they reflected on their escape.

"That was…horrible." George said firmly.

"At least they didn't hate you." Lissy said, trying to be optimistic.

"No, they just thought we were engaged! Where the bloody hell did they get that idea?!"

"I don't know." Lissy said weakly, sitting down on the end of the bed.  "I never said anything like that, I don't know what made them think…"

George sighed and took a seat beside her, grinning crookedly and picking confetti from her brown hair. "Well, one thing is certain. If they liked me before, I doubt they do now."

Lissy snorted. "Nah, if anything I think they're relieved. If we were engaged without me telling them?" she shuddered.

"So that's why their smiles were so forced at first." George realized. "Well they can relax. I don't plan on proposing before speaking to my girl's father."

Lissy looked at him. "You'd actually ask permission?"

He grinned, "I never said that. But I would tell him what I was planning on doing."

Lissy had to giggle. "I'm sure your girl's father is going to love that." Sarcasm laced her voice, and he only grinned wider.

"Oh well. But honestly, it's long past the days where a father had to give permission for anything his daughter did."

"Glad you see it my way." Lissy said with a smile. "As much as I love my Dad, he's…a bit old fashioned that way."

"Hence the separate rooms?"

"Hence the separate rooms." Lissy agreed. "You know…it's still early. We should go out and do something!"

"Like what?" the boy asked, already standing and pocketing the room keys. He had yet to get them to work, but he'd figure it out before the day was done.

"Like…I have no idea. Let's just go see what we can find." Lissy suggested, leading him from the room with a smile. George grinned back and shut the door, hurrying to catch up to her and take her hand as they left their hotel.

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"What…is…that?" George asked, staring through a shop window. Lissy was forced to stop walking when he did, seeing as he had a finger looped through the belt loop of her jeans. After a few days here, they were taking a break from her family and simply spending the day just with each other. Exploring the city was much more fun without Lissy's mother tugging her away to see a new expensive jacket she'd fallen in love with, or her sister eyeing George with distrust.

"What's what?"

"That!" Lissy looked to see that it was a video game store, and two boys just inside were playing a game involving fake guitars.

"Um…a game of some sort. I'm not really an expert. You'd have to ask my younger cousin, he loves muggle video games."

"That is wicked…let's go watch!"

Lissy squeaked as he pulled her inside the store, and led her right back to the front windows to watch the two boys at work. From what she could tell, the plastic guitar was the controller, and you had to hit the colored buttons on the neck and flick the plastic bar on the body. All at the same time.

"I want to try." George said, dashing forward and picking up the guitar the moment the boys were called away by their bored looking mother.

Lissy firmly shook her head. "Not me. I have no hand-hand coordination, I'd just make a mess of it."

"Fine, be a spoil sport. I'm still trying myself." He teased. Lissy had to giggle and shake her head.

"Never said you couldn't."

George nodded and picked a random song, and started playing. Though at first he missed every note that scrolled by, he was soon not missing a single one. Lissy watched – astounded – as he continued to improve, soon moving to Medium difficulty. He was all for playing on Hard as well, but Lissy knew they'd been there long enough.

"George…George, come on, let everyone else have a go." She insisted, taking his hand and tugging him away.

"Aww…do we have to? That was great! Oh look at those!"

Lissy shook her head and pulled him from the store entirely. "George, you've been playing for an hour now, and I'm starving. Not to mention I need to use the restroom. We're going to get some lunch, and that's that."

George gave her a look and widened his eyes, though the innocent pleading was ruined by the fact that he had to look down at her to do so. "After we eat can we go back?"

Lissy bit back a smile and shrugged. "We'll have to see how good of a boy you are while we eat. Come on, my crazy Brit."

"Coming, my lovely Yank."

Any plans beyond lunch had to be canceled however, when they emerged from the café to find that it was snowing. Lissy was soon shivering, and George wasn't about to delay their return to the hotel as she hadn't brought a heavy jacket.

"When did that roll in?" he demanded, shutting the hotel room door behind him as Lissy shook show from her hair.

"I don't know, it was gorgeous earlier!" Lissy complained. She went to the window and pulled back the curtain, watching as the snow whirled outside the glass. "I'm glad we went out to Elis Island yesterday rather than trying to go today." She added with feeling.

George came up behind her and wrapped his arms about her frame, holding her back against him. "You should put on something warmer." He whispered in her ear. He could feel her smile as she relaxed against his chest.

"Can I steal your sweater?" she asked. George laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"It's not stealing if you ask for it." he teased, moving to his dresser and pulling out a badly folded blue sweater, a large G on the front. Lissy happily snatched it and pulled off her coat, replacing it with the too-large sweater, which hung to her thighs easily.

"It is if you give it up without a fight." She pointed out with a happy grin. She ran her fingers through her hair and slipped into her room, coming back as she braided it over a shoulder. "Movie time?"

"Movie?"

Lissy rolled her eyes. "You are so behind on the times, Georgie-porgie. Come on, let me introduce you to the world of movie magic. And if you're lucky, I'll fall asleep in here." She teased.

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"Mum?"

"George! You're back!" Molly exclaimed, running from the kitchen and throwing her arms around the young man's neck.

"Gah! Mum, you'll break me in two!"

"Oh stuff and nonsense, you're fine. Though you look a bit peaky, are you hungry? Oh, hello Lissy dear!"

"Hi Mrs. Weasley." Lissy said with a smile, dropping her bag by the kitchen door beside George's.

"Oh we've been so worried! Your father heard about the blizzard at work and we were afraid you wouldn't be able to get home! Can those horrible airplanes fly in a storm?"

"Not really." Lissy admitted. "But the storm itself was over ages ago and they had two days to clean up the airport. We were only delayed by a few hours."

"Oh good. You wouldn't want to miss Christmas now, would you?" Molly said with a smile, sitting them both down at the table and filling their plates with reheated food.

"Not at all."

Fred bounded down the stairs and grinned, messing up his twin's hair as he took a seat. "So? How was your first adventure without me? And how was it being a muggle for a whole week?"

George grinned and looked sideways at Lissy who giggled around her mouthful of pasta. "It wasn't too bad actually."

Lissy smiled and shook her head as she swallowed. "Not too bad at all."