"If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey I'm still free
Take a chance on me"

* * *

"Are you still not over that girl?"

Charlie looked at Bill incredulously, "Of course I'm not! She was magnificent!" He exclaimed slamming his fist onto the table and standing up, his chair screeching violently across the floor. Everyone else sat the table halted talking and stared at Charlie.
Charlie coiled back and sat down once again and hissed at Bill who was snickering at his brother's expense. "Shut up!"

"What's this?" Charlie's best friend, Nymphadora Tonks asked from further down the table. It was Christmas time and all of the Weasley's, Tonks and a few others were living at the residence of, accused mass-murderer but ultimately innocent, Sirius Black- 12 Grimmauld Place. This was the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix as society/army that Albus Dumbledore created over 14 years ago and had recently reinstated, recruiting more members in the process.

"Charlie has a crush," Bill teased.

Mrs Weasley dropped the spoon she was using to stir her cup of tea and stared at her two eldest sons. "Seriously?"

"Yes, mum," replied Bill.

Charlie's cheeks heated up and his head fell into his hands as his youngest sibling Ginny spoke up, "look, Char, it is illegal and not to mention gross to have a crush on a dragon. However, you cannot help your feelings... mum he needs therapy." 

"Shut up, Ginny!" Snapped Charlie in annoyance. "I don't have a crush on a dragon! She's actually a woman."

"Are you sure?" Asked his younger brother Ron.

"Yes I'm sure!"

"Then you must tell us all of the details, Charlie, dear. What's she like?"

"That doesn't matter mum, she has a boyfriend."

"Oh, my dear, I'm sorry."

Ron guffawed and his friend Hermione slapped him. "Stop it Ronald!" She scolded him.

"What? It's funny!"

"This is why Bill should have kept his gob shut!"

"It's Christmas! With everything that has happened we needed something to cheer us up with. And your failed love life happens to be that." Bill shrugged sipping his tea. Their father had been attacked by Lord Voldemort's, an evil wizard, snake at work and nearly died but thankfully was patched up and allowed home in time for Christmas. "Sucks to be you."

"And what about your love life, eh, William?"

"Shut up!"

Eventually the rest of the large group broke off into smaller conversations and Bill was left alone to his thoughts. He wondered what River was doing for Christmas. Would she be celebrating alone? Or would she even be celebrating at all? Whatever she was doing he hoped that she was enjoying herself and was being safe. He missed her. There was no doubt about that at all. Hearing Charlie gush over this girl that he met months ago made him yearn for River's touch and her in general yet again. He had just started to come around to the idea that he would never see her again but found himself trapped in a well with no escape and the water was filling up around him. Except the water wasn't just any water! Instead, it was images of her and her beautiful self and her voice was echoing around him, drowning him. Merlin's beard, what was she doing to him?

* * *

River was spending Christmas in New York City. It was as if she was in a movie as she wandered the streets and ended up in Time Square. Around her for miles all she could see was skyscrapers and it made her feel so small! As much as the city was glorious and the atmosphere was that only found in dreams she felt rather scared from all of the hustle and bustle. Crossing the roads were an art that she had yet mustered and found herself sprinting, scared that she would get hit by a car if she didn't.

Settling down in an Italian Restaurant, Harry's, River sighed in relief to be in the warmth and away from the crowds. A tall brunette man came over to her table with a notepad and pen and smiled at her softly. "Hi my name is Pip and I'll be your waiter today, what can I get you to drink?" He asked her clicking is pen ready to write it down.

"Can I get a Diet Coke please?" River said looking at the menu.

"Ice?"

"Nah, I'm good thanks," she replied. There no way, that on a cold day, that she would be having ice in her drink.

Pip nodded, "okay, I'll bring it out soon."

River thanked him and put the menu away, she knew that she would be having a pizza and that there was no need to have the menu out for longer. Instead, she looked around the room at the decor. She always admired the way that restaurants dressed their buildings in ways that would fit with their own unique style. She loved Italian restaurants the most and couldn't wait to spend the new year in Rome and then travel to Venice afterwards. She hoped that Italy would be the place that she would fall in love with. Not only for the food, the history and architecture of the fact that Italian guys were fire but because she was starting to lose hope of whether she would ever find the place for her.

It scared her.

What if she never finds it? What if she never finds herself? What would she do then? It was times like these that she needed Alexis and Lottie here to calm her worrying. They always knew how to destress her and she missed them dearly. It made her feel bad that she hadn't seen them in months but at the same time they were off starting their own futures and she knew that she would always have them even if they were not physically there. If she was ever in trouble she was certain they would try their best to be there as soon as possible and she would do the same for them. One hundred percent.

"Here you go, ma'am," a glass of Diet Coke was she on the table before her pulling her from her thoughts and she thanked him. "Are you ready to order your food or do you want me to come back?"

"I'll order now, I'm pretty basic so it's not a big decision," she chuckled, Pip joined her too. "I'll have a cheese and tomato pizza please."

"Anything else?"

"No thank you."

"Right, I'll bring it out as soon as possible." Pip smiled at her and returned to the kitchen bemused to the idea that the woman had really ordered the most basic of pizza's in the world. Of course, the restaurant, in his opinion, made the best margarita pizza's but still, she was right that it was a basic order.

River was flabbergasted at the length of time she had waited for her pizza to arrive. It was less than ten minutes and Pip brought it out and set it out onto the table. "Enjoy your meal, ma'am."

"Thank you."

From behind the counter, Pip stood having a five minute break to have a drink and his eyes trailed to the blonde woman he had served the basic pizza too. She was beautiful. Her voice was like a sweet melody and not to mention her laugh! Her small laugh at her own order was so sweet.

"Ay! Stop undressing the customers with your eyes and get back to work!" His co-worker Alejandro laughed clapping him on the back. "My God, she's hella fine. Mattio!" He whistled for another waiter.

"What's up?" The third waiter asked coming over.

"Take a look at this chick!" Alejandro pointed at River, "I can see why Pip was undressing her!"

"Shut up, Ali," Pip hissed.

"Oi, lemme take over serving her," Mattio practically begged him.

"No."

"Aw, come on! Be a brother!"

"Why don't you be a brother and leave her to me?" Pip raised his left eyebrow, and clenched his jaw. His eyes flickered to River who was watching out of the window as she ate her pizza. The winter sun was beating down on her and making her shine like an angel and her hair looked glittery in its rays. The shadow chiseled her jaw and she looked even prettier.

"Because she fire," Alejandro retorted.

"Oh, look," Said Mattio smugly, "your shift is over. Bye bye loser."

Pip sighed, ripping off his pinafore and grasping his jacket from the rack. He scribbled on a piece of paper which looked like his work ticket so the guys didn't take much notice. He flipped off Alejandro and Mattio before walking towards River. "Sorry to interrupt, my shift has finished so another waiter will be taking over to serve you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your experience here at Harry's." As he turned to walk towards the the door he slyly dropped the paper onto the table and left the restaurant straight after.

River looked at the door which shut behind him and the bell which rang out quietened. She picked up the ball of paper and unscrunched it.

You're beautiful, I'd love to get to know you. I'll be waiting at Central Park for an hour if you want to come. If you don't that's perfectly fine. :) - Pip.

River blushed and finished her pizza quickly. At this point both Alejandro and Mattio were serving more customers meaning a fourth waiter, Alonzo gave her the bill and wished he a good day. Mattio and Alejandro both huffed as they saw her leave and they looked at each other in annoyance.

Heading to Central Park with a map in her hand, River was intrigued to meet Pip but as she stepped into the park and saw the man sat on the bench. He was talking to another woman and the pair laughed together like they were good friends or maybe even more.

Deciding that it was best to leave them to it, she turned around and dropped the paper into a bin and got on with the rest of her day- she was going to the Empire State Building and couldn't wait to view New York from so high up.

If only Bill was here, she thought. Wait, what?