To Love A Weasley {Sequel to 'The Weasley Mayhem'}

Chapter Twelve ~ Ministry Business

I woke up the next morning with a fat, ginger cat sat on my chest. Groaning I shoved it roughly off of me and onto the floor, he hissed at me as he flounced off to sit on Hermione’s bed.

“Stupid cat.” I mumbled as I went about my business of getting ready. Finally I had all of my stuff together, my books for the day in my book bag and my hair was neatly in its place. Convinced that I was now ready to face the world and the twins (thanks to Nymphs letter last night) I decided to head down to breakfast.

Once I arrived in the Great Hall I easily spotted the ginger haired twins and hastily moved over to them, sliding into the seat that was in between them. “Morning.” I said rather brightly.

“Morning.” They grumbled back, whilst staring at their plates in front of them. Fred was the first one to realise that it was me that was sat in between them and not someone else, e.g. Ginny.

“Ari!” Fred said, snapping his head up to gaze at me curiously as if I was a strange sea urchin he was discovering for the first time. However, his voice alerted his twin, who looked a lot happier than Fred at the fact that I was once again sitting with them. “I didn’t expect you to sit here so soon after... well yesterday.” Fred admitted sheepishly.

“Tell you what Fred.” I said, swizzeling around on the bench to look directly at him. “Why don’t we put yesterday where it belongs? In the past. We should move on, forget about it and go back to how things were yesterday. Sound good?” I offered to him hopeful.

“Sounds good to me, what about you George?” Fred asked his brother. George answered by wrapping his arm around my waist in a strong hug; I guess he was in agreement. “Glad to have you back Ari. And can I say… About yesterday, I am truly and deeply sorry.” He said, looking at me with his big eyes.

“I guess you’re forgiven Fred.” I said, not being able to give into the big puppy dog eyes that the Weasley twins were, unfortunately on my behalf, good at. The truth was though, I had already forgiven both of them as soon as I saw them eating breakfast together, I was that soft.

“Good to see you three have made up.” Ginny said from the seat opposite me, a large grin on her face. “I still can’t believe you guys fought, you never fight.” She mumbled more to herself than to any of us.

“Just eat your breakfast Ginny.” Ron said around a mouth full of toast. Suddenly we hear a load of commotion outside the great hall. “What do you reckon that is?” Ron asked, his head turning to look at the door, like many of the other students.

“I don’t know Ronald.” Fred said, grinning at George and I, before he stood up. “But there is only one way to find out.” He grinned mischievously, before he made his way down the walkway, George and I hot on his heels.

“I am merely requesting that when it comes to the students that you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices!” Was what we heard Professor McGonagall yell at the lady in startling pink in anger.

“So silly of me, but it sounds as though you’re questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva.” Umbridge argued, climbing up a step so that she could see above the tall professor.

“Not at all, Delores. Merely your medieval methods.” Professor McGonagall said, climbing up the step to be level with the fuchsia, however due to her natural height she towered above the plump woman.

“I’m sorry, dear, but to question my authority is to question the Ministry, and by extension, the Minister, himself! I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty.” Umbridge said hotly, causing a gasp from both Professor McGonagall and all the students that were spectating this argument. “Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action.” She announced before flouncing off in a flurry of pink.

“The nerve of that woman astounds me.” Hermione said angrily as we went back to our breakfast. As it was the weekend we didn’t have any lessons, which meant we got to relax and do whatever we wanted.

“Relax Herms, it’s the weekend. Take a chill pill.” I said to her, earning myself an angry glare that would have killed a lesser woman. “Alright, alright. No need to kill me.” I said, holding my palms up to her in a way of surrender.

“Hey Ari.” George said, nudging me with his knee slightly so that I would look at him. “I was thinking that since it’s the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, would you like to go out for dinner with me tonight. You know to start making amends for before?” He asked quietly.

“Of course, I’d love to George.” I said grinning at him.

“Excellent.” He said, smiling back before he leant forward. “Hey Ron, is it okay if Ari and I go off of campus for the evening?” He asked the prefect, who just shrugged his shoulders and continued trying to shove more eggs into his mouth. “I’ll go ask McGonagall, if I hurry I can probably catch her now.” He said standing up to run out of the hall, but first he pressed a soft kiss to my lips before he dashed off.

“You know he’s going to take you somewhere fancy right?” Fred asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me, causing Ginny and Hermione to gasp before they grabbed my arms and started dragging me out of the hall. My breakfast abandoned.

“See what you’ve done Fred?” I called over my shoulder, his laughter following me down the walkway.

Hermione and Ginny proceeded to drag me up to the Gryffindor common room and then into the Girls Dormitory, before they started squealing their heads off at me in excitement. “What is it I have supposedly done?” I asked in utter confusion.

“Have you… you know? With George?” Hermione asked, blushing slightly. Confusing me even more.

“Have I what?”

“What Hermione means is… Have you guys done the deed?” Ginny asked, and I guess from the look of my face I had no idea what she meant. “Have you guys had sex?” She said rather bluntly.

“What no Ginny! Why would you even ask that about your brother?” I asked, shocked that she was even insinuating that.

“Well it seems you might tonight, from what Fred is hinting at.” She said directly before going to my closet to riffle through my clothes. “Ugh! Ari you have no dresses in here what so ever!”

“Why would I need dresses Ginny?” I asked, once again confused.

“You need something sexy and classy… Do you know what this means?” She asked cheekily.

“Oh no…” Both Hermione and I groaned we all knew what was coming now.

“Oh yes… Shopping!” Ginny squealed before she started pulling us in the direction of Hogsmeade where we proceeded to hunt for the ‘perfect’ dress.