Lemon Grass and Sleep

A VERY HEATED CHRISTMAS

"Oh, stop bothering him," Glinda fussed, smacking George on the arm as he cast a nonverbal expelliarmus and ripped Ron's wand from his back pocket again.

"I'm teaching him to always be on guard," George smoothly recovered, smirking as Ron turned around and felt his back pocket.

"If you don't cut it out, I'm gonna-"

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly called from the kitchen, "I will have no curses or jinxes in my house!"

Ron rolled his eyes, scoffing before taking Harry up to his room to escape us. I almost felt the need to shiver, sitting beside Fred. He still nearly refused to look at me, and I assumed he'd leave me to go hang out with his older brothers as soon as they came down to be around the family as well.

The only time he had acknowledged my existence since last night as asking if I felt okay before we apparated. At least I knew he wasn't an asshole, I suppose.

"I'm going to get my good plates, none of you stick any fingers in any of this!" Molly called out, the sound of her walking into the storage area sounding loudly around the house.

"Tommy, come over here," Glinda called, holding her cup up, "Try this."

I faltered for a moment, and I briefly thought I felt Fred's hand tighten on my waist. But it must've been just a want, because I stood up with no problem and walked across the room. Mrs. Weasley had covered a table to the side in Christmas cookies, tarts, and, of course, some alcohol for the adults. At least she treated us like our age when it came to beverages.

"What's wrong?" Glinda immediately dropped her bright expression when we were around the corner.

"Huh?" I sputtered, flinching against the stark change in character.

"You and Fred are practically frigid, what happened?"

"I-" I licked my lips nervously, glancing around the corner to make sure the twins were distracted.

Fred looked right back at me.

The sudden eye contact made me all but shrink behind the wall, moving further into the kitchen. Glinda grabbed my upper arm and pulled me toward the sink, muttering something under her breath.

"Did he do something? I'll fucking break his nose, mark my words-"

"No, I said something wrong," the words tumbled out of my mouth, "Fred- He didn't like what we said about his parents."

"What? That they see us like kids? But they do, that's literally an observable fact."

"He still didn't like it," I shook my head, "And then I had to go and say his parents aren't proud of the shop--and that went over the line, I know it did."

"Did you apologize?" She asked quietly.

Before I could answer, I noticed Glinda's eyes flit behind me, immediately hardening at whoever they fell on. I felt my body freeze up, not wanting to turn around and confirm who I knew was behind us from the sound of his footsteps.

"Do you mind?" Glinda bit out, "We're having a conversation."

"I actually do mind," Fred retorted from behind me, sounding particularly peeved, "Could I get my husband back?"

"To what? Ignore him again?"

"Glinda," I quietly warned.

"I don't think you should be meddling in relationships that aren't yours."

"Bite my ass," Glinda snarled.

"The atmosphere in here is not very jolly," George sheepishly said, sounding like he walked in from behind Fred. "How about we all cool down for a little bit?"

"Sure, as long as this tactless git over here doesn't go barging in our room."

"Oh-kay," George replied, "Fred, c'mon, man, let's go. C'mon."

I could hear the two of them talking lowly to each other as they walked upstairs, and only after I could hear their feet on the steps did I turn around to make sure there was nobody else int he kitchen.

Glinda waited a few moments before grabbing my arm and walking out into the garden through the back door. It was only a few seconds before I was shoved down into a lawn chair, and Glinda threw herself down into the one next to me.

"That was a bad move," she mumbled, "I shouldn't have done that."

"Well, you did," I muttered.

"I did," she sighed, "He was being an asshole."

The garden was quiet, the gnomes must've gone to sleep when the sun had begun to go down. Now that night was quickly approaching, and the sun was dipping below the treeline, we could expect the other guests to arrive for Christmas.

"It's because I accidentally looked at him, when I glanced around the corner. He saw me."

"Ugh," Glinda groaned loudly, dragging her hands down her face, "What a happy fucking Christmas. I'm sure I've made a wonderful impression on my mother in law."

"Molly was in the other room looking for her good plates, I doubt she heard much."

"Good, I guess. At least none of the other guests have arrived yet, that could've been a shit show."

"Is George fine? He seems to not have been as bothered as Fred."

"George doesn't give a shit, he knows his parents see him like an infant," she responded, "No idea why Fred is so torn up about it."

"I shouldn't have said what I did," I hung my head in my hands, "It was a shitty thing to say."

"And then you apologized, right?"

"I mean, yeah-"

"Fred has a right to be mad about anything you say to him, but he doesn't have the right to refuse to work through it. He can't spend the rest of his life being mad at you."

"I don't know, he's very capable," I said quietly, "He can do anything he puts his mind to."

"I'll put my mind to shoving my foot up his ass if he can't get himself in check," Glinda threatened lowly.