Weasley Twins - A Fate You Can't Escape

Chapter 70 - Christmas Catastrophe

I manage to calm myself during my walk.  When Charlie started asking question, I'll admit, I panicked.  That seems to be my response for a lot of things these days. 

When I return to the house, many of the adults are gathered at the table, drinking tea, while the younger people play games.  I join Fleur in watching Charlie, Bill, Fred, and George playing a rather loud game of exploding snap.  Across the room, Ron and Harry play chess, Ginny trying to coach Harry. 

"Did you enjoy you're walk?"  Fleur asks in her thick French accent.

"Yes, it was very refreshing."  I smile at the other woman.

"I told Charlie he was being too nosy.  It is not his business who you chose to have relations with."  She gives Charlie a very pointed look.  While I agree with her, I do feel a bit embarrassed about all of it.

"Thank you."

Bill and Charlie end up losing to their younger brothers. 

"Seems we win again, Freddie."  Fred says to George.

"Indeed we have, Georgie."  George replies to Fred.  I snort, hardly believing anyone would buy them switching names.  But to my surprise, no one else notices.  I remember what they told me last year about no one telling them apart.  And here, in front of their family, I can see it's true.  I feel sad for them.  They don't have their own identities to their family.  They're identical, interchangeable, and indistinguishable.

"You good, Hazel?"  George asks, noticing me frowning.

"Does it bother you?"  I realize I may be being a bit too blunt, but I've already started.

"Does what bother me?" 

"Does it bother you two that no one noticed?"  I clarify and both twins shift awkwardly.

"Honestly, we do it all the time.  I think it stopped bothering us a long time ago."  Fred shrugs.

"I don't understand." Fleur pipes up.  "What did we not notice?"

"That Fred and George switched."  I gesture to the two boys.  "They constantly switch names in front of everyone, and no one even noticed."

"Until you.  Then you come ruin the fun."  George grins down at me where I sit in the couch.

"Can you really tell them apart?"  Charlie looks between his younger brothers, trying to figure out what I see.

"Absolutely!  They're very different.  Took me like, ten seconds to figure it out."  I cross my arms over my chest.

"It's true."  Fred concedes.

"She hasn't gotten wrong since."  George adds.

"Well, hats off to you then, Hazel.  You've accomplished what most think is impossible."  Charlie says, shaking his head.  "Maybe you should tell Mum the secret.  Merlin knows that she's been trying to figure it out for ages.  When they were little, she made them wear bracelets to tell them apart."

"We kept switching them."  Fred and George admit in unison.  I notice that the two have been talking at the same time more.  Perhaps they lean more into the twin thing around other people.  They did do it a lot at school as well.  

"She eventually gave up."  Charlie chuckles.  Bill and Fleur have completely tuned out of the conversation, quietly whispering to each other and giggling.  They're very cute, and I envy them a bit.  I could have had that, but George screwed it up.

The afternoon wears on, and I head into the kitchen to help make dinner.  I'm not much of a cook, but Mrs. Weasley can use all the help she can get.  Besides, I could learn a thing or two from her.  I peel the potatoes while Molly checks on the turkey.  The bird is ginormous.  I'm pretty sure she had to put an extension charm on the oven to fit the whole thing inside.  It also smells absolutely amazing.  She says the secret is butter, herbs, and a four day brine.  I have no idea what brining is, but I can't wait to eat.