Still Not For Sale (Book 2 of I'm Not For Sale) COMPLETE

Chapter 5

    Christmas Day arrives and Lucy wakes up early to make pancakes and hot cocoa for everyone before jumping on their beds in turn to wake them up. Fred mumbles his complaints before pulling her down and crushing her against his chest. He mutters something along the lines of 'sleepy kitty' before returning to sleep. She pokes him repeatedly in the forehead until he wakes up again and convinces him to wake up enough for presents. He pulls on a shirt and sweeps the excited girl into his arms and carries her out to the main room. Lucy sits long enough to eat before pulling the boys to the floor in front of the tree. She pulls a Santa hat from under the tree and puts it on her head before digging through the pile and pulling out a random present. She passes it to Fred and after he opens it, she finds one for George, then Lee. After they opened one, she grabs one for herself and the cycle continues on. In the end, Lucy has gained a complete new outfit, new boots, some make up, and more candies that she adores. Fred, George, and Lee all got 12 packs of their favorite muggle sodas, a set of gloves and scarves, lots of candies that can only be found in Hogsmeade, and an entire set of Quidditch items, the different balls and smaller goal posts included. She knew they missed playing Quidditch so she scraped some money together to purchase it. They all thank each other before the boys ask if they can go back to sleep.
"We still have to go to the Burrow today. My parents are coming tomorrow. Lee is leaving tomorrow as well. There's a lot to do, so no. Anddddddd I have a surprise for you three, so get dressed."
She grins and gets up to shower first before dressing in her new clothes. She vacates the bathroom for the next person and uses the mirror in Fred's room to apply a thin layer of makeup and curl her hair. It's grown since she cut it off last Spring, now reaching just past her shoulders. Fred comes in and plants a quick kiss on the top of her head before rummaging through the closet for a shirt. She smiles at him from the mirror as he asks what the surprise is. She tells him that it's a surprise and she can't tell him yet. The other two boys walk in and ask the same thing but she shakes her head and pulls them downstairs to where they keep the brooms.
"We have to fly to the surprise, so prepare to be cold, but it's not far."
"Why can't we apparate?"
"Because I'm not old enough yet and if I say where it is it'll ruin the surprise." She reasons, handing the brooms out.
She grabs her own seldom used broom and they walk out into the sunny, cheery morning and mount them. Lucy leads the way through the sky, with Fred flying next to her. Five minutes later, she dips the handle downward to get closer to the ground. They're in a large residential area with houses lining either side of the street. She lands on the sidewalk and the others quickly follow. The trio looks around with raised eyebrows, trying to figure out what the point of this is.
"Why are we out here Lucy?" Fred asks, taking her hand.
"I told you that we're going to look at the surprise." She whines, pulling him along the sidewalk.
She stops suddenly at the end of the road in front of a large pale blue house with a wrap-around porch. The boys go to stop her as she starts up the walk and walks onto the porch.
"Come on!" She calls out and they shrug before following.
She twists the knob and they step into the vacant yet furniture filled house. The ceilings are high and everything is elegantly decorated. A large fireplace sits dormant in the living room that's visible through an archway nearby. The staircase is a large spiral with an ornate railing leading up to another floor.
"Lucy? Who's house is this?" Fred asks quietly.
"Guys, I didn't tell you this before because I didn't want you to freak out, but... I bought a house for us. The apartment is nice and right above the store but George and Lee had to share a room and we tripped over each other all the time. I found this and had the money... If you don't like it I can sell it off, I could probably get more than what I bought it for..." She trails off.
The trio is staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths.
"You bought... A HOUSE for Christmas?" They all manage to say.
"Yeah... Do you not like it?" She feels a lump growing in her throat.
Fred grabs hold of her arm and pulls her into a hug.
"We love it Lucy. We're just surprised. We really didn't expect this. Thank you Love."
She looks up at him then over to the others for confirmation. They all smile and nod and she grins back before stepping away from Fred again.
"Now, Merry Christmas!" She cheers. "Would you like the grand tour?"
They chuckle and follow the brunette through the house.
The main floor contains the foyer, kitchen with breakfast nook, formal dining room, study, den, a powder room and the living room. The basement level contains laundry and a large work area. The upper floor contains a library, three small bedrooms and bathrooms, and a master bed and bath. The back yard is fenced in with a large enough area for them to play Quidditch comfortably though not stadium sized. The boys thank her repeatedly though she only waves them away.
"How did you have the money for this? Better yet, where did you find the time to buy this?"
"My adoptive family was rich. Before they were brought down they'd given me an extensive amount to put into my vault at Gringott's as a dowry. I still have plenty left over of course. And Bethany's mother is in real estate. I'd told Bethany my thoughts on finding a new house and wrote to her Mum who sent pictures and listings. I saw this one and knew it would be perfect for us so I bought it. Quite easy."
"You know, you could rule the world if you tried hard enough with that brain of yours." George says, ruffling her hair.
She scowls and fixes her hair. "I could, but I'm too lazy for that mess. Now, let's go to the Burrow and we'll pack afterward."
They agree and she locks the door behind them before they disapparate.