Raising Hope {Fred Weasley}

Cooties

Teddy was always the one that Hope turned to for knowledge as a little girl because as her uncle and close to her age, she looked up to her dear Uncle Teddy. But one thing Hope would learn over the years, was that she shouldn't listen to her Uncle Teddy as everyone told her. However, during one afternoon during the summer, Hope was sitting besides Henry watching as Stella and Teddy argued over "cooties."

"What are cooties?" Hope asked Henry, who only shrugged, looking just as confused as she was.

"It's what Stella has." Teddy said with a smile, before pointing at Stella as if she was some disgusting being. "Ick. Stella cooties are the worse."

Eliza sighed heavily waiting for her sister to retaliate and destroy the stupid boy.

"Wait..cooties?" Elliot repeated. "Do all girls have cooties?"

"Yes, all girls have cooties!" Teddy said.

"Hey, I don't have cooties!" Hope told her uncle. "At least I don't think I do."

"Yes, you do. Like I said, all girls have cooties!" Teddy announced before he was shoved the ground by Stella, into a pile of mud. "Hey, you can't do that! I'm telling."

"Oooooh, I'm so scared!" Stella said shaking in fake fear. 

"Wait, so if girls have cooties.." Henry suddenly scooted away from Hope.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I don't want to catch them!" Henry said.

"There's no such thing as cooties!' Hope replied.

"How do you know? You didn't even know what they were!"

Hope narrowed her eyes at the boy before looking to where Stella had Teddy pinned to the ground, refusing to get off of him as he tried to fight her.

"Yeah well...I'm going to find out!"

"Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad." Hope pulled on the bottom of her father's shirt every time she called out to him. His focus seemed to be on some sort of new product blueprint that she couldn't even begin to understand.

"Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope." He responded with a smile, finally giving her his attention somewhat. However, he didn't look up from the blueprint, making Hope grow agitated quickly.

"Dad-"

"Hope."

"Mum!"

Hope jumped along with her father as her mother startled them with a yell as she entered the shop where the two of them stood.

"Merlin's pants, Ellie, you can't be doing that." Hope's father said clutching his chest.

Her mother smiled proudly. "I was just trying to join in on the fun is all. Now pay attention to your daughter.'

Hope smiled as her mother swiped the blueprint from her father and left to one of the backrooms.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Hope, you have my full attention." he said looking down at her. "What is it?"

"Do girls have cooties?" she blurted out.

Fred stared at her for a moment. "Come again?"

"Cooties...do girls have cooties?"

"What?" the man laughed before picking her up and placing her down on the counter. "Who told you that girls have cooties?'

"Teddy. He said that Stella had cooties. And then Elliot asked if all girls had cooties and Teddy said yes."

Of course he did." Eleanor chuckled, returning to the main part of the shop. "What have I told you about listening to what Teddy tells you, Hope?"