The Only Exception

Chapter One: Grumpy Guts

"Happy?" I said, sarcastically spinning around. "Anyway, I'm going by Floo, right?"

"Yes, but are you planning on going barefoot?"

I frowned and looked at my feet. Indeed, my toes smiled up at me.

"Whoops," I said, wiggling them. "But now that you mention it, shoes are rather an inconvenience. . . . "

"Eleanor, finish dressing properly. You aren't a child."

I rolled my eyes and went to pull on shoes. When I returned, I gave my father a smile before stepping into the fireplace and shouting "Diagon Alley!" Soon, I was pulled through the Floo network, spinning past fireplaces at top speed. Finally I slid out of the grate in the Leaky Cauldron, which looked the same as ever.

Before I could take a step, hands covered my eyes and obscured my vision.

"Guess who!" said a high-pitched, obviously fakely female voice.

"Come off it, Lee," I said, spinning around and facing my friend. Lee Jordan grinned back at me.

"Hallo, Nora," he said as he put an arm around my shoulders and led me away from the fireplace. "How are you this fine morning?"

"All the better now that you're here to brighten it up, Lee darling," I replied, patting him on the cheek. He laughed and shoved me away.

"Are you two seriously at it again?" said a new voice behind us. Lee and I turned to grin at Fred and George, the other half of our quartet.

"I swear," said Fred, "it's like you're an old married couple."

"Don't worry," said Lee. "It's purely platonic. Freddie, you know my heart is only for you."

Fred grinned fondly back at him, and I just rolled my eyes and turned to George, who had my ponytail in his fingers and was studying it intently.

"What is up with your hair today?" he said. I pulled my hair out of his hands.

"My hair is wonderful and beautiful. Don't judge it."

"Not judging!" he said, holding up his hands in defense. "Not judging, just questioning. I stopped judging you the day we met."

"Weird to think that was over ten years ago, eh?" I said. "We're getting old, Georgie."

"We're just getting started," he corrected. "These coming years will be our best. The four of us, we'll be old and wrinkled and think back and say that our last four years at Hogwarts were the best four years of our lives."

"What's that about wrinkles?" said Fred, joining our conversation.

"Just saying how many you've got," I said. Fred winked.

"Not a chance. I'll be young and handsome forever."

"You keep dreaming, mate," said Lee. "But at least that way we'd be able to tell which of you is which. Even your mother mixes you up."

"But we all know that I'm the better-looking one," said Fred. George crossed his arms.

"That's just what we tell you to help you sleep at night," he said.

"You just don't want to admit I'm more attractive than you," said Fred.

"I don't like to lie," said George.

"How about we get Nora to settle this?" offered Lee. "Nora, who's more attractive?"

I smirked at the twins and changed my face into one similar to the two of theirs.