A Werewolf for Christmas

Legends

Charlie Weasley was unhappily eating the package of Bertie Bott's  he had bought from the trolley, sitting across from Tonks and next to his brother, Percy. Percy was immersed in homework, his nose practically pressed into the book, eyes squinting at the text in desperation.

"Reckon you need glasses?" said Charlie, nudging Percy with a smirk.

Percy didn't even look up from his book.

"Making yourself a specky little git with all that reading, Percy! It's the holiday - c'mon, give studying a rest for awhile! Have some Bertie Botts." He held out the box.

Percy waved the box away with his little hand as Charlie shook it, but he still didn't look up. "I intend to be something when I grow up," he said in a squeaky yet irritable voice, "And studying is how you become something."

"Yeah," Charlie said, "It's how you become a specky git." He shook the Bertie Botts again right by Percy's ear but Percy ignored him entirely and stayed fastidiously focused on his books. Charlie kept shaking the box.

Finally, Percy slammed closed the book, glowered at Charlie right hard, and snapped, "It's impossible to get anything done!" And he struggled to carry his books and two rolls of parchment out the door.

Charlie watched his brother's retreating back, a laugh escaping him, "Bloody good luck at getting anything done at home if you think I'm annoying," he chuckled. He looked at Tonks, "He'll find quick enough its bloody impossible. He's sharing a room with Ronny - and Ronny never shuts up. Ever."

Tonks laughed. "Takes after Head Boy Bill, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I don't know where I went wrong with the lad." Charlie sighed, "Tried to make him play quidditch or dragon with me and the little shite's afraid of dragons, he says, and fell off his broomstick first time he got on it and its a job getting him airborne again. I expect he'll be right insufferable one day."

Tonks shook her head.

Charlie opened his box of Beans and tossed one in his mouth. "Ugh!" He promptly spat it back out, sending the half masticated bean across the compartment, where it landed under Tonk's bench. "Boiled cabbage!"

"Gross!" said Tonks, laughing. She made a face, then stared into her own box of Beans a moment, made a selection and tossed it in. Charlie looked on expectantly - it had been a nasty gold color he would've assumed was earwax. "Caramel Corn!" she announced.

"Why am I getting all the nasty ones?" Charlie lamented. So far, he had gotten rotten egg, stale bread, copper, and now cabbage. Meanwhile, Tonks had got blueberry, lavender, chocolate cake, and caramel corn. "It isn't fair."

Tonks held out her box. "We can trade if you want to."

Charlie eyed the box warily. "No thank you," he decided, "You've probably finished off all the good ones and my lucks about to change with this one - it's got to." He reached into his box and pulled out a red bean. "Look. Cherry." He popped it in his mouth, choked, and said, spluttering, "Hot pepper. Straight hot pepper." His eyes were watering and a bit of steam came out his mouth as he spoke.

Tonks laughed, looked into her box, which she had secretly charmed so that the beans each were labelled in tiny letters what kind they were, and selected a white speckled one, grinning at Charlie. "Mmm, toasted marshmallow."

Charlie looked miserably at her in disgust.

The compartment doors opened then and Bill Weasley was standing in the frame of them. "Percy tells me you were picking ok him."

Charlie looked up. "Never."

"Well he's a right fuss down the car here, came in the compartment I was in, all knickered up." Bill looked meaningfully at Charlie, "You better go apologize to him or mum'll be on you all of holiday. You know how she is."