*Anne's Prov*
It is a quiet day. The store remains closed downstairs and Fred surprisingly hasn't burst out into another Christmas song to hurt our ears.
I pack the last Christmas gifts the boys want to give their family members, trying my best to make them look acceptable.
This would work better if my mind wouldn't constantly swift back to the fight in the muggle world.
Who was the person going after us and then proceeded to save us from our attackers? Why would they do such a thing?
Somehow my feeling tells me it was Caleb, or is it just my wishful thinking? But then again, why would he do that? He basically killed my father for his higher good.
Nevertheless, he still didn't kill me having a few perfect opportunities to, seeing how clueless I was.
Still I merely belief he just couldn't do anything to me. I mean thinking back to the events make it awfully clear that he tried to interrogate me and even shove me into a certain direction.
Why haven't I realized his odd behaviour? Maybe he didn't have any other chance? No, if that was the case he would have talked to me about it. That's what he always did when he was in trouble.
He did that voluntary. So he definitely wouldn't safe us from the people he works for. Right?
I groan and look at the miserable wrapped gift. I'm tempted to just throw the fucking thing away and do as if the Twins never purchased anything for Ron. I mean considering their strange relationship with Ron it wouldn't even be suspicious.
There is a tap on the window causing Fred, who sits on the couch with George playing a round of exploding snap, to jump and lose the game.
He stands up grumpily and opens the window for the owl outside. He takes the letter from beautiful brown feathered bird, strokes it gently before giving it some treats and letting it fly away again.
"For you," he mumbles, reading the name on the letter and passing it to me.
I take it irritated. Who would write me?
Of course. Logan.
Luck seemed to be at Cole's and her side. The both of them managed to move into their flat they had in mind two weeks ago, straight after the incident happened. Cole more or less still switches between his family home and his so to say new home.
Right now it seems that the Blooms calmed down in their mission to brand Logan and the Hollows don't show any sign of having that in mind yet.
But the pressure is there.
And I wonder how long it takes until Cole succumbs under this pressure.
There is a change in the wizarding world and it slowly divides the community even further and the first to notice it are families like theirs. Suddenly you have to choose between wrong or right and everyone has a different outlook on what is right.
"Dear Anne and of course your Weasley Twins,
A happy holiday to the three of you. May the holidays be peaceful to each of us and give us a well-deserved break.
It seems like my parents stopped their lazy attempts on forcing me to join them and Cole's parents seemed to have disappeared lately.
He guesses it is another business trip, however, my feelings tell me differently.
I hope you are alright and that, if this all calmed down for real, we could meet up again.
XOXO, Logan."
"Merry Christmas from Logan," I say putting the letter away.
"Thanks," George answers tapping a card: "How is it going with them?"
"Everything seems alright currently."
"Are you finished with wrapping?," Fred asks.
"Almost," I say looking at the packages in a distress state.
"Hurry up, we soon need to be at home."
"Well if you want them done, move your ass up," I say annoyed and stand up.
George loses the game this time, tapping at the wrong card, stretching himself and standing up as well.
"Why did that take you so long? This looks like utterly rubbish," Fred comments when he approaches the table.
I throw him a glare:" Know what? Do it yourself if you are that better."
I hit the wrapping paper at him with a grin and go to the bathroom. George lets go a chuckle.
"Have fun brother," he says going after me.
"Not so fast Mister," Fred calls after him: "You better stay and help me repair this mess."
*George's Prov*
"Nah you are the skilled brother, you are fine on your own," I wink at him.
Nothing can save this mess. He needs to rewrap it.
I open the door to the bathroom and put my arms around Anne, who just brushes through her hair, pressing a kiss onto her temple.
"This will be a long evening," I murmur, placing my chin on her head.
She leans back onto me:" Good thing the both of you are now adults, so you can sneak your way out of responsibilities again."
I grin: "Better be sure we do exactly that."
"Could you let me go now please? I need to get ready," she points at herself.
"Nah, just go like that. They won't mind seeing you in your Pj's that you didn't care to change the whole day."
"This isn't a pj!," she exclaims making me chuckle.
"Sure tell yourself that," I press a kiss on her cheek and let go of her, pulling of my shirt to make myself ready as well.
"I just fell asleep with yesterdays clothes, that's all," she mumbles.
"Alright if you say so," with an amused smirk I change out of my clothes and turn on the shower.
"So what if I were in my pj's all day? Where is the harm?," she points out.
"No harm in sight," I chuckle, stepping into the shower: "There would be also no harm if you'd strip out of it and join me in here."
"Keep dreaming," she laughs, putting her into a braid.
---
"Hey Mum," I greet her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello boys," she smiles at us, pulling Fred in a hug as well:" Come in. Come in now. The others aren't here yet, you are surprisingly the first ones."
"What do you mean surprisingly?," Fred exclaims shrugging out of his coat and hanging it up.
Mum just waves off the subject and ushers us into the living room where Ginny is sitting in front of the fire place with a book.
"Hey you," I ruffle her hair and hug her tightly: "I missed you."
She gives me a slight glare and straightens out her hair again: "I can't say the same."
"You've missed just me then," Fred grins and throws himself over her lab, grinning at her: "I can totally understand that."
"Get off of me idiot," she laughs and shoves him onto the ground.
With a loud thud he lands on the floor and groans.
"Looks like you are finally on the level you are mentally," Anne mutters sitting down in the big armchair.
Fred gives her a very nice gesture which she returns gladly.
"What are you reading?," I ask my sister sitting down carefully next to her.
"Quidditch through the years. Dean recommended me it, I thought I'd give it a go," she shrugs.
"How is it?," I take it from her and swipe through it quickly.
"Kind of interesting. Just nothing I would have gotten myself on a personal level."
"Can you stop that?," Anne tries to get her foot back out of Fred's grip, as he tries to pull her down onto the floor.
I sigh and stop at the first page to look who already lent the book from our librarian. Ron Weasley. Two times even. I snort.
"How are things with you and Dean?," I hand the book back to my sister.
"Alright I guess, we haven't really talked this past few days. Both of us were being busy," she says, looking irritated at our brother and my girlfriend, who rather harshly tries to kick him: "Is this normal?"
"Just ignore them, that's usually what I am doing," I say.
"Alright," redundantly she looks away and at me: "Want to know the real family gossip though?"
"En-enlighten me please," Fred chokes out:" Would you let me go you Freak?"
"Anne let him go," I look at her.
"Fine," she removes her arms and sits up straightly again.
Fred takes a few deep breaths before standing up, running a hand through his disheveled hair and sitting down on the other side next to Ginny.
"Ron got himself a girlfriend," she grins.
"May Merlin praise whoever gave in," Fred says.
"Lavender Brown is the certain someone," Ginny continues.
"Who's that?," Fred asks confused.
"The small one with the curls, usually being seen with Parvati. They always gossiped around and giggled a lot."
"Ahh, those two," Fred nods: "Why?"
I let go a laugh.
"Fred do I need to explain to you what happens when two people usually get feelings for each other?," Anne starts.
"They usually hex them and leave them to die?," he retorts.
Anne gets quiet.
"Thought so," my brother turns back to my very confused sister.
"When did they end up?," I ask to change this tense atmosphere.
"After his first Quidditch victory. That girl is madly in love with him, it doesn't matter where you go, you usually see them tongue tied. It's gross."
Fred and I laugh. Ronald really had it in him.
"You know the shitty part of it though? He still has the audacity to tell me off for kissing Dean, as if it was his bloody right to determine what I should be even doing," she mutters annoyed.
"No way?," Anne chirps up:" How does that even make sense?"
"I have no idea. I don't know why he is suddenly all overprotective, he didn't really care before. I had to tell him off for Michael previously, but with Dean it is way worse," she sighs.
"Let us deal with that," I offer, looking at Fred who nods along with me, standing up.
"Where are you going?," Anne asks.
"Kitchen. Wanna come?"
She nods and stands up as well.
*Anne's Prov*
I follow the two of them into the kitchen to see Harry and Ron dealing with the cleaning of Brussels sprouts seeming to be in a deep conversation.
"But let's keep Fred's left bottom cheek out of this," Harry says when we enter the room.
"Come again?," Fred says: "Ahh George, would you look at that. They use knives and all. How cute."
"In two months and a few days I'm going to be seventeen and then I can do that all with a wand as well!," says Ron sounding annoyed.
Considering that Harry is usually always seen around Ron and that Ron is a part of this family, I rarely ever met him. He and I look at each other awkwardly for a moment, before saying an even more awkward hi.
Ron hisses beside Harry and puts his blood smeared thumb in his mouth:" That was you! Just wait until I'm seventeen-"
Ron glares at George. What did they do this time?
"I'm sure you will impress us with unknown magical talents," Fred yawns.
"Since we are at the topic of unknown magical talents, Ronald," says George: "what did Ginny tell us about you and a young lady called, if our information isn't wrong, Lavender Brown?"
Ron blushes and turns around to his Brussels sprouts. I snicker a bit and sit down next to George onto the kitchen table.
"Mind your own business," says the young Weasley.
"What a quick-witted response," says Fred: "I genially have no idea how you could think of something like that. No what we really wanted to know... how did that happen?"
"What do you mean?"
"Did she have an accident?"
"What?"
George and I stare between Fred and Ron. Harry moves a bit further away.
"Well, does she have infantile brain damage?- Stop that!"
Ron throws the knife at Fred, bringing my hopes up, but Fred was quicker with his wand and transfigures it into a paper plane, catching it without any problem.
"You should have thrown it a bit faster Ron," I say and sigh: "Next time it hopefully hits."
"Ron!," Mrs. Weasley just entered the room: "I never want to see you throwing a knife ever again!"
Somehow even I got a glare from her, straightening myself up a bit. The impact this woman has on me is insane.
"Alright," says Ron: "I will never let you see it."
I chuckle and look at the ceiling, trying to hide my amusement.
"Fred, George, I'm sorry, my dears, but Remus is coming over tonight so Bill has to stay at yours."
"No Problem," says George.
Funny how this is still just their home, as if I didn't live with them since half a year now.
"Good, since Charlie doesn't come home, Harry and Ron will be alone in the attic, and when Fleur stays with Ginny-"
"-and with that Christmas is officially over for her-," mumbles Fred.
What do they all have against Fleur? What did she do to ever deserve so much hate? I know I only met her once before, but she didn't seem that bad at all.
"-everyone will have a cozy place to stay. Well they have a bed," says Mrs. Weasley and she seems tired.
"So Percy definitely doesn't show up with his ugly face?," asks Fred.
Mrs. Weasley turns quiet and looks away: "No I guess he has work to do in the ministry."
"Or he is the biggest coward of all time," says Fred once his Mum disappeared out of the kitchen again: "One of the two. Anyways, let's go George."
I look at them confused. Where do they want to go now?
"What are you up to?," Ron asks: "Can't you just help us? You could just use your wands and we would be free as well!"
"No, I don't think we could do that," says Fred sternly: "It is character-building to learn how to clean Brussels sprouts without magic, just so you can see how hard it is for muggles and squibs."
"And if you want, that someone helps you, Ron," adds George and throws the paper plane at Ron: "then I wouldn't throw a knife at them. Just for the record. Well until later, we are going to the Paper Store in the town, there works this cute girl and she says that my card tricks are wonderful, almost like real magic..."
"What did you just say?," I blink and stand up.
"Well bye then," George grins at us and pulls Fred after him who chuckles.
"You better stay here," I say going after him: "A cute girl?"
I raise an eyebrow and step in front of him.
"Not as cute as you though," he gives me a peck, Fred gags next to us and the boy uses his chance to doge me and leave.
Just great.
He just left me alone with the hell of his family. The only decent one so far is Ginny. How will I survive this evening? We never even really celebrated Christmas and suddenly I'm thrown into this colourful mess of a family.
I wander back into the living room to keep Ginny company just to see her decorating it.
"Oh Anne, can you please help me? Mum wanted me to get it done until the others come," she points at the decoration in the boxes.
I pull out my wand: "Of course I can help, I even know a way how this would work faster for us."
"Thank Godric, it is so nice to have someone around who is allowed to practice magic and doesn't care about Mum's stupid rules," the girl grins as I flick my wand and the decoration is putting itself up.
We just have to make a few touches per hand and clean the rest of the space when the twins come back. Ginny and I were in the middle of a conversation when George steps in with a very careful expression. He better feel sorry now.
"How was it with the cute girl?," I glare at him, crossing my arms.
"I should have phrased my words differently I see," he mumbles, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh really? Go asks that girl though, I'm sure she'll find that wonderful," I roll my eyes and then Fred comes in with a gnome?
"What did you do to him?," Ginny asks stepping closer.
"He bit me when I got carrots outside for our meal."
"Does it hurt?," I ask.
"No it's alright."
"Shame."
"Hey!"
"We need something for the top of the tree," Ginny says: "How about this wonderful gnome?"
"I get a dress," George says eager to get away from my cold stares.
"I get the golden paint," Ginny says, already leaving the room.
"You take the gnome," Fred throws the stunned gnome at me, leaving me alone again.
Thank you for nothing.
I place the gnome on the table when it knocks on the door. Nobody seems to have the time to open it so I do it. Fleur and Bill smile at me.
"Anne! It iz zo nice to zee you," Fleur pulls me into a hug that I couldn't manage to dodge early enough.
"Fleur," I ring out, stepping back to safe me from further hugs: "Nice to see you too. Come in."
I step aside to let them in.
"Where are the others?," Bill asks, looking around.
"Currently busy with cleaning Brussels Sprouts, finding paint and small costumes and dodging responsibilities," I count making him laugh.
"Sounds a thing my family would do."
" 'ow are you doing Anne?," Fleur hangs up her elegant coat.
"I can't complain. How are you guys?"
"Manifique," Fleur beams: "Bill just got promoted."
"That's wonderful. Congratulations," I smile at him.
"Thank you. But that's no big deal. Fleur here tends to make more out of it, than it really is."
"I am not ove'eacting. I am just proud."
"Bill!," Mrs. Weasley comes up at him to hug him: "Great that you could manage it."
"Of course Mum."
"If it doesn't bother you, you'll have to stay with Fred and George tonight. Remus comes over as well, it is a bit stuffed in here."
"No worries, will Fleur stay there as well?," he grabs his fiancé's hand.
"No, she will be staying with Ginny. I have to look after the food, make yourself comfortable."
I feel a bit bad for Fleur now. She didn't even get a real greeting and still it doesn't look like she is bothered by that at all.
Later we all sit together in the living room. In the radio is playing Celestina Warbeck, but you could hardly hear her because Fleur keeps talking lively without a care.
I get more and more fed up with the noise around me. At one point Fleur's loud talking, at the other Mrs. Weasley who constantly increases the volume of the radio to overpower Fleur's voice and then we have the chattering of the other people as well.
I need to get out of this room. At best to take some fresh air. I stand up and go out of the room to the front porch. Sitting down there and just taking in the peace. This is all too much for me.
I know this is important for George and part of his tradition and I feel guilty for just standing up and leaving, but I need some time to myself now.
After some time the door behind me creaks open.
"There you are," George says, shutting the door behind him and settles beside me: "Aren't you cold?"
I shake my head.
"Look if you are angry because of earlier I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"No George," I look at him with a slight smile: "I'm not even that mad because of that girl. I just needed some time to myself."
"Oh. Alright, should I go back inside then?," he points at the door.
"Stay. I think I can deal with your company here," I nudge him a bit.
"How generous of you," he laughs pulling me into a side hug.
We listen to the wind and watch the snow fall down.
"Was Celeste too much in there? Because this soon is over, I'm sorry Mum has a weird fascination for her and every year we have to listen to her."
"All was too much in there if I'm honest. I'm not used to such feasts."
"How did Christmas look like with your Dad?"
"Usually a 'Merry Christmas' and 'here is your present, now go deal with the toilets in the back. One doesn't flush correctly.' "
George chuckles: "What about the times that aren't usually?"
"Those time include a wooden hut in the mountains and a friendlier Merry Christmas," I smile sadly.
"Do you miss your Dad sometimes?"
I nod and close my eyes, just hugs me more tightly and rubs my back.
"Good thing that we are your family now."
But are they really?
---
"I hope the sofa is comfortable enough for you," I say to Bill once I prepared it for him to sleep on.
"Thank you, that will work out just fine."
"Good, if you need anything just go and annoy Fred. Night."
"Night Anne," he chuckles and makes himself comfortable.
I grab a water and go into my bedroom. I lay down beside George and shut off the lights. I turn towards George and watch him closely wondering if he is still awake. A curl of his hangs loosely in his face and I gently stroke it out of his face.
Tiredly he opens his eyes, grabbing my hand and placing kisses on my palm. He proceeds to move further up my arm with his lips, reminding me of that night in their common room.
He kisses up my neck, remaining there for some time, managing to get a quiet moan from me before moving up to my face, first giving my nose a soft peak and then my lips. Over and over again.
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer for a longer and deeper kiss. We stare into each other's eyes afterwards feeling as if we had all the time in the world.
---
When we wake up we can already hear Fred and Bill preparing breakfast and therefore we slowly make our way outside.
"Morning," George yawns.
"Good morning," Bill throws at him a package: "Catch."
And another one. And another. And another. Bill clearly has fun seeing his younger brother struggle.
"Let me help you," I laugh, taking some packages and place them onto the table before they all crash down.
"Thanks," he grins excitedly: "Did you already open yours?"
"No I waited for you," Fred is just as excited.
Bill and I chuckle and head into different directions. I go into the bathroom, meanwhile he makes himself some coffee.
Soon as I return into the room, all of them wear knitted sweaters by their mother and compare everything they have gotten. I sit down with my coffee and watch them with an amused smile. They have too much fun being kids in adult bodies.
"Here that one's for you," Bill gives me a package.
"For me?," I ask surprised and take it.
"It was underneath this small tree there, addressed at you," he smiles.
I open it slowly finding some Astronomy books in it. I know exactly who gifted me them at how expectantly they look at me. With an amused glance I turn to the boy beside me and give him a kiss.
"Thanks," I smile at him.
"You really didn't belief I wouldn't get you anything? It's not much but I hope they come in handy," he grins: "Also thank you for this cool robot."
He plays with a toy robot I got him. I honestly didn't think much of it when I got it, I just figured that many muggle children love to play with them, you could transform them into cars and if you have to, they could fight against each other. Take a good guess who the other one is who got a robot.
"You got me one as well?," Fred exclaims, carefully watching his for any hidden bombs or sprays.
"Figured you owned yourself something. I don't know when or why, but you probably did something good this past year."
"Oh Fred look, I can fight you now. Watch out," George laughs, crashing into Fred.
Bill and I watch them play around and discussing his presents he got and how weird it is waking up without Fleur by his side. However, his mother insisted that they sleep separated.
Suddenly Bill facepalms: "I'm so dumb, I almost forgot them."
"Forgot what?," I ask confused as he pulled out some envelopes of his robes, searching for three names and passing the letters to us.
They are heavy. The twins stop their fighting and watch curiously. This is a letter from Charlie to each of us. We open them and find some personalized presents for everyone.
This is so nice of him. I got some chocolate from him, even though I never met this man. George just told him about me and some strange habits of mine and now I'm here having some good chocolate.
---
The lunch atmosphere is a bit strange, at least for Fleur and me. It turns out everyone, including Lupin, got a knitted sweater by Mrs. Weasley except Fleur and I. A shame that those sweaters look really cozy.
Once again this shows our mutual fate at how disliked we are by the head of the house. Fleur and I share a look that speaks 'Whatever' and we silently eat out meal, until Ron almost spills sauce over Fleur in his fast attempts to impress her, making her all moody again.
"Pst George," I whisper, gaining his attention: "Do you want me to fed you as well or can you eat on your own?"
I refer to Fleur who feds some pieces of the turkey at Bill. George chuckles and is about to say something when Percy and the minister suddenly appeared.
The tension just keeps growing. Especially when Percy doesn't even greet anyone apart from his mother and that really coldly may I add.
The only real reason, and everyone figured that out, for his appearance was that the minister could have a word with Harry.
"Percy sit down sit down, want something to eat? I have plenty?," Mrs. Weasley tries, but Percy just shrugs her off.
"No Mother, I don't have the intention on staying too long."
"Oh," Mrs. Weasley sinks down onto her seat again.
"Can you finally get that stick outta your arse?," Fred asks.
Percy just scoffs.
"Oh wow, being too good to talk to your brother now I see?," George says: "Keep up being a coward Percy, looking good on you. I hope all that bullshitting brings you great success."
Percy looks at George with cold eyes, as if he would look down on him: "You wouldn't know what real success is, you never worked hard enough to understand something like this."
He went too far. Fred, Ginny, George and I stand up at the same time.
"Sit down," Mr. Weasley tries to resonate, but looking angry as well.
"Not before he got what he deserved," I mutter in rage and dumbing the whole sauce over him.
All gasp.
"Now you greasy git, kiss up to your minister and leave us the hell alone. Next time I won't be as friendly," my eyes could spread fire.
Percy realizes that he lost his last chance with his family when his mother breaks out into tears and Fleur alongside Mister Weasley tries to calm her. He turns around and leaves the house, soon Harry comes back in.
---
Although Christmas is over, Bill decided to stay a while longer at ours. Fleur on the other hand is meeting with her family. Mrs. Weasley still hasn't calmed down much since Percy appeared and tried to be an absolute idiot.
Trying to let loose, the three brothers decided to go on some drinks the previous night and all of them sleep in late.
I sit on the stool and read the newspaper when the door to Fred's room opens. He comes out with a groan, rubbing his eyes and holding his head.
He slowly moves towards the kitchen counter, to probably get himself some headache potion.
I look up right in time to see him grabbing the wrong potion. A potion I put down earlier for me to take and not in the slightest being a headache potion.
"Stop no! That's not-," it is too late.
Fred already gulped down the content, grimacing at the taste.
I place a hand in front of my mouth, partly shocked and partly to maintain myself from laughing.
"Oh shit," I chuckle quietly.
"What? Why are you looking like that?," Fred looks at me confused and slightly panicked.
"You- you just drank my Birth control potion," I laugh.
I tried not to, but the startled look on Fred's face made me reconsider.
"You absolute fool," I crack up.
"Why is that even in there?," he sounds worried, looking at the vial.
"Because I need that on a daily basis?"
"What will happen? Am I going to die now? Will this have an effect on my body?"
I crack up more.
George comes out of the bedroom, looking fresher than Fred.
"What is going on?"
"Fred just drank my birth control potion. I guess he won't be able to get pregnant today," I wipe away some tears, chuckling again.
(A/N:
Because I feel that guilty on making you wait that long, I decided to go for a double update.
Also, I need to point out that the brossle's sprout dialog is freely translated by me. So therefore it might be a lot differntly than it is in the original English version, but we all get (hopefully) what conversation I tried to remake// what they all were talking about.
Morover, there is another reason it took me so long to update. I have been working on another Fanfiction called "RUDE" [George Weasley|| Draco Malfoy] maybe (you really don't have to) want to check that out.
Wow self promo feels weird.
Okay bye :D)