TWENTY
I HAVE LEARNED THAT TO BE
WITH THOSE I LIKE IS ENOUGH
WALT WHITMAN
ALESSIA ARRIVED home for the Easter holidays just in time for the twins' birthday. Initially, she had intended to stay at school for the break, but decided against it upon hearing that her newfound crush - Terry Boot, who Aspen thought had a very unfortunate last name - was venturing home too. Aspen was glad, relishing any time with her little sister she could get. She was beginning to find herself dreadfully clingy, but admittedly there was not a fibre of her being that cared. There was nothing that could bring her mood down, and in fact, she'd not felt this cheerful in years.
March was coming to an end when she collected Alessia from the station. When she stumbled off the train, Ginny accompanied her, dragging her trunk behind her clumsily. This was no surprise to Aspen, who had heard in a recent letter from her sister that Dean Thomas and Ginny had been suffering through a rough patch. Subsequently, in a desperate attempt to avoid his company, she'd decided the best approach was to vacate the castle for a few weeks.
"I've got a few errands to run, girls. I can drop you at home first, unless you'd like to come," Aspen queried aloud, taking the box that contained a disgruntled Thelonious from her sister to ease her heavy load.
"In Diagon Alley?" Alessia asked keenly, tugging her trunk behind her with an exasperated grunt.
"Yeah. I'm just needing a few bits and pieces for Fred's birthday," she paused, and then realising her mistake, hastily continued. "And George's, of course!"
The two younger girls shared a giggle, and let out a teasing coo of adoration to mock Aspen's new relationship. She'd informed Alessia in a letter, and she was sure the news would have spread like wildfire around the little group of Weasleys and their friends at Hogwarts. Still, this would be the first time the girls would be witnessing it firsthand, and Aspen had already prepared herself in advance for the mocking she was bound to receive.
"We'll come," Ginny said quickly, beyond pleased at the possibility of having something to do other than prepare for their upcoming OWLs.
"Great! Let's get this stuff home, then!"
With a brief plan of action in mind, Aspen hurried the two girls along the platform and through the wall. On the other side, muggles rushed past to make their early evening commutes, and they were all thankful for it, as they failed to pay any mind to the ball of purple fur that was vaguely concealed by the box in Aspen's arms. They didn't linger around the station, and rather, they raced through King's Cross as fast as possible, hailing a cab outside within minutes of exiting into the brisk spring air.
As usual, they suffered through the uneventful taxi ride. Alessia was itching to get home, finding muggle transport a bore, and yet Ginny enjoyed the sights of ordinary London. It was a major change to the usual scenery of Ottery St. Catchpole, and she couldn't quite understand why Alessia would take it for granted. Still, the traffic was tedious, and by the time the trio arrived and hauled their luggage up to the flat, they were thankful for the journey's end.
Within twenty minutes, they'd ventured out to Diagon Alley, although not before Alessia could tease her older sister for the stray jumper she'd found on the couch labelled obviously with a massive 'F'. Ginny, hoping not to offend her host, kept quiet, yet Aspen noticed the smirk that had settled on her lips, and she could tell she was desperate to join in on the ridiculing. Aspen, who hoped desperately she could be like the sister she didn't have, knew that by the end of the holidays, Ginny would have no trouble throwing in her two cents.
Together, they headed along the familiar cobblestoned street, weaving between shops as Aspen picked up any last minute goods she needed. At Sugarplum's, she nabbed a few of the boys favourite treats, turning her nose up at the liquorice wands they loved ever so much. Ginny couldn't resist a chocolate frog, and while she searched at the bottom of her purse for ten sickles, Aspen swiped it into her basket and paid for it before she could complain.
At the end of the trip, with the numerous presents and decorations she'd bought stuffed into her extended bag, they finished with a visit to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Although Aspen worried they'd see what she'd bought, she was easily convinced at the prospect of seeing her friends, not to mention that Alessia had talked her ear off about needing more Daydream Charms. She wasn't sure she should endorse the purchase, considering it would more than likely effect her studies, but she gave in all too quickly, an easy pushover when it came to her sister.
As usual, the shop was bursting with customers. In fact, with the start of the Easter holidays, it seemed even busier than usual, and the air was almost stifling inside as children ran circles around the three girls as soon as they'd entered. While the two teens had dashed off to find their necessary products, Aspen searched for the twins, having weirdly missed their company on her day off. In the corner, she caught sight of George, who seemed to be restocking a shelf of Skiving Snackboxes with his wand.
"Miss me?" Aspen called as she launched herself against him, startling him into dropping a stack of the brightly-coloured boxes.
"Christ, Andrews," he groaned as he levitated the boxes back into the air, recovering from the surprise. "I reckon even a Bat-Bogey Hex wouldn't keep you away from this place."
Satisfied with the job at hand, George tugged Aspen over to a quieter corner of the store, and narrowly avoided tripping over a small child who had ducked across the floor to find the Dungbomb they'd just dropped. Aspen chuckled to herself, and George manoeuvred himself in front of her, into a position where he could still observe the chaos of the shop unfolding before him.
"Very funny. Where's Fred?" Aspen asked hopefully, and George scoffed, rolling his eyes at her dismissal of him.
"Good to see you miss me too, Pen," he retorted, his tongue brushing across his bottom lip as he leant cautiously against the display of Peace Disturbers.
"Sorry, sorry," she quickly apologised, but it didn't stop him from catching onto her subtle gazes around the shop as she searched for him. "I actually just came in with Aspen and Ginny. They wanted some more WonderWitch."
"Ginny's here?" George said, ears perking up at the mention of her. As much as they tried to be effortlessly cool, Aspen noticed how worried the twins often were in regard to their baby sister. "Fred's in the office, by the way. You can go up, even though you're not on shift. Don't say I'm not nice to you!"
He ran off then, abandoning Aspen as his long legs leading him toward the dazzlingly bright pink sheen of the WonderWitch display. It was no surprise that he'd find Ginny and Alessia there, chatting up a storm. With George's blessing in mind, Aspen was sure they'd not miss her for too long if she paid Fred a visit, and so she hurried towards the back, hurtling through the staff room door before anyone tried to stop her.
She knocked briefly before she entered, but didn't hesitate for confirmation before she strode inside. Fred was sitting back at the desk, the leather bound seat facing towards her, yet he still didn't look up straight away. His eyes were trained instead to the mountain of paperwork that was sat in front of him, and he let out a disgruntled sigh as he assumed George had came in.
"You'd think the Ministry would bloody teach their staff to do basic shielding charms, for fuck's sake," he huffed, tossing his quill aside with an exhausted groan. It was only then that his eyes met hers, and he quickly changed his tune, face lighting up considerably. "Merlin! What're you doing here, Pen?"
"Nice that you're happy to see me," she teased, striding across the room to perch against the desk. "Ginny and Alessia just got back from Hogwarts and fancied a visit, and I figured I'd take the chance to see my lovely boyfriend at work. Unless he doesn't want to see me, of course."
"Don't be silly. You're a whole lot better than Ministry paperwork, that's for sure."
Keenly, he stood to slip himself between her legs, pressing a grateful kiss to her lips in thanks for the distraction. She leant into him, fervently indulging in the embrace as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands fell to her hips, and she hummed softly against him, smiling to herself as she sunk into his touch. Instinctively, she nudged him closer, using her feet to pull him against her intimately. It was a nice break from the havoc downstairs, even though there was still the occasional bang or screech of chaos in the background that served to ruin the mood.
"I swear you two are like dogs in heat!"
Aspen ripped herself apart from Fred, who looked reluctant until he saw that accompanying George at the door was his little sister and Alessia, looking fit to burst with giggles. He quickly fell back into his seat, and Aspen jumped up from the desk, pulling her shirt down from where Fred had pushed it up past her ribs. His lips were tinted red from her lipstick, much to Ginny's amusement, and she wasted no time in pointing it out loudly.
"What a lovely welcome home," Ginny mused, almost choking on the laugh that lurched in her throat. "I see you've found a new interest in makeup? Red really is your colour."
Fred swiped furiously at his lips with the sleeve of his suit, leaving behind a faint rosy smear against the brown check material. Aspen brushed her thumb against the corner of her mouth, sure that her own makeup was bound to be just as messy. Undoubtedly, this wasn't the introduction to their relationship she'd been hoping to provide their siblings.
"We wouldn't be so bad if you would give us a minute's peace, mate," Fred huffed in George's direction. "I thought you were running the shop?"
The smug look on George's face vanished as he dashed back downstairs, cursing as he realised he'd left Verity alone on the shop floor, which would almost definitely result in disaster. She didn't have an authoritative bone in her body, and he half expected the shop to be destroyed in his absence. He'd shut the office door behind him, shooing the teenagers into the room as he went.
"I reckon we need to give you lot a lesson on knocking," Fred chastised, mortified that his sister had just caught him mid-kiss. "The door says 'private' for a reason!"
"I think the reason's the confidential paperwork, not a mid-work snog, Fred."
Aspen cringed visibly as the two girls basked in the hilarity of the situation, far more than pleased to take the piss out of their older siblings. Just as humiliated as Fred, Aspen charged across the room and grabbed them both by the elbows, deciding it was definitely time to go. He looked pleased that she was taking action, and he relaxed back against the smooth leather, letting out a sigh of relief despite the girls continued mocking.
"C'mon, you two. Home time," she said almost-sternly, but she figured she couldn't really be mad. "I'll see you and George at dinner?"
"Can't wait," Fred replied fondly, and yet his delighted smile made Ginny and Alessia erupt into another fit of giggles, still thinking about their respective siblings' relationship that they were not at all used to yet.
"See you!" Aspen yelled over her shoulder, and before they could even ready themselves, she'd gripped onto the teenagers tightly and apparated them home. She hoped the nauseous feeling they'd be left with would be punishment enough.
Back home, Aspen left them to their own devices, listening to their laughter dissipating throughout the flat as they disappeared straight into Alessia's room to unpack properly. She shook her head affectionately, finding their childish derision more humorous than hurtful. In the kitchen, she began to unpack her supplies, sorting them out on the countertop as she enjoyed the faint festivity she could still hear from the other room. Having almost all her favourite people back in one place really was wonderful, and for once, she wouldn't change a single thing.
THE FIRST of April arrived in the following days, and with it, the twins' birthday. While Aspen and the boys had been at work, Ginny and Alessia spent almost the entire morning decorating the not-so-large flat with almost any decoration they had at their disposal. Streamers hung along the ceiling, falling down from above in vibrant oranges and purples to match the store's now well-known theme. So many balloons littered the floor that visitors would have to wade through a knee-deep sea of them, and despite the fact Christmas was four months ago, they'd retrieved the flying Santa decoration from a box in the attic and allowed it to zoom wildly around the living room for a little extra 'pizazz'.
When Aspen returned from the shop at midday, already stressed about making mountains of food for their guests later, she almost burst into tears at the sight. She enveloped both of the teenagers into a delighted group hug, over which they both grumbled and squealed for her to let go. When she did, she quickly dashed off towards the kitchen, leaving Ginny and Alessia utterly confused where they stood and yelling after her desperately for some lunch.
It must have seemed ridiculous for Aspen to take a birthday - or two - so seriously, but this was the way it had always been. In fact, the only birthday she didn't seem to care about was her own, which she always demanded that they celebrate quietly with a few drinks and a compilation of her favourite movies. For any of her other loved ones, however, there had to be a party, and it had to go just perfectly. So far, so good, considering the girls had done such a spectacular job with decorating.
"Aspen," Alessia groaned as she stumbled after her older sister into the kitchen, clutching her stomach dramatically. "What's for lunch?"
"You know where the fridge is. Are you incapable of making food for yourself?" Aspen asked over her shoulder, too busy cracking several eggs into a bowl as she started on the cake batter.
"Yes, actually. You know I'm shit at cooking," Alessia complained, and Ginny snorted from behind her before crossing the room to invade the fridge.
"Language!" Aspen called, as she always did, but she knew it would make no difference. Alessia seemed to have ignored her anyways, and she was busy watching Ginny grab a pan from the cupboard to fill with pasta shells.
"Aspen, you can chill out, y'know," Ginny said as she flicked on the kettle that stood nearby. "Those two prats would be happy with some comfort food and enough Firewhisky to make them pass out."
Aspen knew she was right. After all, the twins were never the type to care all too much about material things and fancy parties, but she wanted it to be special. For some reason, it being the first birthday they'd celebrate together made it seem all the more important that she get it right. So, instead of 'chilling out', she did rather the opposite, making the batter inside of her bowl splash out against the ceramic wall tiles from the increase in speed.
"Don't you want cake, Ginny? I wouldn't complain," Alessia said, swiping the cake batter that had sprayed out across the counter onto her finger and licking it off gratefully.
If they hadn't been making lunch, Aspen would have shooed them out of the kitchen, which was admittedly far too small for three people to relax in. Instead, she tuned them out as she poured her chocolate cake batter into a tin and popped it directly in the oven, thankful that yet another task was over with. Then, she turned her attention to the pies she'd decided to make, starting on the pastry that she was certain had to be flawlessly crisp for anyone to deem them edible.
"Is there anything we can help with?" Ginny asked, hoping to be kind to her host as they sat back and watched the pasta boil.
"Thank you, Ginny," Aspen said, shooting her sister a pointed look before turning her attention back to her pastry. It seemed Alessia didn't notice, indulging instead in the three measly squares of chocolate she'd found in the pantry. "Honestly, you've done enough with the decorations. It's perfect."
"The least I could do," Ginny said, and then when Alessia not-so-subtly nudged her, she coughed and corrected herself. "We could do, I mean."
They chatted amicably for the next few minutes, and with the two teenagers easy nature, Aspen felt her stress melting away. Once their pasta was ready, however, she insisted they leave her to work in the kitchen, and so they disappeared into the living room, their words floating away behind them, misted by a cloud of laughter. Then, she was left to her own devices, surrounded by the pile of foods she'd yet to prepare.
Merlin, if this wasn't proof she loved those fools, she didn't know what was. Aspen was in for a long afternoon.