author's note: hellooo it's editing die here again... i miss cheerful els and forrest :(
𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁
January 9th, 1994
The twins were more extravagant when it came to pranks. Elodie was more shrewd. However, she also found herself working for the opposing team for once in her life, which caused more problems than she anticipated.
Fred and George had taken to calling her "the rival" like some stupid evil super-villain in a comic, not to mention shunning her completely should she force information out of them.
Elodie also found herself having to avoid all food or drink when the twins were around- she wasn't about to end up with a swollen tongue or hair growing from her elbows.
Elodie and Forrest had met earlier that day, collecting supplies and intel.
"Do you know the bubbles? In the prefect's bathroom? The unpopable ones?" She had asked.
"Yes, why?" He responded.
"Think you could bring me some?"
So, Elodie and Forrest spent the evening in the Gryffindor boy's dorms, filling the room floor to ceiling with shimmery, unpopable bubbles.
Fred and George were going to have a terrible time trying to get rid of them: Elodie had also set them with a permanent sticking charm-if any of the boys tried to touch them-Merlin help their soul.
"This was brilliant." Forrest beamed at her, standing back to admire their work. The dorm looked like a bubble bath gone horribly wrong.
"Come on now, before they come back from quidditch practice." She grinned.
They retreated to the common room, where Elodie settled herself against him and worked on her Ancient Runes essay. Forrest was a great help: he was brilliant at Ancient Runes.
The twins came back from practice at half past nine, sweaty and exhausted. Fred's hair was swept back chaotically, that fiery gleam in his eyes that he got when he played quidditch still lingering.
"Alright, Fortescue? Wife?" Fred called back as he climbed the stairs.
"Don't call me that," Elodie sang. She turned excitedly to Forrest, clutching his hand in anticipation.
"Three,"
"Two,"
"One."
"WHAT IN GODRIC'S NAME DID YOU DO TO OUR DORMITORY?!"
Elodie and Forrest broke down laughing, as Fred and George stumbled back down the stairs, covered in bubbles.
"Why aren't they popping?!" George exclaimed, trying to rid himself of the soapy substance.
"You both are going to be sorry." Fred glowered.
Elodie shrugged, grinning like a maniac. "Unlikely."
𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁
January 10, 1994
The next day, every single piece of furniture in the Hufflepuff common room had been turned to jelly.
And, for good measure, Elodie's bed had been teleported into the greenhouses. She had a difficult time explaining that one to Professor Sprout.
𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁
January 11, 1994
The day after that, both twins found that every time they opened a door or walked through an archway, they were splashed head-to-toe in purple paint.
Everyone else in the castle was impervious to these sudden bursts of colour.
𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁
January 12, 1994
Elodie woke up the next morning to find actual, live birds in her hair. Forrest suffered a worse fate- a couple of Cornish pixies had been instructed to follow him around for the entire day, pulling his on his tie and stealing his books.
By the end of that day, Forrest begged Elodie to concede.
"One more prank, love. We'll get them to surrender." She said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁
January 13, 1994
Elodie and Forrest had worked very hard the previous night, mastering shrinking charms to a T. She was almost positive this would get the twins to yield, granted they found a way to rid Fred and George of their wands.
She wandered up to them in the common room that afternoon, leaning casually against the couch.
"Freddie..." She smiled sweetly at him.
Fred didn't look up. "Rival."
"Oh, rubbish. I was only asking if I could borrow your wand for a moment."
"Certainly," Fred smirked, glancing up at her flirtatiously.
"I'm not sure that's what she meant, mate." George chuckled.
"Eurgh. I mean your magic wand." Elodie gagged.
"Some call it magic." Fred nodded, like he was being perfectly reasonable.
Elodie punched his arm. "Fine. George, can I borrow your's instead?"
Fred looked hurt. "With my twin?! You wouldn't." He put a dramatic hand over his heart.
George rolled his eyes. "Sure, Els. What for?"
Elodie hadn't thought past the "can I borrow your wand" part, so she invented something off the top of her head.
"Well... Maura's got mine, for, erm, polishing."
"Girls polish their wands?" George frowned.
"Oh, yeah," Elodie nodded, poker-faced. "All the time."
"Learn something new every day." He said, handing her his wand. Perfect. Now she needed to get Fred's, and everything would be in place.
Elodie levitated a mug of coffee to where her friends were studying, setting it down with a sigh.
"Katie," she said reluctantly. "Would you help me with something?"
𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁
The plan was simple. It was the literal definition of hell for Elodie, but it was simple.
She watched as Katie sauntered up to Fred, twirling a strand of blonde hair in her finger. She really was a brilliant actress.
"Up for a little something, Freddie?" She tilted her head. "I'm bored."
Fred smiled at her. "Thanks, Kates, but I'm alright."
Katie leaned down to whisper in his ear. "It would make her jealous..."
Fred glanced at Elodie, clearly contemplating his options. She wasn't looking in their direction, but was clenching her quill under the table so hard the feathers were coming out.
Katie was practically in his lap by now, and George was watching the whole affair amusedly.
Fred looked at Katie, then back at Elodie. She caught his eye on accident, and looked away furiously.
"You're sure it would make her jealous?"
"Positive."
"Cheers, then, Bell." Fred cupped her face and pulled her into a kiss. Elodie could see George face-planting from beside them out of the corner of her eye.
It's just for the prank, it's just for the prank...
But his hands were all over her, and their lips were connected where Elodie's had been just weeks ago, and oh, god, she wasn't sure if she could take this any longer-
But she didn't have to. Katie broke away from him, gave a little curtsey, and walked away.
If Elodie wasn't in a relationship, she would've kissed Katie then and there. The angel.
The blonde girl scurried back to their table, drawing Fred's wand out of her sleeve. Both of the twins were looking at each other, utterly befuddled at what had just happened.
"Got it!" She squealed.
"You did?" Elodie said amazedly.
"It was just laying on the coffee table, the lazy sod. Here you are, Els." She beamed, handing Elodie his wand.
"You're brilliant, Kates." Elodie grinned.
She skipped down to the Hufflepuff dormitories to show Forrest the wands, and the couple set off back to the Gryffindor tower. Forrest looked sick.
"We're going to get into so much trouble, what if we can't put them back? Oh, Helga, make sure nothing goes wrong-" He was pacing worriedly.
"Darling," Elodie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure it'll all be alright. Fred and George won't tell anyone, honestly. It's against their code of conduct."
"Why don't I find it surprising that they have a code of conduct?" Forrest chuckled nervously.
When they clambered through the portrait hole, Fred and George immediately stared them down suspiciously.
"Wotcher," Elodie smiled at them, settling herself next to Forrest on the couch opposite the twins.
"Georgie, have you seen my wand?" Fred realized, frowning.
"It's attached to you, mate, I'm not sure how you lost it." George cackled.
"Ah, I deserved that." Fred rolled his eyes. "But my actual wand." He searched around the coffee table, and George went back to reading a copy of Q magazine.
Elodie seized the opportunity and leaned over to Forrest. "Now," she whispered.
They both waved their wands as subtly as they could, and watched in amazement as Fred and George shrunk down to about the size of bowtruckles.
"Oh Merlin, it worked." Elodie giggled delightedly. Fred and George were staring up at her (for once), horrified expressions plastered on their tiny faces.
They looked small enough to be action figures. Elodie let George climb onto her hand, trying to contain her laughter.
"CHANGE US BACK!" He shouted up at her, sounding like he had just swallowed a balloonful of helium.
Elodie patted the top of his head with one finger. "Not until you concede."
Fred had scaled up her leg, steam practically blowing from his ears. Forrest's once nervous expression had turned smug as he looked at miniature Fred.
"Hiya, Freddie." She grinned.
"ELODIE," he yelled, "IS IT WEIRD THAT I FIND YOUR CRUELTY SO BLOODY HOT?"
Elodie rolled her eyes. "I could put you in my pocket, Weasley."
Fred and George turned to look at each other. Other students were noticing, and coming over to watch the mini Weasley twins.
"I'm still better-looking." George decided.
Katie and Alicia knelt down to talk to them.
"Oh, this was so worth snogging Freddie for." Katie grinned.
"What?!" Fred squeaked.
Elodie held up their wands, twirling them in her fingers. "Looking for these?"
The twins growled. "I knew Els was lying about polishing her wand." George glared.
"So... surrender yet?" Forrest cocked an eyebrow.
Fred looked like he was about to strangle someone with his pebble-sized hands, but realized that he couldn't, and crossed his arms angrily instead.
He looked at his brother. "Georgie?"
"A word with my brother, please." George requested.
"He's right there." Elodie frowned.
"No, my other one."
"Percy?"
"No, my other one."
"Ron?"
"Yes!"
So they brought the twins across the room to where Hermione, Ron, and Harry were sitting in a corner, studying.
"Ron!" Said Fred in his helium-voice.
Ron looked up, confused at who was talking to him. He saw his brothers and promptly burst out into a fit of laughter. Harry noticed and joined in, but Hermione looked horrified.
"You're going to put them back, right?" She said frightenedly.
"Relax, 'Mione, we'll put them right. If they concede." Elodie added threateningly.
"Or," George looked hopefully at Ron. "You could fix us."
Ron snorted. "Fix yourself!"
"We can't." Fred sighed. "She's got our wands."
"Hermione?" George looked up at the curly-haired girl beseechingly.
Elodie shook her head at Hermione. "Don't, if you want the war to end."
"War?" Harry asked.
"Prank war." George explained.
"We're winning." Added Fred, with a dashing smile.
Elodie cackled. "I'd take a better look at yourselves, and then decide who's "winning".
Hermione sighed. "You both need to forfeit. And seek mental help."
Fred and George sat crosslegged on the table, glaring at everyone else. Elodie and Forrest directed onlookers away, receding back to the couches where they watched their handiwork from afar.
"Think they're going to give up?" Forrest asked.
"Can't be too sure. Fred and George are the most capricious gits I've ever met." Elodie shrugged.
Hermione was talking with them now, probably discussing strategy or simply telling them off. A few minutes had passed before she sighed, picked up the twins, and brought them over to Elodie and Forrest.
"Fred and George are under the impression that attacking you is the best option." She stated exasperatedly.
"Cannonball!" Fred yelled, diving off Hermione's hand and onto Elodie's head. He clung onto her hair like jungle vines, swinging around.
It was less of an attack than using her as a personal playground.
"Freddie," Elodie tugged him out of her hair. "Stop it!"
George was jumping on Forrest's leg like it was a bounce house. "You realize it doesn't hurt, right?" Forrest stifled a laugh.
Elodie had Fred in her palm, glaring at him. "Surrender."
"No."
George sighed, climbing off Forrest's leg. "Fine! Fine. We concede."
Fred looked wrathful, but didn't argue with his twin. "Turn us back now."
Elodie sighed happily, nodding at Forrest. He pointed his wand at George, who promptly turned normal sized and fell back on the couch, relived.
Elodie sat Fred on her leg, muttering the incantation. He too returned to his ordinary state, but instead of falling back on his own couch, he fell into her lap.
"Fred-get off-" Elodie mumbled from underneath him.
Fred sighed happily, grateful to be back in his normal size. He did not get off Elodie, and instead settled down in her lap, nuzzling his head into her shoulder like he had the night of Sirius Black's break-in.
"I will turn you small again." Forrest threatened.
"And I am going to suffocate and die." Elodie choked. The pressure of a 6'3 boy was really more than you would expect, no matter how lanky Fred might be.
"Merlin, you're all are so mean to me." Fred pouted, getting up to sit next to his brother. Unbeknownst to Forrest, he gave Elodie a light kiss on her neck before leaving.
She rubbed the spot softly, forcing herself to act normally. Her neck felt barren now, like his lips belonged there.
Fred had unlocked a new desire in Elodie; a desire she couldn't possibly act on. Every nerve in her skin had been drawn to the spot he kissed, needing more.
She stayed quiet.