Double Trouble
Jedi Goat
Author's Note: The Double Trouble series is a collection of Fanfic100 one-shots revolving around Fred and George's sixth year at Hogwarts, which is incidentally the first school year of homeschooled twins Alex and Riley Hunter. I decided to compile them as one story so as to lessen confusion as to the order. And spoilers. *grin* However, many of my FF100 stories pertaining to other years/other AUs can be found on my profile; if you're looking for the master list of what I've finished so far and where/when they fit in, check the table on my livejournal. :)
Warnings and Other Stuff: Yeah, there are OCs, obviously. I put a lot of work into developing what I hope are well-rounded characters, and I would love feedback in that regard. Nevertheless - for those, like me, who are leery of OCs in general - I assure you the focus shall still remain on our favorite pranksters. I'd like to think by introducing the Hunters I can better contrast and explore the different relationships between twins. (And no, I don't mean twincest ... sorry...) This chapter also includes foreshadowing as to future shipping ... find it if you dare! *thunderclap and evil laughter*
Title: Trouble Brewing, Part 1
Prompt: 001 - Beginnings
Summary: In which Fred and George taint the innocent minds of the two new home-schooled students. If they only knew what delicious trouble the Weasley twins were plotting... Introduction to "Double Trouble" series of my Fanfic100. OCs present.
Trouble Brewing
George was sure he'd never seen a more welcoming sight than the proud scarlet engine poised high above the crowds milling around platform nine and three quarters. Exhaling in relief, he at last slowed his heavily laden trolley to a stop, brushing thoughtlessly at the hair plastered to his forehead as beside him Fred muttered ruefully about the rain having ruined nearly half his supply of fireworks. Somewhere behind them, that runty owl of Ron's chattered exuberantly in reply to the many owls hooting lowly across the platform.
"Well, then," Mrs Weasley declared rather breathlessly, as the last of the drenched family trudged through the barrier behind them, "you have a good term, all of you. I hope you all get to see ... the exciting things happening this year."
George started to ask, for what felt like the hundredth time, what it was she kept hinting at – but Mrs Weasley was now distractedly hugging the nearest people, who happened to be him and Fred. Ignored protests muffled, they struggled valiantly, and Mrs Weasley accidentally knocked their foreheads together; George painfully blinked back stars as her voice warned sternly overhead, "And behave yourselves now. I've just about had it with the owls from school."
She let them go, and the twins staggered away, George still rubbing at his head. Fred caught his eye and nodded toward a nearby compartment, where Lee's dreadlocks bobbed into view; seizing their opportunity, they grabbed their trunks and went over to where Lee was already forcing his luggage into the overhead shelf.
"Need a hand?" George grinned.
Lee gave them a dirty look over his shoulder. "What, and have you transfigure it into a goat again?" With a final defiant grunt he pushed the trunk into place and stepped aside. Grinning, the twins quickly stowed their own trunks and headed back in the direction of the group on the platform to say their goodbyes. As he jumped off the train, however, Fred nearly tripped over a smaller blond figure boarding; said boy sniffed and turned up his nose, brushing off his sleeve.
"Watch it, Weasley."
"My apologies, Malfoy," Fred said with a healthy amount of sarcasm, stepping away from the blond Slytherin. "I didn't notice your Highness there."
"Yeah, maybe next year your father'll reserve the royal carriages, and you won't have to take the train with all of us dirty commoners," George chipped in, purposefully brushing past him with Fred on his heels. Draco Malfoy's eyes had narrowed and a fine flush had come to his high, pale cheeks, but the twins were already out of hearing range.
"All the better for us, I hope he does, anyway," Fred muttered, and George smirked.
They returned to the cluster of Weasleys in time to hear Mrs Weasley promising Harry that he could stay with them over Christmas if he liked. "But with things as they are this year," she evaded, "I doubt any of you will be eager to leave Hogwarts."
"What things?" Fred demanded at once, but Mrs Weasley only smiled mysteriously and moved on to hug Ginny. George, meanwhile, set his sights on his older brothers.
"What's happening at Hogwarts?" he asked Bill and Charlie.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, I suspect," Bill grinned broadly, reaching out to ruffle his hair even as the sixteen-year-old ducked and grimaced at him.
Charlie added, "You're lucky, you lot, to be back at Hogwarts this year."
"Yes, and I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you all tonight," Mrs Weasley promised. "Now, hurry along, the train's about to leave."
Fred shot a last, furious look at Mrs Weasley, who was busy waving off Ginny and didn't notice; George attempted the puppy-dog look on Charlie, who merely laughed and gave him a shove toward the waiting train. A shrill whistle sounded; people were leaning out the windows and waving to relatives below.
"C'mon," George muttered to his twin, turning for the train. "Let's just go ask someone who's not full of themselves."
Alex Hunter kept a steady grip on the handle of his trunk as he cautiously maneuvered down the aisle of the train, peering into each compartment filled with chattering students as heassed. For several minutes a steady rumbling had been growing louder beneath his feet, mirroring his increasing apprehension; now abruptly the train lurched forward, and behind him a blond figure stumbled, catching himself against the wall and cursing under his breath.
He shot a warning glance back at his twin, who narrowed his eyes but promptly shut his mouth, and the two of them continued onward. They had nearly reached the end of the train by now without sighting an empty compartment, and the feeling of disquiet tightened in the base of Alex's stomach. He was uneasy to intrude on any group of friends, and earlier some older students had glared at him when he asked if they had room in their compartment. It wasn't exactly a warm reception, and his first hopes at finally attending Hogwarts – the finest wizarding school in Britain – were beginning to dissolve into uncertainty.
Up ahead, a door was open; Alex was drawn from his musing as a drawling voice floated over them. "– You should listen to the Mudblood, at least she's got some sense."
Alex stiffened; by that tone alone he knew trouble was brewing, and almost unconsciously he ventured nearer to the open compartment. The back of a silvery-blond head came into view in the doorway; two taller and muscular teens framed him, shoulder to shoulder.
"That's it, Malfoy, I'll -!"
"You'll do what now, Weasel?" the blond boy, Malfoy, drawled. His two beefy companions had stepped forward, the sharp crack of their knuckles breaking the stillness.
Wizards or not, Alex could read the signs of tempers flaring, and any moment now a brawl would break out in the middle of the train. He had yet to see any professors around to moderate them – and if he didn't do something soon, someone was going to get hurt. Stepping forward, he cleared his throat. "Excuse me, is there a problem here?"
The blond boy turned back, giving him a very dirty look; he had a face much like a rat's, Alex thought absently, thin and pointed. Malfoy smoothed down the sleeve of his robe, which Alex had jostled accidentally. Then Malfoy's silver gaze flicked up and down, his lips drawing in a tight sneer.
"Who are you?"
Alex decided complacency to be the best approach, and proffered the hand that wasn't lugging a heavy trunk. "I'm Alex, Alex Hunter."
Malfoy didn't move to take his hand. "Hunter ... never heard of you. Just as I thought, another Mudblood. They attract one another like flies," he finished with a delicate shudder, his nose wrinkling. His eyes roved up and down again, over Alex's plainly Muggle attire, consisting of a loose buttoned collared shirt and jeans. Both Malfoy and his companions had already donned long black robes with a silver and green badge in the left corner, and Alex felt a small prickling of concern that he had no such robes; what if it was standard to wear them now, on the train?
He was saved from reply when behind him a second figure poked around the doorway, partially shoving Alex aside. "Oh, stop being an idiot," Riley Hunter growled at his brother, and Malfoy's thin eyebrows shot up. Huffing out an irritated breath that stirred his unruly blond fringe from his eyes, Riley turned on the three robed students. His eyes went past them to three students in the back of the compartment: a redhead and a black-haired boy on their feet, and a girl with bushy brown hair sitting behind them clutching a ginger cat to her chest.
"Hey," Riley jabbed a finger at Malfoy's chest, though his eyes and words were directed to the teens behind him, "are these guys bothering you?"
Something snapped as Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he delved his hand within his robes, flourishing his wand. "Stick your nose in your own business, Mudblood," he growled, "or I'll put it there for you."
"I'd put that away, if I were you," Alex said amiably, though his fist had gone white on the handle of his trunk. "We don't want to fight you. Do we, Riley?" Though his words were spoken lightly, the look shot sideways at him was of pure warning. His twin considered for a long moment, his blue eyes narrowed at Malfoy as though sizing him up.
"No," he admitted reluctantly, clenching his jaw. "We don't."
"Now," Alex smiled, "that's settled. If you could just move..."
"I don't take orders from people like you," Malfoy sneered. "We'll leave when we feel like it."
Very suddenly Riley surged forward, closing a fist in the neck of his robes; the two large boys moved toward him warningly, but he ignored them, his eyes blazing as he yanked Malfoy forward, leaning down to hiss in his ear. "I suggest you feel like leaving now, while you can still feel anything at all."
"Riley!" Alex shouted, starting forward; Malfoy thrashed in Riley's grip.
"Get your filthy hands off me!"
The boy on the left lunged, fists bared; Riley was faster. In an instant he had dropped Malfoy like a sack of potatoes and swung around, landing his fist squarely in the boy's jaw. A loud howl split the air as he stumbled back next to Malfoy, clutching his face.
"You insolent –!" Malfoy raised his wand.
"Don't you dare!" three voices chorused at once. Alex had just pulled his wand from his back pocket and, glancing in surprise over Malfoy's shoulder, saw the two other boys had done the same. Riley, breathing hard, did not move, massaging his fist; Malfoy's eyes had gone rather wide and he turned full circle, aware he was surrounded.
"You've overstayed your welcome, Malfoy," spat the redhead, fire blazing in his eyes as he stepped forward, prodding him in the back with his wand. Malfoy's lips curled in distaste, but his haughty words failed him now.
"If you try to lay a finger on my twin," Alex said calmly, "you'll be six feet under before you can say 'dead'."
"And for your information," Riley growled, "we don't appreciate being called Mudbloods. Particularly because we aren't. And I'm sure that girl doesn't either." He inclined his head slightly in the bushy-haired girl's direction, whose eyes widened minutely in surprise.
"Very well then." Malfoy tilted his head upward, defiantly wielding what remained of his dignity. "Crabbe, Goyle, let's find somewhere that doesn't stink of Mudblood." With that he wrinkled his nose and shoved past Alex's shoulder, tailed closely by Crabbe (cradling a bloody lip) and Goyle. Alex watched them go with his wand still in hand, hearing him mutter, "How many twins are there here anyway? Unnatural bastards ... When my father hears about this..."
The black-haired boy stepped forward and slid the door shut, blocking out Malfoy's drawling voice. "Good riddance," he relished. Now that the silver-haired boy was gone, all the previous fight drained out of the room; currently the three boys lowered their wands, each grinning somewhat sheepishly, and the redhead gave a low whistle.
"I've been wanting to do that for years, mate. Nice punch," he approved with a nod to Riley. The blond shrugged, flopping down next to the bushy-haired witch and massaging the growing bruise on his knuckles.
"That hurt..." he muttered. "What's his face made out of? Rock?"
"Suppose his brain is, too," said the redhead, and then extended his hand. "Ron Weasley."
"Er – Riley Hunter. And that's Alex, my brother." He shook Ron's hand.
"And this is Hermione Granger and – and Harry Potter." Ron had hesitated for a moment, stumbling on those last words, shooting the black-haired boy a quick, almost apologetic look.
"Are you really?" said Alex curiously, as he and Harry shook hands. In what seemed a well-practiced motion he reached up and pushed back his fringe, revealing a jagged lightning bolt scar.
He was. Riley whistled softly and Alex nodded respectfully, but neither ventured further queries, and Harry's shoulders eased as he bent, retrieving Alex's trunk off the floor. "C'mon, we've got room."
After several moments of struggling and shifting their luggage around, they had successfully crammed five trunks in the overhead compartment and now settled back, Hermione clutching the irate ginger tomcat so that no one trod on his tail. Ron turned thoughtfully to the twins. "Oi, we've never seen you around. You can't be first years, can you?"
"Nah," grinned Alex, who was easily as tall as Ron and slightly wider in the shoulders. "We're sixth years, but we've been homeschooled magic up until now. We went to a Muggle school until this year, actually."
Hermione now looked intrigued as she set aside her book and leaned around Ron to look at him, imploring, "Really? Are your parents both magical then, or -?"
But Riley was staring at Ron, who had gone somewhat ashen in the face, as though someone had slipped murtlap essence in his drink, and slumped down in his seat. "What?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"It's just ... well," Ron confessed, "you two're in Fred 'n' George's year."
Alex and Riley looked at one another. "Who're Fred and George?" Alex inquired warily, glancing between Harry and Ron, who were now grinning as though at some sort of inside joke.
"Ron's older brothers," sniffed Hermione, burying herself back behind her book. "They're troublemakers, both of them."
"And bloody identical, like you two," Ron finished. At that Alex and Riley exchanged fleeting looks, the glimpse so instantaneous that the boys missed it. Hermione, however, continued to watch them over the top of her book with a thoughtful furrow to her brow.
"Don't say we didn't warn you," Harry meanwhile said brightly, standing up just as a smiling woman appeared in the hall with a trolley loaded with sweets. "Anyway, you want anything?"
They chatted over Bertie Bott's Every-Flavoured Beans and Chocolate Frogs and by the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, several hours later, rain lashed at the windows outside; the sky had darkened and low clouds drew as tightly as a cloak around them. The trio hastily donned their robes – their red and gold badges indicating them to be Gryffindors, Alex now understood – and the five of them hopped down from the train, joining the slew of students trudging along the platform. A gigantic figure loomed over the crowd, the light of a lantern flickering off pale faces as his voice bellowed, "Firs' years, firs' years over 'ere –"
"Suppose you're to go with them?" muttered Ron, ducking and clutching his hood over his ears. Alex shrugged; he was utterly lost, the crowd was steadily pushing them sideways, and Riley beside him looked agitated enough to kill small animals.
"C'mon, let's just get up to the school," suggested Harry, and he led the way along through the crowd, struggling against the wind threatening to blow them all off their feet, and up into the momentary shelter of a horseless carriage. They had all barely flopped back in their seats, breathing out sighs of relief, when the carriage lurched to life, rocking and bumping along its path. Alex squinted up through the sheets of downpour and his heart skipped a beat: there, up on the hillside, the feeble glow of golden lights flickered through the night; the castle was a mere silhouette against the dark backdrop, but it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He leaned across, nudging Riley, who glared at him; his twin had gone a bit ashen in the face and clutched to the edge of his seat.
At long last the carriages drew to a halt and the five joined the stream of students pouring into the Entrance Hall. Alex tried to look around at the arching ceiling, the shining suits of armour, and the flickering candle-brackets all while watching for puddles underfoot. Above the crowd, a translucent figure floated upside-down with a nasty grin and an armful of water balloons, gleefully dropping them on unsuspecting students.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried forward, heads ducked and hoods raised, and Alex mindfully took after them, checking that Riley was still trailing behind him. A pair of high ornate doors stood open at the end of the Hall; as they squeezed forward to the opening Alex's jaw dropped.
"Wicked..."
The domed Hall was aglow with floating candles, illuminating the many pale faces of students seated at four long tables, each draped in rich fabric of green, red, gold, or navy; golden plates and goblets glimmered; at the head of the room sat who could only be the professors in a regal row; a low murmur of chatter was nearly drowned out by the boom of thunder overhead, and glancing upward Alex saw the ceiling was overcast in gray and black, a mirror of the sky outside.
"Miss Granger, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley." The group turned in surprise; a tall woman with her hair tied back in a strict bun now surveyed them over her spectacles, her thin lips forming the smallest smile. Under her arm she carried a three-legged stool and the ragged, patched shape of a hat.
"Evening, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said, and Alex noticed she was also staring at the hat. "Is the Sorting -?"
"About to begin, yes," Professor McGonagall said in a clipped tone. Her eyes roved to the two drenched blonds looking on curiously, standing out like a sore thumb in their Muggle clothes. "You would be the Hunter twins?"
"Yes, ma'am," Alex affirmed, self-consciously straightening. He noticed with dismay that Riley slouched, hands in pockets, eyes half obscured behind his sopping fringe.
"You two, follow me." The Professor turned and swept down the hall, the tail of her emerald cloak billowing after her. Alex shot a curious, hapless look at Harry, who nodded encouragingly. Ron offered a thumbs-up, to which Alex grinned uncertainly before turning and following Professor McGonagall, Riley on his heels.
At that moment, Fred and George were struggling through the crowd; Fred had just sighted the three younger students up ahead and, beaming sideways at his twin, strolled forward with his arms grandly outstretched.
"Now look who made it here in one piece!"
Ron turned to them, making a disgruntled face. "We can take a train by ourselves, you prats."
"You do make us worry sometimes, you must admit," George sighed dramatically, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "We have to keep an eye out for our dear little Ronniekins."
"Geroff me," Ron muttered, shrugging off his arm. George grinned evilly and now reached upward, playfully mussing his hair as Ron complained and struggled loudly. Meanwhile Fred turned to Harry.
"Who was that with you?"
"Er – you wouldn't believe it if we told you."
Ron had at last escaped with his hair slightly worse for the wear and now fumed silently with his arms crossed, standing a careful berth away from his brothers. George turned his attention back on the others. "This isn't the same thing Mum's on about, is it?" he chipped in.
Harry shared a look with Hermione; both quickly glanced away, fighting off smiles. "You'll find out soon enough," she promised vaguely.
"Dear me," said Fred, with an air of great shock, "I believe, George, they might be pulling one over us!"
"For shame," agreed George, amused by the fact that Hermione's face changed by several shades of red and Harry smirked not-so-innocently. "I think they are hiding something. What's the best course of action, Gred?"
"Torture and information retrieval?" suggested Fred, digging in his pockets and surfacing with a yellow cream-puff like candy, which he proffered innocently in Hermione's direction. She steadily avoided his eye, pushing his hand away.
"We should get inside. The Sorting's about to begin."
The trio plus the twins settled in seats at the Gryffindor table, near the end, where they were soon greeted by various compatriots and Seamus said, "So what about the World Cup, eh?" as he took a seat nearby with Dean. Soon they had dissolved into their various conversations, though Harry kept glancing over toward the grand oak doors as though waiting for someone.
And then quite suddenly he had stood up, calling to someone in the tide of students. In the next instant two tall blond boys had squeezed over to them, both beaming.
"Hello again," said the boy on the right, who was perhaps a half head taller and stockier than the boy trailing in his shadow.
"Did you do it? Get Sorted, I mean," Ron said eagerly.
"We're in Gryffindor," the first boy elaborated, his grin broadening.
"M-hmm," said the second boy, cocking his head. "Looks like it's Malfoy's lucky day, and we won't be giving him hell, after all."
Both Harry and Ron grinned at that, whereas Hermione pursed her lips disapprovingly; nevertheless in moments Ron was shifting them all down the table to make room, and the two blond boys sat down between him and Harry. The taller boy glanced about curiously, nervously tugging at his collar, while his companion examined his fork and knife.
"Who's this?" Seamus leaned his elbows on the table, peering around Harry.
"Oh – er, sorry, I'm Alex and this is Riley," said the first boy, proffering his hand and shaking with Seamus, then Dean, as introductions were exchanged.
"They're new students," Hermione explained, "they've been homeschooled, they'll be in sixth year. Alex, Riley, you should probably talk to the Gryffindor Prefects, they'll be able to show you around –"
But at that moment Fred cut her off. "Hold on just a sec. I believe you've fallen into our area of expertise."
"Yeah, who needs Prefects, when you know the school as well as we do? Even the secret passages –"
"Especially the secret passages," contributed Fred. "I mean, the teachers don't even know about half the places we do."
"Suppose we should introduce ourselves," said George, offering his hand.
"We already know who you are, that's all right," said Alex, warily eyeing his open palm. "You're Fred and George Weasley."
"Our reputation precedes us!" declared Fred, beaming.
"All right, Ron, what sort of lies have you been telling?" George accused. Ron's ears flushed scarlet.
"I wasn't lying –"
"Ah, now we know you're Fred and George," Riley said knowledgeably, grasping George's hand and vigorously shaking it. "I think I like you already."
George grinned unabashedly. "Excellent, I sense a gratifying working relationship in the making." In other words, unsuspecting product testers, he added silently, turning his smirk on Fred, who was rather distracted watching someone else. A little louder, George went on, "I see Miss Granger put in a good word for us with you. See, she really loves us, deep down," he added in explanation to Riley as the witch in question flushed deep red.
"Oh, shut it," said Ron, who had picked up his fork and now craned his neck, peering toward the head table. "Hope they hurry with the Sorting, I'm starved..."
"Yeah, I could eat a Hippogriff about now," Riley said with relish. "How's the food here?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," said Harry with a reminiscent smile; Riley nodded, apparently satisfied, and resumed hungrily staring at his empty plate just as the grand doors burst open behind them.
A sudden apprehensive hush fell over the Hall as Professor McGonagall swept in, followed by a crowd of nervous eleven year olds, the patched hat and three legged stool carted under her arm...
To be continued...
It was insanely long, so I cut it into two parts... ^^ So what do you think? Any and all constructive criticism would be much appreciated!