Walking into The Burrow provided a feeling of comfort unlike anything else for the Weasleys and friends. Minnie had never entered The Burrow before but the infectious warmth that radiated from those surrounding her filled her with excited anticipation. Her eyes looked eagerly outside of the tiny car's window, drinking in the charmingly crooked demeanour of the cottage so strenuously her excitement felt palpable.
Luna put her hand over Minnie's and she tore her eyes away from the window.
"You and I will be sharing a room you know?" She said in her usual floaty voice.
A smile broke over Minnie's face "I know Luna, you said that not five minutes ago."
"I think we're sharing with Hermione too!"
Minnie giggled together with Hermione, who was sitting ahead of her in the front passenger seat. They passed each other a look down the side of the chair before turning and grinning fondly at Luna. It was like being sat next to a broken record. From the driver's seat Ron locked his jaw in irritation. "It's hard enough trying to drive this bloody thing, Fred and George have only gone and filled the front drive with boxes of their junk. I can't park the bloody thing!"
"You don't have to park on the front doorstep Ronald," Hermione chided "we have legs."
Ron huffed and stopped the car rather violently. The thrill overwhelmed Minnie, she opened the door, feeling the drumming of nervousness she always felt when she was excited thumping rapidly in her chest. After taking a calming breath she opened the door, stepped out of the car, and sighed in contentment. She could feel the magic coursing through the air like an electric current. In the doorway the rest of the Weasley family, along with Harry Potter himself stood cheerfully, waiting to greet them. She felt the sudden urge to straighten herself up so as to make a good first impression on Molly and Arthur Weasley.
Slinking around the car, Minnie jumped up happily behind Hermione before looking down and noticing her hand subtly intwined in Ron's. She blushed and walked ahead to catch up with Luna, who had already walked past the boxes marked Weasleys' Wizards Wheezes and was hugging the sizeable congregation at the doorway. She must have made a mad dash as soon as the car stopped.
Minnie fought the urge to run and catch up and maintained a steady pace, not wanting to intrude on the private moment behind her but simultaneously not wanting to be alone when she introduced herself to the Weasley parents.
Fred grinned at her when she finally arrived at the front door, breathing a little heavily. She smiled back. Fred was stood behind his parents and he attempted to squeeze between them to greet her properly. Molly beat him to it, rubbing both of Minnie's shoulders and looking at her fondly.
"Oh my dear, you must be Minnie? I've heard so much about you" Molly turned around, placing one hand delicately over her mouth and giving Fred a watery-eyed look.
In that moment of silence a hand reached out and shook Minnie's hand firmly "I'm Arthur, Arthur Weasley. Please excuse my wife, it's very nice to meet you." Molly nodded in agreement.
"It's nice to finally meet you too Mister and Missus Weasley." Minnie replied respectfully before being swarmed by a gaggle of her friends she hadn't seen in far too long: Harry, George, Ginny, Luna and even Percy hugged her in one huge mass of people.
"It's nice to see you again!" Harry grinned
"We have so much to catch up on." Ginny whispered in her ear, pulling back from their embrace and gesturing discreetly to Harry.
"Really?!" Minnie mouthed to her friend in delight.
"You know we're sharing a room?" Luna muttered gleefully for the umpteenth time.
Minnie looked to Fred in relief as he stepped forward to say hello for the first time in a month.
"Oh Ron, Hermione what is this?" Molly said, pointing at their hands as they joined the group, still linked together.
Ron smiled sheepishly and Hermione's cheeks flushed a bashful pink. "Hi mum." Ron said, slipping his hand from Hermione's to scratch his head, hiding his embarrassment.
"I finally convinced him it was time to tell you Molly." Hermione stated logically.
"How long? How long Dear?" Molly gushed rushing over and enveloping her son and his girlfriend in an enthusiastic, if overbearing hug.
A gaggle of people followed suit and Minnie felt impatience grow in her stomach. When was she going to get to see Fred?
She joined the group and snuck a glance at Fred on the other side, who was also in the process of glancing at her, he raised an eyebrow playfully and started edging around to her.
"Hi." Fred put his arm around Minnie coyly as he sidled up to her.
"I've missed you." Minnie replied, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist.
The sound of their friends and family talking washed over their silence as they stood leaning on each other peacefully.
"Did you see our boxes on your way to the door?" Fred teased.
"Yeah, you'll have to tell me what new products you two have made." Minnie jabbed him in the belly in retort.
Fred fell back in mock pain, keeling over just long enough to make Minnie worry before springing up energetically, planting a kiss on her forward and running away from her towards the boxes.
Minnie laughed and chased after him.
"I'll do one better," Fred threw ruefully over his shoulder "I'll show you it in action."
Fred ran over to one of the boxes, and whistled to his twin to come join them. George grinned jovially and separated away from the group, who were now making their way into the house, to join Fred and Minnie.
Starting without his brother, Fred proclaimed ceremonially "Welcome to the grand unveiling of our newest product. You've heard of Liquid Luck…"
"But this is Liquid Love!" George chimed in, pulling up out of breath next to his brother
"We took the basic short term effects of Liquid Luck and replicated them…" said Fred.
"Creating a new type of love potion that is much more docile…" continued George.
"And much less damaging." they finished in unison.
"So you boys reckon you've made the perfect prank love potion huh?" Minnie rolled the thought around in her head, they had peaked her curiosity. She raised a wicked eyebrow, "so who are we trying it out on?"
Fred and George looked at each other and laughed.
"Luna." They bragged together.
"And how does it work?" Minnie folded her arms and shifted her weight to one side, unconvinced.
"She'll fall for the first person she sees…" George smirked.
"So we're going to put a drop in her tea and leave it to fate."
"And how long will it last? I don't want to have to stop a lovelorn Luna from following whoever she falls for all night."
"An hour or two." The twins replied.
George swiped a small orange phial from the box, closed it up again and motioned for Fred and Minnie to follow him but Fred waved him ahead, "We'll be right behind you."
Once George re-entered the house Fred turned to Minnie, "I've missed you too."
He leant down to Minnie, placing a hand on her waist and drawing her in closer to him. With his free hand he stroked the side of her face and lifted her chin to look up at his cheerful face.
Minnie raised herself to her tiptoes and kissed Fred lightly on the lips before pulling back and biting her own lip mischievously. His eyes sparkled and he leaned down to kiss her again, this time it lingered. Their noses squashed together as they tried to get closer. Fred moved his hand from her waist to her face, cupping her blushing cheeks. Minnie wrapped one hand around the nape of his neck, not allowing him to draw away, the other clung to the collar of his shirt. Neither wanted to but eventually, they pulled away for breath, gasping and gulping the air. Their foreheads rested together and Fred kissed the tip of her nose, then her cheek, then her jaw, leaving a trail of fire on her skin before returning to her lips.
He was gentle but playful, pulling away only to go back in and peck her on the lips once again until Minnie wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let Fred tease her anymore. He replaced his hands on her waist and Minnie could feel him grinning as their lips wound together.
Booming laughter erupted from the house and they pulled themselves away from each other.
"We should go inside." Minnie sighed.
"Right now?" replied Fred, stroking her bottom lip with his thumb.
Minnie groaned and slapped him on the chest lightly, "right now. I want to make a good impression."
Hands met and fingers slotted together like puzzle pieces as they walked into the bustling crooked house.