"Wait!" Ron cried, running after Fred and George as they flew about the yard on their broomsticks, hitting a Bludger back and forth. He tripped and fell on his face, bursting into tears.

Fred laughed, but his twin felt sorry for the little boy and took pity on him, landing his broom and dismounting. "Are you okay, Ron?"

Ron sat up and beamed at George. "Yeah!"

George laughed now. "Okay. Let's go back inside." He took his brother's hand and led him into the house. "Come on, you need to get cleaned up."

"Hey, George!" Fred called from outside. "Where are you going?"

For the first time ever, George ignored his identical twin. "Come on, Ronnie."

Ron smiled and followed him up the stairs, where George helped the younger boy wash his face and get changed.

"There. All better!" he said, ruffling Ron's hair.

"I like you better than Fred," Ron told him matter-of-factly.

"Don't say that," George said maturely, though he couldn't help but grin a little. He had always liked Ron.

"But why not?" Ron squeaked.

"Er... you're just not supposed to," George answered lamely. "But Freddie will be jealous."

"Oh. Then... it'll just be our secret," he said conspiratorially.

George laughed. "I guess it will be."

Ron smiled sunnily at him. "Are we going downstairs now?"

"Yeah, let's go." George started down the stairs.

"Carry me."

He stopped and turned around. "What?"

"Please?"

"Ronnie, aren't you a little too old—?" Ron was pouting at him; how could he say no? "Oh, alright." He went back to where Ron was standing and crouched down. "Get on."

Ron climbed happily onto his back, and he stood up, supporting his little brother's legs and carrying him precariously down the stairs. He walked into the small kitchen and set Ron down.

"I'm going back to play Quidditch with Freddie, okay?"

"Can I play?"

"No, Ronnie. You're too young."

"But you just said I was too old!"

"Well, this is different."

"Can't I play too?" he pleaded.

"No, Ron." George sighed.

He patted the small boy's head and went outside to play, but every time he turned toward the house, he saw Ron watching him forlornly. Finally he stopped.

"What now?" Fred asked, but George shook his head.

He went into the house and took Ron's hand. "Come on."

Leading the little boy outside, he found Ron an extra broomstick and fetched the enchanted pebble they used as a Snitch.

"You be Seeker," he told him, releasing the pebble. "Be careful."

Ron delightedly zoomed around the yard and George returned his attention to his fame with Fred.

After a few minutes, he heard a yell and a thud. He spun around in midair, the Bludger nearly crashing into the back of his head. "Ron!"

His brother was lying on the ground, broomstick hovering over him. George landed again and ran over to him. "Ronnie, what happened?"

Ron sat up and shook his head dizzily as their mum came running into the yard worriedly. "I caught it," he grinning, showing them the smooth, round pebble.

Mum rounded on George instantly, seeing that Ron wasn't seriously injured. "You let him play Seeker?" she shrieked.

George hung his head. "Sorry, Mum," he muttered.

"'Sorry, Mum'?" she fumed. "Your brother could have broken his neck and all you can say is 'sorry, Mum'?" Without waiting for a response, she helped Ron up and herded him into the house.

George shrugged at Fred guiltily.

George sat between Ron and Fred at dinner. The table seemed unusually empty since Bill, Charlie, and Percy had left for school. Only one more year before he and Fred would go, too.

The four children asked to be excused, and he, Fred, and Ron went to the bedroom he shared with his twin as rain drummed on the windows.

"Ron, what are you doing?" asked Fred when Ron followed them inside.

"George?" Ron asked, ignoring the question.

"Yeah, Ronnie?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

George was puzzled. "Er... why?"

"I'm scared," Ron whimpered, and George noticed for the first time that the small boy was indeed shaking.

"Why?" he asked.

Ron trembled as lightning lit up the sky and let out a yelp when the accompanying thunderclap boomed, shaking the house to its very foundations.

Oh. "Okay, Ronnie. But just for tonight."

Ron smiled happily and raced to his room to get ready for bed.

He came back a few minutes later and burrowed under the covers with George, snuggling up to his older brother. George smiled and ruffled Ron's hair affectionately.

"Night, Ronnie."

Four nights later, Ron was back.

"Alright, alright," George said, resigned. "Come on."

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a small voice reached him. "George?"

He sighed. "Yeah?"

"When I'm older... will you marry me?"

George blinked. That was not what he had expected to hear.

"You can't marry him, Ron!" came Fred's voice from across the room.

"Why not?" Ron asked indignantly.

"Because you're his brother! It's something called incest. You can't marry your brothers and sisters."

"I don't want to. I just want to marry one of my brothers."

"You still can't do that."

"Well, that's dumb," Ron said.

"No, it's not. That would be gross if you married your brother!"

"But I wanna marry George!" he said impatiently.

"But you can't!" Fred told him.

"But—!"

"I'll marry you, Ron," said George.

"You will?"

"Yeah. I will."

He couldn't see Ron's face, but George knew his brother was grinning, and he smiled a bit too, in spite of himself.

"But... you can't..." Fred faltered.

"Oh, sod off, Fred," George said, and hugged Ron closer to him.