A/N: I hope you enjoy this little story about Fred and George. If you think it's cute then please review. Thank you.
Disclaimer: The Potterverse is J.K.'s. I do not own it.
Chapter 1- Percy and the Garden Gnome
"Fred and George Weasley! You get down here right this instant!"
Fred and George, two six-year-old, red-haired twins, sheepishly tripped the wooden stairs of the Weasley home, finding the red and furious face of their mother, Molly Weasley, glaring up at them. The twins, who had been in trouble many times before, knew by their mother's body language — hands on her hips, one foot tapping the ground angrily — that their latest wrongdoing had been discovered.
Fred decided to give feigning innocence one last shot, even though secretly knew it wouldn't work. "What'd we do, mum?" he asked innocently, his green eyes wide. George had a puzzled look to match his twin's. Despite their efforts, Mrs. Weasley seemed to grow angrier and angrier, like a tea kettle that was about to boil over. She was especially irritated at the twins this time, because they had so conveniently decided to pull the prank at five in the morning.
"So," she said, the look on her face betraying the forced calm of her voice, "which one of you put that…that Muggle plant in Bill's bed?" It wasn't exactly a question, it was more of an accusation, and both twins knew there was no getting out of this one.
"A Muggle plant?" gasped George dramatically, attempting to stall for time. "What do you mean?" Fred craned his neck to look past his mother and saw Bill, equally furious, fuming and rubbing his backside. He grinned in spite of himself, then, noticing his mother's hawk-like eyes glued upon him, switched to his previous puppy-eyed look.
"You know exactly what I mean, young man!" snapped Mrs. Weasley, "you put that…cat…cac...cuc…cut…cat..cact…"
"You mean a cactus, mum?" Fred interrupted without thinking. Suddenly his mother formed a big "oops" and he snapped his mouth shut. George's eyes widened and he elbowed Fred.
"Yes!" their mother smiled, relieved that she had finally figured the name out. Then she looked back and Fred and George and her eyes narrowed once again. "That! Where exactly did you get one of those?" She took a step toward them, her figure pointing in their direction accusingly.
Fred and George glanced at each other. From the look on their mother's face, they knew it was time to confess. "Just…the grocery store," Fred mumbled, trying to look ashamed, but feeling a smile growing on the edge of his lips. "They had cactuses in the front, and me and Fred, well, we'd thought we'd get one. Well, actually, we kind of nicked one…but no one saw us or anything — don't worry, Mum!"
The Weasley's mother looked anything but worried. "What?" she hissed, turning another shade of scarlet. Fred and George winced. "YOU CAN'T WALK INTO A MUGGLE GROCERY STORE ALL BY YOURSELF! YOU'RE ONLY SIX YEARS OLD!!!"
"Oh, don't worry mum," Fred attempted to reassure his mum. "We made a diversion before we nicked it."
"Bill's wand -- forgot to ask-" added George.
"-but he didn't seem to notice so it's not important now."
"We made a diversion. We don't know how to work wands so all ours did was make a big bang-"
"-but it worked fine all the same-"
"-and he looked around to see what the noise was-"
"-and we grabbed the cactus, came home, and stuck it under Bill's sheet."
Their mother turned white, then scarlet, then a violent shade of violet. She was angry, annoyed, as well as very exhausted. "And where in the world is Arthur during all of this?" she growled to herself, "sleeping the night away, while I deal with the twins…again."
"WHY IN MERLIN'S NAME DID YOU PUT A CACTUS IN BILL'S BED?" she snarled loudly in the twins direction.
"He ratted on us for blowing up Ginny's cauldron play set," answered George in a voice of deep hurt, as if the twins had no other choice and were forced into planting the cactus in Bill's bed. George nodded furiously.
"-an accident-" Fred added quickly.
"-it's not like she needs it-"
"-so we decided that if he wanted to be such a prat we'd have to give him a reminder to wise up and stop tattling."
"Fred and George," their mother began, her face resembling an angry lioness, "don't you EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN! IF YOU EVER DISTURB THIS HOUSEHOLD FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AGAIN THEN I'LL…I'LL…I MAKE SURE YOUR FATHER TAKES CARE OF THINGS! NOW GET UP TO YOUR ROOMS!"
Their mother trailed off, her face growing redder by the second. Fred and George grinned shiftily at each other. Fortunately, their all their father would be likely to do was to give his trouble-making sons a long-winded lecture.
"Mother!" came a shrill voice from the window garden. It was the twins older brother Percy. Although he was only two years older than Fred and George, he seemed to think he was at least ten years older. Suddenly, the back door banged open and Percy flew in from the garden. A tiny, irate garden gnome was hanging onto his ankle.
"Get it off, get it off," he screamed, as Mrs. Weasley ran over to him and attempted to loosen the clinging garden gnome's grip. It was not exactly an easy task, for Percy was spinning and kicking. At last, Mrs. Weasley grabbed the garden gnome by its foot and flung it outside, slamming the door loudly. Fred and George chuckled softly.
"There, Percy," said their mother consolingly, patting his head. "It's all right. Try not to step on them -- I know how much you hate them. And thank you for being so responsible, unlike some children in this house, and getting some gardening done for your mother."
Fred rolled his eyes. "Come on, Percy," he said. "It's just a little garden gnome. Grab it and throw it over the fence. Simple."
"I'd expect you two wouldn't know the different between a hippogriff and a garden gnome," said Percy haughtily. "I, on the other hand, do, and know that garden gnomes can be highly dangerous."
"Sure Percy," said George sarcastically. "Whatever you say." Percy opened his mouth to make another retort, but snapped it shut and walked upstairs in what he considered a very dignified manner.
"Looks like he's trying to wipe his nose on the ceiling," shouted George loudly, so Percy could hear him. They heard a "humph" and then the slam of Percy's door.
"I bloody can't stand him," murmured Fred. "Prat."
"Come on," said Fred in a mischievous manner. "I have a brilliant idea."