"I love you."
George gazed into her eyes as he held her in his arms. Her skin shone with godlike brightness. Her hair flew behind her with the breeze, each lock shimmering in the sunlight.
"I love you, too," her musical voice sounded. Her brown eyes sparkled like stars in the night as she pulled him closer, a smile playing on her lips.
It was perfect. He could smell her scent as the distance between than managed to get smaller. His heart beat faster as her lips found their way to his and she kissed him with torturing softness. He wanted her, all of her.
She pulled away and looked at him like he was the greatest person on earth. He brushed his fingers across her collar bone and up to the side of her face. He watched in stunned silence as she reached across her chest and pulled down the strap of her shirt...
It was then he heard another voice.
"George…George!" The voice prodded, pulling him out of his fantasies.
He groaned as her beautiful face faded away. He turned away from the voice and tried to fall back into his dream. It had been so convincing…she was right there.
It had been weeks since he had last seen Alicia Spinnet, his former love interest of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, yet her face still shone brightly in his dreams. He remembered the fateful day they had exchanged their last words.
It was the night after the end of term feast. He knew she was acting a little strange and was a bit angry with him for neglecting her those past few weeks, but he had a good reason. He was going to tell her about his and Fred's ideas for "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes" but he just never got the chance. He knew he wasn't being so great to her, but he got too wrapped up in all of his ideas. And to make matters worse, his problems with Alicia hadn't just affected him.
Fred and Angelina had been on the verge of getting back together until the mess that and Alicia had made of everything. Naturally, Fred put his full attention into George's well being and put everything else on hold. Of course Fred and Angelina still exchanged letters, but Fred's main goal was no longer Angelina. It was keeping his brother happy. Angelina seemed to understand that, but George still felt guilty about how his problems had affected them. He knew how much Fred fancied Angelina.
Fred's voice called out again. "George, get up! Mum's coming up here, you have to get up!" he said frantically as his mother's footsteps grew louder.
George sat up immediately as his twins' words hit him. He shot out of bed and scrambled to help Fred who was shoving several long sheets of parchment under their beds. He hurriedly grabbed the pile of wands that was sitting on their desk.
They froze as Molly Weasley opened the door. "Boys! Why haven't you come downstairs yet? Your breakfast is going to get cold!" A loud squeaking noise came from George's direction. She looked at him as he stood there holding a handful of rubber chickens around the neck. He quickly dropped them and shoved them under his the bed with his foot.
"We were trying to clean…like you told us to!" George said brightly as Fred masked his laugher by coughing.
She looked at them suspiciously. "Well, both of you need to get downstairs because it doesn't look like you're making any progress up here," she huffed, turning and heading out the door.
Fred sighed and collapsed back onto his bed. "She's still mad about our O.W.L.s."
"I don't see why," George said, trying to slip into a pair of jeans and failing miserably. "It's not like we were trying to get any."
Fred stood up and grabbed George's arm, steadying him as he lost his balance with one leg in his pant leg. "Yeah, I thought for sure she would have forgotten it over night…I mean the results did arrive yesterday. It's been a whole twelve hours!"
George straightened up and pulled on a t-shirt. It got caught around his face and he struggled to get untangled. Fred rolled his eyes and moved forward to help him.
"Stop squirming," he ordered as he found the ends of the shirt and pulled it down over his brothers' head.
"Hey, isn't that my shirt?" Fred said, looking at the familiar Irish Flag which was severely faded.
George shrugged and headed out through the door. "Who knows, I've stopped keeping track."
They clamoured down the stairs noisily and burst into the kitchen. "Why hello, mother dearest!" Fred said throwing his arms around his mother.
George followed in close suit. "Might we say how ravishing you look today?"
"That apron works wonders on your skin!"
She grudgingly patted them on their backs and ushered them to their seats. Fred and George sat between Ginny and Mr. Weasley. Ron, Percy, and Mrs. Weasley sat across from them. Fred instantly dug into his food.
"Web er karlie ab eel ettinuh er?" Fred asked, his mouth already full to capacity. Ginny gave him a look.
"Translation?" she asked turning to George.
"He said, 'When are Charlie and Bill getting here?'" George answered before digging into his mash potatoes.
Mr. Weasley looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet and smiling pleasantly. "They're coming later this afternoon. Bill has a few things to clear up at a Gringotts though so he might be a little late."
George looked at Fred. "Ib sho esiteb ta shee demb!"
Fred seemed to understand perfectly. "Soab I. Mob ill profly part pestin eel bow tiz er," Fred replied rolling his eyes.
George swallowed. "At least it will distract her a little bit," he said before grabbing a chicken leg.
"Aiby bumb bill erbet bot ar obls," Fred said unintelligibly in a hopeful tone.
"Faft hans!" George said spraying food across the table at Ginny.
"George!" she shouted furiously.
George looked at her with wide eyes. "Sobby, Linny!" He burst out laughing and then began to choke. Fred quickly began thumping his back and began choking too.
"Oh for goodness sake!" Mrs. Weasley huffed, shaking her head.
They sat there choking for a moment, laughter still in their eyes at they patted each others back. It was a ridiculous thing to see. Percy scoffed in disapproval.
"Anapneo," Mr. Weasley said finally, pointing in turn to his sons who stopped choking immediately.
"Thanks, Dad," they said breaking out into identical grins.
"Oh that reminds me," Mrs. Weasley said from her end of the table. "Hermione said she could go with you to the World Cup right?" she asked, looking at Ron who promptly began to turn red.
"Er…yeah, she's coming," he said concentrating on his food.
"She's a lovely girl, Ronald. I'm really glad you're friends with a girl like her," Mrs. Weasley said fondly..
Fred and George exchanged looks. "So you're going with her, eh? I see…" Fred said.
"Did you want a separate tent?"
Ron grabbed at piece of bread and chucked it at the twins. Their beater-reflexes kicked in and they hit it right back to him where it thumped straight into his forehead. Ron stood up angrily and glared at the twins as they roared with laughter.
"Boys, boys, come on now, calm down," Mr. Weasley said wearily, though a hint of a smile was evident upon his face. "Ron why don't you send a letter to Harry, we've already sent one to his aunt and uncle."
Ron grimaced. "You send a letter to Harry's aunt and uncle?"
"Don't worry, we did it the muggle way. Although I wasn't sure how many of those sticker things to put…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off.
Percy cleared his throat. "May I be excused mother, I have business to attend to," he said formally glancing around the table importantly. "Mr. Crouch will be needing me," he said ignoring the looks Fred and George were making.
"Yes, of course, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, dismissing him. She turned and scowled at Fred and George. "See now I don't understand why you don't just follow your brothers' example and get yourself a nice job at the ministry!"
The rest of was what she said was drowned out by Fred and Georges groans of protest and disgust.
Mrs. Weasley ignored them. "What you need, is something productive to do. Not sitting around thinking of more ways to make trouble!
Fred moaned. "For the last time Mum, we'd rather drop dead than end up in a ministry job—"
"—no offence to you, Dad—"
"—but we aren't working in ministry no matter what you say—"
"—no matter how times you threaten us—"
"—no matter how many times you yell at us—"
"—we're going to do what we want to do," George finished.
Mrs. Weasley's nostrils flared dangerously. "And what is it that you two want to do," she asked, her jaw tight.
Ron nervously stood up and edged towards the door sensing danger. "Er…I gotta go to the bathroom," he said quickly.
"We want to start a joke shop," the twins said deftly before he could make a quick getaway.
Ginny bolted from her seat. "The bathroom! Right, I'll come with you Ron!" she said running to his side and shoving him out of the room.
"WHAT!" Mrs. Weasley roared. Mr. Weasley jumped and his newspaper fell to the floor. "A JOKESHOP!"
Fred and George scooted back slightly. "Yeah, a jokeshop…what's so bad about that?"
"That's not a respectable job! Think of your future! You'd be living on the streets in no time!"
George clenched his jaw. "No we won't! And we've already started planning for it so don't think you can talk us out of it!"
"I am your mother and I will do what's best for you!" she exclaimed stubbornly.
Fred shrugged and crossed his arms across his chest. "Fine. Have it your way."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is that a threat? Are you threatening me young man!"
"No!" George said before his mother popped a blood vessel. "It's just that if you're not going to accept what we're doing, then we'll just have to do it the hard way."
"You are not—"
"YES WE ARE!" The twins boomed, identical looks of stubbornness on their faces.
She looked at them curiously for a moment wondering why on earth they were so willing to throw away their future. "Well you're not getting any help from us! Go ahead and ruin your lives, we'll be here the day you come crawling back! Isn't that right Arthur?" she asked briefly looking at her husband who had sunk down in his chair and was hiding behind the Daily Prophet, which he was holding upside down.
He mumbled something unintelligible and the twins almost laughed. Until their mother turned her attention back to them.
Her lips were pursed tightly…never a good sign. "After all the money we've put into your education you're just going to throw it all away!"
"Mum, we'll be sure to give you a discount if you're really that bothered…"
"DON'T YOU TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME, GEORGE!"
"I'm Fred…"
"OH, WHOEVER YOU ARE!"
"Geez Mum, calm down."
"CALM DOWN? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE CALM WHEN MY SONS ARE COMMITING FINANCIAL SUICIDE?!" She shrieked.
Fred and George exchanged looks. They couldn't help it any longer, they burst out laughing.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY! YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR FUTURE SERIOUSLY!"
Mr. Weasley finally put down his paper deciding it was time to intervene.
"Molly dear, why don't you just give it a rest for a little while," Mr. Weasley said apprehensively. He quickly continued when he saw the look on her face. "I'm sure Fred and George will come to their senses after they've had time to think about what you've said."
She seemed to calm down and allowed Mr. Weasley to lead her away from them and into the living room. He winked at the boys before disappearing into the hallway.
Before either of them got a chance to say anything a loud CRACK sounded out somewhere out in the garden.
Fred and George scrambled out of their seats and rushed to get outside.
There amidst the lawn filled with garden gnomes stood a tan, broad-shouldered red head.
"Charlie!" They exclaimed bounding over to their brother.
"Hey!" Charlie Weasley exclaimed, clapping his brothers on the back and ruffling their hair. "My favourite twins!"
"Couldn't you have come just five minutes earlier?" Fred grumbled.
Charlie laughed. "Why, what happened now?"
"Mum just about blew out eardrums out!" George said.
"Really? What did you do this time?" Charlie said heading towards the house.
Fred and George stayed put and crossed their arms. "Everyone always thinks it's us who do something!" Fred groaned.
"Charlie, I really wouldn't go back in there right now if I were you," George said as Charlie approached the door. He turned around and looked at them.
"Well…I suppose I could wait a few more minutes. Where's Gin and Ronny?" Charlie said peering through the kitchen window.
"I believe they're hiding in the bathroom together. It's nice to know our siblings are always there to back us up, eh George?" Fred said.
"Definitely. It's really quite astounding they didn't get put into Hufflepuff. Their loyalty is just so blatantly apparent," George said sarcastically.
Just then, a squeaking noise was heard and Fred and George looked upwards.
"Hey! Is it safe to come down yet?!" Ron yelled through the second floor window. Ginny was looking out next to him.
"Charlie!" Ginny squealed, leaning further out the window.
Charlie waved up a muscular arm. "Hey Ginny! Don't lean too far out, I don't want to have to catch you when you fall!" he hollered.
Ginny's eyes narrowed momentarily. She leaned forward so that she was hanging out of the window. "Sorry, what was that?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU," she leaned out further, hanging on to the side of the window. "WHAT DID YOU SAY CHARLIE?"
Ron grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back inside. "Shut up, Ginny."
"Don't tell me to shut up!" she snapped poking him on the arm.
Charlie looked at the twins as his younger sibling continued to argue. "Is it just me, or does she get more and more like the both of you every year?"
"Hey what are you two doing in my room!?" Percy's voice sounded from the window.
Charlie, Fred, and George looked up once more as Ron and Ginny turned to look behind them.
"I have highly confidential documents of great secrecy in here that is for ministry eyes only!"
"HEY, PERCY!" Charlie called.
Percy's head poked out the window. "Oh…why hello, Charlie."
"Want us to shake his hand for you Perce?" Fred hollered up.
The kitchen door opened and Mrs. Weasley came running out. "What are you two yelling—OH CHARLIE!" she shrieked running over to him. Mr. Weasley followed behind her.
Fred and George rolled their eyes as their mother began to croon over his dragon scars like she did every time she saw him. They could hear somewhere inside, Percy was kicking Ron and Ginny out of his room and complaining loudly about how he never got any peace and quiet.
"You know Fred, I reckon we're the only sane ones in the family," Fred said under his breath.
"We'll definitely have to use the Fainting Fancy's on them once we figure out how to…uh."
"Un-faint them?"
"Precisely."
CRACK!
"BILL! OH! I'm so happy you made it, dear! Goodness, when was the last time you had a haircut!?" Mrs. Weasley said embracing her oldest son.
Ginny and Ron ran outside and waited to say hi to their brothers. Fred and George were at the end of the line.
"I told you she was going to say something about his hair," Fred said smirking.