Living the Dream
A/N: Heys guys, just a little oneshot in honour of Fred Weasley. Don't forget to check out my ongoing story A Tick in Time, update coming soon! ENJOY R&R PLZ!
"George! George!" yelled Fred Weasley bounding the stairs into the empty common where his brother and their new friend Lee Jordan sat playing gobstones. They both looked up at his call and he waved an aged parchment at them, "I worked it out!" He watched as they expressions became gleeful and they gestured him to come over.
"Did you really Freddie?" asked George asked excitedly.
"Yeah, wait till you see what it is, it was totally worth the dungbombs." Fred smiled mischieviously.
"Well go on then," Lee challenged playfully, "let's see."
Fred carefully laid out the parchment and with a tap of his wand said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." A map bloomed on the paper as three pairs of curious eyes raked over it's surface. "Brilliant ain't it? George? Lee?"
"It's more than brilliant!" said Lee hoarsely.
"Freddie, this is all we'll ever need to have fun! And Filch will never catch us again!" George began to bounce in spot.
"And look," Fred pointed to parts of the map, "there are passages out of the castle which means we can go into Hogsmeade anytime we wanted."
"Awesome," they all declared in unison. Just then Percy came through the portrait hole. He spotted his brothers and moved towards them, Fred quickly wiped the map with a "mischief managed!"
Percy stopped in front of them, "Did you set off that dungbomb?"
Fred and George looked at each other and innocently said, "Why would we do that?"
Obviously Percy didn't buy it and shook his head disapprovingly, "Why can't you two behave and follow the rules like normal first years?"
"Oh come on Perce," whined Fred, "we're just having fun. What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong is that mum is already mad at you, I wouldn't be surprised if you both get howlers tomorrow."
"Don't worry," George rolled his eyes, "Our grades are still good so mum has nothing to get upset over."
Percy snorted derisively, "We'll see. "Anyway what are you lot up to?"
Fred said, "we're just heading to bed. George and Lee had a round of gobstones and I was doing my homework."
Percy looked at the parchment and turned to glare Fred, "You haven't even written anything!" he exclaimed. Behind his back, words started to appear on the parchment. George and Lee shared a shocked glance and let out an involuntary stunned laugh causing Percy switch his attention to them, "What?"
George cleared his throat, "I think you need your glasses checked big brother, Fred's homework is right there." Percy and Fred's jaws dropped as they saw now a fully written essay on the previously blank page.
Percy looked back at Fred who quickly snapped his jaw shut. "See...I told you so." Fred crossed his arms.
The older Weasley struggled for words, "Oh well...guess I wasn't paying attention...go on to bed all of you, it's late." The trio gathered their stuff and trouped upstairs, into their dorms. Lee went to the bathroom and Fred sat down on the bed, map in hand and George sat next to him.
"Thank you map," whispered Fred not feeling stupid in the slightest.
George took it, "Yeah thanks, you saved our skins back there."
To the twins continued amazement, the essay disappeared and new words appeared.
Mssr Mooney congratulates you on the recovery and opening of the map and adds that it was no trouble at all.
Mssr Wormtail also congratulates you and wishes the best of luck for your future pranks
Mssr Padfoot says that the map was made for helping mischief makers and hopes that you will use it well
Mssr Prongs says all pranksters stand together
Fred sighed, "You know Georgie, I wanna be a marauder."
"Yeah me too," George said wistfully.
"Maybe we could be," Fred said hopefully.
George shook his head, "Freddie we don't know what happened to these blokes. At the very least they are much older now."
"So?" Fred asked petulantly, "I bet we could find a way."
George laughed, "Okay but until then let's try to be as good as them, maybe better."
Fred nodded seriously, "Fine, but you'll see. One day Fred and George Weasley will be marauders!"
19 years laters...
George Weasley stood in the kitchen of the Burrow. He looked out into the yard where James Sirius, Teddy, and Fred II were playing. His son George Jr. wasn't feeling well so he lay on the couch in the living room. George Sr. smiled remembering the day his second child was born. Angelina had been the one to pick the name and George quirked an eyebrow and asked why. Angelina laughed and rubbed his arm while gesturing to Fred who sat staring at the baby. She smiled and said where there was Fred, there had to be a George and that was that. The boys were as close as the twins had been and took pride in living up to their names to a T. George Sr. walked over to the couch and knelt down,
"How are you feeling Junior?"
"I'm okay dad," George declared but belied that statement by sneezing hard.
"I can see that," his father laughed.
George Jr. pouted, "I want to go play with others, please dad can I?"
The other shook his head, "Sorry, no can do kiddo. Your mum said no." The kid was about to argue when the door banged open and the voice of three excited boys flowed in. "Easy there you lot!" George Sr. called over his shoulder and there was a chorus of "Sorry!" This was followed by the sounds of glasses clinking and chairs scraped against the floor. "Let me go see what they're up to squirt." George stood and ruffled his son's fiery red hair before turning to go into the kitchen. He saw all three had settled at the table with glasses of water.
"Hey Uncle George?" asked James Sirius.
"Yes?"
"Can Fred be a marauder?"
That statement, coming so blithely and innocently from his nephew, hit him like a ton of bricks. George did a double take and asked, "What?" His voice came out a little a harder and higher than normal.
The boys shifted uneasily, like they were afraid of getting into trouble. Teddy cleared his throat and said tentatively, "Me and James were at Harry's house and Harry told us some stories about the marauders."
"I'm named after two of them," James Sirius piped up. "My grampa and my daddy's godfather."
Teddy nodded, "And my dad was one." George bobbed his head which Teddy took to mean go on, "So then we asked if we could marauders too and he said yes but we needed at least one more person. There were four but one turned out to be a bad guy so three would do."
James came in again, "Then I thought we should ask Fred, he loves pranks after all. Dad said we needed to ask you. So can he Uncle George? Can Fred be a marauder?"
George gulped and tried speak then Fred said, "Please Dad, please! I want to be a marauder too!" George looked his son and nodded, unable to do anything else. The boys got up and cheered together. Little Fred cried, "I'm a marauder now!" George couldn't bear it anymore, he turned from the scene as the tears welled in his eyes. But Fred called, "Dad?"
"Yeah?" George turned back.
"Can George be a marauder too? That way we have four," Fred looked at him expectantly.
George smiled, "It's fine with me, why don't you go ask him?" All three scampered leaving George in the kitchen. Judging by the sounds coming from the living room, his son had said yes too. George pulled out his wallet where he kept a picture of him and his twin on the day they bought their shop. He amused himself for moment imagining Fred celebrating with the original marauders. He could also hear his brother's voice, See I told you Gred, I knew it would happen someday! Fred and George Weasley are marauders!. George wiped his face and his eyes flickered up as if he could see beyond the floors and roof of the Burrow, pass the clouds, to that place where his brother was now.
"Yeah Forge, you were right," George whispered, "I just wish you were here to live the dream with me."