He woke up and knew exactly what day it was, his birthday. No, not just his birthday, but his twin's birthday. His best friend.
"Oi, wake up!" Fred whispered. George rustled in his sleep. Their room was quite confined, big enough to fit two twin beds, a chest of draws and two broomsticks.
"George!" now with a little more volume in his voice, George with his back to him waved his left arm as if to gesture "another 5 minutes" but Fred knowing him too well didn't need an explanation, "No, c'mon George..." at this point something caught Fred's eye.
George being the lazier twin couldn't hear Fred's voice anymore. He had given up, he thought. Just as George started to smirk with victory he was hit with freezing ice cold water that hit his face as if he had been slapped. George sat up wide-eyed.
"Bloody Hell Fred!"
"Happy Birthday Bro!"
Molly Weasley was in the kitchen shuffling about in her brown slippers and apron, setting 6 plates on the table with her wand and laying out the cutlery as if a music conductor. First to come down the stairs was Ginny,
"Morning mum" she yawned, wearing her pink dressing gown and her hair looking like it had be dragged backwards through a rosemary bush.
"Oh Ginny dear, just the face I needed to see. Could you quickly get the boy's presents from the cupboard?"
Ginny walked over, still wiping the sleep from her eyes where she found four presents wrapped in red wrapping paper with gold stripes. She tried to pick them when she released she had underestimated the weight of the presents. So grabbing her wand from the side table next to her she casted her spell "Wingardium Leviosa"
"Oh Ginny, they weren't that heavy" She sighed as she wiped the kitchen unit down, "Put them in the middle of the table then, dear"
Looking at the clock, Mrs Weasley could see that her husband was on his way home from work and just at that moment Ron came, well might as well have, crawling down the stairs. Mrs Weasley knew that her second youngest was not a morning person at all and knew never to expect more than a grunt for a reply.
Just as Ron sat himself down at the table, still looking half asleep Harry followed with that adolescent look of not being a morning person, but Mrs Weasley appreciated how Harry tried to hide it.
"Right now, you all know how excited Fred and George are on their birthdays, brace yourself Harry. I really do appreciate you coming home at the weekend for this occasion, considering it was a Saturday Arthur and I thought we should take advantage of it"
"Not a problem Mrs Weasley" Harry replied.
"Do not fear! I am here!" Arthur Weasley bellowed as he walked through the kitchen door. He placed his hat and coat on the hook and kissed Mrs Weasley.
"Morning Ginny, Ron and Harry!" He said, with the smile that was always welcoming and heart warming "Ah, the birthday boys aren't up then" He says looking round the house. The house wasn't that big, but it had a welcoming and loving atmosphere which no mansion could hold.
Just as Mr Weasley sat down next to Ginny, the sound of yelling, jumping on beds then falling off beds was heard. Harry and Ron looked at each other and smirked and Ginny looked at Mrs Weasley expecting her to shout, but just as Mrs Weasley was about to head up the stairs Fred came sliding down the banister and George the other and landed on their feet with their arms spread as if to expect a standing ovation.
"Oh boys!" Mrs Weasley sighed but with a smile on her face, "Sit down before your bacon gets cold."
"Whey up! What's this then?" George said picking up cube shaped present and shaking it.
"Is it for me?" Fred asked. George looked at the label.
"Nope. Me, 'From mum, dad and Ginny' N'aw thanks!" He opened it up, not very neatly, and it was 'Wizarding Sculpturing Gel' with Gilderoy Lockhart's face printed on the side swishing his hair and smiling charmingly.
George looked at his dad and he shrugged his shoulders whereas Mrs Weasley and Ginny were looking dreamingly at the moving picture of Lockhart.
"Oh don't look like that Georgie, Look you have one too Fred!" Mrs Weasley said passing it to Fred, "I thought it might come in handy with that ball happening in a few weeks! Oh Fred, That Angelina girl is so lovely, this might just persuade her to dance with you!"
"Yeah, 'K thanks." Fred said, trying to shut her up quickly and giving her a hug and pecking her on the cheek, George doing the same on the other.
At that moment, Harry passed his present to Fred and said "This is from me and Ron" with a mouthful of bacon and egg. Ron nodded and passed the other to George "'ere" he grunted.
Again, with no elegancy, they both opened their presents, it was a leather bound book with at least 500 pages and it read 'The book on jokes, pranks and funny charms", the look on the twin's face was a picture; their smile was as wide as their face and they cheered simultaneously "Cheers lads".
Half hour passed, Ginny was assisting her mother clear the table, Harry was too assisting when the family owl smacked into the kitchen window. Ron laughed, now a bit more awake and took the envelope from the poor owl's beak. "It's for you two" he said, gesturing to the twins.
"It might be from Hermione" Harry whispered to Ron. The young witch was disappointed she couldn't come for the weekend, but she just had far too many scrolls to write for Professor McGonagall. As Fred opened the envelope leaving tomato sauce finger prints on the seal, he had an expression of disappointment and boredom
"Dear Fred and George,
So sorry I couldn't make it this weekend, things are getting rather busy at the ministry. However I wish you all the best with your exams this year, also with your Quidditch matches and I wish you both a very happy birthday.
Percy"
"At Least he remembered this year" George said while shoving the last of the sausage in his mouth. Arthur Weasley couldn't help but notice the heart-breaking look his wife had in her eyes. He walked over and put his arm round her waist and said "He makes us very proud boys, nothing can be helped". Ginny squeezed her mother's hand as she passed and threw the kitchen towel at Ron, "Don't hurt yourself sitting there" she said with a tone of sarcasm no one could ignore.
It got to mid-afternoon and Fred and George was flicking through their new books from Harry and Ron when Hedwig flew in and landed on the arm chair. Harry walked over to his owl and took two envelopes and a parcel from her beak.
"Fred, George, they are for you" Harry said. Fred took the envelope and parcel that had an Edwardian-like handwriting on the front. Ron looking over Fred's shoulder and said straightaway, "Hermione. How she writes her 'F's drive me insane", Fred giving a curious look towards Ron and opened the envelope;
Dear Fred & George, I am so, so, sorry that I couldn't make it this weekend, I really do envy Harry and Ron but I just have far too much studying for this year's OWLS. Anyway, in the parcel you will both find this year's potion set you both... destroyed in one of your experiments before Christmas. I hope this comes in useful,
Love Hermione"
"She is insane!" Ron yelled from the fridge, "OWLS aren't for at least another three months!"
"Wait a second..." Mrs Weasley interrupted "You both blew up your potion set that your father and I bought for you this year?" the silence that followed was enough for Molly Weasley, "BOYS!" She screamed,
"Uh-oh, Fred, that vain in her forehead is returning" George murmured, "See, I told you it was blue, not green.." he continued.
"You better hope..." Mrs Weasley panted with such fury "That you both get outstanding in your exams this year, because if not, I will personally hang you both from your ankles 'til yourfaces turn blue. Is that understood?" Fred and George nodded with shame.
"Who is the other envelope from then?" Mr Weasley asked, wanting to break the tension.
George scanned the envelope and noticed the Romanian postage stamp, "I think it might be from Charlie" he said with a tone of surprise. George had forgotten about his eldest brother, considering he hasn't seen him for a while, but this was forgotten when he saw 7 rectangular slips in the envelope.
George's face was indescribable and Fred knew this was good or bad news because George was never speechless.
"What is it then?" Mr Weasley said walking over, "Merlin's Beard! Tickets to the Quidditch World Cup Final next year! I heard they all sold out!" Ron forgot about the chicken he was trying to pick at and ran over, followed by Harry and Ginny.
"How many are there?" asked Fred?
"Ur..urm.." said George trying to take it all in "1..2..3..." everyone was waiting and staring at the boy, "7!" he said.
"Oh how generous of him" sang Mrs Weasley
"That is enough for all of us" Mr Weasley said, but going by the look on Fred and George's face, Mr Weasley got the hint,
"Of course" Mr Weasley chuckled "It is up to you who you take boys, they are yours"
"No dad" George choked, still taking it all in, "Fred and I want to take all of you"
"Oh no, I am not interested in that sport, give my ticket to someone else. Give it to Hermione or someone" Mrs Weasley insisted.
"You sure?" Harry asked, knowing he wasn't a family member and felt rather awkward,
"Yes, yes! I want Arthur to go if Ginny is going though. I don't want her life in the hands of 3 adolescent Weasleys". At that note everyone burst out laughing. Fred and George knew this year was going to be one to remember.