Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
a/n: Just something that I thought of while rereading the seventh book, and of course using some of my favorite Next Gen characters. Hope you enjoy and please review.
Red Hair and Firewhiskey
Dominique Weasley caught the unopened bottle of firewhiskey that her cousin lobbed her way as ran past him. She shot him a furious look because the bottle had been less than inches away from her recently healed nose.
"You git, I just got that healed after Quiddich", she yelled at him as her blue eyes glowed furiously.
James Potter barely got to mumble a 'sorry' when Fred Weasley ambushed the two cousins. "Will you two shut up, we aren't exactly supposed to be out here you know. And I can't stand Neville's face whenever we get points taken off for Gryffindor", Fred said, glaring at both his cousins are bearing faces of remorse. Their last escape into the night had resulted in a hefty fee, fifty points apiece.
"How far do we have to go into the forest anyways?" Dom asked impatiently.
"What are you afraid of the big, bad scary forest creatures?" James taunted Dom mercilessly. She delivered a swift punch below the belt which shut her cousin up immediately. She laughed as she skipped past a bent over James and an appalled looking Fred. It took only moments for the boys to recover, after which they followed Dominique into the forest.
"Did anyone manage to nick the hangover potion?" Fred asked.
"No, are you bloody mad? The last time we broke into the faculty lounge did not go over so well" Dominique fired back at her cousin. James seemed to still be recovering from the physical assault bestowed upon him by his ever loving cousin.
"Well then, you're going to be sorry in the morning. It always hits you the hardest", Fred answered back to Dominque. She rolled her eyes as she used her wand to open the bottle of firewhiskey that was still in her hand.
The three continued walking into the forbidden forest, deeper than they had gone in years past. At the age of sixteen, the trio had embraced the unlikely notion that they were invincible and obviously smarter than anyone or thing that would ever cross their paths.
It was the evening after the Battle of Hogwarts Remembrance Ceremony. Ever since third year, Dominque, James, and Fred had gathered all the firewhiskey they could persuade out of some of the more lenient kitchen house-elves. Then they would go to the Forbidden Forest and start a bonfire, which they somehow managed to control safely. Fred had lots of experiences with fire due to his father's ceaseless experimentation in the back garden.
None of the three cousins had ever dealt well with all the emotions that seemed to arise around the time of the ceremonies each year. Watching the adults who were usually the strongest members of their family oftentimes break down and cry was enough for all the kids to kind of lose it. The multitude of Weasley cousins dealt with the emotional overhaul in various ways, although none followed such a rule breaking precedent as Dominque, James, and Fred.
The three teenagers made their way deeper and deeper into the forest. Eventually, they found a clearing which satisfied their requirements. Dominque had already finished more than half of her firewhiskey, and James and Fred had both polished one off each.
Fred began to dig a small whole into the forest floor, scattering leaves and various rocks. There was a sharp intake of breath as his hand collided with a particularly sharp, abnormal stone.
"Oi, what the bloody hell?" he said as he grabbed the stone. "Bring your light over here, Dom" he said as his cousin walked over with her lit wand extended above her shoulder. James came to his cousin's side, abandoning his pointless pursuit firewood.
"What is that?" James asked as he examined.
"I don't know, but it sure did a number on my hand", Fred mumbled as he passed the stone off to James.
"Eh, whatever" James said as he slipped the stone in his pocket. "Let's get this party started", he said with a grin on his face. Fred finished making a small hole in the ground and lined the circle with the largest stones he could find in the vicinity. James had reinstated his search for firewood and returned with several dry branches in hand. Dominque had plopped herself down on a stray log as she finished her firewhiskey. The boys called her over to start the fire. Tipsy, Dominque was the only one who could be trusted to light a fire accurately as the three had learned over time.
"This is weird, after this, we only have one more celebration in the woods", James said as he spun his own firewhiskey bottle around in his hand.
"Yeah, but it's not like we will never come back to Hogwarts. Hell, we might even do this for more years, it's only the Forbidden Forest", Fred added, laughing as he thought about finally being seventeen and going wherever his heart desired.
"Ugh, I don't want to think about that. What are we going to do after Hogwarts?" Dominque complained as she took another sip from the mostly full bottle.
"Who knows and who cares, as long as we have loads of fun", James laughed.
"Yeah, that'll make us rich", Dom laughed with her cousin.
"Who cares about money", Fred added.
Dominque and James erupted in laughter. Fred's father had more money than Merlin. It was only fitting that he wouldn't care about money; his future profession was practically tattooed on his arse.
Fred stared blankly at his cousins, not comprehending their laughing episode.
"Oi, let's see that blessed stone James. I want to know what dared to cut my hand up like that", Fred demanded as he regained his composure.
James handed the stone over to his cousin, and then settled himself back down by the fire. The early spring weather was fairly warm during the day, but bitterly cold during the night. The cousins had worn muggle clothes, several layers of fleece button downs, tights, and leather jackets, but the fire was still the main source of their warmth.
Fred examined the stone, turning it around in his hand, focusing intently on the strange object in his hand. James also watched to stone, focusing on his cousins deliberate examinations. Meanwhile, Dom, contently drunk, was stretched out and looking towards the stars. A sudden, chilly breeze, rushed over her face, stirring her unnatural brown hair. She focused on the fire then jumped up with shock.
"Uncle Ge-George" she stuttered as she stared at the figure in front of her. She threw her fourth bottle of firewhiskey to the ground immediately. "This isn't what it looks like, we were just-um- we were just studying for exams. Yeah, studying for exams, have to memorize indigenous species", Dom struggled as she tried to maintain her speech.
James and Fred looked up, both of them suddenly going pale as they in turn tried to stash their own bottles and nodded their heads readily to Dom's suggestion of this unusual outing being a study group.
The George Weasley apparition began to laugh. As cousins examined him closely, they realized he did not look so much like the Uncle George they knew, his hair was redder, less grey, and his face was much younger looking; but most noticeably, this version of Uncle George still had an ear. The familiar laughter began to die down.
"I'm disappointed, of all the great excuses for being in a dark and dangerous forest in the middle of the night, and you come up with 'studying'. I would think that my brother would have educated the three of you better in Weasley-tailored excuses", the red haired man who the cousins realized was no George said as his laughter died down.
The trio continued to stare at the apparition in front of them with looks of shock. James proceeded to rub his eyes while Dominque stole a glance down to her pile of discarded firewhiskey bottles, quickly tallying up the number. Fred just stared in shock.
"Un-Uncle Fred?" his namesake asked with his eyes and mouth wide.
"The one and only" said the tall red-haired man.
"But-but, that's impossible", stammered Dominque.
"Ah, I see some of my brother's insufferable logic has been passed on to you, dear niece", the man said with a wistful look. "And, you're the ones who called my spirit back anyways", he shot back.
"Nu-uh" James said. The gaping look on his face fooled everyone else into thinking that he hadn't said anything at all. Fred continued to stare at his deceased uncle while Dominique quietly chanted to herself "I'm drunk, Merlin's bullocks, I'm drunk" as she shook her head back and forth.
"Yes you did. What do you think that stone is for?" Uncle Fred said with a pompous look on his face.
"I dunno", Fred replied, looking at the stone in his hand.
"Whatever. I don't understand the technicalities of it either. What are the three of you doing out here, not to be the overbearing uncle, but just wondering", Uncle Fred posed to the three teenagers.
"Um, it's kind of tradition. Sitting still for hours while everyone talks about how sad the Battle was has never sat too well with us", Fred answered, staring with awe at his name sake. James continued with the idiot stare, while Dom seemed to still be convincing herself that she wasn't of a right mind.
"So, why don't you spice it up?" Uncle Fred asked.
"Are you kidding? My mother will kill me, bring me back to life, then kill me again if we ever used any of Uncle George's tricks during it", James suddenly outburst, immediately getting out of his slump. "Ginny Weasley is a bloody scary witch when she needs to be."
Uncle Fred laughed again. "Do I know it", he said between breaths.
"Plus last time we nicked stuff from Uncle George's secret stash it didn't end so well", Dominque added, reminiscing on an unfortunate incident when George had been developing a stronger puking pastille, but it had somehow messed up and worked on the other end and lasted for more than a week. The cousins grimaced as their minds went back to the same memory. It was the last time they had used one of Uncle George's products to miss out on sitting for an exam.
A crease formed in Uncle Fred's face as he looked at his nephews and niece. "Hmm, something tells me that that wasn't completely an accident", he mumbled. The three teenagers stared at him with shock and various shades of anger. He began to laugh at their faces.
"We were in the hospital wing for a week and we missed out on the last Quiddich game", Dominque grumbled unhappily. She had abandoned her own convictions that she was seeing things and decided to just go with the fact that she had gone crazy for real.
"Who cares Dom. There's pain required for every great discovery", Fred said to his cousin reproachfully.
Uncle Fred laughed good-naturedly. The laugh comforted the cousins. It was so like Fred's father, but had a happier timbre to it, which let it be known to the cousins that their current state of drunkenness was not a crime in their unknown uncle's eyes. "Sit back down. I'm not going to disrupt your party. I'm not your bloody parent. I'm the 'cool uncle'" Uncle Fred added.
James immediately sat down after he went to the convenient muggle cooler to grab himself another firewhiskey. Fred did the same. Dom shot her uncle one wary look, and then followed her cousins' actions.
The party continued with arguably the four most jovial Weasley members united for the first time. But partying with their dead uncle did have some serious consequences when the conversation turned serious.
"Uncle Fred, why did you have to die?" James asked suddenly.
"So I could bequeath my name to my awesome nephew" Uncle Fred replied as he reached out to ruffle the mentioned boy's hair then thought better of it and withdrew his hand.
"Come on, be serious" Dom commanded as she hiccupped loudly and quite unladylike.
"Well I didn't have a choice in the matter, did I? It was my time, simple enough. But I died for you three", he said as his smile fell from his face.
"How, we were even a twinkle in our parent's eyes" James reiterated a phrase that he had heard various family members say over the years.
"Well, of course I'm beat up about not being able to see you all grow up, but I died so that you would have something to live for, so that you could grow up in a world where some evil wizard wasn't trying to kill you every other day", Uncle Fred explained like he was expressing a complicated arithmancy equation.
"Yeah, but you were so young, only a few years older than us, and there's no way that we are thinking about kids right now", Dom added.
"That's a good thing", Uncle Fred said with raised eyebrow and a pointed look, "but during the war, we all had to grow up faster than expected, we all had to be prepared to fight for a future which we all knew we might never see."
"But my dad was really tore up when you died, Uncle Fred", Fred replied with a sad look on his face.
"I know, but it's all for the best isn't it? He has a strong company, an excellent wife, and two brilliant kids. And the reason he has all that is because people fought and died in Hogwarts more than twenty years ago. The reason that you three can come out in the woods without the fear of being captured by some Death Eater is because people like me sacrificed our lives so that you could live long and full ones. And accordingly, you should do all that you can to assure that hope comes true", Uncle Fred said with a pointed look at his young relatives.
"Does that have to start tonight or can we wait 'til tomorrow to start taking care of ourselves better?" James asked with a sheepish look as he regarded the discarded firewhiskey bottles at his feet.
"Ha-ha, whenever you want James. Just promise me all three of you that you will give your parents a run for their money. I owe all of those gits for not spicing up every morose and sappy memorial service in my name", he laughed.
The cousins all laughed as the regarded their uncle. The foursome continued to talk late into the night, discussing everything that had gone on in the family for Uncle Fred's sake as the teenagers tried to wheedle out stories for blackmailing purposes from their uncle. Eventually, the drunk teenagers began to fall to sleep in the woods, one by one.
Dominque was the first to crash. She was the smallest of the three, so her weight to alcohol ratio was already extended. James was next. He simply laid his head on a log and his loud snores could be heard within seconds. Soon, it was to two who shared a name left quietly discussing their lives.
"Thanks for letting me borrow you name, Uncle Fred", young Fred said as he looked up adoring at his uncle.
"No problem, kid. I knew it was going to someone who would serve it well. Trust me, someone would have felt my wrath if it hadn't been", Uncle Fred laughed.
"What are we going to do when we are both up there in the big joke shop in the sky?" Fred pondered, making nearly no sense in his drunken, groggy state.
"Ah, you've got a long time to figure that one out, nearly a century on your side mate, so don't worry. At least one of us will have a plan by the time that day comes", the elder Fred says gently. "Sleep well, my little troublemakers and do me proud" he whispers, when just as the younger Fred falls asleep, the older fades, back to the 'joke shop in the sky'.
XXX
"James Sirius Potter, what in Merlin's name do you think you are doing?" a shrill and angry voice accompanied a beautiful, middle-aged, red haired witch. "You get up this instant young man, you have some serious explaining to do. Wandering off in the middle of the night and not returning this morning and—BLOODY HELL!" she screamed as she saw the more than twenty firewhiskey bottles strung across the clearing.
"Dominque Weasley, I swear your sister never gave your mother and I such troubles. Called in the early hours of the morning telling me my daughter and her two cousins are missing and haven't been seen since the ceremonies and requesting my assistance to help find her", a furious Bill Weasley trembled.
"Mon Dieu! Tu ne permetts pas jouer Quiddich, tu ne permetts pas parler, tu ne permetts pas aller à l'ecole! Tu finis! Je te tuerai! Je te tuerai!" Fleur said in rapid French.
"Fred, you better have a damn good explanation for why your mother and I had to be disturbed so damn early" George said while glaring at his son's recumbent form.
"Oi, stop yelling, Dom. You always speak in French when you are drunk and it drives me crazy" James said as he covered up his ears and rolled onto his side. His mother walked swiftly over to him and delivered a rather sharp kick to her son's ribs. She was preparing to aim another one when her husband came over and held her back.
"Honey, it's never nice to kick a man while he's down", Harry muttered. George sent a rueful smile at Harry before Harry was hit with a stinging curse right in the stomach. "Oi, Ginny, there's no need for that", he said through sharp intakes of breath.
"No need? No need? Our son is passed out with a hangover from last night's escapades on the anniversary of the battle where his father nearly died and I'm not allowed to physically beat him? Give me a break Harry, I could be cursing him", Ginny hissed through clenched teeth.
As Ginny went on her rampage, Fleur was undergoing some pretty horrific changes near Bill. Suddenly her beauty when from lighting up a room to making all present cower back in fear. "Lâchez-moi, maintenant Bill. Je tuerai sa fille dans ce moment!" Fleur said, straining against her husband. Dominque, who was slowly coming to, heard some of her mother's French and a look of fear clouded her face.
"Maman, maman, moins fort, moins fort si vous plait", Dom begged of her mother. She had sat up and suddenly felt very ill. Her mother turned away from her daughter and ignored her completely as her husband tried to calm her with simple breathing exercises.
"Fred, you are so lucky that your mother is out of town or else all hell would have broken loose and not even I could protect you", George said loudly to Fred who was already sitting on a log with his head in between his knees. "Although, between you and me, this is the greatest thing I have ever seen. With Ginny kicking James, that is a story that will never die", George whispered, much more quietly in his son's ear.
"Stand up, all three of you. You have a lot of explaining to do", Bill Weasley ordered. As the senior most member of the family present, his assumed rule was that of ultimate punisher at the moment. "Fred, why don't you start since you seem to be the only one who isn't going to puke in the next fifteen minutes", Bill ordered. As if to clarify his statement, Dom began to vomit loudly onto the smoldering fire.
"We-we, um, well, you see. We came out here to study for our exams, magical creatures to be accurate. Because we are supposed to know the androgynous animals, you see", Fred stumbled, trying to recall something Dom had said last night.
"Androgynous, you're going to go with that?" Bill asked as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Um, yeah?" Fred said with a questioning tone.
"Ok then, well since you spent the whole night studying, James, I'm sure you will be able to tell me exactly what an 'androgynous' magical creature is, won't you?" Bill asked James who had been struggling to his feet, but when he was addressed by his rather frightening looking uncle fell immediately back on his bum.
"Um, yeah. Hold on, let me just get my—yeah, I'm not going to yank your chain Uncle Bill. I don't know. I'm not very good at school", James said with a defeated look on his face as another attempt to right himself ended in failure.
"So, Dominque, I'm sure that you will be able to tell me where you got these firewhiskey bottles and what they were used for, to aid your studies of course" Bill ordered of his daughter who had released her head from the fire pit and was now sitting on a log, and extremely pale shade of green.
"Um, you wouldn't believe me if I told you that we found them randomly, would you?" she asked, trying to assume the most innocent look possible. Her father's stern and stoic features paired with a tiny head shake gave her a nonverbal answer.
"Hmm. Well, I think I can surmise what happened here, but I believe someone whose more familiar with rule breaking should take the stand here", Bill said as he turned and gave a pointed look to his brother.
George cleared his throat. "Well, obviously, the petitioned the kitchen house-elves for whiskey, got more than enough, then came out here to celebrate Merlin knows what and then they got too drunk and passed out right here in these fabulous accommodations", George said in an announcer sort of voice. Bill shot his brother an exasperated look.
"You know, I think I have the perfect punishment. First, you are sitting through all your classes today, there will be no hangover potion for any of you, and when you get home you are all grounded: for half the summer. And keep in mind, the teachers haven't even got a hold of you yet", Bill said, glaring at the three teenagers with an evil look on his face. "Get up, come on. You are already late for your first class, all three of you", Bill said as he rushed his children along.
The five adults began to leave the clearing. The sun was already up and it was a beginning of a beautiful spring day, however, the cousins did not feel the same way. As they walked behind the adults, they began to converse quietly with each other.
"Do you remember anything?" Fred asked as the most sober of the group.
"No, only this really strange dream I had about Uncle Fred", Dominque whispered back to her cousin.
"I think I had the same dream!" James shouted, and then suddenly clutched his head as the sound reverberated through his skull.
"Yeah, with the weird shaped stone and having a totally normal conversation with him", Fred suggested as his cousins looked at him shocked. Suddenly all three of them jumped at the realization and began shouting at their various parents.
"Mum, dad, we met Uncle Fred", James told his mother and father. Ginny looked about ready to murder James for about the eighth time that day.
"Yeah, it was like a real conversation and everything, mama, dad", Dom added as she looked at her parents.
"Dad, we're not lying. We really talked to him and he was—is so cool and he was talking to us about what we need to do and everything that happened during the battle and—it was so cool", Fred said, pleading earnestly with his father through his eyes.
"Shut up, now, all of you. That is extremely cruel to do this family, use your drunken escapades to wake up sad memories of your dead uncle. I swear to on Dumbledore's grave, when you return home this summer your life is never going to be the same again James Potter", Ginny added as her brown eyes glowed furiously towards the teenager.
The whole motley crew resumed walking steadily but surely to Hogwarts Castle. "They should believe us" Fred complained. "Look, I still have the cut on my hand. So that means that stone must have been real, so therefore, if that stone is real, then Uncle Fred must have really talked to us."
"I don't know Fred, how are the stone and Uncle Fred related. Does the stone bring back the dead or something?" Dominque asked, growing ever more skeptical.
At her words, Harry whipped around and stared at the three teenagers. The rest of the adults halted to watch him. Harry was looking around his surroundings, as if trying to sort through a particularly painful and distant memory. Then he regarded the children again, staring at them with an extreme intensity which the children all buckled down under. The other adults were also staring at Harry with a weird look.
"Where is the stone now?" Harry asked the kids in an even and measured tone.
"Um, I dunno, I must have dropped it when I passed—I mean—fell asleep by the fire", Fred said with a frown on his face.
Harry suddenly turned back around and began walking to the castle once again, pretending as if the whole brief exchange hadn't happened. The kids looked at each other stupidly and eventually silently agreed that their shared drunkenness had caused them to do crazy things, and that even though anything is possible, firewhiskey distorts that divide a little bit too much for any of their likings.