A/N Just a little Christmas fluff. Based in the Trio's fifth year. Written from River's perspective, Christmas at the Weasleys with all their kids, Terry, Hermione, Harry and River.
I don't own anything but River and the plot.
I was sitting with Harry, Hermione and the Weasley children in the Weasley's sitting room just before Christmas brunch when a loud crash sounded from the dining room. All of us looked up and grinned at each other.
"3," Said George, in cruel anticipation.
"2," Fred's tone of voice matched his twin's exactly.
"1," Ron cringed prematurely.
"TIRESIUS BOOT!" Molly Weasley's loud bellow made me jump in my seat.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, I'm so sorry," Terry's hasty apology came next. Funnily enough, he always managed to upset her on Christmas day. Ron, Ginny, the twins, Charlie and Bill grinned. They loved when their mother was yelling at someone else.
"Just pick it up, dear, just pick it up, I'll fix it," The Weasley children, Hermione, Harry and I all ducked into the living room to see the Weasley's eccentric Christmas tree laying on the ground. Terry's face was beet red as he struggled to lift the tree into place.
"Oh, Terry," I sighed, rushing forward to help him right the tree. I heard loud, cackling laughter from the twins behind me.
"I don't know how you manage to ruin something every year, Terry. I mean, you're only ever here long enough to have dinner anyway. Last year, you dumped the gravy,"
"The year before he put his feet through about half the presents," George said as he aided Terry and I in cleaning up the tree.
"The year before that he got hopelessly drunk on the spiked Christmas punch," Ron laughed.
"Yes, and I still can't believe he parses spells when he's drunk," Charlie said, clapping Terry on the back.
"Or that one of those parsings resulted in quite a spectacular magenta fire," Fred said as he replaced a few Christmas ornaments.
"A fire that managed to burn only the Christmas tree," Bill finished the story.
"Shut up," Terry said, good naturedly.
"Or what? You'll tip the tree over on us?" Harry smirked in Terry's direction.
"Shush, Potter," Terry lightly punched Harry's shoulder.
"I do hope you don't manage to ruin half as many things at the Corner house," Arthur Weasley remarked as he replaced the star on top of the tree.
"No, no, they think I'm down right graceful in their house," Terry laughed.
"So you save all your destruction just for the Weasleys?" Ginny rolled her hazel eyes.
"It's River, she makes him nervous," Hermione teased.
"Shush, Granger," I laughed at her.
"Yes, let's not embarrass the poor boy more," Fred said, pointing his wand at a broken bauble that mended itself and slipped back onto place on the tree.
"Or let's," George grinned at his twin devilishly.
"Guys, lay off him," Ginny shot the twins a glare that rivaled her mother's.
"Pretty please, Ginny?" they practically sang in unison.
"Really, guys," She tossed her hair over her shoulder impatiently. The twins looked at each other, grinned, then each swept her up with an arm under her armpit. She kicked furiously at the air.
"Let me go! Let me go! You are children!" She shrieked.
"Let you go?" George asked.
"Gladly!" Fred responded. They dropped her onto the couch and attacked her with their long, slender fingers. They reduced her to a shrieking, laughing mess as they tickled their younger sister. Soon, the rest of the Weasley brothers had joined in torturing their little sister.
"River, Hermione, Help!" Ginny gasped past burst of laughter. Hermione and I ran forward, I started tickling Fred, and she George.
"Oh, no, you don't," Fred gasped. "Harry, get her!" Harry grabbed Hermione around the waist and started tickling her back.
"Terry, what are you waiting for?" George shrieked. Terry chuckled and did the same to me.
In no time at all, we were all deeply breathing lumps on the floor, a few last ditch giggles coming from between our smiling lips.
"Terry?" I mumbled.
"Mmm?"
"I'm glad you knocked over the Christmas tree."
"Yeah, me too," He laughed as we all relished in this perfect moment of our young lives.