For: QL Semi Finals
Prompts: [We were, weren't we?] [I never should have mentioned it.] [The Three Broomsticks]
Note: This is also for Sammy for GGE. I'm sorry it turned out more Gideon/Marlene and less First Order!Friendship then I intended. I hope you still like it though!
"You're here! About time, it took you long enough."
Gideon grinned as he slid into the booth next to his brother. "What, were you worried I'd been done in by Death Eaters?"
Fabian scoffed. "Me? Worried about you? As if."
Gideon's grin got wider. "You know, dear brother, if I didn't know any better I'd say you just paid me a compliment. You clearly think I am a magnificent fighter if you're not worried about me getting killed by Death Eaters."
Scoffing again, Fabian elbowed his brother in the ribs hard enough to leave a bruise. Gideon scowled.
"Oi! That bloody hurt!"
"Good, it was supposed to."
"Wanker."
"Twat."
"Twit."
"Prat."
"Don't you dare start fighting in here," a voice said suddenly. Gideon looked up to see his girlfriend, Marlene McKinnon, standing at the edge of the table with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't look amused. Gideon grinned, not at all sheepish. "I swear on all that you value, if you two wankers get us kicked out of the Three Broomsticks again then I will castrate you."
Simultaneously the brothers winced, knowing full well that Marlene would probably carry out her threat.
"Nice to see you too, Marley," Fabian said sarcastically. She stuck her tongue out at him. Gideon laughed, amused at the antic between his brother and his girlfriend. He felt a sense of calm, sitting there with his arm around the tall blonde's shoulders, next to his brother. It was the first time in months where none of them had missions, and so they decided for one night to be a group of friends getting a drink together, as opposed to members of dangerous secret organization fighting for freedom against a prejudiced dictator. For one night, they were going to act their mere 22 years of age.
"Do you remember that time when Fab and Gid switched places and tried to get the whole school to believe them?" Marlene said with a laugh. Gideon scoffed, turned his head to look down at Marlene and said indignantly,
"What do you mean 'tried', Mar? We fooled the whole bloody school! It was our greatest achievement."
"We fooled you, Little Miss 'I can always tell you apart'," Fabian pointed out. Gideon didn't even try to stifle his laugh, earning him a punch in the shoulder.
"Minx," he grumbled, but there was no heat behind it. Then he smirked. "He's right though, you always claimed you could tell us apart, but even you were fooled."
Marlene rolled her eyes and scoffed, settling back into the circle of Gideon's arms.
Still smirking, Gideon poked her in the arm. "You're not still sore over the fact that we tricked you into going on a date with Fabian who you thought was me?"
Marlene's scowl deepened. "I knew it was Fabian the whole time. I was just playing along."
"Oh really?" Gideon teased. It was a subject that never got old, he thought. The time when Marlene McKinnon, one of the few who could always tell them apart, got fooled. He grinned cheekily, loving the flush of her cheeks as her pride took over. It was comforting, talking about Hogwarts. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they were just a bunch of reckless teenagers causing mischief and mayhem. Now they were soldiers, fighting a never ending war. Turning back to Marlene, Gideon smiled as he watched her try and defend herself.
Marlene threw her hands in the air indignantly, nearly whacking Gideon in the face. "I knew exactly who was who!"
"Right," Fabian drawled, "I'm sure you did."
"I did!"
"Mmn hmm, I believe you."
"Prat. I knew it was you."
"Then why'd you let me kiss you?"
Gideon chucked, he could see Marlene was fighting off a smile as she mock glared and bantered with his brother. They all knew full well that Marlene was lying, at the time she genuinely thought it was him. However, teasing her about it was far too good an opportunity to pass up.
Marlene's blush deepened. "I, well, I mean," she stuttered, fumbling for an answer. Gideon decided to help out.
"You just thought it was me?"
"No!"
"Then what?"
Marlene bit her lip in that adorable way she did when she was nervous or thinking.
Slowly she turned to face Gideon and Fabian. "I was trying to determine who was the better kisser."
Marlene watched in satisfaction as both boys mouthes dropped open.
"What's going on?" Hestia Jones queried while she slid into the booth with Caradoc and Benjy not far behind.
Gideon smirked again after muttering a greeting to his friends. "We were reminiscing on the time we had the whole school, including our dear Marlene, fooled when we switched places."
"I wasn't fooled." Marlene stuck her chin out, pursed her lips and folded her arms indignantly.
"There, there, dear. It's okay, we fooled everyone," Gideon teased, patronizingly patting her on the head. She scowled and smacked his hand.
"Marlene reckons she knew it was me on that date and not Gideon the whole time, and that she let me kiss her to determine which of us is the better kisser," Fabian interjected before Marlene and Gideon started bickering.
Caradoc rolled his eyes, a small smile however betrayed his amusement. "You're all idiots," he laughed.
He was by the far the most responsible of the group, which was ironic considering he was the youngest. He was the one who made sure they never drank too much at the Gryffindor parties, and he took care of you if you did. Caradoc Dearborn really is the Mum of the group, Gideon thought with a smile. The complete opposite of Benjy. Benjy was the life and soul of the party, the one you went too for a good time. Hestia was a mix of the two, less irresponsible than Benjy, but less responsible than Caradoc.
"So tell us," Hestia Jones said while leaning forward across the table excitedly, a large grin graced her freckled face. She always was a fan of good gossip. "Who's the better kisser? Fabian or Gideon?"
Gideon and Fabian grinned identical grins. "Yeah, Marls," they said. "Who's the better kisser?"
Marlene pretended to consider for a moment, chewing a strand of her long blonde hair. "You know, I have to say that you're both awful kissers. Really. Terrible technique. But," she sighed, "If I had to choose one of you then I would choose..."
Both boys leaned slightly closer to Marlene. "Yes?"
Marlene grinned. "I think Fabian was actually better, just by a fraction of an inch."
Gideon's mouth dropped open in shock. "Marley, sweetheart, I know you've had a few firewhiskeys's but really you ought to know that I am clearly the better kisser, I mean you're dating me after all."
"Rubbish! Gid, stop being a prat. You're just jealous because your girlfriend likes my kissing better than yours."
"Please, Mar's just saying that to make you feel better because you're not as handsome as I am."
"Ha! You're in denial, little brother. I am the supreme twin. I am the smartest, the most handsome and the best kisser. Get used to it, little bro."
Fabian and Gideon glared at each other as they bickered, but there was no real animosity behind their words.
Benjy cleared his throat, gaining their attention.
"Alright, alright lads, break it up," Benjy smirked. "We all know that I'm the best kisser out of all of us here. Marlene can vouch for me, Hestia made us kiss in truth or dare back in 6th year."
Fabian and Gideon scoffed in unison. "You? As if."
"Hestia," Marlene laughed, "Look what you've done! You've gone and started World War Three!"
Hestia snickered, not at all sorry. "Oh dear, I never should have mentioned it."
Caradoc smiled wistfully. "We were all prats at Hogwarts, it's any wonder the teachers didn't put us in detention more often."
Gideon rested his arm lightly on Marlene's waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. "We were, weren't we?"
Fabian lifted his glass in a toast. "To us! The greatest group of friends Hogwarts has ever known."
"To us!"
Everyone echoed the toast, no one realised that it would be the last time they were all together. The next day Fabian and Gideon would be on duty in Diagon Alley when the Death Eaters would attack. Neither of them would make it out alive. Little did they know, as they raised their glasses in a toast, that it was the beginning of the end.