"Ow! Hugo, no hair-pulling!"
Rose Weasley's shrill scream echoed through the house. The two siblings were entangled in an intense battle of hands, feet, and curly red hair on the over-stuffed brown couch in the middle of the Weasley's den. "Rose! If I can't pull your hair, you can't bite!" Came little Hugo's voice as pulled on his sister's cheek.
In room across from the squeals and sputters, a bushy-brown haired figure sat massaging her temples, her elbows resting on a rather large book. Another loud scream followed by a loud thump, and the woman groaned, slouching back in the wooden chair. Pure motherly love kept her from either letting the kids battle till the death or throwing both of them outside and locking the doors. Pushing herself up, she walked into the living room, rubbing her eyes.
"What are you two doing?"
Came her rather tired-sounding voice, and the children instantly looked up, frozen in battle. Both where now on the floor, Hugo sitting on Rose's stomach with a fist of her curly red locks, and Rose with a firm grasp on Hugo's ear. "Well," Rose began, taking a deep dramatic breath, but keeping a grip on her brother's ear. "I was trying to read, and Hugo jumped up and started attacking me. And naturally, I had to fight back, because if I didn't he would win." The girl finished, giving a tug on the boy's ear. He let out a scream and yanked her hair. "Actually, Rose kept calling me stupid, and I tried to ignore her like a good boy but she wouldn't stop. So then I said 'Mummy doesn't like when you call me names' and she said 'so?' and then she jumped on me and started hitting me!" Hugo finished, gingerly detaching himself from his sister and looking up at his mom with a puckered bottom lip. Hermione sighed, her hands on her hips as she watched Rose get up and plop onto the couch.
"I see." She said quietly, brown eyes still watching the two kids as they shifted uncomfortably. "I love you Mummy." Came a small voice and a squeeze just above her knee. "You're so rotten." The woman said, clearly struggling to stop the small smile teasing her lips, and looking down at her son who had on his most practiced innocent look. "You're not out of trouble, though. You two know I need to get this work done, and -" Her voice was drowned out under a loud scream of, "Daddy's home!" from Rose, and both of the kids ran past her into a tall red-haired man's arms.
"Hey Rosie, being a good girl for Mummy?" The man asked, picking up the girl and giving her a squeeze. "I'm always a good girl, Daddy." Said Rose, batting her eyes and snuggling against her father's neck. The man then swooped down again, bringing up the boy. "And what about you Hugo?" He asked, holding both kids in his thick, scarred arms now. Hugo nodded, his head full of red curls bouncing. The man looked up from the kid's faces, a large smile on his own, only to see a cold look from his wife. "They have most certainly not been good kids, they've only stopped fighting long enough to go to the bathroom, and even then they where fighting over who got to go first!" She said, looking flustered as she walked forwards and took Hugo out of his arms and ruffled his hair. "Now that you're home, Ronald, you can keep them out of trouble. I need to finish this.." The man leaned over and shut her up with a quick kiss, "I'll watch them. Take a nap first though, will you? You look awful." Ron smirked as she frowned, "Thanks," Hermione replied, giving Hugo back to him and walking from the room, taking the book off the table with her.
"Okay then, you naughty little buggers, what do you want to do?" Rose squirmed out of his arms, dropping to the hardwood floors with a soft thud. "Will you let me play with your wand?" She asked, eyes wide. Ron laughed, "Not that I don't think you could use it, Rosie, but no. Last time you had my wand you made Hugo's ears huge, remember that?" Hugo frowned, rubbing his ears and also dropping from his father's arms, "I do! It wasn't fun at all!" He grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at Rose.
"Well, lucky for you two, I know just the fun thing to do." Ron grinned as the two kids looked up at him hopefully. "I shouldn't give these to you, since you where bad for Mummy, but.. ah well." He said, dismissing the thought with a wave of his hand and extracting his wand from his pocket. With a simple motion, two small toy broomsticks appeared from the air, dropped into his outstretched hand. "Oh! Our own broomsticks!" The two children screamed, clapping and grabbing for their new toys. Ron gave one to each of them, and then crouched down. "Now, be careful. Your mother didn't want me to get these for you, but I think you can handle them. Let me show you how to get on and work them.."
Within the next hour, Rose was zooming about the house gleefully. Hugo had yet to get his broom to move more then five feet before getting scared and falling off. "I don't like this game!" He yelled in defeat finally, tossing the broom and running down the hallway into the study where his mother was working.
Ron chuckled and turned back to Rose, who was doing loops around the table. "I bet I know who's going to be the next best Gryffindor Keeper!" He beamed as she giggled and clapped her hands happily. "Ronald Weasley! Broomsticks!? They're four and six! Babies!" Came a yell from somewhere deep in the house, as Hermione soon appeared with a statisfied-looking Hugo on her hip. "They could have gotten hurt! And poor Hugo says his head is 'buzzy', probably has a concussion.." She trailed off, clutching Hugo to her and watching Rose still zooming back and forth between the dining room and den. "She's going to be a fantastic Keeper.." Ron said dreamily, evidently not hearing a word his wife had just spoke.
"They're growing up too fast. Isn't there a spell to keep them little?" Hermione sighed, walking over to him and leaning her head against his shoulder, Hugo watching his sister a bit jealously as she shot into the living room.
"If you don't know one, I don't think there is." Ron sighed sadly in return, kissing the top of her head and ruffling Hugo's curly hair.
Crash!
The sound of shattering glass came from the living room, and Rose's innocent "Oopsie." followed close behind. Ron looked down at Hermione again, "Maybe it's best if they do grow up some, at least at Hogwarts they have house elves to clean up their messes..." He said with a sly grin as Hermione glared at him, failing to hide the smile that came to her lips.