Moonlight spilled out onto the young Weasley standing outside his older brothers' bedroom door. Clad in just his maroon pyjama pants and a white undershirt, the boy reached out and tapped on the door in front of him, quiet so not to wake the rest of the house.
"Fred? George?"
The boy waited patiently. There was the rustling sound of sheets and quiet muttering and slowly the door creaked open. A sleepy George peered out at his younger brother and yawned.
"Can't sleep?"
Ron shook his head sadly.
George looked over at his shoulder at his twin before opening the door wider and ushering Ron inside the bedroom. Fred was sitting up in the double bed and smiled sleepily at Ron. He patted the empty space next to him and Ron scrambled to sit next to his brother. George climbed in on his side of the bed so Ron was sandwiched between the twins.
"This is the third time this week Ron," Fred said softly.
Ron tried to burrow deeper into the twins' bed. "I know. I just don't want you to go. I want you to stay here and play with me."
"You didn't mind when Bill and Charlie and Percy left for Hogwarts."
"But they don't play with me like you do. I miss them but I'm going to miss you more. And I'm going to have no one to play with and mum is going to make me do lots of work and I just don't want you to go." There were tears running down Ron's freckled cheeks now and Fred and George wrapped him in a hug.
"You'll have Ginny," George reminded him. "I'm sure she'll play with you."
"And Mum won't work you too hard, I promise," Fred added.
"I know," Ron sniffed. "But Ginny won't be able to play quidditch in the orchard with me and she won't want to play chess. I don't want to have tea parties and do girly stuff."
Fred and George chuckled. "We won't be gone for too long. We'll be home for Christmas and Easter and all summer. You won't even miss us."
Ron snuggled in closer to his older brothers. "I am going to miss you. I'm going to miss you so much."
Fred shared a look with George. They both knew what Ron was going through. When Charlie left for Hogwarts for the first time six years ago, they were extremely upset. They were always hanging around Charlie for the few weeks before September 1st.
"Tell you what, we'll play Quidditch and chess and pull pranks on Percy and all that fun stuff with you for the rest of the week," Fred said.
"And when we get to Hogwarts we promise to write every week," George added.
"And if you're good…"
"And let us sleep…"
"We might be so kind…"
"As to send you a complimentary…"
"Toilet seat curtsey of Hogwarts Lavatories." Fred and George chimed together, earning a few giggles from Ron.
"Do you promise to write?" Ron asked quietly.
"Cross our hearts," the twins echoed together as they reached over Ron to draw an 'X' over the other's chest. Ron snickered and burrowed into the lump pillows behind him.
"Can I stay here for the night?" he asked through a yawn.
Fred and George sighed dramatically but lay down on either side of their little brother anyway. Ron smiled a small smile. "Thank you," he whispered softly.
"Good night, Ronnie," the twins chorused sleepily.