Chapter One -

Rose William's POV

I strode about aimlessly, just enjoying my surroundings. I considered muggles about ten times more fascinating than wizards, but wizards were still plenty interesting. My Great-Aunts were still at home. I hadn't wanted to leave them, but I knew they would be awful in crowds, and I needed some new stuff. I walked into a shop that sold robes, curious about getting some new ones. I belonged to Gryffindor, but unlike some of my housemates, I wasn't all prissy about it. I was friends with people from all houses, including several from Slytherin, especially my brother-at-heart, Draco Malfoy.

I looked at some, but didn't buy anything, instead walking into the pet shop. I looked at the owls, but all I saw were big strong birds. "Excuse me, ma'am." I said to the woman working the shop "Are there any smaller birds, maybe not so strong?" She looked at me like I was crazy, but nodded her head, and brought out a cage with a scrawny little one in it. "This is a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. It won't get any bigger, it's generally six inches tall. Not a favorite, certainly, it can't really carry much mail… are you sure you don't want to look at any others? This one here for example…" she tried to draw me away, but I loved the adorable little thing, and had my heart set on getting it a good home. "Oh no! I'll take him… or her… which is it?" I promptly interrupted with a smile. "Oh… it's a boy…" she continued to look at me as though I was mad.

I smiled. "Thanks. I'm just gonna' go look at the kittens for a sec… kay?" I didn't want to leave her all alone with my monster pygmy owl unwillingly (heavy sarcasm). "Yeah… okay…" I walked over to the kittens. My cat had recently passed away… but then, I never mourned death. I thought that if there was a heaven, then we were mourning our own grief, which would probably turn into a vicious cycle.

Looking into their crate, I saw one particularly adorable calico. It was trying to wrestle the other kittens, who were trying to sleep. I put my hand in, and she started to rub against it. I picked her up, and I could feel her purring against my chest. Still smiling, I brought her up to the check-out. "Can I get this one?" I asked the woman, who still thought I was mad, apparently. "Oh… yes… but I must warn you, she's very mischievous. Prankster really." She informed me. "Mischievous, huh? Well, then she'll blend right in with my family. I'll take them both, please." I paid her, not really caring about the cost. It was fair, for two new family members. Besides, my family was very wealthy – I didn't have to worry.

I was leaving the story with my new pets when I bumped into something… someone. "Oh! I'm so sorry, this happens a lot with me, I'm a bit ditzy." I hurriedly apologized to the gentlemen I'd bumped into. Then I did a double take. They were identical. They had long red hair, and sparkling blue eyes, and their smiles were friendly. "No problem, Miss…" said one, and I blushed, realizing I hadn't introduced myself. "I'm Rose Williams. And you are?" I asked, not about to give without getting. "Fred and George Weasley. You haven't seen someone who looks like us, but shorter, and less dashingly handsome, with a girl and a boy, have you?" I shook my head. These two gentlemen seemed quite nice.

"Too bad. He's our brother. We're supposed to be watching him. By the way, how come you haven't asked which of us is which?" asked the other boy. I grinned and tapped the corner of my shirt. On my shirt it meant nothing, but on theirs they'd embroidered (or someone had embroidered for them) an F and G. They looked down, and the one asking the question turned red. "Oh. Nice cat." He muttered. "Thank you! She just chose me!" I said enthusiastically. "You mean you just chose her." Fred corrected. "NO! She just chose me, silly." I told him. He looked at me like I was insane, but unlike the store clerk, he didn't seem to mind. "Nice to meet you, but I've got to get back home, or my great-aunts will worry." I said, remembering the rush that had led to us meeting. "Oh… Of course." Said George reluctantly. Fred smiled.

I hurried off towards home, wondering how I'd missed them at school. They were in Gryffindor too…

George Weasley's POV

Fred and I were looking for Ron, so we thought we'd check the pet store. Walking in we bumped into a girl. Not just a girl. The girl.
She had vibrant, thick blonde hair down to her shoulder-blades that bounced slightly as she bumped into us. "Oh! I'm so sorry, this happens a lot with me, I'm a bit ditzy." Her voice was like liquid silver, melodious, and a nervous giggle escaped her lips. "No problem, Miss…" said Fred, ever polite and curious. "I'm Rose Williams. And you are?" OH. MERLIN. This was Rose Williams. All thoughts of flirting drifted from my head, her pure-blood relations drifting through my head one by one. Fred introduced us, and I noticed her eyes. They were blue. Perfect, watery blue with specks of silver along the edge. "You haven't seen someone who looks like us, but shorter, and less dashingly handsome, with a girl and a boy, have you?" asked Fred, and I remembered that we were searching for Ron. She thought for a moment before shaking her head.

Trying to say something interesting I said "Too bad. He's our brother. We're supposed to be watching him. By the way, how come you haven't asked which of us is which?" She tapped her shirt, and when I looked at mine, there was a G embroidered where she had tapped. I could feel my face heating up. Brilliant, just brilliant.

"Oh. Nice cat." I muttered, crest-fallen. "Thank you! She just chose me!" she exclaimed, and I felt my lips turn involuntarily into a smile at her obvious joy. For the first time I also noticed her ridiculously tiny owl. George tried to correct her, but she immediately surged with another exclamation. "Nice to meet you, but I've got to get back home, or my great-aunts will worry." She said, and I muttered an unenthusiastic reply. Fred and I said good-bye, and we went to find Ronald. For once, I was glad that he'd wandered off.