Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition round 11: Siblings. My challenge for this round was to write for the Weasley twins. Optional Prompts: Party, Dialogue, "What do you mean not your fault?", and Change. Technically, I guess it should be AU, but I refuse to kill Fred so if you don't like it, sorry but I'm not sorry. That being said, I hope you enjoy!
Change...or Maybe Not
April 1, 1986: the quiet of St. Mungo's was broken by the cries of a newborn baby boy. Three minutes later, his cries were joined by his twin's. The boys were handed to their beaming mother who held them, one on each side of her body. Suddenly, the boy's looked across at each other and their crying instantly ceased. Instead, both faces cracked identical mischievous grins. The Wizarding World should have known then what was coming: Fred and George Weasley.
Fast Forward Twelve Years
A crisp, autumn night at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: the castle has long fallen silent as the students have retired to their common rooms for the evening. The common rooms, however, are a different story: in particular, the Gryffindor Common Room.
Red and Gold banners hung from every surface while the lions on them roared in an attempt to be heard over the chatter and commotion of the students. Food littered every table while candy wrappers littered everything else. Empty drink cups were thrown haphazardly all over the room and full ones were being carefully guarded by their drinkers. At the center of all the commotion stood the entire victorious Gryffindor Quidditch Team…well, almost the entire team. "Where did those two go?" Angelina Johnson called to anyone who would listen.
"I think someone said something about being short on food, and they left," Alicia Spinet replied with a glance at the portrait hole just as it swung open.
"Never fear," Fred Weasley called from the portrait hole.
"We are here!" George Weasley finished entering behind his brother.
"And we brought more food!" Fred added with a grin as he tossed his wares down upon the nearest table.
"How did you get all of this?" Angelina cried in delight.
"Don't ask," Fred grinned.
"And we won't lie," George finished with a grin identical to his twin's.
"Now, aren't we supposed to be having a party?" Fred asked the room at large.
"Well, now we are," George replied seriously. "You and I just got back, so now it's a party," he added when Fred glanced at him, slightly confused.
"Too true, brother," Fred laughed. "Well, carry on everyone and bask in the glory of a Gryffindor victory over those useless snakes downstairs!"
The crowd cheered, and Fred and George threw themselves into the thick of the celebration.
Fast Forward Four Years…
Fred Weasley strolled purposefully through the halls of Hogwarts holding a beautiful bunch of flowers in his hand and sporting a delighted grin upon his face. Tonight was his three month anniversary with Angelina Johnson. The two of them had just clicked at the Yule Ball…it had been the last thing he had expected, but he wasn't complaining. He knew that some people might laugh to see the big deal he was making out of three months, but he liked the excuse to dote on Angelina a bit, hence the flowers.
The date was due to begin in just a few minutes, so Fred picked up his pace to reach the common room in time to meet her. To his surprise, she wasn't standing outside the portrait hole waiting for him. Frowning slightly, he gave the Fat Lady the password and climbed inside the common room. He glanced quickly around the room: Hermione spread out across two tables working on what looked like three essays at once, Harry and Ron playing chess in front of the fire, Dean and Seamus discussing quidditch, Lee chatting up Alicia Spinet and Katie Bell, George and Angelina kissing in the corner. Yep, everything was normal-wait! George and Angelina kissing in the corner?!
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?!" Fred yelled across the room, and Angelina immediately broke away from George. George looked ready to disappear into the floor, and Angelina looked between the brothers with a fearful expression on her face.
"Fred, wait-" she tried but Fred had already spun on his heel and stormed out of the common room.
Around midnight, Fred finally dragged his feet back to Gryffindor tower feeling worse than he had ever felt in his life. How could George have done that to him? His own twin…he just couldn't believe it. He glumly gave the password to the Fat Lady and crossed through the now empty common room and up to the sixth year boys' dormitory. He slouched over to his bed and sat down on the edge before burying his face in his hands.
"Mate…" George's voice penetrated his haze, and Fred's head snapped up to glare at his twin.
"What are you still doing up?" Fred growled.
"I had to wait for you," George admitted. "I was beginning to think you'd stay out all night."
"I would've if I'd known you were still up," Fred snapped.
"Look, mate, it wasn't my fault," George tried to explain.
"What do you mean not your fault?!" Fred roared. "You were snogging my girlfriend!"
"You've got it wrong, Fred," George insisted. "She came onto me, I swear! I was just standing there, and she came over and started snogging me!"
"It's true, Fred," Lee chimed in.
"What are you talking about?" Fred asked in a much quieter tone.
"I hate to do this to you mate, but you need to know the truth," George began. "I was just standing there trying to plan a way to get Katie or Alicia away from Lee, and Angelina just came up to me. She said, 'Happy Anniversary,' and started snogging me! She even said your name a couple of times…I-I honestly think she got us confused."
Fred sank down onto his bed again and shook his head. "Well that's that then. I can't date a girl that can't even tell me apart from my twin."
"So you're not mad at me?" George asked warily.
"No, mate, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have flipped like that," Fred said seriously. "Look how much we've changed. When we were kids, I would've pinned that on Angelina without a second thought, and then tonight…"
"You don't regret having a twin, do you?" George asked.
Fred was silent for a moment before answering. "Nah! What's better than a twin? There's a million girls out there, but there's only two of us! Whoever ends up with us better get used to the idea."
"Here, here!" George replied with a grin.
Fast Forward Three Years
Fred and George were just closing up their shop for the night when George leapt into the air with a shout.
"What?" Fred asked sharply.
"It's my bloody DA coin," George grumbled, rubbing his hip. "The thing burnt me!"
Fred glanced down at the coin before a large grin appeared on his face. "Mate…Harry's at Hogwarts…it's time to fight!"
"Already?" George replied sarcastically. "We haven't even been waiting that long."
Fred laughed and chucked his brother on the arm. "Come on, let's go or it'll be over without us."
As George hurried to lock the shop, he thought back to how much had changed over the years.
Both had attempted romances only to find that the girl could not accept the close relationship the twins had; but both boys were determined to keep looking until they found girls that did! Their mother joked that they needed to find twins for everything to work the way they wanted it to.
When they had been children, they had been able to look at each other and pretend it was a mirror. Now, the only way they could do that was by Fred covering up his right ear.
Yes, lots of things had changed, but Fred and George Weasley still treated life like one big party, and George only hoped the war wouldn't cause either one of them to leave that party prematurely. With a final glance around the shop, George flicked his wand and the lights went out as both he and his twin disapparated.
Fast Forward Many, Many, Many Years…
Two elderly twins sat side by side in their shop reminiscing about everything they had done together. Their wives had both passed on already, but their children and grandchildren were all grown and set up for life. The business would be passed on in their family; there was always at least one child with a flair for pranks and jokes. When night fell, the twins bit each other good night and fell asleep there in the chairs. They departed this world as they had entered it: together.
Heaven should have known then what was coming…Fred and George Weasley.