The characters are not canon. Not exactly. Despite the fact that Fred died in DH (I cried …truly I did), I couldn't keep him gone. It's my story. I will write it the way I want. This started out as a one shot (which I've never done-I'm not good at short stories), but if anyone likes this enough and is interested, I'd seriously consider turning it into a longer more in depth romance/drama.
So read, enjoy, and review.
Thank you to my beta. Lady S, you are the greatest ever.
Chapter I"Oh. He'll be here any moment now." Molly Weasley frantically bustled around her home in preparation of the newly appointed Minister of Magic visiting their comfortable little home. She rushed through room after room, unintentionally catching sight of her two twin sons awaiting direction from her. She shot a brief look of acceptance over their attire.
"Has the garden been cleaned and straightened?"
"Yes mum." Fred said.
"Are the bedrooms in order?"
"George nodded. "Yes, but why would the Minister be concerned with how any of the bedrooms are looking?"
Molly shot a look of warning before continuing on her way as she continued to speak and lecture her sons.
"This is very important to your father and I. I expect the both of you to be on your best behavior. You will act like two proper gentlemen."
The men shot their mother a look of disregard, disbelieving her request.
Mrs. Weasley shot her head into the room they remained in. "Fake it." She instructed them.
The two smiled their most charming smiles and nodded.
"I hear his daughter is half-muggle." Fred mentioned. "Is that true mum?"
Molly sighed and entered back into the room her sons occupied. "Yes. It's true. She has lived with her mother until just recently in America. She has only a few days ago been brought into the wizarding world. The truth is that her mother, being a muggle thought it best to bind her daughter's magical abilities, so when the Minister's ex-wife died, his daughter had all of her magic hitting her at once. She didn't know what to do, so now, she is being helped by her father to learn about everything around her and us."
Both men nodded again as their mother went about her tidying.
Once all was in order and there was nothing to do but wait the arrival, both Fred and George sat in the kitchen table, rolling their eyes back and forth as both parents spoke down in reprimanding tones.
Both men were grown adults with lives of their own. They did not feel the need to be lectured by mummy and daddy over their behavior anymore. But as it happened both parents could not see the need to let go of any of their children yet.
Married with one child and another on the way, Ginny Weasley-Potter still found herself in her mother's grasp at least four times a week . Ron had been able to escape temporarily as his own wife was also on their second child. He had made excuse after excuse not to leave Hermione's side during her pregnancies.
The others had spread themselves out further past the reach of the parental figures, but still on occasion visited for family dinners and gatherings.
Bored to the point of exhaustion, both men jumped up from their chairs as there was a knock on the door.
"Your best behavior." Mrs. Weasley warned once more before rushing to the door with her husband.
"Good day Minister." Arthur Weasley spoke, bringing his wife beside him.
"Good day Arthur." The man before him spoke. "I apologize for not yet being able to Floo in, but out connection has not yet been set up."
"Mr. Weasley shook his head. "No worries. Please come in."
Samuel Chase had by landslide vote won the position of Minister of Magic over the previous Minister. He was a pleasant man throughout his campaign and even now as he traveled here and there conferencing with the other Ministry officials and their families, his persona remained equally as pleasant.
He was a tall man at six feet three inches with short dark brown hair that complimented his dark green eyes. It had likely been his looks that had helped to push him over the top in his bid for Minister.
Samuel entered the home of the Weasley's. "I'm happy to be here Arthur."
"This is my wife Molly Weasley." Arthur introduced the woman smiling at his side.
The two shook hands.
"And this is my daughter Mackenzie Chase." Samuel introduced, as a woman appeared at her father's side.
The woman had dark brown hair with traces of red running through it. It hung loosely over her shoulders. She stood more than half her father's height, making her around five feet eight inches. Her eyes, just like her father's were intriguing to most that crossed her path. Aside from the color difference as Mackenzie's eyes were dark blue, they held the same power.
"Good morning. I'm Kenny Chase."
"Mackenzie." Samuel warned his daughter with that fatherly tone he liked to use before she could argue.
She knew her father hated that she preferred to go by Kenny, but as she figured, it made her feel more normal
"It is truly nice to meet you Ms. Chase." Molly and Arthur spoke at once.
"Mackenzie, perhaps you'd enjoy meeting two of our sons who are visiting for the day." Mrs. Weasley offered. "They're both your age, and I'm sure you'll get on great."
Masking her disinterest to be pushed into meeting others just because they happened to be close or exact in age, she smiled and nodded.
Mrs. Weasley took Mackenzie's hand and led her off as the two older men retreated to an empty private room.
Mackenzie was led into the kitchen area of the home. She immediately saw two tall figures with red hair turn.
"Fred, George, this is Mackenzie Chase. She is the daughter of Samuel Chase."
"Hello." Mackenzie spoke.
George had to catch his breath as it caught in his throat. He couldn't speak yet, so he smiled at her.
She was stunning. Her eyes entranced him immediately. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"I'm Fred." Fred spoke, seeing that his brother had lost his ability to form words or coherent thought. "This is my brother George." Both Fred and Mackenzie eyed George before he finally regained speech.
"Hi. It's nice to meet you."
Mackenzie smiled at him. Her smile quickly faded as her eyes spied what was going on behind him. It wasn't possible. She rubbed her eyes very discreetly and looked again. She soon realized that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. She sat down in a chair at the table within the room. She shook her head a few times
"Is everything alright Mackenzie? You look a little pale." Fred said, moving to her side.
"Call me Kenny and no I'm not alright. There are things here that aren't humanly possible." She told him.
"Like what?" George moved to her other side.
"Like that." She motioned her head to a sweater or scarf being knitted on its own. There was no one around to do it and the needles simply went on knitting as if it were perfectly sane. "Stuff like that doesn't happen."
"Well you see, here's the thing…" Fred began but stopped as his eyes caught sight of a familiar shadow in he garden. "I'll be right back." He said, standing, giving his brother a look that said there might be trouble.
Mackenzie sighed, rubbing her temples. "I wish I could understand all of this, but I don't. It's impossible to believe."
"It's not if you learn to go with it." George offered.
"Go with it?" She turned to him.
"What I mean is that it is all real, and denying it doesn't help to learn about it."
"And what would you know about my learning about this? You don't know anything about me or what I know."
"I know that you…"
The two were interrupted when the three parents rushed back into the kitchen.
"We can use the Floo here." Mr. Weasley said, rushing with Samuel.
"What's going on dad?" George questioned.
"Oh, Mackenzie, dear, there's been an emergency at the Ministry and we have to get there quickly. You'll have top stay here for just a bit." Samuel told his daughter. There was urgency in his eyes.
"Daddy…" Mackenzie complained.
"I won't be long my dear." He said before stepping into the fireplace with Arthur Weasley.
"Ministry of Magic." Arthur shouted and with a large blast of green smoke and fire the two had vanished.
"Where the hell…" Mackenzie said, sticking her head into the fireplace cautiously. There was nothing left in there. No Mr. Weasley. No daddy. Nothing. "Where'd he go?"
"To the Ministry dear." Mrs. Weasley explained, turning to George. "They've caught the last of the Death Eaters. They're being brought into the Ministry as we speak." She kissed her son on the cheek and rushed to the fireplace as well."
Mackenzie sat down again. "Not happening. Random people just disappearing in a fireplace doesn't happen."
"I'm afraid it does." George answered her rambling.
"No!" She firmly declared, pointing to the moving dishes, being cleaned on their own. "Because when you see something like that, it's a problem." Her voice was becoming progressively louder and angrier, masking the visible fear she was feeling.
"It is not normal to see…that." Her eyes turned back to George.
"Well, technically, when I see things like that, I'm not at all that surprised or impressed."
Mackenzie looked worried by his statement. "And that's not another problem?"
George laughed at her. "No doubt about it. You're definitely muggle raised." He threw his arm around her.
She looked insulted, shoving his arm from her. "What did you just call me you…"
George threw his hands up in surrender. "Oh no. It's just a term used to identify non-magical people. Don't be offended. I didn't mean anything by it."
"How many more of you…I mean wizards and such are there?"
"Honey, there's a whole worldly population of wizards and witches currently surrounding you." Fred spoke as he entered the house, witnessing the meeting going on between the two. He looked like he'd been running through a sand storm. Mackenzie did not look happy and his brother, although smitten, seemed a bit too certain of himself, giving off false version of himself. This had the potential to get very ugly.
"You're both completely mad. I want to go home." She insisted. "Please let me go home."
"We aren't keeping you captive."
"Then please…"
"Why don't you just apparate back home honey. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind too much." Fred informed her. His eyes were sympathetic, sending Camille further into a frenzy.
She didn't need his pity or sympathy. She only needed his help.
"Don't call me honey." She cautioned the man to her left. "I don't know how to do that apparating thing on my own yet." She mumbled with a look of impatience.
"Well then you're welcome to use the Floo network." George offered.
"Can't." She answered. "Our connection isn't hooked up yet."
"In that case," George looked coarsely at her. "I suppose you'll have to stay put and deal with the company you've been given."
"I can find better things to do with my time than be stuck here."
"Believe me, I'd like nothing more." George returned, becoming just as fed up with her as she clearly was with him.
"This is ridiculous!" Mackenzie yelled, throwing her hands into the air, leaning back against the wall behind her.
"Calm yourself down Kenny." George instructed.
Mackenzie turned her eyes up to his instantly. The fury that showed in them frightened Fred enough to back out of the room quickly. George stood his ground.
"Do not tell me to calm down. How dare you speak to me like that. You've chosen to be nothing but uncooperative and useless to my dilemma and now you're giving me orders."
"I only asked that you calm down. " George said. "Now…"
"You are being an insufferable git." She argued, facing George head on.
The man in front of her turned to fully face her challenge.
"You're being a spoiled brat."
"What's your point?" She crossed her arms over her chest. The tone of her voice and the look on her face did not hold back any of her condescension.
"You're also overconfident…" George began moving closer to her. "arrogant…" He was so close that there was less than an inch of space between them. "and an ungrateful snob."
Mackenzie straightened her stance, squaring her shoulders, keeping her eyes to his. And through all of her exposed anger, there was another feeling.
Rage? Yes. Exasperation? Absolutely. Annoyance? Definitely. Interest? She figured as much. Temptation? Only the temptation to smother him in his sleep. A sort of excitement? She couldn't deny that one. Her heart beat had risen, her skin was hot and she had adrenaline running through every piece of her. Lust maybe? NO!
She shook her head, replacing that thought with another. It was all of those things. Yes. And then no. No. It was just one thing. It was attraction. It was all of those things wrapped up into one emotion. It was… it was wrong.
"I think I'm going to be sick." She pushed past the tall man, holding her hand to her stomach as she had to hide herself away for however long it took for her to quell every single piece of anything in her that held any sort of attraction to George Weasley.
She couldn't handle this.