Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners.
Your House is Your Family
"Come on, Midgen! Please?"
"Yeah, Midgen! Pretty please?"
Eloise Midgen, fifth-year Gryffindor, rolled her eyes and laughed good-naturedly at the antics of the Weasley twins. To anyone who might have been passing them in the corridor in that moment, they would have made an odd trio; but the three of them made it work surprisingly well.
Although Eloise was a year behind the Weasley twins, she had a certain knack for charms, of which the twins had quickly taken note. More important to Fred and George, however, was that she had a wicked sense of humor and was also quite inventive. They had quickly recruited Eloise back in her second year to help plan various pranks and create new products.
They called her the secret Marauder. Whatever that meant.
"No!" Eloise said, her eyes dancing in mirth. "I remember the last time you asked me to put something in the girl's dorm. We all ended up with green hair for a week! None of the professors could reverse it!"
"Oh, that," Fred said, waving his hand dismissively. "This time is different!"
"Quite different!" George added.
"Oh, yeah?" Eloise shot back. "How?"
"Sorry, Midgen—" Fred said, as they arrived at the Fat Lady's Portrait.
"—but that would be telling," George finished, winking at her. Eloise rolled her eyes.
"Excalibur," Eloise said to the Fat Lady, before turning back to the twins.
"I really think I could help you refine this, most likely, hare-brained plan a bit. If, of course, you let me in on it—" Eloise started to say, before a loud, obnoxious voice cut her off.
"I would rather go alone, than go with someone like Eloise Midgen!"
Eloise felt like Peeves had just dumped icy water over her head. She abruptly froze in the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room and the three upper-year Lions took in the scene before them, the tension quickly building in the air.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all huddled around the Common Room fireplace. Ron was the one who had just made the loud proclamation, while the rest of the group looked at him in varying stages of shock.
"What did you say?" Ginny asked, her voice low and dangerous.
"That I would rather go alone than with Eloise," Ron repeated stupidly. He appeared unaware of the angry looks he was getting from around the room.
"How dare you!" Hermione shouted, jumping to her feet.
"You know it's true!" Ron continued. "It's not like she's that pretty. Besides, her nose is off-center."
Eloise felt hot tears sting her eyes. At the beginning of her current year at Hogwarts, she had finally grown tired of being 'that girl with acne.' It felt like no one knew her name, and even that most people forgot what House she was in; it wasn't fair. She had wanted to feel pretty and noticed, like the other girls in her year. So, she had decided to take action and tried to curse her acne away. The end result of that specific endeavor was that she had ended up needing to get her nose reattached by Madam Pomfrey.
Afterward, Lavender and Parvati had taken her under their 'make-up and beauty' wing, so to speak, and gave her less dangerous methods of helping get rid of acne. And surprisingly, it really worked.
Not that most people would remember that.
"You arrogant prat! I'll have you know, Ronald Weasley," Hermione continued to shout, "that Eloise Midgen has had a date to the Yule Ball for weeks now! And just because you can't get a date and are completely clueless to the fact that she is a great girl, does not mean everyone else is the same!"
Eloise felt Fred place his hand on her right shoulder.
"Yeah?" Ron angrily questioned, his facing turning red. "Who's taking her, then?"
"None of your business," George said. His voice was low, but carried clearly across the room.
The Common Room went silent and everyone, including Ron and company, looked at the trio by the portrait entrance. Ron's eyes bulged comically and he opened his mouth to say something, but Fred interrupted him.
"Take a walk, Ron," he said. "Before we help you along."
Mostly likely knowing all to well what the wrath of the twins could be like, Ron ducked his head and quickly got up. As he tried to slip by them to leave, Eloise saw Fred give George a look. It was a look Eloise had quickly learned as the 'twin look,' and knew they were coming to an unspoken agreement about something.
What surprised her was that they let him pass without saying or doing anything.
Once the portrait had closed behind the youngest Weasley male, Fred and George turned back toward the rest of the Common Room.
"It's getting late—" Fred said.
"—so unless anyone has anything else they'd like to say—" George continued.
"—which is honestly not the best course of action—"
"—we suggest that everyone—"
"—go to bed," the twins finished together. "Now."
Eloise stood with Fred and George as they watched the Common Room quickly empty. In less than a minute, it was just the three of them left. They all sat down on the couches by the fire.
"We're sorry, Eloise," Fred started. "Our brother is a prat."
"We think he's adopted," George added.
George's comment had its intended effect and Eloise laughed softly through her tears. The twins sat quietly — a strange occurrence for the two of them — and waited until she collected herself before speaking again.
"Goldstein is one lucky guy," Fred said. "But we have a proposition for you."
Eloise glanced between the twins and noted their serious expressions.
"What?" she asked hesitantly.
"Do you remember what McGonagall tells every group of firsties before the Sorting ceremony?" Fred asked.
When Eloise looked confused, George answered for her. "Your House is your family."
Tears sprung to Eloise's eyes again and she furiously wiped them away.
"You're our sister, Midgen," Fred said firmly. "And right now, more family than that prat. Our proposition is quite simple: We would like to make the Yule Ball the most special night of your life. We have some ideas."
"We also know an enchanting guy," George supplied.
Eloise opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but was cut off by the portrait door bursting open.
Lee Jordan tumbled through the entrance.
"Brothers!" he greeted. He was bent over, his hands on his knees, and was breathing heavily. "Did I hear someone call for a charming and handsome guy?"
George shook his head in mock disappointment. "You really need to work on that," he said.
"Yeah," Fred continued. "We said we know an enchanting guy. Like, a guy that enchants stuff."
Eloise felt a small smile cross her face.
"You want to help me?" she asked. "Are you sure?"
The twins each placed a hand on one of her shoulders.
"There's nothing in this world we wouldn't do for you, sister."
.oOo.
Fred and George were talking with their dates in the Entrance Hall, while waiting for the Yule Ball to start. Fred was in the middle of telling a story about a Niffler and his great-aunt's goblin-made tiara, when they heard Ron ask nearby,
"Who's that?"
They turned around and saw Anthony Goldstein escorting Eloise down the stairs and to the Ball.
Eloise looked stunning.
Her golden ball gown shimmered, as if it had been sprinkled with the light of the stars. Unseen in the hemline, though, was Lee's handiwork. Runes to prevent tears and spills from staining the fabric were neatly sewn all around the edge. Ruby red heels — a surprising gift from Hermione — peeked out from underneath the dress. ("They're House colors," Hermione explained. "And they've also been charmed to be really comfy.") Fred, George, and Lee had been at a loss for hair and make-up, but thankfully the Gryffindor Chasers had stepped up to the plate.
The silver locket had been the final touch the Fred and George personally added.
"It's a defense locket," Fred said.
At Eloise's confused look, George explained further.
"Any low-level jinx or hex will backfire on the caster. It only has enough power to stop a few spells—"
"—but that's all you should need," Fred finished.
Each little piece when added together made her look like the Gryffindor princess the twins knew her to be.
"That's Eloise Midgen, Ronald," George replied smugly.
The twins enjoyed his stunned look before escorting their dates into the Ball.
It was a little while later, after dinner and the Champions had opened the Ball, when Professor McGonagall pulled the twins out of a conversation they were having with their dates, Anthony, Eloise, Hermione, and Viktor.
"I must say," Professor McGonagall said, "that I am impressed with you two. I was expecting a prank to have been pulled tonight."
Fred and George looked at each other and grinned mischievously.
"But, Professor—" George said.
"—we have already pulled a prank tonight," Fred finished, pointedly looking at Eloise.
Viktor had apparently finished speaking with Anthony and had walked up to Eloise. They couldn't hear what he said, but she smiled softly before accepting his hand. Viktor led her out onto the dance floor — much to the obvious jealousy of most of the nearby girls.
The twins turned back and watched as the Professor bristled in anger.
"If you have hurt her in any way— She deserves a good night—" McGonagall sputtered.
"And we have helped make it so," Fred said.
At the Professor's confused expression, they sighed.
"We gave her a necklace that shields against low-level hexes, Hermione gave her charmed shoes, the lovely Gryffindor Chasers did her make-up and stuff—" George explained.
"—while Lee enchanted her dress to prevent tears and any spills from staining it. No one is messing with her tonight," Fred added. "Like you always say, Professor—"
"Your House is your family," they chorused together.
To the twins' everlasting horror, McGonagall's eyes filled with tears.
"This was a prank of sorts … but on everyone else," Fred tried to quickly explain.
"Yeah," George said. "Eloise is the best and anyone who thought differently, deserves to know they are wrong."
They watched as McGonagall stood a little straighter and gave them a look they had not often seen her give them.
She was proud.
"Fifty points each to Gryffindor," she said, "for chivalry and standing by family."
Before they could speak, she turned and walked away.
"What do you think, brother?" George asked.
"I think," Fred replied thoughtfully, "that we might have a whole new line of products to create."
.oOo.
Eloise danced slowly in Anthony's arms, her heart racing furiously. It was late and they were one of the few couples left on the dance floor.
"You look beautiful," Anthony said. Eloise smiled gently.
"You said that earlier," she murmured.
"And I will keep saying it for the rest of eternity," he said confidently. "For it will always be true."
Eloise shook her head. "It's the hair and make-up … and the dress—"
Anthony shook his head.
"No," he replied firmly, "it's not that. What Fred and George gave you, just proved to everyone else what I already saw.
You're beautiful. Always have been and always will be."
Prompt (Gred and Forge's April Fools Birthday Extravaganza! — The Golden Snitch): Write about anything you want…as long as it includes Fred and George, or a prank of some sorts.
Additional Prompts: (song) 'When I Grow Up'—Pussycat Dolls; (song) 'Hey Brother'—Avicii; (pairing) Anthony Goldstein/ Eloise Midgen; (character) Lee Jordan; (character) Viktor Krum
Word count (not including title or author's notes): 1896