Chapter 2:
The twins seemed rather interested in this new comer joining them in their household. In fact, Fred was already thinking mischievously on what to do to test this girl's character; got to give her the proper welcome right? But he'd let her settle down for a good few hours and get accustomed to her surroundings first.
"Now all of you get back to what you were doing; don't want to crowd the poor girl." Molly ordered, shooing the young red heads. She then smiled at Adriana, "Come, let me show you to the room you will be staying in while you are here."
Adriana hesitantly followed her, looking at every little thing that came across her eyes. She'd never seen such a cluttered home with tattered windows and knick-knacks everywhere, but even more so this house had the smells and the craziness that never existed in her home.
George and his twin hurried off and already began to plot. "How about snakes...no...maybe fireworks.." He rambled excited to have a new person to prank...Percy was getting too easy.
"We'll try every last thing we've got." Fred smirked, "Beginning with the easiest of course. We'll scare her just a scoche." he said as he searched their room, "Now what to do first..."
"Here you are dear; I hope you don't mind being the highest room of the house. Didn't think you'd much enjoy being next to a room of nonstop tinkering." Molly huffed at the thought of the noisy twins as she opened the door for Adriana who slowly entered the room and studied every aspect from floor to ceiling.
The bedroom was small, with only a bed and a night stand occupying the space, other than a few boxes stacked in the front-left corner.
"What do you say we give her our candy prototype? We really haven't tested it yet." George said devilishly holding up the candy.
"Ah! A welcoming gift!" Fred chuckled, "Brilliant! But we should have an antidote ready in case.."
"How bad can it be?" His twin joked surely but set to work on one just in case. He was soon done, and with Fred in tow they hurried to go find the new girl.
-
"I'll be right downstairs if you need me; I need to finish supper. Settle in, and don't be afraid to ask for anything, okay?" Molly gave that sweet, tender smile and headed down the stairs just to cross paths with the twins. "What do you THINK you two are up to?!" She blocked them off with her hands on her hips.
"Only welcoming the newbie, ready to hold a right smart chat! Going to make her feel right at home, Mum, honest!" Fred winked at the other.
"Yeah Mum. Right at home!" George echoed winking back. "After all..you asked us to be nice remember."
"Turn out your pockets!" Molly ordered suspiciously.
Fred revealed the insides of his and waited behind Molly, messing with her hair to distract her from George, tugging on her curls. Their mother turned to Fred and waved her finger at him, "You better knock it off before I make YOU the dinner!"
George resumed climbing the stairs and grabbed the hood of Fred's jacket and began pulling him up with him, just before being stopped again by Molly, who cleared her throat impatiently, "George.. You too."
He rolled his eyes and allowed her to check him, "I swear mum..you need to have more faith in us. We are your sons after all!"
"That's EXACTLY why I don't trust you." Molly said, "If I hear or see anything against you two, there will be absolutely NO SUPPER for the both of you." She warned once again before heading down the stairs, convinced they had nothing to hide.
"Yes, Mum!" Fred and George replied simultaneously as they ran up. "Food's on the line; hope she enjoys her candy." They smirked.
"Oh I am sure she will..it's specially flavored." George said with a grin."If not..we always have a back up." He added with a shrug. They came to the door and both knocked at once.
Moments passed without a reply until a note suddenly shot out from under the door. Fred raised an eyebrow and picked it up, "Who is it and what do you want?" he read aloud, "huh... a notepasser."
"Who does that?" George asked dead panned before knocking on the door again. "It's US Fred and George. You met us earlier."
Silence ensued... a minute or so passed and Fred grumbled under his breath as he replied to the note, "We just want to talk."
Not minutes later did she respond again, "Kay. Need assistance or something?" Fred read before showing it to George, "She's got a smart mouth, I'll give 'er that."
"She may be worth being around, that's for sure." George snickered.
Fred laughed a little before writing back, "Nah, our speaking abilities are quite superb. Care to open the door now?"
Adriana pondered this for a moment.. she wasn't use to other kids let alone so many new things at once, but she did have to get use to it. She got up and unlocked the door.
"Hey...there you are." George said with a wave as the twins helped themselves inside and made themselves at home.
Fred jumped on the bed and leaned against the wall, eyeing the girl with curiosity, "So.. what was with the notes?"
Adriana put leaned herself against the opposite wall as far from them as possible and merely studied the two without responding. Identicals. Complete identicals. Any way she could tell them apart?
"Not much of a talker, ey?" Fred raised his eyebrows.
"Must be a mute ey brother?" George asked teasingly.
"Must be; can't be any other explanation." Fred agreed with a mocking sigh as he rested his hands behind the back of his head.
Adriana fidgeted nervously, but remained silent. Why'd they have to bug her NOW? Besides why were they so interested? What's with these strange blood-traitors?
George nodded, copying his brother's gesture. "Too bad though..we were hoping for someone interesting..." He said as if something tragic expired.
"... You like candy?" Fred asked, tossing her the small treat.
With fast reflexes, Adriana quickly... dodged. It was coming at her, and her instincts told her it was attacking her. Buuuut it was a piece of candy... which she meant to catch.
"Aww she must not like candy.."George explained in a fake gasp.
".. Why do you mock me?" Adriana finally spoke, frowning at the two red heads.
"Ey, she speaks! Amazing! " Fred exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Truly amazing! " George grinned.
"Honestly though, you did use sarcasm against me first." Fred pointed out to her.
".. Father ordered not to speak to blood-traitors..." Adriana muttered.
"Blood traitors?" George explained with an eye raised in amusement. "You hear that Fred? We're traitors!"
Fred nearly laughed at this, "Pure-blood, half-blood, raised by muggles... what's the difference? We all know magic just as well as the other. So you believe your dad is right eh? What else did he say about us?" he asked, showing much interest in the subject.
Adriana gave him a strange look, "He just said not to make conversation or association with such impure and disgusting traitors.."
"You don't say?" George said with a glint in his eyes. If he had any guilt about what he was about to do to her with the candy..he surely didn't now. "Well we don't want to take up too much of your time..We will just leave the candy. If you want it..you can have it..if not..oh well." He said with a small grin.
Fred led the way out and headed downstairs with his brother, "Impure and disgusting traitors, huh? What's she doing here if that's how they think? Though her mum doesn't act that way. Maybe they just wanted a place to dump her." he joked, but then realized this statement wasn't so funny...
It truly wasn't.. but still it was a thought. "She does seem a bit much." George grinned. "Still..calling us those things..not even vaguely funny either." He scowled.
"Well, we did ask about what her father had to say of us.." Fred scratched his head, "Guess it doesn't mean she believes it."
"She seemed pretty adamant to me." George snarled back. "Still..I am not sure...why she is here either." He pondered.
"Agreed. Guess we'll annoy her just enough to get her out then?" Fred challenged his twin.
"I bet we can get her out in less than a week." Geroge grinned.
"Hmmm... I bet she may stay a week and a half. Tops." Fred wagered, shaking his twin's hand.
"Supper!" Molly shouted up the stairs followed by several footsteps clammering down. With the wager set they hurried down stairs and dished their food at the same time. "Looks good, mum." George said already licking his lips.
Molly quickly lifted Fred and George's plates, "Until I see that Adriana has come down safe and clean!"
Fred groaned as he rubbed his stomach, "But MUM!"
Ronald grinned at the twins, happy to see they were being tortured instead of him for once. His mouth inched toward the spoon full of delicious soup, and just when he was about to rub it in their faces-
"Wait, Ronald. We're not eating until she comes down." Molly scolded.
"What- you're serious?" Ron stared in dismay.
"Yea..we're hungry mum!" George protested. "IF she doesn't want to eat..then that shouldn't affect us!"
"Bloody Hell..." Ron stared into the doorway where Adriana stood, noticing her green-tinted skin as she walked in and chose the last empty seat next to George.
"YOU TWO- I WARNED YOU!" Molly pointed her finger up the stairs, "Go on upstairs!"
"But we!-" Fred pretended to be innocent but was interrupted by Adriana.
"Don't blame them; I asked to try one of their candies." she remarked as she already began to eat.
Ginny and Bill exchanged looks with each other and Ron..
George's mouth was still open in mid protest before he closed it and looked over at Fred and back to Adriana again.. "Ah..yea..she asked.." He agreed with a suspicious look in his eyes. Why..was she saving their butts?
Fred blinked and then quickly nodded, "Can't blame us if she er.. asks."
Molly studied this situation thoughtfully and slowly set their food back in front of the twins, "At least you know better than to do that now.." she remarked to Adriana before sitting herself down at the end of the table.
The twins ate their food at once while both shooting her a curious look. George didn't know about Fred..but he was going to be asking her later about why she did that...Still..he wasn't about to trust her yet...
Adriana avoided their glances and continued eating; this, she had to admit, was the best meal she felt she'd ever had. In fact.. she even went for seconds.
Fred averted his eyes over to her bowl and back to his.. She had finished her first bowl before HE had. But she wouldn't beat him on his next! He began eating a bit faster, quickly getting more and continuing.
Noticing a food battle was in the midst George quickly made it to half way through his second bowl. No way was some girl going to outdo them.
Onlookers watched as Adriana was already filling her 3rd bowl and Fred was nearly done enough to do so himself.
Molly placed a hand on her forehead with a sigh; did they always have to be such a pain?
After their competition George was truly stuffed and could barely muster a groan. Not...that he would admit it.
After 4 bowls full, Adriana hardly acknowledged to have been a part of any sort of battle.. "May I be excused please?" she asked Molly quietly.
Molly nodded and they all watched as the newbie headed upstairs.
Fred let out a large burp, having finished 3 3/4 bowls of soup, "Man..."
"Serves you right." A young Ginny remarked as if she enjoyed to see her brothers in this state.
"I don't think..i can look at food the same Fred." George groaned.
"Me either Georgie... " Fred muttered before letting out yet another burp, "uh- nope. False alarm. Just needed a burp is all. I can easily be reunited with food in the morning. As long as it's not soup..."
Ron chortled, "You two look bloody ridiculous."
"Takes one to know one." George muttered before burping . "Excuse me.." He said sheepishly after getting a glare from their mom.
"So uh.. mum.. What's this girl doing here anyway?" Fred finally asked to rid himself of the curiosity.
".. Certainly not for you to pick on nor to influence like you did tonight. " Molly said sternly.
"We weren't the ones being a bully." George informed her stiffly, "Apparently she didn't think very highly of us before anyway did she Freddie?"
Fred nodded, "Mum, she called us impure and disgusting blood traitors. Er.. she said that's what her dad told her to think of us.. What's she doing here if she has that opinion?" he muttered.
Molly sighed, "It's not she who holds that opinion; she's never come in contact with us to be of such stands. Adriana herself is a half-blood; her father is a pureblood who, as you can imagine, is close friends with Lucius Malfoy. She only speaks of the information she's been given in that dreadful household." she said as she gathered the dishes and began to wash them in the sink.
"Awful as that is..that doesn't really explain why she is here...how long is she supposed to be here anyway?" George asked grumpily.
"I am NOT discussing this any further. " Molly ended the conversation.
Fred rolled his eyes, elbowed his twin, and walked upstairs with him close behind.
"I hate being left out, Freddie." George grumbled.
"You and me both. All well." Fred shrugged as they entered their room, "Let's see how this next week goes. Or however long she'll be around."
"Who knows..I do know that we still need to get answers from her." He remarked; he still didn't understand her.
"And give her the antidote." Fred suddenly laughed.
"Oh yeah.. I almost forgot about that." George grinned, digging into his pockets and taking it out. "We probably should, shouldn't we?"
"More or less. She can be green 'til morning though; I'm not speaking to a girl who beat me at eating.." Fred mumbled as he changed and slipped under his covers.
"I agree..it's just not done." George grumbled, settling himself into bed.