"Acid pops and wholly tongues"

"Hey is that candy?" I asked Charlie my older brother as he walked into the kitchen with a bag filled with colorful looking things in it. He stopped at the table to where my twin brother and I were sitting. My twin started eyeing the bag, probably thinking about all the things he could do with a bag full of candy, if it was candy that was in the bag.

He looked between the two of us and smiled a wicked grin, his blue eyes shining; he put the bag on the table in between the both of us. He sat down at the head of the table and pulled the bag closer to him.

"Yea it's from Honeydukes in Hoggsmeed" he opened the bag and spilled it out on the table. All different sorts of candy tumbled out of the bag.

I scrunched up my face. "Whatsa Hoggsmeed?" I asked him, that word sounded funny to me. Like a funny word my twin and I would come up with just to annoy Percy and tell him it was a real word and run around screaming it in his face, until he yelled at us and told us there was no such thing.

"Honeydukes?" my twin said crossing his eyes and turning his face sideways.

Charlie laughed at us, assorting the candy by size, shape and color.

"Honeydukes is a store, a candy store, with all different kinds of candy you can think of" he said watching our faces. My twin's eyes widened with glee, and my head starting to feel funny from all the candy I was thinking about.

"And Hoggsmeed is a place, it's a town where people live in, almost like the town we live close to" he smiled again. "And Honeydukes is in the town of Hoggsmeed" he explained to us.

I nodded my head I seemed to get the idea almost.

"Ohhh" my twin and I said at the same time, we looked at each other and smiled, another moment that we shared, when we said something at the same time.

"I want to go to the candy store" my twin said excitedly scooting a little bit closer to Charlie eyeing the candy greedily. I scooted closer too, going to a candy store sounded fun, and thinking about candy was making me hungry.

"But the candy store is in Hoggsmeed" Charlie said, looking over at my twin a small smile on his lips.

"Then let's go to Hoggsmeed" my twin said standing up a hand on his hip. Charlie looked at him then looked away.

"But we can't go to Hoggsmeed" Charlie said.

"What? Why!" he exclaimed waving his arms in the air.

"Because I can only go to Hoggsmeed when I'm at Hogwarts" Charlie explained again. Hogwarts was the magical school that he and Bill went to; Percy went there as well.

"Then let's go to Hogwarts," my twin pulled on Charlie's robe sleeve.

I nodded in agreement, going to Hogwarts and Hoggsmeed sounded like so much fun, I wanted to go right now.

"But guys, as much as it would be great to go to Hogwarts we can't" Charlie said now counting the candy he had in front of him. Not going to Hogwarts, that didn't sound fair! I wanted to go too.

"What!" my twin and I said at the same time, this time I stood up moving closer to Charlie.

"Why can't we go? We want to go!"

"But guys you forgot something important" Charlie smiled.

"We did?" I looked over at my twin, what could we have forgotten that was so important.

"Yes silly gooses, its summer time"

"Ohhh"

"So does that mean Hogwarts is closed?" I asked Charlie, putting my hands on his arm and looking into his blue sparkly eyes, he had the most shinny and sparkly eyes in the whole family.

"Yes" Charlie nodded his head.

"But why" my twin said crossing his arms over his chest; he gave Charlie the puppy dog pout.

"Because everyone needs to come home for a while, how would you like it if I never came home but stayed at school, I would never see you guys?"

"We wouldn't like that" I said

"I know that's why I come home, so I can see my best twin brothers in the world"

"In the world?" my twin pulled on his sleeve again standing up on his tiptoes to seem taller but it didn't do much.

"In the whole wide world"

My twin and I smiled our biggest smiles, Charlie liked us the best out of everyone in the family and that even meant better than Ron, as seeing he was five and couldn't really do much. We were seven and that was way better than being five.

"So when does Hogwarts open again" I asked Charlie as my twin made faces at him when he wasn't looking.

"When I get a letter from the owl post telling me it's open"

"Ohhh" I said trying to understand.

"When will I get a letter, I want a letter, will a letter come for me?" my twin jumped up and down now.

"Don't worry you will both get letters, and they will come when you are old enough"

"But Charlie!"

"But Charlie nothing those are the rules" he laughed. My twin was pouting again. I laughed at him. He glared at me and I looked away.

"Charlie when is your letter going to come?" I asked him, wondering how long it would take for my letter to come and how old I would be when I got it.

"It should be coming any day now" he said half heartedly.

"Really, you're going to leave?"

"Yes but don't worry I'll come back, and I'll really miss you when I'm gone"

"I'll miss you too Charlie"

"Me too I'll miss you the most out of every one" my twin said from sitting on the floor, he was playing with a bit of string he had found under the table.

"Thanks guys, now how about some candy?" Charlie said eyes sparkly once again.

"Yeah candy"! I said hopping back up into my chair.

"I want some too" said my twin from the floor. Charlie laughed and started telling us all about the different candy at Honeydukes.

~O~o~O~

"Okay guys you can each pick out two pieces of candy" Charlie said after he was done telling us about all the candy at Honeydukes. Peppermint Imps sounded the best to me, but Charlie didn't have any of those this time. So what I took was a piece of toffee and Chocolate Frog. My twin had picked out a Chocolate Frog and had just picked up a red lollypop with a clear wrapper on it when Charlie snatched it away from him.

"Heeeyyy" his arm was still out stretched fingers in the air, he frowned eye browns mushed together. I looked at Charlie confused, why did he take that away from my twin?

"Sorry but you can't have this one, anything else is fine" he smiled the lollypop still in his hand away from my twins out stretched fingers. Why couldn't he have that one?

"Whyyy not?" my twin whined his arm still in the air reaching for the lolly.

Charlie still held it out of his reach up in the air where he couldn't get it.

"Because it's not safe"

"Why?" I asked him, I looked at him confused it was just candy…right?

"Why…..because," he looked like he was thinking about the easiest way to explain this to my twin and I.

"Because it burns holes through things, like it could burn a hole right through your tongue" he said sticking his tongue out to try to make us understand better. I could feel my eyes widen candy that could burn a hole in you? I was trying to picture it….it didn't make sense….my twin was still eyeing the lollypop but now he had a look in his eye something that said that he didn't want the lolly as bad as he did now that he knew what it could do. It was scary, but what would he do with it if he got it?

After a minute of thinking I said "ohhh" I was still trying to understand but it was hard.

"you see," Charlie said I nodded, I kinda saw….." that's why candy like this is not for you" my twin got up from his chair again, he had that look in his eyes, he was up to something. I watched as he walked up to Charlie put his hands on his robes…..what was he going to-

A thud came from under the table, Charlie's eye brows crunched together "Owwww", he let go of the lollypop and my twin caught it…my twin ran around the table lolly in hand he grabbed my arm and pulled me off my chair he was headed for the living room . I fell off the chair and followed him quickly; we were out of there in less than five seconds. It was before Charlie had a chance to come and get us.

"Thanks Charlie "we called over our shoulder.

"No Guys come back" we could hear Charlie call us, but we had already made it to the stairs. Up we went, fast.

We didn't stop until we were safe in our room, the door close behind us as we slumped against it, my twin looked over at me his breathing was as heavy as mine as we had just run up four flights of steps, a crooked grin on his face, he was still holding the lolly, I had left my candy behind in the rush to leave the kitchen. Now what was I going to do, he had candy and I didn't and that wasn't fair. I turned away from him; I didn't want to look at his candy.

"How did you get it, Charlie said it wasn't safe" I told him, I wanted a lolly too but I wasn't going to say that.

"I stomped on his foot, he was only wearing socks" my twin said holding it up so he could look at it better, I looked at the floor.

So that's how he did it. But I didn't say anything; it wasn't fair why he should get candy and not me.

We didn't say much after that, just sat in front of the door, me with no candy and my twin with a lollypop that I wanted…

"Knock-Knock-knock"

It had been silent but that noise mad me jump, my heart hammering in my chest, we scrambled away from the door fast, my first thought was that it was Charlie coming to get the lollypop back, I sat on my bed and held my breath as the door slowly creaked open, but it wasn't Charlie that poked their head around the door it was…..Ron.

I let out a breath, what did he want?

He came in the room and stood there smiling at us, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his clothes were wrinkled and his hair was sticking up all over the place, probably just woke up from a nap, five year olds and naps…gee…

"Wants to play?" he asked his arms behind his back swaying, why would we want to play with him? I didn't want to play with him, not to day, I shook my head, I was getting ready to tell him to go away when my twin said

"Sure we'll play with you" he smiled that wicked grin of his, what was he getting at? We never played with Ron.

Ron clapped his hands together and smiled, "let's play let's play" all I could do was stare, but I didn't want to play with Ron…..not fair…..

He wattled over to our beds which we had moved together to make one big bed, he sat on the floor in front of us and looked up at us. "Play" he said smiling.

"We'll play Ron" my twin said moving closer to the end of the bed, he still held the lollypop in his hand, he was holding like he didn't want to put it down, which he probably wouldn't for the rest of the day.

That's when Ron noticed it how the color just glowed in the light how the plastic wrapper seem to sparkle it was magical candy after all, his eyes widened with glee; he stretched out his short arm his fingers clenched and unclenched , "Candy" he laughed. I looked over at my twin; this couldn't be good not when my twin saw the way Ron was looking at the lollypop.

He jumped off the bed and sat down by Ron, but held the pop up out of Ron's reach, the look on Ron's face was probably sick amusement for him, I couldn't think of what was going through his brain now, but it still wasn't fair he had candy and both Ron and I didn't….I wanted candy too, I crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn't even look at them anymore, I studied the ceiling instead.

"Ron you want the lollypop"

"candy candy I want it" Ron clapped his hands again, all I could think about was how Charlie said that the lollypop wasn't safe, but I wasn't going to say anything, if my twin was going to give that to Ron then I couldn't do anything, he was going to do what he was going to do, that's just how my twin was…..

"Okay you can have it" so he was really going to give it to him?

"Yheaaaa candy candy candy"

"Kay hold on" I could hear the wrapper start to crinkle of the pop, but I still didn't look at them, I couldn't it wasn't fair why should Ron get candy he was five!

"here" my twin said, but that wasn't the only thing I heard, quietly and I didn't know if Ron or my twin seemed to notice this but a slow hissing was coming from the pop, I snapped my eyes on them, Ron had the pop now, it was too late to take it away from him, that wouldn't be nice, but it wasn't nice that he got candy and I didn't.

Everything from then on seemed to happen as if it was slowed down, Ron stuck his tongue out and took a big lick of the pop and dropped it with an ear splitting scream, the pop lay forgotten on the ground hissing as me and my brother looked at Ron eyes wide.

Ron's tongue seemed to be bleeding, blood dripping down his front and on the floor, slowly, a whole started to appear in the middle of his tongue, it kept bleeding and Ron was now screaming and crying, tears leaking with blood on the floor, making a puddle.

All I could do was stare my mouth hanging open somewhere near the floor, Charlie had been right, the lollypop did burn holes through things and it had proved itself by burning a big hole in Ron's tongue.

After a minute of staring at Ron who was still screaming uncontrollably, I finally got off the bed slowly and picked up the pop which he had drooped, I started to move towards Ron, but he was looking at the pop in my hand like he didn't want it near him and I dint blame him, he started to scoot away on his butt,

"Ron, please stop screaming, please" I tried not to look at him as seeing blood was still gushing from the good size hole that seemed to stop growing but was big enough so that if I looked into it I could see the floor. I out stretched my hand about to reach out to pat his head when someone burst into the room.

"Ron!" they shrieked at the sight of blood all over Ron and on the floor, it was mum and she looked winded from running up all the stairs, she ran over to Ron and picked him up holding him out at arm's length to get a good look at him. At that moment Charlie and Percy came into the room, Percy's face turned green and then pale at the sight of blood, Charlie just looked at us like he was really disappointed in us, and I don't think we were his favorite anymore.

"What happened?" Percy choked out, trying to look anywhere but at the blood and Ron, who was now whimpering and crying, that was a good question because I didn't even know what had happened.

Now mums eyes flashed upon us it was the first time she looked at us since coming into the room, her blue eyes like ice, she looked like she would explode her face was so red, I wanted to look away but couldn't, my eyes never leaving Ron…what …had …we …..done?

"Twins….."She growled, she was so mad that she couldn't yell, I didn't know which was worse, her yelling or not, probably not yelling. Her eyes flipped between me and my twin, all I wanted to do was say everything, but I couldn't breathe it was hard….what was happening to me?

I could feel tears in my eyes but I wouldn't cry I had to be strong; I let out a shaky breath.

"I….we….me…didn't mean" I choked out, my twin took my hand that wasn't holding the pop, he squeezed it, I looked over at him but he was blurry, then I could feel hot wet tracks down my face, the tears, I felt angry and dumb and bad, we didn't mean for Ron to get hurt.

Somehow at moments like this my twin was always there for me, took my hand….but why?...he was the stronger one.

I looked around at everyone, my twin, mum, Charlie, Percy, I all wanted them to see that we hadn't meant for Ron to get hurt, we didn't know what we had been doing…would they believe us.

Mum's eyes settled lastly on the acid pop and I thought that it had to be the end, but nothing happened, she just turned purple, eyes deathly, I knew this had to be coming, I started to shake, my twin and I were not going to live through this.

How did things go from okay to bad to dangerously bad?

I tried to speak again but all that came out was a rattling sob, but somehow my twin could find his voice.

"I gave him the lollypop" he was doing it again for the second time, taking all the blame, that wasn't fair….but why was he doing it? It was my fault too I didn't stop him. I looked over at him, he always had to be brave for the both of us….

"Freddie, no" I could only look at him, he half smiled and surged his shoulders, he had to know that either both of us would get in trouble or one of us would and right now it looked like he was stepping up to the plate…..again.

"Georgie its ok" was all he said and let go of my hand, it didn't make me feel better at all, why? Why did he do this?

"How did…..where in the world….Merlin…both of you….…..an acid pop…... Ron" was all mum could splutter out her voice dull and dry, she was still mad, her face fading back to red, she was looking at us in disbelief.

We didn't answer her and we just stared I don't think I could say anything without crying.

"Well?" she said when she found her voice.

I opened my mouth to talk but Fred gave me that look that told me everything, he didn't want me to say anything, he was going to take the blame for his one, he looked at me trying to tell me it would be okay that he was okay with getting in trouble. But really would it ever be ok? Could I just let him get in trouble?

"It was my entire fault, I gave it to him to see what would happen" his voice didn't even crack.

"Fred!," she gasped "you are in big trouble, how could you, your brother is only five surly you know better wait till your father hears about this, I'm very disappointed in you!" mum said her voice taking back some authority.

I watched him as he walked up to our mother and brother whose tongue still had a gaping hole in it, he hung his head almost like he was bothered that he was getting in trouble, but I knew he couldn't be bothered but still…..why did he do this to himself…..it wasn't fair…..

"Charlie take care of Ron will you love," she passed Ron off to Charlie who took him carfully and walked out of the room, not looking at my twin and I as he went….he wasn't going to talk to us for a long time I just knew it. " Now Fred you come with me and George stay in your room and don't come out till lunch time you hear" she said holding out her hand waiting for Fred to take it, my twin did so and she started leading him out of the room, all I could do was watch hopelessly, Percy shook his head in disbelief too and left the room too following mum and Fred.

I was left standing in the room as the door closed behind them, I had been saved again, he had saved me….I was saved but I didn't save him…why did he do the things he did….and all for me…..why?

That is the end of chapter three. I hope you enjoyed that it took me a while to write I had to transition the twins from little kids who didn't know better to kids who kind of knew better but were still doing things anyway, I didn't know how this one would turn out but I think George is starting to slowly realize something about his brother, anyway that took me forever to write cuz my computer was having problems…sorry about that. The next chapter won't take me as long to write. I still am waiting as I write it to see how the story unfolds itself; it's going good so far I think. But leave your comments those are greatly appreciated.