"Ok, you next Cori,"
"Alright," I spun the pencil we were using to pick the person to ask truth or dare too, and it landed at Hermione, little did we all know, May had her father charm it to only land on Hermione, as to know more about her,
"Me again? Thats the 6th time in a row!"
"What luck! Now let's see," I thought for a solid minute before the girls started getting impatient,
"Come on Cori! Get on with it!"
"Calm down! I got it, ok, truth or dare?" She blinked,
"Um, I think I'll pick dare this time." We glanced around, laughing a bit because she had only picked truth so far, and we all leaned in to each other to discus, except for Hermione of corse!
"What should we do?" Asked May, who was really terrible about coming up with dares,
"I got one, but it would really not be very nice, and it has to do with using the floo network, quietness, and messing up my favorite ginger..." They smiled egarly,
"Good! Wait, what is it again?"
"Ok, so Ginny has a muggle flu right?" They nodded, "Ok, so she's probably still contagious, but not so severely that we would get sick form doing this ok?" More nods,
"Ok, so I think that we should go to the Burrow through the floo network, take Ginny's pillow, and switch it with Ronald's!"
"Oh Cori that's dreadful!" Becca shouted, which made Hermione pale,
"I think it's a great idea! I never did get him back for giving be dragon pox when we were 5... He took my drink without asking and drank it, then I drank it, and there we were! Let's do it!" May said, which wasn't an exaggeration like usual.
"So it's agreed then... and he won't be contagious after a day or so, so you can still go visit him Cori," Jannett said, winking at me. I punched her arm and she smiled at me,
"You really do fancy him you know!"
"Stop it or I will tell Colin that you are in love with him," She paled,
"You wouldn't!"
"Yes I would!"
"STOP IT! Can we just do it please? I'm getting antsy... I don't want to get in trouble!" I laughed, and stood up, motioning for Hermione to follow.
We walked into the entrance hall, and grabbed a handful of powder. Maybe I did want to take care of Ronald, but that's not why I was doing this. I was getting him back for all of the times he called me one of the boys. It's not like I enjoy being in a family with 10 boys, and an extended family of 19 boys. There are 3 girls, we fend for ourselves, and we act like boys on occasion, but we DO enjoy being girly. I ware skirts and dresses when May lends them to me. It's not my fault I was born into shorts and tees.
I grabbed a handful of floo powder, thankful floo travel was pretty much silent. We decided to go in groups of 2 with May going alone. Jannett and I wold go first, then Becca and Hermione, then May. Simple enough, though I would need help from my favorite Weasley Twins. Jannett and I spun around down to the Weasley's and stepped silently from the fireplace. I tiptoed up the steps, watching for the 6th and 9th, which squeak. I opened the twins door, and climbed over trip wires, exploding dung bombs, and of corse, a plate of treats sitting on the desk. If Donivan wasn't my brother, I wouldn't know that those would most likely make me sick. Skiving snack boxes, something they had come up with last year, and had only began to experiment with. I tiptoed over to Fred, whom I had a better relationship with for some odd reason, and tapped his shoulder,
"Whaaa? Wosther?"
"Fred, it's me, Cori!" He jumped up,
"Cori!"
"SHHHH!"
"Right, sorry. What do you need sis?" He whispered, laughing at his own joke. I was pretty much his sister, except that I didn't have the last name and fire red hair,
"Not the time for jokes Fred! Wake up George, we're on a mission," I said, motioning to the door, where Jannett stand waiting, not trusting herself to get over the traps. She is pretty clumsy,
"George! Wake up you lazy git! We have to help little Corikins," He grinned at his own joke, and I groaned,
"What? Fred it is 2 in the morning! What could- oh, why hullo there Corikins! What can we do you for?" I smiled,
"Can you help us? We're playing truth or dare, and I dared Hermione-"
"Who?"
"Oh, Hermione, our muggle born friend that just found out she's a witch. But thats not important! We dared her to switch Ronald and Ginny's pillows," Fred's smile faded,
"But wont that get Ron sick?" I nodded and explained why, May's reason, not mine. I would tell him that later, without George,
"Well," George began, "We were going to prank Ron later anyway... but this seems more, long term. We wont have to prank him for days!"
"Right you are George, alright Cori. We'll help you, on one condition," I grinned,
"What?"
"You never, ever tell mum if she finds out. Never!" I smirked,
"Aright you git, now can we get going? I need to make sure Becca and Hermione didn't get lost!"
We walked down the steps and thankfully all 3 girls were waiting for us,
"Great, now can we please get on with it? I really don't want to get in trouble!" Becca whispered, always the mother of the group.
"Are you sure this wont hurt anyone?" Hermione asked,
"Not a problem little one! We have it taken care of!" Said Fred a little too happily. I whispered in his ear,
"Wait, what did you day Ginny has?" He smiled,
"Muggle Stomach Flu, She's been vomiting all day. Ron will have such fun wont he?"
"Oh good, I just wanted to make sure it was something that goes away pretty quickly..."
"Why? So that you can take care of our little IckleRonnikins?" i elbowed him in the gut and he groaned,
"Bloody Hell Cori! I was joking!"
"Can we just get on with it?" The boys nodded, and walked up to Ginny's room. We followed, and soon we were outside the door,
"Ok, so Hermione and I will go up and get Ronald's pillow while you all wait here and lookout for trouble, not make it," I stared the boys down, and they held up their hands innocently,
"Us?" Said Fred,
"Make trouble?" Exclaimed George,
"Never!" They stated together, and I laughed.
"Just wait here!"
We walked up to Ronald's room, and Hermione looked terrified,
"Should we be doing this?"
"Lighten up, and you picked dare didn't you?" She sighed,
"Yes. Alright, lets do it then," We walked up the next flight of stairs to the 3rd floor, and opened Ronald's door. He was laying there, snoring thankfully, witch meant that he wouldn't wake up without a pillow. We walked over, and Hermione quickly yanked the pillow out from under him. I groaned internally, but he didn't as much as stop short in his snoring. The lazy git, he could sleep forever. We went back down to Ginny's room, and opened the door. There laying in her bed was the girl herself, looking quite pale, and shivering slightly.
"Is she alright?" Hermione asked me as she switched the pillows more carefully this time,
"Umm, yeah. She's alright just has a cold or something. The real part of the dare was the switching, since Ronald is not a heavy sleeper," She couldn't know the real reason, or she might not do it. We had to get her initiated somehow to our group, why not like this? We walked back to Ronald's room, and put the pillow under his head,
"Alright, lets get going!" I said cheerfully, and we walked down the steps.
Finished with our task, we bid a farewell to the Weasley twins, and I reminded them,
"Don't forget to switch the pillows back before anyone notices alright?"
"God Cori, sometimes you're as bossy as mum!" I smiled, and left them staring after the fireplace. We got back to May's house, and quickly went to bed, satisfied with our pranking. I dreamed that I was at the Weasley's, taking care of Ronald. It wasn't the kind of take care of that is sexual, more like a brotherly sisterly kind of take on it. Mrs. Weasley has 7 other kids, one of which is sick too, and would need help tomorrow. I decided to owl her in the morning asking if she needed help with the house. She always did, the poor woman never gets a break.
I woke up late the next morning, and after saying my goodbyes, left for home to owl the Weasley's. I stepped out of the fireplace slightly dizzy and yelled,
"DAD, COLIN, AUSTIN, GAVIN, JEREMY, DON, EVERYONE I'M HOME!" I took a breath and cursed my never ending list of siblings.
"Cori? Where were you?" Asked Brody, my 7 year old brother,
"I was at May's, I told you before I left didn't I?"
"No!"
"Oh, sorry about that... Alright, get along I have to go and owl the Weasley's," He smiled,
"Ok!" And ran back to the play room. Sometimes I like being the only girl, just because you're missed more than everyone else. I walked into the kitchen to see Gavin sitting there, reading the Daily Prophet and humming,
"Where's dad?" He looked up,
"Why do you ask that? You know that he's at work!"
"Sometimes I wish he wasn't... Where's Duggy? I need to owl Mrs. Weasley,"
"Window," I walked over and tied my note to the owl's leg,
'Dear Mrs. Weasley,
I heard that Ginny was ill, and I was wondering if you needed help with anything today?
Love,
Cori'
The owl flew away, and I decided to take a shower while waiting. I was just finishing drying my hair with a blow dryer, a muggle invention that I adore, when Duggy came flying in the bathroom window with a note back,
'Cori,
That is so sweet of you to ask dear! Yes, it seems that Ron has caught the bug too, and it would be wonderful to have some help. You can just floo over any time like you usually do.
See you soon!
Molly'
Mrs. Weasley insisted that I call her Molly, but It seamed to me that she might just be trying to make me comfortable, not herself. But on the other hand, our plan worked! I sent an owl to May and the twins to tell them, and headed to the Weasley's.
I arrived to mass chaos. Percy was trying to look dignified while wearing his prefects badge, which now said, 'Pinhead'. Fred and George were obviously in their room experimenting, judging by the explosions. Bill and Charlie were not home for the summer vacations they got yet. Mr. Weasley was at work, so that left Ginny, who was sitting, shivering and pale on the couch while Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen. I decided to go and see what she wanted me to do first, instead of just diving head first like normal.
"Mrs. Weasley?"
"Molly dear, call me Molly! I have been telling you that for 11 years now!" I blushed,
"What were you hoping I could help you with?" She sighed,
"Well darling, as I told you, Ron has some Muggle flu, and you can't fix those with magic. You can however prevent them! Everyone but Ron got one yesterday at St. Mungo's, but I forgot about it until now it's too late! Take this fist," She handed me a cup with a potion in it, "And would you mind just keeping an eye on him today dear? I know he would rather have you keeping him company than his boring old mum, huh?" I shook my head,
"When anyone of us is sick, it's usually me anyway. Dad is always to busy to take off work or anything, so it's my job now." She beamed at me,
"Well that's very nice of you dear, your father must be so proud!" I shrugged,
"I don't know, he never really says much anymore. Well, I'm going to go upstairs then!"
"Alright dear, good luck with him... he can be very stubborn when he's ill," I smiled,
"I'll remember!" I walked up the two flights of stairs to Ronald's room, and opened the door. It was really warm in there, and I took off my jacket, but Ronald was laying on the bed, pale and shivering but sweating all the same. Being ill is quite confusing to the body.
"Ronald?" Nothing,
"Ronald? Ronald... RONALD!" He groaned and opened his eyes, when they saw me, he blushed and swore,
"Bloody hell Cori! You scared me, wait, what are you doing here? I'll get you sick," I laughed,
"That's why I'm here you git! I have to keep your ruddy arse company for the day." His eyes widened, "What?" I asked, and he didn't answer me, he just jumped up and ran towards the bathroom. I knew what was going on, so I sat calmly on the trunk at the foot of the bed and waited a moment for it to end. I then walked to the door, and said quietly,
"Ronald? Are you alright?"
"No, no I am not alright." I looked at the door,
"What?" I started, Ronald was never really honest when he was sick,
"I said, no. My head hurts and I feel like someone punched me in the stomach about 50 times. Just leave me alone." I was taken aback, Ronald had never, ever shut me out like this. We told each other everything, we had a really good friendship... I mean, we have been best friends since I can remember!
"Ronald,"
"Stop bloody calling me that!"
"Sorry, but I have called you Ronald since we could speak, and don't you think I'm stopping now," I would have continued, but he was being sick again and there really was no need to explain myself. Donivan was Don, Ronald was sometimes Ron, but our families being so close and always around each other... that would be simply impossible for me.
"R-ronald? I'm coming in there if you can't answer me properly!" He started to reply, but was cut off by another round of retching, "That's it!" I opened the door to a very sick looking Ronald Weasley. He was visibly shaking, and his cheeks were flushed, partially from fever and partially form embarrassment,
"You s-shouldn't be here. You don't need to be here while I'm sick, I can manage myself," I snorted,
"Ronald, as if I would ever leave you alone right now! I'm your best friend, I'd be here even if you had Spattergoit. I'm really glad you don't though, that's fatal sometimes..." He had taken to sitting against the wall by now, breathing quickly as if anxious,
"Really?"
"Yeah, really you git," I smiled at him, "And if your worried about me being bothered, believe me this doesn't bother me in the slightest. Now that mum's not around and dad is always working, I'm like the families healer. Well, other than your mum of corse! If I can handle it, we don't like to bother her... she has enough on her hands with you all. I swear, there isn't one day that goes by that I'm not bothered with something! One day Brody trips down the stairs, then Colin goes and almost breaks something playing Quidditch, and then Gavin spikes a fever... It never ends!" I finished my rant to a wide eyed, still pale but more calm Ronald,
"God Cori, that sounds like a lot of work for an 11 year old..." I smiled,
"Yeah, and then I deal with your idiot self and that's when it gets hard," He gave me a small smile, which immediately fell into a grimace as he held his stomach,
"Bloody hell," he shook my head, "this is horrible," he leaned his head against the wall, and I realized for the first time that May truly did get back at him for the dragon pox incident... Sure they are annoying, but your stomach isn't constantly churning, threatening to get rid of everything you've eaten in days.
We spent most of the afternoon in the bathroom, just sitting there talking, and for Ronald, being sick. I can honestly say that there is no way, even with Ronald being Ronald, that he could have possibly have eaten that much. Really, and I've seen him eat. I felt absolutely dreadful for making him go through it, but I couldn't go back and undue it, it was already done. I tried to ease my guilt by rubbing circles on his back, and making him feel better. I really hoped it was working...
Eventually he fell asleep, and I went down into the kitchen to grab something for dinner. Ginny was looking much better than that morning, and was even eating some toast, which was making Mrs. Weasley very happy,
"How's Ronald dear?"
"Oh, well I'm not sure. He's still vomiting, so you could say not good, but his fever might have dropped, so that's a good sign," I looked up from my food, and she nodded,
"Yes dear I suppose that's good, Ginny proves that it is most likely a 48 hour bug, so he will most likely be feeling better by tomorrow night," I smiled, thankful that Fred and George had been right,
"That's good news, I think he might be going mad of boredom in that room!" She chuckled, and went back to cooking at the stove right as Donivan walked in,
"Don! I didn't know you were here?" He nodded,
"Yeah baby sister, since we couldn't finalize our plans yesterday, I came over today. Did you hear any, um, extra yells today?" I looked at him confused,
"No... should've I?" he shook his head a little to quickly,
"No, no just asking you know. Making sure you're still sane and all." He whistled to himself, and sat down next to me,
"We might have gotten a step closer to the Ton-Tongue Toffies though," He whispered excitedly, "If only they would stop melting when you touch them..." He looked off in thought, and I realized just how late it was, it was almost 11 pm! I grabbed Don by his ear, not an easy task considering how much taller he was, and dragged him into the living room shouting after me,
"Goodbye Mrs. Weasley!"
"Call me Molly dear!"
"Oh, right... Goodbye, erm, Molly, glad I could help today,"
"Oh, thank you dear," And we flooed off.