Author's Note: I kind of got ahead of myself in the previous chapters. XD I've gone back and fixed them, but where I wrote Harry I meant Ginny. Sorry about the mishap. Anyway, I'm heading home from vacation today and I have no internet at my house until Wednesday when they're installing it, so this will be the last chapter I put up until then. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to leave reviews as they read! It's really appreciated. :)
Before Fred could completely wrap his mind around what had happened, there was a loud ruckus from downstairs. Three pairs of feet plunged up the stairs, stampeding up the narrow passage as quick as they could to be the first to discover what was happening.
There was a very animated "OW!" followed by a loud THUD and "Bloody Hell!"
Fred's mind was still racing, thoughts running rampant as he tried to figure out his emotions. He was still drifting thru a haze of confusion when George erupted thru the doorway, followed closely by Ginny and Ron, all tripping over each other.
"We heard the yelling," George explained, leaning against a wall as he tried to catch his breath. "So naturally we felt we should investigate."
"Did she really chew you out?" Ginny asked eagerly.
"Not really," Fred replied simply, wishing they'd all just leave him alone to sort out his thoughts.
"Better yet, did she hit you?" Ron questioned hopefully, his face lighting up with the prospect. The hope, however, was replaced with a crestfallen scowl only a moment later as Fred told him, "No."
"Well, then what did she do to you?" Ginny's tone was a bit frustrated; they were all looking for answers and they certainly weren't getting any.
"Nothing." Again, not what the trio was looking for, but the faint flicker of a grin that played across his lips certainly gave them the impression that there was more to it.
"Nothing as in there's really something, but you don't want to tell?" George inquired, even though he already knew the answer.
"Maybe."
"Ok, so what did you do to her?" This time it was Ron who was trying to weasel out any small bit of information he could.
"Nothing."
"Another nothing that really means something?" It was posed as a question, but that's not the way Ginny had intended it. He already knew the answer, and the truth forced an amused smile to light a fire in his eyes that danced with laughter.
"Maybe." By this point, it was quite obvious that Fred was enjoying stringing them along, torturing them with his lack of details.
George frowned as he studied his reflection in his twin's face. An unpleasant thought seemed to have found its way into his mind and he was entertaining the possibility that it was true.
"You two didn't have a snogging fest in my room, did you?" he finally voiced his concern with a suspicious glare.
"No, of course not," Fred denied quite clearly.
"You didn't have a snogging fest in your room either, did you? Because I don't know if you'd noticed, but they're the same space."
Fred went to answer, but his response was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley bellowing up the stairs, "WEASLEYS! And Hermione, too. Family meeting!"
"Oi," George sighed, rolling his eyes. "I wonder if that means the entire family, or just those foolish enough to still admit they're related?"
As if in response, Mrs. Weasley's voice called out once more, "And that means you, too, Fred and George!"
Fred scowled as he trudged to the doorway just behind his younger siblings. "Why am I always called first?"
"Face it," George answered, trailing behind him, "she just likes you better."
"Or I'm just the one who always gets blamed," Fred growled in return, glancing over his shoulder at his brother. As he turned around he ran almost straight into—Hermione.
He started to smile as their eyes met, but before he could say anything she'd whisked her gaze away and stationed herself beside Ginny.
"Whatever you two did in the bedroom, I don't think she enjoyed it nearly as much as you did," George whispered in his ear.
Fred turned and took a swing at him—one meant to get the point across, yet not injure too bad—as he ordered, "Shut it."
The group fell quiet as they entered the living room. Not even the twins dared to continue their antics with Mrs. Weasley around.
