(A/N: I've decided that I won't kill off Fred. I love him too much. He and Angelina will get together, and have Fred and Roxanne, and be a happy little family, so that Rose and George can stay together, because if I'm going to break one rule, I'm gonna break all of them.)
Chapter Eleven
Rose's POV
I was going to sleep in Ginny's room, with Hermione. Draco had been offered George and Fred's room or Ron's room with Ron and Harry. I'd stifled a laugh, but Fred and George hadn't. Draco's luggage was moved in with Fred and George without further ado.
After I'd carried my bag and Flamel's cage to my room, Ginny and Hermione decided to play a game, Truth or Dare. OH. DEAR. MERLIN. I was in trouble.
For a while they chose each other until Hermione chose me. I answered steadily with truth. I could only imagine the horrors dare would leave me. "Do you really earn your grades at potions, or does Snape give them to you?" asked Hermione. I should have guessed this would be about school. "Well… I earn them. Snape doesn't take off house points for me, but I don't think he gives me extra credit… though sometimes he does let me take the less-dangerous potions home, if I did them well." I chose Ginny, who informed us that her first crush was on one of her older brother's friends, although I'd certainly never heard of him. She chose me again. "Define less-dangerous-potions." Hmmm. "He didn't let me take home anything that could be used to cause bodily harm. He let me take the love potion, God only knows why. I sent it to my cousin. Hear she's married now. He let me take home healing potions, and anything used to better something." I told her, counting off every potion I'd ever taken home in my head.
Ginny chuckled when I mentioned my newlywed cousin. Only Hermione got the significance of the healing potions. Hermione told us about her worst grade, a charms quiz, and I was once more questioned. I noticed that this wasn't very evenly distributed. I chose truth. "Why are you dating George? No offense or anything, it's just that Fred seems to be more popular, and you never seemed to like him." Hermione said inquisitively. "Well… He makes me smile, I guess. No one else can make me smile as often as he does, and he makes me feel calmer. Like my life isn't filled with crazy great-aunts and rebellious Slytherins." Ginny grinned, and I called on her. She told us about her favorite brother (Bill, Fred and George, Ron, or Charlie) to which we all laughed. I noticed that she'd left off Percy, and I didn't think it was accidental.
Ginny asked me, truth, "Why do you like Draco. He's a Slytherin." I frowned, but I'd known this would be coming. "So is Blaise Zabini, and Theo Nott, and Pansy Parkinson, and they're all my friends. Just because you're a Slytherin doesn't mean you're a bad person. A Slytherin's characteristics are cunning, ambition, and the will to do whatever it takes to meet their ends. Unfortunately, their ends are often chosen for them." I said sadly. "Yeah, by other Slytherins!" cried Hermione, and I was suddenly angry. "NO! By Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, and Ravenclaws who seclude and isolate them until they're willing to turn to anyone or ANYTHING to be free and accepted. Their ends could be the Order of the Phoenix, or killing death eaters, and they'd die for that cause, but they're unwelcome so they choose another cause. Voldemorte, sometimes, yes.
They stared. Hermione's mouth was open a little and Ginny's eyes were wide. "I… I never thought about it before. I just assumed they were on that path, because of their parents." Said Ginny. I shook my head, and gently said. "Some are, but you'd be surprised how a little welcoming would help. It takes a lot of courage to say 'no' and that's not something Slytherins have, is it? If they had help they might be able to, but no respected Gryffindor would ever help them, would they? So they say 'yes', and Gryffindors blame them for doing it." I sighed.
"You're a Gryffindor too." Hermione reminded me, and I smirked. "I am a Gryffindor. I'm courageous, and stubborn to no end, and I fit well into my house. But I am friends with Slytherins. I'm practically mother to the first year Slytherins, who get abused to no end. I fight for them." I whispered the last part, remembering just how hard I'd fought. Hermione's voice was that of someone who'd just had an epiphany. "You said 'no', didn't you? They beat you. They used the unforgivable. What did they do when you were put into Gryffindor?" she asked, eyes widening as she thought of a new beating. "The same. They were going to make me a death eater before any of 'those ridiculous ideas' got into my head. They were really beating me for two things at once, I guess." I murmured. When had truth and dare turned into an interrogation?
Someone knocked on the door, and George entered, followed by Fred. "Watcha doin' folks?" asked Fred. George sat next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pecking my cheek. "Truth or Dare!" said Ginny with a grin. "OOOH, Goody! Can we play, ladies?" asked Fred eagerly. Ginny nodded ecstatically and Hermione grinned. "Truth or Dare" I asked Fred wearily, already knowing the answer. "DARE!" he shouted.
I sighed. Angelina would kill me if I didn't ask… "Ask Angelina Johnson on a date when we get back to Hogwarts." I told him. She'd had a crush on him forever. Fred grinned. "Really? That's it?" He seemed pretty happy for some reason. I shook my head. "Don't tell her it's a dare!" I cried, imagining the reaction if she found out I was behind it. "He was going to do that anyway." George whispered in my ear. "Well why didn't you do it before? Angie's been bugging us all for weeks about it!" I cried. Fred grinned. "Really? Cool!" he shouted. I shook my head. "If you break her heart and we have to listen to her about it for months, I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL!" I growled. Hermione nodded. "Seriously George, it was enough to drive us insane before you were going to ask her out. If you break her heart, you'll be too dead to have a living hell." She informed him with furrowed brows. Ron and Harry came in, not bothering to knock. "Hello, girls! May I inquire as to the topic of discussion?" Ron said in a very un-Ron-like manner. Ginny laughed. Ron sat down behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her waist. Harry did the same with Ginny, planting a kiss on her fingers.
"Fred is asking Angie out!" George cheered. Harry grinned. "Good for you, Fred." Ron snorted. "All I can say is it had better work out." We laughed. Harry grinned. "You guys want to have a quidditch match? We don't have enough players." I nodded, along with Ginny, Fred and George. Hermione shook her head but offered to watch. Ginny, Harry and I were on one team, George, Fred and Ron on the other. I coaxed Draco into coming to watch.
George, Fred and Ron ended up winning, but only by a few points. Ginny and I decided to take a walk, but Hermione declined, saying she was cold. I didn't blame her. It looked as though it would snow, and it being the fifteenth of December in England, I wasn't surprised.
We mainly walked in comfortable silence, not going anywhere, but not really caring where we ended up either. After twenty minutes, we decided to walk back to the burrow. When we got there Fred and Ron jumped from behind us, which resulted in Ginny screaming, and me hitting Ron's face. I couldn't help it; I'd been taught self-defense since I was two years old.
"I am so sorry Ron!" I apologized. Ginny rolled her eyes. "It serves him right." Ron shook his head. "Remind me never to prank you." Said Fred teasingly. "What did you think I was?" Ron asked, rubbing his jaw. "I don't know – an intruder? It was reflexes!" George grinned. "You put some might behind that, too." Muttered Ron. Hermione was laughing.