Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or ever green,
You're black, white, beige, chola descent,
You're lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way

Lady Gaga "Born this way"

George spluttered. "What? He's gay?"

Fred nodded his head. "Yep. Pretty sure he is anyway." The fireplace flared green and Fred hopped up, smiling. "Need help, Hermione? Oh Godric, that smells so good. You're a goddess."

Hermione laughed and blushed. "Thank you. I know how to get all you Weasley boys hearts. Just throw a little food your way and your all sold."

"Pretty much." Fred helped layout the plates and forks while George fixed the cups and Hermione set the cups out. "Oh, by the way," Fred continued nonchalantly. "Is Terry gay?"

"Yes." Hermione answered with a absent nod as she set the noodles out. "He came out last year. It wasn't something he was ashamed of, but he kept it quiet because of the Voldemort tension. He was never overly fond of homosexuals. Terry didn't want to take any chances of him finding out and hurting him." She paused with egg rolls in her hand and gave Fred a quick frown. "Why?"

"Because I'm curious if he's into Michael. George was saying he could smell his arousal and I'm pretty sure it wasn't me or George that were doing the attracting in that situation."

"Oh," Hermione went back to their food. "That's no surprise. I've been expecting it for quite a while. I'm mostly curious why Ernie still rooms with the two of them. I'd have expected him to try and move in with Hannah, Susan and Justin so that the two love-birds could have the flat to themselves."

"They're a pack." George said while he filled the cups with water. He didn't think anything of it until he felt their eyes on him. He paused and looked over, nervous. "Umm, what is it?"

"They're a pack?"

"Yeah. They were changed together and they're attached to each other. They've gone through each change together. That was why Michael calmed down more when Terry arrived. They'll stay together regardless of who is dating whom." George shrugged and picked the glasses up. "It's a matter of comfort and home." He set the glasses down at each place. "It's hard for others to understand. Certain people are just… family? It's not really that. It just means home, and if someone has that scent you can't really get rid of it. They just mean they're safe. It's why I won't hurt Fred."

"Then why did he react to you being an Alpha?" Fred asked as he laid the plates, forks, and napkins out. Hermione was using chopsticks but Fred and George were going the more safe route of standard silverware.

"Because that was purely instinctual." Hermione declared. George took his seat and served himself some of the egg noodles and sweet-and-sour chicken. "It's old magic. Alphas need to be obeyed. It's like trying to resist an imperius. You can do it, but you don't really see the reason to."

"Well now I feel terrible." George announced as Hermione and Fred served themselves. Hermione shook her head.

"You shouldn't. If you care for your subordinate wolves you won't hurt them. They'll hear it in your voice as well. It'll make them feel better and safer. Most wolves enjoy having an alpha-if it's someone they trust."

"Could that be why he's been going crazy during the transformation? He needs other wolves?" Fred asked between bites of rice.

"Well, if you're restless during your transformation, then yes, I'd say that was your problem. I don't think it'd change the pain though."

George took a moment to appreciate how flat out surreal his life was before talking. "We need to work on that. If I'm the new spokes person for all things werewolf then I want to make things better. We're producing wolvesbane, which has helped a lot of people, but I'd really like to find something to dull the pain down some."

"I'll get to that in a moment. I have a few ideas for it." Hermione gushed, "But first, do you have any questions about Alpha's."

George chewed on his chicken and really thought about the question. "Do I have to be an Alpha?"

"It's like being a wizard. You cannot practice magic, but you're still a wizard."

"I'm seeing this as only being positive." Fred declared. "Being an alpha means you can't be led astray by other alphas as well."

"There is the potential problem of the Ministry panicking. There was Fenrir. They might redouble their efforts." Hermione said quietly. Fred frowned at her.

"Hermione, you're raining on the parade. We're going for optimism here." Hermione's face dropped and she lowered her eyes to her plate, frowning dejectedly. George's stomach turned and he glared at Fred.

"She's just trying to prepare me for what might happen." George said, a bit more snippishely than was called for. Fred winked and grinned before hiding his face in his cup. Git. He'd planned that. Hermione perked up and gave George a grateful smile. George forgot about his idiot twin.

"What were you saying about transformations?" He blurted out after a long minute. Hermione set the egg roll she'd been nibbling on aside and George swallowed.

"I think we should be able to reduce the pain. I know I'm not the only one who has researched it but I think the key will be in animagus. They can transform pain free, so I don't see why we shouldn't be able to figure out an enchantment to allow you to transform pain free."

"So you're going to have to dive into the science of it?" Fred asked around a mouthful of rice.

Hermione wrinkled her nose at his manners. "Yes. More or less."

"It'll go a lot faster with the other werewolves signing up." Fred offered. George nodded before remembering something else.

"Hey, what do you think Michael and Terry are up to? Why do they want to see me in two weeks?"

Hermione smiled mysteriously but didn't say anything. Fred studied her with a frown. "You know something. Spill, Granger."

"No." Hermione said. She smiled pleasantly. "I've got to go home and get to work on a report. I have a few books on werewolves I can bring over later if you'd like them?" George nodded his head. "Alright then. I probably won't be by tomorrow, but I'll try to make it later in the week? Have fun and contact me if you need anything." She bid goodbye and stood up. A quick twist in the air and she was gone.

"You're a prat." George declared before standing up and doing the dishes. Fred just laughed and helped him.

-o-o-o-

Hermione didn't make it to the shop until Wednesday, and that was just for an hour. George felt like sulking at the lack of Hermione but kept cheery.

Then Friday came.

He loved Fridays typically, because they meant the weekend was at hand.

"It's gorgeous out." Fred declared dreamily from the register. He was leaning on it with his face resting in his hand. "And we're stuck in here." Fred's voice dripped with disgust as he pushed himself up. George grinned and continued to buss the spotless counter. "That's probably why no one is in here."

It had been oddly slow all day. They'd only had three customers and it was nearly twelve-thirty.

"Well," Fred whined as he stepped away from the counter, "I'm angry that wherever they are we were not invited." Luna crossed the back of the shop to tend to the pygmy puffs.

"Hogwarts start back up in two weeks, right?" George asked. He put his rag away and went to focus on the candy displays in the front of the shop. The pygmy puffs purring filled the room and relaxed the atmosphere a bit. They're trilling always made George grin.

"Yeah… We should be full of pre-prank packers." George nodded his head and started restacking the candy. He let his gaze drift out to the front of the shop and promptly dropped the pack of Farting Fudges. He now knew why no one was in the store… They couldn't get to it.

Fred stooped by his side and picked the broken package up. "Georgie? What is it-Damn."

There were at least fifty wizards and witches all marching in front of their shop. They had signs and were completely barricading the entrance. "Okay, what the actual hell?" Fred said allowed before pushing past George and up to the window.

"I have no idea. They've got signs but I can't read them." George stated. He went to Fred's side and pressed his face against the window to get a better view. The marchers turned around and came back towards the shop, and George's stomach sank as he realized what they said.

Don't support the wolves!

Dogs should die!

Get werewolves out of our stores and schools!

Fred made a noise that George had never heard before. It sounded like he'd verbalized hate. He fisted his hands and turned to George with utter rage in his eyes. George quickly stepped back and in front of the door. No way was he letting Fred out when he was this upset. He'd wind up in Azkaban with Assault charges. He barely noticed Luna looking up from the pygmy puff cage with a frown.

"George, move."

"No." George snapped back. He could hear a few voices rising from behind him. The protestors had probably realized that the twins were aware of them now. George wasn't all that sure how they hadn't noticed them earlier.

"I'm going to get rid of them! If they think they can march to my store and try to say things like that about my twin-"

"I will not let you out of this shop. They're not hurting us. They're just being… idiots." God, times like these George hated taking the adult roll. He really wanted to get angry right now. Even his wolf was asking why they weren't outside tearing the throats of those ignorant protestors.

"They can't do that in front of our store!" Luna put the pygmy puffs food down and made her way towards the window.

"Actually, they're on the street. They're allowed to." George countered. He hadn't seen Fred this angry since Harry asked to hang the posters in the shop. The wolf, though still incensed, was a little happy that his twin only got that upset about him.

"Where is everyone? Why isn't anyone stopping this?" George opened his mouth to respond when his eyes caught the Farting Fudges that were still in his hand.

"I'm not sure." George mumbled, barely paying any attention now. He was having a new idea.

And it was brilliant.

"Freddie?" Fred, who had been ranting unaware of George's epiphany.

"What?"

"Do we still have the Canary Crème filling in the cauldron?" George asked Luna who had just reached the twins. She nodded her head slowly while Fred gave George the look he always gave him when he thought George was being especially dense.

"Yes?"

"I have an idea. Where are the Bomb Balloons? We can fill them with the crème and send them over the protestors."

Fred stared at George for a solid moment before he beamed. "See? This is why I love you."

"Will we get in trouble?" George asked, feeling he should probably be responsible.

"Probably. But, they are the ones marching. Also, we can claim it's for advertisement or that it's an advertisement that went wrong." Fred stepped back and started towards the back before pausing. He turned towards George slowly and narrowed his eyes. "I want you up in the flat. Call mum or Hermione or Auntie. I don't want you involved in this."

"Absolutely not." George was not going to let Fred get in trouble by himself.

"Well, you're not helping. We're not giving them any extra ammo on you. You were just in court for an attack you didn't cause. Dosenger is looking to eliminate you."

"Then you're not doing it." George stated. He crossed his arms and glared at his twin. Fred glared right back.

"Then we're at a stalemate."

"It would appear we are." Fred glared for a moment longer and sighed. George frowned.

"You're not going to budge?" Fred asked.

"Nope. You?"

"Nope."

"Then we need another idea." Fred said. George nodded his head, frown still in place. It had been a beautiful idea. It would've really shown the protestors not to mess with the-

"It's hot outside." Luna murmured. George turned his head towards her in surprise. He'd forgotten she was standing there.

"Sorry?"

Luna pointed to the protestors. "It's hot outside. They're probably quite warm."

"So?" Fred snapped. "Let them pass out from heat stroke."

"Won't that hurt your cause though?" Luna turned to look at the twins more fully. "They already think you're monsters. Won't pranking them convince them you're cruel?"

"They don't need to be convinced." Fred grumbled. George ignored him. He was having another thought. It was a little crazy, unheard of, and would see to it the werewolves didn't have a leg to stand on. They needed to do the opposite. "Fred?"

"What?"

"I have another idea." George swallowed and grinned. "We're going to need to floo Florean Fortescue's."

"What?" Fred deadpanned. George grinned, allowing his teeth to show and make his teeth a bit more vicious. It made his wolf feel more in control if they were intimidating

"We're going to serve the protestors ice cream. Imagine how much the press will eat it up."

"I do not get it." Fred crossed his arms and glared at George and Luna. George just smiled all the wider.

"Well, they can't very well talk about how terrible we are while they're munching on ice cream, can they? It'll throw them for a loop and the press will jump at the chance to talk about the protesters who were being treated by the protested." George glanced at Luna who was smiling softly. "We'll look like good guys no matter how you dice it."

A/N: This chapter is inspired by another protesting march. (I'm going to try and take as much influence from the real world as possible) Chick-fil-a declared that they Biblically disprove of gay marriage, and were marched on for that fact. They responded to the marchers by giving them water and food free of charge. I really approved of that attitude.

I'm going to start a story from a prompt my cousin gave me soon, but I wanted to open the floor up to others. If anyone has a prompt they'd like me to do, review or pm it to me. I'll see about writing it up :)

Lastly, let me know if you have any more questions. Be they for me or for the story. I'll answer in the story or in the Author note :)