Games Are Afoot Chapter 20
Games Are Afoot Chapter 20
Oh Brother!
Disclaimer: all the cool things like people and places belong to JKR, I am just toying with their affections.
Charlie felt like his eyes were glued shut. He could hear muffled movement in his room, but his body was so heavy he couldn't even turn to see what was going on. It seemed as if he had just barely lain down, but the noise of the house made him realize that most of its residents were up and about.
"Good morning, gov'nr!" An overly cheerful voice called to him overly loudly.
"Urgmph!"
"Come on ya' bloody wanker! Is that anyway to talk to your brothers on this fine Christmas morning?" Another merry voice called out.
"Goway!" Charlie grimaced into his pillow.
His bed sank under a weight. Then it sank again. And again. Charlie moved the pillow over his head and tried to ignore what he knew was coming.
"You aren't going away are you?" Charlie said again to his pillow as his bed started to bounce and creak.
"No way brother. You have some serious explaining to do about a saucy little witch that kept you out until all hours." The voice that resembled Bill said teasingly.
"Yeah, Dra-gon Ta-mer," said Fred as silkily as he could. Charlie groaned. They totally submarined him and there was no way he wanted to have this conversation on this little of sleep.
"Your Bookworm must have been schooling you last night, eh?" George chimed in barely containing his laughter.
"Lads! Keep your head about ya, mates. Let a poor exhausted man have a cuppa while we interrogate…I mean chat." Bill bellowed with enthusiasm.
Charlie finally sat up groggily in the middle of his bed surrounded by the legs and arms of his brothers. He gratefully accepted a steaming cup of hot coffee from Bill and gingerly took a sip.
Fred and George couldn't contain the snorts as they fought to control the laughter bubbling under the surface.
"Come on Char, guzzle that caffeine so we can get details." Fred begged. Charlie rolled his eyes and took a painfully slow slurping sip. Even Bill was sniggering in anticipation.
"Don't you lot have some presents or something to open?" Charlie mumbled in between sips.
All three of his brothers shook their heads as they grinned cheekily.
"Nah, you have our undivided attention." George informed him gleefully.
Charlie sighed. "Then queue up mates, let me have it."
Fred placed his arm around Charlie's shoulder and leaned in. "Brother, what on earth were you doing with Hermione Granger until five o'clock this morning?
Charlie looked around at each of his brothers. They were all intently staring at him not wanting to miss a word of his explanation. He understood that this interrogation was all part of the brother code, but that didn't mean he had to give up information easily.
He grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing."
Hands and pillows instantly assaulted him, his coffee spilling all over the bed. He jumped up as the hot liquid burned through his pajama pants. Before he could turn around, Bill had his wand out cleaning up the spill and drying him off.
"Thanks mate." Charlie said sincerely. Bill sized him up for a moment.
"No problem, wouldn't want you distracted from Fred's question now would we?
"I'm not so sure we'd answer that question the same way." Charlie chortled.
Fred stared him down with his best evil eye. "Hey, I asked a perfectly legitimate question. One I have waited nearly FOUR whole hours to get an answer for."
"Before I answer your question, maybe you could answer one of mine." Charlie shot back.
"If it'll get him to answer Fred's question, I say let him ask." George volunteered.
"Okay Charlie, ask."
"Why did you set Granger and I up under the mistletoe?"
Bill, Fred, and George collapsed with laughter. Charlie watched them gasp and double over in amusement. Finally, they began to collect themselves as he waited with a quirked eyebrow.
George spoke first holding his hands out as if to say 'don't blame me.' "That was all Ginny mate. She is one sneaky witch."
Bill gasped out another bark of laughter as he nodded his head. "Ginny pulled Fred here aside after these two twits ambushed her and Harry. She mentioned that after we stopped by their room, that the delightful Miss Granger's complexion remained pink for quite some time."
"Apparently you were a hot topic for discussion—" Fred inserted.
"And much laughter!" George snorted.
"How would you know--" Charlie stopped mid thought as his brain kicked in. "You were listening on those extendable ear things weren't you?" He accused.
Fred and George tried but failed to pull off a remorseful look.
"Come on, how often do we get an opportunity like that?" George said shaking his head.
"Girl talk across the hall…it was too convenient." Fred added.
"You two almost got us caught when you decided to stop and knock. We had to retract them so fast that the poor things almost got whiplash!" George continued.
Bill looked impressed. "So you were listening BEFORE we stopped by?"
"OH YEAH!" The twins said together.
"We'll have to chat with you in a minute." Bill said waving his finger at the two of them. "But, Charlie, we are so not finished with you yet, Brother." Charlie sighed in surrender.
"So what 'nothing' did you do until five a.m.?" Bill pressed as the corners of his mouth tugged upwards towards a smile.
"Flinch."
"The whole time?" Fred sniggered in disbelief.
"I had a lot to learn." Charlie said evasively.
"You played flinch for what, five hours?" George asked incredulously.
"Well, blokes, I like her…a lot." Charlie said quietly looking at the floor. Absolute silence permeated the room. The Charlie Weasley just admitted he liked a bird. A gorgeous, fun, intelligent bird, but a bird nonetheless. Bill coughed dramatically to ease the stunned tension in the room.
Fred was still trying to figure out if Charlie was having a go at them. "Charlie, you are telling me that you are thinking of withdrawing from bachelorhood?"
Charlie looked him in the eye and nodded.
George snorted. "All right, what's the joke?"
Bill answered before Charlie had a chance to. "Boys, he's serious."
The twins just sat there. Every time they started to say something they would just close their mouths again. They would look from Bill to Charlie and back to Bill just shaking their heads.
"If I knew my liking a girl would make you speechless, I would have done it years ago!" Charlie chuckled. Bill laughed with him.
"Think of how quiet we could have had it all these years!"
"You're really serious, you and Granger?" George finally sputtered.
Charlie again nodded, the twinkle returning to his eye and his trademark grin exploding on to his face.
"Well, when did this happen and why wasn't I aware of it?" Fred demanded as his face also lightened. "I think it's a helluva thing, but way to go."
"Fred, we should give him the talk." George said with a wink as he nudged Fred.
"Right, the talk." Fred agreed.
"What talk?" Bill asked.
"The brother talk of course." Charlie said cottoning on. He grinned at the twins who were twittering, but trying to keep their faces straight.
"Now, Charles," George began with mock sternness.
"Hermione is a lovely young lady," Fred added.
"Who deserves to be treated with the utmost respect." George continued.
"You will not take advantage of her…" Fred went on holding his fingers up as if he were counting.
"You will not hurt her physically or mentally…" George added pointing to Fred's fingers.
"And if she cries over you, well, honestly Ron will probably kill you." Bill added his two bits.
Charlie laughed merrily and applauded. He thought his brothers were doing a bang up job at the talk. Usually it was Bill and Charlie who gave it, but he thought they nailed it spot on. Bill apparently thought so to because he put his hand over his heart and looked toward the twins.
"George," He looked to George. "Fred," He switched his gaze to Fred. "You have done us proud. That was a fine version of the talk."
Charlie was cheering, "Hear! Hear!" Fred and George saluted their mentors stoically.
"By the way, I also owe you chaps a big thank you."
"Yeah, why?" George asked.
Fred elbowed him hard and gave him one of those 'duh, think about it' looks.
"OH! The mistletoe..." George finally caught on.
"Hey little brother," Bill began with a sly twitch of his lips, "How was that, eh?"
All eyes were on Charlie again. "Bloody Brilliant."
George shook his head, "That has got to be the understatement of the year." Fred coughed loudly trying to cover his guffaw.
George persisted, "How? When?"
Charlie looked toward the ceiling thoughtfully, "I guess I really noticed her over the summer. I mean, I met her all the way back at the World Cup, but she was only fourteen. I noticed her but there were way too many red flags." The boys all nodded at him to continue.
"Well, I was really impressed with her this summer and we talked a lot not to mention playing the games." Charlie continued. "There is just something really special about her." Charlie said wistfully. Fred and George looked at each other.
"What?" Bill asked noticing the look between the twins.
"She's always been special." Fred shrugged. George nodded in agreement.
"She's the whole package, but she doesn't even realize it." Bill suggested. They were all lost in their thoughts for a moment.
"Well, I left her a letter and a little present when I went back to Romania and we've been writing ever since. Then when Dad got hurt, Dumbledore sent me a portkey and asked if I would be her bodyguard when she left Hogwarts for the holidays. McGonagall was really worried about her safety on the train without Ron and Harry there. From what I was told, I guess there are some Slytherins who would like to give her some trouble."
"It's that git Malfoy and his thugs." Fred offered.
"Well, they had her get on the train and then get off without anyone noticing and I met her on the platform." Charlie stopped talking and took another sip of his now lukewarm coffee.
"Hey wait!" George exclaimed, his eyes bright with revelation. "End of term was TWO days before she got here…"
"Charlie…." Fred shook his finger at him.
"Calm down boys. There was nothing unseemly. I took her to see her parents and then she stayed at the Burrow with Bill and I until it was safe to bring her here. That's all." Charlie said sternly.
"You knew?" George exclaimed looking to Bill for confirmation. Bill nodded and shrugged.
"I am a man of many secrets--"
"French Lessons!" Charlie coughed into his fist interrupting Bill and earning a smack upside his head.
George and Fred were in hysterics again. "That's the worst kept secret in the family Bill!" George panted. Bill looked stunned.
"Is it?" He asked in surprise.
Fred and George looked at each other and said, "Oui!"
Charlie hooted and joined them in laughing at a very surprised and red-faced Bill.
"Well," Bill stammered, "We aren't talking about me right now are we?" He glared at his brothers.
Charlie lifted his hands in the air. "I think I've said all I'm going to for now."
"I am not saying another word either." Bill seconded.
"Which brings us back to you blokes." Said Charlie as he leaned forward resting his arms on his legs. "Tell us about all the WONDERFUL and INFORMATIVE things you have learned with those new contraptions of yours."
"Oh, yes, do tell," Bill encouraged.
"We have learned much—" Fred began dramatically.
"We are informed." Deadpanned George.
The boys all cracked up again. "So tell us!" Persisted Bill slapping his hand on an end table for effect.
"Tonks and Lupin." Fred spilled.
"No!" A very stunned Charlie said as his mouth shaped into a perfectly round o.
The twins nodded reassuringly.
"Ginny still fancies Harry too." George added.
"Really?" Said Bill. "I thought she was dating some other bloke."
Fred giggled, "Apparently, it's to pass the time until Sir Potter realizes she's alive."
George snorted, "You should see the looks Ginny shoots at Cho Chang! Miss Chang is lucky Ginny can't do magic with her eyes or she would be jinxed into a new hemisphere."
Charlie laughed. "Hermione may have mentioned that the bat bogey hex was a trademark and not her complete bag of tricks."
"OH Hermione doesn't come in second. You should see what she's done between the Quibbler article and the secret--"
"DON"T!" Shouted Charlie cutting Fred off abruptly.
"What?" Fred yelled back.
"Don't rat out your secret DADA group." Charlie said hastily. "Our lovely Miss Granger has delightfully jinxed the parchment to identify any tattletales." Charlie said knowingly.
"Did she?" George asked looking toward Fred.
"Our work is a success. Who would of thought we could get Granger to be a rebel?" Fred replied smugly. Charlie chortled.
"Someone is going to get a nasty surprise if they blow your cover."
"We have a lot of nasty surprises planned for the rest of the year." A very pleased looking George said quietly.
Bill looked intrigued and leaned toward them "Do you now?"
"Let's just say, we want to be remembered…" Fred said drifting off.
"And if we can send Umbridge around the bend in the process, so much the better!" George summed up.
"It completely helps not being tied down with burdens like prefect and head boy." Drawled Fred.
"Aye, it would help to be unencumbered." Laughed Charlie.
A very loud pounding on the door caused all four of them to jump. The door opened and Ron poked his head in. "Mum wants us all down for breakfast so we can get to St. Mungo's to see Dad."
"We'll be down in a sec." Bill informed him. The rest sat silently waiting for Ron to leave.
"What's up? Why are you all up here? What's going on?" Ron asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." Four voices rang out in unison.
"Sure, that's what you always say." Ron sniggered as he left them. Charlie grabbed a shirt and put it on so he could go downstairs with the rest.
"What was said in this room, stays in this room, right?" Charlie reminded the group.
Everyone nodded in assent as they made their way out the door and down the stairs for the delicious food they could smell wafting up towards them.