Christmas at the Burrow

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Summary: George makes a shocking discovery during Christmas at the Burrow.

It was Christmas, and the Burrow was quite crowded. After all, the entire Weasley clan, Harry, Hermione, Remus and Tonks were there for the holidays, plus various spouses and significant others.

Bill and Hermione had just announced their engagement the night before, so Mrs. Weasley was even more excited than usual. Charlie and Tonks had recently had a baby. Fred had finally settled down, if that was even possible, with Angelina Johnson, while his twin had been married to Katie Bell for three years. Ron and Harry had finally brought their girlfriends- Lavender and Luna, respectively- to a family gathering. Meanwhile, bachelor Remus was just that.

Though she'd grown up in a house full of people, Ginny yearned for privacy. She'd moved out of the Burrow not long after leaving Hogwarts and took a job running the business and accounting side of her brothers' joke shop. She kept an office in Hogsmeade, where the twins had moved their home base after Zonko's closed down.

She loved her work. To her, it made sense, unlike the products on the shelves, which often created chaos. Ginny had always been a fan of irony, and her work exhibited it. She and Lavender had become close friends after she'd started dating Ron. Lavender worked as a columnist for Witch Weekly and was often in Hogsmeade reporting the goings on with the wizarding world's most successful pranksters.

It had been Fred and George who'd convinced her to come stay at the Burrow for the holidays. She'd been perfectly content to stay at her own flat and Apparate Christmas morning. Now, she was regretting her decision. She hadn't had a moment's peace since everyone had arrived the previous morning.

Ginny peeked out of the door to the upstairs loo before exiting hastily into the hallway. She was straightening her skirt and brushing her fingers through her hair when George accosted her.

"Ginny!" he exclaimed taking in her appearance. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you looked as if you'd just been thoroughly buggered." He laughed at his own assessment.

Truth be told, he had reason for his remark. Her clothing was askew, her face flushed, and...was that a hickey just under the neckline of her top?

"George, don't be silly," she said with a nervous laugh. "I was lying down."

"In the loo?" he inquired.

"No, silly," she said nervously. "I just went in there when I woke up."

"Oh," he replied, breathing a sigh of relief, "we wondered where you'd been. You disappeared a while ago. Mum was getting worried. You'd better head down. I think she wants your help with something."

"Okay, then," Ginny said brushing past him down the hall.

"Say, you haven't seen Lupin have you? He's been missing for a while too."

"Check outside," Ginny suggested. "He's been disappearing out there to read." George nodded in response as he watched his sister head towards the stairs

"Oh, Ginny?" George asked. His sister turned with a questioning gaze. "You have something in your hair." He walked towards her and reached to remove the offending item. "Dental floss."

"Thanks, George," Ginny replied with a blush. She skipped down the stairs without another glance at him.

Meanwhile, George headed to his original destination, the loo. He didn't expect it to be occupied, what with his twenty-two year old sister having just vacated it. So George didn't bother knocking.

George, having grown up at the Burrow had seen this loo several thousand times. However, the sight that met his eyes when he opened the door was not one he'd ever seen before, nor one he ever wanted to see again.

Before him stood Remus Lupin, resident werewolf and current editor of Dark Arts textbooks, looking quite breathless as he tucked his shirt into his trousers and zipped them up. Upon hearing the door open, he smiled to himself. "Couldn't stay away, could you? Well, I'm afraid it will have to wait until later, you insatiable witch." He raised his head, thoroughly not expecting to look into a pair of deep blue eyes belonging to George Weasley.

All color drained from both men's faces as they stared at each other. Remus cleared his throat. "George, it's not what you think," he began.

"What I think is that you're buggering my little sister," George replied.

"Well, yes, then it is what you're thinking," Remus conceded. He paused and narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "You're going to kill me now, aren't you?"

George seemed to relax a little. "Actually, I think it's great. You're much better than those prats she usually dates." He stuck his hand out, and Remus shook it. "Don't worry, Lupin. Your secret is safe with me."

"You're a good man, George," he said. "Now I see why your Ginny's favorite brother." Remus quickly left the loo and went downstairs to ignore Ginny in front of her family.

When George returned downstairs a few minutes later, he immediately found his brother. "Oi! Fred, you'll never guess what I found out!"