For disclaimer please see chapter 01. :)
A/N: Thank you all for the nice feedback! Of course you can look forward to the Weasley twins at their best (or worst?), a bit of romance later on and character development in parts where you wouldn't expect it!
I'd also like to thank Wolf's scream for further help with the grammar. Thanks a lot :)
Hugs to you all, Odyssey :)
02 - Choosing your company
"Mom!" An excited voice hollered across the yard. "MOM!"
For a moment nothing could be heard safe for cackle of some chicken and the silent grumbling of some garden gnomes. Then, in a rustle of activity, a red head emerged out of a barn, listening intently. "Ginny, dear?" Molly Weasley inquired. "Did you call? I'm over here!"
Ginny, who had indeed been screaming her mother's name for the past half hour, sprinted lightly over the yard. "Mom," she panted, "Bill has just sent his answer. He can't come along. He's busy with Gringott's…stuff."
"Oh." Molly's shoulders sank in disappointment. She had hoped to get the whole family together on their trip, hopeful after Charlie had announced he's ask for a vacation to join them.
"Sorry, mom." Ginny seemed disappointed herself, especially since she adored her older brother. After all, he was the coolest of the Weasleys with his long hair, his leather boots and his earring.
"Ah! It can't be helped," Molly decided, laid a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder and led her back to the main house where the rest of the family was doubtlessly making preparations for their impending holiday.
Arthur, for instance, was beyond enthusiastic. He had borrowed several books from the Ministry's extensive library in order to learn about "proper Muggle behaviour". Needless to say that Molly already felt sorry for the poor family they would be sharing the bungalow with. The twins had been awfully quiet so far, which worried Molly greater than she would have liked to admit. Each day owls flew in and out of their room, carrying strange packages and every once and again puffs of blue and green and purple smoke would escape from under their door. Of course, both would assume an identical expression of angelic innocence when asked what they were doing. We're just making sure that we're up to living the Muggle way´ they'd say and smile enigmatically. Somehow, Molly was even more afraid for the poor Muggles they would be living with.
Upon arriving in the house (why did they always seem to end up in the kitchen, first?) Molly and Ginny were greeted with nothing less than the usual chaos that had taken up residence in the Weasley-house. Fred and George had come down from their room for once, looking as if they had only narrowly escaped an explosion, while Charlie and Ron were busy stealing raisins out of a cookie jar. Arthur and Percy had buried their noses in one of the books that Arthur had brought. Now and again Percy would readjust his glasses that stubbornly refused to stay on his nose and slipped down time and again. On the other hand, Ginny mused as she watched the tall lanky form of her brother, Percy could be doing it because he thought it might make him look intellectual.
However, her thoughts were interrupted by Ron. "So, Mom." He started. "I guess you've heard the bad news."
"Yes," Molly nodded, "so we'll be one less – oh, wait a minute! We've already sent out the number of tickets to Sunshine Holidays! We should tell them that they don't have to send…"
"Mom!" George (or was it Fred?) beamed, "That means that we can take a friend along instead of Bill. Perhaps…"
"Lee Jordan!" Fred completed the sentence with a devilish smirk.
"No!" shouted four voices in response, frightening the chicken outside. The twins looked devastated.
"Why not?" Fred whined, looking deceivingly angelic.
"He's such a nice young man!" George nodded earnestly, but possessed the self-preservation-skills to back off at Molly's stern glare.
"I want to have a girl along!" Ginny decided with a steely edge to her voice. "I'm fed up with your boy-talk´. Whoever we bring – I want it to be a she!"
Knowing that the smallest Weasley had just used her resolve-voice, the rest of the family went back to pondering who exactly would have the honour of accompanying them. Arthur smiled softly as an idea occurred to him.
"How about someone who's Muggleborn? Our own Muggle-expert, so to speak!"
"How about Harry?" Ron nodded enthusiastically, jumping around in excitement.
"He's not a she!" Ginny insisted.
"I bet you'd still like to have him along, Gin," Ron smirked as his sister turned bright red, making her head look like an oddly-shaped tomato. Fuming, she turned to Ron ready to start a fight as the most unlikely person to engage in the discussion averted Ron's the impending doom.
"What about Hermione?" Percy's cultivated voice suggested. "She's obviously a she´ as well as Muggleborn. Plus, her parents know us enough to allow her to accompany us."
Arthur beamed, completely taken with the idea and Ginny seemed to give it some thought, as well. Finally, a sly smile crept over her pretty face as she laid a friendly hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Besides, I'd bet Ron would like to have her along!" Ginny smirked as Charlie burst out laughing, the twins grinned at her appreciatively ("Our little sister! You can see we're related, can't you?") and Percy shook his head in disapproval. Ron, however, turned scarlet.
"Well, it's decided then," Molly concluded, obviously satisfied with the outcome. "I shall owl her and Mr. and Mrs. Granger for permission instantly!"
With that she turned on her heel, leaving a small cloud of dust behind her as the rest of the Weasleys went back to bickering in peace.
o0o -
Mr. Vernon Dursley liked to think of his home as an oasis of calm and order. A neatly ordered front garden, a well-kept house, every picture hanging precisely at a right angle. There was one thing, however, that would always – with stunning precision – turn his life upside down. Said thing was currently sitting on the edge of the sofa (doubtlessly staining the clean material!) and rubbing his cursed scar. Vernon was just about to shoo Harry off as the disappointed voice of his wife reached him.
"She can't take care of the house while we're gone, Vernon!" she whined. "Everybody is busy these days. Marge has to deal with some new puppies, Arabella Figg has mysteriously vanished and Mrs. Dunston – well, I'm not letting her near the house!" Petunia looked close to crying.
"Now, now, Dear," Vernon soothed. "Have you already phoned everyone? Someone has got to stay here and watch over the house – and Harry."
Petunia nodded miserably. "I've been trough the whole phonebook! Nobody has the time or inclination to do so!"
Vernon furrowed his enormous brows. That was bad. That was very bad, indeed. They could eventually manage to leave the house empty for a month. The problem was – as usual – Potter. He would not allow the boy to stay there alone. Goodness knows what he would do! Probably burn the house down or, worse, infest it with others of his kind. Much to Vernon's chagrin the headmaster of Harry's infernal school had also made it quite clear that the boy was supposed to spend the summer holidays with his family. No escape on that route, either. Finally Vernon let out a long-suffering sigh. "Petunia," he started in a voice befitting a funeral speech, "We will have to consider taking him along."
Thud!
Turning startled Vernon discovered the source of the noise. His son Dudley had fainted on the spot.
o00o –
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