The silence was broken by Ginny. "What the heck was that all about?" she asked furiously as she rounded on Ron.

"What?"

"What'd you have to attack him for?"

"I didn't attack him!"

"Instant replay Ron, 'but… you never think' he didn't even do anything to you!"

"Why are you defending him?"

"Because he didn't do anything to deserve that!"

"Well?" they both rounded on Harry and Hermione who were silent the whole time because they thought this "family matter" didn't entirely concern them. They had absolutely no idea what to say. Finally, Harry spoke up.

"I'm not taking sides or anything." He started very cautiously as to not upset anyone further "but Ginny's right, Ron. You didn't have to say that about Fred." Ron glared at Harry, then at Hermione.

"I'm not choosing sides either," she said slowly "but Ron, that was wrong of you to say something like that to your own brother." Ron was mouthing soundlessly, and then stood up. "Fine!" and stormed off to his room.

"Don't worry" said Ginny calmly to Harry and Hermione as they heard the door to Ron's room slam, "it's not your fault that he's mad, and he knows what he did was wrong. He's just too proud to admit it. So don't feel guilty."

"How long do you think he'll stay mad at us?" asked Harry.

"I don't know… until he realizes that he's wrong." Answered Ginny though there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Either way, we should talk to him." Said Hermione.

"Yeah we should, just not right now. Give it time." Said Ginny as she started clearing the table. The holidays are going to be a bit complicated.

-- --

"Fred, wait up!" said George as he ran up the stairs to reach his twin "Can we talk?" Fred heaved a sigh and nodded. They both entered their room and closed the door. There was a short silence before George spoke again, "Look, I know what Ron said was, well…"

"Stupid." Fred finished for him.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Said George carefully. He couldn't think of anything else to say, so there was an uncomfortable silence between them. He wanted to ask Fred what he was thinking about when he zoned out a while ago, but he didn't know if now was the right time. As if Fred could read his mind, he answered "No George, now is not the right time."

"I understand." Nodded George "wait, how did you-?"

"It's that great psychic connection we have as twins." Replied Fred, now starting to cheer up a bit. They could hear Ginny and Ron shouting downstairs in the kitchen. A few seconds later, they heard Ron storming up the stairs to his room and slamming the door. "Do you think it's safe to go back downstairs?" said George "unless you don't want to." He added quickly.

"Hmmm… yeah, I think I want to. Besides, all of us could do with a bit of cheering up, a bit of Quidditch should do it." They headed back downstairs to find them clearing the table.

-- --

"You ok, Fred?" Ginny asked timidly as the twins entered the kitchen.

"I've been better." replied Fred "I should be asking you the same thing, I heard you and Ron having a row."

"He deserved it." Said Ginny with smugness in her voice. Fred smiled.

"Awww… Ginny. And here I was thinking you didn't care so much." He said with an exaggerated sniff and went over to give her an over-enthusiastic hug.

"Gerrofff me, Fred!" came Ginny's muffled voice.

"Group hug!" yelled George and took hold of Harry and Hermione and joined with Fred and Ginny.

"Ahh… a cornucopia of love." Said Fred after they all broke apart. "I'm touched." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

"So, you're sure you're ok?" said Ginny.

"Well, I feel better than I did a while ago." Replied Fred.

"Just don't let what Ron said get to you." Said George, patting Fred on the back. "He's a prat."

"I won't." said Fred "He just can't take it that I'm brillianter than him." Hermione raised her eyebrows, she corrected Fred's sentence.

"'Brillianter' is not a word, Fred." She said.

"Most smartest, then." He replied with a grin; he was doing this on purpose. "What's it matter, I'm a prankster, not in englist."

"Linguist, Fred."

"Huh?"

"It should be 'linguist' not 'englist'"

"Oh… well… see, point proven." Everyone laughed, including Hermione.

"Quidditch anyone?" said George. "Just to lighten up our spirits, it's the holidays for goodness sake!"

"Ooooh… Yes!" squealed Ginny.

"I'll get my broom from upstairs." Said Harry and ran up the stairs but stopped half way for he had just realized something.

"What's wrong?" said George.

"It's just, Ron and I share a room." Harry said slowly "And I think he's still mad at us."

"I'll come with you." Suggested Fred "you know, just in case." He said with a wink and went with Harry up the stairs. "We'll meet you in the clearing." Fred called down the stairs to the other three. Hermione, Ginny, and George reached the clearing in silence, absorbed in their own thoughts and waited for Harry and Fred.

-- --

Fred and Harry went up the stairs and walked toward Ron and Harry's room. Harry knocked on the door, there was no reply, but he entered anyway. Ron was sitting on the window sill looking outside, his back to the door. Fred waited by the door, Harry went to retrieve his Firebolt and inched toward the door, but Ron spoke. "What are you doing?" he asked without facing him.

"Just came to get my Firebolt." Harry explained "We're playing Quidditch, wanna join?"

"No." he answered flatly, he turned around to face Harry and saw Fred in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I live here." Fred answered coldly "In case you haven't noticed." Ron's eyes narrowed. Harry, sensing danger hastily took Fred by the arm. "Let's go, I don't want you guys to have another row."

-- --

Fred and Harry arrived at the clearing a few minutes later. Fred went to get his broom from the nearby shed; Ginny and George already got theirs.

"Ready? Excellent!" said George excitedly "Let's divide into teams." They divided into pairs, Harry and Ginny, Fred and George.

"Ok, let's go." Said Ginny.

"Wait a minute!" said Fred suddenly "What about Hermione?" Everyone looked at her.

"It's ok." Said Hermione, she hated flying "It wouldn't be equal, besides, I don't have a broom."

"You can be on our team." Said Fred quickly, a little too quickly. Good thing no one noticed this.

"Won't it be an unfair advantage?" she said, sounding desperate to get out of joining. Ginny snorted.

"No offence Hermione, but there wont be a difference in advantages."

"Exactly!" said Hermione, secretly thanking Ginny for pointing this fact out. "So I guess I'll just watch you guys pl-."

"So that means there won't be an unfair advantage." Fred interrupted. "Come on Hermione, we can share a broom, and you don't have to do anything."

"I don't know, I don't really like flying."

"You've never even tried it." Said Harry. This was true, their first flying lesson during their first year was called off due to the fact that Neville fell off his broom and broke his wrist and had to be sent to the hospital wing.

"Please Hermione" said Fred "how about we don't fly too high, deal?" Hermione still looked uncertain. You're losing her! Use your power of persuasion… puppy dog eyes! No one can resist the puppy dog eyes!

-- --

Hermione's POV

Awww… look at his eyes! He's so cute! I think I'm melting. Just say yes and get it over with! No! Yes! NO! Come on, he even said we wont fly too high! Just say yes! I'm not sure… You'll be sharing a broom that's like, the closest you'll ever be to him, come on, you know you want to! Fine I'll do it! YES, you won't regret this! Unless I fall off the broom! You won't, besides, you already said yes. Now stop arguing and answer Fred!

"Ok, fine. I'll join."

-- --

"You will?" Said Fred with a bewildered look on his face. Hermione nodded and mounted the broom. Score! Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. Ouch! Ok guess not. Shut up and get on your broom! Oh, yeah ok. Fred mounted the broom, so he was right behind Hermione.

"Don't forget our deal." Reminded Hermione with fear in her voice.

"I won't. You're safe with me, I promise." Fred reassured her. They rose into the air at a reasonable height, but Fred could feel Hermione trembling. "Don't worry, it's ok." He reassured her.

"Just, don't let me fall." Was all Hermione could say. After a few minutes in the air though, Hermione started getting used to accelerating, swerving, and turning, she wasn't bothered by how high up she was anymore. But she would flinch every time the quaffle headed towards her and Fred, and she realized that she was very scared of diving. Fred noticed all of these things too. A few hours later, they all touched down; Fred's team won by 20 points.

"Not a bad game, eh?" said George as he, Fred, and Ginny all put their brooms back in the shed and made their way back to the house with Harry and Hermione.

"Even Hermione is warming up to Quidditch, aren't you Hermione?" teased Fred. Hermione blushed.

"Ok, I have to admit, Quidditch is kind of fun."

"But you did flinch every time the quaffle came your way." Pointed Ginny "but that's understandable." They heard two distant pops.

"I guess that means mom and dad are home." Said Fred "must be almost dinner time." They reached the house and went into the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were starting on dinner.

"Hi Mr. Weasley." Harry and Hermione greeted.

"Hullo Harry, Hermione." Nodded Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley looked at all of them. "What have you all been doing? You're soaking wet!"

"Playing Quidditch, mom." Replied George.

"Well, get out of those clothes and change into something warmer. Dinner will be ready in a while." They went upstairs into their own rooms.

-- --

"So what do you think of Quidditch now, Hermione?" said Ginny as she and Hermione reached their room.

"It's ok, I guess."

"What made you change your mind about joining?" asked Ginny. Hermione shrugged. As if I'm going to tell her that I joined because of her brother.

"I think you joined because of Fred." Ginny said casually. Hermione swallowed nervously how did she know? Ok, just stay calm. "What do you mean?" she managed to ask without a hint of nervousness.

Ginny shrugged. "He used his puppy dog eyes." She looked at Hermione. Hermione nodded. "No one can resist them; he calls it his 'power of persuasion'" Hermione laughed, but it was out of relief. "Yeah… he used his puppy dog eyes." They changed into warmer clothes and put their wet clothes in the laundry chute outside the bathroom, they went back downstairs to the kitchen.

"Hello dears, could you please set the table?" said Mrs. Weasley "dinner is almost ready."

"Sure, Mrs. Weasley." Said Hermione.

"Thank you, Hermione, dear." The two girls took the silverware and the plates and started setting the table.

"Fred! George! Ron! Harry! DINNER!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs as she set the food on the table.

-- --

The boys came down to the kitchen all changed and warm (except for Ron, of course). Hermione, Ginny and Mr. Weasley were already seated, while Mrs. Weasley summoned bottles of butterbeer before sitting down. The boys sat down, and the Weasley's, Harry, and Hermione started loading their plates with food.

"Wow, mom, you've outdone yourself." Remarked Fred.

"'eah, om, its eally good." Said George through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Swallow, George." Said Mrs. Weasley sternly. George swallowed. "Sorry, mom."

"That's alright, George." Said Mrs. Weasley "So, I was thinking we go to Hogsmead on the weekend, so we can do some Christmas shopping." She said to everyone.

"Why the weekend?" asked Ginny.

"Because you're father's work ends on Friday for the holidays, so do Bill's and Charlie's. And so there will be more adults around to look after all of you."

"Bill and Charlie are coming?" asked Ron, speaking for the first time since dinner started.

"Yes." No one bothered to ask about Percy, they could tell that Mrs. Weasley was still upset about him. After several helpings of everything (Mrs. Weasley insisted that Harry and Hermione have sixth helpings of everything, complaining that they were so skinny), everyone was too sleepy to talk anymore.

"Now, off to bed with all of you." Said Mr. Weasley "I'm sure you've all had a very tiring day." They all said their goodnights to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and headed upstairs to their rooms.

-- --

Fred and George reached their bedroom, yawning and stretching, and changed into their pajamas and got into their beds.

"Man, I am exhausted." Said Fred.

"Me, too. Good game today, by the way." Said George, referring to the Quidditch game they had this afternoon.

"Yeah."

"How did you convince Hermione to join?"

"Powers of persuasion, my friend, powers of persuasion." Replied Fred sleepily, his eyelids getting heavy. George laughed.

"G'night Fred."

"G'night George."

xxxxxxx

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