"Mum, I can't find my shoes!"
"FRED, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Mum, I still can't find my shoes!"
"Nothing, mum, nothing, don't worry, we'll fix it."
"MUM! GINNY CAN'T FIND HER SHOES!"
"IN THE KITCHEN, GINNY! AND SOMEBODY GET THE DOOR!"
Ron Weasley bounded down the stairs three at a time right when he heard the doorbell ring. Or, rather, when he heard his mother yelling.
The Burrow was in chaos and they were only meeting Freur Delcour's parents (in a half hour, by the way). But Hermione Granger was supposed to come. She was late and Ron had been waiting for her to arrive. She took the Knight Bus seeing as her parents were going to miss their plane.
"I GOT IT!" Ron bellowed. He opened the door and saw his bushy-haired friend standing in front of him. She had her trunk, a wrapped present, and a bag that looked full to bursting.
"Hi, Ron. How's your summer been?" Hermione inquired as they entered the small kitchen of the Burrow.
"Cheerful, can't you tell?" Ron replied as they heard more yelling from the living room. Apparently, Fred and George were decorating for the Delacours' arrival.
Ron grabbed her trunk and they headed upstairs. Hermione seemed to be having quite a bit of trouble carrying her bag up the three flights of stairs.
"Um, do you want any help with that?" Ron asked. "Wait, don't tell me that's full of books."
"Well… it… is…" Hermione huffed. She stopped walking so she could speak. "I thought I should bring my old books so I could review for when school starts. It's N.E.W.T. year, remember?"
"How could I forget with mum breathing down my back every second of the day? Not that I'm going to study till at least two months before they start."
"Two months?" Hermione replied, looking quite shocked. "Ronald, you're joking. I've been preparing since the start of summer. I've already gotten my homework done and purchased my books for seventh year. And I'm in the midst of making my study schedule. I'll make… you… one..." Ron had started to walk again. Hermione stopped talking (to Ron's relief).
"Sure Hermione… I'll definitely use it." Ron replied sarcastically. Hermione scowled indignantly. Mrs. Weasley was at the top of the stairs. "Uh-oh. It's mum. Careful what you say. She's at her breaking point."
Mrs. Weasley looked very flustered, angry, and worried (at the same time) as Hermione and Ron approached her. She was hustling along upstairs, checking the condition of the bedrooms. Hermione cautiously greeted Mrs. Weasley (with Ron a safe distance behind Hermione).
"Oh, hello, Hermione dear. BILL, GO CHECK ON FRED AND GEORGE, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE! Nice to see you, love. Yes, well, I'm quite busy at the moment. So you just make yourself at home. Put your things in Ginny's room. I'M COMING, GINNY! Oh and Ron, set the table," Mrs. Weasley fairly shouted. Well, she did shout. It appeared she was well past her breaking point.
Mrs. Weasley ran as fast as her stout legs would carry her downstairs. Hermione entered Ginny's room and Ron went downstairs to set the table. First, he wanted to check out Fred and George's decorating job. He could already hear shouting. He soon entered the living room.
"Mum, we're taking them down right now, really,"
"THEY'LL BE HERE IN TWENTY MINUTES! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE THINKING! Honestly, trying out prototypes for the guests. Really…" Mrs. Weasley muttered as she left the room.
Fred and George looked quite sulky as they took down the decorations. And there were decorations. The room was lavishly decorated, if that was the word. The twins were trying out their prototypes for a new line of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes decorating items. Apparently, they were trying to impress the Delacours' with their decorating skills.
The room's walls had a different color on each of the four walls; vibrant yellow, bright orange, vivid red, and shocking pink. The items of furniture, such as small couches, were all the colors of the wall in a strange square pattern. The colors in the pattern flashed and changed colors, along with the colors of the walls. Adorning the ceiling, glittering ribbons were starting to remove themselves. The floor was covered with a strangely shaped rug that flashed the colors in the room. Going as red as the color on the wall, Fred and George were putting the room back to its original style.
"Love what you've done with the place," Ron said, trying hard not to laugh. In a flash, the twins turned around, holding their wands threateningly, but Ron had already raced out to the kitchen.
Still chuckling, Ron entered the kitchen and found Ginny going upstairs, her shoes on. He went outside to the garden and set the table outside, deciding not to use magic (they did not need any more chaos in the house). He went inside and was about to go upstairs to check on Hermione and Ginny when the doorbell rang.
"THEY'RE HERE!" He shouted up the stairs. Bill came hurtling down the stairs with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley following close behind. Ginny and Hermione came downstairs after them, talking, when Bill opened the front door.