Chapter 20

Ginny gasped as they all stopped any movement. Harry asked again. "Do you think it got the answer it was looking for? Does it know we're at the Burrow?"

Fred and George who had been terribly quiet finally spoke. "Yes. I'm afraid so." Fred now continued. "It doesn't make sense though. It's only ever asked us silly questions and showed funny memories. We just gave you that dramatic intro for fun like the man who sold it to us did."

Harry cleared his throat. "Well Fred, I have a feeling that this thing had no reason to ask either of you any of these questions."

Hermione interrupted. "Of course! It's probably a harmless game for those whom it has no interest. But look who we have playing Fred. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Two very powerful and important wizards. If something dark is behind this game, it probably has a fascination with both of them."

George stood and looked out the window. Ginny walked over to him. "George what is it?"

He sighed deeply. "It hasn't asked any further questions Ginny. Now I'm not trying to scare anyone but we really may have revealed our location to something terrible. It may be on its way right now."

Ron pulled out his wand and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Well I'm not going down without a fight. Dumbledore has several protective charms all over Hogwarts. If we split up we can place some all around the Burrow."

Harry walked over to him. "Good thinking Ron. Let's move." Fred and George immediately headed for the front door and stepped outside with their wands ready. The others followed suite and split up. Hermione and Ron cast the Oppugno charm on some Gnomes and Garden tools so that they would attack any unwanted visitors. Ginny and Draco cast the anti-intruder charms all over the house while Harry and the Twins cast the concealment charm on the grounds. They all met up by the shed they had witnessed the young Ron crying next to.

Draco couldn't help but feel sad and guilty for witnessing Ron's memory. Ron never knew what it felt like to have enough money to replace things. Hermione must have been thinking the same as she was rubbing his back as Ron stared at the shed. Ron realized everyone was replaying the memory and started to pace. "You know it was a blessing that broom broke. It was really old and unreliable." Hermione nodded in agreement and smiled at him.

Ginny was holding on the Draco's sleeve as she was truly frightened. "Draco….I'm scared."

"I know you are Ginny. Don't worry though. Any wizard would be crazy to take us all on." Draco replied in his mind as he looked up at the clear and starry sky. The moon was shining extremely bright and there were several crickets chirping all around them. Just then they all heard a large crashing sound which resembled a large tree plummeting to the ground. Hermione and Ginny jumped while the five young men turned quickly and raised their wands toward the sound.

Harry looked over at Hermione and Ginny. "Get in the house and lock the door. Don't come out no matter what you hear." Harry had never taken such a commanding voice with either of them before.

Hermione and Ginny protested. "Absolutely not!" Once again they heard a loud crack as if something was struggling in the trees. Draco advanced towards the sound closely followed by the others.

Draco looked over at Harry. "What do you say Potter?"

Harry didn't look over but answered sternly. "I'll approach with the twins head on. You and Ron advance from the back."

"Excellent. Ginny….Granger. Please go inside." Draco said politely. Ginny began to protest but Draco raised his hand which silenced her. "If anything happens, we need you both capable to alert the ministry. I'd also like you to see what that game is up to….Please Ginny." Ginny and Hermione turned and stomped towards the house feeling insulted and underestimated.

Ron looked over at Draco with a smile. "I've never seen Ginny take orders from anyone. That was tremendous." Fred and George laughed along with Harry.

Draco smiled back. "Well I didn't want either of them in harms way if we can help it. You understand Weasley."

Suddenly they heard another sound of a struggle in the trees and they separated per Harry's instructions. Draco and Ron walked around the large grouping of trees that the sound had appeared and headed in from the back. They could hear two men arguing but their words were muffled. Harry and the twins could see the shadows of two figures and advanced rather quickly with their wands raised. Once they reached the two men, they all cast different jinxes and spells which were easily repelled off. One of the men grabbed Ron and put him in a head lock. "Is that how you welcome your brothers for Christmas?" Bill said as he rubbed Ron's head rather harshly.

Fred started laughing. "What are you two doing out here? What was with all that racket?"

Charlie raised both hands in the air. "Well Fred let me think….You wouldn't know how to properly cast a concealment charm would you?"

Fred shrugged and pointed to George and Harry. Harry chuckled. "We were a little pressed for time. They don't quite teach that one at Hogwarts do they?"

"Not really no. Good try though. We were extremely confused when we apparated here. I ended up in a tree. Actually it's the one Ron just tripped over. Bill fell over it too and got stuck in some branches. So what's going on? Why were you casting out here?"

George replied with shame. "We uh sort of played a game that got a little uh….."

Fred stepped in. "It got a little more serious than before and we uh….."

Ron tried to help. "It was supposed to be fun but it started acting mental and…."

Harry began to mumble as well. "You see it sort of knows where to find us now and…."

Bill and Charlie noticed Draco smirking. "Anything to add Malfoy? How about starting with how you ended up at the Burrow taking on evil games with my family." Bill said in a sarcastic way. Harry couldn't help but grin as Bill had automatically included him as part of the family without even thinking twice.

"Well um….Bill is it? I befriended your sister at school and your mum was kind enough to invite me over for Christmas and well I think they covered the rest." Draco said as they all laughed. They headed towards the house as Ron gave Bill and Charlie a step by step account of what happened with the game.

Bill stopped on the front porch. "Wait, where did you get this Fred?" Fred told him as Bill and Charlie exchanged looks of concern. "Where's Ginny and Hermione?"

Draco and Ron looked at each other quickly and burst through the door. They all ran into the living room and found Ginny and Hermione drinking tea near the fire. Ginny was twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers as Hermione was reading a book. Ginny looked up and ran towards Bill and Charlie. "Mum said you wouldn't be here until morning! How are you?" Ginny said as she hugged them both.

Bill answered while he eyed the cauldron. "We're fine. Thought we'd just come a little early. And I'm glad we did."

Ron walked over to Hermione who barely looked up from her book. "You don't seem too worried."

"No reason to be. We knew you'd be alright." Hermione said casually.

"How did you know?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Hermione pointed at the game. "It told us."

Harry, Ron, and the twins yelled simultaneously. "What? How? What did it say exactly?"

Ginny responded arrogantly. "It said something about the battle was coming but not tonight…..that it wasn't necessary to take you all on at once." Draco immediately looked over at Ginny. He had just communicated something to that affect through their minds previously. "Hermione and I think that it's just repeating what we're thinking and making it sound dark and evil. We don't think that there's anything behind it other than our fears and thoughts."

Charlie sat down in front of it examining the contents with his wand. "Well whatever it is, it looks like the game has ended. Fred and George, you should really throw it out."

Fred looked up in shock. "You're joking right? Do you even know how much we paid for it?"

Bill replied with little patience. "That's your problem. Next time think before you make such a large purchase. Now get rid of it or I will!" Fred and George stood and took the cauldron back upstairs mumbling to themselves. Draco was impressed with how quickly Fred and George followed their brother's commands. He remembered that the last thing the Weasley twins did was follow anyone's rules. Draco wondered how he would react to having any siblings. Bill looked over at Ginny and stroked her long hair. "What's the matter Ginny? You look different. Are you eating enough?"

Ginny yawned. "I'm fine….Wait are you saying I look bad?"

Bill laughed. "Of course not! You're just as pretty as before it's just that…..Nevermind you look great." Bill looked over at Charlie nervously.

"Of course you do. Bill's just tired. In fact I think we're all tired. Let's hit the sack shall we? We can have an early Quidditch match in the morning." Charlie said while stretching. They all agreed and headed up stairs. Harry walked in to Ron's room and plopped down on a cot immediately falling asleep.

Ron looked over at Hermione as she was walking into Ginny's room. "Goodnight Hermione." Hermione looked back and smiled.

"Goodnight." She thought to herself. Ron smiled back acknowledging that he could still read her thoughts and walked into his room.

Draco looked at Ginny who was still yawning. "Where's the bathroom?"

Ginny smiled. "Oh just right there. Do you need anything?"

Draco smiled back and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did you feel like helping me with something?"

Ginny blushed and then thought. "Would you lower your voice? Don't forget you're being watched closely by Ron."

Draco nodded and thought. "Is this low enough? Besides, the only thing Ron is watching closely is Hermione's backside."

Suddenly Ron whispered in a threatening tone. "Goodnight Ginny."

Ginny smacked Draco in the arm. "Just behave yourself. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Draco entered Ron's room and immediately spotted what was to be his cot. He noticed Harry snoring off into the corner and Ron lying on his bed unable to hide his grin. "What's so funny Weasley?"

Ron rolled over and propped his head on his hand. "Oh I'm just tormenting Hermione while she's trying to sleep. I keep asking her questions about books she read and it's really getting under her skin. I expect to hear her cursing my name at any moment."

Draco laughed. "I wonder why it's still working if the game's over."

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. It'll probably wear off by tomorrow morning so I'm going to enjoy it while I can. I think I'll ask her to recite Hogwats, a History for me. She seems to always throw that book in my face anytime I don't know something about the school."

Draco sat down on his cot and covered his face with his hands. "Ginny? Are you asleep yet?"

"How can I be with Hermione tossing and turning? I think Ron's having a bit of fun with her. What's the matter?" Ginny thought.

"Oh nothing…Well I feel a little awkward sleeping in the same room as your brother and Potter. I never saw this coming." Draco thought as he shifted in his bed. "I wish I was in your room with you."

"Me too. Goodnight Draco." Ginny sighed deeply and dosed off to sleep.

Draco lay on the cot seeing Ron giggle every now and then. He and Hermione were obviously enjoying the mind reading. Well at least Ron was. Suddenly Hermione burst through the door with a large pillow and began beating Ron in the head with it. "Leave me alone and let me sleep!" Her hair was a mess and her eyes half open. Ron was laughing but suddenly stopped noticing her pajamas. She was wearing a tight pink tank top and pink fuzzy Capri's. Ron's mouth was wide open. Draco noticed the uncomfortable silence and cleared his throat loudly.

Hermione looked his way. "Oh I'm so sorry! It's just that Ronald has decided that because he can't sleep neither should I! Now listen here Ron. If you really want to know Hogwarts fourth Headmaster's favorite spell I'll tell you in the morning. Now go to sleep before I get angry!" She turned on her heel and slammed Ginny's door without even realizing Ron was fawning over her pajamas.

Ron's eyes followed her the entire way. Draco laughed. "I wonder what happens when she gets angry."

Ron looked his way with a serious face. "It's horrible. Trust me you don't want to see it."

"Actually I think I have. If you remember correctly, she's aimed her anger at me many times. I have the scars to prove it." Draco said rubbing his nose. They both laughed and eventually fell asleep.

A/N-Not much action. This was just another transitional chapter...Sorry! So the majority of reviewers were freaked out by the last chapter. Didn't mean to scare you guys! I can't believe how many of you have been with me from the start! I was sure that long gap was going to lose you forever but it didn't. Thank you for reading as usual. Question: How are you guys liking the Ron and Hermione progress. I'm a big fan of them together...How about you?