"First it was Bill, then it was Charlie, then it was Percy, then it was Fred and George, and then it was me, and then it was Ginny's turn, right Dad?"

"Yes, that's right Ron," confirmed Arthur putting his file in his briefcase. "Now, I must get off to work, be good for your mum. Finish your porridge,"

"Ok, I will," said Ron as he looked up from the chair. Arthur kissed him on the forehead and then was out the door.

"You know Dad's lying to you, right?" Fred and George appeared around the corner.

"What would dad lie to me about?"

"You were never in mummy's tummy."

"Yes, I was."

"No, you weren't. You were in someone else's tummy."

"That's not true!" as much fire Ron said it with, Fred and George could see his little ears turning pink.

"It is, her name was Stephanie and she was all by herself and she didn't want you,"

"So, mum offered to take care of you."

Ron felt confused with all the information at once. "She did!"

"She did what, Ron?"

"She did want me!"

"Who wanted you?" asked Fred.

"Because Stephanie didn't," said George.

"That's why mum adopted you," Fred reminded Ron.

"Needless to say, she was disappointed you weren't a little girl," George raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Well, we got Ginny in the end," sighed Fred.

"Mum wanted me!" Ron said. "Why would dad lie to me!"

Fred hopped onto a chair opposite Ron. "Because he doesn't want you to feel bad," said George, faking sensitivity. "No, but-but-but we-" Ron couldn't think of something that will make it true that he really did share their parents. "That's right, Ron," Fred nodded.

"Mum and dad lied to you your entire little life," George reached out and patted Ron's little hand and he snatched it away. "Take all the time you need," Fred and George snaked out of their chairs and left for upstairs. Ron burst into tears, his porridge went from bearable to undigestable.

Ron continued to go the entire day internalising the news of his true parentage, a woman by herself with a name he can't pronounce. "It's ok," said George after lunch time, slipping him a lolly when their mother's back was turned to clean the dishes. "Mum still loves you."

"Even when you're being really naughty," whispered Fred.

"I'm never naughty," Ron sulked.

"Really? Because mum worked so hard on our lunch and you didn't eat any of it!"

"Seems a bit ungrateful, don't you think? After all she's done for you?" prodded George.

"I wasn't hungry."

"Anyway, we have to go now," said Fred.

"We have to do chores, for our mum. Who we love," taunted George then they slipped away.

Molly turned around to see her little Ron crying. "Oh, Ron what's wrong? Tell me."

Ron shook his head as tears dripped down his face. "Ron, you don't eat your food," Molly gestured to Ron's sandwich, "and you sit there after your meal like your bottom is glued there. Tell me."

Ron shuffled around to give his mother the silent treatment. "Well, I'm not sticking around for your little, whatever this is, tell me when you're ready." Molly walked into the next room to fold some laundry. Ron shuffled off his chair and strode out into the front yard to have a stew. Percy was in an isolated corner of the garden spraying the weeds that were invading their vegetable crops. Ron approached in hopes of some sensible advice. "Perce," Ron's voice wavered. "What is it, Ron?" Percy sighed.

"Mum is my real mum, right?"

Percy looked around at Ron who was rubbing his hands together. "Ron, I don't have time for this, we have to get the house ready for Charlie and Bill. Go inside and be useful."

"Bill's back! And Charlie too!" Arthur announced as Bill and Charlie walked under his arm through the door. "Hello, my big boys," Molly kissed their heads. "I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up, but you had nice time at dad's work, did you?"

"Yeah!" said Charlie cheerily.

"But we couldn't see any of the cool stuff," Bill said moodily.

"Well, that's top-secret stuff, y'know!" Arthur said tapping their heads his hat as they passed.

"Well, I made you a nice big welcome home dinner! And there will be a little treat at the end if everyone is good."

Ron sat there, his fingernails digging under his chair. "Ron, why aren't you getting any food? Bill, put some food on Ron's plate before he misses out," Molly instructed.

Bill sighed and put a couple of spoonful's of mash on Ron's plate.

"Ron, come on," said Arthur.

Ron shook his head. "Come on, Ron what's the big fuss about? You were in a good mood this morning what happened?" Arthur turned to his wife, "what happened?"

Molly shrugged as she served out the sausages. "He didn't eat his porridge or his lunch."

"But you told me you were going to eat your porridge!" said Arthur.

But Ron just frowned even more. And then his chin wobbled.

"Oh, Ron, come on! What's bothering you?"

"Fred and George… Fred and George said I'm adopted. My-my real mummy didn't want me," Ron sobbed.

"Oh, dammit George!"

"Hey! Why doesn't Fred get a dammit too?"

"Poor, underprivileged Fred," Fred shook his head in false woe.

"Dammit, both of you!" corrected Molly fiercely. "Ron didn't eat all day because he was caught up in this silliness? Ron was sulking all day because you convinced him, somehow," Molly gestured to all of their red heads sitting around at the table, "that he wasn't born into this family?"

"Pretty good joke, huh?"

"No, it is not! A joke where someone cries at the end is not a 'good joke'!"

"Well, crying from laughter isn't so bad," Charlie toyed at his mash.

"That is right Charles, but is Ron laughing?"

"No," Charlie murmured.

"Apologise to Ron, now," Molly demanded.

"Come o-" "now," Molly interrupted severely. Fred and George looked over at Bill and Charlie in hopes they will rise to the occasion but Bill just shook his head to say, "you took it way too far." The only person at the table who didn't feel the tension of the Twins' impending apology was Ginny who was shovelling potato into her mouth.

"Sorry, Ron," they mumbled together.

"Is that it?" Arthur said.

They sighed in unison and then went from their slumped over posture at the table Fred and George stood up straight and marched over to Ron at the end of the table. "Ronald Weasley," they said in sync. "We apologise for the pain we caused when we confused you into thinking you were adopted for a day-long period."

Fred and George stuck out their hands to be shaken. Ron smiled as his leftover tears dripped off his face. Ron shook their hand each, "thank you" he said but his voice was muffled as he dried his tears with his sleeve. "Very good boys," praised Arthur.

"How big do you want your slice to be, Ron?" asked Arthur with the knife over the Welcome home cake.

"Big!" Ron said.

"How big?"

"Very big!" Ron shouted.

"Ok, if you think you can handle it," Arthur said, cutting him a big slice (well big for Ron at his age) as Ron watched on in amazement.

"Hey!" Fred and George said. "How come his is so big?"

"He put up with a lot today. I gave you dessert, but you got little because you were mean."

"Fine," said Fred.

As they were cleaning up the plates, George leaned down to whisper in Ron's ear, who was still ploughing through his slice. "You will get your turn with Ginny."