The countdown is on.

Though, the major question isn't about the countdown, it's really about how long we can keep this whole thing a secret. I'm actually surprised James hasn't figured it out yet, he's the one who remembers the last party best.

Excuse me while I shudder.

I decide to walk up the stairs, and leave very harsh orders for Harry to take out the brownies when they beep.

Merlin help him if he forgets.

I look over my shoulder as I walk up the stairs, and see James eying me suspiciously. Crap. Taking advantage of my brief pause, he sprints the stairs to where I am and then sidles up to me.

"Mum," he says sweetly, and I think of a devil in angel's clothing. "What are you so worried about?"

"No-no-nothing!" I stutter out, kind of giving away the truth of how scared I am.

He arches one of those black eyebrows. I have noticed recently that his eyebrows are quite a bit bushier than Harry's. Hey, how come James and Harry can do that eyebrow thing? That's so cheap! I resist the urge to stamp my foot, and instead just let out a frustrated gust of air.

"I think there's something, Mum. Could I guess?"

"NO! I mean, no." I squeak and dodge past him, practically running up the stairs.

Bloody, buggering hell!

I think he may have an idea.

Please, if there is any mercy in this world, do not let him tell Albus and Lily!

Or have him tell me that he's going to tell them, it's always interesting to see Albus's reaction to bad news!

Hehe.

The last time we went to one of these parties was two years ago. After that, we found out when the next one was oging to be, and made sure that there was no way in hell that we'd be home. If I'm going to be honest, we pretty much would find out, then book a plane trip to Las Vegas. That way, Dad would be thrilled and Mum would have to huffingly go along with it.

I'm thinking they noticed this year, though, that we avoided the last one. They are sneaky like that.

That's a lie. Harry and I are the sneaky ones in this family.

Except, Weasleys are basically my equivalent to the Muggle Mafia or whatever, because at least the Mafia aren't out to get me. Stupid George and his barbaric ideas. And stupid Ron, for agreeing with him!

Why Harry is Ron's best friend, I will never know.

Or understand.

I arrive in my room and shut the door as quickly as possible. I turn the lock, and cast some sort of anti-picking charm that Harry found. Thank Merlin that he's an Auror!

I lay on my bed and meditate. It's all about clearing the mind, and I'm trying to convince myself that maybe this party will be okay, that we'll all come out alive and happy. Ha.

I wish.

Inspiration strikes me.

I grab a quill and a paper, and begin my letter as thus:

Dear Harry, James, Albus, Lily, and the rest of the family that killed me,

I'd like to state that I am almost of sound body and mind when I write this, though my soul seems to in agony. If I die today, at this party, or go missing for a prolonged period of time, here is how I would like everything to be divided up in my absence.

Harry will receive three quarters of my Quidditch money, and he also gets my body to do with what he likes. Not in a perverted way, George! I'd kind of like to be cremated, as I don't want to haunt some bloody tombstone for the rest of my eternal existence. Instead of Moaning Murtle, I'd be Grumpy Ginny or something idiotic like that. Harry also gets my share in the house and I hope he will do right by it. Please remember that houses have feelings! He also gets first pick of my personal possessions that aren't listed below.

James, Albus, and Lily get the other quarter of my money to be put away into they graduate from Hogwarts. If they don't, then no money from Mummy for them! They also can have my Quidditch play books and my broom to split. As in equal. I'll include a how-to-share graph for you, because I really have no faith in your sharing abilities. I mean, seriously kids! You suck at it. You get all the little kid books that I've been buying over the years, meaning to read to you, but none of you were ever very interested in stories since you were five so the books have just been collecting dust. You guys get second pick of everything else.

George gets my tombstone if I get buried. If I have to haunt somewhere, might as well be a joke shop where I can creep some kids out.

Ron and Hermione get my manual for you-know-what. I've heard that they've been having a little trouble with it, because Ron always bragged about how he was going to have a huge family. I always assumed that this was because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Er... don't you only have two kids? And for the record, don't even ask why I have a manual for this. Just don't.

Bill, Fleur, and kids get all the cute little baby clothes that I have. Most of them never really looked good on the trio because it didn't really suit their colourings. Your kids are midgets anyways, so you should give them a try.

Charlie, I bequeath you my model of the Hungarian Horntail that I stole from Harry. Tehe. I have no idea what the hell you are going to do with it, seeing as you already have like thirty of the bloody things, but it's yours.

Percy and Audrey, please borrow the you-know-what from Ron and Hermione. Audrey looks like she hasn't got anything worthwhile in a long, long time. To enhance this idea, I will also leave Audrey all my knickers. Oh, and you can have that tea package that you have been staring at ever since you came over to the house. It's not my fault that I put it on the wall, that's what tea worshippers do!

Mum and Dad, you can have whatever Harry and the kids don't want. Please, don't let George get all my personal stuff, or for all I know, he'll try to bring me back! I don't want to have to come back to hell again!

Thank you all for your cooperation, and I sincerely hope that all my wishes are fulfilled. Otherwise there will be hell to pay! Literally.

With love and hatred equalling,

Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter

I sign my name with a flourish. Ha. Now isn't that beautiful. If I were an emotional person, I would be welling up with tears at the thought of my own death. And if I were overly dramatic, I would be calling up the crematers.

No need to do that, I've done my research so it's already decided in my other will who will be the one who receives the joy of burning my body. Suckers.

I hope they make sure I'm dead before they begin to burn me. I've always had a big fear of fire ever since Fred and George tried to burn off all my hair when I was three. Luckily, the sofa was the only thing that caught fire, and Mum gave them the best rant they've ever been given to date. Actually, the best rant that Fred was given in his lifetime. It was acutally amusing, except for the fact that it was my hair. That rant of Mum's was definitely on her top ten.

I lay on down on the bed and stare at the ceiling in deep reflection. If George and Ron do what I'm pretty sure they are going to do, I'm going to die. Or rant at them with the best rant of my life. It will be amazing.

I better start practicing it out!

But I should probably make my way back downstairs and face the music.

I decide that it was time to be an adult, and go downstairs and face my children. I wrench myself up of my bed, and crack open the door sneakily. Then I throw it open, and it hit the bloody wall!

Damn.

Then again, it's not a big deal. I mean, it's almost comparable to the second coming now. It's quarter after 12, and the kids will have to be told in fifteen minutes anyways so what's the big deal? Why am I so upset?

Oh, yeah. I was trying to avoid the whole thing completely.

And of course they'll come to me, because Harry's basically clueless. Apparently, I'm the one who wears the pants in this family.

Hmph.

I already gave away my position to the enemy, so I make no effort to be quiet whatsoever on my way downstairs. I basically tromp the entire journey.

When I take that final, dreaded step into the kitchen, I'm attacked. I nearly go down in a heap, but instead stay up and keep fighting.

James is looking at me, and his brown eyes, replicas of my own, are lit up with excitement.

"Dad says we're doing something special today!" He grins at me, and I'm very afraid.

"Er... did he?" Yes, that's my lame response. "What did he... er... tell you?"

"Nothing," James grinned, "other than that there is a plan! And Mum, you know how much I like plans!"

Dear Merlin.

"Oh, well." I don't think they have an appropriate reaction for this in my parenting book, so I'm going to stay with a safe blank look. "Your father will tell you in about fifteen minutes."

Al and Lily peek around the corner, their eyes shining. Apparently they are excited too. Just what I need. James is bad enough when he's excited, let alone when he coerces Al and Lily into hyperness too.

Actually, it's nice to see that they are so happy. Maybe they will take the news better than I thought.

"I can't wait fifteen minutes!" James cried indignantly. "I need to know now, Mum. It's a matter of life or death!"

The dramatics of a ten year old. At least I can deal with that.

"Well, you are going to have to." I say firmly, knowing that it is altogether likely that Harry or I will break before this point. "We are not telling you before the clock hits 12:30 exactly."

He looks at me with the puppy dog eyes. Damn. I have to turn away before I tell him...

Retreat!

I turn my head, and back slowly away into the living room, trying to get away from the adorableness that is my son. I wonder who his mother is.

I go into the living room, where Harry is relaxing on the sofa. Hmph. Good to know that he is so cavalier about this entire event.

Because I am a coward, and I make a mental note to question the Sorting Hat on why I'm a Gryffindor next time I make a visit to Hogwarts, I go and hide behind the chair. I hear the sound of pounding footsteps as they chase me into the living room. The dread hour is nigh. I check my watch quickly and there is exactly 9 minutes and 52 seconds to go.

"Dad," Al says in his sweetest, most angelic voice, "what are we doing today?"

"Er..." Harry blanches, looking around for me to reinforce him, but nope, not today sweetie!

I choose this moment to make my exit as I tiptoe by the confrontation by the couch. The timer beeps as I enter the kitchen. Brownies!

Thank Merlin that I heard it this time.

I walk over to the oven and put on some mitts. I quickly turn the dial on the oven to off so that I can't be incriminated if the house burns down, and pull out the brownies. I almost fall over with the smell of their beautiful gooeyness. Bloody hell. It should be illegal for them to smell this good.

I zone out, high off the smell of the brownies. I think about random things, like when we're going to finish off the Star Wars trilogy, and when I'm going to die, and what George is going to do to me tonight...

BOOM!

What the hell just happened? I whirl, and see Albus standing by the cupboards, looking at me.

"Whoopsy," he grins at me.

"What were you trying to do?" I say in my quiet but deadly sort of manner. I think I can guess, but I seriously hope I'm wrong or there's going to have to be some supreme punishment dealt out.

"I was... um..." I'm waiting for him to come up with a story, and feel my hands take their natural place on my hips.

"What, in the name of all things holy, were you trying to do?"

"Well," he says in a voice so quiet that I can hardly hear him for he seems to know that this is not a bullshit moment, "I was trying to get that clear stuff you keep in the cupboard."

Damn. That's what I thought he'd say.

I just arch my eyebrow, telling him that I want to know more.

"I was trying to get that Verita - veriter?- serum. You know, to use on Dad."

"Why would you do that?" I surprise myself by not yelling. Hm, maybe those self-improvement books are finally paying off.

"That's what you always do to us, when you want to know something!"

Oh yeah. I always thought that that was a bit of a secret. Not that I actually spike it or anything, it's actually just water that has a charm to make the person want to tell the truth.

I take a quick mental count to ten.

"Al, I suggest you go get your brother and sister. I know that they are definitely not innocent in this shennanigan!" I'm close to yelling but I'll save that for all three of them.

"Crap!" A voice comes from the doorway to the living room. It's echoed by one from the bathroom.

Obviously James has been teaching his little sister his language.

"In here!" I call out like some kind of drill sergeant. James and Lily march into place beside their brother, heads hanging down. What a pitiful picture they make. Or they would, if James wasn't grinning, and Lily's eyes weren't twinkling with happiness about being included on one of the boys' "Master Plans".

"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" I scream at them finally. I wonder if the neighbour thinks I'm abusive. Harry peeks his head around the corner to see what's going on. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN HURT TRYING TO GET THAT OUT OF THE TOP CUPBOARD, AND IT'S VERY, VERY IRRESPONSIBLE TO TRY TO FEED POTIONS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING WHATSOEVER ABOUT TO YOUR FATHER!"

Harry has gone very pale now, after the part about feeding the potions to their father, and I'm guessing by the expression on his face that he has no idea what just happened.

All the better for him. Though he'll probably just make me tell him later.

If there is a later.

"AND YOU, ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER, OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! THINKING UP THESE STUPID PLANS THAT WILL GET YOU ALL IN TROUBLE!"

"But Mummy," Lily whispered, with her most innocent face on, "that's what you do to us!"

Ugh. I knew that that would come to bite me. I should have just Obliviated them afterwards.

Lily has the best innocent face that I have ever seen. When James and Al actually include her in their plans, she always is the one that adds the element of innocence to the whole ploy. I mean, who would believe that Harry and Ginny's daughter was the one to get in trouble?

Internal snort.

James is definitely the action man in the group, for he really is not afraid to get in trouble, or to get other people in trouble. Al and Lily at least have a bit of a moral compass, whereas James will do anything for a prank. Stupid boys with no limits.

Al is the one who makes all the plans for the group. They are usually actually rather ingenious. Most of the time, which is the key part. He seems to have a bit of a Slytherin streak in him. I will not be surprised if he is in serious contention for Slytherin by the time he is eleven.

"DON'T YOU SEE HOW STRESSED OUT I AM THIS MORNING? HAVEN'T YOU SEEN HOW WORRIED I AM ABOUT THIS DAMN PARTY? DON'T YOU -" I break off when I see the gleeful look on James's face.

Crap!

I seriously shouldn't have said that.

"YES!" James yells in triumph, grinning widely at his siblings. "GOOD ROLE PLAYING LILS! WAY TO GO, AL! IT WORKED EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID IT WOULD!"

Al's face is drained of all color, and James seems to notice this when he peers at his brother again.

"I think," Al whispers, "that I am going to hurl!"

And with, he runs from the kitchen to the bathroom that's attached to the living room.

He obviously gets his love of drama from his mother.

Lily is looking at her father, her eyes lit up.

"Dad, are we really, really, actually going this year?" Lily babbles, but she's looking at me, as if for some hidden signal. I guess she knows that I'm the one who will make or break the plan.

"Yes, " I sigh tiredly. Oh well, at least we have the news out of the way now. "They didn't give us time to get away this year. I'm sorry, guys."

I'm slightly intimidated by the expression on James' face. Why, oh why, were we stupid enough to raise another Marauder? It definitely wasn't a smart decision on our part.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Lily runs up to me and hugs me. "I didn't want to have to miss it again this year!"

"Yeah, Mum, thanks!" James smirks at me. "I mean, we didn't get to prank anyone these last two years. I guess we have to make up for it this year..."

Lily looks at him, and they do the whole silent eye communication thing.

"Now I guess it's time to pl- er, get Al out of the bathroom." James is so excited, that he looks like a freaking light. I knew this was going to happen.

Suddenly, a door slams and Al comes sprinting across the kitchen and thunders up the stairs.

"NO!" He cries, as soon as he gets to the top of the steps. "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO! I WILL NOT GO BACK, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!"

He shouldn't have said that. James always loves a challenge.

"I'll go talk him into it," James offers but he's wearing his sadistic grin.

"We'll go talk to him, James. You and Lily can just wait for Teddy down here." Harry intervenes before it can get nasty. You never, ever, let James try to talk Al into something. It just doesn't work.

Ever.

Last time, we had to buy Al a new bed. It was so bad, that it was actually beyond magical repair. And this was your normal, average, Muggle bed! It were literally destroyed. We still haven't figured out what they did, but apparently one of them has really destructive magic!

I pity those teachers at Hogwarts.

I survey the damage that they can do in the kitchen, and figure that I might as well leave them to it. Harry and I walk up the stairs together, and I wish that he would just let Albus and I stay home. Can't he tell that Albus is terrified?

Let alone me.

Harry doesn't even bother knocking on the door, just goes right in. Thank Merlin that Albus hasn't figured out how to lock it with accidental magic yet. That would be bad, we'd never be able to get in, and he'd be trapped in there for years! Which actually would be really smart of him today.

Anyways.

He's lying on his bed, curled into the fetal position, and I can't help but feel bad for my son. Poor kid. I'm assuming because of his reaction that he does remember the events of the last party. It's always a great fun to be the test subject of George's for the night. They always pick one person, and it basically sucks if it's you. Or your kid. If it's anyone else, it's great fun!

But if it's your son, you don't enjoy it all, for you have to console said child every night for weeks when they constantly wake up from nightmares of becoming a rat. And now whenever he sees something that looks like a rat, he has a panic attack. Not that I blame him. Our son is permanently scarred.

As am I. But we'll get into that later. I'll just say that George had two experiments that night, and they both worked spectacularly. At least in the freaking Ginny out category.

Then again, he's always excelled in that area.

"Mum," he cries out, looking up at me. His green eyes are glittering with unshed tears. "Don't make me go!"

My heart breaks into these little crumbly pieces.

"Al, you have to face your fear sometime. It was just a joke, and you and James and Lily can prank Uncle George all you want tonight if you will just come." Harry is actually attempting to bribe our son. I'm so proud that he's picked up my dastardly ways.

"NO!" Albus looks bloody furious. I really, really don't blame him. I mean, we were victims together last time so we have to support each other. "I don't want to! What if they choose me again, Dad, what if?"

"We'll bring you right home," Harry promises. Ha. That's what he said last time.

"I don't care! I don't want to go!"

"Please, for me?"

"NO!"

So far, it's a fairly typical Potter family argument. Minus my input.

"Well, what if your mum takes your spot if you're chosen tonight?"

Um, pardon?

"What," I say as coldly as possible, "in the blazes are you talking about Harry? This whole thing is your idea! You take his place."

"Well, you are a Gryffindor, Ginny, and that means that you have to show courage. And courage is all about doing things even if you are scared of them."

Damn. Now if I don't do this, he has the perfect reason and excuse to call me a Hufflepuff.

Not that there's anything wrong with Hufflepuffs. I'm just from a Gryffindor family.

"I'll go if Mum promises!" Al exclaimed, obviously thinking that my pain will make for a good evening. And trapping me into the deal forever and ever more.

"Fine!" I snarl, and march out of the room, down to the kitchen again.

I know that I'm going to regret this.

A/N

I was feeling very generous today, and plus I'm going to have no time whatsoever to update until next week so here it is. Reviews would be much appreciated!