Thursday December 3rd
Weasley house, upstairs hallway
4:13pm
- - -
Fred Weasley was mad. No. Fred Weasley was furious. No. Fred Weasley was super mad.
The ten year old tried everything. He scowled. He glared. He frowned. He even copied the Weasley stance –legs apart with hands on hips- but to no avail. Nothing happened. Not an eyelash was fluttered, not a tremble occurred.
Fred kicked it. "Stupid door!" he muttered to himself. The door stared back at him, taunting him, mocking him. Fred could've sworn it even laughed at him –if doors did such a thing.
If only he were taller. If only he were bigger. Then he wouldn't be in this mess. Not for the first time did Fred wish he were older. How simple his life would be.
Muttering to himself again he stared at the door, intent on breaking through its protective charms. So focused was he on the door that Fred didn't even notice the small figure coming up the stairs until it spoke.
"What are you doing?"
Fred jumped so high that, for a second at least, he thought he was going to go right through the roof. Turning around, he saw his seven year old sister Roxanne standing there, a gingersnap biscuit in one hand and a curious expression on her heart shaped face.
"Nothing Roxanne," Fred ignored her and turned around. He then proceeded to have another stare down competition with the door. The door won. "Go away."
Unfortunately, as is often the case with younger siblings, she didn't listen. "Why are you staring at the door? Are you trying to get into Daddy's office?"
"'Course not."
Fred could hear his sister take another bite of the biscuit. She waited until she swallowed before she spoke, "Are you trying to get the Christmas presents?"
Fred scowled. "No."
"Because Daddy locked that door. And he put three," here Roxanne held up her fingers, "three charms on it."
"I know Roxie."
"So you can't get in it. At all."
Fred rolled his eyes. Sometimes little sisters could be awfully annoying. "I know that. I heard Dad." But Fred still persisted in trying the knob, hoping it would open. It didn't. He stepped back, taking a good look at the door. It was a pretty regular door, although there was a little window on top. Big enough for someone to crawl into. Of course, he had to reach it first.
"And if you were thinking of trying to crawl through the window, you can't," continued Roxanne in that annoying, condescending manner that only siblings and cousins have, "You have to be taller. Or find two more of you."
"I know th-" Fred's voice suddenly stopped, as his sister's words renovated through his head. Two more of you. Turning around, he gave a little sister a huge smile, his annoyance with her quickly evaporating. "Brilliant idea Roxie!"
He walked past her and swiftly snatched the half eaten biscuit out of her hand. Ignoring her cries of protest ("Fred! That's mine!"), he quickly bounded down the stairs. "Hey Mum!" he shouted, "Can James and Louis come over today?"