Day Six

Prompt: Sunshine

"Do you want to get Peeves to drop water balloons on the first-years?" Fred asked as he walked back from Quidditch practice with George. George shrugged, his eyes trained on the ground ahead of him. "How about getting the elves to send up mud pies at dinner?"

"I guess so," George said. "That would be funny," he added, his voice monotone. He swung his beater bat listlessly at his side.

"What's the matter with you?" Fred asked suddenly, stopping in his tracks. George glanced up and stopped too. "Are you sick or something?"

George shook his head. "No, I'm just thinking about something."

Fred leaned towards his brother expectantly. When George didn't elaborate Fred rolled his eyes. "About what?" George opened his mouth but Fred held up his hand to stop him. "Let me guess. I can read your mind you know." Now it was George's turn to roll his eyes, but let his brother continue. "This 'thing' you're thinking about. Does it have long, wavy dark brown hair?" Fred held his hands near his head and mimicked long waves of hair falling down his sides. "With these long side-ways bangs, things?" He added, trying to find the words to describe what he was picturing. He mimed pushing hair to the side.

George laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

Fred punched his brother in the shoulder. "Right, no idea." Next, he held his hands near his eyes, making his fingers act as long eyelashes. "Does this 'thing' have big blue eyes with ridiculously long lashes?" He batted his fake eyelashes and looked at George with a puppy-dog-like expression. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just continued to bat his 'eyelashes' at George.

George laughed and shoved Fred a little, making him stop. "Alright, fine. Yes, I…" He broke off suddenly. "Wait," he said. "Since when do you look at people's eyelashes?"

"I can't help it with her," Fred said, his eyes wide. "They're right there, staring you in the face. Like two sneaky little spiders waiting to attack." He wiggled his fingers like eyelashes again. "How does she keep her eyes open with those things?" He shook his head seriously. "Aren't they heavy? Will you ask her if they're heavy?"

"No, I won't," George laughed. "But, yes, for some reason I've been thinking about Pell. All the time." His smile faded and he shook his head slowly. "She's really great." He groaned and scrubbed his hand over his face.

"Well, you have been spending a lot of time with her," Fred said. "In fact, I've been meaning to tell you that I've been feeling very abandoned lately." He stuck out his bottom lip and made it quiver. George rolled his eyes at Fred. "Maybe you like her," Fred suggested with a shrug, stretching out the word 'like' to make it sound like a note in a song.

George tried to disagree but found that he couldn't. "Yeah, maybe I do," he finally said. "I mean, why not, right? She's sweet. She's funny. She's like…like…" he paused trying to form words in his head. "She's like sunshine," he said. Immediately he dropped his bat and clapped both hands over his mouth.

Fred's face turned from a simple, friendly smile, to a devious grin. "Like sunshine?" He clucked his tongue. "Merlin's crusty bread, George. You're practically in love with her." He clasped his hands dramatically to his chest and pretended to swoon. "Would you like to borrow a quill and some parchment to write down your poetry?"

George groaned and covered his whole face with his broad hands. "Oh, Merlin," he cried. Then he pointed a finger sternly at Fred. "Don't you dare tell her I said that."

Fred held up his hands in mock surrender. "Not a word," he said.