AN: My hard-drive crashed again so I lost lost the half of this chapter I had actually written along with everything else, so if it's some giant plot-hole or mistake, tell me and I'll fix it. Also, warning for potential character-rape and some drugs.
It took surprisingly little time for the foursome to settle down again; George found a tree root to chew on and laid down over Bill's legs, who leaned back against a thick trunk of an ash, Nox wrapped herself in the jacket with mixed feelings and Fred laid down on his stomach, playing with the flame of the candle.
"You finally figured out oldest doesn't necessary mean old?" Fred said with a sidelong look at Bill, who only cocked a questioning brow at him while tugging absently on the other end of George's toy. The ghost pinched the flame between his fingers before explaining. "Just because you're the oldest of us doesn't mean you have to act Dad's age all the time. We are able to take care of ourselves."
"Lot of good that's done you in your days," Bill muttered back before turning his eyes to Nox where she sat huddled under a fir. "Just go in if you're cold, it's bloody freezing out here."
"No, I'm fine," she answered, drawing her knees all the way up to her chin under the jacket.
"Makes me miss Egypt," Bill continued, letting go of the root to tuck his hands into his armpits. "Mind, the nights we were outside would almost make this seem like paradise." He chuckled to himself, either recalling something or waiting for them to start asking questions.
"And what were you doing in Egypt?" she said at last as Fred rolled over like a lazy kitten to get closer to his brothers.
"The job description went something along the lines of rescuing goblin artefacts from tombs and pyramids. According to my mother and quite a few others I was a dirty grave-robber with no respect. She got over it, though –" Bill was cut off by a loud guffaw from George.
"If by 'got over it' you mean switched on yelling and crying for three weeks until you actually left," Fred put in, "then you're spot on."
"Well, it was dangerous," Bill said with a shrug. "But I didn't apply for no reason and they used so long time on training me I was on the verge of going back home several times before my first mission. Then it was two weeks on the back of a camel accompanied by the sourest goblin in all of Africa and removing three charms a twelve-year-old could have done. Still, I loved it and stayed."
"So the letters you sent to Charlie about all the drinks and girls were just you boosting your reputation?" Fred grinned from ear to ear and George gave a series of loud barks surprisingly alike laughter. "Or that you almost lost both your arms on that very simple first mission?"
"Well, I might've exaggerated a bit. And I slipped on some gunk," Bill mumbled as he Summoned and refilled his glass. "Bottom line is, I followed my dreams, scared the living daylight out of Mum with good reason and was happy."
"When you put it like that you almost make me think we're related," Fred said and put his arms behind his head.
"Heavens, you might be right," Bill retorted airy as George set off into the woods, barking like mad. In under half a second the three others were on their feet, cursing wildly, Fred going first. Bill had got his wand lightened, berating himself for not taking a simple measurement like a leash, even with the Wolfbane Potion George was a werewolf, and it was too good to be true that they had got the potion perfect on the first try. They could clearly hear barking and screaming, Bill began digging up Disarming and Stunning spells from his memory, cursing Charlie for going off on his own. Nox passed him, even with her shorter legs she was making good speed towards the growling and barking.
"Nox!" he yelled, not keen on the idea that she should arrive unarmed to the scene of a rabid werewolf. His wand-light went out, he stumbled a few steps, got it lighted again and put in an extra gear to keep up with her. "Stop!" But she kept going.
They both came to a sudden halt when seeing the grey shaggy back bent over a feminine shape on the ground, a pair of yellow wellington boots kicking wildly and the screams and barks echoing in the tiny clearing. Bill lifted his wand, a heavy Stunning spell on the tip of his tongue.
"No, George, that's enough!" the form under the werewolf said in a shrill voice, followed by giggling. Bill's arm dropped at once, and taking in the full scene under the dark trees he saw George was acting like an affectionate puppy, not a raving beast, and Fred and Charlie were leaning leisured against a tree beside them. "Enough, now!" George was pushed away by two pale hands and the girl sat up, grinning at them.
"Lovegood?" Bill was so baffled the word just fell out of his mouth.
"The one and only Loony Lovegood," Fred confirmed and offered her a hand. It wasn't much help in getting up, but she accepted it, still giggling.
"What? You didn't attack her?" Nox asked George, having as the others expected to arrive to a much more bloody scene. He shook his head violently and sat down to scratch at his missing ear again, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.
"Why would he?" Luna asked innocently, dusting pine needles and dirt from her floral printed dress.
"He – he's a werewolf!" Nox blurted as Bill sunk down next to a tree, putting a hand to his chest where his heart was still racing.
"Full story. Now," he demanded, halfway between relief and anger.
"I was out gathering purple daffodils," Luna began at the same time as Charlie said "I found her picking some flowers," and Fred offered, "He just wanted to see his girlfriend!"
"One at the time. Luna?" Bill had closed his eyes and was taking deep, conscious breaths. Nox took a small step back, it reminded her of the first time she'd seen him and didn't fancy being in the line of fire if he should start shouting.
"As I said, I was picking purple daffodils, which only blooms in the light of the full moon," she explained as she sat down next to the basked she had dropped in the surprise at seeing George, and began placing the fragile flowers that had fallen out back. "I didn't expect to meet anyone, but happened upon Charlie and he insisted that I shouldn't be out alone in the middle of the night. George really came as a surprise to me." She patted his head lightly as the werewolf came and sat down beside her.
"How did you know it was George and not some other werewolf who could've hurt you? How did you know George is a werewolf, anyway?" Nox asked, having only heard about the Lovegood-girl in a passing remark or two, but knew they were some sort of acquaintances.
Her question was met with a look saying the answer was right in front of her nose, but not everyone can have keen eyesight. "He told me," Luna said and began rubbing George's belly, causing his tail to thump loudly to the ground. "And there aren't any other werewolves in this forest." The other doubted the trueness of that information, but fact was that George had walked the paths around the Burrow many times the last month, both to think and to find traces of potential enemies. One day Luna had come over him on her search for some bark, he had pretty much spilled the beans right away, relieved to tell someone outside the family. She had taken the whole thing with total calm and asked what he felt was the right questions for him to say the thoughts that was frying his brain. Neither of them had stopped strolling the woods since that day and now and again they met each other for a talk.
"Can't believe your father let you wander around in the dark, though," Charlie muttered under his breath as he lighted a cigarette. The wind seemed to amplify his words, making everyone turn to him. He slowly looked sheepishly up at them. "I mean – there's a lot of other nasty things out here and – and, well, she's only Ginny's age." His cheeks were slowly reddening in the small glow from the cigarette.
"And just how old is that?" Fred asked, measuring up Luna quickly before fixing his eyes on his brother again, crossing his arms.
"Twenty-two," Charlie mumbled, staring at the forest floor. "Man, Bill, we're getting old." He shot his older brother a small smile.
"Better old than dead!" Fred stated and rubbed his hands together. "My dear canine twin, however, expresses a great need for a swim, and we'd both be grateful to have a stunning blonde with us." Luna lighted up. "Seeing as Bill left his wife at home, we'll have to do with you." It didn't seem to dampen Luna's spirits the least.
"I'd love to," she answered, blushing ever so slightly as George did a victory-chase for his tail and tugged at her sleeve.
"Wait a minute!" Charlie interrupted, crossing his arms. "Fred, he's a wolf, a werewolf, and you want us to believe you understand him just to get a girl naked? You didn't bring a swim-suit, did you?" The last was directed at Luna's back, she was letting herself be dragged away from the others.
"He could be transfigured into a chair and I would still know what he meant!" Fred answered, getting a sceptical look back. "'Get your big arse off of me.'" With that he joined George and Luna, now making good speed deeper into the forest. Charlie turned to the two left, opening and closing his mouth several times as he tried to find something to say.
"Come, then, watch out so they don't corrupt her completely," Bill said as he got to his feet. The two other's flanked him, following the sound of Fred's constant jesting. "You know, if I hadn't known better I would think you had a crush on her," he said good-humoured after a minute and nodded ahead.
"No," Charlie answered flatly, digging his hands deep in his pockets. "She'll just always be the neighbour-kid who chewed on my toys."
"Oh, so that's why you suddenly hid them all under your bed? Never could understand that." Bill was obviously in a great mood, taking long, carefree steps.
"She ate five pages out of a book. Including the framed pictures!" Charlie widened his eyes to make his point.
"Says the guy who managed to swallow building blocks." Bill chuckled to himself, but as the confused silence spread, he added, "You don't remember it, do you? You weren't more than four or five and we'd got some new toys for Christmas, including building blocks and one of them wasn't bigger than that you managed to swallow it. Mum was in complete hysterics, trying to make it come up again, then fed you half a ton of porridge when it proved to no avail. Never seen her as happy as when she changed your nappy the day after, though."
"Charming story," Charlie answered, not able to mask his amusement completely. "Never tell that to anyone else, or smash your nose right into your brain."
"Come on, it's a great story! And it did teach Mum never to let us have toys smaller than the fist of the youngest in the house." Bill couldn't stop smiling as they trotted on, the path wide enough for them to walk side by side, even if Nox's shoes got tangled in fallen twigs every other minute.
"You're awfully quiet," Charlie noted, leaning back to catch her eyes behind his brother.
"Oh, far too busy imagining you in a nappy," she retorted airy. Fact was that she felt like the third wheel on the wagon with the brothers and Luna all sharing a past. She had been prepared for it and if it hadn't been for the twins constantly teasing her about being a wuss for the past two weeks she would've been happily tucked up in her bed.
"You left the whisky behind?" Charlie said a bit too casual and breathed out a bit too deep afterwards.
"Yeah, we thought we were too busy stopping a murder to bother bringing it," Bill retorted, scratching his chin. Charlie shrugged and took up his wand as Nox bent down to untangle her foot, just in time not to get the bottle smashed into the back of her head.
"Sorry! Bad aim," Charlie apologised at once as he picked the bottle off the ground and uncorked it.
"Don't bother with the glasses," Bill said dryly as he removed the bottle from his brother's mouth to take a sip himself. Afterwards he offered it to Nox, who happily took a couple of swigs, she had figured alcoholism might be the easiest way to get by in a world of werewolves and ghosts and living trees. "You couldn't hit the ground if you fell," Bill added as Charlie reclaimed the bottle.
"Could too! And I have proof!" He reached for his belt buckle, but Bill put a hand on his wrist.
"Thanks for the offer, but our mission right now is to not corrupt girls," he put in with a grin towards Nox.
"Hardly think one half-naked man would corrupt me any more," she answered dryly.
"Oh, so you aren't twelve? Good to have that cleared up," Bill answered as they heard a scream and a splash. "My point was more that while we're here admiring Charlie's immaturity and scars, George is doing his best to drown Luna." He sat them all in motion again and in the matter of minutes they reached the small lake. George had a good chunk of Luna's dress in his mouth, dragging her outwards from the shallows while Fred had a good hold on his twin's tail, helping with the tug-o'-war.
"Hey, George, if you really want to wear that dress, just ask to borrow it!" Bill called as they sat down a good bit away to avoid being drenched. George pricked up his ear and barked once at them without letting go of the cloth before continuing.
"You're in a exceptionally good mood today," Charlie noted and lighted another smoke.
"And you're not, you're smoking like a chimney," Bill observed. Charlie shrugged, but gave in under his brother's stare.
"I'm currently looking at my little brothers trying to drag a girl into the water, one is a werewolf and the other is a ghost." His voice was hard and he took several angry puffs of the cigarette. "Sorry if that affects me the slightest." He put the bottle to his lips again and the glugging was heard for close to half a minute.
"Sorry," Bill said quietly. "But they're doing okay despite that, won't you say?" Charlie didn't answer.
"They're doing great, if you ask me," Nox put in quietly as the twins almost succeeded in making Luna fall over, instead she saved herself by taking a step forward and the water gushed into her boot. "To be a ghost Fred has a pretty good outlook on life. Or death, whatever you call it."
"And he's got a better chance at getting a date than me," Charlie grumbled and tipped sideways to rest against Bill as Fred went behind Luna and began pushing. Bill put an arm around Charlie and hugged him. "What's this?" Charlie said after patting Bill's chest, and pulled a joint out of the pocket there. "Oh, for heaven's sake! You're high, aren't you? That's what's up with your mood! Oh, for heaven's sake!" He jumped to his feet feet, glaring down at his brother, who looked innocently up at him.
"Maybe a little," Bill admitted at last. "Figured I shouldn't be a complete kill-joy. Didn't plan on you to take the job, though."
"Merlin's pant with a cherry on top." Charlie turned to leave, then spun around again. "I'm the one who's supposed to ruin my life with drugs and alcohol, not you! You're the guy who always got perfect grades, a perfect job, a perfect wife and a perfect little family and didn't even try a glass of wine 'til you were twenty!" He stood panting, the joint almost crushed in his hand.
"The last one is a plain lie and you know it," Bill retorted quietly.
"Well, as far as Mum knows –"
"And that's what goes?" Bill couldn't keep himself from smirking as Charlie deflated again, huffed and sat back down.
"You could at least have told me," he muttered and crossed his arms as the twins at last managed to bring Luna to her knees, followed by laughter and barking. "Sometimes, I hate you all."
"No, you love us," Bill retorted. "Now get out your lighter so I can hear you say it." Charlie sighed, then lighted the joint and took a drag.
"I still hate you." He relaxed against the tree and closed his eyes.
"Don't mind him, he's the weirdo in the family," Bill whispered to Nox, who snorted.
"To me, you're all pretty weird," she admitted, having snuck quite a few sips from the bottle while the brothers had their row.
"Guess it lies in the genes," he said with a shrug as Luna managed to excuse herself and crawl up on the shore where she emptied her boot before getting her wand out from the knot in her hair and began casting drying-charms on herself. "Maybe you wouldn't believe it, but the twins got a lot of their personality from our father. Always curious, always having to go their own way no matter what others think. It's paid off better for them than for him, though."
"Ever seen a black unicorn?" Charlie blurted suddenly. "You know, not a horse or a dystral or anything..."
"Speak English," Bill reminded his brother.
"I am!" Charlie objected. "But have you –"
"Then what the hell is a 'dystral'?" Bill inquired, looking at his brother's confused face until it finally dawned on him.
"Thestral!" Charlie shouted, then grinned sheepishly. "But, you know, they aren't unicorns, and black unicorns, ever seen them?" He was talking at an alarming speed and finished off with a deep swallow from the whisky bottle.
"No," Bill answered firmly at the same time Luna drifted over to answer, "yes."
"Really?" Charlie looked like a kid on Christmas morning, or as Bill would put it, like every damn time he was allowed to bring up a rare magical creature in conversation.
"Not as much black as purple," she admitted and crossed her legs. "I saw them at sunset last time I visited the Rocky Mountains. They were stunning where they stood completely still on a cliff, peach-coloured on their backs and manes, the horns golden, their flanks deep indigo and their bellies black as velvet." That her large eyes had drifted out of focus, a dreamy expression matching her tone of voice as she recalled the memory wasn't surprising, that Charlie matched it to the extreme Nox found slightly alarming.
"You sure he's all right?" she asked Bill after nudging his arm.
"I'd be more alarmed if he didn't look brain-dead," he retorted and took the butt of the joint out of his brother's hand to finish it off.
"Wish you could take me there once," Charlie admitted to Luna, neither of them fully out of the trance yet. "I love unicorns." The twins had finally got tired of the cold water and caught the last remark.
"Tell me, dear brother, is it dark there?" Fred asked as George trotted to stand directly in front of them all.
"Where? We're in the middle of the forest," Charlie answered, looking confused.
"Oh, no, I meant in the closet," Fred retorted with a grin as George shook himself well and truly, sending a freezing shower over them all.
"Was that necessary?" Nox said, glaring at George, who only stuck out his tongue and looked as happy as a pig in mud.
"Of course it was," Fred answered for his twin and sat down beside him.
"Hey, did you just accuse me of – of – " Charlie spluttered at last.
"Of being a fag? Yes," Fred confirmed. "But don't worry, doesn't mean I love you any less. Might cut down on the hugging, though." Charlie only stared at him, fisting his hands so hard his knuckles stood out white in the moonlight. Bill absently handed him the whisky.
"Fred, you are funny, but not too enlightened," Luna noted as she twisted her hair up in a knot and secured it with her wand. "Unicorns are creature of beauty, but also pure strength and I feel sorry for anyone who aren't able to see that." To Nox absolute surprise Fred seemed to be ashamed of himself for once and hung his head slightly.
"Just didn't sound too manly," he muttered, then cleared his throat. "You're not changing your life goal of becoming a crispy snack for a dragon, though?"
"Not likely," Charlie retorted lightly. "Can't very well cheat Mum out of saying 'I told you so' now, can I?"
"You really care about your mother, don't you? All of you?" Luna said, stating it more as a fact than asking.
"Yes. Yes, I do, and I'm not afraid to admit it," Charlie answered, setting his jaw like someone was about to object.
"She is pretty tolerant, gotta admit that," Bill agreed quietly, lowering his head.
"'Scuse me, we're talking about Molly Weasley here?" Fred said sceptically.
"If I had children and they ever put me through half of what we've put her through, I'd go insane," Charlie said as Nox got up, getting five pairs of eyes directed at her.
"Er, have to pee," she said lamely. In fact she felt more of an intruder than ever with them joking around about each other and talking about their family.
"Find yourself a nice bush," Fred said with a wave of his hand.
"Make sure it doesn't have thorns," Charlie advised as she departed. George put his head in Fred's lap, whining softly.
"What? Well, I'm not picking up after you," Fred answered. George gave another whine and laid his ears flat. "We now have a werewolf who's afraid of the dark and doesn't dare go to the loo alone," the ghost informed the rest, who instantly burst out in laughter. In response to this, George growled and slunk off in the opposite direction of Nox. "Fine, but if you're not afraid, why the bleeding hell do you want me to accompany you?" Fred yelled after him.
"You really do understand him," Bill said, slightly taken aback.
"Of course," Fred answered. "Just as well as Charlie can understand any fire-breathing lizard."
"You don't understand dragons, you read them and try not getting killed," Charlie said, scratching his head.
"Same thing," Fred retorted. "And what happened to all that 'dragons are just misunderstood'-speech you were so fond of?"
"You're confusing me with Hagrid," Charlie said. "They are deadly, but if you know what they need, what instincts they're working on, you can keep them alive and healthy."
"Of course, if you don't die first," Bill put in challenging.
"They've been on the brink of extinction for years, but they do have a purpose and we're slowly getting their numbers up again." His cheekbones flared red in delight, although his tone was calm and level.
"And what are their purpose, other than keeping you occupied?" Fred asked mock-innocently.
"Shut up," was all the answer he got from Charlie.
"They keep the Nonypies in check," Luna said, staring up at the stairs. "They are small goblin-like creatures that despise humans and would have gone to war 'til their was none of us left if it wasn't for the dragons, they don't dare come out of their underground caves as long as there's dragons on the earth."
"As good an explanation as any," Bill said under his breath. "George didn't say anything of how long he would be?"
"Not long," Fred answered. "Any particular reason why you inquire into the speed of our bowels?"
"We're supposed to look after him," Bill answered. "It's a bit easier when he's within eye's reach."
"And how far does your eyes reach?" Fred retorted, grinning. Bill sighed.
"I'm on Charlie's side now, shut up," he said and leaned his head against the tree.
"You're not tired, are you?" Fred's voice was dripping with fake concern.
"Yes, I'm old and tired," Bill said, the corner of his mouth lifting a fracture.
"And hungry," Charlie chimed in and leaned himself on Bill again.
"Finally an answer to the mood-riddle," the older muttered. "You ate fine at dinner, though?"
"Dinner's a long time ago," Charlie answered and sighed.
"For goodness sake, could the two of you be any more boring?" Fred burst out.
"Did you know they passed a new declaration for the appropriate diameter of cauldrons?" Bill kept his voice dull and put his arm around Charlie again, it was better than almost getting his shoulder dislocated from the weight.
"Really? I didn't even know there was such a thing." Charlie yawned and pulled his legs closer to himself as George trudged over to them on silent paws and laid himself down with his head on Bill's thigh and his body along Charlie's shins.
"Oh, so now we're sleeping?" Fred exclaimed. "Well, maybe I'll get a little epiphany or something..." Grudgingly he laid down on his back with Bill's other thigh under his head and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Come on, Luna, we don't bite," Bill told the girl, who seemed to have no objections to use him as a pillow, or to interlace her fingers with George's fur. To be honest he didn't mind it himself, it was warm, although he did wonder fleetingly how much had been in that bottle of whisky.
"I did not know Percy-ness was contagious!" Fred had closed his eyes, but didn't look much relaxed.
"Shut up," Luna whispered and giggled.
OoO
When Nox returned to them after walking around the small lake it was to find a chorus of snores which Charlie seemed to be leading with his nose deep into the fur of George's throat. The werewolf lifted his head a fracture when she approached, looking at her with deep yellow eyes and his one ear pricked up at a right angle. When she didn't make any move to join their slumber party, or even sit down, he shot a look at the nearly empty bottle of whisky before fixing her eyes on her again. She let out a heavy breath, then sat down between Bill and Fred's body, still keeping eye contact with him.
"I'm gonna use all my money on booze if I keep working with you," she said and put the bottle to her lips. He cocked his head to one side. "Well, I'm not used to this whole... you know, magic and monsters and stuff." He let his tongue roll out, smiling as best he could. "Hey, this isn't a joke! Okay, I'll stop being so stuck up and lie down, then." She finished the bottle, corked it, and laid down with her head just above Bill's knee. She didn't know what she was more worried about; the fact that she had understood George, that she was using a stranger as a pillow, or that she didn't really care about either of those things. It just was, and that might be a healthier look on life with the twins than turning to alcohol. Slowly she drifted off with George's foul breath warming her neck.
They didn't know quite how long they dozed there, but by the time Fred awoke and stuck his icy hands literary under Nox's ribs where she was lying right in front of him and woke the rest with her scream, the sky was lighter. Sunrise was still a while away, but the stars were fading and the absolute dark was lifting.
"Morning?" Charlie had sat straight up, looking out from half-closed lids at the others.
"Not quite," Bill informed him. "That does not mean there's any need to lay back down," he added as he stood up, trying to get the numbness out of his legs by flexing them. George had sat up and began to scratch at his missing ear again, but Luna came to the rescue, keeping him from drawing blood.
Nox was about to explode on Fred again, standing with her hands fisted at her sides and her face alternatively red and white. He looked at her with calm anticipation until she burst out with "You're an idiot!" She wasn't awake enough to come up with anything else, but he started laughing anyway.
"That big of a show, and all you can come up with is that I'm an idiot?" he asked between gasps, clutching his stomach. "Oh, I do love your vocabulary." She was still bristling, but turned her back on him with a huff.
"Look!" Luna whispered and pointed across the water where a small form was jumping in and out of the bushes, sometimes nearing the water to drink, sometimes almost hidden.
"A rabbit?" Fred asked, squinting through the gloom.
"No, don't think so," Bill answered, putting a hand on George's neck as he gave a growl so deep it was just a vibration in the air.
"If it's not a rabbit, then I have no idea," Charlie said, rubbing his eyes. The small animal disappeared into the bushes again and was gone.
"I'm not sure what it was, either," Luna admitted and George looked surprised up at her, she usually had an explanation for anything, even if they tended to be a bit out there.
"Maybe we should start going back," Bill said. "It's a good couple of miles back and I don't know what kind of shape George's gonna be in when the sun's up, would be nice not having to drag him the entire way."
"Since I'd most likely be doing the dragging, agree," Charlie said, running his hand through his tousled hair. "My neck and back's stiff as a board." He stretched, grimaced, and looked at the others for sympathy.
"Complain away, you didn't have five hundred pounds using you as a mattress," Bill retorted, seeing George leading the way for Fred and the girls roughly towards the Burrow. "Looks like we have to keep up." It didn't take long before they were gathered again, the werewolf trotting in front, looking like he hadn't a care in the world.
"It was a pleasure spending the night with you," Luna said suddenly, walking beside Fred.
"You, too," he answered and chuckled. "Although, if anyone ask you might not want to say 'I slept with the Weasley brothers.'"
"Why shouldn't I? That's what I did." She looked at him with true innocence.
"Well, wouldn't hurt my reputation, but Bill being married and all..." He shrugged and grinned at his brother.
"Just make sure to specify the circumstances," the other advised, which George gave a growl to. "Or not?"
"Wouldn't be good for business to have the whole world know George isn't quite himself once a month," Fred clarified as they began climbing a small hill.
"Maybe just keep quiet about the whole ordeal," Nox offered, knowing herself wouldn't talk about this night to anyone. She had been scared, assaulted, ridiculed, frozen half to death, got too much to drink and wasn't in a mood to think lightly of it.
"You two should maybe just head back home," Bill said, addressing Nox and Luna. "I'm sure Mum have something ready to warm you." He hugged around himself to signal he wouldn't have turned the offer down.
"I'd kill for just a cup of tea now," Charlie put in, a shiver running through him where he was standing in a sleeveless t-shirt.
"Take your jacket, at least." Nox didn't trust Charlie to give up the gentleman-nonsense and threw it at him from where she was standing and instantly began freezing. "We'll see you in a while, then." She turned on her heel and hoped she had the right direction. Luna gave a little good-luck wave to the twins before following her.
"You forgot to bring him some clothes, didn't you?" Charlie asked quietly as they ascended the hill, the twins a few step ahead of their brothers.
"Yeah," Bill said and sucked in a breath. "Got a blanket, that's all. And I'd like to know why he insists on going up here." It would be much easier if the transformation back took place just outside the property line of the Burrow, but George had made up his mind and Bill was too tired to argue about it.
Once on the top of the hill they came to a clearing, where George had laid down in the middle and Fred was slowly patting his head. Dawn wasn't far off and Charlie came to sit on the other side of the werewolf, laying a hand on his back. Bill stopped for a moment, surveyed the sky, then pulled a cloth about the size of a handkerchief out of his pocket and reversed the shrinking spell. Spreading the blanket over George, he sat down on Charlie's other side.
"Half an hour or something?" Fred asked absently as they all stared at the sky, seeing it turn lighter by the minute.
"Maybe," Bill answered.
And so they sat, waiting for the sun to rise above the horizon, above the trees. No one said anything, but George sighed every now and then, growing impatient as always. Charlie covered his paw with his hand, while Fred had a small crease in his brow, no more patient than his twin.
Slowly the sky turned blue, the difference between light and shadow became clearer, the grass regained it's colour and George tucked his snout under his foreleg as the first rays hit them. His brothers turned to him, Charlie tightening his hold on the paw and George began shaking. Then his snout pulled in towards his face, the fur receded, his bones cracked and reformed and his red hair returned. The others simply stared, it wasn't anything else to do, until George groaned.
"How do you feel?" Charlie asked and leaned closer, still holding what was now a hand.
"Pretty miserable," George croaked and curled up under the blanket, not ready to meet anything at the moment. Charlie looked at Bill, who only nodded.
"You can't lie there on the ground," the older said and moved to lift George up by the shoulders. The sore muscles objected, and so did George, but he didn't manage words, moaning had to do.
"Would hate to see you freezing to death now," Fred quipped in. " Believe me, it's not that fun being dead."
"Living doesn't seem like such a treat at the moment, either" George snapped, then let his head loll down on his chest as Bill and Charlie took their place on either side of him.
"Okay, come on, big guy," Charlie said as they took hold of his upper arms and hauled him to his feet. "You chose to come here, you chose to have a bit more of a walk back." George groaned, his knees wobbling as he tried gathering the blanked around his naked body. Bill helped him before they began marching him down the hill.
"Well, the night hasn't been a complete waste," Charlie mused as they got down on the path again.
"Speak for yourself," George retorted as he stepped on yet another pine cone and almost lost his balance. Having his brothers there to hold him upright was all right, but they had shoes and took no notion of what the forest floor consisted of or where they led him.
"I think even Nox enjoyed herself a bit," Fred said, grinning. Bill snorted, not because he doubted his brother's words, more what parts he thought she had enjoyed. The forest was thinning a bit and as they passed their first camp Charlie picked up the glasses and candle, humming to himself.
"O-de-lally, o-de-lally, jolly what a night," he sang quietly to himself as they entered the yard of the Burrow.
"You're on over-time," Fred noted dryly, making his twin crack a tiny smile, they had missed out on hearing Charlie's voice scare all living things in a mile's radius. At last they stumbled into the kitchen and George was deposited on a chair beside his mother.
"You really do look awful, dear," she said softly and got up to cup his face in her hands, turning it towards the light. He was pale, his eyes weren't just red-rimmed, they were completely pink, he was not able to get her into focus and his hair hung limp along his cheeks.
"Better than Bill, though," he answered weakly. She kissed his forehead quickly before getting him a cup of sweet tea. "'S warm," he murmured after taking the first sip.
"It's tea, it's supposed to be warm," Fred chuckled from the corner, when worn out his twin had the mental capacity of a peanut.
"Unless it's ice tea," Luna offered, sitting opposite George and observing his slow sipping, his forearms quivering.
"Any of you want anything to eat?" Molly asked the room at whole and the spirit lifted.
"Yes!" Charlie said and hiccoughed. "But I'll do it, Mum, no problem."
"I wasn't up before dawn to watch you ruin my pans," she answered and slapped away his hand as he reached for a frying pan. "Now find yourself a cup of tea and sit down!" He lowered his head, but couldn't keep from smiling as he fixed tea for himself and Bill before sitting down beside Luna. George was about to nod off and Bill saved the cup before sitting down himself.
"You want to stay for breakfast or go to bed now?" he asked as George shook himself a bit, but didn't pick up the cup again.
"Bed," George croaked. His throat felt as if he had swallowed large glass shards, and that was the least hurtful thing as long as he didn't speak. The tea had helped a bit, but the first couple of swallows hadn't been a walk in the park.
"Come, then," Charlie said as he got up and he and Bill supported George up the stairs. He was now shaking both with weariness and cold, and dropped the blanked halfway up the first flight. Nox eyes instantly went wide before she looked down in her cup and blushed.
"He does have cop-marks," she mumbled to herself.
"Told you," Fred answered, hovering behind the girls.
George didn't bother keeping himself from groaning as his thighs protested each step up, bumping heavily into his brothers as he gave up, swallowed hard, and went on. It seemed to go all to slowly, that it would never end, cursing his parents for putting the twins' room so far above the ground, until finally the burnt smell their first experiments had left met him. He sunk down on the bed, let Bill lower his torso down on the mattress while Charlie lifted his feet, and closed his eyes.
"Still miserable," he murmured as he was tucked in, although he was past the stage of caring, past wanting to be an adult, past anything that had to do with his usual self.
"You're not going to be sick or anything?" Bill asked, a crease appearing between his brows.
"Sincerely hope not," George answered, it would kill him to move a single muscle and the mattress was slowly forming itself around him.
"You want one of us to stay?" Charlie asked, but the only answer he got was an unintelligent noise from the back of George's throat. "He admitted defeat now, didn't he?" He turned to Bill, who looked more worried than Charlie could remember seeing him since the War ended.
"Death doesn't kill them, but this..." He was staring intensely at the form in the bed, the covers rising slowly and steadily with each breath.
"Explanation, please," Charlie said, having a pretty good idea at what his brother was getting at. Bill sat down on Fred's old bed and put his head in his hands.
"When Fred died, he was hurt, he didn't talk as much, but he still joked and refused any pity or help or anything in those two weeks before... before he came back. Now... he didn't mask his pain, he didn't try for himself first, he didn't even joke that we were babying him." Bill spoke as if to himself, then looked up at Charlie. "That worries me. And once every full moon?" The pain was plain on his scarred features.
"I know," Charlie said quietly. "But he's sleeping now. And maybe the next time won't be as bad."
"Maybe." He didn't sound too convinced, but got up and left for the kitchen again. Charlie took one last look at the bed, pulled the covers better over George's toes, then went to join the rest for breakfast.
AN: In case you haven't noticed, I have no idea what to do with Luna once I got her into the story. I just don't know how to write her, honestly, but at least I've tried.