Chapter 3

The Burrow was hectic, but that was nothing new.

Fred and George were chasing each other through the house and finally ran outside (shooting sparks at one another with their wands).

Ginny was playing a muggle board game called 'Scrabble' with Hermione (they were using magical words instead of muggle words). Ron and Harry were also playing one, called 'Operation' (they enchanted it a little because the buzzing noise was too boring). Arthur was fiddling around with an electric can-opener (he jumped every time he pressed down and it started whirring around). Molly was in the kitchen cooking a holiday feast (muttering about how she wishes they could have a house elf).

Fred was having fun, but he still wished he could be with the girl that makes his heart skip two beats. He missed Lily. Whose idea was it to spend the holidays apart anyway?

Oh, right, his idea. Stupid idea.

A light blue spark shot out of Fred's wand and into George's spine. George fell down onto the grass laughing.

"What was that? It barely tickled," he yelled gleefully.

"Sorry mate," Fred sat on the grass next to George, "I'm just a bit out of it today,"

George sat up.

"Lily on your mind?" he smiled.

"When is she not?" Fred beamed.

"Speaking of Lily," George pointed to the sky. Fred looked up and saw a small black owl. Hex.

She swooped down and dropped a letter in the twins' laps. She perched beside George and nipped him on the ear.

"I'll read mine inside," George said and walked back into the house.

As soon as George was inside, Fred tore open his letter and read it.

Dear Fred,

I'm going to tell my parents at dinner tomorrow night. I'm really scared. Maybe nervous is a better word.

No, I'm scared.

I can't wait until school goes back – I never thought I'd say that - so I can see you again.

Oh well, 1 day down 29 to go right?

I love you.

Lily xo

Fred realised he was smiling and blushing. He gripped the letter tighter and rushed upstairs to write her back. Hex followed.

He sat on his bed. George was on his bed writing a reply to his letter from her. Fred scrawled his letter quickly.

The sooner she got it, the sooner he'd get another letter back from her.

It wasn't long before the twins were called downstairs for tea. Molly had prepared a giant roast bird. It might've been a turkey, maybe a very large chicken, maybe neither. There was a lot of vegetables and sauces as well, not exactly a Hogwarts banquet, but still pretty impressive.

She, Mr Weasley, Fred and George, Percy, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione sat at the crowded table.

Everyone started eating and talking nearly right away. It wasn't until Mrs Weasley - deliberately - banged her fork against the table that everything quietened down.

"So," she said in a sweet, calm voice, "how was the ball?"

"Ask Fred," Ron sniggered under his breath, then yelled "Ow!" along with a bang beneath the table.

Hermione had stomped on his foot for saying that. Mrs Weasley looked confused, but annoyed.

"Fred dear, how was Angelina?" she asked nicely.

"She was, um, great. She was real nice," Fred told her.

"George, it really is such a pity you didn't go with a nice Gryffindor girl," Molly said.

"Gryffindor girls are boring," he smiled at Fred, "Leigh was amazing. She's really nice and funny. She's pretty responsible for her age too,"

"Oh really? You, with a responsible girl? I'll believe that when I see it," Molly scoffed.

"I actually think you two would get along," he said with a genuine smile.

"Hm," was Molly's reply.

"Hermione, I really am enjoying these games that you brought with you," Arthur said in a giddy way.

"I thought you might Mr Weasley," she smiled.

"My favourite one yet is You No," he said smiling from ear to ear. Hermione laughed.

"It's Uno Mr Weasley," she shook her head while chuckling quietly.

"Ronald, you never told us who you went with," Molly said. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and their faces went pink.

"I went alone mum," he said taking his eyes of the bushy haired witch.

"Oh, dear that's terrible," she said placing a hand on her heart. Ron just shrugged.

"So, Perce," George quickly changing the subject, "how's it going with the ministry thing?"

Percy scowled at George's term 'ministry thing'.

"My apprenticeship at the ministry is going swimmingly," Percy said rather arrogantly, "Mr Crouch has asked me to attend a special meeting with him next week,"

"Oh how wonderful!" Arthur exclaimed, "What is the meeting about?"

"Well, I'm still a little bit foggy on the details myself,"

"Carty hasn't told you huh," Fred teased. Percy muttered some sort of confirmation before shoving some potato in his mouth.

"Aldrich Scott was promoted today," Arthur told his wife.

"He probably bribed them all," Molly said. "Or he threatened them. I wouldn't put it past him,"

"Or maybe he's good at his job. They could be nice people," Fred said with a shrug.

"No. The Scotts' are pure evil, down to the last bone," molly told him with utter hatred in her voice.

Fred looked down and began to stab his food with his fork much more than was necessary.

"Talk about tension," Ron muttered under his breath to Harry. Hermione stepped on his foot again.

When dinner was over, Ginny and Hermione helped Mrs Weasley clean up. Fred went back to his room to finish his letter. He and George gave their letters to Hex, who flew away with a flutter of her silky-feathered wings.

Pretty much straight after that, Fred went to sleep.