CHAPTER 17

It seemed that in no time and in all the time in the world, Christmas was just around the corner. It was Christmas Eve and Lily and Fred had forgotten all about Mason and their fight.

The pair were sitting in the twin's room with George. Well, the boys were sitting, Lily was lying down with her head on Fred's lap.

"I can't believe it's Christmas eve already!" George said.

"I know! It's gonna be great, don't ya think?" Fred agreed. Lily just shrugged.

"What's up Lil?" the twins asked.

"Nothing," she said unconvincingly.

"Lily," Fred said.

"Tell us," George said.

She started picking at her nails and sat up properly.

"It's nothing, it's just, your family doesn't like me very much and I feel like I'm intruding by being here," she spoke down to her hands.

"They like you!" they stated.

"No they don't," she scoffed, "Ginny and Hermione just like having another girl around, Ron and Harry don't like me because I'm a Slytherin, and Percy just looks down on me, and your mum and dad don't like that I'm a Scott," she explained.

"That's bollocks!" Fred shouted.

"A load of rubbish!" George yelled "besides, Harry and Hermione are always here, and they aren't family,"

"Well no, but they're still accepted," she said.

"So are you Lil," George said.

"Trust us," they added. Lily forced a smile and crawled back to Fred.

"So Lil," George said with a cheeky grin, "we have one Dungbomb left, and three nose-biting teacups,"

"I say we use the teacups on mum, Ron and Percy," Fred suggested.

"Then set off the dungbomb once everyone has started kicking up a fuss," Lily added.

"Then we regroup here," George finished.

"So when is this going down?" Lily asked.

"At dinner," George said.

"The dungbomb hits at exactly 6:30," Fred smiled.

"Oh," Lily said, "I was kinda planning on leaving,"

"Leaving?" the boys said.

"I was thinking, that maybe I should leave, like before tomorrow," she looked away from Fred, but he caressed her face, turning her to face him.

"I'm just…gonna…go," George said and left the room.

"Don't you want to spend Christmas with me?" he tilted his head a little to the side. Lily loved it when he did that.

"No it's not that at all, I'd love to spend Christmas with you, and butterbeer, and a fireplace and maybe even some mistletoe. But I don't feel welcome here,"

"Well where would you go?"

"I don't know, Tina's,"

"Lily if you want to leave that badly, I'm not going to stop you," he taking her face in his hands and moving closer to her, "but...I would love it if you stayed," he added, his warm breath brushing past her cheek.

Lily sighed in defeat. How could she deny him? She didn't say anything, she just leaned in and stole a quick kiss.

It was the twins turn to set the table for Molly's annual 'Christmas Eve Dinner'. The rest of the family were coming as well tonight. Lily had never been so nervous. Not at the sorting ceremony. Not on her first date with Mason. Not when she told Fred she loved him.

No. Tonight she was meeting Bill and Charlie. The two eldest Weasley boys. And she was playing a prank on the family.

When they were called down for dinner, the plan was officially put into action.

"Lily, this is Charlie, and Bill," Fred said, gesturing towards the older looking red-head boys.

"It's nice to meet you," she said politely.

"Pleasure to meet you Lily," Bill said shaking her hand. Charlie then shook her hand too.

"Lily! I've heard so much about you," Charlie said with a broad grin.

"You have?" Lily queried.

"Of course, you're mentioned in all of Fred's owls, and a few of George's too," he said, causing Fred to go the famous Weasley red.

The twelve of them sat at the table, and Whiskey waltzed in carrying a large tray of Pumpkin Pasties. He hummed as he placed them in the table, just to go back to the kitchen and bring back a tray full of steak. It made Lily happy to see Whiskey happy, and it made Fred ecstatic to see Lily happy.

Since she'd shown up at the burrow, all Fred wanted was to see his beautiful girl smile. And he had, a few times, but he could always see the anguish she tried to mask behind the fake smile. He knew her better than she thought. Though tonight, seeing her sitting at the table with his family, he saw her smile. A real, true, pure smile. The sight made his heart race with delight.

Everyone was engrossed in conversation. They were either listening to one of Charlie's tales of hunting dragons, or George telling a story of one of the twins pranks, or discussing quiddich with Ron and Harry. Until all the talking was disrupted by a loud "Ow!" from Ronald.

"Oh what is it Ronald?" Percy said in a superior tone before taking a sip of his tea. The teacup formed a mouth and bit him on the nose. All of a sudden the three teacups were jumping around the table biting anyone who tried to catch them.

George pulled out the dungbomb and set it off. The room filled with a brownish smoke and a horrible stench. Fred scrambled for Lily's hand and dragged her away from the chaos at the table.

They escaped to the boys' room and had a laugh about how well it turned out. Molly soon caught up to them and made them catch the teacups and clear the air. It wasn't that bad, although one teacup did bite Lily on the finger, and when their punishment was over they retreated to the bedroom.