For Shreya, my cool dude whose encouragement has left me feeling all giddy and happy. And for bubblecloudz. :)
This chapter is mostly a cut-paste from the book. You'll know which parts are when the twc follows right after them.
Mere months since the opening of their shop.
Business rocketed within weeks.
And the galleons that were raked in were more than they had ever anticipated.
It was Christmas holidays.
Bill and Fleur were going to be engaged soon.
It got a little stuffy in the Burrow, with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all coming for their holidays, and Bill, Fleur and the Order members (as they come and go) as the additional occupants.
This particular time is the time when they hadn't been strung so tight with fear and worry.
They were a little at peace, a little laid-back.
"Yeah, well, passing over Fred's left buttock —"
"I beg your pardon?" said Fred as they entered the kitchen. "Aaah, George, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."
"I'll be seventeen in two and a bit months' time," said Ron grumpily, "and then I'll be able to do it by magic!"
"But meanwhile," said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it, "we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a — whoops-a-daisy!"
"You made me do that!" said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. "You wait, when I'm seventeen —"
"I'm sure you'll dazzle us all with hitherto unsuspected magical skills," yawned Fred.
"And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald," said George, "what is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called — unless our information is faulty — Lavender Brown?"
Ron turned a little pink, but did not look displeased as he turned back to the sprouts. "Mind your own business."
"What a snappy retort," said Fred. "I really don't know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was...how did it happen?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Did she have an accident or something?"
"What?"
"Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage? Careful, now!"
Their mum entered the room just in time to see Ron throw the sprout knife at Fred, who had turned it into a paper airplane with one lazy flick of his wand.
"Ron!" she said furiously. "Don't you ever let me see you throwing knives again!"
"I won't," said Ron, "let you see," he added under his breath, as he turned back to the sprout mountain.
"Fred, George, I'm sorry, dears, but Remus is arriving tonight, so Bill will have to squeeze in with you two."
"No problem," said George.
"Then, as Charlie isn't coming home, that just leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and if Fleur shares with Ginny —"
"— that'll make Ginny's Christmas —" muttered Fred.
"— everyone should be comfortable. Well, they'll have a bed, anyway," said their mum, sounding slightly harassed.
"Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?" asked Fred.
Their mum turned away before she answered. "No, he's busy, I expect, at the Ministry."
"Or he's the world's biggest prat," said Fred, as she left the kitchen. "One of the two. Well, let's get going, then, George."
"What are you two up to?" asked Ron. "Can't you help us with these sprouts? You could just use your wand and then we'll be free too!"
"No, I don't think we can do that," said Fred seriously. "It's very character-building stuff, learning to peel sprouts without magic, makes you appreciate how difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs —"
"— and if you want people to help you, Ron," added George, throwing the paper airplane at him, "I wouldn't chuck knives at them. Just a little hint. We're off to the village, there's a very pretty girl working in the paper shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvelous ...almost like real magic..."
As they set off across the snowy yard, Fred looked over at his twin. He was pulling his knit cap down, trying to cover his ears properly.
Fred snorted a laugh.
"What's so funny?" asked George, a little distractedly.
Fred shook his head, turned around and yanked the knit cap so that it covered his eyes. George spat stray hairs out of his mouth.
"Fred!"
"Pretty girl, eh? I should take your wand away before you show pretty girls your card tricks."
George made to pull the knit cap away from his eyes. Fred was too quick- flicking his wand and sticking the cap right where it was over his eyes.
"Fred!"
"You could do more than yelling my name over and over. Let's say, you could tell me who that pretty girl – who, god help you, seems dumber than Lavender Brown by the looks of it – is. Not so fast, little twin." Fred grabbed the wand George had whipped out. George groaned.
"Fred!"
"It's sweet that you love saying my name."
George lunged blindly at him.
Fred evaded the flailing arms and grabbed George instead. Before his twin could kick and thrash, Fred turned him around quickly and pulled him against his chest, keeping him restrained.
Who's she?
No one, you git. I was winding Ron up.
They were laughing.
Are you jealous, Fred?
Of you? You can't, in your best day, pick the worst girl I could.
Oh but I was going to ask you if you are jealous of the girl.
What?
"I was going to ask you if you are jealous of the girl."
Jealous of the- what are you trying to imply, you dungbrain?
What it's supposed to imply.
There's no girl, is there? So quit being a dungbrain.
It was said with flawlessly masked happiness by the elder.
The younger, on the other hand, felt a shiver that wasn't entirely due to the cold weather.
The elder's hold started to seem mildly indecent.
The younger didn't want to play for laughs anymore.
"Fred, get my cap off my face."
"I will if you'll let me tease you about this until your last day."
"Fine. Just stop being a prat and do it, now."
The cap came released, and Fred pulled it away for him with a gentle hand.
"Now if you don't mind, could you stop cuddling me?"
"Gladly," Fred released him and stepped away.
And yet, and yet they only laughed at each other. George shook his head with a 'git' muttered under his breath.
Repression.
The ego is depraved. It knows it.
And it denies it tooth and nail.
That is why Fred has asked the shop girl in Honeydukes out on a date this Saturday.