I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Extended Family
Chapter 165 – Hiders and Seekers
Takes place after chapter 97, when the bunnies sought the hiding adults.
"And that's the day done," Fred said as he waved the last of the customers out of the Wheeze, smiling as they waved back and locking the door. The other employees had already gone and it was just him and George left.
"Another good day," George said, looking up from balancing the till. "We moved about 50% of our inventory out."
"Means we still got a good amount in reserve," Fred said with relief. "I hate it when we're literally making stuff just to stock the shelves immediately. Not counting special orders of course."
"Me neither, makes me antsy." George finished balancing and writing down their finances and put the money into their safe, locking it tight. By then Fred finished cleaning things and the store was locked down securely. "You staying over tonight or coming early tomorrow?"
"I'll come early tomorrow," Fred said. "And bring some pastries and things. What are we doing again by the way?"
"Remember when Angie told us about how they played hide and seek a month or two back? With the bunnies doing the seeking?"
"Oh yeah! That sounded like fun."
"It did and they wanted to do it again but wanted to make sure we were free to join in."
"They're good sprogs," Fred smiled. "We're not holding back when we play with them though, right?"
"Not since we did that one time and they wrecked us," George said.
"Good, just making sure."
-0-
Fred walked through the Floo into the Weasley home and smiled at how happy things sounded. He had fond memories growing up at the Burrow and how it was usually a very loud place too, which to be fair, was usually the fault of his and George. That said, it was a nice place and he and his siblings had filled the air with lots of happy noises and the occasional unhappy ones, coupled with clucking chickens, Molly calling for them with varying degrees of emotion, and Arthur's good-natured chuckling.
The house itself was empty and all the happy sounds came in from outside, lots of children laughing and squealing. As he cleaned the soot off, Hailey and Dahlia appeared in the door. "Uncle Fred!" they shouted and ran to him.
"Hey sproglings!" Fred shouted back, managing to catch Hailey with one arm and holding onto the boxes of pastries with the other. He hugged his niece and then his spiritual-niece hard. "Where's the third sprogling?"
"Helping AliMum with something," Hailey and Dahlia said together. They took the boxes from him and walked with him out of the home to join the others outdoors.
"Hey Fred," Harry smiled, waving from the outdoor grill. "Breakfast of Champions?"
"Sounds good to me, I'm famished!" He happily took a pile of wrapped egg sandwiches with all kinds of topping and filling from Harry and joined the others at the tables they had there. "Hi third sprogling," he smiled when Hadley hugged him.
"Ooh, thanks for the pastries," Angelina said, peering into the boxes.
"You're welcome. Best part about living there. I can nip down right before they open and they'll let me buy a bunch before they sell out," Fred smiled.
"Oh that is nice of them," Alicia remarked.
"They're good people," Fred nodded. "And like their jokes. We sell stuff to each other on the cheap."
Breakfast meandered pleasantly and they ate and laughed together, fueling up for the activities to come. "Right then," George said eagerly. "How're we doing this?"
"The bunnies want to seek the adults again," Katie smiled. "Then they want a turn being looked for."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Fred said eagerly.
"No magic to hide," Dahlia said. "And no hiding where we can't go."
"Well duh, that's just sporting," George snorted. He smiled at Alicia's flat look.
"I'm going to watch the babies this time," Katie smiled. "Everyone ready? Go!" Harry, Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, Luna, Tonks, Daphne, Tracy, Fleur, and Aimee dashed off leaving Katie behind with the three waiting little girls. She looked surprised when Colette sat down beside her. "Didn't want to play?"
Colette smiled but it was a slightly queasy expression. "I'm a bit hungover and the thought of hiding and running makes me want to be sick."
"Want a potion?" Katie asked.
"Please. Fleur wouldn't give me one because she said it was my fault."
"Was it?"
"I don't see how that is pertinent," Colette sniffed.
Katie snorted and went to her home and came back with a potion for Colette. After handing it to her, she smiled at the patiently waiting girls. "Off you go bunnies! Go find them!"
Colette sighed with relief, feeling the potion working and she watched the three girls run off fondly. "Such good girls." She looked up at Katie questioningly. "What are you doing?"
"It's going to take the potion a bit to do its thing so might as well take advantage of the situation," Katie smiled, piling the babies on Colette.
The French woman snorted and wriggled a little, getting comfortable beneath the children. "Fair enough."
"Want me to get you something else to drink?"
"Wine?"
"Aren't you hungover, and it's before noon," Katie laughed.
"Mimosa?"
-0-
"Hi AngieMum!"
"Oh thank Merlin," Angelina groaned, seeing the girls peeking into the cabinet at her. "I am so ready to get out of here. Help me, please." After a lot of groaning and tugging and with a very loud pop, Angelina managed to get unstuck and crawled out of the cabinets.
"You fit in there?!" Hadley asked loudly, staring into the small cabinet space in the kitchen.
"Barely," Angelina said, groaning as she stretched. "And it was not worth the effort. How did you know I was in there?"
"The pot is on the counter and it's always inside if it's not being used or washed," Dahlia said, pointing at a cast iron pot on the counter top.
"Makes sense," Angelina said. "Was I first? Don't care," she laughed when the girls nodded. "That was super uncomfortable. I might need to lie here a moment. Or…wait."
Katie and Colette laughed as Angelina was carried out by the bunnies. They put her on the ottoman with wheels and pushed her out into the gardens and the Triangle carefully, giggling with Angelina. Once delivered, Angelina joined the others and the bunnies ran off.
"Turns out I can fit in the cabinets in your place," Angelina said. "But I couldn't get out without help and contusions and/or contortions."
"Good to know," Katie smiled. She cast a few charms to relieve Angelina's pain and discomfort and the three women chatted and laughed while playing with the babies.
"Where were you?" Colette asked as Luna walked up to them.
"Lying on the canopy over the bed," Luna smiled brightly.
"Oh that's a great spot," Angelina admired. "How did they catch you?"
"Hailey accidentally turned on the lights and they saw my shadow," Luna said with a shrug. "Bad luck for me but it happens. They also liked the spot very much. When one hides, they accept the chance of being sought and thus caught. Playing is the majority of the fun!"
-0-
Dahlia reached into the rack of brooms. "I thought I saw someone," she muttered as she reached back as far as she could.
"You did!" Oliver laughed at Dahlia's happy squeal and he crawled out from behind the brooms and rack and picked her up, hoisting her over his shoulder. "Did you see me?"
"I saw your shoes," she said, pointing down.
"Dang, good eyes. Good job Dally!" He carried her back to the Triangle with her giggling as she bounced on his shoulder. They were joined by Hadley and Hailey holding Aimee's hands and skipping together.
"Where were you two?" Aimee asked.
"I was hiding behind the brooms in the broom shed," Oliver said as he released Dahlia. "Dally saw my shoes from beneath.
"I apparently did what Tracy did last time," Aimee said smiling. "I tried to hide in the creek."
"We didn't wait to see how long she would stay underwater," Hadley and Hailey said together.
"Good girls," Oliver laughed. He sent the trio on their way and they scampered off as he and Aimee rejoined the rest. "Dally's got her dad's eyes," Oliver said proudly. "Spotted my shoes from beneath the broom racks."
"She can be very observant," Katie said. She laughed. "Especially when treats are involved. But she doesn't pretend to not see things like when it comes to picking up and chores, thank goodness."
"Why are you covered in the babies?" Aimee asked, amused.
"At first they were piled on me due to my incapacitated nature," Colette said. "But they are very warm and comfortable so I do not mind. Hey! Iris is extra warm!" Colette complained when Aimee picked her up.
"Yeah she is," Katie said proudly.
-0-
Daphne blinked against the sudden influx of bright light, shielding her eyes with a hand. "You found me!" she smiled.
"We found you!" the bunnies trilled and helped her out of the enclosed space.
"However did you find me?" Daphne asked, intrigued.
"Auntie Taffy taught us about the secret space in the wardrobe," Dahlia said. "She hides snacks in it."
Daphne frowned and peered into the space she was hiding. It was their shared external wardrobe and the back had a hidden compartment in it, built into the wall but with the wardrobe pushed against said wall, it did not look so obvious typically. She saw the boxes of snacks and she glowered at them. "So she does," Daphne said disapprovingly. She turned around and noticed something. "Have you found her?" she asked, smiling slyly.
"Not yet," Hadley said.
"Make sure you look around and see if anything is out of place," Daphne said.
The girls did, eyes roaming the room. "Oh! The window is unlatched!" Hadley said, pointing at the window. They walked over and pushed it open, leaning out carefully. "Found you!" Hadley shouted.
"Dang it! I thought I had a great spot this time!" Tracey complained. She had climbed out onto the roof and was hiding there. She climbed back in and frowned at Daphne. "Did you tell them?!"
"No!" the trio trilled.
"If you say so," Tracy said suspiciously. She and Daphne left their home while the bunnies continued to search. "Where were you?"
"Where you hide snacks apparently," Daphne said airily.
"Okay, first of all, hiding snacks is a time-honored tradition," Tracy said, flushing a little. "Second of all, I knew you helped them! You did it vindictively!"
"You cannot confirm that!"
-0-
"Where were you this time?" Angelina asked.
"I attempted to hide in the greenhouse," Alicia said as she sat down with them.
"What does that mean and why do you look rumpled?" Katie asked.
Alicia huffed. "I was hiding in a very good spot, which was ruined by the Crawling Creeper!"
"Oh no, it is the time of year," Daphne groaned.
"What does that plant do?" Aimee asked eagerly.
"Like its name suggests, it crawls and creeps and it invaded the space and crawled into my clothes!" Alicia said. She glared as the others laughed. "So I was in the midst of aggressively pruning it when the girls found me."
"Poor plant," Oliver said, smiling and kissing his wife on the cheek as she glared at him.
"Why are you soaking wet?" Colette asked, smiling broadly.
"Did you hide in the creek too?" Aimee asked, bouncing Iris up and down.
Fleur smiled as she dried herself. "No, but that is a good idea for next time. I was hiding beneath the Hedwig, the girls' privateer ship. I flipped it upside down and fit beneath it. When they came, they rolled it and it seems that they left some ammunition inside the cannon and it went off and I got broadsided!"
"Fantastic," Anglina laughed.
"It was very shocking and refreshing and amusing," Fleur smiled. She sat down and took Iris from Colette who gurgled and clumsily grabbed Fleur's long hair. "I love living here!"
"We love having all of you," Katie smiled.
"Who's left?" Tracy asked.
"Harry, the twins, and Tonks," Oliver said.
"Oooh, looks like Tonks upped her game from last time," Angelina smiled. "This will be good."
-0-
"Hi Daddy/Papa Harry!"
Harry laughed as the three little girls jumped on him excitedly. "Hi girls!" he said back, kissing them in turn. "How did you find me?"
"Auntie Hermione leaves the lid open on the book crate so the books don't get squished and unhappy," Hadley said.
"And we helped her empty it out the other day," Hailey said.
"Huh, I need to ask her about that. Well good job girls!" He left Hermione's house with them. "Who haven't you found yet?"
"Uncle George, Uncle Fred, and Auntie Dora," Dahlia said.
"Ooh, they're the hardest. Sorry girls, I have no idea."
"We'll find them!" Hadley said confidently.
-0-
"Let me guess, chimney?" Oliver asked, deeply amused.
Fred nodded and coughed, still daubed with soot and ash. "Stood on the inside lip."
"Wow, that's a great spot," Harry said admiringly. "How did they find you?"
"Because some idiot couldn't keep from sneezing," Fred glowered.
"Were you in there too?" Aimee asked.
George rubbed his nose and shook his head. "No, I was hiding inside the grandfather clock and I now realize we need to dust inside more often because I was fighting a sneeze for ages. I just couldn't hold it when the girls were in the room."
"Except they went to the chimney thinking I was the one that sneezed!" Fred complained while the others laughed.
"So you grassed him up out of revenge?" Angelina asked, amused.
"No, the clock chimed and I had thought I was safe to stretch a bit with them talking and got clocked on the head by something in the middle and yelped," George said ruefully.
"And as per usual, you two are your own worst enemies," Alicia laughed.
"Seems like," the twins agreed.
"Now it's just Dora," Harry smiled as he bounced Abby and Alex in his arms.
-0-
"Okay, we've looked everywhere," Hadley said.
The girls had indeed run all over the village and went through all the houses. They checked the creek once more and the pitch and almost everywhere in between. They finally stopped in Luna's garden, a little tired and a little frustrated.
"I really hope she didn't use magic," Hailey frowned.
"She wouldn't," Dahlia said. "She takes this seriously."
"She is really good at hiding," Hadley sighed.
The girls sat down together on a small tussock in the middle of the garden, the grass soft and warm beneath them. "Okay, think, where haven't we checked?" Hadley said.
"The potion lair?" Dahlia said.
"Auntie Dora doesn't like it, reminds her of school," Hailey said.
"The deep end of the creek?" Dahlia suggested.
"That's really far though," Hadley frowned.
They hummed together in thought.
"Why are you moving so much?" Hailey asked.
"Me? I'm not moving. Isn't that you?" Hadley asked, frowning.
Dahlia, who was sitting between them, looked at them both before looking down. "No way," she said. She poked the tussock. "Auntie Dora?"
The girls squealed as they fell over, being thrown by something beneath them. They rolled and gasped as Tonks crawled out from beneath the grass and sod, smiling at them. "Ha! You sat on me and still didn't know it was me!" she crowed.
"That's amazing!" the bunnies cheered.
"Oh Auntie Luna was doing garden work!" Hadley remembered.
"Yup! I remembered she was replacing some of the sod and grass for health so came over and layered it over me. Did I win?" Tonks shouted in victory as the bunnies confirmed that she was the last and she and the girls ran back to the Triangle.
"Oh that's super cool," Harry admired, cleaning Tonks off with his wand.
"Classic use of the terrain," Tonks said smugly. "What do I win?"
"Cake and bunny snuggles," Katie smiled.
"Awesome," Tonks smiled.
"But first, it's our turn to seek," George said. "Specifically for you girls."
"Will everyone else play too?" Hadley asked.
"Whoever else wants to," Harry smiled. When the twins closed their eyes and began counting, the bunnies dashed off with Katie, Fleur, Colette, and Luna with them. The others chose to rest and relax. After the count was finished, the twins ran off, looking excited and determined.
"I wonder who will be last this time," Alicia smiled.
"My money's on Luna this time," Angelina said.
"I'm betting on the bunnies," Harry said knowingly.
As time passed, Fleur was found first, followed by Colette, then Katie. The twins then found Luna who had hid in the creek this time.
"I can't believe you made us go in after you," Fred said wetly, wringing his shirt out.
"You have to earn it," Luna sniffed, brightening as Harry dried her by blowing warm air at her with his wand.
"So now just the girls, we can do this," George said confidently. After about thirty minutes, he was not as confident. "Okay, we really should have found them by now."
"We've checked pretty much the entire village," Fred said, frowning with thought.
"You sure about that?" Harry asked.
"Pretty sure," Fred mused. "We searched the library-"
"-and the greenhouse and the potions lair," George said.
"You twits better not have messed with my stuff!" Alicia said loudly.
"We checked the cellars," Fred continued.
"And the attics," George said.
"The creek and the pitch were clear," they said together.
"Where else?" George asked, looking confused.
"You look like you know something," Fleur said, looking at Harry.
"I might," Harry smiled.
"Well go on," Fred said.
"And betray my bunnies?" Harry gasped.
"They won," Katie smiled, "do you two agree?"
"Depends on how clever they are I guess," George smiled.
"I'm a little tired from running all over, so sure, why not," Fred grinned.
"Did you check the Triangle?" Harry asked.
"You mean here?" The twins and the other adults looked around. "Not exactly a lot of space to hide here," George said. "There's the playground but it's all open. The benches and tables are clear."
"Except for this one," Fred frowned, looking at the table Harry was sitting at. It was the only table that had a tablecloth over it. "Don't tell me," he groaned as he flipped the cloth up.
"We won!" the bunnies cheered as they spilled out from beneath the table to applause and laughter from the others.
"When did you come back and hide here?" Angelina asked, delighted.
"We circled around and crawled under it from behind Papa Harry!" Hailey said proudly.
"And you were there the whole time?" Alicia smiled. "And we didn't even hear you. Now in the future when you claim you don't know how to be quiet, we know that you certainly can!"
"You must have been enjoying it seeing us running around and knowing where they were," George laughed.
"It was really funny," Harry laughed as the little girls climbed up his chair to sit in his lap.
"Gosh that was fun though," Fred said. "We'll get you next time."
"Let's go get that cake then," George said. "And stuff for dinner."
"I love this place," Fleur said again, beaming and looking incredibly happy and content.
Harry put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "Isn't it great?"
"The best," she said and hugged him back.
-0-0-0-
odonnellzoo99 - I always liked the mental image of Hedwig doing that with Harry. It's very cute in my mind. This was pre-super vindictive Hedwig and well, Seamus is a bit thick. Not thick like he thinks though.
poka - Tiny Hedwig is so cute. Also yes he did.
Ghostwriter - Love Hedwig so very much.
TheSphynx - I always thought, before writing them, that writing for a character without obvious dialogue would be hard but for her, it's not somehow. Going back to add dialogue just makes it funnier.
alix33 - A lot of laughter in this chapter.