Caught

Winnings✅

Harry had spent the best of 40 minutes with Charlie, trying to figure out how was the best way to tell the twins.

They had finally decided, after much debate, that Harry should talk to the twins first and Charlie join in on the conversation later.

"You sure about this Kitten?"

Charlie straightened out Harry's collar as he stood by the door, ready to leave but stalling for all it's worth.

"I'm sure, Love." Harry reached up and pulled Charlie into a chaste, passionate kiss. It lasted only a few seconds before he pulled back and patted down the creases in Charlie's shirt.

"You'd best go now. It may appear suspicious if we keep disappearing and reappearing at all the same times."

Charlie nodded and gave Harry one final kiss on his lips, before heading out the door and moving down the stairs to where he knew his older brother, Tonks and Kingsley would likely be conversing.

LOCATION CHANGE

Harry waited as he heard Charlie's footsteps receding down the hallway.

He stayed quiet for several minutes, pondering on how to get the twins away from the others without it being suspicious.

He gave up on planning when he realised that he didn't even know where they were at the moment.

Instead he decided to find his friends, he figured that they'd probably be the most likely to know where the twins were.

He exited his room and went down the stairwell, walking out into the first floor hallway and noticing immediately the increase in noise from below.

(A/N: Quick note- Grimmauld has the kitchen downstairs, then the ground floor followed by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. 1/2/3 floors have the bedrooms and such, things like the library and formal dining room and stuff and the ground and lower floor has the communal areas. Just thought it may help if I explained a bit.)

It was an odd thought for him, having been raised by the Dursleys, to think that a house could be so vibrant and full of people 24/7.

He peered into a few rooms before deciding that his friends must still be downstairs and heading back to the stairway to go down to the ground floor.

From his place at the bottom of the stairs, he could see that Charlie was now sat with his brother, Bill, along with Tonks and Kingsley.

He was just moving past when Tonks noticed him and bounced out of her seat, grabbing him and pulling him into the room with them.

"Wotcher Harry!"

He smiled at the metamorphmagus, sending a resigned look towards the other 3, who laughed lightly as he was dragged to a seat.

"Where ya heading?" She peered down at him, her auror characteristics shining apparent.

Harry rubbed his neck as he looked around the room, smiling pleasantly, if not completely resignedly.

"I was just looking for the twins. I had a, uh-a sort of-...business proposal for them?" He had meant it as an answer but it sounded more like a question, even to his own ears.

Tonks was now sitting in front of him, looking curious.

"What kind of business proposal?"

Harry fidgeted slightly, trying to get more comfortable under her fixing stare.

"Well, I may or may not have given them the entire winnings of the Triwizard tournament for their joke shop..." he rubbed his neck as he grinned sheepishly at the gaping group. Though Charlie had already known about it, he thought it best to play along.

"You gave the twins the money that you won?! Why?" Tonks asked as she leant back in her chair.

"Why not? They'll use it better than I would have. I think that one day soon, they'll be big. Like, really big and super successful with their joke shop. They aim to put Zonko's out of business and I think that it's perfectly within their reach."

Bill whistled lowly, impressed. "That was a nice thing you did for them."

Harry nodded absently he looked around the room.

"Yeah, well, I figured that G3000 would be a good jump start for their business."

Bill choked on his own spit, as he sat straight, and pierced Harry with a scrutinising look.

"G3000? I thought the winnings were G1000." The question was obvious and Harry smiled sheepishly as he responded.

"Well it is, and that's what Cedric received but the Ministry thought it right to compensate me as I wasn't a willing participant in the first place. They felt it was their own negligence that ended me up in the tournament in the first place."

The group just looked stunned, bar Harry who was enjoying the fake gaping mouth that Charlie was putting on.

"So what was your business with the twins again?" Tonks spoke, a barely noticeable awe-filled quake in her voice.

"Oh, I wanted to check in and see how they were going. Ask if they needed anymore money yet."

"More?" Kingsley asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I mean, what do you guys expect? I'm the silent partner. Y'know, the guy that provides the money to the devilish genius inventors. I fund their experiments and they repay me by being successful."

Bill nodded along to his words and hummed thoughtfully before looking around the room for a moment.

"Last I heard they were down the hall with Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Luna. Something about Blubbered Hum-something and Crumble Horn Snorkels."

Harry doubled over laughing as he heard Bill butchering the names of Luna's creatures.

Bill looked at him in intrigue as the group watched him continuing to laugh.

"Y-you m-mea..." he trailed off and continued to laugh, the group just waiting to hear what he had to say once he could manage to calm himself form his amused hysterics.

He took a few minutes to chuckle and gasp as his laughing reduces to lighter snuffles and jumps in his words.

When he was finally composed enough, he turned back to the amused group. Grins were apparent on all of their faces, from watching his outburst.

"I think you mean, Blibbering Humdingers and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. They're Luna's creatures. I'm pretty sure that she's some type of untrained seer, the creatures are really her way of communicating."

Bill's eyes lit with understanding and he nodded as he thought about Harry's words.

"Okay, well, I'll be heading to see the twins then. See you all later sometime!"

He waved as he stood and shared a small smile with Charlie. The latter tilted his head in question and Harry shook his head 'no' that they'd talk a bit later.

They thought their interaction went unnoticed and failed to realise the eyes that were flickering back and forth between them. Amusement and curiosity on the individual's face.

(A/N: alright, next chapter soon!)