Another Weasley

✿ CHAPTER TWENTY ✿

The morning after the ball I wake up in a haze of giddiness.

I was so excited about the ball, I almost forgot it was Christmas.

"RUBY! Ruby Weasley!" Hermiones voice wakes me from my slumber on the morning of December 25th.

"Merry christmas!" She squeals. "Come, on! Let's go to the common room!" I scurry out of bed before shuffling down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room.

It's bustling with people ripping open presents or sitting on armchairs with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, reading newspapers or books or talking animatedly with friends.

"Ginny!" I run over to my younger sister, squeezing her in a tight hug.
"Merry Christmas, Roo!" She squeals.

I walk over to the fire, sitting on the couch next to Ron.
"Merry Christmas, Ruby." Harry says from an armchair next to us.
"Merry Christmas, Harry." I beam at him before hugging my twin.

"Let's open presents!" Ron says gleefully. Harry, Hermione, Ron and I go to our dorms to retrieve our stockings before congregating back by the fire.

The next package is from mum, a bright red knitted sweater with a letter R. In the box is also a container of homemade fudge which smells delicious.

There's a package from Harry, too. Wrapped in paper decorated with moving snitches is All about the Hollyhead Harpies, who are my favourite quidditch team.

From Ron I got a bag of Pepperimps, Bertie Bots Every flavour beans, flavour changing lolly pops, and a bunch of other Honeydukes sweets.

Fred and George gave me a bunch of tester Weasleys Wizard Wheezes products.

Grateful for the holidays and lack of lessons, I change into jeans and a maroon sweatshirt, tying my hair into a loose bun on top of my head.

"Morning, lazy bones." Hermione laughs when I enter the common room. Her, Harry, Ginny and Ron sit around the fire in conversation, heads turning up to face mine as I exit the staircase from the girls dormitories.
"I mean, afternoon." She corrects. Eyes widening in alarm, my head swivels around to look at the clock.

"Are you joking?" I say, staring in disbelief at the clock that reads 1.30pm. "Why aren't you guys in the hall?"
"We wanted to wait for you to get up." My twin smiles warmly.
"Well, I'm up! And starving." My stomach feels like an empty void of nothing.

The five of us climb out the portrait hole and walk to the Great Hall, where Camille sits at our usual spot at the Gryffindor table.
"I 'ad begun to zink you 'ad forgotten about me!" She says dramatically, but beaming.
"We could never." Hermione chuckles.
"We were just waiting for old sleepy bones over here." Harry motions to me.
"Up all night partying?" The French girl giggles at me.
"You bet." I chuckle.

•••••••

Days later, I walk down a busy corridor, headed to Gryffindor tower with Hermione.
"Ruby! Hermione!" A voice calls and I turn to see Harry running towards us at top speed.
"'Sup, Potter?" I say when he catches up to Hermione and I, the three of us continuing down the hall at a slower pace.
"I need help."
"With...?"
"The egg! The task is tomorrow and I still haven't worked it out!" He smiles sheepishly before pulling the golden dragon egg from behind his back. Hermione rolls her eyes slightly but her mouth is pulled into a smile.
"Okay. Meet at the library in 20. I have to do something." I arrange. He nods and turns around, walking away, Hermione following him.

Running the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower, I climb through the portrait hole and walk over to my older brothers.

"You wanted me for something?"
Fred and George turn around, smiles on their faces.
"Well, you know those Weasley Wizard Wheezes products we got you for Christmas?" Fred starts.
"What's the catch?" I roll my eyes.
"You have to help us test them." George says with a smile.
"You've got to be joking."
The twins both shake their heads, grinning a fake-evil smile.

I run to my dorm and pull the innocent-looking sweets out of my trunk.

"Ready?" The twins say in unison.
"Just tell me how to do this without dying. I have places to be."
"Where are you rushing off to, dear sister?" George teases.
"I just have to help Harry with something."
The twins exchange glances, eyebrows raised and smirking.
"No! It's not like... like that!" I huff.
"If you say so, but don't act as though-" Fred starts.
"-your little kiss last night was a secret." George finishes. My cheeks feel red hot at this point.
"Moving along." George smiles.
"Just bite one end of a sweet, and then bite the other end when we say, goddit?"
"Got it." I sigh.

Unwrapping a soft, squishy lolly, I bite into the purple end. It tastes of blackcurrant, lime and pineapple all mixed in one. Immediately, my tongue starts to tingle before I feel it swelling and growing. It's an odd sensation really, it doesn't hurt, but has an almost pleasant tickling, tingling feeling. I feel my tongue expand and then I see it in front of me, protruding out of my mouth.

My tongue doesn't really look like a tongue anymore, more of a gigantic, purply-blue slug.
"Now." Fred and George say together. I bite into the orange end of the sweet and flavours of mango, lemon and watermelon explode in my mouth. The tingling feeling turns into a burst of extreme, sudden pain and a scream escapes my throat before the pain disappears entirely and is once again replaced by the tickling sensation it was previously. My tongue feels like rubber as it contracts back into my mouth and becomes it's normal size again.

"Wow." Is all I manage to say. "That was - er - something?"
"Ton-Tongue Toffee." Fred beams
"Hurt much?" George asks.
"Only for like, half a second, but it was pretty intense."
"We'll work on that." Fred nods.
"Tasted awesome though."
"Perfect. We'll do the rest later-" Fred starts.
"-so you can go see your boyfriend." George smirks.
"Oi! He's not my-" but the twins have already turned and begun walking away.

Deciding I didn't have the energy to argue, I put the sweets away in my room. Checking my watch, I decided I had enough time to head to the kitchens before I had to meet the others, so I grabbed the pair of socks I had been knitting (Mum had taught me) from my trunk. I exited the portrait hole and headed in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room.

𖦹 𖦹 𖦹 authors note 𖦹 𖦹 𖦹

Hey guys!!
How're you going? I hope you're well! I get home from my holiday in just a week! By then I hope this book will be completed and the next one will be on its way!

Question of the chapter: what method would you use in order to breathe underwater in the second task?
Answer here:      ⇨⇨⇨⇨⇨

I would use a scuba-spell! (Look it up if you don't know what it is!).

If you enjoyed this chapter, maybe consider giving it a vote.
xoxo