Gunpowder & Cinnamon {Fred Weasley}

Chapter Sixty Seven

"You're here! You're here!" Eleanor said happily as she tackled Cedric and Marnie when they arrived. "I'm so happy, this is a good enough present to make my Christmas."

"See? I told you we didn't have to get her anything." Marnie whispered to Cedric in amusement. He only rolled his eyes at the statement with a smirk before hugging Eleanor.

"She's right though, I don't need any gifts as long as I have everyone I care about around." Eleanor told him.

"Well lucky you, you get two gifts." Cedric said. "Us and the gift we originally brought for you."

She smiled before Marnie looked around. "It looks like everyone is pretty much here, right?"

"Still waiting on Percy to show up." Eleanor said. "Everyone's kinda anticipating him because he's bringing his new girlfriend."

Marnie burst into the giggles enough so that she held onto her swollen stomach before wiping a tear from her eye.

"Oh that was a good one, Ellie. But please don't make me laugh that hard, my body is sore enough as it is."

"I wasn't joking." Eleanor said. "I was being serious."

"So I'll be Ellie then." Sirius said in passing.

Eleanor clapped her hand over her face as she and Cedric shared in a laugh. "Oh that joke is never going to get old or die."

"Just like Sirius, apparently." Cedric said.

"Hold up, we are not changing the subject!" Marnie said. "Percy has a girlfriend...someone agreed to date him?"

"Yes, Marnie...that's what I said. She's coming over with him today."

"But who would agree to date him? I mean, I thought Penelope Clearwater has puffed too much dragon smoke back when they were dating, if you get what I mean..."

"Be nice Marnie." Eleanor warned her. "Percy's come a long way. He's made his mistakes in the past but you can't hold that against him. If his family is willing to forgive him, you should be able to."

"Fine, fine...it's really none of my business anyways...I don't really care...as long as whoever he brings isn't like Fleur." Marnie whispered in a low tone.

"Marnie!"

"What? Do you want to spend Christmas with two Fleurs, oh my Merlin."

"She's not bad to hang around with at all, in fact once you get past her bluntness, she's actually really sweet and incredibly nice. Kinda like someone I know, except Fleur's nicer." Eleanor winked at Cedric before she left to grab herself another drink.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean, Ross?" Marnie called after her.

"Why don't we just go sit down?" Cedric suggested.

Eleanor was about to exit the kitchen with her drink in hand when Fred came up behind her and grabbed her empty hand, pulling her back into him.

"Fred!" she laughed as she tried to manage not spilling anything. "What are you doing?"

"Mistletoe." he said pointing up.

She glanced up before making a face. "I swear, you're just planting it everywhere now."

"I might be." he grinned. "But come on Eleanor, it's tradition."

"Since when are you about tradition?" she asked setting her drink down on the counter and looking at him.

"Well considering this tradition greatly benefits me.." he chuckled causing her to smile and shake her head before she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. She leaned in to kiss him unaware of someone else walking into the kitchen.

"Save it for the wedding, Fred!"

The two broke away from the kiss, Eleanor blushing slightly as Bill laughed grabbing himself a drink and one for Fleur.

Fred gave his oldest brother a dirty look causing Bill to raise his hands in slight surrender.

"I was only teasing." the curse-breaker told them. "I'll just be a second before I get out of your hair."

Fred looked away with a sigh while Bill gave Eleanor a wink before leaving the room. Eleanor wrapped her arms around Fred's waist, giving him a gentle squeeze before she suggested heading back into the living room where everyone was gathered.

"Alright," he agreed, " but Percy better get here soon. I want to open presents and he's taking forever."

Eleanor sat in her usual seat of Fred's lap as he sat on the floor, listening to Nixie and Sirius tell the story of when Nixie was younger and attacked by the merfolk in the Black Lake.

"Did you ever see the Giant Squid while you were in the water?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Yes," Nixie nodded, " he was always so docile in nature when I was in the water, I didn't swim much around him, I think I was too paranoid at the time believing that he would mistaken me for a fish or something."

"Maybe he was just trying to get you to accompany on a swim." Fred suggested before looking over at George. "Remember that time we tickled it's tentacles?"

"Yes!" George said. "Lee got a little too carried away and the squid gave him a good whack."

The group laughed as Hermione recalled the time she fed the squid a piece of toast

" You know I heard once that it was Godric Gryffindor in animagus form." Ron told the group.

"Do you know how old that would make him?" Hermione looked at him.

"Look how long Nicolas Flamel lived with along with wife. Over six hundred and fifty years.. Godric was one of the founders of Hogwarts, if he wanted to live that long, I bet he could find a way.It could be possible." Ron countered leaving Hermione without an argument.

He smiled proudly at his response.

"Good job, Ron." Eleanor leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Ell-"

There was a knock on the door and Molly arose to her feet.

"That must be Percy with his girlfriend!" she said excitedly. She suddenly turned to everyone in the living room.

"Behave!"

Fred and George exchanged grins.

"When have you known us to misbehave?" Fred asked her.