Vulnerability || George Weasley

Rude Awakenings

Instead of following Bill and Charlie to one of the sheds in the garden however, Phoenix lay down on her back on the grass beside the pond that she had sat only a few hours earlier with Ginny and Hermione.

She stared up at the clouds, watching the various shapes in the sky. She took particular interest in a cloud that was in the shape of a dolphin and watched as it moved very slowly across the bright blue sky. Her hand rose up in the air and traced her finger round its shape.

She heard the front door open, then close from somewhere in the distance and Phoenix sat herself up on her elbows and looked towards the Burrow where Fred and George walked over, their ears were a brighter red than their hair.

"Hello," she said greeted them as they sat down.

"I can't believe her!" said Fred, shaking his head almost angrily.

"You're not angry with her are you?" said Phoenix carefully.

Fred and George looked at each other, "No," said George, "we're not angry. We're just annoyed."

"Why?" said Phoenix.

"We just wish that she would stop expecting us to be like Bill, Charlie, or," Fred shuddered at the mere thought of it, "Percy. We are never going to be them or even remotely like them."

Phoenix frowned at Fred who had now became yanking pieces of grass with his hands, and then looked over at George, who were shrugged and shot her a small smile. "Give her time Fred," she said as she rested her head on George's shoulder, "Just give her time."

"I just can't fathom how she can't understand," said Fred, whose teeth were now gritted in anger.

Phoenix looked up at George, who spoke for her, "she only wants what is best for us Freddie and you know that. She just doesn't want us to be disappointed if it doesn't work out and we've even said that it may not work out."

"Why are you backing her up?" Fred snapped at his twins, his eyes gleaming slightly.

"She's our Mum, Fred and I know that you want her to accept our ambitions just as much as I do."

"Can we just stop talking about it?" Phoenix asked, staring across at Fred with a pleading look on her face. Fred opened his mouth to reply but Phoenix spoke again before he could interrupt, "please Fred? Before you say something that you regret." Fred nodded slowly in reply and Phoenix felt George's arm around her waist as he pulled her closer to him.

"Sorry Nix," Fred mumbled, looking guiltily at her and giving her a small smile. Phoenix narrowed her eyes at Fred, her face breaking out into a smile.

Loud crashing noises broke their silence. Phoenix and the twins whipped their heads around and saw that the source of the noises was Bill and Charlie, wands in the air. They were making two battered looking tables smash into each, high in the air, both of them attempting to knock each other's out of the air. Fred and George got to their feet quickly, George pulling Phoenix up to his feet, before they all cheered on Bill and Charlie as Ginny laughed and Hermione looked torn between amusement and worry.

The door to The Burrow opened from behind where Phoenix was standing and she saw Ron and Harry appear, both with looks of confusion on their faces, before they saw the two tables in the air and began laughing and cheering along with the others. Phoenix watched as the table that Bill was levitating caught Charlie's table with a very loud bang and knocked one of its battered legs off, causing the on-lookers of the battle roar with laughter.

"Will you keep it down?!"

Phoenix jumped at the sudden voice and look up to see Percy's head sticking out of a window on the second floor with a very angry look on his face. His hair was still very pink.