Falling (asleep) | Fred Weasley fanfic

A Tense Christmas

In the blink of an eye, it was Christmas. The Weasleys had invited me to spend it at their house, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Bill, Fleur and Remus would also be there. I was looking forward to it, even if it meant not spending it with Dora. Things between her and Remus were weird and she decided it was better for her to go to our grandparents'. The twins picked me up at my parents' house on their way to The Burrow.
„Ready?" Fred asked. He was holding my arm with one hand and my trunk with the other. George was carrying Nox's empty cage since I had sent her to deliver presents to my family.
„Ready," I said.
CRACK. We Apparated outside of the magical barrier that had been placed upon The Burrow walked all the way to the house and entered through the front door.
„...well, passing over Fred's left buttock —"
„I beg your pardon?" said Fred as we entered the kitchen. „Aaah, George, Kay, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."
„I'll be seventeen in two and a bit months' time," said Ron grumpily, „and then I'll be able to do it by magic!"
„But meanwhile," said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it, „we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a — whoops-a-daisy!"
„You made me do that!" said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. „You wait when I'm seventeen —"
„I'm sure you'll dazzle us all with hitherto unsuspected magical skills," yawned Fred.
„And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald," said George, „what is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called, unless our information is faulty —"
„Lavender Brown?" I finished his sentence.
Ron turned a little pink but did not look displeased as he turned back to the sprouts. „Mind your own business."
„What a snappy retort," I answered.
„I really don't know what he thinks of them," Fred said to me and then turned to Ron again. „No, what we wanted to know was... how did it happen?"
„What d'you mean?"
„Did she have an accident or something?"
„What?"
„Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage? Careful, now!" Molly entered the room just in time to see Ron throw the sprout knife at Fred, who had turned it into a paper aeroplane with one lazy flick of his wand.
„Ron!" she said furiously. „Don't you ever let me see you throwing knives again!"
„I won't," said Ron, „let you see," he added under his breath, as he turned back to the sprout mountain.
„Kay, dear, nice to see you! Fred, George, I'm sorry, dears, but Remus is arriving tonight, so Bill will have to squeeze in with you two."
„No problem," said George.
„Then, as Charlie isn't coming home, that just leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, Hermione and Kay take Percy's room, and if Fleur shares with Ginny, —"
„— that'll make Ginny's Christmas —" muttered Fred.
„— everyone should be comfortable. Well, they'll have a bed, anyway," said Molly, sounding slightly harassed.
„Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?" asked Fred.
Molly turned away before she answered. „No, he's busy, I expect, at the Ministry."
„Or he's the world's biggest prat," said Fred, as Molly left the kitchen. „One of the two. Well, let's get going, then, George. Kay, I'll take your things to Percy's room, babe."
„Thank you! I'll wait here," I answered.
„What are you three up to?" asked Ron as soon as Fred got back. „Can't you help us with these sprouts? You could just use your wand and then we'll be free too!"
„No, I don't think we can do that," said Fred seriously. „It's very character-building stuff, learning to peel sprouts without magic, makes you appreciate how difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs —"
„— and if you want people to help you, Ron," added George, throwing the paper aeroplane at him, „I wouldn't chuck knives at them. Just a little hint. We're off to the village, there's a very pretty girl working in the paper shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvellous... almost like real magic..."
„Sorry, guys! I'm going as well. I love the shops in the village," I added and we left. Then I slapped George on the arm. „Remember you have a girlfriend and I won't keep secrets, you twat"
„Ouch," he said rubbing his arm. „I won't cheat, I swear!"

I woke up on the next morning to a pile of gifts in front of my bed. I had told my parents and grandparents not to send me any gold this year because my father wasn't working anymore, I wanted them to save as much as possible. My sister sent me some of my grandma's cookies and a really cool device to recognise Dark objects, and I got a pair of pink Vans from Fred ‚To match your hair' read the little note on top of the parcel. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave me a hand-knitted grey sweater with a pink A on it. George got me a box of my favourite Honeyduke's candy and from the trio, I got a book called The History of Aurors. I put on my new sweater and my waist-length pink hair in a very messy bun jammed some candy in my mouth and went down to the kitchen.
Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Molly had not wanted to waste one) and Molly herself, who was sporting a brand-new midnight blue witch's hat glittering with what looked like tiny starlike diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.
„Those are stunning, Molly!" I exclaimed and took a seat between Fred and George.
„Fred and George gave them to me! Aren't they beautiful?"
„Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks," said George, waving an airy hand. „Parsnips, Remus?"
„Oh, Arcadia, dear, thanks for the cooking book! German food is Arthur's favourite!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.
„It really is!" added Mr. Weasley.
„Harry, you've got a maggot in your hair," said Ginny cheerfully, leaning across the table to pick it out.
„Gross... Kreacher sent them to me", he answered.
„'Ow 'orrible," said Fleur, with an affected little shudder.
„Yes, isn't it?" said Ron. „Gravy, Fleur?" In his eagerness to help her, he knocked the gravy boat flying; Bill waved his wand and the gravy soared up in the air and returned meekly to the boat.
„You are as bad as zat Tonks," said Fleur to Ron, when she had finished kissing Bill in thanks. „She is always knocking —"
„Watch it, blondie. That's my sister," I said warningly and pumpkin juice came out of Ginny's nose.
„I invited dear Tonks to come along today," said Molly, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. „But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"
„No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much," said Lupin. „But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she? Actually, it surprised me to see you here, Arcadia."
„Well, I do miss my family, but I was looking forward to spending Christmas here. Dora wanted to be only with them, she's been... Let's say, feeling a little down," I gave Remus an annoyed look so he would know what I meant. Dora liked him but his pushing her away was making her really sad.
„Hmmm," said Molly. „Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually."
She also gave Remus an annoyed look, as though it was all his fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Dora, but I knew that Molly was fighting a long-lost battle.
„She won't be alone, Molly. Don't worry!" I added reassuringly.
„Tonks's Patronus has changed its form," Harry told him. „Snape said so anyway. I didn't know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?"
Remus took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly, „Sometimes... a great shock... an emotional upheaval..."
„It's changed into a werewolf and all because of you, you oblivious git," I thought to myself and looked angrily at Remus.
„It looked big, and it had four legs," said Harry, struck by a sudden thought and lowering his voice. „Hey... it couldn't be — ?"
„Arthur!" said Molly suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. „Arthur — it's Percy!"
„What?" Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.
„Arthur, he's — he's with the Minister!"
Before any of us could say anything before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy. There was a moment's painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, „Merry Christmas, Mother."
„Oh, Percy!" said Mrs. Weasley, and she threw herself into his arms.
Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.
„You must forgive this intrusion," he said, when Molly looked around at him, beaming and wiping her eyes. „Percy and I were in the vicinity — working, you know — and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all." But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else's heads. Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced. Under the table, I grabbed each of the twins by one arm, before they could stand up and punch Percy right in the nose.
„Don't," I whispered to them, they were thinking about it and had their fists clenched already.
„Please, come in, sit down, Minister!", fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. „Have a little purkey, or some tooding... I mean —"
„No, no, my dear Molly", said Scrimgeour. „I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly..." He was soooo lying. Percy didn't want to be there, his mind was screaming for someone to get him out of The Burrow as fast as possible.
„Oh, Perce!" said Molly tearfully, reaching up to kiss him.
„...We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden... Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?" The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly. Everybody looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. Nobody seemed to find Scrimgeour's pretence that he did not know Harry's name convincing, or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Ginny, Fleur, and George also had clean plates.
„Yeah, all right," said Harry into the silence.
None of us was fooled; for all Scrimgeour's talk that they had just been in the area, that Percy wanted to look up his family, this must be the real reason that they had come, so that Scrimgeour could speak to Harry alone.
„It's fine," he said quietly, as he passed Remus, who had half risen from his chair.
„Fine," he added, as Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to speak.
„Wonderful!" said Scrimgeour, standing back to let Harry pass through the door ahead of him. „We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!" as he exited to the garden.
„So Perce, whatcha been up to?", asked George. I knew he was a word away from insulting Percy to his death.
„Busy with work," Percy answered not even bothering to look at George.
„Really, Weatherby? Good, good..." answered Fred sarcastically. The atmosphere was really tense. I was sure one of the twins was about to kill their brother. Ginny and Hermione were looking at each other and then at Ron, not knowing what to say.
„Kay, dear!" Molly said. „You have met Percy, right?"
„Of course she has, she went with us to the World Cup, Molly," answered Mr. Weasley coldly.
„I've had the luck," I answered. Percy's thoughts about his family were making me angry. I loosened my grip around the twins' arms. I didn't care anymore if they punched him.
„Harry's coming back," I heard Ron say.