Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 166

We were planning on moving to Aunt Muriel's house the following morning and so we started packing everything that we thought was important that same night.

     Fred and George were trying to put on a happy face and to make jokes every now and then to have a laugh, but I could tell that they were worried too. Not only for themselves, but for their family.

     They were scared for Ginny who now at Hogwarts where Voldemort had taken over as well, and they also worried for Ron who was on the run with Harry, the most wanted wizard that the Ministry and the Death Eaters were after.

"You guys know that you don't have to come with me to Aunt Muriel's house, right?" I said as Fred, George, and I were sitting around the kitchen table for a small meal before bed. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you were supposed to move there eventually, but —"

     "Lex, we've been through this," said Fred. "We're not letting you go anywhere alone. Besides, I'm sure that Sirius would blame me if anything happened to you." I chuckled at that.

     "Now come to think of it," George started, "why does Sirius care so much about these stuff? Have you ever thought about it? I mean... he really acts like a dad, doesn't he?"

     Fred and I shared a quick look before briskly glancing away, raising our glasses to drink as an awkward silence fell among us, which thankfully went unnoticed by George.

     "Er... I think I'll just go to bed now. We have a long day ahead of us," I said and cleared my throat, getting to my feet, and after some while Fred followed me as well.

     We both soon changed into our comfortable clothes and so got to bed and under the covers, both of our minds far away from that room.

      "Lexi, can you tell me something?" Fred suddenly asked out-of-the-blue and broke the silence.

      I gulped. "Wh-what?"

     "Will — will everyone be okay?" he asked hesitantly. "You know... George, Ginny, Ron, Mum, Dad, Bill..."

      My heart gave a painful ache at those words. There was someone who wasn't going to make it through the war, but Fred hadn't named him.

       So I just raised my hand toward him as we laid there on the bed, facing each other, and caressed the red hair that had slightly fallen onto his forehead.

     "Don't worry about them, Freddie," I whispered, forcing a smile. But when he smiled, it was genuine.

     So with that, he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer to himself and I nuzzled into his chest, listening to his calm breathing.
    
     "Hey, Fred?" I suddenly said after a long while, breaking the silence.

     "Hmm?" he mumbled sleepily, not bothering to even open his eyes.

     "Do you remember when I asked you a few years ago if Thestrals could see each other?"

     "Aha..."

     "Can they see themselves?"

     There was a small pause.

     "Lexi?"

     "Yeah?"

     "Go to sleep."

***

The next morning, we had set an alarm clock for earlier than ever, right before dusk. It was still dark outside when I glanced at the window.

     It took the force of both Fred and George to convince me to get out of bed. Or better say, to drag me out of bed.

     "But the stupid sun isn't even out yet!" I grumbled as we got ready and were about to close down the shop for good.

     We each only had one trunk to ourselves, seeing as we had only packed and taken the necessary things with us.

      "I'm gonna miss this place." George sighed as he looked around at their joke shop while we walked toward the door. "Farewell, my love!"

      "Okay, so here's the plan," Fred started right before we were going to step out of the shop. "Dad said there are people watching us all. So we have to be quick to Dissaparate to the location where Dad told us about when he visited us last night. Okay?"

     "Sure," George nodded, "I mean, unless we would want to have a little chitchat with the Snatchers and a cup of tea at the Ministry."

     By that, we closed the shop and the moment we stepped into Diagon Alley, we took a hold of our trunks and Dissaparated out of there, Apparating into an enormous field.

      In the distance, we could see a house in the middle of the plain and so taking our trunks with us, we started walking up to Aunt Muriel's house.

     "Ugh, I always hated this place as a kid," said George bitterly as we neared it.

     "That old bat," said Fred, rolling his eyes. "Never liked George and I, for some reason."

      "Your sarcasm is beyond me." I grinned.

      "Hey! We were two little innocent angels!" George argued, making me scoff.

     "Isn't she the one you set off a Dungbomb under her chair when she had come to your house for Christmas and so then wrote you two off her will?"

      "Yup." Fred grinned. "That's the one and only Aunt Muriel for you."

     "Ah, yes," said George mockingly. "She was the heart and soul of every party, telling everyone they looked either like a banshee or a grindylow."

      "Yeah, she does sound like a real sweetheart," I said sarcastically. "I met her at Bill and Fleur's wedding, actually. Said I must have been a lunatic for wanting to date Fred."

     "Well, she got that one right, didn't she?" George laughed.

     "Oi!" Fred and I said at the same time.

     "What?" George grinned. "C'mon, guys. We all know I'm the better looking twin."

     Fred obviously wanted to make a witty comeback, but he never got the chance to do so when the door to the house opened the moment we reached it and were about to knock.

     The next moment, we saw an old witch standing at the other side of the door, her face wrinkled and her brows furrowed as she looked us all up and down in a judging manner.

      "Well, don't you just stand there, come in!" said Aunt Muriel, giving us a nasty look. "And don't leave your trunks around. I can't clean after you lot. I'm a hundred-and-seven years old!"

      And so without any other word, she went back inside, leaving us at the entrance door to her old yet rather large house.

     "Hmm... Fred?" George started, smirking evilly as he watched Muriel leave. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

      "George," said Fred, with the same mischievous smile, "I know exactly what you think."

     "Oh, Lord," I groaned, afraid to ask what was going on in their heads. "Do I even wanna know?"

      George turned to me, still smirking. "Let's just say old dear Muriel will regret ever letting us step into her home."