One and Only 3 ; George Weasley

271

"How important is it for you to attend Hogwarts?" mum asked. "Because we looked at it and it looks like we can spare some money for a tutor."

"No." Sammy and I blurted in unison. "We can't be homeschooled."

"Stop doing that." Bryson spoke. "It's creepy."

We used to do that all the time when we were younger. Talk as if we were the same person. We did it mostly to annoy our other siblings but sometimes we realised that we were great at knowing what the other person were going to say so it became like a game. It was fun and now it just happens sometimes on accident.

"What's wrong with being homeschooled?" dad asked. "I was homeschooled before I came to Hogwarts."

"And look what it did to you." mum muttered, hoping dad wouldn't hear it but when he looked at her, we all knew he did. "George. You have to admit you aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Remember when I pranked Professor Snape with the whoopee cushion and we got caught because your name was written on it?"

"Well, do you remember all the years from our third to our last? All the way back to Harry almost being killed by a professor over the philosopher stone to our last year when we had a headmistress who tormented the students, including you and your brother?"

"I remember." she nodded. "Which is what I said when Fred got his letter on his eleventh birthday. I told you that it wasn't a good idea for our kids to go and look... our twins are in their fifth year and both have been beaten up by someone in Slytherin."

"Yeah okay." He nodded, then looked at the rest of us. "Your mum's got a point. Homeschool it is."

"What? No." I frowned. "What about Emery? She would have to be alone here then."

"Well where is she even?" Dad asked. "I haven't seen her."

"Detention." I shrugged. "She pranked Filch."

Dad nodded slowly, then turned towards mum. "Are you sure we didn't have a daughter named Emery?"

Sammy and I exchanged a glance at how odd our dad was acting. I mean, wasn't exactly different from how he usually was.

I remember when Fred got his first letter. He was freaking out and overall, it was a really fun situation to watch from the breakfast table.

"You're gonna love it there! Wait- stay right there. I need to go grab that map. I sorted out all the secret passages— you're going to have a blast!"

"Sweetheart." Mum said with a small smile as she wrapped an arm around Fred. "What your father means is, don't forget that you're there for school and your education comes first, then the fun."

Dad stopped in his tracks on the way to his and mum's bedroom, then turned towards mum and Fred.

"No. No that's not at all what I meant."

"I would literally do anything to not be homeschooled." Roxanne said with a look of disgust on her face. "I mean. No offense but staying home with a tutor all day, every day until I'm eighteen is not on the list of things I want to accomplish."

"Yep." Mum breathed, patting dad on the chest. "That's definitely your daughter. Listen, I will go find Kathleen because I have something I need to discuss with her but George, try and talk to your children and don't let Vivi convince you to let them stay with those big puppy eyes of hers."

What're you on about mum? Haven't used the puppy eyes in years.

"Wait, love!" Dad called when mum made her way towards the door. "Talk to her about Simon. That boy needs to step five feet away from Vivi."

"Oh c'mon." I groaned and placed my head in my hand.

"What does that mean?" Fred whispered as he leaned in closer to me.

"He saw me hug Simon." I whispered. "Thinks there's something going on."

"And there isn't?"

"No!"

"I doubt that." Roxanne commented but instead of whispering, she spoke loud enough for dad to hear. "I see the way you and Simon look at each other. That's been going on since your third year?"

"Third year?" Dad asked, causing me to look back at him. "Wait. You and Simon... you were thirteen. He was fifteen."

"Nothing is going on!" I exclaimed. "You are all bloody insane!"

"Daddy?" Ronnie asked. "Does the no dating rule mean I can't date as well?"

Oh my...

I looked at Sammy whose eyes went wide at that. Our nine year old sister is talking about dating.

"What?" Dad laughed. "Of course princess. You can't date for another eight years."

"Why? I think I'm in love."

Dads smile dropped instantly and it looked like he went pale. Yeah. He does not like the idea of his daughters having boyfriends and now the youngest of them all wants a boyfriend.

"Who could you possibly be in love with?" Bryson asked. "You're nine!"

"Well so is he!" Ronnie raised her voice. "He's a boy from my class. His name is Tom."

"Tom?" Dad asked before he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed right next to her. "Sweetheart. In our family we don't date boys named Tom. If you were seventeen and interested in dating, I would be fine with the name Edgar or Bob but Tom? No. And you are nine years old young lady. Don't you dare start to think about about boys."