Chapter Text
“You just had to piss her off, didn’t you?” Bill grumbled from beside them, his face souring and his little pink nose twitching.
Percy, who’s glasses were still somehow still size appropriate for her his face called out “Yeah! You’re the one who made the stupid bet, why should we suffer for your stupidity!”
“Hey!” Fred huffed, “It’s not like I believed she would! She always makes threats, how was I supposed to know she meant it this time.” He grumbled before, Charlie (who Fred could only tell was Charlie due the number of burns on his paws and legs) leaned over and took a swipe at him. Not enough to hurt, but enough for him to pay attention. For once.
“Probably because she said loud and clear ‘I mean it this time’. Stupid!” Charlie squeaked out, and stared shocked acceptance that, well, his voice sounded like that now, before glaring and looked to take another swipe at Fred, though this time not as friendly.
Diving and barely missing the paw, Fred hid behind George, the identical weasels confusing Charlie, before he shrugged and lashed out, getting George. “Hey! Wrong twin! Don’t punish me for his dumb mistake.”
“And what a mistake it is. I don’t want to be stuck like this!” Ron yelled
Charlie swished his head every which way, pushed Ron “I don’t want to sound like this! I sound like a chipmunk. Or a wheezing cat.”
“Or a transformed Weasel, which you are.” Percy pointed out.
“Which we ALL are thanks to Fred!” Charlie moaned and collapsed on his back, four paws sticking up to the sky. “How did it get like this? And Mum wonders why I don’t come home as often.”
Fred, in turn, squinted his eyes and turned tail (literally) before throwing over his shoulder “Ginny is fixing it. She’s the only one who Hermione spared.”
“Spared? You think she spared Ginny? No, she only ‘spared’ Ginny because she wasn’t even in the room when the spell hit.” Charlie grumbled
“Which brings us back to the main point, you’re the one who brought it with you. A magical virus, spreading every which way. Typhoid Fred you are!” Ron yelled.
“Oi!” Fred huffed “First off, the one time you pay attention to muggle history lessons and second! It’s not my fault! She just got…emotional.”
Various groans were heard around the room, followed by a chorus of “And now we know why we were cursed.”
2 Weeks Earlier
“You’re an idiot” George deadpanned while Fred, who somehow managed to anger Hermione for the fifth time that day, watched as she marched out of the door. “She’s not going to put up with it for long, I hope you know that.”
Smirking, Fred rolled his eyes, taking a long drink while he watched the sparks fly every which way from the window and chuckled. “what’s a harmless prank? Besides, she loves me.” Smiling, he laughed again and sauntered out the door, following Hermione. Only then, a few seconds later was a loud screech heard followed by ‘You’re a pig Fred Weasley! No worse than a pig, you’re a Weasel!”
George could only sigh wondering what he could have said now. Taking the discarded glass, he saw Fred limping back into the kitchen, covered what he could only describe as green slime. “So…” he drawled “How did the ‘harmless’ prank go.”
“Like I said George, she loves me” Fred winced as he limped away and George shook his head, just as Charlie came through the door, barely avoiding the trail of green goo.
Looking between the twins and raising one eyebrow, he asked “Do I even want to know?”
George shook his head and sighed “Fred. Hermione. Back garden and yet another prank.”
Charlie just nodded in understanding but quickly made himself scarce when a dripping wet Hermione came stomping into the kitchen, frantically waving her wand with drying charms before her glare turned icy at George. “You!” she screamed as George raised his hands quickly in defense.
“Wrong twin! Wrong twin! I’m George! The one you’re looking for just went up the stairs to shower.” He said frantically, moving out of her way to put the counter between himself and the raging witch.
Her eye kept doing those odd little twitches whenever his other half was mentioned but instead of continuing her path of destruction his way, her glare was still on George. “Oh I know where he went, and don’t worry – I have the correct twin in my sights.” She seethed, sparks still coming out of her hair and George gulped.
“It’s not enough I have Fred pranking me whenever I come over or looking for opportunities to mess with me when he’s not. No, I must settle with the fact that you AND the rest of your brothers fully knew what he was planning and let him do it anyways! No thinking of trying to stop him or possibly warning me? Or perhaps, a simple form of adversary towards his antics? Something to stop the incessant ‘pranks’ vendetta you all have against me.”
“No, no not all of us. Personally, I think Fred can go a little far but….” George tried to defend only to be cut off.
“No! No ‘buts’ and the only thing I can agree with you in that entire sentence is ‘not all of you’ because at least Ginny let him have it!” Hermione exploded, and suddenly the counter wasn’t enough of a deterrent.
George tried to smile, but he thought it came out more like a grimace “Well, that may be true but Fred really does mean well. Honest…in fact he was even meaning to apologize to you!” He sputtered out.
Stopping mid rant Hermione blinked, surprise coloring her features with her mouth dropping in a small ‘O’ before she briefly shook her head and crossed her arms. “Really?” She mused, “Because Fred Weasley apologizing would happen when pigs fly.”
“Good thing I know for a spell for that!” George smiled and bowed “And I’ll happily perform it once I get Freddie to apologize proper and stop with the pranks.”
“Fine.” She said, her voice clipped. “I’ll be in the back garden for my ‘apology’” Turning she swiftly disappeared out of the kitchen only for Fred, Charlie and Bill to peak their heads in.
“Could have jumped in there anytime, if you all were there” George scolded as Fred just grinned while Bill and Charlie made their way to the kitchen, fixing a pot of tea.
“Not my circus, not my monkeys” Bill stated with Charlie nodding in agreement and subsequent ‘ditto’ following soon after.
Fred on the other hand was busy looking out the window again, and George was about up to here with his shenanigans. “Freddie enough is enough. You have to apologize.”
“Sorry, what?” Fred asked, turning his attention back to George.
George took a deep, deep sigh before crossing his arms “You. Need. To. Apologize.” He enunciated while Fred waved him off.
“Yes, of course mate. I’ll apologize….in fact I know the perfect way to do it too.” Fred smirked and made his way into the garden, Hermione reading a book on the swing just when Percy came into the kitchen, followed by Ron.
“We heard Bill was making tea and Fred apologizing. We couldn’t miss it.” Ron chuckled, waving his wand for a cup to float his way.
“The tea or the apology” Charlie threw out, laughing with Ron punching his arm.
Percy only shook his head in disappointment “Whatever it is, I want no part. Fred apologizing without an ulterior motive is highly suspect enough; no need to bear witness to surely another beating by the witch.” Percy mused, sitting down at the table, blowing on his tea.
George just shrugged and looked out the window and frowned at what he saw. He knew Fred was a little…. rough around the edges. To put it lightly but at least he suspected the real reason behind Fred’s…. unusual behavior. He simply didn’t want to be messenger, and figured Fred would figure it out soon enough.
For all their sakes.
However, it seemed that day wasn’t today. Because whatever he said had Hermione so mad that she finally seemed to lose it. “Oh shit, what is Hermione doing?” Ron gasped when George gasped and all his brothers rushed to the window just in time to see Hermione waving her wand, Fred’s eyes going wide and for one split second…her gaze rested on them.
That did it.
“You all want to play around and be jokesters, don’t you?” She yelled, waving her wand again and this time Fred lost the battle with gravity and fell backwards, Hermione levitating him into the kitchen where she dropped him into a heap as Fred scrambled to his feet. “You all want to weasel your way out of responsibility for your disrespectful brother huh? Well by all means….I accept the terms of our bet Frederick! You want me to loosen up? To stop being so, oh what was it? Oh yes, to start unwinding me? Great! Perfect! I love that! In fact I love it so much, your brothers would love to join the fun too!” She screamed, blue light appearing out of her wand and George suddenly felt faint.
“What did you do!?” he uttered out before Fred shook his head just as Hermione started muttering.
He had never before seen this, this, whatever she was doing. All he knew though was that it wasn’t good….and somehow there was another spark of light….
….and everything was suddenly very big. Or he was very small.