𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 | ✔︎

Chapter 42

Later that night, at approximately 7 o'clock, there were four cracks at the front door, and four witches, including Tonks walked into the lounge room, where the Weasleys, Sirius, Natasha and Remus were, in front of a crackling fire.

Penny Haywood stepped into the room first, her honey-blonde hair tucked back into a low bun. She wore her Hufflepuff scarf and graced the room with a smile. "Fred, George, Natasha," she said, acknowledging them all. "It's been a while."

Next up was Merula Snyde, whose hair had grown a considerable amount since school. Gone was the orange streak in her hair, and it reached her shoulders, cut into a smart bob. On her left finger, sat a beautiful green emerald ring.

"Where's the food?" she asked, and Molly beamed, directing her to the kitchen.

"I've missed you girly!" she exclaimed, proceeding to throw food onto a plate for Merula. Tonks appeared in the lounge room, before pulling along one last guest, who looked around the room, almost observing it.

She had long brown hair that ended in ringlets, and eyes as green as grass. She was relatively small, barely reaching Sirius' shoulder. She bore a Gryffindor scarf, and matched it with a red knitted sweater, which had the letter G on it in gold wool.

"Everyone, meet Grace, one of my old school mates." She was beautiful in every way, making every Weasley boy bar Fred blush. Her nose and cheeks were tinged red for the cold outside, and she quickly took off her mittens, shoving them into her cloak pocket.

"Sorry for the intrusion, my boyfriend Barnaby insisted I visit Tonks whilst he went out with the boys tonight, and as I got there, they were about to leave," she apologised, her accent foreign to everyone.

"Are you American?" Natasha asked, and Grace nodded.

"I transferred from Ilvermorny to Hogwarts in my third year but went home to America every summer. I live here in England though now, with Barnaby," she said with a blush, taking off her cloak. Remus took it off of her hands and then took Tonks, making sure they were hung up without a crease.

Grace immediately started chatting with Charlie and Bill, and when Penny came over, Charlie blushed. Fred and George had been teasing him about his heart being torn between Penny and Freya, his workmate, ever since they had learnt of his school crush, but it was clear Charlie had stronger affections for the Hufflepuff next to him.

Molly exited the kitchen with Merula after she had had some food, and Merula's scowl was gone, replaced with a thin line. Remus got out his record player, and some muggle Christmas tunes started playing, attracting the attention of Hermione, Harry and Grace.

"Oh, these are the songs my mother used to play, although she changed the lyrics since she was originally from Australia," Grace remarked, pulling Bill onto the dance floor. Fred came up from behind Natasha, and put his hand on hers, twirling her around.

"Hands where I can see them boy!" Sirius hollered, before taking a sip from the whiskey he was holding. Fred gulped and placed them on Natasha's waist, as she slung her arms lazily around his neck. She was wearing the Gryffindor pyjamas Sirius had gotten her, along with her usual Weasley jumper, which was purple and blue this year.

"You look absolutely ravishing tonight my love," he whispered into her ear as he pulled her closer and Natasha hummed in agreement, tracing Fred's jaw with one of her fingers.

"You look better Freddie," she muttered, running a hand through his hair. She had made him a Gryffindor beanie after learning knitting skills from Molly during Order meetings, and it was currently sticking out of his waistband, the small pom-pom causing some people to do a double take.

"But see love, you light up the room in ways I cannot. Your eyes are literally moons," he exclaimed, kissing her cheek. Natasha giggled under her breath, and Fred snickered at his own joke, attracting attention from George, who was busy talking with Harry.

"Whose mooning what Freddie?" he asked with a smirk on his face, and Natasha slapped his arm, doubling over with laughter. She pulled Fred and George down with her, and the three started laughing for absolutely no reason, the joke now a thing of the past.

"What's gotten into them?" Penny asked, and suddenly, Ron started doubling over in laughter, followed closely by Hermione and Ginny. Remus cocked his eyebrow, before looking over at the sweets table in the room, noticing a large amount of the ladyfingers were gone.

"I believe someone stuck Laughing Ladyfingers onto the food table, that someone being Fred or George," he deduced, and Molly's eyes trailed onto her twin boys, who were now rolling around on the floor cackling with Natasha tucked in-between them.

"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!" she shouted, and the two looked up, their eyes streaming with tears. Natasha also looked up, before bursting out in laughter, dragging the twins back with her.

"Oh, I've missed them," said Grace, taking a bite out of one of the ladyfingers. She started giggling softly before clutching Merula's arm, bending over with laughter. A few of her giggles sounded like pig snorts, and soon enough, she too was on the floor, her face clouded by her curls.

Arthur, who had been sleeping in an armchair for most of the afternoon, woke up to find four of his children laughing on the floor, as well as his future daughter-in-law and a witch he had yet to be acquainted with.

"I'm not even going to bother to ask," he commented, snuggling up with the new muggle teddy bear Natasha had gifted him with. Remus quickly muttered a counter-curse in hopes it would reverse what the sweets caused, and in a blink of an eye, there was no more laughter.

"Ow, my stomach hurts," whined Ron as he patted his stomach. Ginny, Grace, Hermione and Natasha rolled their eyes, standing up before helping the rest of the boys up. Sirius chuckled at the sight of his daughter's dishevelled hair, before putting his hands up in surrender as she glared at him.

"Well, I like that product boys," Penny said, marvelling at the ladyfingers on the table.

"Thank you, kind lady, they're 3 galleons for a 12 pack," Fred said, cuddling up next to Natasha to had just sat down on the couch. He pulled a blanket over them both, thankful for the crackling fire in front of them, and Molly called Hermione and Ginny to the kitchen, trying to keep her cool over the twins' product.

Penny walked over to Charlie who was quietly sipping on a hot chocolate and pulled him into the open area of the lounge room as the music Remus had put on continued to play. There was now no distinct difference between his hair and face, and Penny cupped his cheek, her warm hands not helping one bit.

"I think Charlie's going to faint soon," whispered Natasha, and Fred looked over to his older brother. He stifled a laugh and kissed Natasha's temple, just as Molly appeared with plates levitating around her, full of dinner.

"Merry Christmas everybody!" she said cheerfully, her earlier annoyed feeling completely gone. Everyone cheered and clinked glasses together, making way for a happy meal.