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A week after Harry's hearing was over, everyone staying at Grimmauld Place was helping get ready for dinner. Devore was helping Ginny with the silverware. Molly was busy screeching at the twins. "Fred, George—NO, JUST CARRY THEM!"
The twins bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife — to hurtle through the air toward the table. Sirius and Chanel, who were still at the table talking, moved quickly out of the way. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flagon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.
Devore covered her mouth. "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Molly screamed, slamming her hands down on the table. "THERE WAS NO NEED-- I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS-- JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"
"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said Fred, hurrying forward to wrench the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry, Sirius and Mrs. Taylor, I-I didn't mean to—"
The two adults belted out laughing, making him feel better. "That was great, Fred." Said Chanel through her laughter and she hit Sirius on the arm, making him laugh more.
"Boys," their father said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table. "Your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age—"
"—none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins as she slammed a fresh flagon of butterbeer onto the table, and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to apperate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy—"
She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden. Chanel took her hand. "It's quit alright, Molly, it was an accident. Let's sit down and eat." She spoke softly.
"It looks wonderful, Molly. You and Devore did splendid." said Remus.
Devore felt uncomfortable by all the yelling, but she felt even more bad seeing the sullen look on the twin's faces. She went over and grabbed Fred's hand. "Cheer up, hot stuff. I thought it was funny." She said, trying to make him smile.
She did.
For a few minutes, there was silence, the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then, Molly turned to Sirius. "I've been meaning to tell you, Sirius, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room. It keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."
