A Cord of Three

Tikki's Arrival

Hey there, before any of you get confused, Victoria's nickname is pronounce tick-ee, like Vicky, but with a T. Happy reading!

"And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." —Ecclesiastes 4:12, ESV.

"The fun has arrived!" Victoria practically sang as she threw open the door to The Burrow. The twenty-year-old had a suitcase in one hand and a backpack slung across her shoulder, rain-cloud-colored eyes bright as she stepped inside.

"TIKKI!" she heard Fred and George thunder with excitement as they pounded down the stairs, banging on doors as they passed them. "Tikki's here!"

Ginny popped her head out of the kitchen. "Tikki?"

Molly appeared behind her. "Hello dear!"

"Did you say Tikki was here?" asked Ron from upstairs, his voice faint from the distance.

The brunette laughed, dropping her bags so she could open her arms and prepare for the onslaught of hugs approaching.

Fred reached her first, barreling into the girl and making her stumble backwards. George wasn't far behind, wrapping his arms around his brother and her. They squeezed her so hard she couldn't breathe, but she had been ready and had taken a deep breath beforehand. She put her arms around their necks, giggling like crazy.

"Took you long enough to get here," complained Fred, his red hair mingling with her brown head as he bent over her in the hug.

"Yeah, we've been waiting on you for hours," George reprimanded, equally as bent over. They were both tall, while Tikki was only slightly above average for a girl, so the hugging was enacted by the two of them leaning down while she stood on her toes.

Tikki rolled her eyes, pulling away so she could look the two of them in their eyes. "I said I was coming between one and two o'clock."

"Yeah, but we never know when you're going to show up early," said Fred.

"Or late," added George.

She laughed again, giving her favorite pair of twins another hug. "I've missed you guys so much! I can't believe I'm finally here! We're going to have a great summer, right?"

"Right!" they said with matching grins.

"All right there, give her some space," said Molly, pushing the boys away so she could embrace her niece. "How are you, dear?"

"Hi, Aunt Molly, I'm doing great, how are you?"

"Never better, sweetheart."

Ginny also gave Tikki a hug when her mother made room. "Did you bring that card game? Last year you said you would teach me."

Tikki pointed at her bag. "Yep! And I will teach you. We'll see if you can keep up with me and the boys." She grinned at her younger cousin. "I also brought a nail polish that you are going to love." Ginny beamed back as the girl picked up her things again. "I'm going to take my stuff to my room." By "my room" she meant the twins' bedroom that she shared with them every summer.

"You know you can have Bill's room, Tikki. He's not coming home this summer," Aunt Molly said over her shoulder, retreating to the kitchen.

"Oh, come on, Aunt Molly, you know I love sharing with Fred and George," Tikki replied with another laugh. "I'll move there if I discover the boys have taken up too much space." She hoisted her suitcase into the air and began quickly up the stairs with the twins in pursuit. "Ron, are you up here?" she called. "Percy?"