Incendio

Chapter 33: Only Seventeen

"I'm sure you two have enjoyed having the place to yourselves." Fred jested looking between them as he and George began moving a few things into the warehouse. There were boxes whizzing around and up the stairs to their respective rooms. 

Samantha squished her face and Lee turned several red shades. They each scooted even further apart from each other on the sofa. 

She scratched her neck. She and Lee had been keeping a firm physical distance in the sixteen days they had been cooped up together. 

"Of course they haven't." George grimaced at his brother.

Samantha laughed uncomfortably, "More points toward George being the most handsome."

Fred looked aghast and seated himself across from them in a small recliner Lee had recently found. "Sorry to assume. I should have known, after hearing that Kingsley had nothing but good things to say, that you two have done nothing but work."

"We have gotten loads done together. We're running a test on the system tonight. We wanted to start earlier, but Kingsley said it was best to wait till Samantha's trace was broken." Lee said excitedly. "Her trace will be broken at midnight so we can finally risk using that kind of magic. Kingsley has spread the word to the Order and so it's on for tonight."

"Wait a minute, did I hear that correctly?" Fred asked and the boxes that had been floating around him halted. 

"That our dear friend," George continued sitting himself on the sofa next to Samantha. 

"And my future wife if Ginny had her way," Fred laughed seating himself on the arm rest beside her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

"You mean my future wife?" George argued before pushing his brother onto the floor. 

Fred ignored his brother's question but stood up quickly, "Will in fact be having a birthday at midnight tonight?" 

Samantha nodded but found herself laughing profusely, "Yeah, it's no big deal honestly."

"But it is!" George mentioned before side eyeing his brother with impish glee. "If we can't keep spirits up now, then what's the point?"

The twins left abruptly and returned just as abruptly, with a big box in each of their arms.

"These are for midnight." George mentioned as he placed his box on the table.

"And these," Fred pulled out a couple of bottles and a barrel from the other box. "Are to keep us awake till midnight. They are left over from the wedding. We've got two more barrels of these each. No one else wanted them, can't imagine why."

No one wasted any time grabbing drinks. Samantha had never tried mixing Butterbeer and fire whiskey but quite enjoyed it. She felt nice and mellow as the evening wore on. They played exploding snap and card games. Samantha enjoyed the laughter and briefly missed the days back at Hogwarts when the four of them had spent time tormenting Umbridge. 

Midnight was approaching and the foursome stood around the clock, counting down the moments. The clock struck midnight and one of the boxes Fred and George had placed on a table began exploding, as it did balloons and decorations went zooming around the room. They each began hooting and hollering with great vigor. 

Lee picked Samantha up and swung her around. There was a small moment where their eyes met and Samantha felt a tiny butterfly in her stomach. She suddenly felt about two years younger and she briefly missed how they once were. It made her feel conflicted. She had been cooped up alone with him for weeks without a single inkling of past feelings. Yet, the moment when her freedom seemed the most eminent, she had butterflies again.