White Heather for Protection

Interlude: First Kisses

Hands covered her eyes as she was grabbed from behind. Sighing, she put her book down. "Lovely to meet again, Cormac."

Affronted cries were heard as she was released. "McLaggen!?" twin voices shouted.

"We're much better looking!"

"And smarter too!"

"How could you have-"

"-compared us like that?"

Succumbing to the laughter bubbling up, she turned to face her best friends. "That's what you get for leaving me alone on Tuesday. McLaggen was able to get me alone to try and ask for a date to the ball." She scowled at the thought of that brute. "Actually, 'ask' shouldn't be the word to describe it. 'Demand', more like."

They screwed their faces up in disgust. "That idiot really gives us-"

"-Gryffs a bad name."

"We hope you-"

"-set him straight."

"Well obviously. I have better standards than arrogant boneheads."

"Of course, you're going-"

"-with us, aren't you?"

She was about to laugh when she realised they were serious. "Fred? George?" She looked closely at both of them as they each produced a rose from behind their backs.

"Will you go with us to the Yule Ball?" they asked sincerely, holding the flowers out to her.

She blinked, shocked at the turn of events. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Flustered, she just looked between the two wizards.

She blushed when she realised they were leaning in. As they got closer, her eyes scrunched shut in nervousness. Moments passed (or were they hours?) before a pair of soft lips landed on hers. The lips brushed chastely, once, twice, before leaving and another pair took their place. The same pattern occurred, only with slightly more insistence. Slowly, her eyes opened to see Fred and George's faces mere inches from hers.

Not knowing what else to do, she smiled at them. "That was..." she deliberated over a suitable word, "nice?" Fred and George smirked knowingly at her lame attempt.

"Yeah, 'nice'. Like kissing-"

"-Mum, it was!"

Heather sighed in relief. "Thank Circe! You too? For a while, you two really had me going there."

Shrugging, Fred said, "Just wanted to make sure."

"Yeah," George added, nodding, "you're the only one who really gets us, y'know?"

She really did. Not many people saw Fred and George as two distinct beings. Which was an idea that they liked to propagate for fun, but it still meant a lot to them to be recognised for themselves. In the beginning, the only way she could tell them apart was their magic signatures. Though she believed Mrs Weasley knew more than she let on, despite seeming to mistake her twin sons most of the time. She was probably humouring them. After all, what mother couldn't differentiate her own sons?

"Of course," she said pompously, "You two are like my brothers. That was cemented right after those kisses. I mean really, they were like the goodnight kisses I gave Hadrian when he was three."

As predicted, they stuck their tongues out at her childishly.

"Do I at least get to know who my first kiss was?" she asked teasingly.

"Nuh uh."

"We were both your first kiss," they maintained stubbornly.

Well, to be honest, she could make a pretty good guess, based on how they'd kissed. They did have different personalities, for all that they pretended otherwise. Actually, to be accurate, it was more like they had their own innate personalities, but actually behaved in a combination of both in the public eye. It was pretty interesting to watch.

She rolled her eyes but didn't press the issue. "By the way, I already have a date to the ball," she added as an afterthought.

That got their attention. Twin blue gazes pinned on her. "What?"

"I asked a boy. To the dance. He said yes."

"No way!"

"Who is it?"

"And does he-"

"-know he's an inferius walking?"

Chuckling, she said, "Like I'd tell you after what you just said. Guess you'll have to find out at the ball itself, won't you?"

George leered. "I bet it's that Prince of yours you're always mooning about."

"I think you're on to something, brother," Fred chimed in, "Look at the blush on her face!"

She was not! The room was just a little warm. Even though it was winter. She groped about for something to say. Eyes landing on the white roses still held in their hands, she snatched them up. "I'll be keeping these Rosa chinensis." She pointedly avoided their teasing grins. "The petals will be great for Burn Paste and the leaves can be used in Strengthening Solution. I've also been meaning to try adding rose thorns to Doxycide and see if the effect is stronger..." she babbled.

Fred and George laughed quietly at their besotted friend. She didn't even notice she was stroking one of those books - which she had literally whipped out of nowhere - as she continued musing. Seriously, did she carry them on her all the time?

Well, Prince or not, whoever Heather's date to the Yule Ball was, he'd have to get through them first. The hunt was on.

Nobody would be messing with their best friend/sister.