𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍, george weasley

004

FOUR

The following days at the Burrow were a flurry of activity, laughter, and the kind of chaos that only a house full of Weasleys could create. For Victoria, it was everything she loved about being away from the stifling constraints of royal life. 

Victoria woke up on Thursday morning to the smell of bacon and the sound of Molly bustling about in the kitchen. The mornings were noisy and lively, everyone fighting for the bathroom, brushing off specks of Floo powder from the fireplace, or arguing over who got the last slice of toast. 

"Victoria, dear," Molly called one morning as Victoria sat by the kitchen table, sipping tea. "Would you mind peeling some potatoes for lunch?" 

"Of course not, Mrs. Weasley," Victoria replied, taking the knife and getting to work. 

Fred leaned over, grinning. "Careful, Mum, she might not be used to manual labor. Peeling potatoes isn't very princessy." 

"Shut it, Fred," Victoria shot back with a laugh, flicking a piece of peel at him. 

George chuckled as he sat beside her. "Don't listen to him. You're doing great, Princess Peeler." 

The afternoons were spent outside in the orchard, where Ron, Harry, Fred, and George often played a loud and competitive game of Quidditch. Victoria didn't play herself but always sat on the sidelines with Hermione, cheering them on and providing commentary. 

"Fred scores!" she called dramatically during one game, using a stick as a makeshift microphone. "And Ron's circling the pitch like he's already won the World Cup!" 

"Oi, don't encourage him!" George shouted as he flew by, narrowly missing a bludger. 

Hermione, seated beside her with a book, chuckled. "You've become a proper part of this circus, you know." 

Victoria grinned. "Best circus I've ever been in." 

Evenings at the Burrow were some of Victoria's favorite moments. The family crowded into the living room, with Molly knitting in the corner, Arthur fiddling with a Muggle artifact, and the kids sprawled across the mismatched furniture. 

One night, Fred tossed a copy of the Daily Mail onto Victoria's lap. The front page featured a photo of her from the royal event earlier that week. 

"Sign it," Fred said, holding out a quill. 

Victoria rolled her eyes but took the quill. "You lot do this every time I'm in the papers." 

"Because one day, when we're rich and famous joke shop owners, we're selling these," George said, grinning. 

"You're ridiculous," she said, scrawling her name across the page with a laugh. 

George nudged her. "And yet, here you are. Stuck with us." 

"And wouldn't trade it for anything," she replied sincerely. 

One evening, while everyone else was busy, Victoria found herself sitting by the fire with George. He was tinkering with a small prototype for a new joke shop product, his brow furrowed in concentration. 

"You know," she said softly, "I don't think I've ever felt as at home as I do here." 

George glanced up, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Really? Even with the chaos?" 

"Especially with the chaos," she said, leaning back in her chair. "It's real. It's messy and loud and wonderful. My life's so polished all the time—it's exhausting." 

George hesitated for a moment before replying. "Well, you're always welcome here, Tori. Mum adores you. Even when she's shouting about 'shouting at a princess.'" 

They both laughed, and Victoria felt a warm sense of belonging settle over her. 

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Harry quickly became part of the lively atmosphere. He was quieter than the others, but Victoria could tell he was soaking up every moment of being with a family that cared about him. 

One evening, as they all sat outside watching the stars, Victoria nudged Harry. "You're one of us now, you know." 

He gave her a shy smile. "Feels nice." 

"It is," she agreed, pulling a blanket tighter around her shoulders. 

Despite the fun, Molly kept everyone on their toes, especially Fred, George, and Victoria. 

"Don't think I didn't notice the three of you sneaking biscuits out of the kitchen earlier," she said one afternoon, hands on her hips. 

"It was George," Victoria said quickly, earning a betrayed look from him. 

"Oh, don't you drag me into this, Princess," he said, laughing. 

"You three are trouble," Molly muttered, shaking her head. But her fond smile gave her away. 

By the time the days at the Burrow came to an end, Victoria felt more like herself than she had in months. The love, laughter, and chaos of the Weasley family filled a hole she hadn't realized was there. 

On their last night before leaving for Hogwarts, she sat with George, Fred, Ron, Hermione, and Harry by the fire, the warmth of their friendship wrapping around her like a blanket. 

"Here's to another year of mischief," Fred said, raising an imaginary toast. 

"And to not getting caught," George added with a grin. 

"To family," Victoria said softly, looking around at the people she loved most. 

They all smiled, and in that moment, Victoria knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.