Fred and George and the Toilers of Trouble (Year 1) ✔

Chapter 18:8

"That's pretty paper." Ginny was crawling under the tree, admiring a large, pink gift. "So is this one!" She rolled onto her back and shimmied to another, wrapped in flowery orange paper. "And two more! Who sent all these?"

"My admirers," said Charlie, blushing as he handed Bill the boots.

Molly sneered uncertainly at the gifts, as she removed a strange box from beneath the tree that was coated in dingy black paper. It had a grayish green bow that stank and appeared to be made of seaweed.

"George...this must be another from that Johnson girl."

"No, that's for Charlie," said Ron promptly. "Got the owl just yesterday, after you all went inside. It's from someone named Nym...Nymphie..."

"Nymphadora Tonks sent Charlie a Christmas present?!" said Bill disbelievingly, recalling their rivalry better than anyone. "I have to see this."

Percy was wearing a wide smile, as he reached for the gift and thrust it into Charlie's lap.

"Someone get the note!" said George cheerily.

Bill stole the card before it could be destroyed. He was grinning ear-to-ear, as he read it aloud. "Glad tidings. A snack for my favorite Seeker."

"Ooooh, don't look now, Mum. I think Charlie's found himself a girlfriend!" said Fred with relish.

"What?" asked their mother flatly. "You've got a...a girlfriend, Charlie?"

"Everyone relax," he said, while ripping the paper, almost expecting an explosion.

"No different than how we met, Molly," their father noted.

"Yes, well...that was...different," she muttered, suddenly marching over to the sink to scour the pots by hand. "He's far too young to be —"

"I will care for you always...how romantic!" said Ron in a dreamy voice, whinnying with his brothers as they passed the card and pretended to read the rest of her note. "I love you, Charles. Let's get married and buy a house..."

"Ronald Weasley!" their mother exclaimed, soap bubbles going everywhere as she spun to reprimand him with a stern expression.

"It's all very funny, but she despises me," Charlie explained, as he opened the gift.

"Don't be modest, you charmer," laughed Percy, who was joining in the fun.

Charlie glanced into the box, rolled his eyes, and dropped it to the warped floorboards. He stepped away from his family and glanced into the mirror to find that his cheeks had gone pink in frustration. Of course, standing there had been a mistake. The mirror laughed at him as well.

Fred and George peered into the box. At the bottom, enveloped in dirty gray paper, was a dead and bloated purple Puffskein.

"Aww! That's wretched!" said George in disgust.

"Marvelous," said Fred, taking it out for all to see.

"Odd gift, coming from a girl," said Mr. Weasley, squinting at the flattened mess. "Is this the sort of thing you do these days, Bill?"

"No, Dad. Not at all. But I'm certainly glad I stuck around to see Charlie opening a gift from his girlfriend."

"Again, not my girlfriend," Charlie corrected. "And it's just a tart. Some prank she replicated in Transfiguration."

"Look at him, recalling her finest moments from school," said Fred with fondness, clasping his hands over his heart. "Do you hear the wedding bells, dear?"

"I do," George answered in a deep voice. He draped an arm around his twin brother and nodded proudly, a candy cane sticking out of his mouth like a pipe.

Ginny poked at the disgusting gift. "Never seen a Puffskein up close. Mum, can we keep it?"

"It's dead, Ginny. No." From across the room, Molly transfigured the lifeless, furry creature back into a raspberry tart.

Fred, being Fred, looked the tart over and took a bite. Half-intrigued and half-disgusted, Ginny giggled uncertainly as she took the tiniest of bites for herself.

The air of joy and revulsion was broken up by the sound of an immense, tawny owl pecking at the kitchen window.

"Oh, go to the door," Mrs. Weasley squawked. "We just replaced the glass!"

"Owl Post!" Ron announced. He dropped his comic book and sped to the door.

The owl swooped in with a shipping crate in its grip. After lowering it to an open space on the floor beside the Christmas tree, the owl caught its breath, accepted a biscuit, and returned to the unforgiving wind.

"Thank you!" said Ginny politely, as she closed the door.

Ron rushed the gift, hoping it was from their Auntie Muriel. His eagerness fell away when he noticed the stamp on the side of the crate. "It's from someone named Zonko Goose...Goosefeather," he read slowly. "It's for Fred and George!"

Bill looked swiftly suspicious. "From Zonko?"

"Why do I recognize that name, son?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"He runs the joke shop in Hogsmeade," Bill answered, approaching the crate. "How on earth is he familiar with two first years?"

"Er – that's top secret," Fred hummed, avoiding the glower coming from Percy's direction.

"What he said," George replied. "Need to know basis, and that."

Everyone complained when the twins tried dragging the box to the stairs.

"Open it in front of us."

"Yeah, c'mon."

"Bill might leave if you don't."

"Fine, but you asked for it," Fred warned, as he dared to remove the lid. George was first to peek inside.

"What? Are you sure this is from Zonko?"