Dusk Till Dawn: A Fred And George Story

June 16, 1997

Life above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was, to speak plainly, boring.

Besides all the crazy moving wallpapers (in my room there were dancing tigers, and yes, they actually danced), there was nothing to be entertained with.

George and I were on speaking terms. I figured out that I wasn't really mad at him. We would talk and laugh together to pass the time, but then Fred would walk in and all would fall silent. He would suck the life out of the room, and I hated that, being so used to seeing him do the very opposite.

He knew I was there, but he ignored me. So I, in turn, ignored him. What else could I do?

Well, I went grocery shopping after work yesterday. I figured that some good, home-cooked food might stir up some conversation.

I set to work cleaning the kitchen. I bewitched the dishes to wash themselves while I wiped the counters with a rag. Soon, the place was suitable for cooking.

"Dinner!" I called about twenty minutes later. I brought the spaghetti I'd made out to the dining room table.

"Mm mm mmm," George said as he walked in. "Smells delicious."

"Would you be a dear and get the dishes and silverware? Thanks, George."

The two of us began to eat. Fred came in five minutes later and sat as far away from me as possible. We ate in silence.

Fred got up when he was finished and right at the door, he paused. As usual, I ignored everything he did. But then he said my name.

I froze. He'd said Isabella. I don't know why I'd expected him to call me "Love" like he always used to, but it stung nonetheless.

"Isabella," he said again. "Good food." And then I saw him slowly walk out from the corner of my eye.

After a few minutes, I looked back to George.

"Well," he said. "It's a start."

I smiled. "Yeah. Maybe."