star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER TWO

Arabella flopped back onto her bed, making the dust fly up all around her, causing her to cough.

"Can we take a break already?" she whined.

"No!" Hermione and Ginny answered.

"Why not?"

"Because we're not even halfway done!" Hermione told her.

"But we've been at it for hours!"

"And we're going to continue to be at it for hours if you don't get your ass up," Ginny retorted.

"Ginny!" Arabella and Hermione exclaimed.

"What?"

"Bad word!" Arabella laughed.

"Oh, whatever."

Ginny and Hermione continued to clean while Arabella rested on her bed until they heard the door downstairs open and close.

"Anyone home?" someone called.

Ginny, curious as to who had just arrived, exited the room and looked down over the bannister. Her face split into a smile and she burst down the stairs. "Evie!"

"Ginny!" Evelyn replied. The two of them met at the bottom of the stairs and embraced each other.

Arabella decided to take advantage of this. She got up and slipped out of the room, saying "We're taking a break" to Hermione as she went.

Hermione looked up at the high ceiling and sighed. "Perhaps I should have stayed home," she whispered to herself.

Arabella rushed up the stairs and into Ron's room.

"There you are," he said when he saw her. "I was beginning to wonder when you would invade my personal space."

"Ron, we shared a womb," she pointed out. "You have never had personal space and whoever gave you the idea that you deserve it is rude."

"How dare I think otherwise."

"I agree." She sat down next to him on the still dusty bed and followed his gaze to his unpacked trunks "So what are we doing?"

"Staring at my trunks and dreading having to unpack and clean."

"Ah."

"When's dinner?"

"No clue. Hopefully sometime today." The two sat in silence for a moment. "You've been doing this the whole time we've been here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"We have two brothers who are of age and able to help us clean with magic."

"You mean clean for us."

"Precisely."

"And how do you suppose we go about convincing Fred and George to take time out of their day to clean another room?"

"We'll figure that out when we get there."

"It's not going to happen, Bella."

"Not with that attitude, no."

Just then, Fred walked into the room. "Is this where the pity party is being held?" he asked.

"Yes," Ron answered.

"Am I allowed?"

"I guess so."

"Great." He sat down on the bed. "What are we doing?"

"Staring at the trunks and dreading unpacking and cleaning," Arabella and Ron stated together.

"Riveting."

"What brings you here, Fred?" Arabella asked.

"My desire to not be a third wheel."

"I know how that feels," Ron muttered.

"You're both so somber," Arabella observed. "It's depressing."

"Why are you here?" Fred asked her, changing the subject. "You aren't sleeping in here, are you?"

"No. I'm here because Ginny and Mione are no fun."

"You're just now realizing this?" Ron questioned.

Arabella shot him a look just as someone appeared in the doorway.

"What are you three doing sitting around?" Molly asked, her hands on her hips. "Especially when this room is still filthy!"

"Um..." the teenagers looked around at each other, unsure of what to tell their mother.

"Get up and get this room cleaned! Dinner is almost done." With that, she left.

Arabella clapped her hands together and set them in her lap. "Fred," she said, turning to her older brother.

"Bella," he replied.

"You're of age. We're not."

"I am aware."

"So you are also aware that you using magic to clean this room would be easier and quicker than us doing it by hand."

"I am. But that will not be happening."

"Oh, come on. Do you have anything better to do?"

"Yes."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"I could be in my own room working on very important things right now."

"Oh, you mean the room in which George and Olivia are more than likely snogging in right now?"

"Gross," Ron said.

Arabella put her hand on Fred's shoulder. "Just clean the room, Fred. It'll give you something to do." She stood up. "I'll leave you to it." She left the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen.

Fred looked at Ron. Not wanting to be roped into the cleaning, Ron hurriedly got up and followed his twin sister.

"Right prats, they are," Fred muttered to himself.

[word count: 762]
[written: 6/10/20]
[published: 6/26/20]