𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚖

2 ~ An Old Shack To Call Home

It was around 7 o'clock at night and George, Fred and Alice finally made it to the Burrow. Many voices could be heard from inside the tall, 4-story shack. Fred and George unlocked the car and hopped out, Fred left the door open for Alice to exit also. Then the two of them waited for her at the front of the house. She slams the car door shut and walked up to them.

"Wow... it's just how i remembered." She dazed, turning to look up at their huge house.
"I've always loved your house... it's like my second home." She smiled at them sweetly and took in her surroundings. There was always something magical about the Weasley's house, except for the fact that multiple witches and wizards resided there...

They both looked at each other then at her. George shook his head, smiling.
"What this old thing? It's falling apart.. but it's home."

Fred stepped in front of her and pushed the door open, causing the muffled voices to be heard much more clearly. He walks inside and the people cheer and begin to walk towards him. George places his big hand lightly on Alice's lower back, giving her a small push inside. Causing her face to heathen up, she swiftly makes her way inside.

"Oh Alice dear!" A kind, warm voice takes over the noise from the rest of the people. Mrs Weasley shuffles over to her and embraces her in one of her special hugs.
"Hey Mrs Weasley! How have you been?"
"Oh quite well dear, the boys have been quite the handful however..." She says exhausted turning to her children.
"But enough about me. What about you?" She tilts her head closer to Alice as for only her to hear.

"I hope the boys didn't give you too much grief with that long car trip. They couldn't stop talking about you the last few days..." Mrs Weasley whispered. Alice looked over to Fred and George who are greeting the others and she bit her lip.
"Really?"

"Alice!!!" A mixture of around three voices yelled as the golden trio ran joyously up to her.
"Oh my gosh, Harry, Ron, Hermione! I'm so happy to see you guys."
They all embrace in a long hug.
"Bloody hell..." Ron exclaims. "It feels like forever since we've seen you!"
"I know right! You guys excited for the year?"
"Well most definitely! I have a good feeling." Hermione smiled.
"How are your parents treating you?" Harry asked her sympathetically.
"Like shit, but i'm used to it, really." She said looking down at her feet.

"Alight, everyone! Who's ready for dinner!" Mrs Weasley yelled over everyone's voices.
"Me!"
"Me two!"
"Me three!"
The lot of them chuckled and made their way around the dinner table.

                                       ...

At dinner the four of them commence in long conversations about their holiday and what sort of mischief they would get up to in the fourth year. Crookshanks was pouncing and bounding towards Ron's still somehow alive Scabbers, who was teasing the ginger cat by scurrying in and out of a small hole in the cupboard.

"Ronald, tell your pathetic rat to stop playing games with Crookshanks, you know he's just going to end up eating him." Hermione growled at Ron, who was shoving Burts Every Flavoured Beans into his mouth. Alice laughed along with Harry as Ginny came up to her with a huge grin.
"Hey there Ginny!" Alice grins back.
"Mum told me to tell you which room is yours for the next few days. Follow me!"
Ginny runs upstairs as Alice grabs her maroon trunk, lugging it towards her room. George however, was bounding down the stairs, when he saw Alice struggling to lug her belongings to her floor, he stops.

"Whoa, whoa, here love let me get that for you." George's hand brushes against Alice's as he carelessly lifts the trunk and walks all the way back upstairs to her floor.
"Thank you." She huffed.
"You'll be on the third!" Ginny called from up the winding staircase. Alice followed closely to George, tripping on one or two of the wonky steps. Finally she reaches the third floor where Ginny was waiting patiently for them both to reach her room. George glared at Ginny and nodded his head towards the stairs encouraging her to make her way back down to the dinner table. As Ginny leaves the ginger boy turns to Alice,
"Ladies first." He said in a low voice. Alice curtsied and made her way in, giggling.

George smirked down at her and watched as she spun around her new room. She then flopped down on her bed.
"Wow, a queen, I feel honoured." She chimed playfully.

George laughed and bent down to gently place her trunk at the entrance, then he leans on the door frame, looking at her intently.
"Yeah... this room's one of the only ones that actually has a double...unfortunately." For some reason he seemed to say that last word uncomfortably slow, causing Alice to get flustered and stand up for no apparent reason.
"Well, thank you for taking my bag. Trunk. Shit... uh- I know it's a bit heavy, i've packed quite a lot." She said awkwardly.
"No need to thank me love," He teased. "I mean, i am a gentleman of course."

He walked slowly towards her and stopped just a foot from her. He tucked a piece of her long, brown hair behind her ear.

"See you downstairs." He winked and turned on his heel. She then heard his loud steps making their way back downstairs. What just happened? She sat back down on her bed and bit her lip. However, something felt uncomfortable underneath her. Like there was something between the covers.

She slowly got up and pulled down the quilt with a quick movement.
"Aghhh!" She shrieked and jumped back. Horrified, she huffed uncontrollably and swallowed loudly before shaking her head in embarrassment. Several fake cockroaches had been placed under her blanket. And there was only one person who knew she hated cockroaches with all her guts...
"Freeeeeeed!" She yelled from her room, earning a cackle of laughter from both the Weasley twins.