Weasley's the Name

Weasley's the Name

Chapter 5- A Weasley Christmas

Hermione Granger-Weasley slid into her chair behind her desk. Her second graders had been very rambunctious because one of them was going to the Hogsmeade fair the next day. She wanted to strangle Christopher Creevey and his tales of the rides. He isn't even tall enough to go on any of the rides he was babbling about.

She taught in an elementary school for children who came from Wizarding families, because as Molly Weasley once said, it was a struggle to have all seven of her children go to a Muggle school without having to perform some memory charms on the poor teacher.

The job excited her, as it gave her more time with her students than a Professor at Hogwarts had. True, Hogwarts taught students for seven years, but Hermione was happy to have the same group of sixteen children every day for six hours. It also allowed her to plan many more exciting lessons, each that the children loved and made them want to learn more.

"All right," she said in her bossiest voice, making all of the students' heads snap towards her, knowing not to disobey Ms. Granger. "Enough talk about the fair (she cast her 'teacher' glance at Christopher).

"Mrs. Finnegan is going to take you down to lunch, and I'll be right here to hand out your prizes for winning that game of Jeopardy!"

The little children squealed and lined up by the door, chattering about the many questions they had answered.

Mrs. Finnegan, who had been Hermione's roommate at Hogwarts and was now one of her good friends, laughed and began to lead the children out.

Christopher was the only student still in the room. He stood in behind her desk staring at the clock she had resting behind a family photograph.

It was a miniature-sized clock like the one Molly Weasley had; each hand had a picture of her family, even the owls.

"Ms. Granger?" he asked, looking at the clock. Hermione sighed and stared at the little boy, an expectant look on his face.

"Yes Christopher?" she asked him, stretching out her arms. Her pointed at the clock, tilting his head to examine it.

"What does ex...ex...crew...see...at...ing mean?" he said, sounding out the word.

Hermione's eyes widened and she reached for the clock, grabbing it and looking at it closely.

Anthony's arrow, which was normally a calm blue, was burning red, and the gold lettering on it said "In Excruciating Pain in Hogsmeade!!"

Hermione had to cover her mouth to stop herself from screaming. I need to get to Hogsmeade, right now!

Lavender had already left with the class, so she looked over at Christopher, leaning forward to get on eye level with the little boy.

"Do you think you can make it to the cafeteria without getting lost?" she asked him calmly and softly, to not excite him. Christopher nodded excitedly anyway and raced out the door (she could here him skipping down the hallway).

Once he left, Hermione Apparated to the only spot in Hogsmeade she could recall at the moment.

~~~

"So, up up UP my feather went!" Jacob exclaimed, using his spoon to show exactly how the feather moved. "Professor Flitwick was very impressed, and Anthony got so mad cause all his feather did was twitch a little!" He smiled brightly as his father applauded.

POP!

"Hermione!" Ron shouted, as his wife fell into his lap.

Before she could throw him completely off balance, she jumped to her feet and grabbed his shoulders.

Her eyes were wide and blurry with tears, and her haywire hair was even more haywire than usual.

"Where's Anthony?" she screamed in a shrilly voice her son had never heard.

Everyone in the area stared at her as Ron stood up and whispers began to spread throughout the place.

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning back to Jacob for an answer.

Hermione's tears began to fall as she grabbed Ron's hand and headed out the door.

The three first years faltered for a second, and then got up to catch the adults, each leaving enough money to pay for all the drinks.

"My clock, my clock!" Hermione was shrieking. "It said he was in excruciating pain! Oh God Ron, where is he?" she cried, flinging herself into her husband's arms. Ron held her close and looked towards Jacob, his face burning red.

"Where-are-the-Malfoys?" he growled, his body shaking with anger.

Jacob had never seen his father so mad, his face was actually the color of his hair, and the first year pointed towards the carriages with a trembling hand.

"O-over there," he stuttered, hoping that he had remembered correctly.

Ron let go of Hermione and stormed towards the area Jacob pointed at, his wand at his side. His wife followed, pulling her wand seemingly from nowhere and catching up to him.

Jacob had no idea what to do, but he decided his parents needed help and he wasn't going to just stand around.

"Guys, go find some teachers," he said, grabbing onto his cousin's arm.

Brian and Rigel both nodded quickly, their faces white, and the two ran off in the opposite direction. Jacob took a deep breath and started after his parents, hoping they found his brother in time.

~~~

As Ron and Hermione ran, Malcolm Malfoy staggered towards them, holding his bleeding mouth in his hands. He spotted the two adults heading towards him, and started towards them for help, but froze as he recognized the man was a Weasley looking immensely unpleased.

Malcolm's eyes were wide as Quaffles and he was almost sure that they were going to kill him on the spot.

Ron grabbed the boy's shoulders, correctly identifying him as a Malfoy just as the second year had identified him as a Weasley.

"Where's my son?" Ron snarled, shaking him brusquely and making Hermione gasp.

Malcolm's eyes narrowed as he started to shake, not because of Ron, but because of the tears that had fallen out of his eyes. His face contorted into a sob, and his body fell limp in Ron's grasp.

"I-I was t-telling them t-to stop, I told St-Stephen that he shouldn't d-d-do it, that Anthony d-didn't do anything!" Malcolm cried, his shoulders shaking furiously.

Ron brushed the boy away, his face startled and white. He let Malcolm fall to his knees and headed towards the ally the Slytherin had run out from.

Hermione, her maternal instinct coming into play, checked the boy's face. She was anxious to join her husband, but she did not want to leave Malcolm alone and injured.

Jacob had quickly joined his mother, looking over her shoulder and gagging at all the blood. She finally snapped out of her trance at the sound her son made and she threw Malcolm at Jacob.

"Fix him up," Hermione demanded, and then she ran off in search of Ron.

Jacob watched his mother with a bewildered look on his face, and he slowly helped Malcolm off the floor and led him to a nearby bench.

The young Slytherin held his mouth in his hands and he looked up at Jacob with miserable eyes.

"I'm s-sorry, Jacob," he choked, looking down at the ground, his tears creating a sad picture on the pavement. "I don't want t-to be a Malfoy any-m-more."

The young Weasley stared in shock; the words were immensely strong, especially coming from one of the Malfoy sons. He knew that the family was one of the oldest of the Wizarding world, and even with all of their dealings with Voldemort, they still remained prominent figures in society.

Plus...that was his family...Jacob couldn't imagine how he would be if he couldn't be a Weasley...that would be a lot of people to disown...

Combing a hand through his hair, the redhead decided to do what he thought was the only thing he could do. He took off his red and gold scarf and put it to Malcolm's face.

"Here. Clean yourself up," he said softly. Malcolm stared at the scarf for a few seconds before he cautiously began to wipe away the blood. Jacob turned towards where his parents were going, and watched them enter the ally.

~~~

He couldn't bear to open his mouth because he feared that if he unclenched his teeth he would swallow them and die a slow and painful death. His bright blue eyes were squeezed closed so tightly that he could feel his eyelashes boring into his cheeks. It occurred to him, through the mist that was his pain-filled mind, that he couldn't feel his limbs, that he wasn't sure if his arms were still attached to his body.

Am I standing?

You better be, I'll kick your arse if you're on the ground!

Merlin, I'm talking to myself

You're thinking, not talking--there's a difference

"PERTIFICUS TOTALUS!" two voices boomed, shutting Anthony's inner argument up.

Immediately, the pain shooting through Anthony's body stopped and he fell to the ground as if the curse had been the only thing holding him up.

He felt a pair of strong arms wrap quickly around him, lifting him up off the ground.

"Is he awake?"

Mummy! Make it stop!

"He's breathing," Ron said simply, his voice cracking.

Dad! Don't cry, I'm okay...I think...

Anthony felt the small fingers of his mother comb themselves through his hair, and he wished he could tell her that he was fine.

But...I'm not...

~~~

Three Weasleys sat in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts, on the edge of a bed adjacent to Anthony's. Emily Weasley sat on her father's lap, her head buried into his shoulder. All Ron could do for his little girl was rock her slowly as they watched the boy sleep.

Anthony was under a large amount of Sleeping Potion and Madam Pomfrey had predicted that today he was going to wake up. It was nearly noon, and the boy hadn't so much as stirred.

"I hate this place, God, I spent so much time here," Hermione cried softly, wiping her tears away.

Ron wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, knocking his head softly with hers. He didn't have any words that would sooth her, but he silently prayed for his son to wake up at that very moment.

Jacob was asleep on a bed across the room, constantly moving under the covers. He had refused a sleeping potion from Madame Pomfrey, though his nights had been almost sleepless since the incident.

Harry stood to the side, pacing back and forth, recalling his many experiences in the Hospital Wing. He had been the first teacher on the scene, levitating the Malfoy brothers with such anger that he had dropped them both at least twice.

The other Weasleys attending Hogwarts were in the room as well, all sitting quietly on the floor and in numerous chairs.

Marauder the cat slept silently by Anthony's feet, Chudlina was swooping in and out with get-well cards from family members, and Pigwidgeon was sitting on the headboard of the bed, calm and still for the first time in his existence.

The large door of the room creaked open, and Harry turned to see who was entering when no one else made any movements to look.

Rigel Lupin peered in, smiling sadly at his godfather. The tiny boy turned around, and when he entered again, Taylor Parkinson joined him.

The girl was paler than usual, and her eyes immediately darted towards the unconscious redhead. Her hair was tied up in a poorly done braid, and her robes were on backwards.

She stood frigid and Rigel tentatively took her hand, trying to pull her closer. Taylor just shook her head, and began to turn around, tears in her eyes.

"Taylor, please!" Rigel pleaded, struggling to keep her in the room, but trying not to make a scene. Harry left his family and joined the two young Gryffindors, hoping not to frighten them.

Taylor stared up at him in shock and Rigel let go of her hand, both not sure what to do. Harry tilted his head towards the Weasleys, and Rigel didn't need to be told twice; he headed towards the family.

"How are you, Taylor?" Harry asked softly, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. Her eyes darted to the ground and she began to play with her fingernails, her entire body shaking.

"Not so good, Professor," she admitted quietly.

Harry felt much remorse for the young girl, and he put his arm around her shoulders with a comforting squeeze. Taylor looked up at him quickly, clearly confused.

"Come on, you'll want to be there when he wakes."

He began to walk forward, but Taylor kept her feet planted firmly in the ground. When Harry turned back to her, she fiercely shook her head.

"No, I can't...I'm the reason he's here, his family won't want me there." She turned her head away as tears began to fall from her eyes. "He won't want t-to talk to me ever ag-g-gain."

Harry sighed and tugged at her again, this time making her take a few steps forward.

"They all know it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything but grow up into a very sweet, intelligent, brave girl," he said with a soft smile. "Now come on, I'm sure Anthony will be happy to see you."

With a scared glance into her Defense teacher's eyes, Taylor released a small cry that was meant as an acceptance of his offer, and the two headed towards the Weasleys.

~~~

Anthony's eyes rolled under his eyelids. Soft voices were heard around him...soft, familiar voices.

Mmm...where am I? he thought, scrunching his nose. My nose itches. And so he scratched his nose.

The voices in the room fell silent and a calm fell over him. Anthony rolled his shoulders and cracked his ankles. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times.

He stared up at the ceiling of...what room was this? Merlin my head hurts. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. Lolling his head to the side, his eyes fell upon his family, and after blinking a few times, he smiled.

"Mornin'," he whispered.

Hermione quickly jumped off of the other bed and sat on Anthony's, touching her son's face. He smiled and stared at his mother with perplexed eyes, still confused about where he was.

Marauder woke up at the sudden shake of the bed and stretched. The kitten realized that Anthony was awake and he trotted over to him, purring softly as he rubbed against his face.

"Oh Anthony, how are you feeling?" Hermione said, ready to cry. He shrugged and tried to sit up, and Hermione propped some pillows up behind him, making sure he was perfectly comfortable.

"I'm tired," he answered simply.

Ron snorted and came over with Emily still in his arms. He ruffled his son's hair and Emily slid out of her father's arms and onto Anthony's bed. She hugged him around the neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, while the young boy hugged her back, laughing as she gave him a few more kisses.

Mary (Percy's daughter and Head Girl), Derek (Bill's youngest, a fourth year), Kaida, Little Fred, Little George, Annie, Brian, and Rigel hurried to the other side of the bed, and immediately began to tell Anthony everything that had happened in the days he was in the Hospital Wing.

Taylor stayed behind with Professor Potter, but she sent him a weak smile that Anthony returned.

"You're a hero!" George exclaimed, patting the bed. Anthony blushed and looked down at his hands, all of the events rushing back to his mind.

"Yeah!" Fred continued. "Malcolm has a detention everyday for who knows how long, Richard's been expelled, and Stephen is heading towards Azkaban right as we speak!"

"You've been asleep for four days Ant, have any good dreams?" Brian asked, sitting on the bed. Anthony looked up at his cousin,

"Four days?" he asked Brian. "But, that means..." He then looked at his mother. She bit her lip, and nodded slightly. I missed our birthday...I've...never...done that...

Emily still had her arms around her brother, and she gave him a soft hug. Hermione took his hand and stared into his eyes with a look of reassurance.

"No worries, I didn't open any presents."

Anthony turned quickly to the voice and saw that Jacob approaching from across the room, smiling brightly.

His twin's curls were bouncing all over in many different directions, and he had bags under his eyes that had never been there before. The bed-ridden boy chose to act like he didn't notice Jacob's appearance, and just returned the smile.

"You woke up on the best day, you lucky bloke," the curly haired twin said, forcing another wide smile.

Anthony stared at him, confused. Four days from the twenty-first...

"Is it...Christmas?" he asked, looking around at everyone. They all smiled and nodded (some more enthusiastic than others), and with a swish of his wand, Ron sent sparks around the room.

Immediately, all the curtains were strung with holly, and Christmas lights blinked all over. The bed next to Anthony's filled with presents, and he immediately recognized the gifts he had bought in Hogsmeade.

"You waited for me?" he almost squeaked, scanning over all of the gifts. Hermione touched his face softly.

"Of course! What's Christmas without family?"

"Come on Ant!" Emily exclaimed, jumping off the bed and rushing towards the presents. "I want you to open yours first! It's from me, Mummy, and Daddy!"

Anthony grinned widely as Emily brought over a bright blue box. She plopped it on his lap, and waited anxiously for him to open it.

Slowly, he pulled apart the paper, and when he opened it, sparks of every color flew out.

Emily began to giggle with delight and the others soon joined in. It was a tradition for Ron and Hermione to jinx a random present, so that when it opened various fireworks would shoot out and around. Anthony always seemed to get it, which made for a running joke in the family.

"That's not funny!" he laughed as he stared at the box. His eyes widened as he pulled away the rest of the wrapping and realized what was hidden underneath all of the glitter.

"A camera!" he squealed happily, then blushing at his reaction.

"We know you've been wanting one for a while," Ron explained. "There's already a roll of film in there, do you know how to put new film in?"

Anthony looked up at his father with a strange look. "Dad...you just flick this switch." Ron's face reddened. Harry laughed and turned to Kaida.

"Poor Ron was having a hell of a time trying to figure that one out." The room filled with laughter, and the others began to open their presents as well.

~~~

By the next half an hour, everyone in the room was wearing a traditional Weasley sweater (except for Jacob, who was proudly sporting his new Cannons jersey).

Anthony's gifts were a huge hit with the family, and he was very pleased that they all enjoyed them. For his mother, he bought her a photo album that would reveal messages from the people in the pictures ("Oh! Ginny and Lavender are going to die when I show them this!").

Ron received a miniature Quidditch set for his office (because Anthony knew that the office didn't work that hard) and Uncle Harry received one of a different team, so the two were already setting up matches. Emily now had a brand new set of dolls that she was now sitting prettily on the bed next to Anthony's.

The shock on Jacob's face when he saw his jersey was one of astonishment and glee--so Anthony snapped a picture of it, and of course, Hermione put it in her photo album.

For his cousins and friends, they each received a red and gold whistle.

"It's for the Quidditch matches," Anthony explained when he noticed how they were examining the whistles. "Try it out, just blow into it."

His friends stared oddly at him, but they did what they were told. From the whistles erupted a tremendous lion's roar, causing Madam Pomfrey to shriek and drop her tray of medicine.

She demanded that they all left the Hospital Wing immediately.

With a few moans they all agreed to leave, but not before Hermione fussed over her son one last time. Anthony had to literally pull his mother's hands off of his pillows to get her to leave ("Mum! If they were any fluffier they'd be Puffskeins!").

Everyone headed out of the infirmary, but just as Madam Pomfrey was beginning to close the curtains around Anthony's bed, Taylor grabbed her wrist. He watched as she whispered something to the old woman.

The look in the nurse's eyes seemed to tell Anthony that she was a bit confused, but amazingly, she let Taylor in behind the curtains.

The young Weasley immediately blushed as he realized that he was sickly pale and in a Hospital gown, now alone with a girl.

The two stared at each other for a while, eyes never leaving the others. Taylor stood at the end of the bed, rubbing the sleeping Marauder's ears. Anthony remained propped up against the Puffskein pillows, waiting for her to say something, because he wasn't going to start any conversation, no matter how brave the others thought he was.

"I have something for you," she said quickly, breaking the silence. Anthony's eyes widened a bit, and he blushed, a bit excited that she had gotten him something.

"Really?" he asked, not bothering to hide his surprise. Taylor flushed and nodded.

She stuck her hand into her cloak's pocket and came around the side of the bed, so that she was next to him.

Slowly, as though she thought it might hurt, Taylor sat on the bed. Anthony wished he could control the blood that rushed to his face, but of course, he couldn't.

"It's nothing fancy," she explained, pulling a box out of her pocket. It wasn't wrapped, but was thin, long, and black. "It's just...well, open it."

Anthony took the box carefully and he popped off the lid...then he stared at the object inside because he had no idea what to make of it.

It was a black pen, like the one his Muggle grandparents used...but what would he need with that?

"It's not a pen," Taylor said as if she read his mind, keeping her eyes on her dangling feet. "It's a Find-a-Page." Anthony noticed that her ears were bright red. "I...I know that you like to read, and that...you're always...getting interrupted...so...you fold the ends of the pages, which isn't a very good habit." Her face grew red as she continued, "...So...I found this. You mark a large 'X' across the page you want to stop on, and the next time you open the book it will open to that page. It's invisible ink, so it doesn't leave a mark..."

The redhead stared at the Find-a-page with a dazed smile on his face. This was probably the most thoughtful gift he had ever received, but his mind could only think of:

She noticed I read! She noticed I got interrupted! She noticed I bent the pages! She noticed ME!

"T-Taylor," he stuttered, his mind snapping back to attention. "This is great, it's such a good idea--"

"I'm so sorry you're here Anthony."

Anthony's mouth stopped in mid thanks when she turned quickly to him, her eyes wild and face red.

"I shouldn't have come to Hogwarts," she continued with a shrilly voice. "My mother said I shouldn't have." Tears fell from her eyes and she gripped his blanket to keep from wiping them away.

"You could've been killed, Anthony. Oh God, if you had died..." Her voice drifted off as she looked away from him.

He was shocked at her outburst, but he couldn't let her go on thinking that he hated her...that he didn't want to be around her...

"Taylor," he began, making her look at him out of the corner of her blurry eye. "Don't blame this on yourself! Just because you've got some...bad blood, doesn't mean that you're the one that's wrong.

"All you've been is nice to me and you're a great friend, a great person...there's nothing wrong with you."

She sniffled, finally wiping her tears away. He was sure that she still blamed herself, but that couldn't be solved with a few simple words.

While she collected herself, he looked down at the end of his bed where some wrapping paper lay, and he remembered that one gift still hadn't been opened.

"Oy! I have something for you too! I almost forgot!" he exclaimed.

Taylor stared at him oddly as he crawled off of his bed, and to the pile of wrapping paper that was still on the adjacent bed.

He dug through the paper and finally pulled out a small box, about the shape of a ring case. It was wrapped in glittery pink foil and had streams of ribbon on top. Anthony turned and smiled, handing her the box.

"Happy Christmas, Taylor."

The girl stared at the present with her mouth wide and her eyes batting furiously. With slight hesitation, she took the box out of his hands.

Anthony crawled back on the bed and watched as she carefully un-taped the paper.

He couldn't help but smile as he thought about the gift. It had taken him a long time to find her something that he thought would make her day, and when he did, all he could do was pray that she liked it as much as he thought she would.

Under the pink foil was a simple gray box. Taylor stared at it for a few seconds and then her eyes flicked to Anthony.

"Open it!" he laughed, pushing her shoulder, making her giggle. With her thumb, she pushed the box open and suddenly, the noise of the room disappeared.

It was replaced by a soft music, a lone violin. A stream of multi-colored light flew out of the box and towards the ceiling where it burst into specks of glitter and bubbles.

They floated down onto the two first years and hovered around them. Anthony smiled brightly at the look of astonishment on Taylor's face.

"What is this?" she whispered, catching a bubble in her hand and having it not pop. Anthony scooted next to her, his legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

"It's a Serene Box," he explained, flicking a piece of glitter off of his nose. "When you need to just relax, you open this box and this is what happens to you and anyone within two meters of you. I thought...I thought you would like it."

"I love it."

She closed the box, and the glitter and bubbles fell to the floor, dissolving into the air. The violin finished its last measure, holding the note for four beats.

Taylor turned to him, her mouth moving but no words coming out. Anthony noticed how close she was to him; he felt his face heat up.

"I'm glad you like it," he said simply, hoping he wouldn't say anything stupid.

"I do," she answered quickly, clutching the box to her chest. "Thank you..."

He blinked a few times before realizing that the space between he and Taylor had almost disappeared during their little exchange. The redhead thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but in reality, the girl's face was actually moving quite close to his.

Anthony took a quick breath because seconds later Taylor's lips caught his and the two kissed softly. When the girl pulled away, she giggled at the astonished look on his face.

"Happy Christmas," she said simply, jumping off the bed and striding out of the curtains. Anthony watched the white sheets swish back and forth, and then he sighed happily, falling back onto his pillows to take a nap.

~~~

The twins headed home the next day, giving the family a week and a half together. Hermione fussed over Anthony the entire time, giving the boy very little privacy. He enjoyed her attention in the beginning, since he was still sore and didn't really want to move, but after a few days he had managed to get her to believe that he would be fine for a few hours by himself.

Around twelve thirty in the morning on the first day of the New Year, Anthony groaned, trying to fall asleep.

It was hard thinking about how his life was going to be from now on. He expected people to stare at him oddly and whisper things in the hallways as he passed. Knowing Hogwarts' reputation of gossip, he was sure that by the time they returned from break all the students would know what had occurred in Hogsmeade.

Won't let me hear the end of it...

Though, he was starting to believe that he actually belonged in Gryffindor, which was probably one of the few positives to come out of the incident. He knew that he would stand his ground against Stephen all over again if he had to. He just...didn't want to.

Anthony rolled onto his back to stare up at his ceiling. It was enchanted to look like the night sky, a great charm his mother had found and perfected. He watched as a star shot across it, and with a slight hesitation, he closed his eyes tightly.

He wished for the rest of his stay at Hogwarts to be uneventful, no matter how boring it would be.

At least have nothing dangerous happen to my family or friends.

There was a soft knock at the door, startling Anthony. He sat up with his hand to his heart and watched as it creaked open. Jacob popped his head in, looking around the room.

"You awake?" he whispered, coming in without having his twin answer.

"I haven't been able to fall asleep," Anthony said, rubbing his eyes. Jacob crept to his bed, trying not to make any noise, and then he sat on the end. He looked as tired as Anthony felt; the bags under his eyes had not disappeared.

"Same here," Jacob said with a stretch. "Dad and Mum are making a lot of noise down there with Professor--I mean, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. I think they had a little too much to drink."

The boys laughed at the thought of their parents being tipsy, but when their laughter died, they stayed in silence for almost five minutes.

"What was it like?"

Jacob sounded highly apprehensive, his voice quavering slightly in the silence of the room.

Anthony frowned and looked down at his hands. He knew that someone was going to want to know about it, he was surprised that his mother hadn't asked already. He was glad that it was Jacob though, and not some random student.

"If you don't want to talk about it..." Jacob said quietly, looking grim.

"No, it's okay," Anthony said, looking up. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about how he could explain what he had felt. "D'you remember when you broke your arm?"

"How could I not remember?" Jacob asked, cringing at the memory.

"Take that pain and place it on every bone in your body."

"Oh...ow!"

Anthony chuckled softly at Jacob's pained expression, and nodded slightly.

"I remember what I was thinking though, I find it extremely odd that I do," Anthony added, rubbing the back of his head. "My mind was all unclear at the time, but now...I remember everything."

"Not necessarily a good thing," Jacob said solemnly. "So, what were you thinking?"

He watched as Anthony looked up towards his starry ceiling, recalling the thoughts.

"I kept telling myself...I kept telling myself not to fall." He looked back at Jacob, his eyes serious. "Richard...he had smashed my face to the ground...and when he pulled me up, I promised I wouldn't fall again."

"Who'd you promise?" Jacob asked, leaning back on his hands. Anthony shrugged uncomfortably under the gaze of his brother.

"You guys, I guess. You, Mum, Dad, Emily. All the Weasleys, all the Gryffindors. Taylor." He blushed and avoided contact with Jacob because as he said her name, the kiss flew right into his eyes.

Jacob smiled softly at his brother, and the act of making his brother uneasy made his stomach warm.

"Do you love her?" Jacob asked, biting his lip with a grin. Anthony looked up at him in surprise; his eyes were wide and his face a dark crimson.

"What?" he asked stupidly.

Jacob rolled his eyes and crawled completely onto the bed, sitting crossed legged. He sighed and continued to stare at his twin, leaning forward on his elbows and his chin on his hands.

"You wouldn't have put your life on the line if you didn't," he said slyly, wanting to laugh at his brother's baffled face.

"B-but...we're only eleven. I can't be in love with her, can I?" Anthony said, a little sadly.

Jacob shook his head roughly and sat up with an air of knowledge.

"Nah, it's possible. Mum once told me that she knew Dad was the one for her the moment she saw him. He needed a bit of tinkering, of course, but she was sure he was the one."

"But they were always fighting!" Anthony argued, though a little relaxed with the information. "Uncle Harry said they never went a day without arguing!"

Jacob just rolled his eyes as if his twin was five years old, and he waved his hand lazily.

"She said that she would push his buttons on purpose just so he would talk to her. And it worked. They only really got angry at each other a few times," the curly-haired twin said knowingly.

"How do you know all this? You and Mum never have a time to talk with all the yelling," Anthony said, avoiding a smack from his brother.

"That time in Diagon Alley!" Jacob sighed, remembering the day. "We were alone together for about an hour or two, and you know how Mum doesn't stop talking once she has an audience."

The two boys giggled, knowing that the comment about their mother could be said true by most of the Wizarding world. In the middle of the laughter, the door creaked open again and Emily peeked in.

"Hello Red, come here," Jacob said, motioning for the bed. Emily rubbed her eyes and dragged one of her teddy bears behind her as she found her way to the bed.

Jacob pulled her up onto his lap, and he looked into her sleepy eyes. "What are you doing up?"

"Daddy's singing," she said drowsily, leaning back into Jacob.

The two boys tried to contain their giggles to listen to their father. Sure enough, the tallest redhead in the house was belting out a tune that the three didn't know. Their giggles couldn't be suppressed anymore, and the siblings began to laugh loudly.

~~~

They sat in Anthony's room for about another hour, talking and laughing, and it was a while before the boys realized that Emily had fallen asleep in Jacob's arms.

They too were ready to fall asleep; Jacob's eyes were drooping and he yawned between almost every word.

Slowly, he lifted Emily up in his arms, and made his way towards the door, waving goodnight to his brother.

"Jacob?" Anthony called before he left the room. His brother turned, the little girl still fast asleep in his arms.

"What?" he said unfocusedly, shifting Emily a bit. Anthony shrugged softly, squirming a bit under his blankets.

"You really believed at the Sorting, that we were both going to be in Gryffindor?"

Jacob smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I was just wondering when you would realize it."

Anthony smiled as well, nodding softly. Jacob headed towards the door, and was pulling the handle when Anthony said,

"I want to cause some havoc."

Jacob turned around slowly, a grin sliding onto his face.

"It'll be fun..." Anthony said with a smile, enjoying the excitement on his brother's face. "As long as we don't get caught...I wouldn't mind being up to no good."

The curly-haired twin nodded, closing the door until only a crack was left.

"We can show how daring Gryffindors can really be," he whispered, shutting the door.