It's Better If You Do

Their meals were finished, but they hadn't moved from the table, both of them entirely consumed in their conversation. Fred told her what it was like to grow up with his parents and five other siblings, besides George, in the Burrow and how it was to grow up in a household that was tight on money. He gave more of the details about Hogwarts and their many adventures through the hidden passageways, the Forbidden Forest, and the caretaker, Filch. She laughed at the more eccentric pranks they had pulled on their family, friends, and schoolmates, though scolded him if they were teasing or hurtful; they often were. And Rose quietly told him about her parents.

Her shy, pretty mother, from where Bellamy got her looks, who almost never yelled and could brighten a room by stepping into it and her wise, mild mannered father who never gave them many rules and always had an ear open for whenever the girls had a problem, or wanted to spend some time with him. That their Father was head of the French branch of the Nimbus Series broomstick company, which got a very awed reaction from the avid quidditch player and an even wilder concept to think that the two sisters had been around broomsticks their entire lives, but not once ridden one. After a while, Rose began explaining her father's reaction to Julian's betrayal, her blue eyes downcast.

"I've never seen him so angry, not even after when that man Malfoy showed up. Father and
Bellamy have always been close, in their own way, and when he saw her spirit broken like that," the blonde shook her head sadly. "I thought he was going to go and find Julian himself. I think, though, that he felt betrayed as well. We all did. Julian was always polite and sweet to Mama, who equally returned it and always gave the couple extra time together. He was always nice to me, treating me like a little sister; never complaining whenever I would go with them places, and giving me small treats that I would find in my pockets later on."

"But with Papa, well, he got the son he'd always wanted. Of course, he loves us dearly, but
what father doesn't want a son, and what mother doesn't want a daughter? Julian went to
work with him on occasions and helped him out with the customers, gave him opinions on
broomstick qualities, and did all of the things Bellamy and I never had interest in growing
up. It was horrible to know it had all been a lie and that Julian was never the boy we all
thought we knew," she ended softly, with a quiet anger just under the surface.

Fred shook his head in disgust, and said scathingly, "I don't know how he looks at himself in the mirror in the mornig. How does a decent human being do that to someone?" With a
morbid laugh, she shook her head.

"I don't think he was decent, or what makes us human, really," Rose replied, before pausing
at a sharp rap that seemed to come from the front of the shop. She didn't know who it
could possibly be; Bellamy and George were on their date, and the shop had been closed for several hours now. But, the rap came again, a little insistant this time. Rose stood quickly, with Fred mirroring her, and walked into the front part of the shop. A smile curled her lips when she noticed the small ginger headed boy; he had been in here earlier today and
seemed to be one of the nicer of the children. Fred recognized him immediately, and pulled
open the door with a grin.

"Hello Thomas. What are you doing out here so late?" he asked slightly concerned, before he noticed the box, and Thomas gave him a wide smile back, before giving a nonchalant shrug, peeking furtively at Rose, who he realized was very pretty, like George had told him.

"I'm supposed to give this to Rose," he said cheerfully holding up the box to Rose, and the
blonde's curiosity peaked when she took it from him with murmured thanks as she noticed
it had holes in it. Fred, of course, knew what this was and fought a small laugh at how
cleverly George had done this. "From George who says he's sorry and hopes that this will
make up for it." Tilting her head slightly, she quickly opened the box before giving a
delighted gasp.

"Oh, mon Dieu! C'est le chaton de la boutique! Oh, tu es si précieux!*" she exclaimed to the
kitten, before turning to the proud, but confused, boy and beamed at him, before swooping
to give him a kiss on each cheek, which caused his cheeks to flush a bright red. "Merci, mon chérie!"

"Erm, Fred, sir? What does that mean?" he stammered with wide eyes as the French girl quickly made her way into the shop, murming happily to the mewling kitten all the while. Fred shook his head and smirked to himself.

"She's happy, and she thanked you, in summary," he answered, and Thomas nodded with a
smile, rubbing one of his cheeks absently.

"George also told me to tell you that he said I could have whatever I wanted out of the
shop... except the Fifteen Minute Daydream," he said eagerly, and Fred grinned at the
enthusiastic child.

"Come right on in, then. Do you have anything particular in mind?" he asked holding the
door opened wider so that Thomas could slip in. The boy peered thoughtfully around,
before looking up at Fred.

"Do you have any Nosebleed Nougats left? Mum keeps wanting me to go visit my auntie
Silla with her and I just don't want to. She always pinches my cheeks and tells me how
cute I am," he said drearily, his mouth set in a firm frown. Grimacing, Fred nodded
sympathetically and began to answer, when a cheerful, lilting voice sounded from a few feet
away.

"It's because you are very cute. Practically irresistable, I think," Rose said with a wink, which
had the boy blushing once more, though looking very pleased with himself. Fred gave her a
playful glare, to which she merely laughed. The kitten was cradled in her arms, blinking
around at the three of them with hazel eyes, very unlike Rose's.

"Well... I still don't like her pinching my cheeks," he said resolutely and Rose nodded, before
shifting the kitten to the crook of her elbow and pulling her wand from her pocket with the other arm.

"Now, this is supposed to be for repelling water or making water proof, but it's worked for me on other occasions when I've used it- Impervius -so, if she tries to pinch your cheeks, she'll be sorely surprised. Fred, give it a try." she instructed with a proud smile, tucking her wand back into her pocket. Fred stepped towards Thomas, and really did try to pinch his cheeks, but his fingers kept slipping as if he were trying to pinch air. Thomas grinned delightedly, which Rose found very cute indeed, and Fred smiled admiringly at her before slipping off to grab the Nosebleed Nougat.

"Thank you, miss! I can't wait to see her face when she tries this time," he said with a sly smile, that Rose likened very much to Fred and George whenever they were being sneaky or coming up with a new pranking item. With a rueful smile, she nodded.

"Your welcome. You know, when she's trying to pinch your cheeks tomorrow, you could eat the Nosebleed Nougat and then she'd get the blame, and you could probably go home early. How does that sound?" she asked, and Thomas' grin eyes lit up with excitement.

"Brilliant!" he declared. With a speculative look, he asked politely, "How old are you, miss?"

Confusedly, her eyebrows furrowed and she opened her mouth to answer when a sly, teasing voice cut in, "Too old for you, mate. Sorry, I think you're going to have to try elsewhere. Maybe her sister might give you a go, though she's older than Rose is."

Fred smirked widely as Thomas scowled at the ground, and Rose's eyes widened in realization before blushing to an almost crimson color. Having not dealt with highly impressionable boys before, she treated them just like she would any other child, which she now realized, she shouldn't have done.

"They're always older," he mumbled under his breath, and then shrugged, his eyes still looking at Rose with great interest, "Oh well. I better be getting home then. Mum'll do a nut if I don't get home in time for supper."

"Alright then. Tell her I said hello," Fred called as the boy nodded and scurried out of the shop. Turning a highly amused smirk to Rose, he said, "My my. Looks like someone's fancying you." Choosing not to reply, Rose walked towards the backroom, cuddling the kitten close, who eagerly snuggled against her chin. She really was a pretty cat, Fred thought to himself as he inspected the kitten. With snow white paws, a delicate pink nose, blue eyes, and splotches of orange and black across her small, white body, she was certainly adorable. "What will you call her?"

"Mavise," she said after a moment and the kitten gave a small mewl, causing Fred and Rose to look at each other in astonishment. With a grin, Fred reached down tentatively to scratch behind the kitten's ears, earning a loud purr that did not fit the small creature.

"Mavise it is," he said before kissing Rose on the top of her head.