Rating:
PG
House:
Riddikulus
Ships:
Fred Weasley/George Weasley
Characters:
Fred Weasley George Weasley
Genres:
Humor Romance
Era:
The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Spoilers:
Half-Blood Prince
Stats:
Published: 05/13/2007
Updated: 05/13/2007
Words: 2,173
Chapters: 1
Hits: 635

A Play to the Crowd

Ronja Witchley

Story Summary:
George Weasley is introducing his girlfriend to his family, and that is a doubtful success - until a young girl knocks at the door and saves the situation.

Chapter 01 - A Play to the Crowd

Posted:
05/13/2007
Hits:
635

"What's up, Bro?" Fred patted his twin brother's shoulder. "You should be happy. You're going to introduce Hillary tonight. She's so nice; Mum and Dad will love her, though she can't do magic."

"I don't know how to tell them she's a Muggle." George sighed. "I'm sure, Dad will find it exciting to have a Muggle in the family, but Mum can be rather snobbish."

"She doesn't mind Muggles in general. She has been talking to Hermione's parents."

"That doesn't mean she will be happy to have a Muggle as her daughter-in-law."

"She has more than accepted Hermione. She loves her."

"That's different. Hermione is a witch, though Muggleborn."

Somebody knocked at the door to their flat upstairs from the shop.

"Hello, guys!" A pretty girl with auburn, hair and warm hazel eyes emerged in the doorway. She was wearing a white top and an elegant black skirt, black tights of silk and high-heeled shoes. Her hair was hanging bright down her shoulders and she wore a becoming make-up.

"Ready to go?" George asked, kissing his girl friend.

"I'm sorry, George. I just came to say that I can't visit your parents tonight."

"Hillary, you promised......"

"I know, but I forgot my grandma turns seventy today. My mum will kill me if I don't attend Grandma's birthday."

"And my mum will kill me," George muttered. "I know she'll make a lot out of dinner tonight because she's expecting you. All that in spite of the fact that she doesn't have much time or energy. My brother will be marrying tomorrow."

"I know, George. I'm so sorry. See you tomorrow." She kissed his hair lovingly before leaving.

"Well, Bro," Fred said. "Then at least you don't have to confess anything today."

"No, but Mum has been counting an extra person for dinner."

"Don't worry, Bro, I've got an idea!"

Fred headed towards their shop downstairs. Less than ten minutes later he was back, wearing a long black wig, a floral summer cloak and high-heeled shoes. Imitating a girl's voice, he said:

"Hi, George, I'm ready to go." He wriggled his hips coquettishly.

"What in the name of Merlin!" George burst into laughter. "Hehehe! That's good! Splendid!"

"I told Mum that I would stay in the shop tonight, while you were introducing your girl friend, but now you can introduce me instead."

**********************

"I have to go to the bathroom before you introduce me," Fred said before they entered the Burrow.

"Okay, Bro. You can sneak in through the back door. I'll be waiting for you out here, and when you're done, we can both go in through the front door."

It took quite a long time until Fred was back. George noticed he had taken a scarf round his throat, but he hadn't too much time to think further about it.

"Now, my dear, we have to hurry," he said. "It's six o'clock. It's time to be introduced to your parents-in-law."

*******************

"Mum and Dad, this is my girl friend."

"Hello, my name is Molly Weasley." Molly gave the "girl" a reserved handshake, looking "her" sceptically up and down.

"And I'm Arthur Weasley," Arthur greeted politely. "What's your name, my girl?"

"Eh....my name is....eh....." Fred looked helplessly at George. Should he pretend to be Hillary?

"Don't you remember your own name?" Molly asked bluntly.

"Her name is Muriel," George answered quickly. "Just like our Great Auntie; but she hates that name so much that she can hardly get herself to say it."

"Oh, that's a nice name," Arthur said. "You don't have to be ashamed of that. Now come and meet some more of our family. This is Ron, our youngest son; and Ginny, our daughter; Hermione and Harry. They are Ron and Ginny's best friends. And here, we have the pair of lovebirds who are going to get married tomorrow." He pointed at Bill and Fleur sitting close together in the sofa.

Muriel shook hands with the whole family.

"Her hands are a little rough, aren't they?" Hermione whispered to Ginny. Ginny just shrugged her shoulders, giggling a little bit.

Ron rolled his eyes, looking at Harry. Nothing, however, could surprise Harry. It wasn't the first time he met a woman with a certain masculine touch. Aunt Marge had a moustache.

"Nice to meet you all," Fred said in his special girl-voice.

"Iz your throat sour?" Fleur asked in a sugared tone.

"No, I'm fine."

"No, you are not, Honey. Muriel is so modest," George intervened quickly. "She won't admit she has got a cold. That's why she's wearing a scarf."

"Well. Dinner is ready," Molly declared.

"Can I help you, Mrs. Weasley?" Muriel asked. "Are those bowls meant to be placed on the table?" "She" pulled her wand and made the bowls fly through the air and land so hard on the table that the china was rattling and the salad was spread out over the table.

Molly sent a worried look towards the table. Her head was throbbing with stress from several days' wedding preparations. And now she was introduced to such a girl! What was her son thinking of?

"What on Earth do you see in her?" Molly asked George when she thought his girl friend was out of earshot. "She isn't especially pretty or brilliant or something."

"There's something called love, Mum. But make no mistake; Muriel is the tidiest girl you can think of......."

Molly took a look at her table where the china had been thrown into disorder by Muriel's "help", and the salad and potatoes spread all over the tidy tablecloth.

"Give her some time, Molly," Arthur said. "She may be nervous. What's her father's employment?"

"He has a very respectable post in the Ministry of Magic," George answered.

"Ah, who is he?"

"Oh yeah, what is it? I can't remember his name."

"May I make a guess?" Ginny said, winking at her "coming sister-in-law".

"Why all that guessing game?" Arthur said impatiently.

"Dad, I'm sure it's a person you know very well," Ginny laughed.

"Well, if you won't tell us more, then be it," Molly said with annoyance. "Dinner is ready."

*****************

Fred seemed to forget his part as George's girl friend while eating his mother's delicious food.

"That's . . . champ . . . really delicious . . . champ . . . Mum . . . eh . . . I mean Mrs. Weasley . . . champ," he said his mouth full of food.

Fleur looked at him with disgust; she and Molly exchanged looks, and Ginny laughed so that tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Eh, Miss Muriel." Molly sent her a stern look. "I'm glad you're feeling home here, but I think you and I are going to have a talk about good table manners."

"All for you, Mrs. Weasley...burp! Sorry! We can talk while cleaning up." Again "she" pulled "her" wand.

The china flew through the air. Some of it landed on the kitchen floor and broke into pieces; other parts of it landed on the kitchen table in an untidy heap.

Molly held her hand to her head. "Oh, no! I can't take any more!"

Harry held his breath. He was worried for Mrs. Weasley. The wedding preparations seemed to have affected her more than as such. Was she going to break down now?

"Fleur's family will arrive tomorrow morning. What will they think?"

"Take it eazy." Fleur put her hand on Molly's shoulder. "Justement, go and 'ave a rest, while Ginny and I clean up."

"Sweet you are, my dear." Molly hugged Fleur's hand. "How could I ever doubt whether you were the right one for Bill?"

"Why does George absolutely have to bring a person like her? And then exactly tonight?" Ron whispered to Harry in a scandalized tone.

****************

After having cleaned up, the women sat down with their knittings.

"Mum, don't you have some knitting to Muriel, so that she doesn't get bored?" Ginny asked innocently.

"Muriel" sent her a deadly look.

"Right you are, Honey. Just a minute."

Muriel fumbled with her knitting. "Damned!" she muttered.

"Hasn't your mother taught you knitting?" Molly asked with surprise.

"No, she hasn't," Muriel answered in accordance with the truth.

"Come on, then I'll teach you. Oh, dear, your hold on it is quite awkward. Look. Try to do after me."

Muriel couldn't quite get the hold on it, though. She swore loudly when she dropped a stitch. Sometimes, she forgot that she was a woman and swore with a man's voice.

Molly sighed loudly. "What a language, my dear. I wish you would moderate it a little bit."

Hermione raised her brows. "Mrs. Weasley, I think Muriel's voice sounds familiar." She studied Muriel thoroughly, but in the same moment, somebody was knocking at the door.

"Excuse me." Molly went to open the door. A pretty young girl with long shining hair and warm brown eyes were standing outside.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, is this the Weasleys' house?"

"That's right."

"My name is Hillary Williams. Is George here?"

"Sure. Come in, please." Molly pushed eagerly the girl into the living room. "George, dear, there's a young lady who wants to talk to you."

Hillary narrowed her eyes towards Muriel and George sitting close together.

"Well, George Weasley, I see you've found another companion. I hope you're enjoying yourself," she said tartly.

"Eh, Hillary, things are not the way you think. I can explain it all."

Everyone kept his breath.

"There's nothing to explain." She turned around on her heel and headed towards the door.

"No, wait!" Ginny ran after her. "George is right. Let's take a walk together, and I'll explain."

*****************

Hillary was chuckling when she and Ginny returned half an hour later. She headed towards Fred and removed his wig. His fire red hair appeared, tousled from the wig. First it caused an embarrassing silence. Molly narrowed her eyes towards Fred and George. Then suddenly, she started to laugh, and then they all laughed heartfeltly.

Molly turned to George. "What a joke you played on your old mum...hehehe!... I'm relieved, though. I...hehe!...I really didn't like Muriel...hehehe! I should've known there was something fishy about it, but I guess I was too stressed to realize." She wiped away some tears.

"I had the feeling all time," Hermione said. "Her rough hands; her affected voice; her behaviour at the table; and not least the knitting thing. However, the disguise works very well, so it wasn't that easy to see through. Not until Muriel began to swear in a man's voice was I convinced that it was a play."

"Thank Merlin!" Ron sighed. "Harry and I had begun to be worried for you, Mum. It seemed like you were about to get a break-down."

"Oh, dears, don't worry about me." She hugged Harry and Ron. "I was so happy when the young lady here knocked at the door and asked for George." Molly released the boys and put her arm around Hillary's shoulder.

"So Muriel's father has a respectable post in the Ministry of Magic?" Arthur winked. "I'm glad you acknowledge my job like that."

"There's one thing I have to tell you all." George cleared his throat.

"Speak up. I think nothing can surprise me any more," Molly said.

"Hillary is a Muggle."

"How exciting!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Who cares? I'd prefer seven Muggle-children-in-law to one Muriel," Molly said firmly. "Hillary seems to be a sweet and sensible girl. I'm sure she'll fit in well with us." She gave the young girl a tight hug. "Welcome, my dear."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"I hadn't expected you tonight, Sweetheart." George kissed her tenderly. "I thought you were attending your Grandma's birthday."

"I was, but I was bored, so I took the chance to get away when nobody noticed."

"You bad girl," Molly scolded. "I'm glad you came, though. It was a load off my mind."

"There's one thing I don't understand, Bro." George looked at Fred. "Ginny seemed to know about our trick. Did you initiate her without telling me?"

"I kind of had to," Fred confessed. "I met Ginny in the doorway to the bathroom. She recognized me, and I had to tell her what we were up to. She promised me not to tell anybody."

"His disguise was very brilliant," Ginny said. "And I'm not sure I would've recognized him if it wasn't because of his very visible Adam's Apple. Therefore, I found a scarf to tie round his throat. I'm sorry for not keeping my promise, but I thought I had to tell Hillary the truth. It would be such a shame if George lost his love because of his twin brother's crazy ideas."

"Ginny, I love you!" George gave her a tight hug. "And I love you, Hillary." He kissed her affectionately.

"Are we going to have another wedding in near future?" Arthur asked.

"That depends on Hillary," George answered. "Hillary, will you marry me?"

"I will, George."

The whole family clapped their hands, cheering and at the same time laughing and crying.

***********************

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