Trap-or-Trailing: A Weasley Halloween

"Ginny, I just want to celebrate your first Halloween at home. I promise this will be fun. Don't you trust me?"

"Hermione, I would trust you with my life. And have, actually. But with fun...oh, don't pout! It just sounds really...strange is all. Won't we look stupid?"

Hermione sighed. Trying to explain Muggle traditions was always so difficult with the Weasleys.

"Yes, Ginny, we might look silly, but that is all part of the fun!" She snickered, and added, "Just imagine how funny Ron looked in his dress robes!"

"Oi, I heard that, 'Mione!" Ron shouted from across the room, looking scandalized. "You're cold-hearted, you are!"

The girls giggled, and even Harry had to chuckle. He pushed up his glasses, trying to remember any experience with Halloween on Privet Drive.

"Harry, back me up! Don't you think it would be fun to go trick-or-treating with the Muggles? It would be your first time, too, wouldn't it?"

Hermione blushed as all three of the others looked at her.

"Well, it would..."

Harry smiled at her reassuringly. "You're right; I have never gone out on Halloween. All I remember was Aunt Petunia could never find a costume big enough for Dudley, so he would just wear a bow-tie and go as Uncle Vernon. Not that it mattered, since he and his gang usually just pummeled kids for their candy."

"So let me get this straight," Ron mused. "We put on clothes like we are someone else--"

"Or something else," Hermione interrupted.

"Right, and then we go ask strangers to give us stuff?" Ron glanced at Harry. "Doesn't that sound a bit nutter to anyone else?"

Ginny nodded, but stopped when she caught her book-loving friend glaring at her. Hermione looked like she couldn't decide whether to cry or breathe fire.

"LOOK! I am just trying to find something fun to do to take our minds off of the mess at the Ministry right now! You two," she barked as she pointed at Ron and Harry, "have been so busy recovering and destroying Dark artifacts and property that you haven't even noticed Fleur is pregnant-"

"What the-"

"You're kidding-"

"And none of us have even been on a proper date in a month! So excuse me for coming up with fun new things to do!"

With that last diatribe, Hermione Apparated out of the Burrow. Ginny looked over at the boys with a glint of humor in her wide eyes.

"Oh, you're in for it now, Ron. I think she could use an apology and a good snog."

"Right... don't talk like that. You've got your privacy," Ron mumbled as he glanced sideways at Harry, "and I want mine. I'll see you later, mate."

After another pop of Apparition Harry and Ginny were left alone. He turned to her, eyebrows raised.

"A good snog? That's your answer for everything, isn't it?" Harry asked smiling. Ginny laughed and moved to sit next to Harry.

She nuzzled close to his ear and whispered, "It works on you, at least."

"Now where did you say your parents were tonight?" Harry waggled his eyebrows at his favorite redhead, and they both laughed light-heartedly.

Before Harry could reach her lips, though, they opened saying, "We have to do this, don't we? This trap-or-trailing nonsense?"

Harry groaned. "It's trick-or-treating. It's not as bad as it sounds, even though we are a bit old for it. If it sells you on the idea, I can promise you Fred and George would have signed right on."

Mentions of the twins were no longer exceedingly painful, although it always seemed to require a short moment of silence. It worked, though, as Ginny smiled saying, "If those mischievous boys could make it fun, then so can I. Now, explain this costume business."

"Maybe in a moment... how often are your parents out all night like this?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron gaped at Hermione with his jaw in his lap. He could not believe his reddening ears.

"What do you mean, make it worth my while?! What have you done with Hermione?!"

She giggled as she blushed, and then she met him with a warm smile. "Look, just trust me, alright? I will even make your costume for you. And I will make it something you can recognize."

"Bloody hell, I'll even borrow dress robes from my Aunt Tessie if it's 'worth my while'!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Harry, get out here right now! I'm sure you think you look ridiculous, but at least we can all look ridiculous together! Don't make me stand out here looking funny by myself!"

Ginny tapped her foot, but she couldn't help but laugh at the idea of how they would all look. She was waiting impatiently in the living room of Harry and Ron's flat. Ron was getting ready at the flat Ginny and Hermione shared, since his girlfriend had made his costume. Hermione wouldn't let Ginny see them, either, so they were all in for a surprise. Ginny just hoped Harry would like her outfit.

She hadn't heard the sound of his door opening, or of him walking down the hall. The first noise Ginny noticed was his sharp intake of breath. She bit her lip to hide her mischievous grin and, before turning around, asked, "So you like my costume, then? I thought Madam Rosmerta would be a good idea- fun, but not silly, you know?"

She turned around slyly, but stopped suddenly and frowned. "Where is your costume, you git? If we are dressing up, you sure as hell have to!"

Harry scuffed his foot on the floor shyly. Without looking up, he mumbled, "I am dressed. You just have to go as someone or something other than yourself..."

Ginny marched over to him, but before she could playfully cuff him on the arm she noticed something.

"Harry? What have you done to your face?" He looked at her tentatively. Her eyes widened as her brows lifted. "Harry, where is your scar?"

He sighed and managed a weak smile. "I found some Muggle cover-up putty in a Halloween store. I just thought it would be nice to be something other than The Boy Who Lived, or The Chosen One, just this once." He looked into her eyes suddenly and asked "Am I being silly?"

Ginny's heart warmed. "Of course you aren't. In fact, I demand you be sillier. Leave on your make-up, if you wish, but go put on a funny hat or something. You need to match our level of foolishness tonight!"

"It is NOT make-up!" Harry howled, a slight blush rising in his cheeks.

Ginny giggled and dragged him to his closet to find something suitable.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took at least thirty minutes to get Harry into his new costume. They had gotten slightly sidetracked in his closet. Standing in the living room, Ginny smirked at Harry and said, "You may want to go get your make-up and cover up that mark on your neck."

"Stop calling it make-up, Gin, or I will have to punish you again!"

"Oh no, not more punishment!" Ginny exclaimed sarcastically. "Save me, save me!"

Harry caught her in his muscular arms and kissed her passionately. Her laugh always raised his blood pressure in such a fun way.

She giggled. "Save me, Harry Potter, I'm being snogged against my will by a handsome, professional Quidditch player!"

They didn't hear the slight pop of Ron and Hermione arriving.

"Oi, stop that you two-- hold on! Hermione, they aren't even wearing costumes!"

Ginny and Harry moved apart, observed the other occupants of the room and burst out laughing. Harry actually fell on the floor while Ginny leaned against a wall clutching her stomach.

"What- what are you-who in the--" Harry couldn't get an entire sentence out through his hysterics.

"Really, Ron, you look absolutely smashing!" Ginny screamed with tears running down her face.

"Alright you two, chuckle up. It's alright, 'Mione, I think you did a great job with these." Ron tried to stop blushing and look sincere. "And by the way, since when did you start using puns, Gin? Smashing, really?"

"OH," Harry howled, "I get it! You're a Bludger! I could see that Hermione was a Snitch, but I couldn't tell yours at first." Harry was finally on his feet again. "Well, you two had better watch out for me, then. I'm going as a Seeker for the Cannons."

Hermione looked at Ginny, obviously impressed. "Ginny, where did you get that amazing gown? It's very fetching. Who are you supposed to be, Madam Rosmerta?"

As the girls chatted about Ginny's gown, Ron pulled Harry into the hallway. "Alright mate, now I'm stuck. I was all ready to do this tonight, but how am I supposed to get on one knee in this bloody pouf? I look like a buffoon- what if she says no?"

"Breathe Ron. She'll say yes. You two have been matched since fourth year. And as for the kneeling... dunno, mate. Maybe you don't have to kneel--"

"NO!" Ron whispered feverishly. "I want to do this right! She deserves a proper proposal!"

"In what world does falling over dressed as a violent ball count as a 'proper proposal'?"

"What are you boys doing?" Hermione called out from the living room. "Are we going out or aren't we?"

Harry shouted, "Right Ron, you can bore me with Cannons trivia later!"

Harry winked at Ron, who swallowed the huge lump in his throat, and the boys set out for an undoubtedly memorable night.