The prospect of the joke shop was becoming more attainable to the twins by the day. We often stayed up late in the common room, Fred and George dreaming their plans out loud. "It'll be easy, Fred. We work a few odd jobs until we have enough, then we get a spot in Diagon Alley. There's a prime spot that's been vacant for years, the price should be decent, and we could haggle it down more."

"Odd jobs? You're joking! What we do is we sell our experimental products, build a reputation, a clientele, that way when we open we've already got loyal customers."

I had to hand it to them, for being barely average students, they had a surprisingly good handle on business. I knew they could be very successful, but their biggest hurdle was Molly. She had been cleaning around the house recently, and found some order papers George had sworn he'd hidden well. Errol surprised the twins with a scarlet howler not long after she must've found them. Fred, ever the proud person, had snatched it quickly and ran off with George and I, not wanting to be humiliated in front of the whole school.

Normally I adored Molly, she was the biggest sweetheart, and I thought of her as a second mother, but this howler had revealed a side to her I didn't want to be on. She was livid, splitting their with her screeching of disappointment. She didn't think they could be successful, and would prefer they focus on their NEWTS and get decent jobs at the Ministry with Arthur.

The howler really hurt the twins. Fred put on an arrogant manner, acting as if he didn't care what she said. But I know deep down, his mother's disapproval affected him deeply. He had grown up surrounded by love and family, and thrived off his support system. He tried to storm off, ripping the letter as he went. I gave George a quick hug, "I'm sorry," I said, before running after Fred.

George gave me a sad smile and a shrug before skulking off the other way. "Fred! Wait up!" I called after him.

He didn't slow down, and with his long legs I couldn't catch up. So I followed him to the common room. I walked in to see him standing in front of the fireplace, back towards me, his fists clenched at his sides. The last bits of Molly's howler were aflame, casting a warm red glow on Fred. I approached him calmly, putting a hand on his shoulder when I was close enough. "You okay, Freddie?"

Wordlessly, he spun and clasped me in a tight hug, nearly knocking the wind out of me. I held him tightly, gently combing what I could reach of his hair. "I'm sorry, love." I sighed.

"It's not bloody fair." Fred sniffed, I realized he had been crying. "Charlie's fine to go ride dragons in Romania, Percy's allowed to be an awful git, Ginny gets a brand new dress for a ball she shouldn't even be at, but George and I can't do what we want. We're the disappointments. We're the idiots that don't know what we're doing."

He let go of me, turning away so I wouldn't see the tears on his face. He wiped them away quickly. "She'll see. They'll all see. George and I are gonna open that joke shop. We're gonna prove to her that we're not a couple of fuck ups."

"I know you will, and you're gonna be bloody good at it." I replied.

Fred laughed bitterly. "Bloody right we will."

He was silent for a few moments, fighting the emotions brimming inside him. And I knew just the thing to cheer him up. "I'm in the mood to wreck some havoc, fancy making our dear Severus' life miserable?"

He turned quickly. A broad, goofy grin stretched across his face. "You're bloody brilliant."

*****

The Triwizard Tournament had finally reached its grand finale, and it was one that would be remembered forever. Cedric Diggory emerged from the maze alongside Harry Potter, dead. Fanfare had swelled as the victors emerged, only to be brought to a halt by the screams of anguish from his father.

Harry had been dragged from the field fighting and crying, he was screaming something I couldn't make out, probably grieving his fellow competitor. Fred had just grabbed me and held me against his chest. I was too in shock to say or do anything else until Professor McGonagall's amplified voice shouted. "Head boys and girls, take your houses to your dormitories immediately!"

She hadn't needed to use the amplification spell, a shocked silence had fallen over the student body. I heard his girlfriend crying somewhere in the crowd as Fred started to lead me away. We followed the crowd of Gryffindors back to the tower, Fred kept me close at his side, not letting go of my hand the whole walk back.

Whatever had happened in the maze, it was bad. "'He's back', what the bloody hell did he mean by that." George muttered from the other side of Fred.

Fred's face was grim, his mouth a firm line. "I think you know damn well what he means."

"What who meant? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Harry was yelling it when they dragged him off Cedric." George replied quietly, dropping his voice to a whisper.

I felt a sick, twisting feeling in my gut. That couldn't be possible, he was supposed to be dead. He couldn't be back, Harry had defeated him as a bloody baby. But there was no other explanation, Harry certainly hadn't killed Cedric. But how had he gotten to Hogwarts? It was supposed to be the safest place in the Wizarding World.

"What does that mean for us, Freddie?" I whispered.

"I think it means war."

******

Final exams had been cancelled, the shock and grief of losing a peer in what was supposed to be a joyous event was too much, no one could focus on class. At the final feast of the year, Dumbledore had got up to give his usual speech, and began an impromptu memorial for Cedric Diggory. It had taken a shocking turn when he confirmed our worst suspicions. "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

Really, he was honouring Cedric's memory. The Ministry was working overtime trying to cover the whole thing up, trying to deny that he was back. It was a smear on Cedric's memory. His death was an accident, but not of his own blunder. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cold fear gripped my heart at the confirmation. The reality of war loomed over us, and it was terrifying.

I was helping Fred pack when he brought it up. George had left to try and frantically find some things he had misplaced in the common room, so Fred and I were alone. "I know you usually come over a lot in summer anyway, but why don't you stay the whole summer with us?"

I stopped folding his clothes, and with a flick of my wand they began to do it themselves, flying neatly into his trunk. "Any reason in particular?" I asked.

He stepped closer to me and grabbed my hands. "I just worry about you. With everything going on, you're muggleborn, you're going to be a target for those bastards. And if anything happened to you and I wasn't there to help I... I don't think I'd ever forgive myself. It's just safer with my family."

He was right, of course. If he was back, my family and I were in grave danger. I nodded slowly. "Okay, Freddie."

He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. "Thank you." He said, muffled in my shoulder.

He pulled back and kissed me softly. "We better hurry or we'll miss the train."

******

The train ride was mostly silent, I leaned my head again Fred's shoulder and dozed lightly, smiling when his shoulders would shake lightly with laughter. As the train approached the station, I was snapped wide awake when our compartment door was slammed shut. Harry had come in, alone. Lee was off somewhere, so it was just Fred, George, and I. "Alright, Harry?" George asked.

Harry looked different. After what happened to Cedric, he seemed hardened, yet broken. He nodded slowly, "Yeah, I'm good. You guys looking forward to summer?"

"S'pose," Fred shrugged, "Lou's staying with us, hopefully that'll get mum off our backs about getting a job at the ministry for a little while."

"I got something that'll get her off your back for good." Harry said.

"Oh yeah?" Fred laughed, "A portkey to Antarctica?"

George and I laughed, but Harry stayed stoic. A look of determination crossed his face. He took a step towards George and dropped something heavy into his lap. "Start your joke shop."

George went white as he picked up the bag. "Harry, is this your winnings?" He asked.

"Yup." He replied.

Fred balked. "Harry, no. We can't possibly accept that, that must be-"

"One thousand galleons." Harry finished for him.

"We can't possibly accept this." George said, holding it back out to Harry.

Harry shook his head. "Nope. Take it. Please, start your joke shop. Merlin knows we're gonna need a laugh with what's coming next."

He sounded so wise and mature, the events of this year had aged him, and I felt a brief flash of grief for the childish innocence so many had lost this year.

Fred rose from his spot beside me, and grabbed Harry in a crushing hug. "Thanks, mate. I promise, free product for life. We won't even test anything on you this summer!"

"That's quite and honour Harry, I'm his girlfriend and I still get nosebleed nougats in my tea!" I laughed.

Harry chuckled, then looked at the twins seriously. "Not a word of this to Molly. Or anyone for that matter."

Fred and George nodded solemnly. "You have our word." George said.

Harry nodded, "Nearly at the station, best get ready to go."

He gave a small wave goodbye and left the compartment. "Well, Georgie. Guess we're back in business."

Word Count: 1696