I am not J.K. Rowling, and I do not own Harry Potter. I am merely playing with some of the magic that she created.

Fred picked up the piece of parchment in front of him, and waved it around to help it dry faster. "There. Now maybe that git will cough up what he owes us."

"So we send him this letter tonight-" George said, tossing an envelope on to the table.

"He'll have to respond."

"And if he doesn't, we'll just keep bombarding him with owls-"

"Until he pays up." Fred said, and grinned wickedly. Bagman would be very sorry that he had tried to cross the Weasley twins. Very sorry indeed.

He reached for the envelope in the center of their table and quickly addressed it, then carefully slid the letter in it. After sealing it with a wave of his wand, he set it to the side and turned to the mess on the table, left from the letter-writing.

"So - who do y'want to go to the ball with?" Fred asked, shoving some scrolls and quills into his bag. After a few seconds passed without an answer, Fred turned to look at his twin. "George? I asked you -" he cut himself off. George was staring across the common room, seemingly lost in thought.

Shaking his head, Fred reached across the table and snapped his fingers in front of his twin's face. "George!"

George jerked his head up, and looked at Fred in stupefaction. "What?"

Fred snorted. "You were so deep in thought, I thought you were six feet under."

"Ha ha." George managed an annoyed frown, then turned back pensively.

Fred snapped his fingers at him again. "Oi, George. I said, who're you going to ask to . . . " he trailed off when he saw what George had been staring at.

Across the common room, three girls were gathered together at a table. Books, parchment, ink, and quills were spread over the table, and they appeared to be doing their homework. Katie Bell. Alicia. And Angelina. A slow smile crept up his face, and he shook his head. He watched his brother watch Angelina for a few minutes, then he pulled out one of the prototypes for their latest idea - pills you could take that would make you sick - and got to work on it.

Teasing George would be easy - too easy. And if it were Ron or Percy or even Bill, Fred knew that he would be all over them in less than a second. But there were some special things about being a twin. So Fred stayed quiet as he started to work, only looking up every once in a while to smirk at his twin. After a while, both twins were hard at work on prank pills and joke pastries.

After an hour or two, Fred looked up from the paper he had just finished working on. "Finished. How about we go and send Bagman that letter, George?"

"We need an owl to send it," George said, standing up and taking the Map from his back pocket.

"Think Ron will let us use Pig for a bit?"

"Worth asking him," George shrugged as Fred handed him the letter. He slipped the paper between the pages of the map, then stuck it back in his pocket.

Ron, Harry and Hermione were by one of the fireplaces, so Fred followed George as the twins made their way towards them. The Common Room wasn't extremely crowded or noisy - more quiet and cozy. A lot of people were playing games or reading, and not a lot of schoolbooks were in sight. Most people were finally cottoning on that the holidays were just around the corner - and that studying could wait.

Fred grinned when he noticed how George was subtly maneuvering so that they passed Angelina and Alicia, who were sitting on a couch by another one of the fireplaces across the room from his brother and his friends. Honestly, George really needs a slight nudge when it came to Angelina. Fred snorted to himself at the understatement of the thought. A slight nudge? George needs to be shoved off a cliff.

"Oi, George, Ron's that way," Fred said, pointing across the Common Room.

George's ears turned red, but he only grunted ans continued on his chosen course. Feed grinned as they went about this roundabout way, and was still musing about George and Angelina as they came up to Ron, Harry, and Hermione. A sudden explosion from Ron's general direction caught their attention, and he looked up just in time to see Ron's singed eyebrows and a pile of exploding snap cards in a heap on the table.

Fred smirked at the sight and he and George slid into seats by the trio, snickering. "Nice look, Ron . . . go well with your dress robes, that will."

Ron scowled at him, and reached up to examine what remained of his eyebrows.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asked, getting right to the point.

"No, he's off delivering a letter," Ron said. "Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," Fred said, sarcastically. Ha - George would sooner have me ask an owl on a date than as it himself.

That . . . that was an idea.

"So . . . you lot got dates for the ball yet?" Fred asked, knowing full well what the answer was. Ron was even worse than George when it came to girls.

"Nope." Ron sounded disgusted.

"Well you'd better hurry up, mate, or all of the good ones will be gone," Fred said, glancing over at George and trying to see if he got the hint.

"Who're you going with, then?" Ron asked.

Just as he opened his mouth to answer, a sudden idea arrested him, and instead of saying the truth - that he was going to ask Katie Bell at breakfast the next morning - he said, matter of factly, "Angelina."

He saw George stiffen a bit on the other side of the table, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron didn't seem to notice the expression that crossed his twin's face. Ron looked surprised. "You've already asked her?"

"Good point," Fred said, doing his best to ignore George's look of betrayal. He turned towards the fireplace across the common room where Angelina and Alicia were talking. "Oi, Angelina!" he called.

Angelina looked up towards the group. "What?" she called, over the noise of the Common Room. Fred took a moment to notice just how striking she looked. Yup, when George fell, he fell hard. Speaking of George . . . Fred, as a twin, could detect how close he was to cracking.

But Fred had a plan to set. So he ignored his twin for the moment, and called out - "Want to come to the ball with me?"

Angelina studied him for a moment. Her eyes flicked to George for a second, and Fred knew that she was trying to figure out which twin she was talking to. This was all part of the plan - the wonderful, wild, five second old plan. After all, that was the kind that he excelled at. Angelina just had to say yes - and Fred was almost positive she would.

But a small smile escaped, and she nodded. "All right, then."

Fred smiled. Phase one of the plan was initiated. But when he caught George's eye, he realized that phase two would have to be started quickly. Very quickly indeed. Making some excuse about school owls and hurrying up on dates, he hustled his twin out of the common room, through the portrait hole, and in the general direction of the owlery.

The portrait door hadn't even closed before George was stomping down the corridor His hands were jammed in his pockets and his shoulders were hunched as he stalked away.

"Oi, George!" Fred had to run a little to catch up to him. "Why so moody all of a sudden?"

George halted, and whirled around to face him. "You're taking Angelina?" His voice was hard and flat.

"Er - not exactly," said Fred, wincing inside. Initiation of phase two begins now.

George glowered at him. "What do you mean not exactly? You just asked her out in the middle of the common room."

Fred smirked at him. "I'm not taking Angelina to the ball," he said "because you are."

"What?"

"I said - you're taking her to the ball. George Fabian Weasley will be taking Angelina what's-her-middle-name Johnson -

"Grace." George muttered.

Fred turned to his twin, confused. "Say what?"

"Her middle name's Grace. Heard Katie screech it at her a while back."

"Oh." Fred took a moment to digest this information, a grin crawling up his face. George is really in deep, isn't he? "All right then. Like I said, you, George Fabian Weasley, are taking Angelina Grace Johnson to the Yule Ball."

"What are you going on about?" George scowled at his twin. "You were the one who just asked her out with half of Gryffindor as witness."

Fred only smirked. "You know that. I know that. But a perk about being a Weasley twin, Georgie - you're identical."

George snorted. "Come off it. You really think that Angelina wouldn't be able to tell that it's the wrong twin escorting her down to the ball?"

"Sure." Fred hope that he sounded a lot more certain than he was. When George raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed, he continued. "We were shouting at each other across the Common Room, George. You saw how she looked at the two of us before she answered - trying to figure out which of us she was talking to. I'll bet she's still not sure about it. Mum can't even tell us apart all the time - why should Angelina be able to?"

"Lee and Harry -"

"Lee's off with that bird from Hufflepuff, and Harry has his own date to worry about. He won't stay up at night thinking about whether it's me or you who's dancing with Angelina on the Yule Ball."

George was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "If I'm supposed to take Angelina to the ball, why were you the one to ask her?"

"Because, dear brother of mine, sometimes you need a little push off a cliff."

"You thought I couldn't ask her?" George didn't look too happy at that idea.

"Would you have?"

There was a long silence, then George muttered, "No. But-"

"Look, do you want to go with her?"

Another long pause. Finally, George sighed. "Yes."

"Then quit arguing." But George still had some stubbornness left in him.

"But if she does think she's going with you-"

"She won't."

George gave him a disbelieving look.

"Look, go up to her tomorrow and ask about her dress color or where to pick her up or whatever else you need to ask her. A Sickle says that she won't even bat an eye when you let her know which of the Weasley twins she's going out with."

Fred noticed a small smile beginning to form on his twin's face, and slapped him on the back. "In a few years, you'll thank me for this. Come on - we'd better get to the Owelry before all of the good ones are asleep."

"Fred, is my tie-"

"Yes, Georgie, it's straight." Fred adjusted his own tie in the mirror, and threw a glance at his twin. "Same as it was ten seconds ago."

George looked like he was about to be sick. "Did I -"

"Yup."

"Have you seen the - "

"In the box, on the table by your bed."

"And my -"

"In your back pocket." Fred grabbed his own wand and smoothed out his hair.

"What about L-"

"Under your bed."

George dove under his bed and came back out with the pair of dress shoes he was borrowing from Lee. His tie was no longer straight, and his robes were a bit wrinkled. "We're going to be late, we're going to be late," he muttered distractedly, running his hands through his hair.

"George -" Fred took his brother by the shoulders. "We're meeting Angelina and Katie in five minutes - you have plenty of time. Calm down and fix your tie again."

George looked at the mirror and adjusted his tie, a small tremble in his hands. "Five minutes."

"You'll be amazing. Ravishing. Splendid. Angelina will love you."

"She'll love me," George repeated fervently.

Fred rolled his eyes, smirking. "Maybe not if you sound like you've been Confunded all night."

"Very funny."

"Ah, come on Georgie. It will be wonderful." Fred picked up the rose that was on his bedside table. "You look great, and you're going to the Yule Ball with the girl of your dreams."

George took the box and his corsage, and managed a weak smile. "Let's go."

The boys went down to the Common Room, and Fred scanned the waiting dates for the two that they were looking for, until - there. Two beautiful girls, standing together by their favorite fireplace. He nudged George and pointed. The amazed smile that came over his twin's face made him grin, and together they walked to their dates.

"May I have this dance?" Angelina asked, turning to Fred, a small smile on her face. The dinner was over, and couples filled the dance floor. Fred, Katie, Angelina, and George were standing together to the side, having taken a small break from dancing. Fred had been having a great evening - he and Katie came to the ball as good friends, and she was a great girl. George, too, he noticed seemed to be having the night of his life once he had gotten over his initial nervousness.

Fred glanced at his twin, who stood next to Angelina. "Wrong twin, Angelina - your date's behind you."

Angelina rolled her eyes. "I know that, you idiot. Do you think that I'm stupid enough that I can't tell you two apart after six years?"

George smirked and put his arm around her shoulders. "Considering all of times that you've mixed us up-"

"- or almost mixed us up - " Fred added

"-or just called us Weasley -"

"So that it would seem like you weren't uncertain - "

"Then absolutely!" the twins said together. Their dates rolled their eyes, but smiled.

"Careful, George," Katie laughed. "I think you just came dangerously close to calling your own date stupid."

Fred laughed inwardly as George's eyes got wide. "We didn't mean it like that - right Fred?"

"I don't know," Fred grinned. "She'd have to be close to it to want to take a speckled git like you to the ball."

"Considering you're identical, I don't know who in this group you didn't not insult," Katie commented dryly.

"I'm exempt, of course. Better personality and all that."

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Yes, a better ego, too."

Angelina grinned. "Despite getting a speckled git, I think I got the better half of the deal, Katie."

"I knew she was a smart one," George said, and the three of them laughed as Fred pretended to pout.

The music changed, and another song came on. Angelina listened for a second, her head cocked, before turning to Fred. "As I said before - may I have this dance?"

Fred raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Was George really that bad of a dancer that you had to come running to me?"

"Oi!"

Angelina snorted. "I think we just agreed that I'd hardly come running to you."

Katie smiled. "Besides, if George is a bad dancer, I doubt you would be any better."

"Oi!" Fred looked at his date, wounded. "Didn't I give you the time of your life out there?"

"If your answer's yes, Katie," George said, stepping forward, "I think I'll change your mind."

The two pairs started to dance, and in a few minutes, Fred and Angelina found themselves in the middle of the dance floor.

"How're you and Katie getting along?" Angelina asked as they swayed to the music.

"We've been getting along pretty well for the past six years," Fred said.

"Ha ha. I meant tonight."

Fred shrugged. "Pretty well. She's a great girl, it's nice to be going with a friend."

"If you hurt her, I swear to Merlin that I will hex you to pieces." Angelina's eyes flashed, and Fred remembered suddenly how frightening she could be at times.

"Duly noted. But I think that Katie would be able to take care of herself," he added with a wry grin.

"I didn't say that she couldn't. I just wanted to let you know that I'll help to take care of her, as you so put it."

Fred winced. "The both of you after me? I'll be sure to watch my step. What about you and George?"

"What about us?"

"Well, you certainly were determined to get away from my brother."

"More like I was determined to get at least one dance with you," Angelina said.

"Am I that irresistible?"

"Hardly." She looked up at Fred, eyebrows raised. "I just thought that it was appropriate to have at least one dance with the bloke who asked me out in the first place."

Fred stopped dancing. He stared at her, mouth open but unable to say a word.

"We're going to get stepped on if you don't start moving again," Angelina said. "Come on Weasley, dance."

"You knew?" Fred asked, going back into an unsteady waltz.

Angelina laughed wryly. "I think we just went over the fact that despite what you might think, I am not stupid, thank you very much."

"How did you-"

"You know, when you can tell people apart, it's very easy to notice that the wrong brother comes up to you asking about meeting times and corsage colors. Besides, you looked like you had something up your sleeve when you asked me, and George looked like you had just stabbed him in the back."

"And you still went with him?"

"Of course I did. If I accepted a date from either one of you and didn't expect something to go weirdly, I'd be crazy. Besides," Angelina looked at him critically, "like I said, I think I got the better end of the deal."

"Well, I'm glad that my attempt at matchmaker has left all parties satisfied." Fred looked down at her. "Does George know?"

"Not yet."

"You're going to tell him?"

Angelina nodded. "Soon." She paused, then looked him in the eye. "Why did you do it?"

Fred smirked. "Because sometimes you have to push George a little for his own good." They danced for a few minutes, and then he looked over at her. "How angry are you?"

"Angry?" Angelina cocked her head. "Not much, I suppose. I guess I've come to expect it from you two. Besides, I've had a good evening."

Noticing her small smile, Fred grinned mischievously. "I do brighten up even the darkest of nights."

"Very funny, Fred." the dance music ended, and Fred escorted her to his brother and his own date.

"Here we are, George - and be good with her. I think she's a keeper."

"I asked her out to the next Hogsmeade weekend." George's low voice cut through the quiet of the Sixth Year Boys' Dorm. Most of the other sixth year boys were in bed with the drapes closed. The twins had cast a Silencing Charm around their beds when they came in, allowing them the luxury of free speech.

Fred looked up from the tie pin he was unfastening. "And?"

"She said yes."

"Congratulations, brother of mine!" Fred grinned, and loosened his tie, before he draped it on the headboard of his bed. "Make sure that you invite me to the wedding, all right?" He ducked from the sock that flew past his head.

George glared at him, but there wasn't very much venom behind it. "It's one date, not an engagement."

"Sure, sure." Fred grinned and started taking off his own shoes. "I'll be your best man, right?"

"You sound like Mum. I haven't even gone on a proper date with Angelina, and here you are planning the wedding."

Fred snorted, but they were quiet as they undressed and got into bed. Fred turned off the low light with a quick wave of his wand, and he was about to drift off to sleep, when George's whisper cut through the darkness.

"Fred?"

"Mmm?"

"You'll always be my best man."

Fred grinned, but didn't answer, and soon the two fell asleep.

A few years later, George stood in front of a mirror, adjusting his tie with shaking hands. Is it straight? he thought. It has to be straight - it has to be perfect for today.

Yes, Georgie, it's straight. He could almost hear the smirk that accompanied voice in his head.

The ring, he thought. Where's the ring?! A frantic glance around the room, and the voice spoke again. In the box, on the table by your bed. George took a deep breath, and smoothed his dress robes. Calm down and fix your tie again.

He looked at the red-haired reflection that stared back at him. If he tilted his head - just a little to the side - he could see him. A sad smile on his face, tie slightly crooked. He reached out to touch the image, but where their fingers met, they could only feel the cool glass.

"You were right - we are getting married," he whispered to the young man in the mirror. "I guess I should thank you - you were the one who pushed us together in the first place." He stared into the brown eyes in the mirror, wishing to see that old familiar wink, the sparkle in them that he couldn't muster right now. "You know I'm not even having Lee stand in for you, right?"

There was no answer - not even a nod or a grin from the reflection. Only a single tear that trickled down his face and a sad smile.

"You'll always be my best man, Freddie."