100quills: Courage, Virtue (Fred, George, G-rated)
How long has it been since I posted Weasley fic? Too too long.
So here, a couple of snippets. A little too big to be drabbles, but not big enough to be anything else.
These fulfill two prompts in my 100quills grid, but they're not explicitly slashy, and they don't belong in the same 'verse as the others because these two are canon-compliant with Deathly Hallows up to p.85.
The prompts are "courage" and "virtue". Long ago, I took a philosophy class, and the prof was unbelievably excited about reading Homer to us from Greek, discussing the effect translation had on understanding. According to him, the four cardinal virtues were wisdom, courage, fortitude, and temperance. He made the analogy to brain, heart, legs, with balance to make sure no single virtue overpowered enough to become a vice.
Courage
Fred wasn't certain what Moody and his father discussed during the hour they were closeted in the sitting room, but it must be serious.
He and George speculated, because it was rare these days for him to be so secretive, even about Order matters. Especially about Order matters, really, since all the family--minus Ginny, who was underage, yet--were members.
Harry's birthday was approaching, and the Ministry's strictures on his travel and safety played directly into You-Know-Who's hands. They figured that whatever was so hush-hush must be related to making sure that the Boy Who Lived lived to reach his majority, and Fred and George were both willing to do whatever was necessary to that end. Lend their charms expertise, fight a few Dark wizards, anything.
Fred was surprised by the boldness of the plan Moody put forth, even more surprised to hear that it was Mundungus's suggestion. Mad-Eye hadn't even gotten around to asking for volunteers before Ron and Hermione were speaking, clamoring for a role. Fred didn't think about the danger involved, he thought about Harry's place in the wizarding world, in this conflict, in the Weasley family.
He didn't need to look at or speak with George to know he was thinking the same thing. They were too young to be considered adequate escorts by Death Eaters, so they couldn't play that role. But they could brew Polyjuice, and they could fly better than anyone except maybe Harry and Charlie.
"We're in. How many people can say they've been Harry Potter, after all?"
Virtue
WISDOM - knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action
George sat still and let his mother fuss over him. She hadn't said anything, but he knew: there was no replacing his ear. Dark Magic was Dark Magic, and his ear was gone.
But he knew his mother needed to feel that she was in control of something, anything right now, so he just went along with it when she rattled off a list of spells and potions and such. Ginny, who was ghost-pale and quiet, just retrieved things, holding them for Mum, doing as she was told.
Also, if he kept her occupied with his injury, she wouldn't worry about the fact that Dad and Fred weren't back yet.
FORTITUDE - mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty or adversity
Holey. Fred was right: it was a terrible joke, in the grand scheme of ear-related humor. But really, wasn't it enough that George had been able to joke about it?
It wasn't so much that he missed his ear as an ear. He could hear just fine without the extra cartilage and skin, and he hated wearing hats anyway.
No, what bothered him was that the loss of his ear, such an insignificant little part of his body, should take something else, something much larger, from him. He'd made light of it, telling their mother that now she'd be able to tell him and Fred apart; he'd pretended that everything was fine. It was stupid, really--he hadn't changed on the inside, and he and Fred were still together, still connected.
Not being absolutely identical shouldn't be such an issue.
He wasn't going to let Mum or Fred see how upset he was by the thought. No matter how strained his laughter or forced his jokes.
TEMPERANCE - self-restraint in action, statement
It took every bit of restraint and patience he had, but Fred waited. He waited through Tonks' and Ron's arrival, through Bill's announcement about Moody and Mundungus, through the round-and-round about a traitor. When he and George finally got back to their flat, he was finished waiting.
"It doesn't matter."
Without waiting to hear what George had to say--Fred was sure it would be a denial or another joke--Fred pulled him close. When George's breath shuddered out in a suppressed sob, Fred cupped his hand over the damaged flesh and whispered into the other ear, "Still the same inside."
So here, a couple of snippets. A little too big to be drabbles, but not big enough to be anything else.
These fulfill two prompts in my 100quills grid, but they're not explicitly slashy, and they don't belong in the same 'verse as the others because these two are canon-compliant with Deathly Hallows up to p.85.
The prompts are "courage" and "virtue". Long ago, I took a philosophy class, and the prof was unbelievably excited about reading Homer to us from Greek, discussing the effect translation had on understanding. According to him, the four cardinal virtues were wisdom, courage, fortitude, and temperance. He made the analogy to brain, heart, legs, with balance to make sure no single virtue overpowered enough to become a vice.
Courage
Fred wasn't certain what Moody and his father discussed during the hour they were closeted in the sitting room, but it must be serious.
He and George speculated, because it was rare these days for him to be so secretive, even about Order matters. Especially about Order matters, really, since all the family--minus Ginny, who was underage, yet--were members.
Harry's birthday was approaching, and the Ministry's strictures on his travel and safety played directly into You-Know-Who's hands. They figured that whatever was so hush-hush must be related to making sure that the Boy Who Lived lived to reach his majority, and Fred and George were both willing to do whatever was necessary to that end. Lend their charms expertise, fight a few Dark wizards, anything.
Fred was surprised by the boldness of the plan Moody put forth, even more surprised to hear that it was Mundungus's suggestion. Mad-Eye hadn't even gotten around to asking for volunteers before Ron and Hermione were speaking, clamoring for a role. Fred didn't think about the danger involved, he thought about Harry's place in the wizarding world, in this conflict, in the Weasley family.
He didn't need to look at or speak with George to know he was thinking the same thing. They were too young to be considered adequate escorts by Death Eaters, so they couldn't play that role. But they could brew Polyjuice, and they could fly better than anyone except maybe Harry and Charlie.
"We're in. How many people can say they've been Harry Potter, after all?"
Virtue
WISDOM - knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action
George sat still and let his mother fuss over him. She hadn't said anything, but he knew: there was no replacing his ear. Dark Magic was Dark Magic, and his ear was gone.
But he knew his mother needed to feel that she was in control of something, anything right now, so he just went along with it when she rattled off a list of spells and potions and such. Ginny, who was ghost-pale and quiet, just retrieved things, holding them for Mum, doing as she was told.
Also, if he kept her occupied with his injury, she wouldn't worry about the fact that Dad and Fred weren't back yet.
FORTITUDE - mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty or adversity
Holey. Fred was right: it was a terrible joke, in the grand scheme of ear-related humor. But really, wasn't it enough that George had been able to joke about it?
It wasn't so much that he missed his ear as an ear. He could hear just fine without the extra cartilage and skin, and he hated wearing hats anyway.
No, what bothered him was that the loss of his ear, such an insignificant little part of his body, should take something else, something much larger, from him. He'd made light of it, telling their mother that now she'd be able to tell him and Fred apart; he'd pretended that everything was fine. It was stupid, really--he hadn't changed on the inside, and he and Fred were still together, still connected.
Not being absolutely identical shouldn't be such an issue.
He wasn't going to let Mum or Fred see how upset he was by the thought. No matter how strained his laughter or forced his jokes.
TEMPERANCE - self-restraint in action, statement
It took every bit of restraint and patience he had, but Fred waited. He waited through Tonks' and Ron's arrival, through Bill's announcement about Moody and Mundungus, through the round-and-round about a traitor. When he and George finally got back to their flat, he was finished waiting.
"It doesn't matter."
Without waiting to hear what George had to say--Fred was sure it would be a denial or another joke--Fred pulled him close. When George's breath shuddered out in a suppressed sob, Fred cupped his hand over the damaged flesh and whispered into the other ear, "Still the same inside."