"Please, I'm going to die if you leave me there all alone!" Charlie exclaimed rather dramatically at the twins who didn't look phased at all, "Charlie, you're not gonna be alone. Mum, Dad, and Bill will be there too, silly." George reminded him.

It was the day before the weekend that the Delacours were coming to the Burrow to have tea and discuss wedding plans with their future in-laws. Fred, George and Florence had found fullproof and solid excuses for them to miss that day, further solidifying them by repeatedly expressing to Molly how they were sad that they couldn't go. Charlie, meanwhile, had been off work for the month and was simply lounging about at the Burrow, with no valid reason for him to miss such dreadful event.

Realizing that he was going to be in the middle of what was going to be so much tension, he went and begged the only other siblings he could persuade to join him there. Fred and George held firmly to their no, and Charlie was not having it. Florence was listening to the scene unfolding from the couch, a small smile on her face as Charlie groaned in annoyance for the umpteenth time, "I'm gonna end up being the buffer. I don't want to be the buffer, its so much work."

"I doubt you'll be much of a buffer. Knowing Bill he's probably already strategized with Fleur how they are going to handle their parents when they're under the same roof." Fred quipped in, "I mean, they would be dumb not to already have a plan."

Charlie looked to Florence helplessly, "What say you, future sister?"

She looked at him, Charlie putting on the best sympathy-inducing face he could muster, making her sigh, "I suppose I could come with."

"What?" Fred and George said simultaneously, just as Charlie cheered. "What do you mean you're going? We already said we couldn't make it." Fred asked his fiancée, who shrugged in response, "Yeah. But I can't really think of anything better to do with my time, you know? I hate being unproductive, especially now when I have to keep my mind off of my evaluation next week." Florence said, getting up from the couch and heading to her and Fred's room, "What are we talking, Char? Formal? Semi-formal?" she called behind her shoulder.

"Er... mum wants me to wear a dress shirt so... semi-formal? I guess?"

Fred sighed dramatically, "I guess I'm going too, then."

"You don't have to." Florence called from their room, "I just want to accompany Charlie so he won't have to face all the awkwardness all alone."

"A saint, that woman." Charlie sighed happily.

"Well I'm still going. What kind of man would I be if I let my fiancée suffer alone?" he muttered, getting up from his seat, George ruffling his hair in frustration, "Looks like I'll be showing up after all."

Charlie chuckled at this, "Florence, the power you have over these two is astonishing. Do teach me your ways sometime."

"This is free will!" George said, before slamming his bed room door.

"Sure it is." he said sarcastically, "I'll be on my way then. I'll see you lot there."
—————

Molly was pleasantly surprised to see the twins and Florence when they had arrived at the Burrow. She had been running about the house, cleaning and cooking and planning. All her fancy tablecloths and dinnerware had come out of their hiding places, and were now being arranged as meticulously as possible. She had been barking orders at Arthur, Charlie and Bill when Florence knocked on the door, hearing the woman mumble and grumble on her way to the door, her expression completely changing at the sight of the twins and Florence.

"Oh! Florence, how wonderful of you to come by! I thought you were busy today?"

"Hey mum, nice to see you too." George said sarcastically, making Florence chuckle, "We ended up with a clear schedule today. I told the boys we might as well stop by and offer our help when we've got nothing else to do."

"Oh, no help at all!" Molly insisted, "Florence, you are a guest. Guests don't help set up the venue. Come, come, in you go.." she smiled, ushering Florence in to their home, leaving Fred and George standing at the threshold. She looked over at the twins, "Your father is outside setting up the chairs. They are quite heavy... You two ought to go help him with them."

"Gee, I guess she still has her favorites." Fred said as Florence turned around to flash the pair an apologetic look, before Molly pulled her in to the kitchen to taste the first batch of fruit tarts she had made.

Bill left to fetch the Delacours from their rental home in the city, seeing as they had no other way to get to the Burrow without Bill to help them. Molly awaited the arrival of her future in-law and her family rather anxiously, repeatedly pacing the length of the house as everyone else was seated in the living room. Florence had snuck a couple of fruit tarts for the twins, Fred and George eating them in secret as they watched their mother pace back and forth.

"I don't know why but looking at her stresses me out," said Fred, his mouth half full with chewed up tart crust, "I'm not the one meeting my eldest son's in-laws..."

Florence whipped a handkerchief from a hidden pocket in her dress, wiping the crumbs on the corner of Fred's mouth just as Molly was walking back towards them. Arthur looked bored out of his wits, and was fighting the urge to fall asleep. Florence pulled another fruit tart wrapped in a paper napkin from her other pocket, offering it to the man. His eyes lit up, accepting it gratefully.

A few more minutes passed before they heard a loud knock on the door, Molly jumping slightly in place, taking a few minutes to breath before she made a beeline towards the door. Charlie looked over to his dad, "You should go with her. Just to make sure she'll be nice."

Arthur sighed, hesitantly getting up from his comfortable place on the couch before following after his wife. Shortly after, the people still sat in the living room heard their rather loud exchange of greetings, Florence hearing the heavy accents of the Delacours, as well as Bill. A few moments later, Arthur returned to the living room to usher the rest out to the garden where Molly had set up a lovely table arrangement. It was the perfect weather for outdoor dining as well, and Molly's flowers were blooming all around them. The Delacours were already seated by the time Fred, George, Florence and Charlie came around the back, filling up the empty seats around the large round table.

Mr. and Mrs. Delacour had a much heavier accent up close, Bill having to repeat what they say to his parents at times. Mrs. Delacour had complimented her flowers, and Molly complimented the tasteful hat she was wearing. It didn't take long for rhe conversation to come to a dead end, Bill and Fleur looking to each other rather nervously.

"Theze are very delicious fruit tarts, Madame Weazley." Fleur said, in a futile attempt to rekindle the conversation around the table, "Are zey your recipe?"

"Why yes," she smiled, "Passed on from a long generation of Prewetts. I could give you the recipe if you want?"

Mrs. Delacour chuckled at this, "My Fleur doesn't cook, Madame. When zey are wed, I will make sure zat zay will have 'elp around leur maison."

Molly pursed her lips at this, looking to her husband briefly, "Well I don't think they'll need to hire someone to do things that they can do on their own. A little independence would be healthy for a young couple, don't you think?"

"If you are worried about ze expensez, Madame, we will be glad to assizt." Mr. Delacour said, Fred and George growing nervous at the frown on their mother's face. Florence cleared her throat, stepping in, "Have you made any wedding plans, Fleur, Bill?"

"Oh yes." Bill said immediately, flashing her a grateful look, "Fleur's already had most of the things down... like color schemes, flower arrangements, date, venue..."

"We were 'oping, Madame Weazley, if it would be okay wiz you zat we do our wedding 'ere?"

"Here?" Molly repeated, "At the Burrow?"

"Oui." Fleur smiled, "A nice garden wedding."

"Mariage de jardin? Tu es folle? Ce jardin est très petit!" Mrs. Delacour said in a rather angry tone, Molly looking to Bill who shrugged, not knowing nearly enough French to understand. Fleur frowned at her mother, "Maman, s'il te plaît!" she scolded, "It will be a nice small wedding."

"What if it rainz?" Mr. Delacour asked.

"We can put up a tent." Arthur said, Mr. Delacour looking as though he had less of a problem with the idea of a Garden wedding than his wife. They had spent a good thirty minutes trying to convince Mrs. Delacour to agree to the venue, and another twenty talking over other details. The finger foods had disappeared and the tea was already cold. Everyone else were bored out of their minds, watching the back and forth conversations between the two families.

"Didn't seem like this needed a lot of buffering." George whispered, "Thanks a lot, Charlie... now we're stuck here."

"Well I'm sorry for thinking that this was going to be a little bit more dramatic. With how mum is I thought this was gonna go sideways five minutes in."  he confessed, his voice in the lowest whisper, "I think, if you ask nicely, she'll let you leave."

"This is our mum we're talking about." Fred butted in, "There's no nicely asking our way out of this." he said sadly, before his eyes grew wide. As if on cue, the three Weasley brothers looked to Florence rather hopefully, the girl frowning at this, "No..." she whispered as quietly as she could, as she was right beside Mrs. Weasley. Fred poked at her rib, the girl shaking her head no, which caught Mrs. Weasley's attention.

"Fred, stop bothering your fiancée." she chastised, Fred growing pink at the ears from being called out. He cleared his throat, feeling everyone's eyes on him, "Sorry mum, I was just trying to remind her that she had somewhere to be in a bit."

"Oh," Molly said, surprised, "Well please, don't let us hold you back, dear!" she insisted, Florence growing shy as Fred and George high-fived underneath the table. Molly turned to her future in-laws, "Florence here is my Fred's bride-to-be. She's an Auror in training and we couldn't be happier for her."

Mrs. Delacour looked impressed, "Zat iz a very rezpectable occupation."

"Thank you. But really, its fine... I don't have to go right now. My thing can wait."

"Nonsense, dear," Arthur chimed in, "You go do what you have to do. I've heard that you Auror trainees are having your evaluations next week. Best prepare for it as much as you can. Its been lovely having you here."

Molly nodded encouragingly, Florence now not having a choice but to oblige, "Thank you, Molly, Arthur. The tea was lovely too."

"You boys best be on your way too. Accompany Florence back home." Molly smiled to the twins, the two using every ounce of energy to hide how ecstatic they were because of this. The three bade everyone on the table good bye, Florence hugging Molly and Fleur before heading out. As soon as they were out of earshot, she smacked Fred on the arm, "Ouch! What—you should be thanking me."

"Thank you, brother." George said in a heartbeat, Florence rolling her eyes at them, "It isn't polite to leave in the middle of tea."

"She didn't seem to mind. It was boring in there too. I thought we were having actual dinner but instead we were stuffed with tarts and crumpets."

"You're not full yet?" Florence asked incredulously, Fred and George shaking their head, "Florence, you eat like a bird. You can't compare your appetite to ours."

"I do not eat like a bird," she scoffed, before looking thoughtful. "I mean, I guess we have some stuff at home that I can whip up for dinner..."

"We can just get takeout instead?" Fred suggested, Florence looking grateful at the suggestion, "That would be nice. I really didn't feel like cooking at all."

"So... Leaky Cauldron...?"

"No!" Florence and Fred said simultaneously, not wanting another false baby scare.

/////
a.n: Hiiii! Sorry for so many filler chapters. I've been having fun writing a lot of Frerence, and I figured I should squeeze a lot of lighthearted chapters before shit starts hitting the fan (we're at May of 1997 right now, so y'all know what's next).

ALSO PEEP THE 1 MILLION READS! WE'VE COME A LOOOONG WAY!! Y'ALL ARE SO AMAZING I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT THANK YOU ❤️

- Denise