╰┈➤ ❝ [𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐸𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇] ❞ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-
⁺⤾·˚.⃗.[ᴛʜᴇ ɢɴᴏᴍᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜғғsᴋᴇɪɴ]𑁍ࠜೄ ˊˎ
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The Burrow
Village of Ottery St Catchpole
- Devon, England
( July, 1995. )

𝑻he late morning sunlight filtered into the Burrow's cozy kitchen, illuminating the worn wooden table where Ginny sat, casually munching on a sandwich. Plates of bread, slices of cheese, and jars of assorted jams and spreads were scattered across the table. She looked up as Fred, George, Olympia, and Cassie trudged into the kitchen, looking much better after their recovery nap and the effects of Olympia's hangover draught.

"You're finally up," Ginny said, smirking. "Mum and Dad are off on a date, so we're fending for ourselves for lunch."

Fred's face lit up as he flopped into a chair beside Ginny. "A date, you say? Merlin, they're still romantic after all these years? That's terrifying."

"It's sweet," Cassie said with a smile, sitting beside him and grabbing a piece of bread.

George, on the other hand, was entirely focused on Olympia, who stood across from him, casually reaching for the jam. His gaze lingered on her longer than necessary, and when she sat down next to him, his knee brushed hers under the table. Olympia glanced at him, her lips twitching into a small smile, and her cheeks faintly flushed.

George didn't stop there. His hand rested on the edge of the bench, close enough to graze hers. It was subtle, but Olympia noticed, casting him a playful glance. He responded with a faint smirk, his eyes dancing with mischief. The silent exchange continued as they worked on assembling their sandwiches, neither saying a word but clearly locked in their own world.

Ginny, oblivious to their silent flirting, rolled her eyes at Fred, who had just spread so much mustard on his sandwich that it was threatening to drip onto the table. "Do you have to make everything a disaster?"

Fred grinned. "A masterpiece, Ginny. It's called a masterpiece."

Before Ginny could retort, Ron wandered into the kitchen, looking slightly disheveled but hungry. He stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms as he looked around the room.

"Man," Ron said, shaking his head, "it's crazy that Mum and Dad haven't figured you two out yet."

George froze mid-reach for a slice of cheese, his hand hovering awkwardly in the air. Olympia stiffened slightly, her eyes darting toward Ron. Ginny, now fully paying attention, paused mid-bite, her eyebrows shooting up.

Fred, sensing the tension, immediately leaned forward, his face lighting up with exaggerated interest. "Figured out what, Ronniekins?" he asked, his tone dripping with faux innocence.

Ron snorted, grabbing a plate and starting to assemble his sandwich. "Oh, please. I'm not a bloody idiot. George and Olympia over there act like no one notices when they're making eyes at each other. And the whole 'accidental touching' thing? Subtle as a troll in a teashop."

Ginny's jaw dropped slightly as she looked between George and Olympia, who were now avoiding eye contact with everyone but each other. "Wait—you two?" Ginny asked, her voice rising slightly in surprise. "Seriously?"

George cleared his throat, trying to recover as he picked up his sandwich. "We're just... close."

"Close?" Ron said, smirking. "Mate, you just buttered her bread without even realizing it."

Olympia's cheeks flushed a deep red as Fred burst out laughing, almost choking on his sandwich. "You're terrible at this, George," Fred managed between laughs. "Absolutely terrible."

George glared at Ron, though his ears were turning red. "Alright, alright. Maybe we're together. So what?"

Ron shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich like it was no big deal. "Nothing. Just think it's mad that Mum hasn't caught on yet. She's like a bloodhound when it comes to that sort of thing."

Ginny, still staring at Olympia and George like she was trying to solve a puzzle, finally let out a huff of amusement. "Well, that explains a lot. Like why you're always sitting next to each other. And the way George keeps finding excuses to touch your hand or your arm. How have I been this blind?"

Olympia, now laughing despite herself, swatted George lightly on the arm. "We're not that bad."

"You are," Fred chimed in, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. "But don't worry, we'll protect your little secret from Mum. For now."

"Gee, thanks," George muttered, though his hand found Olympia's under the table, giving it a small squeeze.

The group fell into an easy rhythm after that, the teasing subsiding into laughter and jokes as they devoured their sandwiches. But Ginny and Ron continued to exchange knowing smirks, clearly enjoying the fact that George and Olympia weren't nearly as sneaky as they thought.

The kitchen was filled with the sound of light conversation, the occasional clinking of plates, and the scraping of chairs as the group devoured their makeshift lunch. Fred and George were still teasing Ron about his questionable sandwich-building skills, while Cassie rolled her eyes and Olympia tried not to laugh. Ginny sat across from them, finishing her sandwich in peace, occasionally interjecting with a witty remark.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from the garden. There was a cacophony of squeaky snarls, rustling leaves, and what sounded suspiciously like angry clucking. Everyone froze mid-bite.

"Bloody hell—What in Merlin's name is that?" Ron muttered, craning his neck toward the window.

"Sounds like the gnomes are at it again," Ginny said, sighing as she pushed her plate aside. "Come on, Mum hates it when they mess with the chickens."

The group exchanged looks before springing into action, bolting out the back door and into the garden. The scene before them was pure chaos: a gang of garden gnomes was hopping and chittering, circling something small and fluffy in the middle of the flower bed. The violet ball of fluff let out high-pitched chirps, trying to dodge their tiny, grubby hands as they lunged at it.

"Oh no!" Olympia gasped. "It's a puff-skein!"

Before anyone could stop her, she dashed forward, her hands reaching out to scoop up the terrified little creature. The ball of fluff immediately curled into a tight ball in her palms, letting out a faint, trembling squeak.

"Oh, you stupid little gnomes!" Olympia snapped, glaring at the gnomes, who now seemed confused and mildly offended. "What's wrong with you? Picking on something so tiny and helpless!"

Cassie crossed her arms, watching as Olympia cradled the tiny fluffball like a newborn. "You're yelling at gnomes, Olympia. I'm not sure they care."

"I don't care if they care," Olympia huffed, turning on her heel and marching toward the house. "I'm taking this poor baby inside."

Fred and George exchanged amused glances, clearly enjoying the spectacle, while Ginny watched with wide eyes. "You're really just... keeping it?" Ginny asked as they followed Olympia back to the kitchen.

"Of course I am," Olympia said firmly, gently stroking the puffskein's soft fur. "Look at her! She's scared out of her mind."

Cassie leaned against the table, watching Olympia set the puffskein on the counter, where it uncurled slightly, its tiny nose twitching as it let out a cautious chirp. "Mum's going to kill us, you know. She's terrified of anything even remotely rodent-like."

"Well, I don't give a damn," Olympia said defiantly, her hands on her hips. "This little one isn't a rodent—it's a magical creature. And she's staying."

Fred leaned down to get a closer look at the tiny creature, grinning. "I'll admit, it's pretty cute. And I don't say that lightly."

George nodded, resting his chin on Olympia's shoulder as he peered at the Puffskein. "It's like a sentient puffball. How could anyone be scared of that?"

Ron, however, eyed it warily from a distance. "Are we sure it's safe? What if it's cursed or something?"

The little puffskein let out another soft chirp, nuzzling into Olympia's hand. Its tiny nose twitched as it curled into her palm, clearly content to be safe from the gnomes' mischief. Olympia melted instantly, her expression softening into a warm smile. "I'm naming her... Lilac."

"Lilac?" George repeated, raising an eyebrow as a flicker of recognition crossed his face. His thoughts immediately flashed to a few days ago when the two of them had stolen away to the lilac field down the hill, lying side by side under the sun, talking, laughing, and kissing lazily as the soft floral scent surrounded them. It had been their little secret, their moment of stolen peace.

His lips quirked up into a small, knowing smile as his eyes locked on hers. Olympia, catching the glint of realization in his gaze, returned his look with a soft, private smile of her own. She nodded ever so slightly, the gesture subtle but unmistakable.

Fred, oblivious to the quiet exchange, leaned closer to get a better look at the puffskein. "Lilac, huh? Sounds fancy for a fuzzball."

"It's perfect," Olympia said, her gaze flicking back to the tiny creature in her hand. "She's sweet, soft, and beautiful. Just like lilacs."

George's smile widened, his fingers brushing lightly against hers as if to quietly affirm the memory they shared. "Lilac suits her."

Cassie, sitting back with a slice of bread in hand, snorted. "Well, I hope Lilac appreciates you risking Mum's wrath for her. You know she's going to flip."

"I don't care," Olympia replied firmly, cradling Lilac closer to her chest. "She's staying."

Ginny smirked, watching the exchange with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "This is going to be interesting."

Fred leaned back in his chair, grinning. "I give it a day before her mum finds out and tries to toss it out. And you know what? I'm betting on Olympia to win."

"Of course she'll win," George said without missing a beat, his tone light but filled with quiet confidence. "She's stubborn when it comes to things she cares about."

Olympia shot him a playful look, but her cheeks flushed faintly at the compliment. "And I care about Lilac," she said, stroking the puff ball's fur as it let out another soft chirp.

Ron, sitting at the end of the table and still keeping his distance from the tiny creature, muttered, "Just keep it away from me. I don't trust anything that small and fluffy. It's unnatural."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, grow up, Ron. Like George said: It's a sentient cotton ball, not a cursed object."

The group fell into easy banter as they returned to their lunch, Lilac happily nestled in a small nest of kitchen towels on the table. Olympia glanced at George once more, her smile lingering as she caught the quiet, affectionate look he was giving her. It was a small moment, shared only between them, but it carried a weight that made her heart flutter.

Lilac chirped again, her tiny presence already brightening the room. Olympia couldn't help but think that, much like the lilacs in the field, this little puffskein was going to be something special.