Christmas with the Malfoys - 5

"And why are they bothering with Ron when Percy is here and makes a perfectly delightful target?" Fred asked, nodding toward Percy who was seated next to Mrs. Weasley.

"He only sat there because he thinks we wouldn't dare do anything while he's so close to Mum," George said, grumbling.

"Well, he's right, isn't he?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow at her brothers.

"Aww, come on now, Ginny. Do you really think we'd let a little thing like Mum's temper get in the way of our pranking abilities? This is serious business," Fred said, his eyes sparkling.

"A little thing?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Okay, so maybe a formidable thing, but still, there are always ways around it. You know the secret to Mum is to never let her build up her rant, right? Well, there are a few other little tricks we've learned through the years," George replied, folding his arms behind his head.

"Tricks such as knowing the moment to strike with something really good is right when she's the most pleased with us," said Fred.

"Such as right after you gift her with a bright blue traveling cloak that she's been fancying at Gladrags for several months," George said with a wink.

"Uh oh," Ginny said, grinning. "So, Percy can expect it right after presents, I suppose?"

Harry leaned back in his chair, grinning while he watched the siblings interact. He was eager to see what they had in store for Percy come present time. Harry wasn't certain he'd take Mrs. Weasley's wrath so cavalierly. She was downright scary when she was upset.

"You two certainly spend a lot of time on your little tricks, don't you?" Iris asked, entering the dining room behind Fred and George. She was dressed in red, and her eyes were sparkling. Harry thought she looked rather festive.

Fred started, taken aback, as if it had never occurred to him that someone might not find him truly funny.

"Did you get cornered by our mistletoe?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows. "Better not let your sister know if you were standing with Malfoy."

Iris rolled her eyes. "I prefer my men a little bit…older," she said, tossing her head and taking a seat with her family.

Fred watched her, mouth agape. Giggling, Ginny leaned across the table and pushed his chin upward to close it. Fred swatted her hand away.

"Better not let Mum see that," Ginny said, chuckling.

A tinkling of laughter from the other end of the table caught Harry's attention. He could see Pansy Parkinson giggling as Draco kept scooping up his green beans and transferring them to her plate.

Harry shook his head, feeling disconcerted seeing Draco act so…well, so normal. He didn't like it. His ears perked up as he overheard the conversation taking place at that end of the table.

"You work at the Ministry, don't you, young man?" Mrs. Parkinson asked, nodding at Percy. She was seated between her daughters, but Harry gave her credit for at least attempting to make conversation with the other dinner guests. As usual, Narcissa Malfoy was ignoring everyone but the Parkinsons and her son. Aside from Professor McGonagall, she rarely spoke to anyone else at headquarters.

"I do," Percy replied, sitting up straighter. His gaze briefly flickered to his father, and Harry knew he was perplexed about what the Slytherins were doing there. Obviously, Percy hadn't been included in everything going on at headquarters.

"How is Dolores managing? I know she had quite a traumatic time during her stint at Hogwarts. It's nice to see how well she's done for herself. She's always been ambitious," Mrs. Parkinson said, sipping her wine.