Summary: ***Winner of Most Humorous and joint winner of the People's Choice Award for the Prank Wars Challenge (2022)***Enough is enough. It's time to put Fred and George in their place.
Rating: G
Categories: Post-OotP, Prank Wars Challenge (2022-2)
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2022.04.28
Updated: 2022.04.28
Enough is Enough by Gin110881
Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Author's Notes: The Burrow, summer of 1996
With long strides, Harry hurried up the stairs of the Burrow. He'd been playing Quidditch with the Weasleys all afternoon and wanted a quick shower and change of clothes before dinner.
He opened the wardrobe he shared with Ron, took out a fresh tee. When he opened the bottom drawer to take out a pair of boxers, Harry froze. That wasn't his underwear. Where his boxer shorts had been lying that morning, there were now pink panties and two bras. Harry blushed. Should that be Ginny's underwear? It certainly wasn't Mrs Weasleys. But how did Ginny's knickers get into his wardrobe.
Hesitantly, Harry picked up a bra and studied it. The image of Ginny wearing this bra rose unbidden in his mind. He got hot at the thought. He resisted the urge to inhale its scent to see if it really smelled like Ginny. Merlin, what was he doing here. He wasn't a pervert, was he? Harry was glad he'd become good friends with Ginny over the summer. If Ginny knew what he was doing right now, she would never look at him again.
Harry was about to put the bra back in the wardrobe when there was a knock.
"Harry? Are you there?" came Ginny's voice from the other side of the door.
Harry's breath hitched as the door slowly opened, and Ginny peered through the crack in the door.
He was about to toss the tell-tale garment onto Ron's bed, hoping Ginny wouldn't notice, when he saw the stack of boxers in her hand.
"Erm..." Ginny began, cheeks slightly flushed, "Those are yours, aren't they? I recognize them from the laundry."
"Yes," said Harry. "But I don't know how..."
"It must have been the twins again," Ginny voiced her suspicions. "It wouldn't be the first prank they've played on us lately."
Harry nodded, remembering how he and Ginny had gotten red fingernails after drinking their morning tea a few days ago. Or how a horde of garden gnomes had thrown chicken manure at them when he and Ginny were lying on the lawn behind the house sunning themselves. He didn't know why Ginny was so sure it was the twins' work, but he had to admit it looked very much like it. And Ginny knew her brothers better than him.
"Do you happen to know where my underwear is?" asked Ginny.
Ginny's question snapped Harry out of his thoughts. "Oh..." he looked down at the bra in his hand and blushed.
A mischievous grin spread across Ginny's face as she noticed what Harry was holding in his hand. "I doubt it fits you. I could help you get one your size, though."
Harry looked at Ginny with wide eyes. It took him a moment to realize she was teasing him. He shrugged his shoulders. "I've already asked Hermione to help me. But I suspect she'll be spending all day at the Book and Stationery store, so I'm happy to accept your offer."
Ginny laughed. "This will definitely be fun."
"Your things are in my wardrobe. I found them when I went to get some fresh clothes. I wanted to take a quick shower before dinner."
"Thanks," Ginny replied. In a sudden hurry, she laid Harry's boxers on his bed and took her things out of the wardrobe.
When she was about to leave the room, she turned around again and flashed him an impish grin. "I'll let you know when I'm done showering. I'm supposed to help Mum set the table later."
Harry's eyes widened. "Ginny, you can't..." But Ginny had already closed the door behind her and didn't hear him anymore.
"Damn," Harry cursed, looking down at the bra in his hand that Ginny had forgotten in her haste.
The next day after lunch, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione walked down the path to the pond. It was supposed to be a hot day, and they were looking forward to getting into the cool water.
They stopped at the edge of the meadow and spread their blankets and bath towels in the shade under one of the elms. Harry laid his towel over the picnic basket Ginny's mother had given them so the cooling charms wouldn't wear off too fast.
He was just debating whether to lie down in the shade before going for a swim when Ginny yelled, "The last one is dragon dung," and dashed off to the pond.
"I'm just finishing the chapter I started before lunch," Hermione called after them as Ron and Harry raced after Ginny. Reaching the waist-deep water, Ginny turned and attacked the boys, splashing them with the cold water.
"Just wait. We'll get you," Ron gasped, wiping the water from his face.
Harry just laughed and nodded when his best mate waved his hand, directing him to attack Ginny from the other side to get her in the middle.
Guessing their intention, Ginny turned and dived away.
While Harry was carefully watching the surface, waiting for Ginny to reappear, he unconsciously scratched his crotch.
Suddenly Ginny was storming out of the water, shrieking, "What's that?" Giving Harry a fiery look, she itched all over. "What the hell is that?"
Harry suddenly notices a bad itching, too. He scratched his crotch again and the behind, this time consciously and more forcefully. Something was wrong with his swimming trunks.
Giving Harry a dark look, Ginny asked, "Are you itchy too?"
"Yeah," Harry muttered, looking accusatory at Ginny. "You didn't think it was me?"
They both turned to Ron, who was staring at them, flabbergasted. "What's it?"
"Damn, the twins. I'll kill them." Ginny cried and ran out of the water. Grabbing her bath towel, she threw it over her shoulders and turned away, apparently to remove her bathing suit.
Following Ginny in long strides, Harry wrapped his bath towel around his waist and took off his swimming trunks. The itching subsided. Unfortunately, they'd walked to the pond in their bathing suits and didn't have anything to change with them.
Ginny turned to him. Wrapped in her bath towel, she was scratching herself through the fabric. "I'm sick of it. We have to do something. If only I knew why those gits always pick us to play their games."
"Why are you so sure it was the twins?" Harry asked cautiously.
Ginny raised her eyebrows and grinned at Harry. "I did a little poking around in their room a few days ago when they were in the store they're about to open. And among the stuff, I found a jar labelled Hydrophilic (W)Itching Powder, and fine print 'only itches when wet'."
"Then let's beat them at their own game," Harry suggested.
Ginny's face lit up, and she grinned.
When the family arrived for dinner the following Sunday, Harry took a seat at the extended kitchen table. He'd arranged with Ginny that they would not sit next to each other as they had often done over the summer holidays. Harry had just greeted Bill and Fleur, who were seated across from him, when Ron sat down next to him with Hermione on his other side.
Impatiently, Harry looked at the door since Fred and George apparently were late. He was hoping they would arrive soon, otherwise the surprise he and Ginny had in store for them would have to be postponed.
Everyone present but Ginny and her mother were already seated when the door finally opened, and Ginny's twin brothers finally walked in. They mumbled an excuse that they were very busy as their new shop on Diagon Alley was due to open next week.
"You're lucky you got here in time," Ginny called out to them while handing out the starters. "Mum made your favourites today. Pea and ham soup, and then Toad in the Hole.
While Fred and George cheered loudly, Harry looked a bit unhappy. He loved Mrs Weasleys cooking, but Toad in the Hole wasn't exactly his favourite food. However, since Ginny had told him that her twin brothers loved it more than anything, he had agreed to ask their mother to prepare it for tonight's dinner.
After handing out the soup, Ginny sat down next to her mother, who had placed the self-serve drinks on the table. Harry was pleased to note that Ginny was sitting a few seats away from her twin brothers. It would look more innocent that way when their prank would spring into action, which was likely to happen soon.
Most had their spoons already in their hand when Mrs. Weasley finally said, "Enjoy the meal!"
Harry concentrated on his soup, trying not to look over at Fred and George so as not to arouse suspicion. He mumbled an uncertain "I don't know yet" when Ron asked him what he was up to that afternoon. Harry hoped he could meet Ginny to celebrate the success of their prank, that is, if it was a success. He trusted Ginny that she'd done everything right, but he couldn't help but glance at the twins out of the corner of his eye to see if they were finally eating their soup.
Harry glanced over at Ginny, who was relaxed eating her soup, when a grumbling noise came from George's stomach, and he let out an audible fart.
"Bless you!" Fred smirked and gave his brother an appreciative grin.
"George. Behave yourself. We're sitting here at dinner," reprimanded Mrs Weasley.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it," George replied as his eyes widened and an even louder rumble was heard in his gut.
"Mum, did you put something in my food?" whimpered George, clutching his stomach.
"Me too," cried Fred, farting followed by a loud gurgle in his stomach. He jumped up and pushed back his chair, which fell backwards. Muttering, "I think I'd better go to the loo," he stormed up the stairs.
George followed immediately, but was too late. Banging at the door, he called, "Fred, hurry up. I really need to go to the loo. Let me in right now or... oh shit. Shit." After a moment of silence, George groaned, "You can take your time, dear brother of mine."
Mrs Weasley stood and examined the pot of pea and ham soup. She shook her head thoughtfully. "The soup is fine." Throwing a reproachful look around, she asked, "Which one of you did that?"
Harry tried to look as inconspicuously as possible but could barely suppress a smirk as Ginny blurted out with a totally innocent look, "Who knows what those two tried in their shop. Just imagine they were selling that stuff."
"The soup is great anyway. I could have another soup plate," said Ron.
"Molly dear. Would you mind checking on the boys?" Mr Weasley asked in a calm voice. "In the meantime, we'll make sure your delicious food doesn't get cold."
Mrs Weasley nodded her agreement and followed her sons up the stairs.
When Harry glanced over at Ginny, she flashed him a quick grin and immediately looked down at her plate again.
A good twenty minutes later, Fred and George came down the stairs, followed by their mother. They looked a little pale, Harry noticed.
As the sausages at Toad in the Hole had already been eaten when they resumed their seats, Mrs Weasley offered, "I've got some sausages left if you want them."
"No. Thanks," Fred mumbled, immediately clutching his stomach again. "I can't eat anything now."
"George?" Mrs Weasley looked questioningly at her other son.
"Better not," he pressed out and looked around the table.
His gaze rested on Ginny, who was smiling back at him. "I hope you're feeling better."
"What kind of stuff have you guys been testing in your lab that doesn't agree with Mum's food?" asked Ron amused. "Not that I'm complaining. There was more for me that way."
Fred shot a quick glance at his twin brother, who answered with a nod.
"I think we better get some fresh air now," George announced, and the two made their way outside.
"What's for dessert?" asked Ron, craning his neck.
"Treacle Tart," Ginny called. "Wait, I'll get it."
Later that evening, with most of the Burrow residents in bed, Harry and Ginny were still sitting on the sofa in the living room.
"I didn't think the fart powder would give them the shit," Harry said.
Ginny just shrugged and grinned. "Who knows how old that powder was we found in Fred's nightstand." She chortled. "Maybe it was from the first batch they ever made years ago."
"And you don't have a guilty conscience?" asked Harry.
"No. They've done worse to me," Ginny replied.
Harry chuckled. "True sibling love then."
"Yep. That's part of it," Ginny said, barely suppressing a yawn.
"I need you to tell me about their pranks," Harry said. "Ron's always tight-lipped about that."
Ginny giggled. "Understandable. He was mostly on the receiving end when the twins were playing pranks."
"And you?"
"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose," Ginny said with a telling glance.
As Harry looked at Ginny, he took in her brown eyes, her red hair glistening in the light of the living room lamp, the billions of freckles on her face and down the cleavage of her faded Holy Head Harpies T-shirt, the rise and fall of her chest in the rhythm of her breathing...
He really liked Ginny, Harry realized in astonishment. But hadn't he always liked her? He was glad they had become such good friends over the summer and was looking forward to seeing her more often when they were back at Hogwarts.
"Harry?" Ginny asked, jolting him out of his thoughts. "What is wrong with you?"
Harry looked up. His heart started pounding when he noticed the unreadable look Ginny was giving him.
"I was just thinking that we could meet up in the common room more next year now that we've become such good friends."
Ginny bit her lower lip and eyed him intently. Harry could almost feel her thoughts rattling.
"Yes," she finally said, slowly nodding, looking thoughtful. "We can try that."
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