After the excitement of them meeting on the train, nothing newly interesting had happened for the quartet of mischief makers that consisted of the four first years. The sorting ceremony had gone as expected, well except for one little hiccup that the boys hadn't expected yet the girls had. Fred and George Weasley alongside Emerald Thunderbird had been sorted into the red and gold house of Gryffindor, but Ruby had been a different story. Ruby Phoenix, to no shock of her cousin yet all the shock of the boys, had been sorted into Slytherin. This didn't change anything between them though, except for the fact that they couldn't spend every last moment together like they had expected to be able to beforehand. This didn't stop them from causing a bit of mischief though, doing so yet making sure they didn't caught quite yet. After all, they would all feel bad if even one of them got expelled for causing too much trouble while they were in school. From there the next few months seemed to fly by and, with how much time they spent together, it didn't take long for them all to start passing their classes and for them all to find their strengths at this school of magic. Emerald showed a real passion for Transfiguration, showing true talent in it which made Professor Mcgonigal happy until it got turned to other students. Ruby on the other hand, much akin to most others in the green and silver house, showed quite the talent in potions and was quickly becoming Professor Snape's favorite in her year. The twins on the other hand showed prestige in their own classes, Fred also in Transfigurations and George in Charms class surprisingly enough. Granted; they all never truly earned the title of teacher's pet thanks to all the trouble they caused, but they were all quite skilled nonetheless. The girls had written to their parents like Mrs. Weasley had recommended them to do so, but that only made their parents more determined to handle those aurors with viscous accuracy under the law. The twins constantly wrote to their mother and got letters back in return, some happy to hear from them and others mad about their shenanigans she had heard about from the school. They all managed to keep themselves entertained throughout the months till finally the winter month of December came. It wouldn't be long now till they went on winter break and they wouldn't be able to see each other as much. This of course was news that the newly formed group of mischief makers didn't like to receive, but they had nonetheless as they had to figure out what they would do to redeem this. Sure, it would be just as simple for them all to write to each other. However, the girls had their court meetings and with the holidays coming everything was going to become busy. This is what they were thinking about as the four of them sat outside in the corridor, eating their meals together so that they didn't have to earn the glares of one house or the other. Emerald was twirling her wand over and over again in her hand like a drumstick, looking at the gray sky with a sigh. Fred sat across from her in the little window cut out, munching on an apple as an after lunch snack as they had finished eating a mere moment ago. Ruby sat on the bench across from them, writing in a muggle notebook her parents had sent her with a matching pen as she did so. George was sitting next to her, munching on an apple himself as they tried to think of ways to keep in touch over the holidays. This was being done by the four of them doing their own thinking process, trying to think of something that would work and make sense in order for them all to keep in touch. It wouldn't be an issue for Emerald and Ruby to keep in touch, they lived right next door to each other on their respective ranches. The same things could be said for the twins, what with them living in the same house and all. That wasn't the issue here though. The issue is that the two girls wanted to keep in touch with the two boys and they couldn't think of how to do so. It was a lazy Saturday which meant today was the perfect day to think of something, to come up with some sort of answer with a small sigh as they all did their work with a sigh.
"So…Any good ideas so far, Rubes?" Emerald asked the other girl with a sigh, earning a small shake of the head as she thumped her pen against the page of the notebook she was working in. Both Fred and sighed at the answer, tossing the cores of the apples out with a sigh as they looked at each other. They stood and began to pace around the hallway, the two girls watching them for a moment before they went back to their own thinking activities to see what they could come up with themselves. They would all stop every once in a while when they had an idea, but soon after they would continue and the others would become crestfallen at the loss of another idea. They just didn't know what they were going to do and, thanks to all the walking, the gentler of the two twins sat back down with a sigh. He looked up at the ceiling longingly, letting out a small sigh as he thought about not being able to see the girls over break.
"I don't see why you girls just can't come visit us during the break. Come and stay for a few days and spend part of the holidays with us." George hummed out, earning a sad yet curious look from the others who nodded in agreement. Then it hit Fred like a ton of bricks, a smile curling his lips up as he looked at George from where he had been leaning against the stone wall.
"That's a bloody brilliant idea George! Bloody brilliant!" Fred said, a look of pure excitement holding his features as the other three looked at him in confusion. They didn't know what Fred was on about, but Emerald was the first one to figure out what he meant. She sat up in excitement, her long ponytail swishing from the movement as she looked at Fred with happy eyes that were the same color as her name.
"That IS a bloody brilliant idea! We could go back and forth between the two houses, just in time for the holidays!" Emerald hummed out with a smile, jumping out of the window frame as she beamed with pride at the idea. Ruby picked up on it next, but her look was less excited and was more so filled with questions than anything else.
"It is, but we've got to figure out a few other details about this before we go anywhere. We need to answer a few questions and not to mention we have to talk to all three sets of parents before we decide on anything. After all, they have just as much say as we do." She hummed out, earning a groan from the other three yet George nodded in agreement. She was right and they all knew it, but Fred and Emerald didn't like the whole thoroughly thinking out part of the process.
"Fine, then let's figure it out quickly so we can send off an owl." Fred sighed out, earning an eye roll from the only Slytherin in their group.
"So, when would we be switching houses? This is going to be the first question they ask and we need an answer." Ruby asked with a hum, sitting down and clicking her pen once more before she held it to the notebook with a smile. The three all proceeded to think for a moment, mauling it over as best they could before George answered.
"Probably Christmas morning. That depends on whether or not you two have plans that are important for one day or another." George murmured out with a smile, looking at her notebook as she wrote everything down. Fred and Emerald nodded in agreement, Emerald wandered over to her cousin with a smile as she watched the other write down this information.
"We do most of our celebrating Christmas Eve as one huge family and finish up Christmas Morning. Will that work for you guys?" Ruby hummed out, looking up at George then over to Fred with a smile after she wrote everything down. The twins nodded their heads in agreement, knowing their family did everything Christmas Day instead of the night before so it would work. Ruby smiled as she wrote that down before she then finished writing off the letter and did it once more for the twins.
"There we are. Give this to your owl boys and we'll send off our letters right now." She explained with a smile, whistling for the owl that did the letter delivery to Emerald and her families. The boys rolled their eyes at the joke, smiling as Ruby gave the two letters to the owl before sending it on its way. The rest of the time before break was spent much the same way, attending classes and pulling pranks while still corresponding with their families about the plans to stay together over the winter holiday. Both the Thunderbird and Phoenix parents had said it was okay and so had the Weasley parents. The only slight snag they hit was when it came time to figure out transportation. Luckily it wasn't a hard snag, just one that had to be ironed out before they did anything else. The girls' family offered to bring them over to the Weasley burrow Christmas morning to keep everything easier for the Weasley family which was okay with Molly and Arthur. They then spent the last few days before the Winter Holiday figuring out gifts and everything and packing up their things before they left the school. The ride to the train station was much the same as it had been to the school, only a little less chaotic as the girls were much more relaxed than they had been before. When they reached the station, a large family of eight people were standing there and it became very obvious where the girls got their looks from as they got off the train with their things. There stood two men with women beside them and two other little girls who were anxiously wanting to run toward the four of them. Fred and George stared in awe, knowing that while their direct family is bigger to see such a closely tight knit set of extended family members together in their lives. Emerald and Ruby dropped their suitcases next to the boys and ran over to the families in front of them, the little girls running toward them as well as they did. This earned a chuckle from the parents who walked over to them, looking at the girls and hugging their respective children tightly before their gaze turned to the stunned boys. The two dads walked over, looking the boys over with a smirks that looked all too familiar to the twins. It was obvious even more now where the girls got those trademark smirks of theirs and those intense hair colors. Both men had hair that was a rainbow of colors and a pair of hazel eyes on each male which were currently looking over the two boys.
"You two must be those Weasley boys we've been hearing about." One hummed, looking over the two boys who nodded their heads a bit nervously. The two men circled them for a moment before they were pulled down by the ear. That's when they saw the women the girls took after and it became abundantly clear where the two girls got their eyes from and their tempers that they've seen.
"There is no need to be circling them like hounds you two. You'll only make these nice young men scared to be friends with our daughters." The woman with Emerald green eyes hummed, looking at the taller man who seemed to be her husband. This was what the twins could tell to be true from the matching wedding bands they had on their fingers. The two men were a significant bit taller than the women, not only in height even though they stood a good foot taller than them as well. They also seemed to have more of a stockier build on them as well, but here they were being held down by the ear by these petite little girls. It honestly brought a great deal of respect out of the twins, the two boys chuckling at the display as they looked at them. The women then looked at the two boys, smiling at the two boys with a hum as they did so.
"So sorry about that boys. These two tend to be a bit overprotective of our girls for reasons you can imagine. I hope they didn't frighten you any." The woman who looks like Emerald hums out with a smile, looking at the two boys as she holds her husband down by his ear with a hum.
"My name is Persephone Thunderbird and this man is my husband Hades Thunderbird. The lovely couple next to us is my sister Hera Phoenix and her husband Zeus Phoenix." The woman continued, earning a nod from the boys before they went toward the other two groups with a smile.
"The girls hugging Emerald are her little sisters, Sapphire Thunderbird and Topaz Thunderbird. While the little ones holding onto Ruby are her little sisters, Amethyst and Citrine Phoenix." Hera hummed out with a smile, having dragged her husband over to the group again which Persephone did as well. The little girls looked at the two boys in slight confusion before they all looked at the two boys in excitement. Over the next few days it became very abundantly clear that these four little girls had never grown up with boys yet could play just as rough. They were spending a week with the Thunderbird and Phoenix family for the winter holiday and it was going to be quite the long week with how the little girls were behaving. It didn't take long for them to pick up on the behaviors of this family and, by the time Christmas Eve rolled around, the twins had made themselves at home with the families of the two girls. When that evening did come around, the two families and the boys sat around the tree and exchanged one gift each for them all. The boys, who hadn't expected to receive anything at all from their families, got a gift from Emerald and Ruby with a smile as the girls gave it to them. It was a set of new robes and a pair of new quills and stuffed animals, Fred receiving a thunderbird and George a phoenix. It made the boys quack in amazement, looking at the families in amazement from the gifts they had just received. They hadn't expected to receive anything from their families, but here they were receiving gifts that were mostly bought and not homemade. This was so new to them, used to receiving new jumpers and other such delightfully homemade gifts from his family members was so new to them. It was great and they were so happy that they felt bad for the two girls, telling them they didn't have their gifts with them and would be receiving them tomorrow. The girls giggled and told them it was fine before continuing to give their gifts to their family members with a smile. They had gifts for the twins parents anyhow, so the girls had no issue waiting to receive their gifts from the boys with a smile. When they went to bed that night, the boys were still in total shock from the whole ordeal.
"I can't believe that they did this. They really didn't have to do this." George murmured out, looking at the weighted phoenix stuffie he had received with his new robes and his new phoenix feather quill with a look of awe. He was sitting in his bed, Fred sighing as he flopped onto the bed across from him.
"Neither can I. I just hope they really enjoy the gifts we got them after they gave us such a nice gift." Fred hummed, picking up the weighted thunderbird stuffie he had received with his new robes and his new thunderbird feather quill as well. George nodded in agreement before the two sigh out and Fred chuckles at his brother, looking at the other with soft yet happy eyes.
"Let's save that worry for tomorrow though. I'm sure we can handle it better than expected." Fred hummed out with a smile, looking at George who nods his head and the two head to bed not too long after. The girls on the other hand were sharing their own room, the two of them getting ready for bed in their own way. Emerald was sitting down already on her bed, her longish hair tied in a single braid while Ruby was sitting in front of her. She was having her longish hair braided as they had the same conversation, looking forward as her cousin wove the locks together slowly.
"I hope the boys and their family didn't feel pressured to get us anything. They're already giving us an amazing gift by letting us stay with them the rest of the winter break." Ruby says in a soft hum, looking up at the ceiling with a soft frown on her lips. Emerald nodded her head as she finished braiding the first braid, tying it off with a sigh as she did. She shifted to the other braided, finishing it up with a small hum.
"So do I Rubes, but there's only one way to find out and that's to simply go over for Christmas." She hummed out, tying off the braid with a sigh as she looked at the other girl before she patted the other on the shoulder. Ruby nodded in agreement, climbing off the bed and going over to her own before the two of them went to bed. When morning came they all climbed out of bed and the four were quick to eat breakfast. The girls gave their sisters and mothers a hug before the four of them left, the four kids climbing into the car while the fathers climbed into the front seat to drive. The ride wasn't too long in their magic automobile, the car smoothly yet swiftly flying through the air till they reached the burrow. They slowly landed in front of the burrow, parking just long enough for them all to disembark with their bags and the present the girls had for Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley. As soon as they stepped into the burrow with the girls the twins were brought into a tight embrace by their mother, Molly smiling at the twins before pulling the girls into a hug with a smile.
"Oh Happy Christmas girls! Thank you for bringing my boys back home! You all are just in time for the present exchange!" Molly hummed, dragging the girls into the room where the two girls were shocked by the sight of what they saw. The two other boys they knew, Charlie and Percy, were there as to be expected yet there was so much more. There was another boy there who looked to be older than all of them, matching the description of Bill they had gotten. Then there was a little boy who they learned to be Ron, but he admittedly demanded to be called Ron. Then there was the little girl, Ginerva, who everyone called Ginny and she was the youngest of the bunch. The whole Weasley family had already sat down by the time the girls figured out who was who, but it was still so intimidating to see a large family as the girls stood there with their bags. They were soon being looked at, the rest of the clan waiting for them to sit down before they began to exchange gifts. This drew an embarrassed look from the two girls, both of their faces going red as they looked at the bags in their hands before they set them down and walked over to the group. They sat down with their present in their hands, watching as all the other Weasleys began to laugh at them warmly as they did so. They all began to exchange gifts, the girls watching fondly as all the boys received new jumpers and other such small homemade things from each other that warmed the girls. They hadn't really done homemade presents before, always giving everyone presents they had bought with their hard earned money from working on the farm. By the time Molly was telling the boys to go fetch something from upstairs, the girls were barely even remembering that they had a present for the host parents they were around. The twins of course agreed, going upstairs to their room as instructed to by their mother and retrieving a present for each girl. When the presents were held out to the two girls they looked completely stunned, taking them slowly from the twins before they looked to Molly with hopeful eyes. It was as if to ask if they could open these presents at all. She giggled softly at the girls, nodding her head for them to open the presents in their hands which they did. As soon as they saw what was inside, the two girls wanted to cry. There, just like every other member of the Weasley Family, was a set of homemade jumpers for them. Emerald's was white with a big letter E on the chest in black while Ruby's was the opposite, being completely black with a white letter R on the chest.
"I hope I got the size right dear and the colors right. It was so hard to think of how to style them with such uniquely colored hair." Molly hummed, twiddling her thumbs lightly as the girls pulled on the slightly itchy sweater with looks of shock on their features. After a moment or two, once it was on, the two of them hugged the woman tightly. They were grinning wide grins, Molly in total shock yet she hugged them tight back as she giggled.
"I'll take that as a yes then." She hums out with a smile, watching as they both pull back and nod their heads. They were totally speechless at this moment before Ruby remembered their present for her and Arthur. She looked to Emerald who nodded back in agreement, looking at each other with nervous eyes as they did so.
"We have something for you too Mrs. Weasley." Ruby hummed out, Emerald quickly scurrying over to pick up the present they had set aside. She gently set it in lap of Mrs. Weasley who looked at them a bit surprised before she looked over Arthur with a hum. He stepped next to her before nodding his head, looking at her with gentle eyes as she opened the present slowly. As soon as she did; her and Arthur were met with a beautiful sight, one that they were absolutely in love with as soon as they saw it. It was a beautiful drawing of Molly's brothers done in nothing more than colored pencil and ink, the two boys looking at the sky from inside an arch way one clear day. The frame it was in was clearly homemade as well, made of the same wood as their wands with a clear plane of glass over it that was freshly made. This made the two parents stare at it in awe, Molly carefully lifting it up out of the box for her and Arthur to get a better look at once more. The silence made the two girls sit there squirming in an anxious manner, looking at them with hopeful eyes as they did so. When Molly teared up, covering her mouth with a shaky hand as she held it up to Arthur who was a bit misty eyed, did it become clear that they loved the gift. The girls let out a sigh of relief before being pulled into yet another hug, looking at her wide eyed before looking up at Arthur with happy eyes and hugging Molly back tightly.
"Thank you girls. Thank you for such a beautiful present." She murmured out into their ears, earning small your welcomes from the girls who hugged her back just as hard. They had been told by the twins about the deaths of their uncles, so they thought this homemade gift would make a good first impression for this holiday together. The girls looked at the twins, smiling at each other warmly before they continued on the Christmas celebration much more after such sweet exchanging of gifts. Gifts that would mean so much to them from this day forward, no matter how many nice things they got now. These jumpers were the best gifts they had ever gotten and the boys were glad to see that, but when they talked to their mom about it later they were glad to admit something else. That drawing, a gift they didn't need to give, was the best present their mom had received since Ginny was born and they were happy it wasn't just them who thought so.