To Dare

To Dare

Chapter Thirteen

“Well?” The voice had been magically altered to be unrecognisable.

“I haven’t been able to obtain the items yet.”

“Your incompetence is staggering.”

“It’s not that simple. She has Weasleys running tame in her shop and at her flat.”

“Weasleys.” The word was infused with a world of contempt. “Which ones?”

“The twins. It’s as if they think they’re her bodyguards. She’s never out without one or both of them along.”

“Those buffoons. How sad that a wizard of your breeding should be intimidated by the likes of those lowborn blood traitors.”

“I need more money. For—for bribes, and supplies: potions, amulets, that sort of thing.”

The silence that followed this whinging demand was glacial. “Very well, but the availability of funds is directly proportional to my patience. Spend them both wisely. Squander them to your peril.”


“Is there someplace in particular you want to go this weekend or would you like us to surprise you?” Fred asked. He, Thalassa, and George were lounging in front of the fire on fat, squashy cushions that George had transfigured from buttons. They were toasting marshmallows on long forks over the flames and enjoying the privacy afforded by her outgoing-traffic-only Floo.

“Why?” she responded, puzzled.

“It’s your birthday next Monday, isn’t it?” George said. “Don’t tell me I’ve gotten the date confused.”

“No, it’s my birthday. I’ve just gotten out of the habit of celebrating it. You don’t need to do anything special.”

“Do you have something against birthdays?” Fred asked, a teasing smile lurking at the corners of his mouth.

“Not birthdays in general, no, just mine. If you want an excuse to go out for a change, though, don’t let that stop you.” She smiled and popped a charred marshmallow in her mouth.

“Why don’t you celebrate your birthday?” George frowned a little, trying to decide if she was serious or not.

“Because every year since I turned thirteen, my mother has used the occasion as an opportunity to remind me of my duty to marry well and produce Pureblood offspring.” She shuddered. “It’s nearly enough to put me off the idea of marriage altogether.”

Fred made a face. “Is there any bit of fun in your life that she hasn’t tried to ruin?” he asked, ignoring her comments about marriage.

Thalassa tilted her head to the side and considered his question. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, then that settles it,” he said firmly. “We’re definitely doing something special on Friday.”

“Don’t feel you have to exert yourselves that much. Dinner at the Leaky Cauldron would be special enough for me.” She sighed and set aside her toasting fork.

George nodded thoughtfully. “That’d do for a start, but it occurs to me that you missed out on the Yule Ball your last year at school. I think we need to go dancing after dinner.”

“It was my choice not to go. I might have given my father a few extra weeks because of all the work I did over the holidays that year.”

“Ah, but it was such great fun: Ron acting a complete prat because Hermione went with Viktor Krum, Ginny getting her feet trod on by Neville Longbottom, and Fred and Angelina racketing about on the dance floor like it was the Quidditch pitch.”

“And who did you go with, George?” she teased.

“No one. I went stag.”

“You did not,” she said, surprised. “Why? I said you should ask Alicia. Did someone else beat you to it?”

“No. I asked the girl I wanted to go with and she said no.” He gave her a mournful look.

“Idiot.” She shook her head. “It wouldn’t have hurt my feelings if you’d gone with someone else.”

“I didn’t want to go with someone else.”

“Oh.” She was at a loss for a moment and then she leaned over and kissed him. He wrapped his arm around her and lay back on his cushion, pulling her across him. She tasted of burnt sugar and smelled of woodsmoke and her lavender shampoo. With her kisses, she told him she regretted the missed opportunities.

“Oi,” Fred nudged George’s leg with his foot. “Get a room, you two.”

“Mm.” Thalassa lifted her head. “Excellent idea. Shall we, George?” They got up and she took his hand, pulling him towards her bedroom. Fred stared after them, surprised by their abrupt desertion. After a few minutes, Thalassa laughingly called out, “Are you waiting for an engraved invitation, Fred?”


Friday, Thalassa took her favourite robe as well as a nice Muggle dress with her to work. She wasn’t sure what Fred and George had planned, and she wanted to be prepared. After closing up shop for the day, she nipped upstairs to the still-vacant flat to shower and change. It made her a little nervous, walking through the room where Ian had been killed, and she didn’t dawdle, getting ready. She dressed in her Muggle clothing, figuring it would be easier to change from that to her robe if the dress wasn’t appropriate for wherever Fred and George were taking her. Their eyes lit up with an appreciation that was purely male when they saw her, telling her she’d made the right choice.

“So where are we going?” she asked after they had duly complimented her appearance.

“To the Leaky Cauldron for dinner first, as requested, then the rest of the evening is a surprise,” George replied with a mysterious smile.

“I suppose it’s pointless to remind you I also said you shouldn’t make a fuss?” She grinned in return.

“Completely pointless,” Fred agreed cheerfully. “Let’s go.”

They were able to get the same table they’d shared back in the summer when they’d renewed their friendship. Fred and George kept her laughing with stories of their first attempts at making trick sweets and Thalassa found herself looking forward to whatever surprise they had planned with more anticipation and excitement than she’d felt in a long time. This was the best birthday she’d had since she was small. Before she went to Hogwarts, her father used to take the day off from work and take her to whatever amusement she requested. One year she’d asked to go to the Muggle cinema and another time to a carnival, but usually she just asked for some new Muggle clothes and the biggest sundae on the menu at Fortescue’s. Then when she went away to Hogwarts, an owl would arrive each ninth of October, laden with sweets and gifts. It wasn’t the same as spending time with her father, but she became very popular with her housemates as long as the sweets lasted. The first year after Thalassa left school, her mother had thrown her a party. All the Pureblood wizards that were even remotely eligible had been invited and Euryale paraded Thalassa in front of them like a brood mare. In her head, Thalassa referred to it as ‘the livestock auction.’ Somehow, she didn’t think Fred and George would have made the guest list, Purebloods though they were, even if they’d been out of school at the time. It was too bad, really. A little Weasley mischief would have made the party worth the time and the new dress robe she’d had to buy. She smothered a chuckle as she thought of the utter chaos they would have caused.

“Spill it,” Fred said. “If something makes you laugh, you have to tell us what it is.”

“I don’t remember that rule,” she replied with a teasing smile.

“You agreed to help us with the joke shop,” George reminded. “You have a responsibility to share anything that might inspire new products.”

“I don’t know how much inspiration I can provide, but I was just remembering my first birthday after I left school and the party my mother threw for me. I was wishing you two had been there. A few Canary Creams, a Ton-Tongue Toffee or two, perhaps some Veritaserum in the punch and it might have been something other than a deadly dull waste of five hours. Failing that, I could’ve put one of your Skiving Snackboxes to good use.”

“That’s bad when you want to skive off your own birthday party.”

“Not for me. Mother would’ve made me go no matter how sick I was. No, there were a few old lechers I would’ve been happy to slip a Puking Pastille or a Nosebleed Nougat.” She shuddered. “Anything to get their clammy hands off me.”

“Then I wish we had been there, too,” George said. “If anyone had dared touch you with clammy hands while we were about, we’d have taken care of that with a Dehydrating Hex.”

“Or just removed their hands and reattached them somewhere where they wouldn’t be able to touch you with them at all,” Fred added.

“The ceiling.”

“The Minister for Magic’s office door.”

“The statue of Gregory the Smarmy at Hogwarts.”

“Their own buttocks.”

“Percy’s buttocks.”

“Stop. Stop,” Thalassa begged, giggling helplessly at the images their suggestions conjured up. She began to believe it possible for her to enjoy her birthdays again.

The door to Diagon Alley opened and a group of wizards jostled in, their laughter like the cawing of a murder of crows. Their uniformly black cloaks and robes didn’t dispel the image. Thalassa turned her face away, hoping to escape their notice. Fred glanced around to see what had caused the sudden change in her demeanour. “Do you know them?” he asked quietly.

“Some of them,” she nodded. “Unfortunately.” She fought the urge to hide, knowing she’d only attract more attention.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our sweet Lady Death.”

Thalassa gritted her teeth. “Kirkbride,” she acknowledged in an even tone, keeping her eyes focused on a point beyond the tall, brown-haired wizard’s left shoulder.

“And your dinner companions, why, they must be the infamous Weasley twins. I remember Charlie from my time at Hogwarts. Best Seeker in a generation. Pity he went off to chase dragons.”

Thalassa said nothing, refusing to introduce Fred and George in the hopes that Kirkbride would get the hint and clear off.

“Kirkbride, is it?” Fred began in a deceptively polite tone. “If you don’t mind, we’re having a bit of a private celebration here. I’m sure you didn’t mean to intrude, but if you’ll excuse us…”

“Oh, private celebration, you say?” Kirkbride sneered. Was that the glimmer of comprehension in his eyes or just the glint of prurient suspicion? “Well, then, I’ll leave you to it.” He spun on his heel and went to join his mates.

George watched Thalassa with concern. She’d gone very pale and she was visibly trembling. “Let’s get out of here,” he urged quietly.

She swallowed quickly a couple of times and shook her head. “Not just yet. I don’t want him to think he got to me.”

“Who cares what that walking excrement thinks?” George was suddenly furious. “Fred, have them box up this lot when you settle the bill. Come on.” He stood and grasped Thalassa’s elbow to help her to her feet. Without giving her a chance to protest, he steered her between the tables and out the door into Muggle London. Once safely outside, he put his arm around her shoulders. “Deep breaths, now.”

She tried to do as he’d said, but Kirkbride’s voice echoed in her head.

Fred joined them, boxes full of their meals in his hands. “All right, love?” he asked worriedly. “You want us to go back in there and hex him? I’ve got a few I haven’t used in a while.”

His words had the desired effect and Thalassa calmed enough to give him a wan smile. “No, thank you all the same. Let’s just go home.”

“I think we should hex him anyway for ruining your birthday,” George scowled.

“No.” She laid her hand on him arm. “He didn’t ruin my birthday, just my appetite.” She turned and Disapparated. A few minutes later, she unlocked the door to her flat and pushed the door open. All was quiet according to her security mirror and she dropped her keys on the table with a little sigh.

“We really did want to make this evening special,” George said.

She smiled. “Don’t you know by now every evening with you two is special for me?”

“That’s not exactly what George meant.” Fred put their dinners in the refrigerator.

“I know. I have something for both of you that might make this night a little more memorable.”

“It’s your birthday. You’re not supposed to give us gifts,” George protested.

“Oh, I think you’ll like this.” She went to the kitchen and opened a drawer. They didn’t see what she palmed before she turned back to them. “Hold out your hands.” They obeyed and she handed them each a key chain. “Keys to the flat,” she explained. “You’re here often enough, you may as well be able to let yourselves in. I’ll show you how to disarm the security charm before you leave. Oh, and the keys are spelled so you can’t lose them. To activate the charm, you hold them in your wand hands and say your names. After that, it doesn’t matter where you set them down, they’ll always return to your pockets unless you tell them to stay.” They were silent so long she began to get nervous. “Don’t you want them?” she asked in a small voice, twisting her fingers together.

For an answer, they both wrapped an arm around her. “Yes, we want them,” George said in a husky voice.

“You took us by surprise is all,” Fred added. “We’d planned to give you your gifts later, but…” He and George pulled brightly wrapped packages out of their jacket pockets.

“I thought going out was my present,” she said.

“You mean you don’t want them?” George asked mournfully.

“No, no, I want them,” she hastily reassured him before she realized he was teasing. “Oh, you.” She made a face and took the package from Fred’s hand. She slid her finger under the paper where it was doubled over and carefully loosened the Spellotape.

“Just tear it open,” Fred urged impatiently.

She flicked him a smouldering look from under her lashes. “I like unwrapping…things…slowly. The anticipation heightens the experience.”

He groaned and closed his eyes. “My Gods, we’ve created a monster.”

“All choices have consequences,” she laughed. She finished removing the wrapping from her gift and opened the box. Inside was a brooch-style watch, with the face upside-down so she could read it from where it would rest on her bodice.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have a watch of your own,” Fred offered.

“Thoughtful, practical, and beautiful; where’s the funny part?”

He snapped his fingers. “Damn. I knew I forgot something.”

She kissed his cheek. “Thank you. Pin it on me?”

He complied, fumbling a bit with the clasp.

“Now mine,” George said, handing her his gift.

She made a show of opening it just as slowly as she’d opened Fred’s gift. It was a silver pendant with a moon and stars pattern on a blue enamel face. “Oh George, it’s lovely.”

“It’s a locket,” he explained. “I put baby pictures of us inside.”

She opened it and then laughed. “Ah. Here’s the funny part. These are both of Fred.”

“No,” George protested, dismayed. “Mum swears that one is me.” He pointed to the one on the left.

She kissed his cheek. “It’s sweet and thoughtful all the same. You can replace the picture later.” She smiled provocatively. “Now, since you’ve both gotten me jewellery, I suppose I’ll have to thank you appropriately.”

“Er—“ Fred began rather sheepishly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he rolled his eyes, “but I was looking forward to going out with you. Could we just, I don’t know, go see a movie or something? George and I went and exchanged some Galleons for Muggle money.”

“Oh.” She was a bit taken aback, but the surprisingly unsure look on his face melted her heart. “Well, if that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do.” And at the end of the evening, Thalassa had to count her birthday celebration a success, despite the slight bit of unpleasantness that had cut dinner short.


The days unfolded one after another, growing ever shorter as Halloween approached. Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes unveiled new products just for the holiday: Polyjuice Masks that changed the wearer’s entire face; Parchment Bats that animated and flew to the addressee; SpineTingling SugarStraws that gave one chills and made one's heart race; and jack-o-lanterns that did comedy routines, Muggle and wizard alike. Thalassa’s favourite was the one that shouted, “No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” Fred and George, claiming they missed the opportunity to court Thalassa proper, each arranged time to be alone with her. She went along with their plans, reluctantly at first.

Fred was waiting at her flat when she came home one day. He’d prepared all her favourite foods and after, he used a Lip-synch Lolly to serenade her. Even with magical help, he couldn’t carry a tune, but he clowned his way through three songs before she rewarded his efforts with a kiss. That then brought the ‘proper’ portion of Fred’s courting to a quick and untidy end.

George took her to a posh Muggle restaurant and plied her with frightfully expensive food and wine. When they returned to her flat, he transformed her living room into a private ballroom and they danced, and talked, and then danced again for over an hour. Then he carried her to her bed and showed her uses for a wand that were never part of the official curriculum at Hogwarts.

Though she rarely needed to work late, Thalassa often stayed at the apothecary until after Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes closed. It was convenient and allowed them a bit of privacy before they went out or back to her flat.

“I’m tired of all this sneaking about,” Fred complained one night. “I don’t like being out with you and not being able to put my arm around you, or kiss you. It’s even worse when we go to the Burrow.”

“Stolen kisses in the orchard and furtive gropes behind the broom shed, notwithstanding,” George added.

Thalassa slid her arms around Fred’s neck. “I hear some people like sneaking about,” she teased. “They say it adds spice.”

“If you ask me—“ George began, stepping close behind Thalassa and spanning her waist with his hands.

“Don’t be thick, George,” Fred interrupted. “No one cares what you think.”

“Now, now,” Thalassa chided. “I might be interested,” she grinned mischievously, “depending on what he’s thinking.”

“I think,” George growled, “that I’m grateful to be in your life at all, but I agree with Fred. Couldn’t we just tell our family?”

“No.” She was very definite.

“Why not?” Fred and George questioned in unison.

“I like your family, and I want them to like me,” she said as if that explained everything.

“Didn’t we already go over this? They like you.”

She squirmed out of their grasp. “You just don’t get it, do you? I’ve never known the kind of closeness that you lot have. Dad loved me, but his attention was on his work. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters to squabble with, or worry over, or defend. And I definitely don’t have a mum like yours. I get to experience a bit of that when I visit the Burrow. You’ve had a family all your lives. You don’t know how precious that is for someone like me. I love you both, but I’m not ready to risk your parents’ displeasure just yet.”

George caught her hand and pulled her close once more. “Isn’t that a little melodramatic?”

“And besides, you’d still have us,” Fred added.

She sighed and tried a different tack. “We’re still working out the rules to this relationship. We don’t need any outside pressures just yet.” She slid an arm around each of them and pressed her body against theirs. “Please? You know how much I love secrets. Can’t we just keep this one for a bit longer?”

George groaned. “Dear Gods, you do know how to get your own way, don’t you?”

“I’m not even trying. Yet,” she murmured, nuzzling his neck.

“Well, expend a little effort and convince us,” Fred teased, his hands beginning to roam over her curves.

She chuckled and did as requested. She’d learned quite a few interesting things in the past few weeks, like the fact that sometimes the lightest of touches were more effective than the bold-and-direct approach, and that, with the proper technique, the most unlikely body parts could be erogenous zones. She ran her fingers through Fred’s hair, letting her nails drag gently over his scalp. With her other hand she tugged George’s shirttail from the waistband of his jeans and traced a meandering pattern on the small of his back.

None of the three of them heard the workroom door open, or Euryale’s shocked gasp. They were oblivious to any other presence in the room until a barrage of hexes exploded about them. Fortunately, Euryale’s temper spoiled her aim and most of her spells went awry. They dodged and hastily straightened their disarranged clothing.

“Out!” she shrieked. “Get out, you blood-traitor sneaks! How dare you? Debauching my innocent daughter! Get out!”

“Mother! Stop it!” Thalassa stepped forward, trying to push Fred and George behind her. They refused to budge. “They weren’t attacking me, and no one believes you care about my welfare, anyway.”

“And you! You unnatural creature, I suppose you did this sort of thing all the time up at school. If you’d been Sorted into a proper house—“

“It’s not like that!” George protested. “We love her.”

“George, Fred, you’d better leave. Let me deal with this.”

“If your father were still alive—“

“Don’t.” Thalassa shoved her suitors out of her way and advanced on her mother with a snarl. “Don’t you dare invoke Father’s memory to support your side of this. He was always concerned for my happiness and you hated him for it.”

“Your father never had any ambition and you’re just like him! If you had proper sensibilities, you’d never waste your time with these—“

“I have all the ambition I need,” Thalassa interrupted. “I happen to think owning a business with an international reputation for excellence is far more worthwhile than toadying up to the richest wizards I can find.”

“When word of this gets out you’ll never make a proper marriage!”

“Fred and George are just as Pureblooded as half of those chinless idiots with Death Eater pretensions you keep throwing at me.”

Fred and George were stunned at the vicious way Euryale tore into Thalassa. Standing back and allowing Thalassa to fight this battle on her own didn’t sit well with their Gryffindor sense of honor, but it was obvious they lacked the advantage that years of familiarity granted her. She was well used to her mother’s moods and tactics and held her ground. They exchanged uneasy looks as the row grew more bitter and vindictive.

“If you continue this perversion, I’ll disown you!”

“Go ahead,” Thalassa retorted. “I still own this building and half the business.”

“So be it! I no longer have a daughter!” With that, Euryale swept out of the room.

Thalassa drew in a deep breath and let it out in a shaky sigh. She turned to the granite worktable and placed her hands on the polished surface. The chill of the stone cooled her temper and the sheer solidity of the block helped earth her. She felt her resentment drain away, leaving only the pain of a little girl wondering why her mummy doesn’t love her. Then that faded as well.

“All right, there?” George asked quietly.

She started guiltily and turned to him and Fred. “I tried to tell you to leave.”

“No way were we going to leave you alone to face that,” said Fred.

She held her arms out to them and they stepped into her embrace, forming a tight circle. “It was unforgivable, what she said about you. I wouldn’t have blamed you one bit if you walked out.”

“And reward your incredible bravery with desertion? Not a chance,” George said, kissing her forehead.

“Besides,” added Fred, “your mum isn’t the first Slytherin to heap insults on us. Not even the most creative.” He shrugged.

Thalassa sighed. “It’s probably best if you two don’t show up here for a while. We’ll just have to meet at the Leaky Cauldron, or I can always go to your shop after work.”

“Whatever you think is best,” Fred said doubtfully.

“You won’t want a repeat of today, I’m sure. Come on, let’s go home.”

“As unpleasant as that was, it does bring us back to our original point,” George began.

“Don’t say it, George,” she warned.

“Our family is not going to react like that.”

“No, Fred. I can’t cope with that right now.”

The twins glanced at each other. They weren’t going to sway Thalassa’s opinion tonight. Any more pushing would likely start another row. “All right,” George said placatingly. “I wasn’t suggesting we start snogging in front of our family, you know. I wouldn’t have chosen to let your mother find out the way she did.”

“Thank Merlin for that, at least. It was enough of a shock for Mother to see me with anyone at all, much less the both of you at the same time.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only that I haven’t dated much since I left school.”

“Your mother was right, then. We did take advantage of you.”

“Oh you did not. You haven’t done anything I didn’t want.”

“But how can you be sure this is what you want? I mean, what do you have to compare us to?”

“The same way I know which robe I want at Madam Malkin’s without trying on every one in the store. If you’re all that concerned, then I suppose you’ll have to convince me that there’s nothing I could get from someone else that I couldn’t already get better from one or both of you.”

“A challenge?”

She nodded. “Think you’re up to it?” she asked suggestively.

“Let’s go back to your flat and we’ll show you what we’re up to.”