It was the start of the winter holiday, and you had been invited to stay at the Burrow with your boyfriend Fred and the rest of the WeasIey family. Your parents had given their blessing, and Fred’s family—who had already taken quite a liking to you—were genuinely excited to have you there.

A few days before Christmas, you found yourself curled up in the cozy living room of the Burrow. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm glow on everyone’s faces. You sat nestled against Fred’s side with his arm draped around your shoulders. George, Ginny, Ron, Bill, and Charlie were all gathered as well, each holding a mug of hot cocoa. Laughter echoed off the mismatched walls as you all swapped stories and teased one another.

Then came a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it,” George said, hopping up and disappearing down the hallway.

A moment later, you heard a familiar voice drift in—high-pitched, overly sweet. Liz. Fred’s girl best friend. You immediately noticed a subtle change in the room. Ginny rolled her eyes, and even Bill and Charlie exchanged a knowing glance. It wasn’t exactly a secret that Liz wasn’t well-liked by the rest of the family. She was known to push boundaries when it came to Fred, and now that he had a girlfriend, her presence tended to bring… complications.

Liz swept into the room, George trailing behind her with an exasperated look that made you hide a smirk behind your mug. Her eyes immediately landed on Fred, lighting up as she beamed and made her way over.

“Freddie!” she squealed, and without hesitation, he stood up, kissed your forehead, and set his cocoa down.

“Liz! Didn’t know you were in town,” he greeted, giving her a friendly hug.

“Yeah, I decided to come visit my parents for the holidays, so I thought I’d stop by and surprise you,” she said, her gaze flicking quickly—and not so subtly—toward you. You gave her a polite smile over the rim of your mug, your smirk growing when her eyes narrowed slightly before turning back to Fred.

“Come sit, then—we’ll all catch up,” Fred offered, motioning to the couch.

She moved to sit beside you, clearly trying to position herself between you and Fred, but he gave her a light sigh and rolled his eyes.

“Alright, move down a bit, Liz. I’d like to sit next to my girlfriend,” he said plainly.

She gave a small pout but obeyed, scooting over reluctantly. Bill and Charlie exchanged another glance, both clearly unimpressed. Once Fred was seated, he slipped his arm back around you, pulling you snug into his side.

Liz tried to lean toward Fred again, inching closer as if she hadn’t already been told off. Ginny didn’t miss it.

“Do you really need to sit that close to my brother?” she asked dryly. “Pretty sure he’s not short on personal space.”

You barely kept your laugh in, biting your lip and sipping your cocoa.

“I’m not sitting that close,” Liz said, her tone overly innocent. “I always sit this close.”

“Yeah, right,” George muttered under his breath with a shake of his head.

“Hey, be nice,” Fred interjected, trying to keep the peace. But even he glanced at Liz again and added, “You are a bit close, though.”

Her smile faltered, lips twitching into a brief frown before she masked it again. She shifted a little farther down the couch, clearly not happy about being called out. She’d gotten away with being too close before—before you came along.

And now, she wasn’t the one Fred pulled close. You were.