Pranking hearts

The Christmas holidays had rolled around quicker than Rhea could imagine. She had permission from her uncle to spend them with the Weasleys and that's where she was now. Sitting in a room that she was sharing with Fred and George's little sister, Ginny. The younger girl was delighted to be spending time with another girl. Rhea understood that she must feel kind of lonely here with the house full of boys. That's why Rhea made it her job to spend as much time with Ginny as possible before they would have to leave for Hogwarts again.

The Weasleys adored the young Black. Molly saw her as a very polite and smart girl. A darling sweetheart. She was so happy that Fred and George found a friend like her. She couldn't imagine anyone better for the twins. Rhea was able to joke around with them and at the same time keep them grounded so the boys wouldn't misbehave quite as much. If only she knew the truth. That the seemingly sweet and innocent girl was the mastermind behind most of their master pranks. Mr Weasley loved the curious personality of the girl as well as her knowledge of the muggle world that she collected from the time she spent trying to fit in with the other kids in her neighbourhood. It was nothing extraordinary because most of her life she lived in the magical world. Only getting some information here and there from the kids on the streets. Some things were foreign even to her. But she made it her goal to get more knowledge about the muggle world to answer all the questions Mr Weasley might have in the future.

Joining Christmas was also the oldest Weasley brother Bill. Rhea thought he was cool. She loved his long hair and along with the four younger Weasley admired the earing he newly had in his ear. Of course, Rhea also had earrings in both ears, but she had them since she was a baby. Seeing it on a guy was something new for her. Charlie brought with him home his best friend. Rhea and the twins recognised her as a bubbly Hufflepuff girl that once praised them for an excellent prank that they pulled on the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Nymphadora Tonks. But she was here only for one day because she had some celebration to attend at home.

Percy was quiet most of the time they were there. Only reading his books and occasionally answering his mum's questions about school. Rhea couldn't decide whether it was sad or rude that he was just ignoring everything around him but she decided not to judge the boy. The twins' younger brother Ron seemed slightly nervous around Rhea, confusing her a bit because every time she tried to talk to him he would stutter and then back out of the room with a face even redder than his hair. Twins of course didn't miss the opportunity to tease him about it just to add to Rhea's confusion.

For Christmas Rhea was surprised to receive a traditional Weasley knitted sweater. It was slightly bigger on her but was beautiful nevertheless. It felt like dream come true for Rhea. She adored homemade gifts. They meant the person cared. At least to Rhea, it appeared like that. If the person spent the time of their day to do something for her it was the main image of the person's impression of you and how much they cared. That's why Rhea loved the gift more than anything. The light purple letter R was in the middle of the emerald-green sea. It was practically perfect. But somehow she still ended up wearing Fred's sweater when they were playing outside in the snow.

Today was their last day of holiday and tomorrow they will be getting onto the train back to Hogwarts. Rhea sat on the bed in Ginny's room waiting for the younger ginger to come back from the bathroom where she went to get some hairbands. Ginna has decided that she wanted to braid Rhea's hair and the blonde wasn't complaining much about it. Other than Angelina no one has yet touched her hair. Her uncle Remus wasn't very skilled in braiding or brushing her hair in general. He was always pulling on them too much so Rhea had to learn herself how to do her hair. Most of the time they were in just a messy ponytail and running freely down her back. So having someone playing with her hair was quite a new phenomenon for Rhea but she found some sort of enjoyment in it.

Someone burst into the room getting Rhea out of her dreamy state. In Ginny's room appeared her two older brothers, both looking for the certain blonde. Fred held a letter in his hand and both boys looked out of breath probably because of the rush up the stairs. Rhea already knew that Ginny won't be happy if she sees the two boys in her room.

"Rhea, this came from you. It's from your uncle," Fred panted, tossing the letter to the girl sitting on the bed. George leaned onto his brother for support which Fred didn't expect causing both of them to crash onto the ground. Rhea stared at them for a moment before bursting out laughing at the two gingers who were laying on the ground. She shook her head turning towards the envelope that lay in her lap. Picking it up and scanning her eyes through it. It was from her uncle. Probably a reply to her Christmas wish that she has sent him a few days prior. Carefully she opened it her eyes scanning through the letter in her uncle's neat handwriting.

Dear Rhea,

I hope you had great Christmas at the Weasleys. I am sure you had because I know them personally and they are a wonderful family. To answer your question yes, I do feel better now. And I am sorry for not spending the holiday with you this year, as well as missing your birthday. I promise to make it up to you over the Summer break. Regarding what you wrote to me about your discovery. If I do understand correctly you lot found a particular piece of blank parchment. Honestly speaking Rhea, I never thought you would be interested in the old things found in Filch's office. Is this some sort of new interest of yours? But all jokes aside, you know I am not a fan of teaching you spells like that, but because this seems harmless enough I advise you to use Revelio charm. Might do half of the trick. With the solemn swear to be up to no good only thing that lays upon me is to say, Mischief Managed.

Sincerely Moony

Rhea frowned at the words of the letter, Fred and George reading over her shoulder the whole time. Both of them grinned cheekily when they saw the answer. Not minding the teasing and mysterious undertone that Rhea could hear in the words.

"What does he mean by half the trick? And that strange thing with Mischief Managed...that doesn't make sense..." Rhea asked no one in particular. Her eyes bored into the thin sheet of paper in her hands. Trying to figure out the catch. Her uncle wasn't the one to be willingly helping her with something like this unless there was something in it. There had to be something that she was missing...but what?

"Who cares, now we can finally see what is on the parchment," George said happily, lightly shaking Rhea's shoulders to get her to loosen up. Fred next to him just rolled his eyes, slapping his brother's arm.

"Or it will reveal that I was right the whole time, and you wasted all this time on figuring out an ordinary piece of paper," Fred concluded. Rhea no longer listening to any of them was lost in her world, letting the two brothers fight with one another. That was until the verbal fight of the two gingers transformed into a wrestle and they bumped into Rhea who fell forward, her face burying into the soft mattress.

"Merlin, you two can be a bit more careful." She hissed, collecting herself, trying to straighten the paper that has been crumpled by her earlier. The two gingers just looked at her, their hair a mess from fighting. A mischievous smile grew on both of their faces as they threw themselves at the smaller girl, pulling her with them into a friendly wrestling match. All three of them laughed at the carefree moment that they were having.

Leaving the idea of the odd parchment flying out of their heads for now. Letting it be until they'll be back at school. Now they were just enjoying the last moments of their holiday before the tiring journey that is awaiting them tomorrow.

***

Fred, George and Rhea were in the common room. Occupying one of the couches of their cosy commonplace. Only some older students were here. Some fifth years and maybe a few seventh years. Not a big crowd to eavesdrop on them. Which was what they were grateful for. Their friends, Angelina, Alicia and Lee were in the library working on their project for Charms class. Fred, George and Rhea were supposed to do the same but they preferred figuring out the parchment, over, doing their schoolwork.

Of course, Fred and George were more than aware that by having Rhea in their group their project would be done and ready sooner than one could even blink an eye. It wouldn't surprise either of them if they'd found out that Rhea had every single detail for the assignment already figured out in her head and all it took was to write it down.

"If this proves my point, I call the right to say I told you so," Fred said after a few minutes of just looking at the paper that has been outstretched on the table in front of them. Rhea rolled her eyes at his statement while George shoved his brother to shut him up. But Fred was by far the cockiest out of the three of them and if he was right they would not hear the end of it. "And we will use the parchment for our project." He added, pointing his wand towards the yellowish parchment that rested on the table.

Having enough of Fred's distrustful and teasing words Rhea brought out her wand, practising the draw R in the air to assure herself that she remembered the charm well enough. Her eyes turned to the parchment on the paper. Her wand swished in the air, sketching the big R while muttering the words of the charm. The parchment shone with bright white light, causing the eyes of all three kids to widen.

A dark red cursive writing started appearing on the yellowish surface leaving the three gobsmacked. George was the first one to get out of the haze. A giant grin attached itself to his face as he showed his twin brother.

"Who's laughing now, eh?" He teased. The older twin frowned, not enjoying that his friend and brother were right about this. Especially the thing that was infuriating him was the fact that George now had a reason to tease him. That didn't happen often. Usually, it was Fred who had the upper hand, in everything. 

Rhea walked over to the table, grabbing the parchment to read it over. The text appeared strange to her. She didn't know what appeared off about it but there was something.  Clearing her throat she got ready to read the burgundy letters.

"Mr  Moony presents his compliments to young Miss Black and he would like to remind her to start using her head.
Mr Prongs agrees with Mr Moony and would like to add that the three troublemakers still have too much to learn to ever match the legends.
Mr Padfoot would like to register his amusement that someone like Miss Black would be so shallow-minded using Revealing Charm. Serious disappointment!
Mr Wormtail bids the group good day and advises them to maybe wait with serious joking business until they are older."

All three scoffed at the words. Sharing a look between each other. A hard glare set on the piece of paper from three different directions. Rhea bit the inside of her cheek to prevent her from screaming angrily at the top of her lungs.

Moony...she knew he was pranking her. He had it all thought out. He knew all along what the parchment was. And he knew what it would do if they would use a revealing charm on it. To say that Rhea was angry would be an understatement. She was beyond furious and mainly disappoint for falling for this. Such a basic joke has been set up on her and she fell for it oh so easily. How can it get worse?

"I told you to just leave it," Fred muttered, causing the other two to turn to him swiftly. Both of them had that face telling him that speaking wasn't the wisest option at the moment.

"Just shut up." George shot back at his brother as all three of them fell back onto the couch. Rhea's eyes were scanning the parchment. She was sure Remus had left a clue for her somewhere. He maybe wanted to prank her but he would at least leave her some sort of key.

"They got us good," Fred spoke again, shaking his head in disbelief. George joined him, nodding his head ashamed. Rhea however wasn't going to fall low on the spirit.

"The nerve of them saying we are not good enough yet." Rhea discarded the parchment on the table. "We are practically the best pranksters Hogwarts have ever seen" She kept on blabbering. Fred and George looked over at her. Sharing a look between each other.

"Well, apparently we are not so good yet..."

"YET!" Rhea said loudly. George jumped a bit in his seat at the loud tone of voice that Rhea used. "But one day, we will do something that they never did and we will earn the title...um...I don't know what the title is yet..." The excitement in Rhea's voice faltered, getting replaced by a hint of embarrassment. The two gingers laughed.

"All right, then," Fred laughed, pulling out his wand and putting its point over the parchment on the table. George shrugged, pulling out his wand and mimicking his brother's actions. Rhea watched the two, unsure of what they were doing. "Well, come on Rera, join the club," Fred encouraged, a bright smile playing on his lips when Rhea whipped out her wand and placed the tip of it next to theirs.

"So, we have a deal?" She asked, both boys looking over at her. "To one day become the best pranksters of Hogwarts and join the legends?" The two brothers nodded enthusiastically. The three shared a look, their eyes glimmering with excitement.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." They said together with a laugh. Thinking nothing of the strange line that they got from the letter Rhea's uncle sent her. That was until the map shone with yellowish light that all three of them lifted their wands, scooting further away from the parchment on the table. The piece of parchment slowly reveals the drawing of Hogwarts at the front. The same names as before appeared but there was something else about it now.

"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical mischief-makers are proud to present..."

"THE MARAUDER'S MAP," The three read together, eyes growing into the size of saucers. Rhea felt frozen in her place, unable to move even an inch while watching the beautiful image of the castle on the front page. Fred being the always so brave one reached forward, taking the map in his hands and opening it. There was a map of all of Hogwarts. Names moving around the hallways or courtyard. It had everything.

Rhea could even see Dumbledore pacing around in his office. Back and forth. Professor McGonagall was in the study, most likely correcting the essays they handed in today. Was this true? There's no way it worked.

"Do you reckon it's just another joke or?" George asked unsurely, eyes scanning the map with a sceptical expression. Rhea shrugged and pointed at the name of their friend that was walking towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Guess we'll find out soon." Their eyes stayed fixed on Lee's name as it approached the portrait. Just as the name on the map walked inside the common room, the portrait opened and Lee marched in, an unpleasant look on his face.

"Never, ever work with two girls, they are mental," He informed the three as he walked straight to the boys' dormitories.

The shock of what had just happened washed over the young kids, stunning them for a moment. The map was right. It worked.

"Can you imagine all the possibilities we have with this?" Fred asked the rhetorical question happily, pulling the map closer to himself to scan it some more. George laughed, shaking his head.

"I better go see what got Lee in such a mood. Be right back," He called, sprinting towards their dorms leaving Fred and Rhea alone on the couch. Fred kept scanning the map while Rhea was just stuck looking somewhere in the distance. Her mind raced over the solutions of how this could be possible. She knows that magic can do all sorts of things but this? This is something completely different.

Not like the sudden silence, Fred glanced over at his blonde friend, seeing her deep in thought. Rolling his eyes he nudged her a bit with his elbow. Gaining her attention.

"With this, we will be more than legends...we will be Marauders." He winked at Rhea who gave out a breathy laugh. Shaking her head at her friend's ideas. But she won't dispute the fact that she craves to be a Marauder. It's something that feels so close to her. Like something that she is supposed to be. She won't hide the fact that she knows the nicknames. And might be aware of who the people are. But imagining her uncle and father constructing something like this...well, it seems crazy.

But it has been decided long in her head what she wanted to be. Everyone said she looked nothing like her father. But that her personality was indistinguishable from his. That's what she wanted to be, she wanted to be exactly like him...like her dad. No matter the cost.