[oo1] Double the Trouble.

Let me tell you about me.

My name's Emmeline, Emmeline Lovegood. If you haven't already guessed, I'm a twin.
And that's her, with the red hair like mine, Adeline Lovegood, my other half.

Adeline and I, we do everything together; she's my closest and best mate. We're almost exactly alike in appearance (the only thing different is our eyes), and when it comes to interests we're on the same boat.

We're both 16 (our birthday's coming up soon, this winter!) , going into our last year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

That's right, we're witches.

And not just any ordinary witches, either.

We're metamorphmagus': we can change our appearance at will.

Which, I must say, is very handy.

Now that you know about us, let me fill you in on them.

The Weasley twins, Fred and George, are also in our grade. Except that they're in Gryffindor, while we're in Ravenclaw.

And all four of us, we're all so different, yet we're all so alike. Too alike.

You could say that Fred and George were the only ones out of a scant few that could tell Adeline and I apart; and vice-versa.

Since our first year at Hogwarts, no, even before then (our older sister, Rosaline (or Rose), had been dating Charlie Weasley (yes, Weasley) for years (they just tied the knot this spring) - ever since their fourth year at Hogwarts - so we've been, well, let's say, competing with the Weasley boys since.

You could say that we grew up together.

And you could say that they weren't the only pranksters in town. Not by a long shot.

This year, though, we'd win. This year, we'd get the title of best pranksters at Hogwarts. Just you wait and see, Weasleys, just you wait and see...

(Now, don't get me wrong, Adeline and I, we don't hate Fred and George, oh no, not at all. We actually have quite a fondness for them. It's just business always comes before pleasure.)

And so here we were, sitting in our usual compartment near the back of the Hogwarts Express, while, sitting right across from us were, you guessed it, the Weasley twins.

"You know, there's a train full of compartments you could've chosen," Adeline spat.

"This was the only one with empty seats," Fred repeated for the third time.

"Well then, maybe you shouldn't have been messing around and you could've got yourselves a nice cozy compartment... on the other end of the train!"

"Maybe I wanted to be close to you, dearest Adeline."

"Oh please, Weasley, you just wanted to eavesdrop to find out what

tricks we have up our sleeves."

"Hmph," Fred and Adeline both scoffed and looked away from each other.

Okay, maybe only I had a certain fondness for them. Adeline, on the other hand, is more competitive than I am; that's one way to tell us apart once you get us talking. Fred was the exact same.

(Now let me just brief you about Fred and Adeline: the two were extremely competitive, from an outsider's point of view it might just look like they despise each other but actually, their strange ways just strenghtened their relationship - they could get along quite well when they weren't bickering.)

George and I, we smiled at each other - this is how our year usually started.

As the time passed (seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours), Fred, George and Adeline had started a game of wizarding chess, while I sneaked out to change into my school robes and ultimately, find the old motherly witch with the food trolley (my stomach wouldn't stop grumbling!).

As I walked along the corridors, and past each compartment, I heard yelling, screaming, arguments, spells being cast, loud music; I smiled: I was home.

-

As I walked out of the bathroom, freshly changed, I rounded the corner and bam.

I'd collided with...

"Weasley!" I groaned, trying to balance myself.

"Sorry, Em," I heard him whisper.

"It's okay, George," I whispered back.

I looked up (he was a couple inches taller than I was), and stared into his eyes.

"They get on your nerves?" I asked, grinning.

He chuckled, a smile appearing on his freckle-filled face, "Nah."

I giggled and tried again, "You lose?"

He pouted. "Nuh-uh! Well... yeah," he admitted sheepishly.

I smiled, reaching up and patting his arm, "Don't worry. Someday you'll be a winner." I winked and watched as his face turned red - an easy feat.

"Thanks, Lovegood," he grinned.

I curtsied.

"Actually..." He started.

"Yes?"

I looked at his red hair, his face to match, and his silly grin. I smiled sweetly, sincerely.

George looked adorable, as always.

He leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Watch your step on the way back into the compartment, love. Fred's got the door jinxed."

I smiled appreciatively and nodded slightly, "Thanks, Weasley."

He pulled back and grinned, the grin that always made me melt.

"See you around, Lovegood."

"See you around, Weasley."

I strode past him and walked away.

This year was going to be interesting... and we weren't even at Hogwarts yet.