It's Better If You Do

Rose smiled brightly, ignoring Fred's comment. It was going to work out fine. Sure, Bellamy would be a bit put out, but the worst thing she would do would be to yell and curse a bit. After she calmed down, she'd be fine. As long as she didn't hurt George... she grimaced at the thought. Bellamy knew an extensive bit of knowledge about Defensive spells, and when provoked, she had been known to let her wand do the talking. But, no. She wouldn't. Rose hoped.

"Should I tell him now or later?" Fred asked reluctantly, looking across the shop at his brother setting off a large crate of fireworks. He would have left Rose and gone to help, but George seemed to be handling things just fine on his own. Most of the children were crowded around him, with the occasional adult here and there to chaperone. He could hear Bellamy's quiet voice on the second floor explaining the shield hats. They had stopped by the staircase, and he leaned against it, as he waited for an answer. Rose chewed on her lip thoughtfully, considering the pros and cons.

"Well, I suppose you could tell him now, but Bellamy would probably find out and put two and two together. It'd be better if we waited until after she left, and tell him to go to the Leaky Cauldron. But, we've got to keep him busy while she gets ready, because if he finds out about her going, then it'll ruin the whole thing." she said decidedly, nodding to herself at the thought out plan.

Fred pursed his lips against a laugh, and shook his head. She was something else. Teasingly, he said with a sly smile, "I never took you to be a match maker."

Her lips twisted into a wry smile, and she said quietly, raising her eyebrow, "You do realize them being out let's us eat dinner by ourselves, right?"

A slow grin spread across his face, and he appraised her with an impressed nod. "You're very sneaky," His grin grew as he said, "Who would have thought that sweet, innocent little Rose would set up a date just to be alone with me and sn-"

"Hush," she hissed playfully, a dull red coloring her cheeks. He laughed loudly, and she began to talk over him, "I did not just set them up to be alone with you, you conceited boy. I want to make my sister happy."

"Conceited? Me?" he asked, his brown eyes widened innocently, though the smirk took away most of the effect. "I am just highly aware of how handsome and devilishly charming I am. How else would I have such a pretty girl like you holding my hand?"

She bit her lip against a grin, and said, "Devilish being the key word." Slowly he hung his head, pouting. Rose lightly reached out and touched his lips, smiling.

"Am not," he muttered, kissing her fingers quickly. Before she could reply, a lofty voice drifted down from the second floor, a hint of dissaproval and laughter dripping in the tone.

"Oiseaux d'amour, vous avez besoin pour se remettre au travail. Vous pouvez vous tenir autour de sourire à l'autre plus tard*," Bellamy said, and they looked behind them to see her smirking from the top of the stairs, before she walked down to the back room, lightly patting Rose on the head as she passed.

"What did she say?" Fred asked, as Rose shook her head, an amused smile on her face.

"Nothing important," she said, before sighing. "We probably need to get back to work, though. I guess I'll start selling the baby Pygmy Puffs, since George already sold a few."

"Alright," he said lightly, before kissing her on the lips quickly. As he straightened up, he smirked, "I am not devilish."

Shrugging, she turned to walk to the backroom, calling over her shoulder, "Keep telling yourself that!"

His laugh echoed throughout the shop, and she grinned as she pushed back to the curtain, shaking her head. "Silly boy," she muttered, before noticing Bellamy cross legged on the floor in front of a cauldron, her tan leather briefcase opened to her plethora of ingredients, and an extremely determined look on her face. Knowing her sister didn't want to be disturbed, Rose crept past her to the box, about to pick Ryussi out, when she noticed he wasn't there. The few babies that were left crowded around the edge for attention, and the cream colored ones rolled around contentedly, but there was no purple Ryussi.

Frowning, she asked quietly, "Have you seen Ryussi?"

"No," Bellamy said distractedly. Rose's frown increased, and she walked into the shop, in search of George. A terrifying, but very possible idea of where her Pygmy Puff was had a lot to do with the ginger haired boy. He was still setting off fireworks with Fred at his side, and she stood beside him, waiting for him to pause.

He noticed her there, and stopped, noticing she had a rather Bellamy-esque expression on her face. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Have you seen Ryussi?"

George didn't answer, but simply thought long and hard, growing panicked as he tried to remember where he was. Rose's scowl intensified by the milisecond, and Fred asked slowly, "Isn't he in the box?"

"No," came the curt reply, as she crossed her arms. Inside she felt like crying, but she wasn't going to do that in front of everyone in the shop. Fred looked at his brother, who in turn looked like he was going to pass out or throw up.

"I... I think I sold him," George whispered sadly, looking very ashamed. Gaping, Fred stared at him. How could he have sold him? He looked different than all the rest. Rose bit her lip hard and nodded. She had already known the answer when he wasn't there. "I'll- I'll get him back, I swear! I only did it about half an hour back. A woman wanted one, and I just grabbed him without looking..."

Cutting her eyes at him, she said quietly, trying to be nonchalant, "Forget it. You couldn't possibly track her down. Besides, it's just a Pygmy Puff."

"Rosie..." began George, looking very upset. He would rather have had her yell at him; call him stupid, or something, but she shook her head, and walked upstairs to the second floor, picking the hats up off the floor, and dusting them off. It was silly, she thought as she wiped her eyes, to be crying over a Pygmy Puff. She had only had him for two days. It wasn't like he was around her constantly, but still. He had been sweet and hers, and now he was gone.

Downstairs, Fred was looking at his brother sternly, while George tried to think of ways to get Ryussi back, all the while knowing it was impossible. You couldn't follow someone once they'd dissapparated, unless you hung on to them in some way. The fireworks weren't helping his thought process much, either.

"Maybe if we replace-" he began, but Fred's glare intensified. George threw up his hands in defeat, "Alright, alright! It was just a suggestion."

"It'd take weeks for a Pygmy Puff to grow to what his size was, and she'd know. Rose isn't stupid, George." Fred said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"I know," he said bleakly, his shoulders slumped. She had been nothing but nice to him, and helped him out when Bellamy was mad at him. He felt terrible, and it was not a feeling he was familiar with. The girls brought out the worst in him, he thought darkly. "If only I could buy her another... animal..."

Fred looked at him confusedly, and raised an eyebrow. George's expression had completely changed. He looked happy, even gleeful. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

"I know just the thing, Fred. But I'll have to buy it tonight, once the store's closed and they're making dinner. I'll surprise her with it, and she'll forgive me. Of course, I've never much cared for cats, myself-" George rambled, when Fred cut him off sharply, looking utterly perplexed.

"A cat?! You're going to solve this with a cat?" Fred asked incredilously, looking at George like he had lost his mind. "How does selling her Pygmy Puff equal you buying her a cat?"

"When we were in the Magical Menagerie, there was this kitten, and she immediately picked it up and cuddled with it. She obviously liked that cat. If I get her that cat, she'll forgive me." he said with a triumphant smile, feeling very proud of his idea.

"Wait- you want to go tonight?" Fred asked, panicking inside. George nodded. "Well, I need you to go to the Leaky Cauldron at seven, though."

George's eyebrows furrowed, and he asked, "Why?"

"Because," he said, thinking wildly for a story. "Earlier today, a girl came in and said she had a business proposition for us, and told me to meet her at seven. But I can't go. Rose might get mad." Fred said hurriedly, hoping George would buy it.

He didn't. Scoffing, he said, "Rose get mad at you? Please. You'd have to do something extreme. Sure, she was a bit iffy about the french phrase thing, but now-"

"She might! You know how jealousy works,"that earned Fred a glare, but he quickly asked, "just do it for me?"

George huffed, grumbling, "Fine. I'll go the bloody Leaky Cauldron and meet this girl. Then I'll get Rose her kitten." Fred nodded, smiling widely.

"See, now it won't look suspicious. You'll have a reason to go out tonight, instead of randomly leaving before dinner." he pointed out with a smug smile. George nodded, and turned back to the fireworks, while Fred hurried off to go find Rose.