Calamity

"No stop, Thief !" I shouted as the hooded man took off through the crowded joke shop. Knocking over boxes of products and customers as he went.
"George?!" My twin questioned as he ran after the man.
"Right behind you Fred!" I said as I caught up to him.
We ran down the alley in broad daylight, dodging busy people and pets alike.
Fred and I had always been pretty fast.Thanks to our hight, most likely.
The man in the hood attempted every dirty trick to flee, but we were closing in fast.
Suddenly, he pulled a mop from beneath his cloak. I grunted knowingly. He also stole a vomit mop.
As he ran, the man dragged the vomit mop behind him. Large, whole chunks of spaghetti spewed from the comical mop.
Which was strange considering that Fred and I had enchanted them to vomit. Not spew full coarse meals.
It must have been a defective one.
"Fred watch it!" I shouted as I leaped over one large pile of pasta after another.
Unfortunately Fred didn't seem to be as lucky. He slipped on a full tomato and smashed his face right into a pile of noodles.
I chanced a glance back at my brother. Fred waved me on with a face full of tomato sauce.
"I didn't know a red face full of rage could look so appetizing!" I shouted the joke back to him. Fred pulled some noodles from his hair and told me to catch the thief.
The hooded man took a swift left as I bolted after him. Finally, he led me to a small building where he quickly entered. I followed, bursting through the door at lightning speed. What I found inside was nothing close to what I expected.
I wasn't inside a house or a shop. Infact I wasn't inside at all. The door slammed shut behind me causing me to jump in fright.
I stood in a snow covered valley. Bright white flecks filtered through the air. To my left was a house. A large old rickety house.
"The Shrieking Shack, but wha?" I whispered in confusion. It was frustrating. I ran my hand through my hair and stumbled around in attempt to regain my bearings.
The Shrieking Shack ment I was in Hogsmead not Diagon Alley. That wasn't possible unless. ..
"A portkey?" I mumbled and quickly turned back only to find the door missing and a small speckled pup sitting happily in its place.
"Swatch? Merlin's SAKE! Come here boy!" I said with an exasperated sigh. At least he was ok and the dog-napper had seemingly disappeared. Swatch barked and scurried into my arms.
"He's really taken to you Georgie." A light voice spoke suddenly. I turned with bated breath. Jesslyn Harbourow stood there charmingly in a beautiful white gold ballgown. Her dark auburn hair had been pulled up into loose curls and a crown sat tilted upon it. Her bright blue eyes were enhanced by dark smokey makeup and her lips held a glossy hint of cherry.
She looked so stunning that I had almost forgotten how cold it was.
"Jesslyn? How did you know I wasn't Fred?" I asked as she walked slowly over to me. Oddly enough she was taller than usual. It must have been the heels she was wearing.
"I have my ways." She said passively. "Would you like to dance?" She asked.
I stood shocked. Why would she want to dance in the snow?
"I'm a bit under dressed." I said stupidly.
Jess eyed me in confusion. "You look pretty good to me Georgie." She said.
Sure enough my own confusion cleared as I realized that I was already wearing dress robes. I shrugged and let Swatch jump down into the snow.
Before taking her hand, I bowed dramatically like the goof of a gentleman I am. Jesslyn laughed in amusement. I always did like to make her laugh.
Soft, beautiful piano music played as we danced and spun. Where it came from I hadn't a clue, but I didn't care. Swatch leaped and bounced through the powdery ice, thoroughly enjoying the thick snow.
Suddenly we stopped spinning. A bittersweet desire loomed over me as I gazed at the beautiful woman. Hands held, our foreheads touched. She laughed in embarrassed amusement. We lingered there for a moment. I sighed as I brought her knuckles to my face and pressed my lips lightly against them.
"Jessie i-ah..." I sighed. Still, I felt haunted by that odd lingering feeling. It was strange. Such a beautiful moment and yet nothing was right.
"George what is it?" Jesslyn asked with a concerned look. She placed her arms at my neck and her hands traced ever so softly through my hair. It was calming, almost trance-like. How her gentle touch could be so reassuring was beyond me.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the moment. Yet, I felt cheated. Disappointed. Like I betrayed her somehow.
My eyes stared to water and instantly she was there.
"Hey, Hey." She said gently, but I couldn't take the impending doom lurching over my head. My stomach turned to knots and it was only getting worse.
"I'm so sorry Jesslyn. " I said. Suddenly, I snapped and in a fit of rage I shoved her as harshly as I could. I watched in horror as she stumbled backwards and fell off the Cliffside.
"George!" Someone barked. I turned to see Swatch sitting there with a human-like look of anger. "George?" Swatch questioned in a low human voice. "George, Georgie up mate!"

Fred shook his twin a last time before George sprang up from his bed. The startling sound of Fred's voice caused him to tumble off the matress and bring his focus back to reality.
A dream.
George checked the clock. 2:43. He sighed and dropped his head back in exhaustion.
It was just a dream.
"Someone's in the shop come on!" Fred exclaimed in a harsh whisper as he tugged his twin off the wood floor. In a last ditch effort George snatched his wand off the nightstand. Just in case.
Together they ran, arm in arm, until they reached the shop. Fred reached for the light switch but George stoped him.
"Lumose." He whispered. His wand illuminated slightly.
The shop was usually filled with the hustle and bustle of madness and fun. Laughter reaching every corner, But now? Now, at three in the morning? It was dark, desolate, and all over creepy. Moonlight shined through the Windows of the second and thrid floor. Wind howled eerily, forcing the open door to smash against the wall with a loud bang.
The twins rounded the corner and passed the cash register when they heard the soft creak of wood. Someone was there, walking not too far off in the darkened distance. George's mind spun, wandering to every horrible possibility imaginable.
A burglar? A murderer, the thief from his dream? A leftover death eater here to exact revenge? Perhaps a swarm of rotting infiri waiting in the distance to infect them with whatever horrid curse their mutilated corps carries.
Slam! Bam! BANG!
The door suddenly jarred open causing both boys to scream at a high pitched velocity.
The twins freaked. George scrambled to regain his wand from the floor and held it in a frightened battle stance. Fred, having forgotten his wand back in the apartment, jumped to grab the nearest object as a weapon.
"Come out you! " George said bravely.
"I've got a mop!" Fred said seriously. "And it vomits! "
"Hopefully." George muttered, remembering the spaghetti filled nightmare he just had. Fred eyed him suspiciously. George shrugged and glanced at his brother. Sure enough Fred had the display mop in hand, ready to battle whomever was on the other end of the darkness.
Or at least gross them out.
The sound edged closer and closer. Slowly creeping upon the two boys. A scratching, scraping sound followed. George's heart raced.
Could it be the real murderer coming back to exact revenge upon him? Had he seen too much the morning he tripped over the dead lifeless corps? He could still imagine the man's grotesquely dismembered face. Blood pouring lively from his blue lips. His eyes rolled disturbingly in opposite positions. The horrid memory changed suddenly. No longer was it the face of a young wealthy man, but his face. His body carved up by the man lingering in the shadow.
Suddenly, they both shrieked and tumbled instantly to the floor in horror as a white fur ball launched itself at them.
"Wha-her uh dog??" Fred exclaimed as the pup lapped and nipped at his face. "Gerr-off!" He said in annoyance.
"Swatch?! Bloody hell pup!" George sighed as he scooped up the dog.
Fred regained his balance and sighed in relief. " You nearly gave us a fright little guy." He said and scratched the pups ear. "Take your girlfriends dog home mate, I'm off to sleep." Fred said and out of frustration he tossed the mop in the air dramatically. It landed with a loud thud and started oozing digested grossnes.
"But... Hey, she's NOT my girlfriend! " George protested but Fred had already wandered off. Clearly too tired to care.
"What are you doing here little one?" George asked with an amused chuckle. Swatch merely grumbled and nipped at his collar as if avoiding the question.
"Hello?" Someone said from the front door. She peaked through the entrance knocked slightly. "Damn it, Swatch if your in here I'm-a kill Ya. "
George smiled slightly and motioned for Swatch to keep quiet. He had an idea.
He quickly snuck behind a shelf and hid himself within the shadows, still in eyesight of the young woman.
Jessie wandered aimlessly throughout the shop, calling, whistling, and muttering comments to try an gain the attention of her pup.
George waited till she pasted right by him before he snuck up and whispered right into her ear. "Looking for him?" He asked.
The young woman squeaked and jumped from terror. George laughed in abundance as her expression changed from scared to realization.
"You did that on purpose you bastard!" Jessie said as she repeatedly hit his bicep in retort.
George laughed again. Her small stature made it almost impossible for her to do any real damage.
Until she smacked him in the nose and caused his eyes to water. Clearly by accident.
Her bright eyes went wide with terror. Instantly she carcassed his face, tracing his nose, making sure she hadn't actually hurt him." I am so sorry! Are you alright?" She asked, still slightly amused from the situation.
George had to chuckle. "Yeah, don't worry.. Jessie, right?"
She nodded. "George, you CAN call me Jess-Lyn."
He smirked. "I prefer Jessie."
She attempted to stay annoyed with him but it quickly faded to amusement.
"You know." Jesslyn said slyly as she toyed with a strain of her dark hair. "If you want my attention, you don't have to keep kidnapping my dog to get it." She ruffled Swatch's fur and added. "Hey buddy."
George cocked an eyebrow at her in amusement. "I didn't, he just wandered in here. Nearly scared.. "he paused, that Gryffindor pride swelling up again. "Fred half to death."
"See! Told Ya he was a little terrorizer." She said with a huff. "Sorry about that. He thinks he's a little escape artist, but he always manages to come back. Probably cause he's a spoiled brat."
Swatch growled in protest and leaped from George's arms. They both laughed.
"I should probably let you get back to sleep." Jessie said suddenly a shy blush emerging on her cheeks as she shuffled her shoes. "Sorry if he woke you. "
He thought back to the nightmare and realized he should probably thank the small pup for waking him from it.
George shook his shaggy ginger hair and hopped onto the counter. He wiped his mother's voice from his head. Her rules didn't apply when he owned the shop.
"No need, I couldn't sleep anyway." He said and patted the counter space next to him. "If your not too tired. " he added.
Jessie shrugged and joined him at the counter. Once again George watched as she swung her sneakers back and forth playfully.
"What?" She asked when he laughed at her.
"Nothing Love." He said passively. She eyed him skeptically but left it alone.
"So.. your shop?" George asked quickly.
She shrugged and gave him a look that told him to explain a bit more. "Everyone's pretty curious about it."
Jessie smiled. "You mean everyone thinks it's weird that I'm not using magic right away. " George ruffled his hair in embarrassment and nodded.
"I dunno... I suppose." She sighed and shrugged. "It's just how I was raised."
George nodded in understanding. "Muggleborn. " he said.
She scoffed. " Hah, no. You'd think but nope. Pureblood" She made a comically disgruntled face. "It's hard to explain." She said.
George poked her shoulder lightly and smiled. "Try me. " he added.
"Alright, it's like this." Jessie stated eagerly as she turned towards George and crossed both legs on the counter. " I love magic. I do, but my step dad. When I was a kid he always tried everything by hand first and only when that didn't work would he use magic. Don't get me wrong he's still a wizard and used magic often enough. He's an big-wig engineer on trains, see, and..." Suddenly Jessie paused, a look of shame on her face. "I'm sorry I'm boring you aren't I."
George's brow furrowed. "Not at all. Go on."
"Well anywho," she continued. "He once told me .. anything that matters.. take pride in it, hold it close, and treasure it by hand. Love is the most powerful tool we have. If you want something to matter. Sweat for it, bleed for it, cry for it. Only then will it be the most beautiful. "
George stared at the girl. She was alight with so much passion. It almost shocked him.
"I must sound so stupid huh." Jessie added with a laugh as she flattened her bangs back in place.
George shook his head. "Its not stupid to want things to matter. " he said.
"You don't think i'm an idiot for not using magic when I could?" She asked.
George smiled. "My father's obsessed with the Muggle world. He collects rubber ducks and spark plugs." He explained. " My friends Muggleborn and the smartest witch in the world, My sister's bent on reveling the magical world for equality and Fred's recently become obsessed with some contraption known as a TV. "
Jessie laughed and nodded. She was still clearly unsure of where he was going with this.
"If you are." George said with a shrug. "Then your no more idiotic than the rest of us."
"Thanks Georgie-boy." Jesslyn smiled and lightly shoved him before hopping off the counter. "I should go." She said with a streach. "That shops not going to de-rot itself. Now where did... SWATCH?"
George looked around for the wolf-like pup but he was no where in sight. Suddenly they heard a rustling grunt off in the distance. George whistled. "Come here boy." He called.
"Swatch? You wanna be in trouble?"Jessie said sternly.
George hopped off the counter and walked off in search of the pup. "Little mate where did you run off-" a sudden squish beneath George's foot stole his attention and gave them the answer. Pieces of wooden broom handle lay scattered beneath a trail of discarded vomit weaving far off into the distance.
"I suppose he didn't want us getting lost?" George said with an amused laugh.
Jesslyn face-palmed in embarrassment and laughed. "Sorry, I swear stuff like this only ever happens to me."
"I dunno." George grumbled. "I'm starting to wonder why we ever invented that blasted thing. "