He's My Best Friend's Brother

A week had gone by with a breeze. Lee Jordan had been the one to aid in most of my training; the twins busy with all sorts of business-y things that made me wonder when they had matured quite so much. I learned how to organize shelves, and what displays sat where. I learned how to pack everything up so nothing leaked or spilled, and what deals were being run. I even learned how to pack certain pranks.

There were two floors to the shop, and the flat above that. Of course the flat was hidden behind a tumultuous amount of charms and spells, and was therefore unable to be spotted by customers. The first floor held loads of things - Fairy Tale in a Bottle charms, Love Potions, Skiving Snackboxes, and much more - while the second floor was home to a large hanging display and larger things like fireworks.

The best-sellers seem to be any type of trick sweets and the love potions. Mid-thought I hear someone saying my name, and am faced with none other than Lavender Brown once I turn. "Hey Hermione," her voice is just a little too loud and a little too sweet. "Do you reckon these are actually useful?"

I haven't seen Lavander Brown since leaving Hogwarts to find horcruxes with Harry, and I could have lived on fine with the streak continuing. Most of the people who knew of my distaste for her thought it was because of her frequent romps with Ron, when it was really just because of her negative aura and annoying voice.

What a dunce, I think to myself. One would think she had never taken a Potions class. "Yeah, definitely." Being that I work here now, there's no place for any snide comments. "Anything made by Freddy and Georgie is just ace, honestly" I flash her a smile and bounce off to some customers who are discussing which Fairy Tale in a Bottle looks better.

I stand there for a bit after they've all gone, reading the descriptions of each one. Which fairy tale, what version, how long they last. Each bottle is packaged in a box made to look like the book they're created from. It's brilliant, really. There's a Beauty and the Beast version which has a pretty yellow box with intricate rose designs akin to the window art of Saints in the Catholic churches. Then there's a Little Mermaid one with watercolor designed waves and sea creatures. I catch myself wondering if it will be a more Disney-esque ending, or something more gruesome like the original.

Just as I'm turning a bottle from one of the Snow White boxes, there's a breathing at my neck. "Boo!"

My hair whirls from one side to the other as I snap around to face the culprit, realizing in that split second that I had let go of the charm bottle. In true Fred fashion, however, the charm bottle dangled between his fingers in front of my face. "Think you dropped something, love." He winked, smooth, and his fingers brushed against mine as he placed the bottle in my hands. "This one is on the house. You look like you could use a break."

He told me to go up to the flat; he and George wouldn't interrupt and would likely be working late into the night. Since wards were still up and a few customers were mulling about I decided to stop for a spot of tea before apparating to my latest home.

Upon settling into a nice corner I decided to order a nice Kava Stress Relief tea to-go. Cinnamon bark sounded nice, and most of the ingredients were harvested from the greenhouse at Hogwarts so essentially my support would be helping with the rebuilding of damaged rooms and towers.



The bottle was quite large, nearly 12 ounces filled it. The instructions said that just one sip would do the trick. Clever, I thought. When I twisted the top off to smell the contents, a delectable apple scent rose to fill my nostrils. Just one bite, just one sip. I couldn't help but to laugh to myself. I poured a dash of the charm into my tea, apple cinnamon could be a good flavor.

The flat had many good places to relax: water jet bathtubs, window benches in nearly every room, comfortable beds. Passing by the miniature home office I spotted a rather large beanbag chair. The perfect place to try this out! Just as I got comfortable my tea began to go cold and I decided to just have the 'just one sip' straight from the bottle. The bottle charm was warm as it slid down my throat, and within seconds I could feel my eyes drooping closed.

Though I had worked for a little in the morning, I wasn't at all tired. Until now. My mind wandered to when Fred's fingers had brushed against mine as he handed the bottle to me. In that moment it felt like I could feel every molecule of air in the room. Like I could feel more than just his skin; his energy, perhaps. His winking face was the last real thought I saw before I found myself standing in front of an eerie looking castle.