A/N-

Hey everyone! I am so extremly sorry that it has taken me this long to update! It's only a short chapter as well, but it's been taking me so long to write because I was finding it hard deciding what should happen when. I really am sorry- I ready fanfictions all the time and I know how frustrating it is when gthe author doesn't update!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, even if it is a bit short!

Chapter 28 (Fred)

“Heard anything more about Ronnie?”

George looked up at me from his space behind the shelf,

“Mum said he’s going to be alright.”

I sighed with relief. Both George and I had been worried to hear about Ron’s near-death experience. He had been lucky that Harry had known about the bezoar.

The shop was practically empty, as it was mid-afternoon on a week day. Also, people seemed to be more and more afraid of leaving the house.

Perfectly understandable.

“I heard from Charlie, actually.” George grinned, “He said he’s going to come over soon, have a look around the shop.”

I smiled,

“He can see how much our pranking has paid off.”

George continued to stack the Love Potions up on the shelf while I sorted the money out at the front desk.

Standing in the middle of our shop made everything else that was going on seem non-existent. When we were surrounded by bright colours and loud pranks, it was easy to forget about Death Eaters, Voldemort and the constant fear that the majority of wizards and witches felt.

That was probably why our shop was popular, and why it was one of the only shops left open on Diagon Alley. It seemed almost selfish to keep our shop open when so many others had failed. But, then again, what could we do? It had still been less than a year since we had opened the shop, and business was booming. We weren’t just earning money for ourselves but for Mum and Dad. They needed the money more than us, and it seemed fair that Ginny could have new schoolbooks and robes.

A middle-aged witch walked towards the till and passed me some Instant Darkness Powder. It momentarily flashed across my mind that a middle-aged woman had no use for Instant Darkness Powder. I shrugged the thought away and grinned at her,

“Hello Madam. That would be… five galleons please.”

As she looked around her purse for the money, I smiled,

“How are you doing on this fine day?”

“Ah, you know.” She passed me the money, “Quite busy, but I’m alright.”

“Aren’t we all?” I asked as I put the Instant Darkness Powder in a bag and passed it to her.

The woman nodded gratefully,

“In times like this… who wouldn’t be?”

Before I could say anything else, she thanked me and left the shop.

“In times like this…” I muttered.

George poked his head through the gap in the shelf,

“Our customers get drearier everyday.”

I dropped the money into the till and closed it,

“The perks of being a shopkeeper, eh Georgie?”

“Perhaps when the summer holidays come around the students will be a bit cheerier.”

My smile faltered for a moment. Who knew what the situation would be in the summer? It could be the same… or worse.

“Excuse me?”

I looked up, slightly startled to see a figure standing in front of me in a cloak, their face concealed by the hood.

I cleared my throat,

“Good afternoon. What may I help you with on this wonderful day?”

The person didn’t answer my question, instead simply looked around at the shop in wonder. After a moment, the person whispered,

“Your shop… it’s beautiful.”

The person’s voice told me that she was female. But something else made me step closer to her.

Her voice sounded so familiar… the softness of it was something I immediately recognised.

I just didn’t know who she was.

“You could come here,” the girl muttered softly, “and just forget… forget about everything else.”

I gulped. That was what I’d been thinking about before… I didn’t realise that someone else had noticed it as well.

I cleared my throat,

“What would you like me to assist you with then?”

“I…” The girl trailed off.

At first I didn’t know why- perhaps she was just pausing for breath. It was only when I heard the gulps and sniffs coming from beneath the hood that I realised she was crying. The girl in front of me was crying.

I attempted to lighten the mood,

“I didn’t realise our shop was that good, madam.”

I glanced over at George as he opened another box of pranks to place on the shelf. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but all I could do was shrug.

The girl took a deep breath,

“Fred? I need your help.”

My eyes widened slightly- how did she know which twin I was? George and I were completely identical. Sometimes even I forgot my own identity. Perhaps it was a lucky guess.

“Please, Fred.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw George stop stacking the shelves.

“Fred.” My brother muttered. He stood by the shelf, frozen with a box in his hand. He didn’t move a muscle.

I frowned at him and turned back to the girl in front of me,

“What’s the matter? What do you want?”

She whispered,

“Help.”

Before I could respond and ask her what kind of help the girl needed, she pulled her hood back and revealed her face.

My heart stopped and her name passed my lips in a soft whisper,

“Ava.”