...

This is a rewrite. Original can, of course, be found in my bonus book. Note that this is has been changed up a bit. The time is shifted so in this, dawn breaks about half an hour after the Battle of Hogwarts while in the actual books the sun rose at the same time. Now, enjoy this rewrite!

...

Yelling. Curses. Flashes. Hooves. Pounding. Crashes. Shoving. Debris. Death. Desperation.

This was battle.

I had never thought that I would find myself fighting for my life but there I was, barely an adult, and shooting spells at the surrounding death eaters that wandered into my range. I made slow work pushing through the dueling witches and wizards but I was able to reach the Great Hall, where friends and foes were still falling. Harry Potter had just been proclaimed dead and Voldemort seemed to be winning now that a lot of the defenders' energy had been drained from the loss of our hero.

As I was about to enter the Great Hall, a swarm of house elves burst out of the basements and flooded in between the rest of the fighting, brandishing their knives and such. They hacked and stabbed at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters with rare ferocity. A faint bit of amusement brushed over me as I spotted a house elf with a large fork, chasing a bewildered Death Eater away from one of my fellow defenders.

I turned away and rushed into the Hall to see small groups of duelists. Younger defenders were taking on powerful Death Eaters in groups and I felt a rush of pride when the thought of just how strong all of my peers were. I spotted Bellatrix and Voldemort in the middle of it all, each dueling three. Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were taking on Voldemort while Bellatrix was deflecting spells from Lovegood, Weasley, and Granger.

I spun on my heel as a jet of green light barely missed me. I spotted the one who'd cast the spell and I raised my wand, sending a quick offensive spell at them without quite thinking about the words I'd chosen. Whatever I'd said worked because the black-robed wizard toppled backwards and hit the floor, only to be swarmed by a small group of house elves that were no doubt shouting at him about not hurting the sirs and mistresses.

I heard a sharp and loud yell and everyone was suddenly shuffling backwards as fast as they could. I, being curious, stayed rooted to my spot and shot a stunning spell at a passing Death Eater. Moments later, a circle was formed and everyone seemed to be watching as Molly Weasley started up a duel against Bellatrix. The two witches were hissing and shooting spell after spell at each other, aiming to kill. Students tried to push forward to aid Mrs. Weasley but she refused to let them help. Bellatrix was hers.

Then, Bellatrix was gone. A spell hit her square in the chest and the laughter in her eyes and lips faded away as she fell backwards, hitting the ground roughly. That was the end of the line for Voldemort, it seemed, because his last deathly loyal servant was dead. He flourished his wand and the three adults he'd been dueling were thrown aside, causing them all to hit the stone with heavy thumps.

Voldemort whirled to face Mrs. Weasley with his wand raised and he was about to cast what must've been a killing curse but in the moments it took for him to ready himself, a shout echoed through the hall.

"PROTEGO!" the voice had called and everyone hurriedly turned to see Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived who had been announced dead minutes before. He was throwing aside a silvery cloak, which definitely granted the wearer invisibility since no one had noticed him before, as he raced forward to face the Dark Lord.

The two wizards started to circle each other, both ready for any unexpected attack from their opponent. As they spun, they hissed remarks and shot down each others' words. It was tense and the stress that was filling the room to the ceiling probably could've been cut through with one of the house elves' knives.

Then, spells were cast.

Red and green, one aiming to kill and the other to stun.

Golden flames and a sound like an amplified cannon blast sprouted from the forces of the two spells. Voldemort's wand, apparently the Elder Wand, was thrown up and it flew through the air. Right in Potter's waiting hand. Voldemort's own spell had rebounded just like it had on that night many years ago and time seemed to slow as the infamous Dark Lord fell backwards in defeat.

A pause was given until the celebration started. Death Eaters could be seen willingly going with Order of the Phoenix members because what they'd been fighting for was gone. The defenders threw aside their wands, not literally, and hugged their peers in the joy of it all. Former schoolyard 'enemies' were crying and gripping each other while friends called each others' names in pure joy to see their peers still alive.

It was quite a joyous moment when reality sunk in. The Dark Lord was gone and we had won. The war was finally over, after all those years. The Battle of Hogwarts would go down in history and... and those who died would be honored.

I knew that there were many, friends or foes, laying across the grounds that I once had called home and they had to be found and the injured had to be taken care of. I slowly left the hall and took in the ruined hallways that had once been pristine.

I wandered until the faint sound of shifting rubble reached my ears. I crept towards it with my wand ready because it could've been a Death Eater still willing to kill for all I knew. I was actually met with a small boy who seemed to be a second or third year, cowering and squished into a well-protected corner. He probably hadn't been able to evacuate in time and I found it remarkable that he was still alive and mostly unharmed.

I offered a gentle smile, "Hey, the battle's over. The defenders won, it's safe to head down to the Great Hall."

He started suspiciously at me, which was good since he shouldn't trust just anyone but, at the same time, come on, it's safe. He shuffled backwards an inch and asked, "Who're you?"

"I'm Harper, what about you?" I crouched so I was level with him and pocketed my wand, knowing the gesture would show I meant him no harm.

"Can you - can we just get down to the Great Hall? I need to find my sister," he murmured, choosing to ignore my question which was fine by me.

"Of course, who is your sister?" I reached out a hand to help him up.

He took it and let himself be pulled into standing, "Just... take me to the Great Hall."

"Of course," I started to lead him back to the hall but it was quickly apparent that his leg had been damaged in the course of the battle, either fractured or broken. I ended up letting him lean heavily on me as we slowly went back to the Great Hall. The progress was slow but our destination wasn't too far and we reached it just in time.

The boy collapsed as soon as he could onto one of the benches that had been fixed for the tired to sit on and a girl who seemed to be about my age immediately rushed over to him, scolding him roughly but crying and checking him over for wounds at the same time. I smiled and let them have their reunion, leaving the hall to continue my search of the grounds.

I wandered through the rubble and moved aside some debris with my wand when I couldn't move past it. I helped the people that I found and if they couldn't get down to the Great Hall by themselves I would ask them to wait while I found someone who could aid them. Most of them eyed me warily while others gave me welcoming smiles. I passed one of my old classmates helping a professor who'd been caught in a collapsing section of wall, buried but not squished.

I rounded one of the many corners and kicked aside a few small rocks, using spells to lift the heavier ones out of my way. Then, a new sound reached me and I realized it was soft crying from somewhere ahead. I couldn't quite place it but I quickened my pace, checking often to see if I was still going in the right direction.

I ended up outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and I found myself standing in front of a redhaired boy pressed up against the wall, his arms circling his legs that he'd brought up under his chin.

I hesitated and glanced out the nearest window to find that dawn was just breaking. The sun was slowly rising and it was sending warm rays of the grounds of Hogwarts. It usually would've been welcoming but it was just throwing the devastation into deep shadows. I turned away.

I didn't recognize the boy because his head was down but I took a step forward hesitantly then I approached him, pressed myself against the wall, and slid down to sit next to him. He didn't look up but upon closer inspection, I recognized that he was one of the famed Weasley twins, the troublemakers of Hogwarts. I'd been in the same year as them when in school, just in Hufflepuff, but I knew enough about them that they never cried. They were the most extroverted extroverts you could ever find so the sight of one of them being so down startled me. Except, everyone broke down at some point over something and fighting in a war when barely an adult would definitely be something worth crying over.

I scooted over a bit and draped my arm over his shoulder in a half hug that I knew could comfort most. He stiffened briefly but then he sunk into my side, still with his face pressed into his knees. Time passed and we were there for a good amount of time. His soft cries and sniffing faded away slowly and, eventually, he sat up and wiped his face on his torn sleeve to look up at me.

"Harper?" he asked suddenly, looking surprised.

"Oh, you know me?"

"Well, y-yeah, sort of," he glanced away then whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I asked, matching his soft tone.

"For making you sit here for such a long time..." he paused then continued, softer still, "I know I'm amazing but I'm not that amazing..."

His attempt at a joke hung silently in the air. There was no laughter. No smiling. It had held no emotion.

I waited for him to look back at me and offered the smallest of smiles to him, "Don't worry about it, you were in need."

"Not really..."

I held his gaze and removed my arm from around his shoulder, "Yes, you were."

He broke eye contact first and sighed, a heavy one that shouldn't have come out of someone so young. It was saddening that our generation had been burdened with the war.

We sat in silence again until a call from below echoed up, "George?"

So it was George next to me, not Fred. I glanced over when he sucked in a breath at his name and he looked back to me, surprising me by briefly burying his face into my shoulder. I was used to it, actually, but for some reason it was always still a bit odd. I had been dubbed the "mama badger" amongst the Hufflepuffs during my school years because I'd always been willing to listen to someone when they needed help. I wouldn't say I always enjoyed it, but I would fight through my annoyance or impatience when it showed up to put them first.

Usually, when someone needed me they would approach and just give me a certain kind of look that would have me getting up and following after them if they wanted to go somewhere more private. They would often just sit in silence then leave since they just needed company but sometimes they were talk, cry, hug me, or ask for advice. I wouldn't usually give them the advice they were needing because it didn't seem right to influence them with my views just because I was patient enough to be with them.

I would almost always be asked the same question, though. How can you being burdened with others' problems?

That was one I was never able to answer since it probably came naturally. I had labeled my patience from coming from my home, where I had to deal with three impatient and head-strung younger brothers and two dramatic younger sisters.

"George! Oh, there you are," the person had reached the top of the stairs, who ended up being Mrs. Weasley.

George looked up and met his mother's gaze, "Mum."

"Come on, let's go," her voice was soft and loving as she opened her arms for him with a sad smile.

He stood up and, without a parting glance, he took slow and regretful steps towards Mrs. Weasley. She pulled him into a hug that seemed to be comforting her just as much as it was supposed to be comforting him. She led him away and, before they disappeared, she looked back at me with a thankful expression.

I stood up and carried on with my search of the grounds.

...

After a year of hard work, almost constant stress, and lots of comfort food to keep me going, I was finally able to flip the decorated wooden sign on my door to 'open'. A rush of satisfaction flowed through me as I stepped out the door to appreciate the look of my now-open shop from the outside. I finally had my own bakery that also contained a small bookstore. I'd always loved books and baking, so why not include both in my dream?

I headed back in and checked that all the tables were ready and the bookshelves were filled before moving over to the counter. Customers would probably start coming in soon since I'd told my closest friends from Hogwarts about it and, naturally, they went and told hundreds of people between the five of them.

Sure enough, my first group of customers was just arriving. They weren't exactly true customers since they were my former dormmates from school but that didn't matter much. I smiled at the three of them as they entered and looked around.

"Harper!" Aika laughed, offering a smile back, "Never knew you'd be so successful!"

"I know, didn't you and Emma say I'd end up in a cardboard box somewhere along the side of this exact street?" I laughed along with her as Dahlia pulled me into a hug.

"We might've said that, but, look! Right here, there's some cardboard boxes back here. Ooh, it's enough for a two-story home. Good job, girl," Emma grinned as she held up a box from behind my counter.

"Put that down and get away from there, it's for staff only. Do any of you want to order something?" I paused, "Hold on, where's June and Nari?"

"June had some sort of game to go to while Nari's sister had her baby yesterday," Dahlia replied, "Didn't you know?"

"No, actually, I guess my owl hasn't gotten here, yet?" I offered unsure of myself. Had the two just not wanted to come? Or they forgot about me? Or maybe even -

Aika, realizing where my mind was heading to, piped up, "I'd like some food, if it's free."

I chuckled, "On it."

I turned to the display case as the three of them wandered over to look through the bookstore section of the shop. I knew exactly what they all liked and, therefore, it only took a few moments to collect and serve up the treats.

A slice of strawberry cheesecake for Aika, biscuits for Dahlia, and a serving of cherry pie for Emma were set on the table closest to the counter and I called out, "Ready!"

The three of them hurried out from among the shelves and sat down, offering compliments on the display and taste of the desserts. Dahlia bit into one of her biscuits and looked over to me, "I always knew that you'd be a successful baker."

"And you were the only one," I smacked Emma and Aika on the heads teasingly and slid into the fourth seat, "But thank you, that means a lot to me."

Dahlia smiled and the four of us started up our conversation over recent events that had happened in our lives that couldn't just be summed up into letters through owls. Aika was in the middle of explaining a disaster when her younger sister had accidently set one of the greenhouses at Hogwarts on fire when two real customers walked in.

I stood up and smiled at the two of them, "Hello, there! What can I do for you?"

"Two cupcakes?" the boy asked, looking over to the girl as if he needed confirmation, and I realized the pair seemed to be around fifth year age.

"Of course! What flavor?" I went over to the counter and opened the display case.

He glanced back to the girl, flushed lightly, then tried, "One chocolate and a vanilla?"

That seemed to be right because the girl gave him a bright smile as I placed the wanted cupcakes into a box and closed it up before handing it off to the boy, "Enjoy!"

He took the box, slightly confused, and looked up at me with a puzzled expression, "What about paying you?"

"No," I waved him and his now-offered coins away, "Everything is free for the first day, as an opening treat to my customers."

The two smiled, thanked me, then left the shop happily with their acquired sweets. I watched their retreating backs before returning to my friends to continue chatting as I waited for more customers to wander in, which they did.

...

After the day had passed and I had bid goodbye to friends, telling them to come again soon, I closed up the store. That involved sweeping, moving out the days' unsold treats to gift off to family, wiping down surfaces, and locking everything up.

When that was all done, I decided to wander around Diagon Alley, wanting to see what had changed since my time at Hogwarts. The war had forced many shops closed and new ones had sprung up in their place, meaning the street was definitely slightly unfamiliar as I aimlessly headed down the road.

I watched the other shoppers as they passed and glanced through windows with interesting displays. I spotted a large crowd of student-aged witches and wizards heading into a brightly lit shop that I'd taken note of before but never entered, since it was always crowded, but I decided to go for it and entered the building.

I let the crowds sweep me around, since there was really no point in fighting it, and I immediately noticed a large shelf of skiving snackboxes, which were quickly disappearing off the shelves, and the violently pink WonderWitch section.

I broke off from the throng of people with a bit of difficulty and smiled at the pygmy puff cage as my younger sister Tara, the youngest girl of the family, entered my mind. She'd begged for one for her eleventh birthday but Mum had shot that idea down, saying it would've been too much work.

I left behind the cages as a thought flitted through my mind, who on earth had managed to open up such a booming business?

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard a startled voice call my name and I ended up looking up, towards the source of the noise, to see George Weasley standing on a staircase, leaning over the railing to peer down at me, "Is that you?"

"Weasley?"

"Well, then, Harper," he offered a small, somewhat sad smile, as he gestured around the shop, "welcome to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"I should've known this was your doing, you and Fred were always talking about a joke shop. Never thought you would actually go through with it though. I remember once Fred told me that if the shop was started, I should give him twenty galleons for doubting but if it didn't succeed, he'd give me twenty - " I stopped my story when I took in the look that had spread across his face, bitter with waves of sorrow, "Wait, did I say something wrong?"

He released a breath and, gesturing me closer, lowered his voice, "Did you - did you not hear?"

I shook my head, not knowing if I wanted him to continue.

"He's... he's gone, Harper," George sucked in a shuddery breath, "He'll never receive those twenty galleons."

Without George explaining more, I still knew where Fred had died. It was the Battle, the Battle of Hogwarts. It had to have been, since I'd found George devastated, alone, right after. I met his eyes and whispered "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he waved off my apology with feigned lightness as he straightened, "I'll... I'll be fine. Come, I'll show you around."

He descended the stairs and I followed after him as he swept off among the shelves. He pointed out almost every product and I could tell when he was particularly proud of one, it bled into his tone as he explained it. At most products, he assured me that they were safe to use. Some of them looked very not safe but if he said they were, I would trust him on that. There wasn't exactly a reason for him to lie.

I suppressed a smile as he brushed past the love potions in the WonderWitch section awkwardly and paused at a small display, much less flashy than the rest. It was filled with small packages of what looked like index cards. He plucked one from the bunch and looked at it sadly, his voice matching the feeling he was obviously experiencing, "This was one of Fred's last ideas, and one of his best as well. They show a joke to the reader. He wanted people to use them for the war, giving joy to those who needed a laugh. The smart twist he came up with, though, was that the joke is personalized to each person's taste of humor. If you and I read it both read it right now, we'd see a different joke. If we turn it over for a moment then flip it again, the joke resets itself. Fred wanted to sell them in packages, so you could give cards to others... what do you think?"

I smiled sadly, "It's brilliant, George. He'd be elated to see it on the shelves."

"I did my best, you know... it was one of the trickiest products to enchanted," his smile mirrored mine as he held out the package, "Keep that."

"Are you sure? I could pay - "

He cut me off with a small shake of his head and a whispered, "No, you should have some..."

"Let me at least do this, then," I insisted, reaching for my purse. I counted off the coins then took his hand in mine, palm up, and slipped the coins into his hand.

He looked down and a true, small smile flitted across his face as he murmured, "Twenty galleons for the open shop."

I didn't know what to say in response so I rested my hand briefly on his shoulder before bidding him goodbye, "I've got to go, Weasley."

"Busy woman?" he asked with a faint hint of his old humor.

"Of course, I have a date with my cat, a good book, and a cup of tea," I winked as he shook his head, amused. It felt good seeing a touch of his old self again.

"I won't keep you waiting, then."

"It was nice seeing you, Weasley," I turned to leave.

"Nice seeing you too, Harper," I heard him call softly as I left the shop.

...

The business of the next day was quite slow and I assumed most people were preparing their kids for Hogwarts, buying supplies and not desserts. I leaned against my counter as I watched the passing shoppers outside my window. The clock on the wall ticked away slowly, it's sound much louder than it should've been.

I couldn't think of anything to make time pass faster so I wiped down the counters again, baked an extra batch of biscuits, readjusted the tablecloths, and even had a short conversation to myself. I was that bored.

Eventually, I accepted defeat and decided it was a good time for an early lunch break. I locked up the shop and spelled the sign on the door to change from the words 'open' to 'will return'.

Setting off down the street, I noted of all the parents and their teen hurrying from shop to shop with bags dangling from their arms. I spotted, I saw a pair of little kids, who seemed to be twins or at least close in age, trailing after two young adults. The boy of the two adults, who looked slightly familiar, probably from Hogwarts, was listening intently as the girl talked. As I watched, one of the kids reached up to tug on the girl's arm, who seemed to be their older sister, and pointed to a candy shop. I turned my focus away as I passed Flourish and Blotts, soon after finding a small sandwich shop.

The place had five small tables, since business for them was probably a tad slow, and a smiling woman with her hair tied up in a neat bun behind the counter. She waved at me as I entered, "Welcome, welcome! What would you like today?"

I hummed in thought, scanning the menu, "What would you recommend?"

"Personally, I love the fourth option but most of my coworkers say that the seventh is best," she rolled her eyes playfully and leaned in momentarily, lowering her voice to joke, "They just don't have any taste."

I smiled, "I'll try the fourth option, then, how much?"

"Fifteen sickles and three knuts," she chirped happily.

I counted out the coins and slid them across the counter before finding a seat while my order was prepared. I looked at the posters on the walls as I waited then over to the Daily Prophet rack near the door. The pictures and text was moving about, rearranging themselves quickly, and I turned away quickly. I greatly disliked wizarding papers because of the moving text, it made the articles hard to read without gaining a headache.

"Your sandwich is done," a waiter said, turning my attention back to where I was sitting, as he placed a plate in front of me, "Enjoy, and tell me if you need anything else!"

"Perfect, thank you so much," I picked up the sandwich and took a bite. It was really good, the flavors fitting wonderfully with each other.

The bell on the door ringed as a person walked in. A certain redhaired person. He looked at me, surprise on his face, "Harper, why does this keep happening?"

I shrugged, "Dunno."

"Mind if I join you? I eat often here."

"I don't mind at all," I watched as he gave a smile then headed over to the counter to order. The witch asked if he wanted the usual, which he said yes to, and accepted the coins he offered. Once done paying, he slid into a seat in front of me.

"So, Harper, what's been going on with you?" he asked politely.

"Not much," I picked up my glass of water and sipped at it, watching him over the rim.

"That can't be true," he said in a way that obviously meant he was hoping to slip into his former, joking self, "You're Harper, the one who always has something new going on like feeding stray cats or learning a new spell."

I chuckled softly, "I did actually feed a stray cat yesterday."

"What did it look like?" he asked, tapping his fingers against the table.

"It was quite cute. It was black with white patches and gorgeous green eyes!" I responded with more enthusiasm than the situation needed, knowing he needed the distraction.

It worked and he smiled a  bit, "You have a cat, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I got him for passing my N.E.W.Ts."

"That's a feat... being able to pass N.E.W.Ts with Umbridge around..." he stopped to thank the waiter who delivered his order.

"Surprising, I know. Anyways, what's been going on with you... have you been doing all right since..." I trailed off and looked away, feeling bad about bringing it up without thinking.

He didn't respond, instead taking a few bites of his sandwich to prolong not having to talk, but he eventually cleared his throat and murmured, "Not really..."

"Figured..." I glanced over at him, "You know, you're doing great but Fred wouldn't have wanted you to mourn for him."

He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face tiredly, suddenly looking much older than he should've, "I know. I know that and yet - and yet I can't let him go. He's dead, I know that, I saw his body and knew I wouldn't talk or laugh with him again but I can't accept that he's gone, not really. I can feel him around or I turn to ask him a question but he's never there. Of course he's never there and he never will be. I wish I could move on but..."

He stopped as his voice turned shaky and he looked down at his sandwich with an expression that suggested that he'd lost his appetite. I watched him sadly, knowing just how much pain he was in without his other half to be there with him.

I reached across the table and took his hand in both of mine, holding them steady, as I forced him to meet my eyes, "It's good to remember, okay? You shouldn't drown in it, though."

He forced out a bitter laugh, "I do feel like I'm drowning. It's a constant weight, reminding me of how I'd let him go."

"And that's normal," I responded softly, releasing him as he looked away.

"I wish he were here," he whispered in a raspy voice, "I wish I could say one last thing to him."

I felt his pain in my own heart and nodded, "He's here right now, listening. Try saying something to him."

He looked ready to break down in tears but he sniffed and murmured something I couldn't hear. I turned my attention elsewhere to let him have the moment to himself and, a few minutes later, he stood up, "I need to return to the shop, see you around..."

I stood as well and followed him out of the shop, where we parted ways to return to our seperate jobs. Both knowing we'd talk again in the future, just not when.

...

"Hey, Harper!" I heard someone call as I was closing up my shop for the evening weeks after the first lunch we'd shared. George had been dropping by and asking me to do the same during the days both our shop were open and I happily obliged, knowing he could use the company. Plus, he was fun to be around, when his grief wasn't overwhelming him.

"George!" I turned around, waving to the redhead approaching me on the emptying street.

"How're you, love?" he asked, knowing how much I disliked it when he called me that.

"I literally saw you five hours ago," I responded, giving a small eye roll as I pulled out my wand to lock up my shop, "Are you expecting an epic tale of an adventure that I did in between cupcake batches?"

"Maybe," he grinned, a far cry from his sad and small smile from just a bit before, as he fell into step beside me as I gestured for him to come with me to the Leaky Cauldron so we could both apparate home, "My life is so boring so I'm hoping your life can be interesting enough for the both of us."

"Well, sorry to disappoint but nothing happened."

"That's too bad, love. Anyway, uhm," he paused and glanced down the street, mirroring the way we all used to glance around in caution because of the threat of death eaters looming over our heads.

"Weasley?" I prodded gently, snapping him out of his worrying.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, "Want to come over to my shop tomorrow? I want to show you something?"

"Sure," I tapped the brick to open up the archway back into the Leaky Cauldron with my wand and went through it, "When?"

"Anytime," he opened the door and let us out back into the muggle world before he turned to bid goodbye, "See you tomorrow, love."

I waved and watched as he apparated back to wherever he slept before I did the same, heading back to my flat.

...

At first, the next day, I completely forgot about having to go over to George's shop. I slept in, read a book, and messed around with Orange until I remembered, causing a scramble to get ready in time.

I hurried to throw on some suitable clothes before I apparated out of my flat to the Leaky Cauldron, where I entered Diagon Alley. I walked down the street with quick paces, cursing myself for forgetting.

As always, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was bustling with shoppers. I squeezed in through the door and brushed past a group of people looking at whiz-bangs, looking around until I spotted the wizard I was looking for, dressed in bright magenta robes. Of course the two of them had decided to come up with oddly colored uniforms that clashed horribly with their red hair, they were known for their oddness.

I approached him and, as he noticed me, he smiled, "Hey, love."

He gestured for me to follow him so I trailed after him as he led me to the back of the shop where there was a staff-only space. He scanned the shelves then pulled out a slightly battered looking box.

"Come here," he popped open the box and went over to the table cluttered with other products in the works.

He dumped out of the contents of the box and I peered down at them. They looked like normal candies but they, of course, were the opposite. They were pastel colors and reminded me of the candies I'd eat as a kid.

"What are these, Weasley? Please don't tell me they're yet another addition to your skiving snackboxes," I asked, picking up one of the sweets and turning it in my hand.

He shook his head, "No, they're not. Don't worry, they don't do anything like making people sick. Plus, the snackboxes' contents were mostly come up with by Fred... I don't want to change that. They should stay his since I have my own things... anyways, these candies keep heads clear, you know? They, like, rid anxiety and such."

I hummed thoughtfully, "For once, these don't seem like they would be good for jokes or pranks."

I set down the candy I'd grabbed as George explained, "They aren't, they'd probably go into the defense section."

"Really?" I looked over to him, "You're sure they work? They don't have any... side effects, right?"

"No, of course not, I've tested them multiple times," at my look he added hurriedly, "First on myself, though, and I paid the rest for testing them."

I laughed, "At least you have the right instincts to say what's needed in the moment. What good would these do in defense?"

"You know... keep the head unclouded when aurors or something are having to fight off an evil dude?"

"'Evil dude' is something only you would say," I commented.

"Nah, I didn't say it first..." his look turned solemn and he looked down at the candies before sweeping them back into their box. He set the box back onto the shelf then asked quietly, "Do you think they'll work?"

"Of course, they're small and easy to take around. And they can be snuck into classes."

He smiled a bit at my comment and led me back into the main section of the store before sweeping his arm in a wide gesture, "You can anything you want."

"What? Why?"

He shrugged, purposefully not answering my question, and walked off when one of his employees ran up frantically saying that someone had accidently set off one of the products a few aisles over.

I watched him go before turning to look around at the shelves. I noted the fanged frisbee as 'never let brothers go near that' laughed at the rest, like the U-No-Poo display or headless hats.

My brothers would be in heaven if they got their hands on any of the products. For example, trick wands. I stopped in front of the display and inspected them, knowing that the three of them would probably explode the house if they ever had access to the items littering the shelves. Dad would kill them.

I moved on from the display and decided to go over to the WonderWitch section since the pygmy puffs were fun to watch and the day dream charms were worth considering. I picked up one of the boxes for the charms and studied it. It seemed cool so I kept the box and watched the pygmy puffs.

"What've you got there, love?" someone asked from behind me.

Without turning around, I knew who it was so I held up the box so he could see, "Day dream charm. How much for it?"

"I already say nothing, you can take whatever," he slid his finger through the bars of the cage and the little fluffs rushed towards it happily.

I laughed and did the same, stroking one of the little pink pygmy puffs, "You did, but I would feel bad taking it for free.

"Why?" he pulled away from the cage and watched as the furry creatures that had swarmed him shuffled around to crowd mine instead.

"I don't know," I paused then started to laugh as the fluffy things pushed each other around, all wanting more attention, "Aw, they're so cute!"

"Bred them myself," he grinned proudly, "Hard to keep them in stock, though. I'm surprised there's this many left at this time."

"I wonder how Orange would react if I brought one of these home," I mused then, at his slightly confused look, I added, "Orange is my cat. Yes, I know, odd name. Tara named him."

"Tara?"

"The youngest of us girls and the second youngest child of the family," I explained.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"From youngest to oldest there's Ian, Tara, Devin, Tyler, Ayla, and then me. The funny thing is, we're all a year older than the next so we almost had one in each year. Too bad there wasn't one more of us."

"One less than my family... well, used to be one less than my family," he whispered, looking away.

I pulled away from the cage and wrapped my arm around his shoulders, "You're going great, George."

"I'm not, I'm really not, Harper. I'm lost without Fred."

"You have so many new products coming out, though," I argued.

"That's because he left behind a notebook of his upcoming ideas and ways to do them. We both needed each other to make this work and I'm barely getting by with his scribbled thoughts. The joke cards were on the last written-on page of the notebook."

"You're still doing them, though. You're doing your best, stop being harsh on yourself," I scolded lightly.

"It's quite easy to be harsh on myself when I'm this lost..." he answered, pulling away from me. He glanced around the busy shop then back to me, "You can take a pygmy puff if you'd like... but I have to go deal with other customers."

Before he could leave, I grabbed his hand and dropped some coins into it, "I'm still insisting on paying."

It looked like he would refuse, for a moment, but the expression faded and he nodded, "Should've known, you're always predictable, Harper."

He walked away, disappearing amid the customers, and I considered getting a pygmy puff. It would've been a nice addition to my flat and Orange would think the same, just in a different way. He'd love to sink his claws into the little fluff so perhaps I could get one later... or just get one for Ayla, since she was an animal lover and adored small things.

I looked around until I spotted an employee, which I called over to take out one of the pale purple pygmy puffs. I took the creature and went over to the counter to pay for him. I slid the coins across the counter then left the shop with the creature riding on my shoulder.

I left the street and, taking the creature off my shoulder so I could hold it, hoping desperately that it wouldn't get sick, apparated away to the flat that my sister shared with one of her former friends from school.

I knocked on the door instead of apparating inside or just walking in since Ayla's roommate didn't seem to like me that much and barging in seemed bad. In front of me, the door swung open and Kimaya opened the door, "Oh, hi."

She always seemed to glare at me but I couldn't tell if she meant it or had a kind of resting annoyed face. I might've been imagining it, though, so I smiled, "Is Ayla here?"

"Mhm," she rolled her eyes and turned to call over her shoulder, "Ayla! Your sister is here!"

I heard Ayla yell my name and, moments later, she rushed out of the small hallway and, brushing past her friend, she barreled into me in a tackle-hug, "It's been a while since you visited! You're so rude."

I could tell she was just pretending to be annoyed at me so I outstretched the purple fluff in my hands and she immediately reached out to stroke it, "Aw, is this a puffskein?"

"Pygmy puff, to be exact," I let her take it, "It's for you."

She immediately cupped it in her hands, looking down at it as if it were the cutest thing she'd ever seen and would ever see, "His name is Plum."

I laughed, "That was fast. Did you have that name planned out for a while, knowing you'd have the chance to add to our fruit themed pets?"

"Yes, I've had many names in mind for whatever possible pets we get. Now we have Orange the cat, Apple the owl, and Plum the pygmy puff. Too bad Devin refused Pear the dog," she huffed, "He's annoying and boring."

"So you've said," I let her usher me inside, following her over to the couch, "So what've you been doing?"

"Not much... although, Kimaya has been trying to set me up with one of her friends... Carlos or whatever," she made a face as if the thought of going on date was disgusting.

"You know, I'm quite surprised you haven't dated anyone yet. You're the prettiest of the family."

She snorted, "And I'm surprised you haven't dated, you're the oldest and most liked."

"What does age have to do with anything?"

"It means you had an extra year to meet someone," she said matter of factly.

"Oh, of course, I was definitely supposed to be looking for someone while fighting in a war," I rolled my eyes.

She slapped my shoulder, "Shut up."

"You should meet Kimaya's friend, he could be nice," I replied, ignoring her slap.

"What if he's some utter weirdo, though?" she complained dramatically.

"Then why would Kimaya be friends with him?" I countered.

She paused then glared at me, "Don't ruin my pessimism. I won't meet him and that's it. Now, let's work out your love life!"

"Oh, Helga," I flopped back on the couch and propped my legs on her lap, waving at her to continue, "Go on, then."

"You should try seeing someone, you're such an introvert! Maybe someone you knew well at Hogwarts? What about Lee Jordan?"

"Him? Ayla, I haven't talked to him in such a long time. Plus, I remember him liking Turner quite a lot."

She pushed my legs off her lap and stood up, "Oh, well, it was worth a shot."

"You don't seem to get it, he was in love with Turner and probably still is," I followed after her as she headed to the kitchen, "Plus, I never really even talked to him in general."

She opened a cabinet and threw a bag of crisps at me before grabbing one for herself, "You're so dumb, girl, who cares if you haven't talked in a while? You could rekindle your relationship."

I opened my snack and ate one of the crisps as I hopped onto the counter, "Shut up."

"Stop being so boring," she rolled her eyes and perched on the counter next to me, crunching away on a few crisps.

"Stop being so daft," I snapped back, shoving her shoulder.

"Ayla! What the heck is this purple fluff thing with a long tongue doing hopping around my room?" a frantic Kimaya screamed from down the hall.

"That's Plum, my new pet!" Ayla shouted back.

"Since when? And didn't we agree that we would talk to each other about pets before actually getting one?"

"Since ten minutes ago! And sorry, I didn't buy Plum! My sister gave him to me!"

I heard a groan and, by the sound of it, Kimaya kicking her dresser in frustration, "All right, all right! Fine! Just keep him out of my room!"

Ayla got up and looked over to me apologetically, "I should go deal with Plum, you should drop by later, though! This conversation is not done!"

I rolled my eyes, "All right, whatever, bye! Have fun with Plum."

"Definitely," a mischievous grin spread across her face, "I'm going to sneak him back into Kimaya's room later this evening."

She hurried off, calling to her roommate that she'd be there in a second as I laughed and let myself out of her flat, apparating home.

...

For the next day of work, I decided to check my stocks and mail, since I couldn't do any baking in advance. I'd ordered some new books and they should've arrived on that day or the next but they hadn't been delivered yet. I checked where the deliveries would've been dropped off but, to my disappointment, the package wasn't there.

I didn't know what else to do since I had plenty of everything else so I hopped up onto the counter, brought my legs up to sit crisscross, then pulled a book out of my bag so I could read instead of going home since my landlord had noticed peeling paint in some of the flats, including mine, and had hired someone to fix it. Meaning that my flat still smelled a bit odd.

I thumbed open the book and continued to read. It was a historical fiction that was recommend to me by a local muggle librarian near my flat. The writing style was a bit different than what I was used to but it still made for a good read.

I heard the bell of my door jingle and I looked up, confused, since I'd locked the doors after I'd entered, not wanting anyone to get in. But, of course, I should've guessed who it was as George walked in, hands in his pockets. I folded down the corner of my page and rested my chin on my fist, peering over at him, "Why're you here, George?"

"Just dropping by to see what you're doing, love," he replied easily, looking around the shop.

"Yeah, but undoing the locking spell on my door is hardly a nice way to enter."

"I redid them, if that's what you're worrying about. I'm capable of spells, love, I'm not an incapable first year."

"I never said you were," I commented, tracking his movements as he crossed the room so he was standing in front of me. With the added height of the counter I was perched atop, I was about the same height as him so I was no longer looking up at him, instead staring right into his brown eyes.

He offered a smile, "It was implied, love."

"You sure?" I scooted over, making space for him to sit next to me, and he got the hint.

He sat down at I noted how his legs reached the floor. Frick tall people. He looked around again and commented, "Nice shop."

"It's nothing compared to yours, you know."

"It's still a nice shop," he argued.

"Sure it is," I looked over to him and noted just how much healthier he was looking compared to the first time I'd seen him after the battle. His eyes had a hint of mischief in them and he carried himself taller, no longer slouching in the shadows.

"Don't worry, it takes a bit to start up a business."

I laughed and gave his shoulder a nudge, "Says the one who's business became the most popular shop in Diagon Alley within months. Heck, it was popular before it was even a real shop."

"How'd you know that?" he asked as a surprised look spread across his face.

"Oh, well, your mother owled me about it a while ago. She said you and Fred were secretly making and shipping products in your Hogwarts years."

His look turned more surprised but he changed it to a look of nervousness as he 'timidly' asked, "Oh, no, did she tell you about all the dungbombs I'd put into Ginny's room?"

"Wait, did you?" I sent an accusing look at him.

"No, no, don't worry, I did on accident when I was younger, though."

I laughed, "Ginny probably didn't find that very funny."

"No, she didn't. If I remember correctly, she threw some of her books at me, those hardcover ones that hurt like heck. One struck me in the face and it sailed over the railing, clocking Ron on the head at the bottom," he laughed as the memory overtook him, "Mum wasn't too happy, she blamed Freddie and I. I mean, it made some sense but Ginny was the one who threw the book."

"Well, then, never 'accidently' leave dungbombs in her room again."

He glared at me and protested, "It was an accident!"

"Sure, sure, Weasley."

"Come on, love, don't you believe me?"

"Of course, Georgie."

He huffed, "It was still unfair punishment."

"Well, that's what happens when you're older. Once, I wasn't home all day and Ayla was assigned the job of looking over Tyler and Devin, since Tara and Ian were with my parents. I got home and the place was absolutely wrecked. It looked like some blast-ended skrewts had thrown a party. Apparently, Tyler and Devin hadn't felt like listening to Ayla so they were riding their bloody bikes around the house when they knew they weren't supposed to. Mum and Dad came home and, when they saw the destruction, he told me it was my job as the oldest to have done something, despite the fact that I'd been out with friends and he knew it."

We both started to laugh at the unfair absurdity of the event but George was the first to stop, his face turning serious as he asked, "Would it be bad if I asked you to wake up early tomorrow?"

I sent him a curious look, "That depends on why I'd need to wake up early."

"Well, that's a surprise, Harper... could you, though?" his look was guarded in a way that suggested he was worried of what he was asking, which had me agreeing to what he was planning.

"Of course, George, what time?"

He thought for a moment then asked, "Around six?"

"That isn't too early, actually, so I'd be fine waking up then. I usually wake up at six thirty... where and when should I meet you?"

"Apparate here at about six thirty and I'll take you to where we're going."

I tapped the counter with my nails as I smiled at him, "All right, then."

"Great, thank you, Harper," he returned the smile as he slid off the counter and left the bakery, redoing the locking spells behind him as he went. I couldn't help but flush as I wondered what he was planning for the next day, was it a date? I wouldn't let myself think any further into the subject, however, since I didn't want to assume and make it weird.

I got off the counter and, humming happily to myself, I decided to make myself some sort of pastry. 

...

The next morning, as I'd promised, I woke up half an hour early and got ready for the day. Preparing for the day in my flat consisted of setting an alarm an hour earlier than I actually needed to be up, press snooze multiple times, then eventually drag myself out of bed to feed the little beast I call a pet since he would start yowling from the kitchen as if he'd been starving for days.

After dumping food into his bowl, I'd go back to my room and flop back onto my bed for at least a few more minutes before I got up again, threw on some clothes, brushed out my hair, sometimes applied some makeup, then ate breakfast while holding bacon out of reach from Orange.

That morning was literally no different, except I let Orange snatch up a piece of bacon and dart off with his new treasure. I finished up my breakfast as I skimmed through the previous days' Daily Prophet since I hadn't gotten around to reading it when I'd received it. I set down the paper then went to put on my shoes, leaving my flat by apparating away to where I was supposed to be meeting George.

I apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, since direct apparating into Diagon Alley wasn't allowed, and found George already waiting, much to my surprise. He smiled and offered his arm, which I took, before he apparated the two of us away again. I would never recommend doing that, by the way, apparating twice in a row gave the literal feeling that the earth was being bounced around like a ping-pong ball.

When we reappeared, I stood there for a moment, steadying myself, before I let go of my hold on George to take in our surroundings. He'd taken us to a pretty, secluded field that held a small pond full of lily pads, reeds, and fish.

He led me down to the water and we down on the banks in silence. We were there for a while until George cleared his throat, "Harper?"

I hummed a response, showing I was listening.

He fell silent then he started to chuckle, "This is bloody awkward. Fred used to help me with these kinds of interactions. He was always the... smoother one."

I furrowed my brow, "What do you mean?"

"If I blurt it fast, saving myself from some embarrassment, would you be able to understand?"

I nodded slowly, brushing over ideas about what was about to happen, and he took a deep breath before rushing out the words as quickly as possible.

"Harper, I like you. I really like you. You've helped me in these past weeks and I knew that, without you, I'd probably be dead in a ditch or something. You're so kind and I want to spend more time with you, if you feel the same way. If you don't, well, crap, I just ruined a friendship I cherish so much - " he stopped and sucked in a breath, since he'd rushed out his confession in one large breath.

"That was... a lot," I whispered.

"I like you," he said more simply and at a normal pace.

"I like you, too, George," I smiled at him.

He flushed and admitted, "I was actually quite worried that you would realize, or I'd confess, and you'd end up jinxing me or hitting me over the head with one of those books of yours."

"At least you had the courage to tell me," I smiled at him again and, after a moment, he returned the look.

We sat there for a few minutes, comfortable in the silence and stillness of the field, but it was broken when, as rays of sun started to peek over the hills, George leaned a bit towards me and paused just a couple inches away from my face as he whispered, "Is this okay?"

I gave a small nod and watched as he closed the short distance between us slowly, somewhat timidly, in fact. He softly pressed his lips over mine and, though the kiss was brief, it had me tinting pink. It had been gentle and sweet, something I knew I wouldn't forget as the years would pass.

He broke the contact and, as the two of us stared at each other, forgetting about the world around us, we both grinned and started to laugh. He took my hand in his and I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder, as we sat in comfortable silence.

As we sat there, happy in each other's presence, the rays of light grew stronger and dawn broke fully over the rolling hills. Bathing the soft grass ,shimmering water, and the pair of us in a soft, yellow glow.

...

This is a day later than promised, since I ended up spending yesterday with friends instead of finishing up the rewrite, but here it is! It isn't too different from the original, just with my better writing style, but I'm still pleased with it. I think. I'll judge this again later. Anyways, fun fact, I actually looked up the day George confessed to Harper (September 20, 1999) and found out what time the sun rose! Anyways, hope y'all are doing well!

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[Word Count: 9468]

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