Initium Novum [Fremione] || WATTYS 2018 Shortlist

14 - Revelation

Two more days of successful business had passed and the Weasley twins knew that they were onto a winner. They were needing to conjure up more stock than planned, which was putting them under some pressure, but they were more than happy to undertake the task.

The fourth day was like the others, in which they woke up early to begin preparing for the day ahead.

Today they were unboxing their new range of child-friendly fireworks, when George decided to bring up the subject Fred had hoped he'd forgotten about.

"I think it's about time I brought something up with you, Freddo," he began, slashing the first box.

"And what would that be?"

"You and Granger?" George stared at his brother, as if interrogating him.

"What are you on about?" Fred scoffed, trying to come across as confused as possible. He knew full well where this was going.

"Don't play dumb, dear brother. I saw you watching her last weekend. You seem to be getting on very well," George smirked.

Fred sighed. "Shut up."

"So you do have a thing for her?" George affirmed.

"I'm not saying anything more on the subject. I've barely figured it out myself. I'll let you know when I have," Fred stated, grabbing a handful of fireworks and carrying them out of the backroom and out onto the shop floor.

There came a knock to door just as Fred placed the last item on the shelf, and he skipped over to open it.

"Hermione, so glad you could be here. Our accounts are going crazy," he told Hermione as he let her in.

"That's because you didn't plan the surge in demand. Honestly, you're going to need more staff to keep track of it all," Hermione moaned, removing her coat and throwing it over the counter.

"Which is why we need you on board. Have you even thought about my offer?" Fred groaned.

"As a matter of fact I have," Hermione said boldly, tapping her fingers on the counter and staring Fred down.

"And?" Fred held his breath.

"When can I start?" Hermione straight face broke into a sly smile.

"Bloody hell, aren't you a handful? Start today if you can. We're desperate," Fred grinned, hardly believing his luck. "You hear that Georgie?" he called to the backroom.

There was no response. Fred whirled his head around the door to find the store room empty, with the box of fireworks left unattended.

Fred shook his head and returned to Hermione.

"He's probably gone up. Angelina's been pretty high maintenance recently. I'm half glad she didn't go for me now," he tried to joke, although he hated himself for saying such a thing.

"Is she okay?" Hermione asked. Girls were obviously more in tune with these sorts of things than the blokes.

"George doesn't even know. Tells me he's barely been able to communicate with here these last days. He reckons it's probably just the stress of the shop rubbing off on her," Fred shrugged.

Half an hour later, the shop was opened and the day's business began as always.

George still hadn't come down, and Fred, while struggling to keep everything under control with just him and Hermione, began to worry about what was happening upstairs.

"Hermione, could you keep things running just for five minutes. I need to get George otherwise things will start getting out of hand," Fred requested.

Hermione nodded, more than happy to help as always. He loved that about her. She just got on with things and didn't demand anything in return.

He took the steps to the flat two at a time, and burst into the kitchen.

"George we need-"

He observed a crying Angelina being cradled by his twin brother.

"What's happened?" Fred questioned.

George glanced at his girlfriend, who nodded and wiped her face. Fred became more and more anxious by the second. He had never seen his brother look so startled.

George stood up and looked Fred in the eye.

"Angie's pregnant," he stated.

The silence that followed rang in Fred's ears while he tried to process what he had just heard.

"She's.... You're?" he pointed at the two of them in disbelief. George ran a hand through his hair. He looked white as a sheet.

"It was completely unplanned. It wasn't supposed to happen so soon," Angelina sobbed.

"But... it's a good thing, surely?" Fred stuttered.

"We're not sure we're ready for this, Fred..." George breathed.

Fred swallowed, placing a hand on his twin's shoulder.

"I need to get back to the shop. Take the day off, looks like you'll need it," Fred said, before exiting the flat as quickly as his legs allowed him to.

As soon as the door of the flat was closed behind him, he sat down on the top step leading back down the shop.

He took several deep breaths, his head whirling.

Angelina was pregnant with his twin brother's baby. George was going to be a father. Fred was going to be an uncle. It all seemed so unreal. They were only twenty years old and already adulthood had challenged them in so many ways.

It took a minute for Fred to compose himself again, before he continued down the steps back to his busy shop.

He tried to flush it all out of his mind as he resumes his place at the counter beside Hermione.

She asked him if he was okay, to which he gave her a hearty smile.

The day seemed to whirl around him after that. Before he knew it, Hermione was closing the shop door.

"What happened with George?" Hermione asked him, as he stared into nothingness.

Fred debated whether he should tell her the news. After all, it wasn't his secret to tell.

"Some personal stuff between him and Angelina. Not really my place to say," Fred told her.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," Hermione frowned, coming closer and meeting his gaze.

He looked into her brown eyes and a sudden warmth filled him inside.

"I will be."