Chéri || Fred Weasley

lxxxiv

Mature content (not too explicit), viewer discretion advised.

The opening date for the café as approaching and with it, Madeleine's stress levels were increasing drastically. Teddy was being more and more mischievous and now showing clear signs of his playful and troublemaking ways that he definitely inherited from both of his parents. And of course, only heightened by the amount of time he now spent with Fred and George. It was now eight forty five in the morning and she needed to be in an important Weasley's Wizard Wheezes investor meeting but Teddy refused to get dressed. He was now running all around the flat naked while laughing at Maddie who was struggling to catch him.

When Madeleine finally managed to get Teddy ready, with much difficulty she stepped into the fireplace with Teddy inside his stroller and flooed to the joke shop where the meeting was being held in the small conference room in the back. "Verity! Oh thank god, has it started yet?" Maddie rushed to her.

"Yes, just barely," Verity grinned. "I'll take care of him meanwhile, you look very pretty by the way."

"You're an angel sent from heaven, and thank you," Maddie sighed in relief and leaned down to place a kiss on her godson's "Please be good and don't get in trouble darling, I'll be out quickly, okay?"

"Okay," Teddy babbled.

"Good boy," Maddie pinched his cheek. "Thanks again Verity."

Madeleine knocked on the door before opening, and felt the air leaving her lungs when she saw Fred in a white button up shirt, black dress trousers and his tie hanging loosely around his neck. "Good morning, sorry I'm late."

"It's fine, come and take a seat Mads," Fred smiled and pointed with his head at the empty chair next to his in the small conference room they were in. "As I was saying gentlemen and lady, the sales have increased greatly in the past year so maybe it is now time to think again about an expansion."

"Our plans to acquire the old Zonko's premises in Hogsmeade Village would not have worked four years ago because of the situation going on, but we strongly believe that it would be a great business deal now. Hogwarts is rebuilt and even though the owl post services are still very successful, having a branch in Hogsmeade would make things easier when it comes to owl deliveries and the new implemented monthly visits to the village by students," George continued. "Would anyone like to add something?"

"I do," Maddie said after quickly scanning the documents placed in front of her. "I actually agree with this expansion, it just makes sense. The numbers have been more than good in the past two years and one year after the Zonko's branch opening, if it's successful which I know it will be, going international could be considered as well."

"International, you say?" Fred looked at her.

"Place Cachée in Paris, Rome, New York, Germany, Northern Europe," Maddie listed.

"Don't you think you are getting ahead of yourself Arachambeau?" asked Mr Jenkins, another one of the shop's investors.

"I don't think I am-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Verity came inside the room with a crying Teddy in her arms. "Madeleine he won't stop crying, I tried putting him down for a nap in the stroller but-"

"It's fine, Teddy can be here with you Mads," George said.

"You have to be quiet okay? If you take a nap now then we can have ice cream later," Maddie whispered and craddled Teddy on her chest, slightly rocking her arms to get him to fall asleep.

"Bribing?" Fred smirked, "Really?"

"Well, it's the only method that truly works with a two year old," Maddie shrugged.