Let's Try Again

Chapter Twenty: Third Year (Part 1)

"They're right Artie," Fabian said, patting his old friend on the back.

"You've done what you could." Gideon added, wrapping a comforting arm around his friend.

Before anyone else could say anything, Hedwig flew in the open window and flew directly to Arthur. Once he took the letter, she hopped over to Fred and George and started cooing at them. It was like she was trying to tell them a story. They both grabbed some of the trimmings from their roast and took turns feeding her.

Arthur opened the letter she had brought to him. He sighed.

"What's wrong dad?" Percy asked.

"Maggie's at the manor. She is completely exhausted and Sebastian was just letting me know that they are going to keep her there overnight. He doesn't think she would be able to make it home on her own tonight, so he will be sending her back tomorrow afternoon.

He's also requested to place a ward on her so that she won't be able to come back. Between your mum, Ron, and Ginny, she has had to deliver 5 letters to them, just today. Sebastian wants to make it so that she won't have to keep going back there."

Grabbing a quill, Arthur quickly scribbled his approval for the ward, and an apology. The ward would make it so that whenever someone gave Maggie a letter addressed to anyone in the manor, she wouldn't leave. She would just sit there since she wouldn't be able to deliver the letter.

Once Hedwig had gotten all the attention she felt she deserved for delivering the letter, she turned and accepted Arthurs reply and flew off through the open window.

River Run Alley, Mischief Managed - July 13, 2003

Fred and George were escorting all three of their fathers, and their three older brothers to their shop. Earlier that morning, Percy had asked them where they had been spending so much time.

The twins had been going to the shop to do a little work. During the school year, Remus managed the shop just fine on his own. And whenever he needed a little help, he would just call in James. But now that it was summer, they both wanted to spend as much time with Hadrian as they could, so they couldn't run the shop on their own.

They had had to hire summer staff. Currently, Cedric Diggory, Oliver Wood, Marcus Flint, and Alicia Spinnet all worked at the shop. They had all had to sign magically binding confidentiality contracts to work there. Neither of the twins wanted to risk anyone learning that they owned the shop, at least, not yet.

Most would think that having Oliver and Marcus working together would result in a disaster, but it actually worked really well. They still argued, but it was entertaining for the others. They usually spent their entire shifts debating things with one another. Somehow, even when they agreed on something they could still argue about it. But it was all in good humour.

It was never personal. It had taken less than a week for the once mortal enemies to form some indescribable relationship that could only be called frenemies.

Having so many teenagers working in a shop that was owned by teenagers resulted in an extremely fun working environment. It also allowed for Remus to take most days off, and many of the days he did come into the shop, Hadrian would come with him.

But now, the twins were going to have to let the rest of their family in on their little secret.

Once Percy started questioning their absence, the others started asking them about it too. They didn't want their family to worry about them, or start following them, so they had decided just to take them to the shop.

"Welcome to Mischief Managed." Walking in, the twins both flourished their arms.

"Wow. Look at all this." Fabian couldn't stop looking at everything.