"Always." Fred Weasley x Reader

8

So, we all payed for our ice cream and went across the street to Magical Menagerie.

There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of the wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. It was sad really, seeing all these animals caged up like this. 

It would be absolutely wonderful if the store had something like Newt Scamander did, a place that was seemingly small but could hold hundreds of them all comfortably and happily in naturalistic habitats. 

If it isn't obvious, he's kind of an idol of mine, they things that he did for his animals and the wizarding world. It just exceptional. 

I turned seeing a witch behind the counter who was already advising another wizard on the care of double ended newts, so Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and I all continued to look at the cages. 

I smiled at a pair of enormous purple toads as they sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a plump white rabbit changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise as my eyes widen in awe. 

Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard fireballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.

I turned seeing Ron was finally able to approach the counter with the witch.

"Its my rat," he told her. "He's been a bit off-color ever sense I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," she said making me raise a confused brow but watching curiously none the less. 

She put on some large spectacles as Ron lifted Scabbes out of his pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and chuffed to the wire for a better look.

Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was second hand (he had once belonged to Rons brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone. 

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?" she asked.

"Too old, thing so have died ages ago." Fred muttered in my ear making me smile slightly as George nodded agreeing. 

"Dunno," was all Ron said. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"What powers does he have?" the witch asked as she examined the rat closely. 

"Er--" the truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. Which was quite odd now that it's been pointed out, if it was a magical rat at least. The witches eyes moved from Scabbers tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said. 

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," Ron said defensively.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," the witch said leaving me confused. I know for a fact this rat is much older than three years, but how? I looked to the rat, gears turning in my head trying to make sense of this but was shaken from my thoughts as she spoke up again. 

"Now if you were looking for something a bit more hard wearing, you might like one of these--"

She indicated to the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show offs."