Weasley Twins - A Fate You Can't Escape

Chapter 55 - School Shoppers

Before I know it, late August rolls around and Diagon Alley is filled with kids shopping for supplies.  Not only is the potion shop below me incredibly busy, but the joke shop is nearly bursting with customers.  I start helping them out a bit during my free time, which I have a lot more of now.  Coach restricted practice to twenty hours a week after all three of our chasers passed out during one practice.  Between the robes and the heat of summer, it was too much.  Vivian of course is furious about the whole thing.

I'm reorganizing the pen display after a tornado of a group of first years came through and mixed all the colors together.  They didn't even buy any.  Was I this insufferable as a first year?  Merlin, I hope not. I finish what I'm doing and head back up front.

"Got anything else for me?" I ask Fred at the front counter.

"Can I trust you in the back room?" He raises an eyebrow and me and I blush.

"Yeah, Fred. It was one time." I growl, scowling at him.

"Alright, Taylor. If you insist. We need another case of Peruvian Darkness Powder." He hands a customer their change. Rolling my eyes, I brush past him to the back room. I quickly find the crate and crack it open.

I take the stack of packages out and head back to the floor to shelve them. I pass George as I head to the back of the store. He's talking to a group of kids, but winks at me as I pass. What a cutie.

Smiling, I climb the small stepladder and start shelving the products. I'm almost done when I head someone clear their throat behind me. I glance back to see Fred looking at me very disapprovingly with his arms crossed.

"What?" I snap, knowing he's about to correct something.

"You're shelving them wrong." He points to the boxes. I look them over but honestly can't figure out what he means. They look identical to how the previous batch was shelved.

"Pay me and maybe I'll care." I throw back as I climb off the ladder. "You know what they say about beggars and choosers."

"I'm pretty sure you're the beggar. At least from my experience." He smirks down at me as my feet hit the floor.

"What is your problem?" I stare up at him in disbelief.

"My problem?" He rolls his eyes as if it's obvious.

"Yes. Please tell me. Otherwise my brain will start jumping to conclusions. So what is going on? Did I break something?"

"No. You're just always here. Don't you have somewhere better to be?" He snatches up the stepladder and snaps it closed. "This is the Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Not Hazel's."

"Alright fine." I take off the little shop apron I'm wearing and toss it at the ground at his feet. "Let me know when you grow up a little."

I storm out of the shop, bell jangling loudly behind me as I make my exit. I am fuming. I have probably spent forty plus hours helping out for free over the past two weeks. I wasn't just hanging out with George. Honestly, I rarely got a chance to speak to him during store hours.

I start back to my apartment, but pause in front. I really don't want to go sit in my empty apartment, sulking about Fred.

"Owlexandar!" I call up to my beautiful owl and in a flurry of wings, he flies out of my apartment window and lands on a sign to my right. I take a small paper and a pen from my purse and scribble a quick note on it. "Can you take this to Alex please?"

My little buddy hoots in affirmative and takes off once more. I then start walking down the street, knowing that Owlexadar would find me with a reply.

I spot Harry Potter and his friends heading to Flourish and Blotts, probably to get their books for their sixth year.  Ginny gives me a wave which I return before she vanishes inside.

I end up wandering muggle London for a bit, just enjoying the busy atmosphere of ordinary humans living ordinary lives.  I have lunch at a small café and window shop a bit.  I'm standing in front of a jewelry shop when Owlexandar returns.  I read the note from Alex and grin.

"Good boy."  I stroke my owl under his little chin and give him a treat from my pocket.  "Why don't you head on home."

I then duck into a nearby alley to apparate away.  I stumble as I land outside of the team's favorite pub, nearly bumping into the person in front of me.

"Watch it!"  The person exclaims, whipping around.  

"I will not!"  I smile cheekily up at Alex as he realizes who bumped into him.

"So what are we celebrating?  I presumed we were celebrating as you asked to drink in the middle of the day."  He links arms with me and we head inside.

"Nope.  Just need a distraction."  I push open the door and make a beeline for the nearly empty bar.

"A distraction from what?"  He sits next to me at the bar, fiddling with a napkin.

"Fred.  He's been saying some stuff.  It's stupid, but ticked me off."  I groan, smacking my head lightly against the counter.  "Never date a twin."

"Noted.  Do you think he's jealous?"  Alex asks as he waves to the bartender.

"Why would he be?  He's been in relationships before.  Why would he be upset that his brother is in one.  Besides, I don't take George away from him that much."  I lift my head and order a drink after Alex.

"Not jealous of you spending time with George.  Jealous of George spending time with you."  Alex's words cause me to bust out laughing.  He doesn't laugh though.  My amusement fades as I realize he's being serious.

"No.  Fred doesn't think like that.  He's just annoyed that I'm there all the time.  He said so just a few hours ago."

"Maybe I'm wrong.  But just consider it."  Alex raises an eyebrow skeptically.  "Watch and see."

"Fine.  But I'm telling you it's not like that.  He's just been like this ever since George started showing interest."  I roll my eyes at the thought of Fred's immature behavior.  The bartender hands us our drinks and I take a big gulp, really hoping that Alex is wrong.

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Sorry for the lack of updates.  I've been really stuck on trying to figure out where I want the story to go next.