Gunpowder & Cinnamon {Fred Weasley}

Chapter Fifty Seven

Fred awoke first the next morning to the flat being completely silent for the first time in what seemed a long time. With all the constant drama, it was nice to have a morning where they weren't up early running around frantically. He turned over in the bed to see Eleanor sleeping peacefully beside him, making him smile. It was relieving to see her looking relaxed. Similar to her father, Eleanor had a hard time concealing her stress, it was always so clearly written across her face or heard in her tone of voice, very much like Remus. He hated to see her wearing a frown instead of a smile, because as he told her before, her smile and her laugh was one of his favorite things about her.

He decided he was going to let her sleep in that morning, he was sure he and George would be able to manage the shop as they had given Verity the day off as well. If anyone had a knitting order they were just going to have to write it down with as many details as possible for Eleanor or ask the customer to come back. He leaned across and kissed her forehead gently enough not to wake her before climbing out of bed. He was nearing the door, tiptoeing carefully to keep quiet, slowly reaching out for the door handle when a loud knock at the front door startled everyone inside.

Eleanor jumped awake as Fred cursed under his breath opening the bedroom door. Moments later, George came stumbling out of his room.

"Did you knock on the door?" George asked sleepily looking to Fred.

Fred stared at him. "Yes...because I would be the one knocking to come into the home where I live. Honestly, Georgie do you-"

"I was only asking-"

"Oh and-"

"Oh will you two stop it!" Eleanor said walking out behind Fred. "There's still someone waiting at the door while you two are bickering."

"Ellie let one of us answer it-" Fred went to tell her but Eleanor turned around to face him.

"Seeing as I'm the one with their wand on them, I think I'm better equipped to answer the door. Thank you very much." she smiled cheekily at him before opening the door.

Suddenly, a smile spread across her face before she opened up the door fully to reveal Judith along with Renna standing on the opposite side of the threshold.

George's face lit up as he saw Judith standing there and immediately walked over to the door.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I've been cleared." Judith said. "The ministry cleared my family and I this morning."

"Apparently those spirits you sent to help out Judith and the Wagners delivered a well deserve arse kicking." Renna said with a big smile.

Eleanor placed her hands together in a small clap. "Do you think it's really over, Judith?"

Judith looked over at her breaking away from the hug with George.

"I mean, there's no sure way of saying it, but my family feels like it is. My grandmother said as long as both sides were on the same page, there's nothing the Dark Lord or Bellatrix could do. From what Nana told me, she thinks they were dragged to an extremely dark place in the spirit world that no spirit wants to venture to, good or bad."

"That's what they did to Peter." Eleanor whispered to Fred.

"Good, they deserve it." Fred said. "I hope they're stuck there for all eternity. "

"We all do." George said. " I hope this just means everything can go back to normal."

"Define normal." Eleanor laughed. "As long as I've known about magic, there's never been a "normal" moment. Unless all this craziness has become the new norm."

"We all know Harry Potter," Fred shrugged, " I consider the craziness part of the norm."

"Well, I'm glad this is all over for you and your family I can't imagine how stressful it was on you all." Eleanor told Judith.

"I guess we all knew there was a downside to the gift, we just didn't want to acknowledge it."

Fred's original plan to let Eleanor sleep in and rest for the day, didn't go directly as planned, as Eleanor did find herself working in the shop that afternoon. But she seemed to be having a good time with her customers as she was all smiles.

Fred was behind the counter counting the till in between customers as the crowd began to die down, with Judith beside him refilling the Puking Pastille display which was selling quite frequently that day for some unknown reason. She was pouring in the purple and orange colored sweets before looking over to where Fred had become distracted. She saw him watching Eleanor help a child try on the knitted garments that the child's mother had ordered a couple of weeks prior.

"So the wedding date is coming near." she said to him. Fred peered over at Judith before a wide grin appeared on his face.

"That's right."

"I can see you're excited."

"I am. It's going to be a fun wedding, Eleanor and I have it all planned out."

'Oh really?" she chuckled in amusement.

"Yup, but you're just going to have to wait and see just like everybody else." Fred told her before closing the register and heading in the direction of a customer.

Eleanor sat on the floor in front of the young boy who had come into the shop with his mother earlier to collect his new winter knitwear. She especially enjoyed the order as she was able to make a knitted cap and matching mittens for the boy, but she had knitted the cap with dog ears and the mittens to look like paws. The little boy seemed to enjoy them as well as his barked around her and his mother.

"How do they feel?" she asked in between laughing at the boy's antics. " Does everything fit alright? Not too tight?"

"It's great! " he told her before suddenly hugging her. "Thank you, Miss."

"Oh you're very welcome." Eleanor told him.

"And you're saying he can't lose the mittens?" the mother asked her. " I mean, if anyone can lose something it's him."

"No, he can't lose them. I'm pawsitive." Eleanor suddenly cleared her throat. "I meant, positive. I'm positive."