The Potion Princess

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

They're drinking pumpkin juice out of grimy glasses.

Audra had thought the three of them were going into Zonko's, like they always do, but the twins walked right past and went into the Hog's Head.  They greeted the bartender by name (three firewhiskey's, Abe, that's a good man) and settled down at a table hidden in the back, far away from the dust covered windows and roaring fires, like they were about to discuss top secret plans.  Fred grimaced when he went to retrieve their drinks and came back with something non alcoholic, but he paid with a smile anyways, passing the mugs around.  It was clear that the twins were at home here and had come here frequently, even on good terms with the stand offish bartender.  It wasn't anything Audra had been told about or invited to take part in, and for a second the familiar anxiety and the knowledge that she's always going to be the odd one out rises up in her, but she swallows it along with her dusty pumpkin juice.

"We need to talk about the shop." 

There are no jokes today, and George stays silent just long enough for her to get nervous.  Audra's always known that the only reason they became friends was because they needed potions, and ever since, she's had a nagging worry that the moment that her help isn't necessary they'll throw her to the curb.  It's a completely unfounded worry, she knows, but Audra can still not help the anxiety she feels when she looks up into their nervous faces.  "What about it?"

The twins share a look, one that she can't read.  She never can understand the glances they share.  "We know that you said before that you wanted to be a part of this as long as we need you. And you've helped us a lot, practically helped us form everything we have, but..."

She braces herself for their dismissal as Fred takes over.  "We wanted to invite you to be a part of this.  Officially."

They look at her over their glasses, then down at their hands, almost like they're nervous, as if there's any chance she'll say no.  Audra almost can't believe it.  "Like help you run the shop?"

"Yeah.  I mean, we're still calling it Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, considering it'll still be 2/3 Weasley, but you can be our third person if you want to."  They seemed to have talked about this with each other in greater detail before they talked to her, as if they would need convincing.  "Or, if the time comes and you wanted to do something else, you know, you can go do that."

George finishes, and Audra still doesn't say anything.  Fred starts up the speech again.  "We want you for as long as you want us."

Audra hadn't thought about what she would do when she got older.  When she did stop to think, she'd always imagined working as the head of a ministry department, in an office surrounded by file cabinets and government forms, her days an endless revolving door of people who need something done or have something to complain about.  There had been the knowledge that she would have to go do endless amounts of social posing, too, benefits and faculty parties and dinner parties filled with the most powerful people in wizarding politics.  Even worse was the thought of what she would go home to at night, a mansion just like her parents had, with its cold walls and echoing silence and stooping house elf, overseen by a faceless man that she can never quite picture.

And now, like a miracle, all that was being erased by the twins.  She had always thought that no matter what happened they would be there, her visiting them during her lunch and stolen breaks, maybe being invited to birthday parties and Sunday brunch.  But now she was painting herself a picture of a joke shop, bursting with color and filled to overflow with people and products, George at the cash register and Fred shelving new products, her in the back filling out order forms.  And that would mean lunches scarfed down in the break room, the three of them taking turns to get it, and visits from Harry, Ron, and Hermione and dinner with the Weasley's, and long nights where she stays at the shop much too late because she doesn't need to go home.  Now she's picturing at little cottage somewhere, or a flat in the middle of muggle London, maybe on that she shares with Emmeline for a little while.

"Of course I want to help."  Audra laughed, throwing back the rest of her pumpkin juice and ordering three shots of firewhiskey.  The bartender stares at her, huffs, and throws down his rag, saying he'll dig up something in the back.  Not many people say no to her. 

"We didn't expect you to say yes."  Fred admits, a little wild eyed.  "Thought for sure you'd had some secret plan to take over the world that you hadn't told us about."

"Like there's anything I'd like more than to work with you two for the rest of our lives."  She rolled her eyes.  "If anything, I was worried you'd go on to success without me and only send me an owl every month or so when you were making a new product."

George ruffled her hair.  Old Abe sets the drinks on the table and she hands over the money.  He grumbles swear words as he walks away, and Audra stares after him, wondering how he could have possibly managed to stay in business as long as he has.  "You were with us at the very beginning, back before we knew how we were going to make this work.  Didn't feel right to think about moving on without you."

Fred picks up his glass, holds it in the air.  The sun hits the glass where he has it raised, scattering light over their faces.  "To us."

George follows.  "To making one hell of a team."

Audra clinks her glass against theirs, and the whiskey spills over the side, dripping onto their hands.  "To being one step closer."