*George's Prov*
I'm still having a full nose and have to cough sometimes, but other than that I'm feeling great.
I miss those times with a free nose though. If You-Know-Who actually has no nose, then I envy him. He doesn't have that problem.
I cuddle into Anne's belly, hugging her tight while we lie on the sofa, her reading an article in the daily prophet to Fred and I. She is so comfortable to lie on, so warm, so making me sleepy. I shut my eyes and I'm instantly gone off to my dream world.
---
*Anne's Prov*
Today was tough and horrible. I did everything wrong that I could do wrong downstairs, the new assistant Verity did way better than me and the shop was full with people, so me failing at everything just made matters worse.
I could slap myself with both hands and I can't shake of this feeling of me being a complete failure. I can't even get the job right I'm doing since over a month now. What can I even do?
Unaffected by my inner trouble are the Twins. George is sleeping innocently on my tights, pressing his face further into my stomach and Fred lies on the floor counting the savings.
Reading the daily prophet just made me more anxious. I try to breathe deeply to calm my nerves, but that is of no use. Maybe a hot shower would do me good? I can't move though. It would wake up George. So I settle further into the sofa and read the next article.
This will go away eventually.
---
When George gently wakes me up in the morning with a soft kiss I feel a lot calmer than when I fell asleep, which is a good sign. Nothing to worry about.
"How is your nose doing?," I ask when I take the breakfast from him, watching him settle down beside me.
"Good," he grins taking a bite from his pancakes.
"Finally," Fred sighs: "You are a pain in the ass when you are sick."
"Says the right one," George points at his brother.
"I haven't had to deal with you when you're sick, but I'm sure you let out your inner drama queen," I state, looking up from my plate.
"No one asked your opinion," Fred points with his fork at me.
"I'm emancipated enough to answer without being asked first."
"Well do you even know how emancipated is spelled?," the boy challenges me.
"E-M-A-N-C-I-P-A-T-E-D, there you go," I lean back a bit.
"Great because I didn't know that."
George and I look at each other confused. What was that?
"Good? Also you need to figure out the schedule with Lee this week and go with Verity over the sales again, she looked a bit lost yesterday and I'm not sure if I can explain them as good as you do," I tell Fred.
He puts his fork down and stands up: "Don't tell me what to do so early in the morning, I just learned how to spell emancipated, so I emancipate my way out of here."
Then he closes the door behind him, leaving me confused and nervous behind.
"What was that?"
"I have no idea," George laughs.
---
"Excuse me?," comes from three different directions.
I'm torn and already exhausted with the day and it isn't even near the end. I did everything responsibly as usual but somehow I lack the motivation. No matter what I'm doing, I can't shake the feeling I'm forgetting stuff, not making it good. Simply fail at it, even if people go out with full bags.
I accidently misunderstood a person before, which still is on my mind and I think I gave someone a snackbox instead of dung bombs. I don't know, I kind of have trouble getting along.
"Anne," George waves me over.
"Just wait," I snap at him.
"Jeez okay," he gives me a playful grumpy look, to signal me I should smile.
I plaster a smile on my face: "Okay who was first?"
After I was done failing at the costumer talk I go to George, my mind everywhere else than in the moment.
"Verity just agreed on staying, isn't that cool?," he beams.
Verity is in fact a very good worker. Kind to costumers, is able to speak two languages fluently and is very good at math, thanks to her muggle parents who still toughed her the basics next to her Beauxbatons education. Also she doesn't cost that much and costumers enjoy to talk with her.
So him being happy about it is just natural, Fred will be pleased too.
"Mhm," I give him a small smile.
George gives me an enthusiastic peck on the lips before returning to his duties. Everything in here is getting a bit too much, so I decide to get outside for some fresh air.
I lean against the wall closing my eyes. This cannot be happening. I can't feel this way again, I was just starting to get loose. How can I stop this? Nothing drastic happened. Why am I like this?
I'm getting so paranoid that I start to feel like someone is watching me, so my visit of the fresh air is of short time.
---
"Come on you have to get up," George gently shakes me awake, but I just burry myself deeper into the pillows.
"Really get up now, or else you'll be late."
"Can't I just stay here for today?," I mumble pulling the blanket over me.
Honestly, I don't feel like working at all. All I want to do is sleep and do nothing.
"No you can't. You have a job and you absolutely love that job so you are just excited to start it," George says.
I grumble. He laughs.
"Now move," he pulls the blanket off of me, letting my exposed skin parts feel the cold air.
I sit up slowly starting to shiver.
"Tell me."
"What?"
"Tell me what is going on inside your head? I have trouble figuring that out," George answers.
"Nothing to worry about," I stand up and go with my stuff towards the bathroom.
George follows close.
"Nothing to worry about sounds a lot like I should worry and morning Fred," my boyfriend follows me into the bathroom and closes the door behind him.
"I'm having a bad day that's all."
"More like having a bad week then."
"Please can't you just drop that?"
"No, not with the knowledge what happened earlier."
"Just stressed I guess," I start to brush my hair.
"There's more, isn't it?"
"Yes," I put my hair up into a bun and change out of my shirt: "I'm having the feeling I'm making everything wrong and that a lot seems to fall apart, I'm still trying to figure this here out. It's kind of like I'm stuck since a few days."
George eyes me through the mirror: "Maybe you need a bit of a change then. Do something new or go back to something you enjoyed. Give yourself enough time to actually enjoy the time spend. You worked a lot these past few days, you deserve a break."
"But so do you! You both worked hard, even harder than I am, so where is your break?"
"Anne, everyone's limits are different and just because you have reached yours, doesn't that mean you are weaker than others," George wraps his arms around me from behind: "Your strength lies somewhere else were I would have giving up way before you. Also don't forget that this here is something my brother and I wanted to do since the very beginning. You just do it to have something. Try to find your own passion, try to find the change."
He presses a kiss into my hair and puts his chin on top of that.
---
It is sunny when I meet in the small café with Cole in the muggle world. We both decided to try something new and I rehearsed how to pay with muggle money. This should be working out.
As I sit there still waiting for him I watch those muggles and their strange habits. Some of them talk into a box that they have in their hands as if it would talk with them.
Suddenly I have this feeling again that someone might be watching me. I look around carefully, but can't find anybody that might be suspicious. Maybe that's just because I'm in an entirely new surrounding and don't know how to act in it.
Although, what if it isn't? There is a chance of someone looking out for me after all that I know or rather could know. I have never known my Dad works for Dumbledore and therefore I have no idea what else I have missed. How many information he gathered, that they believe I have.
But if they really wanted me, they could have got me by now and not wait until the new school year started a while ago. There would have been so many opportunities by now to simply just get me.
Sometimes I still wonder why Caleb did it. Unknown to George I still think a lot about him. I mean he was like my brother all those years, we have been through so much and just to believe that he is part of the side we fight against is bizarre. Was he part of it all this time? Was I nothing more to him than something to play?
"Hey," Cole smiles and sits down in front of me: "Did you already order?"
"No. I've waited for you," I watch him take down his glasses and settle back into the chair.
"Great, because we need to taste the couple ice cream bowl."
"Why do we need to taste it?"
"I want to know if this would work out for a date with Logan."
"So that's the reason you wanted to meet up I see," I raise an eyebrow.
"Kind of, but also to keep up with you. But I really need to know if I can do this with Logan, you are my only hope," he looks at me pleading.
I sigh: "Fine. Stop making your little victory dance, but I won't share an ice corn with you just to be clear and the chocolate ice is mine, don't you dare touch that."
"Noted," he grins.
"So did you manage to find a job already?," I ask him.
"Yes. Olivander plans on stopping with his business in a few years and he wants to pass his knowledge onto someone ambitious and trustworthy."
"So he decided to ask Logan instead," I tease.
"Correct," Cole laughs.
"No but that's really cool, you'll look funny in his cramped store. Have fun figuring that chaos out."
"Yeah that's something I've been worrying about too," he waves the waitress over to order: "How about you? Did you finally found something you want to do?
"Not exactly. Something with Astronomy would still be ideal, however, with no N.E.W.T's I won't get anything in such positions."
"Maybe not in the wizarding world, but in the muggle world there could be something."
---
Cole agreeing on helping me to find something actually took a bit of the weight off of me. Now I hope his date works out because I just ate three couple bowls for him to see which one is the best and I feel bloated.
I come into the store and walk up to the laboratory where I find George in. I give him the muggle cards he needed watching him dealing with his invention.
"How was it with Cole?," he asks without looking up.
"Alright. Did you know that the couple ice bowls are honestly hella big," I burp accidently.
George laughs: "Why did you guys eat a couple bowl?"
"He needed to check what to take for Logan. Don't ask."
George makes the last movements before straightening himself and wiping his hands on his clothes.
"You look tired," he states once he looks at me.
"I feel food tired," I nod.
"Take the rest of the day off as well, it isn't much to do anyways."
"Thanks," I nod, moving past him.
"Oh and Anne," I turn around to him: "I thought about what you told me yesterday about this whole being stuck thing: You can't be happy all of the time. Embrace the sad times, take care of yourself, don't lose you during the process and appreciate the good times, that's part of the deal."
A small smile tugs on the edge of my lips: "It will be fine, I'm sure. It just takes a while, but thank you."
"Really just a thank you? This statement is at least a kiss worth," George says offended.
"Come here then," I give him a peck on the lips: "Also, did you ever were in someone's arms and thought, yeah this is my home?"
"Well it happens," he looks down at me while wrapping his arms around my torso: "What about you?"
"That happens more likely than you think."