Disclaimer: Do not own any of the Harry Potter Characters.
Chapter 5: Is it really Just Pity?
“Welcome to Weasley Wizard Wheezes.” Fred whispered ever so softly into my ear as it sent shivers down and up my spine. He pulled away and looked down at me with a smirk; I could already feel the blush slowly creeping its way onto my face. I couldn’t even respond, it felt like my mouth was dry and I had no idea what to say.
“Come on!” I heard Verity yell at me from behind, I immediately shut my mouth and gave a quick nod towards Fred as I quickly turned around and walked towards Verity, who was holding open a door that probably lead to the back room. I could still feel my cheeks blazing, I wasn’t even sure why I was blushing so much, and maybe it was the fact that Fred was that close to me ever since the other day…. Or maybe it was the fact that his lips had grazed my ear… I immediately shook the thoughts out of my head as I turned my attention back to the glaring Verity. I had noticed we were already in the back room.
I looked around to see it was slightly lit, not as bright or as extravagant as the actually shop itself, but what could you really expect from a backroom? Even in magical stores, it was dusty, large filled with boxes containing who knows what, not to mention it was cold and damp in the room. There was a small bright yellow table with one or two orange chairs around the table, I noticed, I also wondered what that was there for. It didn’t really fit in with the slightly dark room. “Well are you just going to stare at the room all day or do you want me to show you what to do? I do have a job to get back to you know.” I heard Verity said coldly as I turned and looked at her.
“Sorry.” I apologized as I looked at the girl. She was pretty, short, well around my height, and very slender. Verity had light short layered blonde hair that was a tad below her ears and beautiful hazel eyes, defined cheekbones and a small plush mouth. Tell you the truth I was sort of jealous of her, she was very pretty and she looked like a doll almost with her pink eye shadow and blush, her make up around her eyes really brought the color out. Everything about her sparkled, and she seemed sweet enough, but I knew she had a fiery attitude especially towards me for some reason.
“Look all you have to do is unpack those boxes over there,” she said as she pointed to the stacks of boxes over in the corner of the room, “and then place all the items that are not broken or damaged in anyway on the shelf.” She said referring to the large shelf behind her, I nodded, seemed like a simple enough task. “And then you have to mark down on that clipboard over there which one’s are broken, and set them aside from the other products. That way Mr. and Mr. Weasley can work out the kinks.” She replied frustrated, she seemed bored in having explaining this all to me, she had her arms crossed across her black shirt, while her legs leaned on one of the other, as if she was just sick of being in here with me and just wanted to burst out the door.
“Alright… I think I can take care of it then.” I said as I looked at her, I felt somewhat self-conscious about myself at this moment as I stood in front of Verity. She was pretty, and she was wearing something more appealing then grungy sweats. She had on some green high tops with white skinny jeans that seemed to sparkle, and a black shirt.
“Good. Don’t bug me or Mr. and Mr. Weasley if you have problems, you can figure it out yourself, you seem smart enough.” Verity snapped at me as I looked at her.
“So I’m just suppose to figure out by myself, what to do if I mess up?” I asked as she glared at me.
“Do you not speak English? Yes, that’s what I just said.” She responded coldly, I was starting to get a little ticked off, what exactly have I done wrong here?
“Whatever.” I groaned, not wanting to get in an argument with my new coworker, especially on the first day. I turned around expecting Verity to leave as I turned towards the box and started to rip the tape from the box and looked at all the things in it. I smiled, there were so many products!
“What did Mr. Weasley say to you?” I heard Verity’s voice call out from behind me, as I turned around and looked at her. She was still here?
“What?” I asked confused.
“I asked what Mr. Weasley said to you back there, when he stopped and whispered in your bloody ear!” she called as I was a little taken back, why did she care?
“Why do you care?” I asked a little harshly, but hey she deserves it with the way she’s been treating me.
“Just tell me.” She said glaring at me as I sighed.
“Fred just welcomed me to the store.” I replied nonchalantly, though I couldn’t stop the blush that started to make its way back onto my face. Curse those darn blushes.
“Oh,” I heard her sigh as she seemed to relax a little, and then she looked back up at me and glared. Now what?! “Don’t call Mr. Weasley, Fred. It’s improper, and disrespectful.”
I cocked an eyebrow at the girl. “Not if it’s there name and your friend. Anyways, Fred throws fits if I call him Mr. Weasley.” I replied not really paying attention as I looked at the enchanted snow globe I was holding in my hands. The little people in the globe were waving back at me with smiles on there faces, as they threw snowballs at the glass. I grinned.
“You should only call Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley!” Verity yelled at me. I looked at her oddly.
“Why? Fred and George call you and I, by our first names.” I replied as she glared at me.
“Because they are the bosses, and they get to do that. But we are the employees. Even though you don’t deserve to be here, Mr. Weasley is just too kind to throw you out. If you weren’t a single mother, I bet he wouldn’t even offer you a hand.” Verity spat at me as I stared at her in shock. “So shouldn’t you show some respect to the man who pities you? I mean really? That’s low for a girl who thinks she thinks of everybody else, before herself. To me it sounds shallow and self centered as if you’re better than everyone else in this place.”
I felt my eyes widen at what Verity was saying, and I could feel ever fiber in my body calling out. She was probably right… they were helping me, or pitying and I was showing no respect. Maybe Verity was right, I should just stick to the professional terms, and look at Fred and George as my bosses… not my friends. I felt something inside of me hurt; I never knew Fred and George pitied me. “I’m sorry…. You’re right.”
Even if I didn’t look up at Verity’s face I could almost hear the smile in her voice. “Of course I am. You really shouldn’t hang out with the Weasley’s a lot; you should know they just pity you. I bet they go through some real trouble taking care of you and your daughter all the time.” I heard Verity’s voice call out as she started to walk towards the door. “Just don’t mention this to Fred or George, especially Fred, they’ll just lie and try to make you feel better.” She said as I could almost hear her skipping towards the door, as if she had done a great deed, I heard the door slightly open as I could hear people in the shop and laughter fill the room somewhat. Some light from outside filled the darkish back room as I looked up to see Verity had stopped in the doorway and looked back at me with a dainty smile. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot to welcome you… Well Welcome to Weasley Wizard Wheezes.” And with that she slammed the door, closing off every bit of laughter and light from entering the cold, damp, darkish back room; I could feel all the happiness start to leave my body.
Verity…. She was right, I came to Fred and George for every problem I had it seemed nowadays, and they were always there for me. But I bet they only did it for pity, because I was Caitlin’s friend and I had a daughter… It was all just for pity, and I bet they were exhausted of it. I bet me, working here, was going to become more of a hassle to them, especially Fred… Oh God, Fred, Fred was like my best friend at this moment, and I went to him for everything. I whined about everything to him, I practically begged for a job, and he always gave in to me…. Was it really all just for pity, of a teenage mother, who was struggling?
I sighed as I tried to shake the thoughts from my mind, but I knew they would continue to rest and linger in my head…. All day, maybe even longer, I tried to keep my mind focus on the work, but it was becoming harder and harder as I just remembered what Verity said… But I couldn’t help but wonder as I thought back to all the moments Fred did to make it seemed like he wanted my attention, like that moments before I came in this room…. I couldn’t help but wonder, was it really just pity?
I sighed as I stacked another box of the famous fire works set onto the shelf, so far I had managed to go through ten boxes in the last five hours, I think. Not to mention, I had to use a small step ladder hidden in the corner to reach the few remaining shelves in the room. Those Weasley’s were real good in making their products; there were barely any faulty ones. I leaned down and grabbed another small enchanted snow globe as I looked inside it to look at the small people. The little people started to fight with one another and then they destroyed the small snowman they had built, and once they noticed me staring they started to come at the glass angrily. “Alright, well we know you guys are not ready for young kids.” I said looking at the raving people in the snow globe, trying to escape. I was about to mount down the ladder until something startled me.
“MISS RIDDLE!” I heard someone yelled as they burst through the door startling me. I had barely had time to react, all I knew was in that moment I felt myself falling towards the ground, and I had already dropped the snow globe as it flew out of my hands and plummeted towards the ground, just like I was. I waited for the contact of the ground to meet up with me as I closed my eyes until I soon felt warm arms wrap around me and I fell on top of the person, who had startled me in the first place, and fell onto the ground with the guy. I heard the crash of glass as the snow globe made contact with the floor next to us.
I immediately open my eyes to meet a pair of dark pools staring down at me with the freckled face, and flaming red hair. “Miss Riddle,” Fred said staring down at me with that trademark smirk. “You really are clumsy.”
I could feel the blush blaze on my cheeks as I looked at Fred, I could already tell we were in a position that would probably not be the best to walk in on. “Y-Y-You startled me.” I stuttered out as I looked at Fred as he smirked, but soon his smirked turned into a frown.
“Marley, you’re bleeding.” Fred stated seriously as I cocked at eyebrow and looked down around myself to see where I had cut myself, but I didn’t see the cut.
“Where?” I asked as I then noticed the blood drops appear on the ground. I had sat up, and so had Fred as I sat in between his legs as he looked at me.
“Your cheek.” He stated as he looked down at me, “Does it hurt?” he asked. I smiled as I noticed the concern in his tone.
“No… I guess a piece of the glass that broke cut my face.” I said quietly as Fred smiled and stood up. He offered me his hand, and I grabbed it after a moment or two of hesitating.
“Stay right here.” He said as I just stood there, while he went off in another direction and then came back with a wet cloth and a bandage. “Doctor Weasley is here to the rescue.” He said with a grin as I rolled my eyes, “Now stay still Miss Riddle while I apply the proper procedures.”
I blushed slightly, “I-I can do it myself.” I said as he smiled.
“Ah ah ah. Not going to happen, you have to let a man have this moment. Where I come and rescue the damsel in distress.” Fred said with a smirk as I rolled my eyes.
“This is hardly a moment like that.” I replied as Fred smile and grabbed my chin lightly as he looked down at me with those deep pools. I felt the blush reappear on my cheeks.
“Now, hold still. This might stink a little.” I heard Fred say as Fred moved closer to my face and placed the wet cloth on my cut cheek, wiping away the blood. I winced in slight pain, as I felt Fred clean the cut. Soon the stinking was gone, and I was left staring into the face of Fred Weasley. There seemed to be no flaws on his freckled face, he was so intent on cleaning my cut that he didn’t notice my stare. I looked at Fred, he was so nice…. But I kept on remembering what Verity said to me. Did he really just pity me? I could feel Fred soon placing the bandage on my cheek; I guess I wasn’t really thinking because soon I blurted out my thoughts.
“Are you just pitying me Mr. Weasley?” I asked as my eyes widened in horror on the realization on what I had just said. I looked at Fred to see him cock an eyebrow at me and give me a small smile.
“Do I what? Pity you? And did you really just call me Mr. Weasley?” he asked as I just stared up at him, at this moment he had finished placing the bandage on my cheek. “Now where did you get that mental idea?”
I avoided his gaze, I couldn’t tell him where…. “I-I just think that you deserve respect…. Since you’re my boss…”
Fred rolled his eyes, “Like I said, Mr. Weasley is either George or my father or any other male in my family. Not me.”
“But Verity calls you that and you don’t mind.” I retaliated. Fred sighed as he placed a hand to his head as he ran his fingers through his flaming red hair as he looked down at me and gave me a weary smile. Some part of his hand covered half of his face.
“Verity is not you, Marley.” He said quietly as he looked at me, for some reason this statement had caused giddiness inside of me…. I’m not sure why, but it did and soon I felt the blush spread across my cheeks.
“I…. I just feel like sometimes you’re only doing this out of pity, I mean I don’t mind really… I just wish I could do some other things to help more, you guys do some much for Clary and I….” I said looking up at Fred, he grinned.
“Well first off, I’d just like to say neither George nor I are doing this out of pity. We love both you and Clary, and we want to help anyway that is possible. Miss Riddle we love to have you two around, so trust me this job is not out of pity.” Fred said looking down at me, as I couldn’t help but let a small smile appear on my lips.
“I’m glad…” I sighed out in relief; I blushed at embarrassment as I realized what I said. “I-I mean well… umm either way is fine…. I just rather have you two not pity me.” I replied quickly as Fred grinned and ruffled my hair. “Well I guess I better clean up the glass and you can go back to work, Mr. Weasley.”
I turned around until Fred grabbed my wrist; I cocked at eyebrow at the boy who only smirked. “Another thing, don’t call me Mr. Weasley, you make me sound old.” He said scrunching his nose up as I smiled and nodded. Well Verity would just have to deal, because I got the boss’s approval. “And there might one thing you can do to earn….. Extra points in my book.” Fred said with a grin as I looked up at him eager, knowing I could do something to make Fred more happy, the thought made me happy.
“Tell me. What is it?” I asked eagerly as Fred smiled.
“Miss Riddle, go on a date with me.”
I stared at Fred with a blank stare; I definitely was not expecting that.
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Well sorry i am a little late in posting this, but i hope you guys liked it!!! I think this is later than the other one! :) I'll try to post another one tomorrow as soon as possible! Thanks for all the support and all the fanning! You guys are seriously awesome! And @IAmFred, you will have a go with Verity, later on ;)
Here's the link to Verity's outfit if you wanna see :)
http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=29719853
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