George Weasley x Reader
[Theme: Young Adult]
Requested by: Elizabeth
It's funny. Years ago, if you said Dumbledore would ever die, you'd get laughter of disbelief. 'How could the most powerful wizard in the world die!?' they'd exclaim. It all seemed so impossible at the time.
Then we were forced to accept it. As every student and faculty member held their wands high in the air during the pouring rain, we had to accept that the world was changing forever. The man who was going to protect us all was gone. Nobody was safe. We had to find out own ways to survive.
With Death Eaters at large, my family was no longer safe. My mother, a Muggleborn witch, was a prolific supporter of Dumbledore and fought constantly against His revival. She was a high-risk target and with the Ministry and Dumbledore gone, there was nobody left to protect her.
It was decided merely a few days after Dumbledore's death that it was time for us to move to America, at least temporarily. Everything had been arranged for me to join Ilvermorny next September for my seventh year. I didn't want to go but it had to be done to protect her. That meant leaving behind my two best friends in the world: Fred and George Weasley.
I gave the two of them the strongest hug I could muster, trying hard to not shed any tears. "I'm going to miss you two so much."
"It's not like it's forever." Fred commented. "You'll be back before you know it."
I chuckled lightheartedly. "I sure hope so. I just wish the circumstances were different. If it weren't for Mum, I'd have stayed to fight with you."
George placed his hands on his hips, preparing to do his best McGonagall impression. "Miss L/N, you of all people should know that there is no possibility we'd ever allow underage wizards to fight in a war of all things!"
I patted his arm playfully. "Sheesh, after everything that's gone on, the last thing I want to imagine is McGonagall's safety speeches... and with Snape taking over... Maybe it's a good thing I'm moving to Ilvermorny."
With that in mind, I did wonder about how the twins would be getting on with a war overhanging them. It could last for a year to even decades. Even so, the world needed laughter. That was one of the first things the twins told me. They thought they could trick an innocent Ravenclaw third year with their products only for me to sniff out their schemes. Turns out they can corrupt anyone into the Weasley enterprise with good enough reason.
"It won't be the same without you telling us what products are missing to make them more potent." Fred remarked. "Did you take a look at what we sent you yesterday?"
Going to my bag, I pulled out a small array of products they had sent me to test. "You didn't think I'd leave you hanging, did you?" I asked rhetorically.
"Well-" Fred was about to say but one raised eyebrow got him to shut up.
"These ones seem fine but these could do with some more Horklump Juice if you want to really counter the earlier side effects." I instructed and the twins took feverish mental notes. "But... I should get going. Mum'll be wondering where I am and the sooner we leave, the better."
"We want to give you something before you go." George said and picked up a small red and blue box that read 'Happy Bubble Box' on the top before handing it to me. "It's a new kind of gum we're thinking of debuting soon but we wanted you to have the first successful sample."
"Guys..." I said with tears finally dripping down my cheeks. "You really are the sweetest."
Fred started, "Whenever you feel sad, chew some of the gum. It makes you spontaneously laugh. After all..."
"The world needs laughter." we all said in sync.
"We'll be back to laughing together before you know it." I remarked, clutching the product close to my chest. "You two better stay safe. I know the Weasley twins are inseparable but be careful."
The two shared a look of scepticism and laughed.
"We swear on it."
"By Merlin's honour."
I hugged them both again and departed from their room with one last tearful smile.
.....
December 1998
News of Voldemort's death and the Order of the Phoenix's victory at the Battle of Hogwarts spread quickly, even to America. When I caught wind, I wanted to return to England as soon as I could to reunite with all my friends. Now that I had graduated, I had a lot more freedom too, so I could pursue the careers that I wanted to go down.
But most of all, I wanted to see Fred and George again. While I was in America, they used to send me letters even if I couldn't send them back without risking an interception. After a while... they stopped. I didn't know why, although I assumed it was because they didn't have the time because they were busy helping fix everything up after the war.
As for the Happy Bubble Box, there were times I did need perking up. When the war was reaching its peak, so did my depression. There were times I thought about giving up. I loved my parents and I loved my new friends but I wanted to go back. I wanted to fight. But there was nothing I could do.
Then I'd bite into a piece of gum and start laughing at the top of my lungs. No matter how bad it got, that laughter made me feel better, even if it was only fake laughter. It was enough to bring me a smile and remember that these days won't last forever.
And last forever they did not.
We had to wait a few months to ensure the majority of Death Eaters that survived the Battle or defected were rounded up and brought to justice. Once the coast was clear, we moved back to England and settled in. Still, there was no word from Fred and George, so I took it upon myself to go see them at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes knowing that would be the main place for them to be.
Compared to prior to the war, Diagon Alley had an overwhelming sense of gloom hanging over it. While people walked the streets and went into shops like normal, there seemed to be an unspoken rule to never be mentioned. If we ignore the empty businesses and shattered windows, we might be able to return to some kind of normalcy.
I tried my best to ignore that gnat flying in my ear that gave me doubts. The store had to be filled with life and laughter, just as it always would be. Fred would be giving his talks to his siblings about being an entrepreneur while George would be testing new products and giving tours to unsuspecting first years who didn't know better what to spend their Sickles on.
As I turned the corner, what I saw filled me with confusion and worry. Instead of patrons wandering in the store and the street being filled with gossip, there was only silence. Something wasn't right here... Getting closer to the store, I finally saw what was making me feel on edge.
Every window of the store was dimmed and glazed over. Products had fallen from their originally neat placements and some cobwebs had formed in the corners of the frames. If there was one word to describe what I was witnessing... it would be neglect. Purely derelict. How could this have happened...?
I tried the door of the shop and it was locked tight. For a brief moment, I considered using magic to get in but either the store would be booby-trapped or the twins wouldn't be there anyway. If they weren't here... the next best place to look would have to be The Burrow.
With a heavy swallow, I prepared to apparate, praying that everything would be alright.
.....
As the Burrow came into view, it was noticeable at a glance that it looked worse for wear, much like everywhere else. Truly, no place went untouched by the ferocious displays of war. At least the pigs and chickens in the outdoor pens looked happy. Part of me envied their naivety.
Surely much had changed since I last visited considering it had been almost a year and a half. Last I heard, Ginny was dating Harry so they likely moved in together somewhere. As for Percy, I had no idea what went on with him. He probably was still being a pest with how he was treating Mrs Weasley. Maybe he did see differently after the Ministry takeover. I could only hope so much.
"Hello?" I called out as I poked my head through the front door. There was no reply apart from the ticking of the Weasley clock. Well, the one that barked orders, not the one that showed locations.
Actually, that was a good idea. If I could look at the clock, I could find out where everyone was. I felt guilty entering without permission but Mrs Weasley did say I was 'always welcome'... taking that too literally wasn't that bad, right?
While everything appeared tidy and clean on the surface, some of the ornaments around the house were ever so slightly out of place as if they had been forgotten about. I felt the temptation to fix them up but now wasn't the time.
At the clock, I remembered watching the hands move around when Fred, George and I were misbehaving to see when Mr or Mrs Weasley would be coming home. Many a time we barely managed to make the house look spotless before they returned thanks to this clock. The thing that amused me was that Fred and George shared a hand, indicating that they were never apart, not even for a moment.
But when I looked at the clock, it was wrong. Mr Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Ron and Percy were at work. Mrs Weasley was travelling. Ginny was at school. It seemed normal until I saw the joint hand of Fred and George... except it wasn't joint anymore. George was set at home... while Fred's hand had snapped and jammed itself in 'mortal peril'.
My heart was beating through my ears. It had to be broken, right? Fred... nothing happened to him. Surely. Surely.
I ran up the stairs to where their bedroom was. The nameplate on the door had worn away on most of the lettering due to neglect. They didn't care too much about it to begin with but this was something else. If the clock was right, he had to be in his room, but how could I trust the clock when it was so obviously broken?
My knuckle banged gently against the frame and a tired "Come in..." sounded from within.
I entered into a mess. No, this was more than a mess... it was a jarring catastrophe. George's side of the room was trashed. Clothes were thrown on the floor and over his furniture. His bedsheets were crumpled and a suitcase lay open with knickknacks spilt around. Some of them looked like the products he would be testing with Fred...
In contrast, Fred's side of the room was untouched. His bed was made like it had never been slept in before. His wardrobe was closed and his shoes were individually spaced at the base of it. Anyone would be able to guess he hadn't been here for months. So if he wasn't here... and the store was empty... where was he?
"...Y/N?" a hesitant voice spoke up. It was George with a sickeningly pale face and a white bandage wrapped across his forehead, covering up his left ear. "I can't believe it. Are you- are you really here?" His voice was hoarse with dubiety.
"George..." I muttered in shock.
He stepped up and wrapped me in his arms. Despite the warmth, it felt as if he had been deprived of any sort of true love for a while. At least, not the love that he wanted. As I held him back, he was shaking. I had never seen him like this before. It broke my heart.
"I'm here. It's alright..." I reassured him and gripped his shirt tightly. Without words, he was telling me how broken he was. Nothing resembled his old self.
When he finally stepped away, there were tears in his eyes. What originally was white was stained with red veins. Oh George...
"I went to try to find you at the store." I told him and what small happiness that existed from me being there went crestfallen. "What... happened? Where's Fred? And... and your ear?"
Those tears started to fall and he sat down at the edge of his bed, the frame creaking underneath him. "I wanted to tell you what happened... about the Battle, but I couldn't bring myself to write it, much less say it aloud. It- Merlin." He held a hand up to his bandaged ear.
I sat beside him and gingerly took his hand. He wrapped his fingers back through mine. "If it helps, I'll start? Maybe it'll make you feel more able to speak up knowing what happened on my end."
He nodded and wiped his tears away with his free hand.
"Okay, well..." I started trying my best to seem comforting despite how anxious I was to know the truth. "When we went to America, you know I started attending Ilvermorny. Apparently, there were a few other people who fled as well so I wasn't alone in that field. I remember how terrified I was going to sorting. I'd take the Sorting Hat a hundred times than go through Ilvermorny's process again."
George was silent as I spoke but was paying full attention.
"Imagine you're standing in the centre of a great theatre with four statues surrounding you. Above you is everyone else who already attends the school; they're watching you. You step into the centre of the stage and wait to see if any of these four statues come to life. The Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, and Pukwudgie."
I laughed weakly as I recalled the incident. "The Sorting Hat sorted me into Ravenclaw... it seemed almost like fate that the Horned Serpent would pick me considering it's supposedly meant to represent the mind. I didn't have to have a wand ceremony since I already had mine. It's a lot more convoluted than just going to Ollivander's. I suppose I could see the appeal."
His gaze seemed glazed over. I gave his hand a squeeze, snapping him out of his moment and he looked down at our intertwined grip. I gently smiled and continued talking.
"People didn't talk much about Voldemort at Ilvermorny. Some of the younger students didn't know his name at all! Honestly, it was nice to be away from it for a while... although I did worry about you both the entire time. We came back once we heard it was safe to. Are you... how are you feeling?"
He looked over at Fred's side of the room and took a shaken breath. He started to explain to me the Order of the Phoenix and that he and all of his brothers joined (apart from Percy). During the Battle of the Seven Potters, he lost his ear to Snape. He spat particularly at that point. Then he encroached on the Battle of Hogwarts. Each word stammered and he spoke barely above a whisper.
"Fred and I- we were in charge of defences. Some Death Eaters came and Percy, the git, actually changed his ways. Fred looked overjoyed. He was about to say that he hadn't heard Percy make a joke since he was seven."
He swallowed hard. Instead of me squeezing his hand, he was squeezing mine.
"There was an explosion. When the dust cleared... there he was. On the floor. The same smile on his face. If it weren't for his empty eyes... it would've been like he had been petrified. But- but he was limp. Percy was screaming and Ron was trying to wake him up. I just stood there. There was nothing- nothing I could do." he whimpered and I guided his head to lean on my shoulder.
I wanted to cry too, for I had lost one of my best friends too, but I had to be strong for him. The absence of letters... was because he was struggling to find himself anymore. Why bother writing to someone who couldn't write back to help you?
"Thank you for telling me." was all I said. If I spoke further, I had a feeling I'd spiral and not be of any help to him.
For a time, we sat in silence. His head was against me and our hands were still interlocked. Neither of us dared to move. He closed his eyes and his breathing steadied. He seemed to have fallen asleep for the first time since Fred died. I rest him gently down on his bed and tucked him in. Telling me everything must have been the last thing his body could cope with.
With a solemn smile, I left the room and went downstairs.
.....
I could hear the sound of pots and pans clanging around and Mrs Weasley fretting around as she prepared for dinner. When she heard the stairs creak, she didn't look up from what she was doing as she said hopefully "George?".
"It's me, Mrs Weasley." I spoke out and she turned around. There was the briefest look of disappointment on her face before her mothering nature came through.
"Oh, dear! I didn't know you had come back!" she exclaimed, pulling me into the kitchen and giving me a short hug. "How have you been? Please, please, sit down."
She pulled a chair out for me and I sat down rather pressured but used to her behaviour. "I've been alright, thank you. We came back a few days ago so I thought I'd go see-" The temptation to say Fred and George skidded on my tongue as I restrained myself, "-go see George."
"Yes... it's..." She was lost for words and even the utensils she was controlling with magic erred with her fallen mood. She sighed and tried her best to look cheerful. "Did you see him?"
I bit my lip. "Yeah, I did. He- he fell asleep." I informed and her mouth dropped.
She gently rubbed my shoulder. "I'm happy to hear it. You know, he was always asking for you when you left- the both of them were. You being here must make a world of a difference. You've done more in a few hours than any of us have managed in months."
"I missed them a lot too. I do... really feel awful that- that Fred-" It was difficult to get the words out. My throat was closing in on itself with painful clasping. "I wish I could've seen him one last time."
Mrs Weasley brought over a cup of steaming tea made just how she knew I liked it and sat down next to me. "I understand, dear..." she said sympathetically. "Why don't you stay for a few days since Christmas is coming up if your parents don't mind? You can stay in Ginny's room. Now that she's seeing Harry, well, it doesn't seem she needs it much these days."
She was speaking from the heart in a non-judgemental way but I could tell she was lonely with only having George at home while Mr Weasley was working.
I thought about her offer deeply. Staying would be a good way to get closure and to make sure George was doing alright. He didn't just lose his brother; he lost his best friend too. The isolation he must be feeling would be like wading through the depths of icy water. So cold you can barely move your joints and the shivering pain won't go away even should you find the shore.
"I'd love to stay." I told her and she almost squealed in delight before wrapping me in another hug. I had a feeling I'd be receiving a lot of hugs at this rate. "I'll send an owl to my parents. I'm sure they won't mind one year without me."
.....
It was difficult to sleep knowing George was only a set of stairs above me. He didn't come down for dinner but Mrs Weasley did knock on his door and leave him a plate outside. When she came back later on, the food had been touched, albeit barely. She commented that it was a remarkable improvement from before and she pinched my cheek with pride.
Truthfully, I didn't know what exactly it was that she was expecting of me. I couldn't make George magically ten times better by manifesting before him. There was nothing I could say to get him to smile and laugh... but there was a way to force him.
As I wandered upstairs in the afternoon, I held the Happy Bubble Box he and Fred had gifted me before I went to America. It was considerably emptier nowadays but there was still enough for its intended purpose.
I entered his bedroom and George was in his pyjamas while he stared blankly at Fred's bed. It seemed that was all he did nowadays. Perhaps he believed if he looked hard enough to disassociate, Fred would be there again... but it never worked.
"George?" I said and his neck snapped to me.
The corner of his lips upturned slightly. "I thought you'd have gone home."
"You ought to thank your mother for that. I'm staying for Christmas. We have a lot to go through, don't we?" I replied, trying to make everything seem as normal as possible. If I could bring him back to a sense of normalcy, it may be enough to break him out of his psychosis. "First things first, thank you for the gift." I held the box up for him to see. His expression didn't immediately change.
I sat down next to him and put it in his hands with the hope he might consider eating some. "See, I was wondering about what we could do to make it even more potent. Something they taught me at Ilvermorny is that the spring water they use as an ingredient is different to the kind we use here. Since we get most of ours from Scottish springs, there isn't much choice. However, in America, they have springs across the country! All with different levels of minerals and the like. We could get a deal with a company and-"
George didn't respond. While he appeared to be taking in what I was saying, he shifted his attention to a wrapped gift by the base of Fred's bed. It was the same wrapping Mrs Weasley used every year for her Christmas gifts. She must have brought it up while George was asleep and hoped he wouldn't see it but it stuck out like a sore thumb.
"George..." I said with a mild sympathetic huff and knew that even the gum wasn't going to work so I took it back from his hands. "I heard a quote when I was in America. I think it went something along the lines of: "The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind." I like to think of it positively."
"It's not so simple..." he whimpered.
"No, it's not." I replied. "That scar it talks about is Fred... we can heal all we want but he will always be there. That doesn't mean it has to be a bad thing. It can mean that his memory will exist throughout all of us. In a way, even if we can't see him or hear him speak, he's here with us. Do you see what I mean?"
He paused and opened his jaw slightly. "I... I'm not sure."
I rubbed his back. "I have an idea. Let's get you out of this room. Since your mother has already gotten Fred his gift, we should go get him one too. How about it? Do you think you can manage?"
His confidence wavered momentarily but when he saw my reassuring smile, he found it in himself to smile back even without taking the gum.
"I'll take that as a yes. I'll give you a moment to get changed and I'll meet you in five minutes." I told him and stood up. As I did, I felt him grab my hand and gently pull me back.
"Thank you." was all he said and he let go.
There was a look in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a long time. Not since Fred had died...
There was hope.
.....
We used the Floo Network to travel straight to Diagon Alley. Mrs Weasley was astonished to see George leaving his room, much less going outside. She mentally thanked me over and over and gave a wave as we left.
Considering it was the 23rd of December, it was rather nippy so we both made sure to wear large coats and cast a Warming Charm for good measure. We walked together looking through the windows of different shops as our breath turned into misty air. At one point, George even joked that he was going to give the dragon that escaped from Gringotts a run for its money. It was hard to explain how happy my heart felt hearing his first joke.
After going around for about an hour, we hadn't managed to find anything suitable for Fred. We thought about a scarf, some sweets, and some posters for his favourite Quidditch team but George didn't seem satisfied. I did tell him that Fred would be happy with any of these items. He wanted to get something that would make his brother beyond happy.
He did seem to be returning back to his normal self at least a little bit. He was making banter with the shopkeeps and messing around with displays like he used to. In fact, he was making me laugh more than I was trying for him. It was a flush of relief.
We continued our way down the street until I remembered what lay around the corner. I tried to stop our advancement but it was too late. George saw what I was trying to prevent him from seeing.
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
He stood in place with wide eyes. I tried to grab his hand but he shook it out of my grip. All he did was stare. The one place that still had etchings of Fred all over it was before him.
I couldn't stop him from going in. No, he was going to need to confront his fears one day. "George, do you want to go in?" I asked him.
"Yes." he replied quickly and jogged to the door, pulling out his key and jiggling the lock. I expected him to bolt straight in once he placed his mittened hand on the handle but he only looked at it.
"Count to three." I told him as any hope to get through to him.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and once he mentally reached three, he turned the handle and walked inside.
Much like the outside, the interior was a husk of its prior state. Without any lights on, cobwebs shimmered in the pale light from the windows. Some displays were knocked over and where there were ready-to-go mixtures for potions, there was a foul gone-off smell. How could it be that a place that once was so filled with life could fall to a state quite like this?
George wandered around, brushing his finger through the thick dust on the counter and occasionally picking up a box of products, huffing with nostalgia and putting it back in its place. "This is the first time I've gone back... since he died." he told me marking the first time he admitted Fred's death other than when he pushed himself to say it out of obligation. Now, he was talking to me because he wanted to.
"How do you feel?" I asked, gently grabbing his arm and holding him close.
He laughed stoically. "Different. Like I'm supposed to be doing something but I can't figure out what it is. He was always the bolder of the two of us... He knew what to do. Without him, I'm- I'm lost."
"It's not too late to figure out your own path." I told him and gestured to everything around us. "You have so much potential and you know I'll be with you the entire way."
He brushed a hand through his hair with stress. "I wondered every day when you'd be coming back. And then you appeared back in my room- I thought I was seeing things. I thought you were a dream that I was terrified to wake up from in case I lost you and Fred."
I stopped his movement to wrap him in a warm embrace. Despite the large coats, I could sense his demeanour change as I held him. When we separated, I held a hand to his cheek so he could look directly at me. "It's not a dream. I'm here. I'm with you. I promise."
He shakenly took my hand that was against his cheek to hold it there. "Merlin," he scoffed, "I wish I could've heard those words in a different context."
He wrapped his free arm around my figure and drew me close. "Fred told me I should've done this before you left but I coward out of it. He didn't let me out of the grief for weeks."
"Do what?" I asked cluelessly.
Slowly, he leaned forward as if he was hesitating before getting the courage to take my lips in his. He lacked confidence until pulled him in deeper, signifying to him that I wanted this too. When we parted, there was a genuine smile on his face that went to the light in his eyes.
"That." he said cockily.
"Idiot." I retorted and claimed his lips for myself this time. When we parted, I knew the perfect gift for Fred. "What Fred would want is your happiness." I pulled out my wand and sounded out some cleaning spells to spruce the shop up. "The perfect gift for him would be to get the store running again."
"Bloody hell." George exclaimed in agreement and ran to the backroom. All the lights turning on burnt my vision momentarily as he came back. "You're right. If I spend the rest of today and tomorrow cleaning then-"
"We." I corrected him. "We're doing this together, remember? And Fred will be helping us too, I'm sure."
"Right. We." he repeated and started to run around with his wand waving to catch all the cobwebs.
We'll have our work cut out for us but since when did anything stop a Weasley?
.....
December 25th
Day and night George and I spend trying to get the store back to its old state. It may have taken blood, sweat and tears (literally when I trapped my thumb under the lid of a crate), but it was worthwhile to see how much George lit up at the finished product. It was Christmas Day when we decided to open the restored Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to the public after spending lunch with his family.
Verity didn't seem to mind much when we owled to see if she'd be available to work. She more than happily was waiting behind the counter with the double pay we'd be giving her in mind. She was going to have a long day.
George and I peered out the window of the second floor to the large crowd forming below. People were mingling and cheering with children carrying their Christmas money in their hands.
"If there was any doubt, I think this confirms it for you, huh?" I teased George as I gave him a gentle poke. "Fred must be having the time of his life."
"He must be. Only he would be able to get this many people." George remarked as he hugged me from behind.
"Come on, they may have missed you both but you were the one who fixed this place up and brought everyone back. You did this."
He kissed the top of my head lovingly. "We did this." he corrected.
I rolled my eyes. "Using my own words against me now, are we, Weasley? Did you make sure the Happy Bubble Boxes were restocked?" I asked, remembering our new plan in order.
It was incredible how a small box of gum that makes you laugh can change your life. With that in mind, we wanted to give back to the community that had faith in us. If you were having a bad day for whatever reason, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes had you covered with a free promotional Happy Bubble Box.
I thought that was going to be the only thing George was going to change until he told me he had a secret to show me once the store was officially opened. He had blindfolded me as soon as we came up the street so I had no idea what he had in mind.
"Uh oh, looks like they're getting restless." I commented as the crowd grew even bigger. "Perhaps it's time we let them in?"
He held me tighter to his chest. "Let them wait a few more minutes. I'm not done with you yet."
He went to try to kiss me but I held a hand up to block him. "Nope. We get our work done first and then we can fool around, okay?"
"Fine, fine." he said and started to head towards the stairs.
As I followed him, he suddenly stopped, grabbed my arm and pulled me close to kiss me.
There was that smug look he had when he accomplished something grand. "Now we can go."
"I swear, George! You're lucky you're cute enough I won't smack you."
.....
We stood outside in unison against the wave of people waiting to come in. All that was between us and the store was a yellow ribbon that went across the door.
George gave a strong-willed speech about the reopening of the store, edging on the cliff of being too emotional to continue. When he saw me there to support him, he was able to steel himself to press onwards.
"Without further ado, I present Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes... reopen!" he proclaimed and went to cut the ribbon with a pair of scissors. They did not cut and merely snapped shut on the ribbon with no effect.
I coughed and reached into my pocket, bringing out the real pair of scissors. "Consider it revenge." I remarked and he laughed harmoniously.
"You got me." he whispered, cut through the ribbon and allowed everyone to go inside.
Once the crowd had cleared and we greeted everyone, I realised he still hadn't shown me the surprise.
"So," I said nonchalantly, "are you going to tell me your secret now?"
"I almost forgot." he said with his mind clearly preoccupied with trying to be a good shopkeep. He guided me around to the left display window and pointed up at the frame of the window.
What used to say nothing now had a special set of words engraved into it:
The world needs laughter.