Just Like Home | Charlie Weasley

Chapter 2

It was a Thursday in late October and the weather was truly abysmal. Rain lashed against the glass panes of the windows as a fierce wind shook the wooden structure. Eleanor would almost be worried about the building if it wasn't protected with magic. Few people wanted to venture out in the weather, meaning the coffee shop was particularly quiet this afternoon. Eleanor took stock of the fridge and freezer as Darcie hummed along to the radio.

"Darcie? Have you served George today?" Eleanor asked, suddenly remembering that she hadn't seen him today.

"Nope," Darcie said. Eleanor frowned Even in this weather, it was strange for George not to come by, even if it was raining. He usually only skipped out if he was visiting home, and even then he'd usually slip it into conversation with Eleanor. She couldn't help but feel slightly worried about him. She knew he wasn't exactly in a good place and she would hate for him to be in some kind of trouble.

Before she could think better of it, she brewed a black coffee with two and hair sugars and grabbed a chocolate croissant from the counter. As she bagged it up, she informed Darcie that she'd be back soon. She pulled on her coat and scarf, tucking her hair into her hood as she hid the bag inside her coat to keep it safe. The weather was much worse than she realised whe she stepped out of the door to almost be blown backward by a particularly strong gust of wind. She quickly cast a sticking charm on the bottom of her boots to make walking easier and set off in the direction of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Halfway there, she gave up on the use of her hood and instead allowed the rain to assault her already wild hair. By the time she reached the shop, her curls were sticking to her head and she expected that her mascara was probably halfway down her face by now.

Eleanor stepped inside the shop and outwardly shuddered, casting a charm over her clothes to make sure they didn't drip water all over the floor. She was met with the familiar buzz of the lively shop; laughter and chatter filling the air as hundreds of products came to life, some flying through the air whilst some sent sparks shooting in all directions. It wasn't Eleanor's usual place of choice, especially considering she wasn't particularly fond of unpredictable experiences, but it made her smile to know that somewhere under all of the hurt and melancholy; George was clearly a trouble-maker.

She took the bag containing the coffee and pastry out of her coat and approached the counter, expecting to see George somewhere at least. She spotted Verity, who she knew as the shop assistant, helping a customer towards the back of the shop. Once she reached the counter, there was a red-headed man standing there, but not the one she was looking for. This one was slightly shorter, only by a couple of inches, and respectfully more broad than George. His hair, instead of George's slightly longer, straighter hair, was a mess of red curls on top of his head, with the sides and back cut closer to his head. He had piercing blue eyes, a peppering of red freckles across his nose and cheeks and held himself with an aura that made Eleanor feel almost intimidated to approach. He hadn't noticed her standing there and she felt a bit silly, unsure of how to get the man's attention. She quickly attempted to run her hands through her rain-soaked hair, inwardly cringing at how she must look right now and stood in front of the counter.

"Erm..." she cleared her throat, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Sorry, excuse me?". Her voice was quiet, weak. She didn't think the man would hear her, but he turned to face her and offered a warm smile that made his entire demeanour change from intimidating to inviting.

"Hi, sorry I didn't hear you approach. Can I help?". He came closer and leant on the counter with his hands. His voice was deep, slightly gravelly but silky at the same time.

"Sorry, my fault, I'm not very forthcoming," she said. "Um... Is George around?".

The red-haired man made a face almost like a grimace, but quickly buried it as he ran a hand through his hair. "Ah, um... I'm afraid he's busy right now. Can I get a message to him for you?".