my inheritance (g.w x o.c)

chapter forty: my 9:30 appointment

Slant shuffled through the letters in his cart before pulling out a pile for me, wrapped tightly with string. He handed them to me upside down, I suppose to preserve the identity of the top letter, however, in doing so, he revealed the wax seal of the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes that was holding the bottom letter together. When I saw it, I froze. It took me a minute to remember that I had at least one, but most likely two Weasleys in the lift with me. I cleared my throat, holding the pile against my chest. Reginald quickly looked away, but Arthur continued to look at me for a moment. "Thank you, Slant."

"Of course, Minister," he nodded, getting off as the doors opened.

"This would be your stop for Yaxley's office, Reginald," I spoke up, assuming he was Ron, he would have no idea where Yaxley's office would be, and instead of out him in front of his dad, it seemed better to be helpful.

"Right," he mumbled, stepping between his dad and me. I finally gained the courage to look up at Arthur. For a moment, his gaze seemed more intense than anytime Voldemort had ever looked at me. I wanted to scream a million I'm sorrys and tell him what his son truly meant to me and why I had to do what I've done and how I didn't mean for any of this to happen.

Instead, I simply tilted my head and asked, "Isn't this your floor too, Arthur? Or are you planning to join my morning meeting?" He took the step off the lift, and for a moment, I thought I was free. The door began to shut before he stuck his hand in. I raised an eyebrow.

"Glad to see you're supporting small businesses, Minister," he spoke, but honestly, a knife to the heart would've felt better. "In times like these, it seems only the important ones get any attention."

I wanted to snap at him. Had anyone else been around, aside from Reginald who was very obviously lurking, I probably would've needed to, but instead I nodded. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Mr. Weasley," I spoke gently, holding the letters tightly to my chest. I probably looked like a scared schoolgirl, which, just a year ago, I was, and that was probably what softened his expression. "I'm trying my best to support small businesses as much as possible. I hope you know that."

He hesitated for just a moment. I thought he was going to say something, but then he shut his mouth and walked away. I met eyes with Reginald, giving him a gentle smile before the doors shut. I took a deep breath, gathering myself as the lift rose to my floor. I got off, heading straight for my office. I only passed a few people on my way before I made it inside my office. I set my stuff down and cut the string on the letters. I pushed all of them aside, holding the one from the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in front of me. The wax seal was clearly stamped with their emblem, and the address on the back read "To the Minister of Magic, Miss Larissa Prince" followed by my address. I stared at it for a moment, trying to decide if I was seeing it clearly. Then, I slowly opened it. My letters were tested for jinxs, hexes, and explosions, but were not read unlike most people's mail these days. So they came in perfect condition. I opened it, and it appeared to be full of their catalog and order forms.

"Very funny, boys," I whispered, checking each of the order forms for any sign of George's writing. I dropped each one back onto my desk with a groan. I picked up the catalog. "They really just added me to their mailing list. The utter audacity of..." I trailed off when I saw a picture of Fred and George on the staircase of the business with the mural I had painted in the back. So many emotions ran through my mind before I noticed writing hidden in the painting. I raised an eyebrow, holding the magazine closer to my eyes. 63. I flipped to page 63. I searched the entire page before finding another number. 21. I went through five or six pages before finally finding a word. A thin line ran under the word, Reveal. It couldn't be that easy. I pulled out my wand, pointing it at the magazine. "Revelio letter."