Fractured AIAOY 6

Chapter 1

"Miss Potter Weasley!"  Madam Malkin's voice was sharp and scolding as she looked down at the arrivals from behind her counter.  "Punctuality is a stable in every respectable young witch's repertoire, not to mention a business owners!  You ought-"

"That'll do, won't it?"  Fred interrupted.  "We're behind schedule because mum was finishing the last of these."  He lifted up the basket at his side, breads and pastries of many different kinds inside from Molly's kitchen.  "I hope this makes up for our," Fred glanced at the clock and tried to hide his grin that Rebecca could see fighting to shine.  "Three minutes of tardiness."

Madam Malkin studied him, sensing cheek but unable to find it.  "Well, it will suffice.  Come, I need measurements."

Rebecca looked up at Fred with a scrunch of his nose he tried to memorise instantly.  "The mystery appointment is robes?"

Madam Malkin glanced back at her and how she wasn't following to the raised dais.  "Will we be doing this?"  Rebecca hurried along, not forgetting how Fred ignored her question and hoping to ask the seamstress.  Before she could even ask though, Madam Malkin ended her hopes.  "Silence, please.  I need silence for my measurements to be exact."

Rebecca did as she was told.  Arm to arm, around her head, her nose, her ears...The enchanted measuring tape zipped around her and showed Madam Malkin's each measurement.  Fred leaned against the counter near the shop's entrance and laughed softly to himself as Rebecca's eyes crossed to see the tape between her eyes.

"Okay, arms to the side."  

Rebecca continued to follow the instructions.  Around her shoulders, around her waist, around her chest.  She glanced up at Fred shyly as the fabric of her shirt was held against her as a second skin, meeting his.  Fred's gaze laid on her well after she averted her eyes, a weight that brought a heat to her cheeks she couldn't wish away.

Madam Malkin continued to write out measurements on the pad she kept out of Rebecca's sight, entirely unaware of the tensions rising the distance of her shop.  The tape went to Rebecca's lower half, measuring from hip to ankle last.  

"What's funny?"  Rebecca asked.  As if Fred's studious staring hadn't been enough to make her self conscious, Madam Malkin tittering at her measurements certainly was.

"Your measurements are almost exactly proportionate."  Madam Malkin elaborated when an epiphany eluded Rebecca.  "It's very unlikely in someone of your stature."

"My stature."  Rebecca echoed.

"It's just-well, your robes haven't been raised since last year."  Madam Malkin waved her hand, that being all the attention she would give the conversation.  "Tomorrow evening, Mister Weasley!"  She called to the door, not walking them to the exit and opting to give her pad of paper her full attention.

"And everything we talked about?"  Fred asked as he slipped his hand into Rebecca's.

"I'm not daft."

"No, no you're not."  Fred grinned at Rebecca.  "Thank you!"  The bell on the door rang as they exited and Fred hurried Rebecca along the nearly empty early-morning streets of Diagon Alley.  "Come now, no more playing around.  There's lots to be done!"

"I know!"  Rebecca swung their arms between them, keeping his pace and eventually being the one to hurry him.

George poked his head from where he had already begun the work of the day as they entered.  His face was already red and sweaty, Fred picked up the other half of the shelf George had been trying to move on his own with a wave of disgruntled mutters, not liking how George was going to hurt himself.