It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right?

27. Superman (It's Not Easy)

Sloane found that once Harry and Hermione began to tell others of their session with Sloane and how beneficial they were, she suddenly had quite a few more people to speak to. Some she quite liked, others... not so much. She found that Goose was a great addition to her office as he fascinated everyone and put them at ease straight away. And for someone who was quite shy, so far, he had been great with everyone.

Ron was definitely her most frustrating patient. Only because he refused to speak. By her third week in school, she had had five lessons with him, which was his punishment from McGonagall. But when she found that he was not trying, she signed him up for another set of five. 

So, on a rainy and gloomy Friday afternoon at the end of September, Sloane found herself once again sitting facing the youngest Weasley boy. And once again, he was being tight-lipped and saying nothing. Goose was reading in the corner. She tried talking about school, subjects, Quidditch, Chudney Cannons, which Hermione had told her were his favourite team, about his NEWTS, his mother and father, Harry and Hermione, the war...but he kept tight-lipped. He didn't even look her way. He wolfed down a plate of biscuits and looked out the window. Sloane knew that she could get through to him. She could feel exactly what he was feeling. Her empath abilities never failed her. And she knew that eventually, at some point, he would break. He had to break. 

She was as polite and friendly as she could. She always wore a smile on her face, and she tried to come off as a happy, cheery person. Anything to make him feel more at ease with her. After all, she just wanted to help him. Be there for him. Harry and Hermione trusted her, and Luna and Ginny too, so why was Ron being so stubborn? She really was beginning to feel like he would never break. That was until...

"You know Ginny has come to see me twice now. We had a good long chat yesterday about Fred, your brother. She told me all about him and his twin Charlie and the mischief they got up to in school. They sound like my kind of wizards. I wish I had been about when they started their trials for their Skiving Snack Boxes. Would have saved me quite a few boring 'History of Magic' lessons. And the way they left the school, giving that awful-sounding Umbridge woman the run around. Pure genius! I may have to visit his joke shop next time I am in Diagon Alley."

Ron, who had been looking out the window, scoffed and turned to her. "It's Fred and George, who are the twins. Charlie is the second oldest in the house." Sloane knew this, but she just wanted to try to get him to talk... and it worked. She would high-five herself later. It was best to try to keep him talking.

"Of course, sorry. Fred and George own Weasley Wizarding Wheezes." She nodded. 

"And you don't have to wait until you are in Diagon Alley. George is opening a store in Hogsmeade. Old man Zonko retired after the war."

"He's creating a franchise?" Sloane asked.

Ron looked confused. "Is that when you have more than one store?" Sloane nodded. "Well then, yeah, I suppose." He sulked. 

"Deadly! And is it like your average joke shop? We had one in Nashville, but it just had things like fake wands, magic hats, trick boxes, and things with -"

"No!" He almost laughed. "My brother's shop is filled with the most amazing things. Sweets that can give you nosebleeds or vomiting spells to get out of class with the cure sweets to go with them. Powder you can throw on the ground and make the room submerged into instant darkness. Shoes that help you walk up walls and on the ceiling. Love potions to make you lust after just about anyone. They have even bred a miniature Puffskein they called Pygmy Puff, which is available in pink or purple. No matter what you need, you will find it at Weasley Wizarding Wheezes."

"Wow, you could be a PR person for them." Sloane chuckled. "But it sounds like an amazing place. One that I will definitely be visiting sometime"

"It is," Ron huffed. "Best shop on the street!"