Summers at The Burrow - Fred Weasley

Chapter Seventy-four - The Owl Order System

the time had arrived for me to return home. If i had not acquired so many things along with multiple stacks of order forms, i would have been able to apparate but i couldn't because of all the things i now had to drag along with me. thankfully, the Hogwarts Express transformed into a transport system between London and Hogsmeade and the school.

i was conveniently leaving on a Hogsmeade weekend and Fred informed me that he would be coming to help me travel back and to see the others. George wasn't able to come because the shop needed someone to manage it in its busy state with the owl orders and in person shop keeping. Fred also informed me that Lee had picked up work in the shop to take my place but he also managed to find his own place to live. we had been nagging him to quit renting a room in the Leaky Cauldron while he worked for different places. he was trying to get into a difficult position in the Ministry and it was requiring a lot of extra time that he didn't have with other jobs.

we were happy to let him work for us because we can tweak his work schedule as much as he wants. it's helping him with his residence and his carrier so we couldn't be happier to help him. it was only a recent decision but, from what I've heard, its gone well so far.

"did you have to make extra order forms in order to fulfill all the requests 'cause i don't remember having this many." Fred said as he shuffled through the stacks briefly.

"i might have made another one then duplicated it a few hundred times." i replied.

"this is mad." Fred exclaimed and i laughed.

"every time i hung a fresh one up on my office door, it was filled past the order spots within the hour. I'm surprised none of the teachers confiscated my papers."

"well they can't exactly reprimand you anymore, now can they?" he said.

"no they can't." i replied smugly.

"well, we shouldn't get caught up in these or we'll miss the train. shall we?" he asked as he held out an arm to me.

"i would take your arm right now but my hands might become a little too full for that once we grab all of this stuff."

"i suppose your right." he smiled sweetly at me as he tilted his head.

"go on." i shoved him forward with a large bag.

we got onto the train with all of our things and mere moments after we set everything down, the train began to move. we both fell back onto the benches in the compartment we had selected to be our traveling spot. Fred let out a sigh of relief that we made it on in time with all of our things and i smiled at him. he looked a bit disgruntled and tired but also as handsome as ever.

"your cute." he said as i realized that he was staring right back at me.

"oh?" i said tilting my head expectantly.

"now you have to say it back." he whispered instructionally.

"what if i don't?" i asked in an equally low whisper.

"then i might have to attack you with my love until you say it." he answered.

"you're cute." i said.

"do you not want to be attacked with my love and affection?" he asked in a frustrated tone as he threw his hands up into the air.

"i figured you were just going to attack me anyway." i said shaking my head at him in mock disappointment.

"if you say so." he said starting to get up.

"that wasn't an invitation!" i screamed as he jumped onto me beginning to tickle me aggressively until i flopped onto the floor of the compartment.

this went on for a little while before we both got tired and just laid there on the compartment floor slightly tangled with one another comfortably. the trolley lady wouldn't be coming since this trip wasn't for students so we were not in risk of being caught up in a tussle.

despite being alone with Fred at last, i decided it would be more productive if we began counting the amount of every product we need so i got up off the ground to his disappointment.

"you're not going to leave me like this, are you, Love?" he asked as i brushed my robes off. merlin's beard the never cleaned these carpets and i knew that for a fact.

"well i don't doubt you would stoop to the level of dust bunnies and bread crumbs but I've got orders to count and we haven't got all day now do we?"

"ever the responsible one even if it is just the two of us." he muttered as he stood and i jabbed him in the rib with my elbow.

we continued to banter back and forth as we organized parchment order forms and then started a tally chart. Fred was wedged between the wall of the compartment that led to the hall and a pile of boxes containing who knows what. he had an ink pot wedged between his knees and a ready quill in hand with the tally chart in his lap ready to mark each time i read off a product. thank goodness we knew every product we were selling otherwise this tally chart would be as disorganized as the twins' bedroom back at the Burrow.

***

I'll admit it was a drooling process and more monotonous than restocking shelves past hours when we could see everyone running around enjoying themselves while we had to work wee hours into the night so that we would have enough inventory for the next day. It's a touchy subject but at least now we had time to leave now that the shop wasn't nearly as busy. alas, we made it through about half the papers before I fell asleep and Fred corked the ink pot so that he could doze off too.

we only awoke when the train jolted in Kings Cross station and we were forced to gather our mess up at lightning speed.

it's not worth dwelling on the gruesome details of our loud mess gathering but we certainly managed it and there was a ministry car waiting for us with George who kindly prepared for our return by acquiring an inconspicuous means of transportation for our conspicuous contents.

once we entered Diagon Alley we had some help from Tom and Lee to carry our bags and trunks and boxes to the shop but then we used magic to float them into the flat. I was so exhausted after that that i was too lazy to use the stairs up to the entrance to the flat so i just apparated up which Fred seemed to like the idea and did the same thing.

although it was midday i collapsed on the squashy sunken sofa and was about to drift off when a body lay on top of me wrapping me in their arms as they peppered my cheek with kisses then settled down to rest with me. Fred and I both quickly drifted off in the comfort of each others embrace and didn't bother helping George and Lee out with the work we had brought at all.