Friendship on Fire | Fred & George Weasley

The Summer Of Our Discontent.

Walking down Diagon Alley it was crazy how different it was over just a short two months. Olivanders was boarded up and no one had walked through its doors since he was taken on that fateful day...the day I came face to face with my fathers killer. You could sense the change in the air, and everything was almost eery. I used to love the sound of the children laughing and playing, some often shooting sparks off from the new wands they held in their hands...but not anymore. The alley was empty and cold, even with the summer air. The wind blew the few arrant leaves that came from the trees a few yards ahead, and I glanced sadly around at the empty shops.

I hated how one person could spark fear into the hearts of thousands of people, enough for them not to even open their form of living. The only shop that had any customers or light was the shop I had spent most of my time these past two months. Weasley Wizard Weezes was in full swing and the twins were doing brilliantly. I smiled as a couple of kids ran past me playing with some trick wands,and a boy was showing his mother a mass amount of candy in the palm of his hand. I slowly pushed my way through the crowds until I spotted the two familiar heads of red hair.

Over the past two months the twins and I were like we used to be, the only exception being I tried my hardest to steer clear of any alone time with Fred....I still didn't trust him fully after everything he said to me. I helped them stock shelves and designed the packaging and advertising for all of their new products, and it kept me busy since I wasn't in school at the moment. I loved how they kept me busy and joking, even in the hard times among us. I still hadn't heard from Aimee or Draco and I was worried sick about them every single day.

"Hey George" I said as I spotted the twins leaning against the counter and talking to Verity the cashier. "Hey Ronnie" the twins said simultaneously and patted me on the back as I wiggled in between them. "Hello Verity" I said to the perky spiky blond girl behind the counter. "Veronica" She said with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes as she still refused to use my nickname when speaking to me. Verity would be an extremely attractive girl if it wasn't for her need to pile on ten pounds of eye liner, and wasn't a complete snob every time she spoke to someone of the same sex.

"I think some boxes need unpacking" She said before I got the chance to speak to the twins. I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off once more "Now!" She said impatiently and then started batting her eyelashes towards Fred. I rolled my eyes once more as she had been acting this way since the day I met her, and the guys were completely oblivious to her attraction to them. And the bad thing was that Lee was seriously into her and she wouldn't give him the time of day. "Ronnie isn't an employee here Verity, you don't have to tell her what to do" George said wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I smiled up at him before smirking at Verity "Yeah...I leave for my actual job next week, but I will gladly unpack the boxes you are too incapable of doing....tat ta" I said waving my hand and jumping off of the ledge leaving a frown on three different people for three very different reasons...

The twins tried to pay me for my help every single day I was here, but I refused saying I was having fun and would not accept a dime. "Ginny!" I yelled as I spotted a familiar long haired girl standing next to the love potions. "Ronnie!" she squealed and tackled me into a hug. I laughed as I hugged one of my best friends that I haven't seen in a month. "Done being grounded?" I asked laughing as we pulled apart and I straitened up some of the potions that had fallen over. She glared before chuckling herself "Yes.Finally!" She yelled and bounced up and down as if she hadn't seen the fresh air in months. Ginny had been grounded for an entire month after Molly caught her sneaking in at three AM after seeing Dean Thomas one night.  "well be back at school soon, and you can see Dean all you want" I said.

Ginny and I laughed while playing with some of the Weasley's products, and catching up with what had been happening over the past month. She left soon after to meet her mom to get her books for this year. I left and wandered down to the storage room to start unpacking the new products that were ready to be sold. There were more than usual as the twins were trying to sell as many as they could before school started again for the year.

As I was stacking a couple of boxes of fizzing whizbangs against a wall I heard the door shut behind me. "Hey Freddie" I said softly and glanced away as my ex-boyfriend stood against the door with his arms crossed. I tried to ignore his presence while focusing on work, but it wasn't working. "So your leaving next week?" He asked as he stepped closer to me. I just rolled my eyes and continued what i was doing. "Yes Fred...same day the Hogwarts Express has left for hundreds of years" I said while tossing the wrapping I designed for the puking pastels in their box for me to wrap later.

I heard Fred sigh and soon the box I was holding was snatched out of my hands. "Fred, please let me finish my work" I said sighing as I tried to snatch the box out of Fred's hands, he just set it to the side before stepping towards me blocking my path with his arms. "As you said, you don't work here....so you don't need to do that" He told me, no hint of humor to his voice.

"I like it Fred...it keeps me busy" I said looking to the ground and shuffling my feet. I felt Fred move closer until his body was only inches from mine, and his hand cupped my cheek forcing me to look up into his eyes. I tried to move away but his idle hand moved to my other cheek making it impossible to move my face. "Fred..please don't" I said softly averting his gaze that was boring into my dark brown eyes. With every step I took backwards Fred only followed, until my back hit the cold concrete wall. I gasped as the second my spine collided with concrete, Fred's abdomen was pushing against my own.

I tried to move out of Fred's grasps, but soon Fred's face disappeared and all I could see was Flint...Flint was holding me again in the astronomy tower, I was fear stricken and unable to move or speak. I had nowhere to run as I was backed against a wall....And just like that his mouth was forced against mine. I squirmed even when I knew I wasn't kissing Marcus Flint, but Fred Weasley. His lips still tasted like peppermint as I last remembered, and his touch was still as soft as before. But I did not want this kiss...I did not want his lips on mine, and for that Marcus Flint was who came to my mind.

I tried to push Fred off of me, but had no such luck. I tried shifting down the wall, but Fred just moved an arm around my waist. I fell the hot stinging tears fall from my eyes....the same tears I swore I would not shed this summer.....But this was all too familiar territory for me, and i was just as scared as before....even if I did once, and probably still did love the boy who's lips were on mine.

I whimpered against him before slapping him as hard as I could across the face. "What the hell!" He yelled as I yanked out of his arms. I screamed before kneeing him in the groin and yanking him backwards by the hair. "What the hell is wrong with you Fred! You are just like Marcus Flint!" I sneered in his face before letting go of his hair. Realization seemed to overcome his face as he quickly jumped from the ground and tried chasing me out of the storage room.

"Ronnie please I didn't me that!" Fred yelled as he chased me through the crowded joke shop. I ran right into his twin as I was almost out of the front door. He looked at my tear stricken face with worry before his face turned angry at his brother that was standing behind me. "What did you do?" George growled at Fred. I turned around to see the commotion in the shop had died down and every pair of eyes was staring at the three of us. Verity was looking with disgust, while many small first years were looking frightened. I saw Hermione, Harry and Ron walk closer to us with worried eyes as they were coming down from the stair case.

"I meant when I said I would never forgive you Fred Weasley...please just stay out of my life." I said wiping my tears. I turned towards George and embraced him in a tight hug, he just rested his head on mine as he wrapped his arms around my tiny waist. "Ill miss you Georgie..Im not coming back to the shop" I said and turned towards the trio. "Ill see you at school" I said and turned on my heel and left the shop before quickly apperating to my bedroom where I sunk to the floor and bawled my eyes out until I fell asleep. I never thought Fred would do that, and because he was the only person I ever loved this hurt worse than anything Flint could ever do to me...