Misfit

CHAPTER IX

07.05.1999

It was now Friday afternoon and Hermione had been working all week with the twins in the shop, making potions and products with Fred and sometimes helping George out the front with the till or the restocking of the shelves. But Hermione preferred the back. Where no one would point out who she is, what she's done or what she's doing working here. The twins had been a big help, keeping her away from all the busy days. Hermione was surprised that within 5 days not once Molly Weasley showed up at the shop.

"What has gotten you so deep into thought?", Fred asks her when walking into the back to get more products to fill the shelves with. Tomorrow was a Hogsmeade weekend after all and the twins needed to be prepared.

"Oh you scared me, Fred!", Hermione exhales deeply, putting her hand over her heart.

"Apologies, I didn't mean to."

"It's alright. I was just wondering why your mother hasn't shown up yet, to yell at me for being absent from family dinners on Sundays. I have been here in plain sight for a whole of 5 days and she has not yet been here – not that I am not relieved to have little more time, but it is rather suspicious for her not to come in here and put me in my place", Hermione rambles on.

She had gotten used to talking to the twins – mainly Fred – over the last couple days. But she usually keeps it to non-emotional topics, mostly on potions or on how to improve new product ideas, for which the twins were eternally grateful for. They were smart, she said it herself, but her brain seemed to be working twice as fast as theirs combined and since she read the entire library of Hogwarts – as Fred likes to put it – she is quicker at finding ideas than they are. But Hermione had not talked to Fred about the death of her parents, though he hinted to her, that he might know, she never brought it up, keeping it hidden away in the back of her mind and only allowing herself to grieve late at night, when no one would hear. Hermione was still lost with herself, but she was no longer alone at being lost. She would probably never admit to it, but she enjoyed to company of the twins. They were always fun and keeping her mind off things, which in return she was eternally grateful for. So far working together was a very good and logical solution that turned out to benefit both sides.

"We told her to leave you alone", Fred tells her casually.

"You have not!"

"We have. Not in so many words, but we asked her to give you some space while settling into your new job", he says, looking at her carefully, hoping they didn't overstep a line of sorts.

"Oh, well that is very kind of you. Thank you, Fred", she says.

"And she accepted it this easily?", she wonders.

"Course not! She expects a full report on how you are doing on Sunday at the family dinner, to which you are, by the way, still invited", he tells her pointedly.

"Well, I probably won't be going there for a while, but thanks for passing the invitation on", she says.

"Thought so, and since Mum now knows where you work and thinking that you are not fed properly, I had to promise her to bring you some food over Sunday night, so you don't starve", he says with an eye-roll and a smirk.

"You know I don't need food. I am very capable of taking care of myself", Hermione says, crossing her arms across her chest. Fred noticed her doing that a lot when she feels self-conscious or uncomfortable.

"We will see on Sunday night. If you don't want it, me and George will have it Monday as Lunch", he shrugs.

"Hermione!", George comes rushing in the back, whisper shouting for her.