Vicious Love [Teddy Lupin]

25.5. Weasleys

"Do you know what's wrong with this world, Scorpius?" I turned to the boy next to me who's playing with Seth's robot collection. "The problem is that the attractive people are famous, fictional, obnoxious, too old or taken. Look at Chris Evans and Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson and Cobie Smulders."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Why are we watching The Avengers? This film is lame."

"No it isn't. You are lame."

"I want to do something fun." He groaned, rolling around the carpet floor. "Sam, you should take me somewhere fun. I never get to go out and when I do, it's always a boring place." He turned off the television and stood in front of it so I'm forced to look at him. "Take me somewhere fun please?" Within the 5 days I've spent time with him, this is the first time he gives me a genuine smile, along with the puppy dog expression.

"Okay. But only because you smiled for once in your life." I sigh, standing up while Scorpius grins in triumph. "The only fun place I can think of is the Weasleys' joke shop. Seth might go there later since he's out with Fred. Or we can go shopping. Or we can pretend to be social and go to the park and talk to other kids there. Your choice."

Scorpius grunted. "I hate shopping and I don't want to go to a park."

"Okay, Diagon Alley it is!"

***

After leaving mum a note that we'll be at the Weasleys' joke shop, Scorpius and I used the Floo Powder to get to Diagon Alley. Much to my relief, Scorpius is familiar with the floo network so I didn't have to worry about him getting lost. He pronounced the place clearly and we got there without a problem.

As soon as we entered the shop, George Weasley greets us, holding a tray full of sweets. "Hello there Sam and little man. Would you like some of this delicious candy Fred and Teddy worked on?"

"Sure!" Scorpius exclaims, taking one of the pink triangle, hard candy from the tray.

George smiled widely when Scorpius takes one. He turned to me and held up the tray in my face. "Sam? You know it's brilliant. You're missing out on something great here."

"I don't trust anything that Fred and Edward make. No thank you."

George chuckled. "Wouldn't blame you." He then bent down to Scorpius' level. "How was that, little man?"

Scorpius gave him a thumbs up. "It was good! Thanks!"

I watched as his face slowly turns pink. Pink as a carnation. "Scorpius -- "

"Would you like another one?" George gave him a blue colored candy this time and Scorpius takes it without a second thought. "Glad you're enjoying it, little one. What's your name?"

"Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy."

"Ah. That's why you look familiar. You're Draco's mini-me." George laughed. "Well, have fun roaming around the shop!"

"Thanks!" Scorpius smiles once again before running off somewhere, completely unaware of his half pink half blue face. I hope that lasts the whole day.

I was about to follow Scorpius but George stood in my way, wearing a massive grin on his face. It's the kind of grin that says 'I know something you don't.' "Samantha, since you're here, why don't we have a talk? About a certain little metamorphmaus boy who's currently got purple hair?"

"I know nothing of this boy you speak of." I crossed my arms and looked away.

"Do you know why he has purple hair?" He asked with a raised brow.

"No. He won't tell me and I keep forgetting to look it up." I sigh. "Do you know what purple means?"

George nodded slowly and leaned against the wall next to him. "I know what it means. But it's not my job to tell you all about it, little one." He winked. "I better go. I sense first years entering the shop." And just like that, he walks away and greets a group of boys the same way he greeted Scorpius.

***

Scorpius had been running around the shop for an hour now. He gets distracted in a lot of things so he stops for at least 10 minutes to play with the toys, and then he runs again, does the same thing and frankly, I've gotten tired of following him. I gave up and I just sat by the cashier counter with Louis and Verity, who's the cashier today.

While I was talking to Louis, Seth and Fred arrived, just as I expected.

"Sammy! What are you doing here?" Fred smiles, giving me a hug. "Why aren't you blue, green, purple, pink, red or orange just like everyone else in this shop?" Everyone in the joke shop, every customer, had eaten a candy that George has been giving away so now all of them have colored skin, matching the color of the candy they've eaten. All except me, because I know better.

"Please tell me that's not Scorpius who's pink and blue at the pygmy puffs section." Seth appears next to me, pointing at the section on our right. "That color doesn't come off for another 5 hours, Sam."

"Oh..." I'm screwed.

"Why are you both here anyway?" Seth asked, sitting down on the counter. "Normally, you only go here when I go."

"He wants to go somewhere fun. He literally begged me -- for Merlin's sake he smiled at me. An actual smile! I gave in for that and so here we are." I explained, playing with Louis' blonde hair. The boy mostly got his looks from Bill, except for the hair and eyes, which is definitely from Fleur. "Louis, you're part veela, aren't you?" He nods. "You're going to have a lot of people fawning over you when you get older. You're adorable."

Seth joined Scorpius in the pygmy puffs section, leaving me alone with Fred and Louis. "You say the same thing to James, Albus and Hugo. You call everyone adorable or cute." Fred points out. "Like, everyone including me, my grandparents, my mum, my dad, my whole family, Professor McGonagall, Professor Longbottom, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Lily, those first years we see on the common room, Tom from Zonko's, Soren from the Three Broomsticks... Shall I go on?"

"Not true. I don't call Lupin cute or adorable."

"Yes you did. Several times, actually."

"Did not!"

"Yes you did." Fred chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and playfully bump my shoulder with his. "Where is that boy anyway? Why isn't he here?"

"With his grandmother being the good, obedient, perfect boy he isn't." Fred smirked. "Why do you ask? You don't -- Oh I see what's going on here."

"What?"

Fred gives me the same look that George Weasley gave me earlier. They have the same exact expression of 'I know something you don't and I'm going to smile about it'. Like father like son.

"You miss Teddy, don't you Sammy?" He asks in a teasing tone.

Even Louis joined Fred and grinned at me. "Aw, Sam misses Teddy!"

"Hush, both of you!" I hissed. "I don't miss him. I just feel like he should be here..." I trailed off, "I feel like he should be here, you know, being loud and weird and funny and cute and annoying."

Louis and Fred shared a look and laughed at the same time. "Right. You don't miss him. Sure, Sam."

"And you just called him cute, again."

"No I didn't."

Fred groaned. "We just heard you."

"You must be hearing things then." I scoff. "Weasley boys are so weird."

"Say that again."

"Weasley boys are so w-- ahh!" Before I could finish that sentence for the second time, I was lifted up from my seat and put in Fred's arms. "Fred Weasley you put me down right now."

"No can do, darling."

"Ha ha you sound like -- Oh no."

As it turns out, this Fred wasn't actually Fred. It's the metamorphmagus boy himself.