Before you (Fred Weasley)

CHAPTER 55

I had spent all day yesterday trying to clean the house. My mother had not taken very good care of it. I fixed the shaky tables, scrubbed the floors and walls and placed inexhaustible candles so as to improve the lighting. I even sprayed Madame Maulkin's special room spray to get rid of the smell of dust.

Which is why when I woke up today morning, I felt tired because I had really exerted myself to clean the house. But I couldn't rest because I had a job interview at Obscurus, a book shop in Diagon Alley.

It was either that or an owl emporium, and as much as I loved owls, I had no intention of spending my day cleaning their shit from their cages.

After breakfast, I apparated to Diagon Alley and walked to 18A, Obscurus. It was a dainty little shop, bookshelves of all shapes and sized scattered everywhere. It even had a small cafe in the back. In the front was the payment counter where an old man by the name of Elias Obscurus sat.

"Welcome! You must be Nora Earnheart!" Elias said, putting his newspaper on the table in front of him.

"Good Morning Mr. Obscurus, I'm here for a job interview"

"Interview? Nonsense! I'll just tell you what you're expected to do, if you don't do it well, you're fired" he said, cheerily.

He was an odd man.

"Okay, when do I start?" I asked.

He got up from his chair, walking towards me. He was quite short.

"Follow me" he said.

He took me to each shelf and told me what kind of books they held.

"You will have to remember all of this, when people come asking for books, you should be able to tell them immediately where it is" he said sternly.

"That won't be a problem"'

"Can you cook?" he asked.

"No, I'm rather terrible at it" I said.

"If you're willing to be a waitress at our cafe too then I'll pay extra" he suggested.

I could do with some extra money.

"Alright, I don't mind" I said.

"Perfect, you will receive your monthly salary on the last day of every month, 100 galleons a month, start from tomorrow"

I thanked him for the offer and accepted the job, glad that there wasn't any hassle. After bidding him goodbye, I decided to visit Fred and George at their shop.

I walked down the streets of Diagon Alley which were much quieter than usual. When I reached Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, it seemed to be the only place bustling with people.

I pushed the door open, immediately being met with many children running around, admiring everything the shop had to offer. I couldn't see Fred and George anywhere but I did see another woman standing behind the counter.

I walked up to her and she smiled at me, the name tag on her shirt said 'Emma'.

"Hello, how can I help you?" she said.

"Hello, I was just wondering where Fred and George were?"

"They're a bit busy at the moment, can I take a message?"

"No, is it alright if I just wait for them?"

"Sure, what's your name?"

I couldn't tell her my real name.

"Nora Earnheart" I said.

She nodded and left the counter, presumably to help the customers.

I sat on a chair and looked around, feeling proud of everything they had achieved. They deserved all of it.