𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗲, george weasley

˗ˋ 06

CHAPTER SIX
✧
-: the beginnings :-

── IN WHICH THEY PAINT

. . .

Fred, George and Rhea seemed quite the group, and had a good amount shop's inside painting by the time lunch rolled around. Rhea had taken care of finishing off the outside's base coat, and they would do a final coat of the orange and purple paint after they had eaten.

The Lovegood girl had disappeared to get them lunch and returned with three wrapped up boxes of fish and chips and bottles of butterbeer, the trio sitting on the sheet covered sofas up in the apartment above the shop to eat.

"So, Rhea, what brings you to Diagon Alley?" Fred asked. "As we've told you, we dropped out of Hogwarts because of Umbridge, but I daresay that you're not that type."

"You're right." Rhea nodded through a mouthful of chip, pausing to swallow before continuing. "I graduated early - I was bored of school and wanted to get out and do something with my life." She shrugged. "So I came here, and now I live above the Apothecary. It's nowhere near as exciting as your story, but I'm lucky to say that Beauxbatons didn't have a teacher like this Umbridge woman."

"Why did you choose to go to Beauxbatons?" George asked. "If your family live here and your sister goes to Hogwarts."

"There was no particular reason.. mother and father were particularily interested in Nicolas Flamel and his Philosopher's stone." Rhea replied. "They gave me the option when I turned eleven, and I decided to go there instead. It actually gave me a lot of time with my mother when she taught me French."

Fred and George exchanged a look - they knew all abouut the Lovegood family from their mother. All about Xenophilius and Pandora's habits and interests, and how the latter had died due to experimenting with her magic. 

Several other questions were exchanged, one from Rhea that ended up with Fred and George explaining how their business had come together, and how several years of product making had finally paid off that previous year when they had begun to sell their products to the students of Hogwarts.

With their lunches finished and a small collection of butterbeer bottles by their rubbish, the three made their way back downstairs. "Are we painting the rest of it then today? And tomorrow we're putting the furniture in?" Rhea asked when they reached the ground floor, head tilted upwards and blonde hair spilling down her back as she stared up in wonder at the blank walls.

"Yeah - some of that needs painting as well." Fred said, beckoning her over and waiting as she teared her eyes away. "We've painted the third floor, right? Because that's all the same colour. But here on the bottom floor we were thinking that we could paint them according to the section - seeing as we've got more wall space."

"Here is the plan." George was digging around in his bag before pulling out a scroll of paper, spreading it across the built in counter. "We'll stick mostly to the purple and orange as outside.. but we wanted to have some green over here - and this particular pink for where the love potions are going."

"Good idea!" Rhea nodded, a roll of masking tape thrown at her. And whilst Fred disappeared outside with the purple and orange to do the top coat, Rhea and George measured out the different areas for paint.

"Tape." George said, and within seconds he recieved the end of the roll. "Just to there - where the measuring tape ends." He instructed, and as he stuck the piece to the floor, he realised that Rhea hadn't stuck the other bit. 

They had been so busy that they hadn't even noticed that they moved down into the entrance area of the shop, which was on a lower level and so it was much taller - George couldn't even reach. 

"Sorry." Rhea winced, chewing on her bottom lip as she turned back to him. He hadn't noticed before, but her face was splattered in paint, like a set of rather colourful freckles.

"No problem. Good job you wore good shoes." George replied, nodding to the rather scuffed Converse with the soles drawn over. "How good is your balance?" He asked, when he saw the confused face.

"My father once joked I could walk across a tightrope. So he set one up from out house to the tree across the stream. I didn't fall off." George stared just for a moment as the strange reply from Rhea before shrugging.

"That's good enough for me." He said, locking his fingers together. "Got hold of the end? Good - I'll give you a boost up." It seemed that had completely forgotten about magic - wands discarded by the plans on the counter. Many wizards did the same when they were in the middle of practical work that needed the precision of human hands over magic. 

With one hand on George's shoulder and the other holding the end of the masking tape, Rhea was pushed up into the air. The length of the masking tape was perfect and she got it straight and pressed it down, George carefully putting it down and holding his hand up.

Their hands met in a high-five, George looking impressed as he shook his slightly stinging hand. "Most people usually don't put in the same energy." He commented. 

"Really?" Rhea asked, looking skeptical as she rose her eyebrows. "I don't believe you."

"It's true - do you know how hard it is to get a good high-five around here!" George replied, recieving a giggle as a reply. 

With their high spirits, they would continue to work until well after night-fall. It seemed that Rhea was shaping out to not only be a perfect employee, but a good friend to the twins as well.

And she provided food and butterbeer, which always made anyone closer.

✧