𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗲, george weasley

˗ˋ 10

CHAPTER TEN
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-: the beginnings :-

── IN WHICH AN OFFER IS MADE

. . .

Their butterbeer induced headaches wilted away with the rather minty flavoured purple potion, and then they could get to work. Which they did, with a fuelled vigour that came with such a mixture of ingredients. 

Then the rest of the day, and the next few following that were spent through hard work, preparing the shop for opening. Rhea had painted so many strips of wood that she no longer oddly liked the smell of emulsion paint, helped put together so many display cabinets that her fingertips were littered with splinters and hips bruised from when it got a little cramped.

Luckily, Ferelith had been quick to find out about their aches and pains and supplied balms, a pair of tweezers and a pain potion - splinters were too small to be dealt with through magic, and she had sat on the top of the recently dried yellow and black striped counter as she plucked each from their fingers.

"Well you've done a fine job with the place." The woman spoke as she held Rhea's palm gently in hers. "One more sip of the potion, please Missy." 

Rhea looked around, frowning. Then, pressed into her other palm was a bottle. "Here." George grinned, pulling himself up to sit beside her. "You don't need to take a lot, just a few drops." 

"He's right." Mrs Bixby nodded, watching the interaction. "Pain potions can be rather intoxicating. Now, hold your breath and try not to tense." 

George was rather shocked when he felt the girl grab his hand, squeezing it as Mrs Bixby took the last few splinters out of her fingertips. "Ah.. that hurt worse than a Gulping Plimpy bite." As Ferelith stood back, Rhea let go of the Weasley boy's hand and watched as she slipped off of the counter, thanking Mrs Bixby and wandering over to where Fred was beginning to stock the shelves.

"Gulping Plimpy?" George questioned, Ferelith shaking her head with a shrug. 

"It must be a Lovegood thing. Speaking of Lovegoods, how is Rhea doing when she isn't back at the shop. She's been working less and less shifts over the past week." Mrs Bixby began to pack away the items she had brought with her. 

"Helping out here, of course. I apologise if we're taking up too much of her time." George replied, a smile on her face. "She's been really nice to us.. even if she's a little.. well ditzy at times."

"I hope you aren't working her too hard." George instantly shook his head in reassurance. "Well I suppose you could use some help after your year at Hogwarts." 

"You've heard about that?" 

"Everyone's heard about it. Quite the fireworks show you put on." Ferelith lifted the strap of her bag and slid it over her shoulder. "Tell Rhea that if she wishes, then there will be sausage casserole for dinner. Oh - and if you see my cat, please let her know she can't just come back for food and lounge around in the attic with Clover all day." 

"I will do, thank you so much for your help Mrs Bixby." George grinned and rose his hand in a friendly wave as the apothecary owner drifted out of the shop. 

"You're certainly friendly to adults these days." Fred approached, leaning against the counter on which George was still sitting. "And who the hell is Clover?"

"The miniature dragon I mentioned the other day." George explained as he finally pushed himself off the counter and got to his feet. "Remember Harry telling us about the ones from the first task? Fleur gave Rhea her's." 

"Makes sense." Fred seemed to be amused at the idea of the blonde girl owning a dragon. "Come on, I've left her trying to lift the big boxes of fireworks on her own." George nodded and began towards where Rhea was humming to herself as she slowly lifted colourful boxes brom a cardboard one. 

"When are you planning on opening?" Rhea looked up as the twins began to help her, placing boxes on the shelves. "It's been about a week since it first came here so.."

"We want to open on the 22nd. So.. about a fortnight." George replied. "Here - let me take that." She was struggling a little with it, and so the ginger-haired boy reached over to take it, eyes glinting. 

"That's so soon." Rhea nodded slowly, crouching by the larger box. "The displays are finished.. everything's been painted and we just need to stock up everything." She listed things off of their original plan, counting her fingertips. 

"Then we hire staff." Fred moved into the group, taking up another box. "And we'd like you to be our first one." 

George very almost dropped the box. 

He hadn't even needed to bring it up. Fred had already known about his thoughts of hiring Rhea when it came to it.

That's what twins were for, he supposed.

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