petrichor ☆ fred weasley

t w e n t y t h r e e

"You cannot tell me that is a normal smell," croaked Persephone as she fanned a plume of green smoke away from her nostrils. Using her other hand, she pushed back some sort of Zonko's product that Fred was waving under her nose.

"It's a Zonko product of course it doesn't smell normal, hence the appeal" snapped Fred affectionately, putting the volcano-shaped item back into the pile.

The pair were spending their chilly Saturday in Hogsmeade, along with the majority of the other Hogwarts students. Their first stop, against the wishes of Persephone and due to the pleas of Fred, was Zonko's; meaning Fred was taking his sweet time to inspect every single immature object the store had for sale. Occasionally, he would flip out a tiny red notebook, scrawling down a note or sentence in his messy loopy writing.

He was currently inspecting a mountain of pale pink candies marked as 'Hiccough Sweets'. Pulling out his notebook, he scribbled down more notes.

"What are you even writing?" questioned Persi, craning her neck to try and peek at one of the pages in his little notebook.

"Ah, that is the business of Mr Fred and George Weasley, Ma'am." He pocketed the notebook as he smiled at her in his usual lopsided way. 

She rolled her eyes, and the two continued to browse aisle upon aisle of the small yet spacious shop. Persephone was glad that at least his mind was off his meeting with McGonagall. For hours after his meeting and hours after they had returned to the warmth of the castle, he still looked around with a blank and sad expression when he thought she wasn't paying attention. Even at dinner, which was his favourite of shepherd's pie, he chose to push it around his plate with a fork instead of eating it, getting up only when Persephone was done. 

Eventually, they made their way up to the register. Fred dumped a singular Hiccough Sweet onto the counter before he began to dig around his pocket for some loose change. 

"This all today Weasley?" said Bilton Bilmes, the Zonko shop worker. He picked up the sweet with one of his gloved hands and slid it into a small paper bag. 

"Yes only a small purchase today Bilton," smirked Fred as he handed the man a single knut. 

"I hope you're still getting up to plenty of mischief for me!" 

Fred scoffed playfully, "do you even know me and George?" 

After a few more jokes with the grey haired man, Persephone and Fred pushed through the crowd of sugar-filled students to exit the store. The large gold bell rang as he opened the door, echoing through the shop as the cold air began to rush in. 

"Where do you fancy next? Seeing as though I dragged you into Zonkos." 

"Honeydukes?"she suggested, her mind flashing to the stash of sweets hidden from the prying eyes of Klara in an old hollowed out Potions textbook from first year. It was sadly dwindling, containing now only a half-full box of Pepper-Imps and a few loose Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans in some very suspicious colours. 

Usually, when her collection was growing small, she just got Cedric to buy her a stash of her favourites from Honeydukes, but given the circumstances she had to the brave the sickly sweet smell of the store herself. 

Fred nodded as his hand found hers, her cold skin somehow instantly warming with his touch. 

Persephone felt her eyes gaze up at the sky as her and Fred walked towards the bright store. She could almost already feel her nostrils being invaded by the sticky sweet aroma that floated constantly around the sweet shop. The sky looked like a wet white sheet, floating in the air to dry. Grey clouds loomed in the distance, threatening to push through the crest of snow-capped mountains that surrounded the town.  Due to an overnight snowfall, the cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade were covered in white fluffy snow that stuck to any object out in the open.