Cast Aside

Prideful Loved Ones and Prejudiced Old Men

A/N Another offering. Still nothing new. The week flew by and I haven't had the time or the inclination. I am hoping I find my muse again. I KNOW what I want to happen I just don't know how to start writing again. 

Chapter 15

They had started right away. One of the other spare bedrooms was given over for work space and George devoted himself to it fully. It was magnificent to see. After so long spent mourning Fred and absolutely certain that he'd never reopen their shop, now that he'd finally let himself try again he was as brilliant at it as ever.

Twenty years in the past and without any business contacts or help besides hers, they'd had to start from scratch. But he and his brother had already done that once before. He knew exactly what they needed to do.

Materials purchased, they started on the shield hats first. They were the easiest to produce quickly and in less than two weeks they'd put together one hundred. In that time he'd managed to source the instant darkness powder, and had redesigned the shield robes to fit the era.

Hermione had known they had sold the product before, but she had always assumed they charmed pre-made robes. Apparently, George had explained, the charms were more powerful if added as the robe was made. They wouldn't be competition for Madam Malkin, and of course easy to put together with magic, but there was a reason they'd started with the hats.

When Arthur brought the three older boys round for a visit one afternoon, they had been more than eager to help test the exciting hats.

"Do me next, Uncle Gid! Do me!"

Laughing at their excitement, Gideon cast a mild tickling jinx at Charlie, the shield hat a bit large and hanging down over his eyes. Just like every other time, the spell had bounced harmlessly away, leading to boyish cries of victory and giggles.

"I have to say George, these hats of yours are quite impressive. The magic must be quite elaborate, how did you come up with these?"

George shrugged off the compliment, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, after the attack on Diagon I was rather disappointed at how unprepared everyone was. Considering how often these kinds of things have been happening it was surprising there weren't even any aurors present. We wanted to do something to help."

"Still..." Arthur gestured to his exuberant boys still demanding to be hexed. "It seems so obvious now, but no one's ever done anything like this before."

Watching their exchange with a happy smile, Hermione bounced Percy on her lap and wished for a moment Arthur knew he was talking to his own son. He'd been so proud of the twins in the future, she knew he would be now too.

"Well... I've always been pretty good at Charms and Transfiguration especially, and Helen here helped improve the efficacy with some arithmantic layering to my charms. We tested it with an Imperio, and thanks to her additions it was no problem for someone even as weak minded as Gideon to toss off."

"Oi!" The aforementioned feeble mind whipped around with an irritated frown. "I resent that."

Everyone laughed then, Hermione more than a little pleased that she had been able to offer real help. It had already been a genius product, but after some trial they had been able to work out that important addition together.

She really enjoyed working with George. Even though she had always known how smart the twins had been, getting to see George's brilliant mind in action had been beautiful. More importantly, Hermione felt more confident than ever that he was going to be ok. It might have been the constant mission oriented work or maybe just spending so much time around family not burdened by the post war sorrow, but George seemed better every day.