𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 ; 𝒽.𝒷.𝓅

sixteen

Fred was kept busy at the Joke Shop during the day, which was barely enough to keep Zoya off his mind. Nights were worse, and he would keep himself up more than he was doing more work to try and push her out.

And tonight was no different.

He, George, and Estella were closing the shop. Althena, Maxwell, and Aurora were long gone at home.

George ended up going to his flat early, as he wasn't feeling well. Estella walked into Fred and George's office with a box of *real* mood rings.

Fred was sat at his desk with his head in his hand as she plopped the box down on George's desk, "Rings came in."

He raised his head, "About bloody time."

She picked up a ring and threw it to him, and Fred barely managed to catch it. He looked at it as Estella slipped one on, "Blueish-green, that is..." She trailed off, looking at the chart that came with the rings, "Relaxed, calm, not under a lot of stressed. What color is yours?" She asked.

Fred looked at the ring now on his index finger, "Black, kinda gray, kinda amber..."

"Uhh..." She said as she looked at the chart, "Ah, tense, overworked, anxious, strained, mixed emotions, unsettled, nervous." She said with light awkwardness as she put down the chart.

Fred took the ring off and threw it back into the box, "Didn't need a bloody ring to tell me that."

"You should maybe go up to sleep. Maxwell does the paperwork on new orders and Aurora said she'd put these up, so this can wait for tomorrow."

He shook his head, "No. There's so much to do."

She looked around, "There really isn't, Fred. You've been here so much that you've taken all the work from the rest of us. Take a break." She said, putting down the box of rings and sitting onto George's desk.

He sighed, "Fine."

Fred got up and walked to a small fridge that him and George kept in their office. He took out a pack of beer and took out two beers, opening each with a bottle opener.

He walked to her and gave her the beer, "Was saving these for a rainy day."

"How about a snowy night?" She asked, glancing out of the window at the dark sky that had soft flurries falling down, "Was the bottle opener really necessary? We are magical after all..."

"Kinda adds to the effect, you know?" He asked, taking a sip of the beer.

Estella took a sip as she eyed Fred carefully, "You've been off ever since you broke up with Zoya. Are you sure breaking up with her was smart?"

"It'll be better in the long run. She doesn't deserve having to deal with my inconsistencies and broken promises." He lazily replied, "I'm a bit of a dick."

"You're not a dick. You're just emotionally immature." She replied.

Fred shot a look at her, "Zoya also said that, and that was rude."

"I'm only telling the truth."

"I was the one who told her I love you first. Does that make me emotionally immature?"

Estella sighed, "You having to ask that question and not knowing the answer is emotionally immature, Fred. But hey, I'm not one to talk about your relationship with Zoya. Did enough of that last year." She said, shuttering at the memory.

Fred chuckled, "Simpler times, that was."

"Yeah." Estella replied, looking down at her legs that were swinging below her.