𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 ; 𝒽.𝒷.𝓅

forty-three

"Sweet Salazar, look at them. I've never seen her so flustered before."

Aurora and Fred stood together behind the counter at the Joke Shop watching Estella talk to Iniya. 

Iniya had become a regular, buying little pranks to send to her brother. But everyone, but Estella, knew why Iniya kept showing up. 

"Do you really have to say Sweet Salazar?" Fred asked. 

She shot him a glare, "I'm sorry, does me being a Slytherin offend you?"

"A bit, yeah." He said in a teasing tone, crossing his arms. 

"Then I guess I won't tell you who is currently putting a roof under your head."

"Well, his other half is a Hufflepuff so..."

Aurora gave a curt nod, "Fair point."

"You're hardly a Slytherin." He commented. 

"How am I hardly a Slytherin?"

He shrugged, "Dunno."

"Then why'd you say it?"

He gave her another shrug, "I'm not sure why I say half the things I do." He said, flashing her a smile. 

She rolled her eyes and the two traveled up to him and George's office for a break. George was tied up helping a customer, so he wasn't able to join the two. Aurora ate a sandwich that Molly always sent with her to work as Fred sipped water. 

"So, you think you and my brother might have something special?"

She slowly looked up at him from across the room, "What do you think we've been doing together for the past few months? Hanging out and snogging here and there?"

"I mean, he hasn't really told me much. Usually he tells me everything, he would overshare. But with you, anytime I ask, he tells me to bugger off. It's strange how he doesn't necessarily keep you like a secret, but like an oath. You know?"

"That's quite poetic, Fred."

He rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean. Hell, he came crying to me when he had his first kiss during our third year. Then he cried to me again when some girl tried to go down on him during our 6–"

"Alright, I did not need to know that." Aurora quickly said, "... who was it though?"

"No clue. That's why George cried, it was literally some random girl who apparently fancied him. She asked him to Hogsmeade and he said yes, thinking it was a harmless date. Turns out, she wanted a little more than that. Took him to a back alley and when he realized what she was doing, he literally looked like he was about to burst into tears when he ran to Zoya and I in Honeydukes."

Aurora's face fell to pity, "That's horrible."

"Yeah... anyways, so, how are things going with you two? When I ask, all he says is that's he's very happy and that it's nobody's business."

"And that is not enough of an answer for you?"

"I'm nosy."

"Yes, I can definitely see that now. What this looks like to me, is that you're jealous that George is in a happy and healthy relationship with me and you fucked up yours with Zoya."

He scoffed, "We're smoothing things over..."

"But you still fucked things up."

"Yeah..."

Aurora finished her sandwich and got up to throw the trash away. She gave Fred a pat on his shoulders, "Don't worry, I think things will work out for you in the end."