Safe With Me ~ Fred Weasley

Weasley Wizard Wheezes

"I mean it, Fred! If she's not back here tomorrow by noon I'll have your head hanging from the front doorway-" Molly was calling from the porch as Fred dragged me down the dirt path, away from the apparation barrier surrounding the Burrow.

"Threats are un-becoming of you, Mother!" He turned back to her, clutching at his heart as I held back a laugh.

"Both of you be safe! And have fun! But, mostly safe!" I heard her final words even as Fred grinned down at me, grabbing onto my shoulder, the two of us twisting through the air before re-emerging in a decidedly less exciting street in Diagon alley than I would have expected.

"Which is it?" I spun a few times, ignoring the lingering dizziness and glancing at each of the shops, half of them now empty windows with dull signs above the door.

"Not on this street." He chuckled, watching me with a smirk. "I want you to get the whole picture. It's this way." I followed at once, a few doorways down as he turned a corner. It was like we had apparated all over again. The muted colors, eerie still and silence from the previous street were long gone now.

The bright building stuck out against it's neighboring shops like nothing I could have ever imagined, and I had been imagining. The windows wrapped around the entire store front, each featuring flashing and colorful objects, many of which were jumping up and down as if begging passer-by for the attention they deserved.

"Freddie," I grinned up to him, watching his face light up at my smile. "It's amazing!"

"Wait until you see inside," He pulled my arm lightly, the two of us scampering towards the entrance. There were a decent amount of customers trailing down the aisles inside, even for the early hour we had arrived. I spotted George at once, standing behind the counter with a clipboard.

"Georgie!" I called, rushing over to him before his grin had even fully reached his face.

"There she is, our little traitor!" He pulled me in for a hug, dropping me to the floor after a few seconds. "Thought we would have a little helper around here, a live in employee, but no!"

"George..." Fred shook his head quickly as I plastered back on a smile.

"Well you obviously haven't needed me. Look at this place!" I held in a laugh as Fred grabbed me around the waist, hoisting me up to the countertop.

"We'll always need you." Fred replied under his breath as George tucked the clipboard beneath the desk. "Alright... Tour?"

"Need I remind you that it may soon be your shift? You haven't had many of those recently." George joked as Fred pulled me over towards the closest display, running through each of them quickly, explaining the new products they had come up with in the months they had been here.

"Come see the flat." He finally whispered, his lips brushing against my ear as he pulled my fingers lightly towards the hallway, a small wooden door at the end with a thick metal lock above the handle. "Dad helped us set it up. Can't get in with magic. You have to have the key. And there's only four. George's, mine, Mum's..." He pulled a small golden key from his pocket and held it out to me. "And yours."

"Freddie..." I trailed off, taking the key from his hands as he turned towards the door again, slipping his own key into the lock and pushing the door open for us.

The entryway was simple, a few hooks on the walls where a few different jackets and umbrellas were hanging, boots and trainers kicked off randomly beneath them. There was a narrow wooden staircase which lead up to the flat, and Fred took my hand, leading me up the stairs one by one until he stepped aside, watching my face nervously. It wasn't huge, but it was big enough. A decent sized living room off from a small enclosed kitchen with huge wooden cabinets which took up most of the space. The living room only held one couch and a matching arm chair, both looking as if they'd been bought in the past month and had hardly even been used yet.