Wand Wood

Two

George had been right. After only a few hours of his new sign hanging in the window of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and I've had to close Ollivander's not only in order to restock, but to get a head start on the wand making process.

I can only imagine how empty the shelves must be at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes down the cobbled road. The promotional sign has long been taken down so I can only assume he's run out of gift basket prizes. I sigh as I flip over the sign on the door of Ollivander's to read 'closed', turning to lean against the shop door. I need to have a talk with that boy.

There's some jiggling behind me, followed by knocking and a hopeless attempt to swing the door open behind me. Sighing I turn around, ready to gesture to the 'closed' sign and tell off whoever was persistent enough to- George. I should have known. I watch him skeptically for a moment before unlocking and opening the door with a slight roll of my eyes. I do owe him for his help and I can't just leave him out in the cold shivering and attempting to pick the lock. At least he was polite enough not to just invite himself in with a wave of his wand.

"Like I've told the last four customers, we're out of stock and orders are full for the next three moths." I turn my back on him so that I can get back to crafting wands.

"You're not out of business though." He grins in reply, glancing around the empty shelves.

"I suspect you may be soon." I sigh, turning for a moment to gesture out the window at his all but deserted shop. "That was cheap, Weasley."

"Trust me, Madeira, it wasn't." He insists, mouth still upturned in amusement. Before I get the chance to even raise my eyebrows at this, though, George allows his thoughts to wander. "Can I call you 'My Dear'? You know, because that's what your name sounds like?"

"No...you can call me Deira," I pause, knowing I'll most likely regret saying this later, "It's what my friends call me."

"Oh, so we're friends now?" Weasley raises an eyebrow at this before smirking. "Or are you saying you just want me to call you 'Dear'? Oh, Miss Ollivander, I had no idea you had such strong feelings for me. He throws his arm over his head dramatically and sighs before leaning into whisper my ear.. "Because that could be arranged."

"Don't even think about it." I protest, though I'm starting to join in his laughter.

"Alright, dear." George shrugs with a victorious smile. I shoot him a warning look as I wrinkle my nose in distaste.

"Stop it." I snap, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Listen, in all seriousness, thanks for helping me out, I'm sure you've given up a lot to do so, but in the future, please don't. I need to be able to support myself, and so do you, love."

"So...what I've gathered from this is that I'm not allowed to call you dear, but you can call me love?" He replies cheerily, never losing that chesire cat grin.

"How about I call your mother and have her drag you back to your shop by your ears?" I roll my eyes, though I too am beginning to smile. George seems to deflate for a moment, muttering to himself for a few seconds before attempting his normal lopsided grin. It seems off and he lets the corners of his mouth slide slowly downward in defeat.

"I doubt she would." Weasley shrugs. "She doesn't like seeing me much anymore, at least not after Fred...I guess that's why I wanted to help you, why I've come in every day but never bought a wand."

"Why?" I whisper, trying to keep my voice steady as I mentally scold myself for somehow bringing up this subject. I know he lost his twin in the battle, how painful it must be to even look in the mirror.

"You were the first person in a long time to see me as me. George. Not Fred and George, half of a whole, just George; your annoyingly charming neighbor from the shop down the alley." He replies after a moment, smile slowly returning and it's all I can do to pull him into an embrace, which he returns with some surprise, as a wave of guilt washes over me knowing that I'd only let the broken man wander the shop like a lost puppy because of the long-standing crush I'd had on Fred back at Hogwarts.

"I'm so sorry, it was just a throwaway, teasing threat. I didn't mean to dig up any-" I start as I take a step back.

"Hey, it's not your fault, and seriously don't worry about the prizes. I've got plenty of stock in the back room. Maybe you should come check out Weasley's sometime." George hurries to cut in, smiling gently once again as he pulls himself back together. "Oh, and you never denied the fact that I'm charming."

"Nor the fact that you're annoying." I roll my eyes, trying to calm myself. "I will have to stop by sometime though, if only to make it up to you."

'Brilliant! It's a date. Tomorrow afternoon at one, just head to the back, I'll be on break." Before I've had the chance to react, he leans down to drop a quick kiss to my cheek, flashing me a quick wink as he heads back to the door. "I'll show myself out, dear."