keegan delaney has always been a part of george weasley's life. they were never close, though they both were always there for the important moments. it's only after hogwarts when keegan gets a job in a cafè right across from weasley's wizard wheezes...
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CHAPTER FOUR: LIGHT AND DARK
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FOR THE WEEKBEFORE September 1st, Diagon Alley was eerily quiet. From her spot behind the counter in Emery's Café, Keegan watched as a mother and her sons hurried down the relatively empty street, heads bowed and footsteps quick as they navigated what was once an alley bursting with life. Inside the cafè, there were no customers except for the usual elderly couple who came in for breakfast, and even they looked wary to be there.
Even George Weasley (and Fred, of course) hadn't showed up at his (their) usual time.
Keegan couldn't help but worry about him, about the empty alley, the calm before the storm. Normally, Keegan would be readying herself for another year at Hogwarts. She'd feel safe, protected by the castle walls and Dumbledore's watchful eye. But this year was different. She was out in the real world where uncertainty hung above her head like a knife waiting to strike. Just one swing and everything would fall apart. She had found momentary solace with her mothers that weekend, but she couldn't hide away forever.
Not from the world, and certainly not from herself.
"I have a feeling today's gonna be a quiet day," she muttered to Emery, who was unnecessarily scrubbing down the counter. In the short time she'd been working with Emery Fawley, Keegan had learnt a lot about the woman. There were the general details; like the colour of her hair and eyes, her age, blood status, what house she'd been in. Black and hazel, twenty-two, pureblood, Ravenclaw. But there were also the little things, the fragments only caught by a watchful eye. Whenever she was in a good mood, Emery would dance about the kitchen and hum her favourite songs as she served her customers. Whenever she was anxious, she'd do anything to keep busy. Including scrubbing down an already spotless counter top.
Emery let out a sigh at Keegan's knowing eyes, dropping the rag in her hands and running a hand down the side of her face. She looked tired. In the short time since Keegan had last seen her, Emery Fawley seemed to have aged several years. "This is the quietest day we've had since I opened last year."
"Things will pick up," Keegan assured her, though her words were thin and unpromised. "These are uncertain times, Em. You're gonna have bad days, you just have to push through them."
Easier said than done. Much, much easier. Keegan Delaney was awfully good at giving advice but listening to said advice herself was an entirely different story. Emery seemed to know it too, for her gaze lingered on Keegan for a moment too long.
When Keegan sent her an owl early Saturday morning requesting the weekend off, Emery had immediately known something was wrong. Keegan at the best of times was all bright smiles, a ray of sunshine on a hot summer's day. Her letter was unusually cold and blank, a sharp gust of wind rattling against Emery's bones. She agreed to give her the time anyway, deciding the why was the least of her worries, and when Keegan showed up to work that Monday with a grin and a skip in her step, she decided not to question it at all. Even now as she watched Keegan's eyes flash with something she couldn't understand, Emery didn't pry. Instead, she looked away and continued to clean the counter.
