Since money is urgently needed, I can't start up my own potioneers shop. Instead, I go in for an interview at the ministry. I'm stiff but apparently pleasant enough. With my NEWTs and my letter of recommendation from Professor Snape, I manage to get a job as a brewer.

I spend all day preparing Veritaserum and Amortentia and, on occasion, the Polyjuice potion. Most of the draughts we were taught to brew in school are brewed at St. Mungos by healers, rather than by us at the ministry. Instead, our potions are used by Aurors during investigations or by the Wizengamot during trials.

Every month, Robbie and I are just making ends meet. After all, flats are expensive, and my savings account has run dry. What few sickles I do put away, I save for the dream of opening my own brewery. Rather than do anything expensive, like going to concerts or buying new games, we go window shopping whenever Robbie and I both have the day off. It's rare, but it does happen.

"A new shop opened up round the corner. Want to check it out?" Robbie asks.

I get up from my desk and head on after her. It's still warm out, so we only need to put our shoes on, and then we are out of the apartment in less than ten minutes.

"What are you working on?" Robbie asks.

"Felix Felici," I tell her, looking down at my notes. "I want to figure out how to brew it in less time. Six months is an awfully long while to wait."

Robbie looks at me and furrows her brow. She snorts, but she covers her mouth to hide her giggles.

"What?" I ask.

She smiles at me. "You just said you'd never brew it again, after last time."

I shrug. "I'll still never take it again, and I'll hire someone else to experiment on with."

"That's hardly ethical," she points out.

"Oh hush," I tell her since it's just a dream. I'll never be able to afford to hire someone to experiment on.

We arrive at the shop, which the sign proclaims as Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

We enter the shop, and Robbie's jaw drops to the floor. The shop is filled with crackling fireworks bursting in the air, and bubbles floating down from the ceiling, and it reeks of firewood.

"This is amazing!" Robbie points out.

It's a joke shop. If she'd ever been to Zonkos, she'd know the place was the same. The laughter of children rings out around the corner. A few teenagers mill about, checking the different stands. Still, I can imagine the pride that Fred and George must feel, knowing that they pulled this all together without a complete Hogwarts education. This would take a lot of knowledge on both the practical and theoretical applications of magic.

Robbie links our arms and begins to drag me off to a booth with pink and purple bottles and frills. It's called the WonderWitch line. There are a few creatures in a cage, each big and fluffy, that seem to coo at me. Robbie takes a bottle and sniffs it, before bringing it close to her.

There are tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

Robbie nods. "Perfectly swell. I just, I never thought I would smell him again."

I'm about to ask who, when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Interested in Pygmy Puffs?" Fred asks.

I look back at him, and then back at the creature, which has seemed to now have shrunk in size. It is cute, to be fair. Robbie has been pestering me for a cat though, but I've never been the biggest fan of animals. I only had an owl to communicate with my parents, which I still keep around the flat, even though I'm sure it angers him to be cooped up in a cage.

Fred cocks his head to the side. He is handsome, and it's only been a few months since we last saw each other, but I swear he looks older. His jaw is sharper, and his hair sticks up in a chaotic mess. He's wearing a red pinstripe suit, the most formal that I have ever seen him, and I did indeed see him in robes at the Yule Ball. Best of all, he looks genuinely happy.

"They're cute, but a bit too cute for my taste," I tell him. I look over at Robbie, who winks at me and walks away.

"Ahh," he exclaims. Then he grabs something off the table and lowers it in front of my face. "How about a love potion?"

"I'm good thanks," I tell him.

He cocks an eyebrow. "Come on Travers. You're definitely going to need one."

"Am I?" I laugh. I take the love potion and set it back down on the table. "I don't know. I think I'm pretty attractive."

"You'd be more attractive if you bought our perfume," he points out.

I almost laugh. "The one I helped you invent? I shouldn't have to pay for that."

"Three galleons," he says.

I flinch. That's way too much for me to spend right now. I want to support his business though. "It wouldn't exist without me."

He looks over his shoulder. "One galleon. Don't tell George."

"Deal," I say.

He sticks a hand forward, and I shake it. Then, I pass him the galleon, and he gives me the perfume. I pocket it, hoping it doesn't fall out of my cloak this time.

Although, perhaps losing my wallet was the best thing to ever happen to me.

"Interested in buying anything else?" he asks. "We've got tons of games and other items."

I swallow and pluck up my courage. The last time I was with Fred Weasley I utterly embarrassed myself. This time, I hope to make no such mistake. "I'm interested in buying tea."

"We sell prank tea that you can put in Robbie's-"

"I'm interested in buying you tea," I cut him off, shaking my head. "Or coffee."

Fred's smile begins to fade. "We're a bit busy this week. How does next week sound?"

Honestly, that is the best I could hope for. "Sounds excellent."

"We're closed on Sundays. Does that work?"

I always get the weekend off. It's part of what makes having a cushy ministry job so great. When I nod, Fred grins again.

"It's good to see you, Larkin," he says. Then he looks down at the stand, and then back up at me. His eyes are soft and amber.

"As good as you feel, I feel better," I tell him. "We have so much to catch up on."

"Agreed," he says.

Behind him, I spot George talking to Robbie. The two of them are watching us. Robbie is easy to read. She is grinning from ear to ear, practically bouncing on her toes. George, however, has his lips in a tight line. His knee is shaking, and his eyes are narrowed in on me.

"Well, I had better be going," I tell him, ducking under his arm to head back toward Robbie. "Thanks for the perfume."

He follows me over to Robbie and George.

"We were just catching up," Robbie smiles. "Remembering the good old days. Anyway, we ought to be going."

Robbie then begins to head out, nodding after me to join her. I follow after her, offering Fred the smallest of waves good-bye.

He waves back.

"This is so exciting!" Robbie declares. "Haven't you had a crush on him since like, the beginning of seventh year?"

Robbie only knows that because of the rumour which spread after my supposed friends used Veritaserum on me. In fact, I have like Fred longer than that. Quite a decent bit longer, actually.

"We're going out for coffee next Sunday," I tell her, which is just over a week from now.

"That's phenomenal," she gushes. "I'm so happy for you. You deserve good things, Larkin."

"Is that what you were talking to George about?" I ask. "Fred and me?"

She nods.

This means that the scowl on George's face came from the idea of me seeing his twin brother in a more than friendly capacity. Once again, I am asking myself what I did.

~~~~~

My wifi was down all day, and it is still down, so I'm using a hotspot for this. Screw uni wifi! Oh well. This is sweet and soft, and starting up the plot of the second half of the book. It's going to be an intense angst-fluff combo.

Also, I only have like, fifteen chapters left to write (more to publish of course). I'm excited! Hopefully we will all enjoy it.