Fred heard his dad calling his name from the back of the shop and sighed. He lifted his head from where it had been resting in his hand as he leaned against the counter and stuck his head into the storeroom where George had disappeared nearly half an hour earlier.

"Yeah?" Fred called, taking a minute to pinpoint where George was bent over a box of Extendable Ears.

"I need to run some errands," George said, standing and wiping his hands against his robes. "You can watch this place by yourself for a while, right?"

Fred held in a groan. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes wasn't currently crowded considering it was an early Tuesday morning, but he hated just having to work in the shop let alone being the one left in charge for any length of time.

"Sure," he said, plastering on a fake smile.

"Thanks," George said, stepping forward to pat him on the shoulder. "Knew I could count on you. Besides, the shop will be yours one day. This'll be a short practice run for you. The first of many."

Fred kept a smile plastered on his face until George had disappeared with a pop. As soon as the coast was clear, he let his shoulders droop with a sigh.

His father didn't know that he had an interview with the Ministry next week, so of course he wouldn't be giving Fred any time off to prepare for it. That was Fred's fault, but it didn't stop him from feeling resentful as he stomped back out to the front of the shop to man the counter.

Few customers came into the shop as Fred sat and waited. He was endlessly bored. While he could at least understand the fun behind designing the products they sold, the work of actually running the shop was nothing but boring the vast majority of the time, and he couldn't believe his dad expected him to do it for the rest of his life.

Roxanne got to pursue her dream of playing Quidditch, and Fred couldn't find the courage to tell his dad that he didn't think he was cut out for running the joke shop.

In his boredom, he took to practicing his answers for the Ministry interview, wording and rewording his answers until they were perfect. He needed to deliver them naturally, as if he hadn't considered every word, and that would only happen if he delivered them enough times that he could answer without overthinking.

Despite it just being practice, his heart hammered in his chest as he spoke. He couldn't stop thinking about how much hinged on the interview going well. If he didn't make it, it would take another few years before he was able to work up the courage to apply again.

"What are you doing?"

Fred shouted and shot up off his stool, spinning around to face his dad, who had returned in silence and was looking at Fred as if he had downed some Polyjuice Potion in the time he'd been gone.

"Nothing!" Fred replied quickly, scrambling to sit back down as if it would make him look innocent.

But between George's own childhood experiences with rule breaking and his adult years of raising Fred and Roxanne, George knew better than to accept Fred's answer.

"You sounded like you were giving some kind of interview," he commented, coming to stand beside Fred behind the counter. "Is there something you want to tell me about?"

Fred sighed, his shoulders falling. There was no use putting off the inevitable any longer.

"I have an interview scheduled for next week with the Minister's office."

George blinked at him a few times. When he responded, his voice was shaky.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? Work an office job? For the Minister no less?"

"Yes?" Fred said, his insecurity turning it into a question. "I feel like I could make a difference at the Ministry, like Aunt Hermione or Uncle Percy. I know you think their jobs are boring, but I've always thought they sounded exciting. They get to know all the important things that are happening, and they get to influence the entire country. That's a big responsibility, but I want to be part of it. Besides, it's not like I'd be working for Fudge or someone like that. I'd be working for Aunt Hermione."

George was quiet for a moment. He stared at Fred as if he wasn't sure what to make of him before sighing and rubbing at eyes.

"When your uncle Fred and I told our parents we wanted to open a joke shop, your grandmother didn't take it well. Hell, we avoided telling her for the longest time because we knew she wouldn't take it well. I've told myself ever since that I'd support my kids no matter what they wanted to do. If that's working at the Ministry for you, then I'm not going to be anything but supportive, even if I don't understand it myself."

George wrapped an arm around Fred in a half hug, and Fred embraced him back, tilting his head back to look his dad in the face.

"But what about the shop? Who will take over if I'm at the Ministry and Roxanne's playing Quidditch?"

George shrugged, and even managed to grin as if it was of little concern to him.

"For the record, I plan on sticking with this place for at least a couple more decades. We have plenty of time to figure that out, and Merlin knows I have more nieces and nephews than I know what to do with. I'd be happy for this place to go to any Weasley who wants it. Maybe I'll just leave it to you, Roxanne, and all your cousins. I'll let you lot fight over who gets to handle the responsibility while your mum and I enjoy a nice retirement in the Bahamas."

Fred rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Dad. We'll just let everything devolve into chaos, and you'll be back within a month."

"Damn right I would be," George said, slapping Fred lightly on the back as he pulled away from their embrace. "I worked too hard on this shop to watch it fall apart. But I have a feeling that's not what it's going to come to."

Fred smiled back.

"Thanks, Dad," he said softly. He took a deep breath before admitting, "I'm really scared about the interview."

George pulled out the other stool beneath the counter and sat down beside him.

"I may have never interviewed for a job, but I've done my fair share of hiring. Why not try out some of your answers on me?"

Fred shifted nervously before taking a deep breath and pretending to introduce himself to a remarkably stern-looking Ministry employee.

Prompts:

Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments

Assignment 10 - Law and Government: task 5 - write about having to practice/train/rehearse for something

Seasonal Challenge - Days of the Year: Old Farmer Day - alt. write about a father wanting to pass on the family business to their child

Word count: 1,132