Unfortunately, as life had proved time and time again, nothing could last forever. As much as he wished he could waste away in his apartment, avoid all human life and maybe even vanish entirely... he knew he couldn't. Weasley Wizard Wheezes was his and Fred's legacy. It was their life's work and George wasn't so deluded that he thought it should all go down the drain. Fred deserved to have his work sold and loved, and even though he didn't think it consciously, he deserved it as well.
After the months of solitude and pitiful morning, George had set back to work on WWW. He spent long hours inventing, establishing, selling, advertising - anything and everything it took to run a business, George was single handedly attempt to do all himself. He enjoyed the constant activity. He enjoyed being busy and working. He enjoyed not having time to do anything except think about work. As much as he enjoyed it though, the rest of the family did not.
"Seriously, how many damn birthday parties can we have within two months?" George asked, sighing as he shuffled through a few papers. It was an overview of the stores current inventory.
Mrs. Weasley who had lost her patience with George from the moment he walked into the Burrow, work papers in hand, slammed a large bowl of fruit down on the kitchen table.
"You watch your tongue around me, George Weasley! I am your MOTHER." She placed a finger to her temple and rubbed gingerly. Lately, anytime George was around it meant a headache and a heartache. She understood his pain, she felt it too, but she wished he would see what was right in front of him. A family. A broken one that was slowly being put back together, but a family all the same. One that loved him. A mother that loved him. She felt her chest tighten and she knew this conversation would end in tears if she didn't talk some sense into him quickly.
"Please, George, is the shop really going to go under because you take one day off for your brother's birthday? I don't see why you find it comforting working all day and all night, every single day... It's not healthy George. I love you. We all love you."
George rolled his eyes. He'd heard this speech far too many times. First, he spent too much time in his apartment. Now that he was out and about getting on with his life, he spent too much time doing that. What did they expect from him? What did they want? He rifled through a few more papers before bothering to look at his Mother. He knew she was probably on the verge of tears, and though it pained him to see her in pain, he didn't have the strength to be whoever she expected him to be. He pulled his papers together and stood up.
"I'll come by for a little while but..." Mrs. Weasley's face had started to drip with tears and he knew he had to leave. "See you Saturday. Love you," he kissed the top of her head and apparated back to his office.
Once George had arrived at his office, everything that had just happened left his mind immediately. He didn't have time to worry about his Mother or birthdays that seemed to happen once a week. He cared about his family, sure, but his work was his life. His only life now. Staring down at his work schedule, he realized today was the day he was going to have to interview for a new shop worker. He wasn't excited about it, but it was neccessary. He tried to take on as much work as he could by himself, and with the help of magic, he managed it all well enough. Still, even he had to admit there were times when he needed a few extra hands. He wanted to keep his work force small though, and currently, the only person working in the store beside himself was Lee Jordon, his friend from school. Much to George's distaste though, Lee actually had a life, as he had so generously put it the other week while they were stocking shelves.
[i]
"I can't spend 24 hours a day here you know, George. I actually have a life," he looked over at the red-head intently. George just shrugged. Lee rolled his eyes, "Let me rephrase, I actually WANT a life. You could use one outside of the store as well." George didn't bother to respond. He didn't need anything outside of the store. 'Getting a life' wasn't something that interested him. The outside world just intimidated him. Friendships, relationships, family... they were nice to have, sure, but were they really worth the stress and problems that came along with those things? Fights, arguments, sickness and death...
Lee sighed and continued to work along side George. Their friendship had deteriorated immensely over the past few years. Lee, just like the rest of the Weasley family, tired his hardest to get George back to normal. He missed his friend dearly, but Lee knew that you simply can not help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Lee was hopeful for George, and he knew he'd never give up trying to be his friend, but he had come to terms with the fact that George needed space.
"Look, George, either we find someone else to help run the shop or I'm going to have to call it quits for a little while. I just don't have the time to be here all the live long day. I'm sorry, man, you know how much I love it here and how much I want to be here, but we need help. Even you've got to see that." He motioned around to the hundreds of boxes they still had to unload. Even with magic assisting them, it was a lot to handle.
"I'll bring in a new hire next week." [/i]
So here it was that he was slowly losing his mind interviewing wizard after witch after wizard. It wasn't that all of them were horrible or unintelligent. They all just seemed to lack the quality it took to work at WWW. Also, none of them were Fred, but George wasn't about to admit that to himself. Frowning as he excused the last of the interviewees, he leaned over his desk and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. He had promised Lee that he would hire someone by the end of the week and as much as he didn't want a new hire, he also didn't want to disappoint Lee. Taking a deep breath, he was packing his things up from his desk to head home when someone came crashing into his office.
"Am I late? Oh, I'm late, I know. I know. I'm so, so sorry." George looked up wide eyed at a very peculiar looking girl. She had should length curly hair that looked as frizzed and dishelved as if she'd just been stung by a blast-ended skrewt. She was dressed in what George could only guess was muggle attire, only it wasn't what he had seen normal muggles wear. She had a bright pink tutu around her waist, a polka-dotted vest with a bright blue shirt under. She wore two red boots, and a necklace with what looked like a rubber duck hung from her neck. At least he assumed that's what it was. She had a box full of muggle items in her arms and most of it was overflowing all over his office floor.
"Please, I'm sorry I'm late. There was this whole big explosion inside the leaky couldron and one of my rubber chickens scared the boots right off of a witch and it was just a mess. I daresay Tom doesn't want me around there anymore..." the girl was speaking a mile a minute and George just stood there with his mouth half open, confused. Was she there for an interview? Or was he just so sleep deprived and restless that he was imagining this whole thing? The brunette stood quiet only for a moment because she quickly took notice of George's lack of speech. She laughed and walked over to his desk where she plopped down the box full of random muggle..things.
"How rude of me. I'm Francesca, but please call me Fran or Franny." She smiled warmly and reached out a long, slender arm across his desk. Blinking a few times, George's senses came back to him and he nodded his head, "George Weasley. I'm sorry, but, did you say you were here for an interview? I'm not sure I recieved an owl about your application or interview time..." He rifled through a few papers on his desk just in case he missed anything but he was sure she wasn't on the list.
"Oh...I wasn't aware we had to send in an application or an owl."
George looked from the box on his desk, which was rattling oddly, then back to the girl who now looked quite disheartened. As much as he wanted to escape the pressures of finding a new hire, he was also very curious as to what she had to offer his store. He shrugged at her and offered her a chair. "No worries. Owls scmowls. Let's hear it then."
Instantly the girls face lit up and she jumped up. "Thank you!" George took a seat in his chair and watched anxiously as she rifled through her things. She seemed almost as if she was shaking with anticipation because she kept dropping things and mummbling to herself. Finally, when she seemed to have grabbed what she wanted, she took a deep breath and gave a small curtsey.
"Well, like I said, my name is Franny and I would LOVE to work here at Weasley Wizard Wheezes for the reasons as follows;" George couldn't help but grin ever so slightly. It seemed almost like a skit. As if she had been practicing this speech over and over again to prepare herself.
"I have worked in numerous joke shops across England, and am a very, very skilled sales woman. I have a knack for inventions and a very positive and friendly attitude! I'm energetic and friendly, and would only do you proud! I would love to be considered for this position in your shop."
"Inventions, hm? And joke shop work experience. That's pretty impressive. Anything that I would be familiar with?" he asked curiously. She shook her head vigorously, "No, I daresay that you probably haven't."
"Really? Why?"
She bit her lip but her confidence didn't seem to faulter at all when she spoke next.
"Well you see, George Weasley, I am a squib. I've worked only in muggle joke shops, and have only invented muggle prank items. Despite this fact though, I really, truly do believe that I would be such a great contribution to your shop. I'm motivated and smart, and oh how I love all of your inventions." She walked over and placed some of the muggle items she had been holding in her hand. One was a can of peanuts, one looked like an oddly shaped balloon with the word "Whoopie Cushion" on it, and the other was a monkey holding two brass cymbals.
"All of your inventions are unique and magical and HILARIOUS," she smiled, "and I was hoping maybe we'd be able to sort of mix it up. Start a sort of muggle-wizard line of magical joke items. I may not be able to use magic but I've got the brains and heart more passionate that any other person you've interviewed today. I can garauntee that."
For a second, George had no idea what to say. In the wizarding world, it was normal to feel sorry for squibs. A lot of families thought squibs as a sort of disgrace but here this girl stood, proud of ever for the things she had done and the things she wanted to do. She had guts and somewhere in the back of his mind and in the pit of his stomach, he knew that was exactly what the store needed. Fred popped into his mind just then and he knew in a second what his brother would say. Some sort of off handed joke that maybe she was their Father's long-lost muggle loving child and how Mr. Weasley just might disown him if they didn't take her under their wing.
George hadn't realized it, but the imaginary conversation he was having with his brother was showing on his face in a rather wide smile. Franny stood there, hands balled in fist with a rather hopeful expression on her face. The red-head stood up and reached across the table for a handshake, "Show me what you've got, Franny. You're hired."
She screamed in excitement. Literally cried out in happiness. Ignoring his handshake, she all but hopped over his desk and gave him a rather tight hug.
"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thankyouthankyou. You won't be sorry!" George patted her back awkwardly and tensed up. He couldn't rememnber the last time he'd gotten this physically close to anyone. The warmth and petitness of her body made him feel really uncomfortable. Finally, she pulled away and the smile had yet to vanish from her roundish face.
It would take a while for George to realize it but he had just made the best decision of his entire life.