"It brings back memories, doesn't it?" Hermione asked. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were strolling down the extremely busy Diagon Alley with their children's hands grasped tight in their own, as not to lose them. It was August, almost September, and it was time for back-to-school shopping. James was going into his fourth year, while Albus was just starting along with Rose. Hugo and Lily weren't quite old enough yet, but they came along with their family anyway.
"Yeah, it does." Ron and Harry said at almost the exact same time. The streets were busy with the usual merchants, people taking advantage of the sales, and parents with their kids getting ready for school just like them. Music coming from a close by pub drifted through the air along with the smell of sweets from the alley's very own honeydukes. The bell on the door of the ice cream shop jingled as a mother came out holing on to her daughter, who was licking a double scoop of chocolate with miniature chocolate frogs.
"Mummy, can we get ice cream?" Hugo tugged on Hermione's hand, bouncing up and down on the spot. "I'm so hungry! I want ice cream!" Ron patted the top of Hugo's head to settle him down a bit.
"Maybe after we get everyone's books, eh?" Hugo huffed, but ultimately agreed with his teeth clenched.
"Where should we go first?" Ginny looked around at the multitude of shops. "We need books, robes, a beginner potions set for Albus..." she trailed off and blew a strand of ginger hair out of her face.
"Let's start with robes; the shop seems to be less busy than most of the others." Harry pushed up the glasses that were slowly slipping down the bridge of his nose.
"Sounds good." Hermione nudged Ron and the group walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. There were no lights inside the shop, and only a little of the bright sunlight was able to filter through the grimy windows. Little dust motes floated in the air. Hugo filled his lungs with air and blew, causing them to fly into a synchronized dance of sorts.
An old witch walked slowly and deliberately towards them, her wand in her hand and an assistant by her side.
"Ah, yes, I recognize you." She said with a smile, looking down at James. "You can go with my intern here, Miss Ciel." Ciel stared at her mentor with wide, frightened eyes that glistened even in the murky light. "Oh, you'll do fine." The madam reassured her, ushering her off with James by her side.
"Now you," she said, looking at Albus and Rose "Must be first years. Yes, I remember everyone who comes through here, much like Ollivander. Have you visited him yet?" Albus gave a small nod, keeping his eyes trained on his shoes.
"Can you hold your arms out, dear?" The intern's voice echoed around the almost empty shop.
"We should get started," said Madam Malkin, leading them over to a stool surrounded my mirrors. "Step right up, either of you." Rose eagerly climbed on the stool and held her arms out. Madam Malkin produced a measuring tape from the end of her wand and measured each one, not taking any physical notes, but mental ones instead. Next she checked the inseam for Rose's legs, and then from the top of her shoulders to her foot. After a few more measurements across her chest and around her waist, Madam Malkin set off to create Rose's robes.
"How long does it take?" Rose asked, hopping down from the stool to stand next to her mother.
"Only a few minutes for her to do the spell, then another fifteen or twenty for the magic to do its work." Hermione said, hugging her daughter slightly. "She'll be out in no time to measure up Albus."
Hermione was right, it wasn't long before she came back and checked Albus. He was a little more nervous though, shaking as the tape slithered around him like a serpent. The robe maker patted his head before she went to the back of the shop. Albus stumbled off the stool and stood by his dad, leaning his head on his father's waist. Harry chuckled and put his hand on Albus' shoulder, steadying him.
After everyone's robes were acquired, they walked back into the alley, the sun a little higher in the sky.
"How about we take a break now; you can all choose where you'd like to go." Said Ron, checking his watch. Rose and Lily wanted to go look at a jewelry vendor, while the boys eagerly decided that they'd like to go to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Ginny and Hermione took the girls over to the vendor while the boys hopped over to George's shop.
A cloud of smoke fell over them as they entered the shop, causing the younger ones to laugh while Harry and Ron were hacking the mist from their lungs. George slid down the stair railing and hugged Ron and Harry. His hair was sticking up all over the place, except for where it covered the place his ear used to be.
The shop was filled with screaming children and their overwhelmed parents, but not another worker was in site.
"Shouldn't there be someone helping you?" Harry asked, looking for the shop uniform.
"Angelina's out shopping with our kids, Daisy quit last week and Leo's called in sick." George said with a smile. "I think he just wanted to miss the rush." Ron laughed as he looked around the shop once more.
"I don't blame him! If you need a little help though…" Ron trailed off and pursed his lips, hoping George would decline to offer.
"Actually, I do. I need a couple boxed brought from the cellar to the second floor. D'you mind?"
"I'll walk everyone around." Harry said, leaving Ron and George alone, leading the kids towards the Skiving Snack boxes.
"There are a few boxes of daydream charms on the shelf directly to your right once you get down there." George said. Ron walked around to the other side of the staircase and opened the trapdoor to the cellar, climbing down the creaky wooden steps and grabbing a box off the shelf. He walked back up short of breath, as the box was heavier than it looks.
He was halfway up the main staircase where George was standing at the top attending to a customer before his arms started to wobble. "I could use a little help here!" Ron said, strained.
"Oh, c'mon Fred, they're not that heavy!" He shouted over his shoulder.
Ron dropped the box and let them tumble down the stairs, causing all the noise in the shop to stop. On George's face was a horrified look, which was quickly replaced by one of devastation. Ron ran up the rest of the stairs and held his brother as he never had before, letting George bury his face into Ron's shoulder.
They stood like that for a few long seconds before George took a shuddering breath, only making his body shake harder than it already was. He pulled away from Ron, tears glistening in his eyes before he realized that the shop had gone quiet.
Harry ran up the stairs with the box in his arms and set it down beside the two. George turned to the crowd and waved at them.
"Everything—everything is alright!" he shouted towards them, swallowing the sobs that tried to escape his throat. "I was just—just making sure my clumsy brother here was okay." He elbowed Ron in the ribs gently and the crowd resumed their shopping, the noise level steadily rising until it was back to its normal level.
"I'm so—"
"Don't even," Said Ron, wiping away his own tears. "It's fine. Really, it… It's fine." George embraced his brother once again, squeezing him around the shoulders.
"Dad! Daddy, can we get these?" Hugo ran up to Ron with a fake wand in his hand. Albus and James also had tricks and toys they wanted to get.
"Yeah, of course," Ron sighed. Hugo gave a huge smile and then waved at George.
"How did you ever come up with all this by yourself?" Albus asked, gesturing to the shop.
"I didn't." George said, kneeling down to Albus' height. "I had the best partner ever. He's gone now… But being around all this, knowing he helped me make it… I've never really been without him. He's still here, in a way."
George straightened out and rubbed his eye once more.
"Alright, we'd better get going… can we go ahead and check out?" Harry asked.
"Don't worry about it, it's on me today." Harry opened his mouth to argue but George didn't let him say one word before continuing. "Go on now! Quick before I change my mind." Hugo rushed up and hugged George around the middle.
"Thanks Uncle George!" He let go and bounced over to his dad. The five of them left the shop with their hands full of toys and smiles on their faces.
George walked over to the register and reached beneath it, pulling out a picture. It was the whole Weasley household, together for a family photo. He and Fred were right next to each other, picking fun at one another.
"You know, you were right after all," George said as a tear fell onto the desk beneath him. "You are the better looking one."