(A/N: Hello everyone! Let me just apologize up front. I'm not going to be able to update this very often, as life has me in its clutches at the moment. Too many activites and college-hunting...fun. I'm really excited about this story, though. I planned for it to be a threeshot, but it may be longer. Fred and George are both 19, and it doesn't necessarily match up with the books, because in the books when they're 19 they're in hiding. I hope you like it!)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related, just Jane and Lydia Saunders.
Ah, summer in Diagon Alley.
A fine place to be if you enjoyed the combination of small shops and many people. For Fred and George Weasley, though, this was a very good thing. Summer meant vacations, which meant extra time and money to spend, which meant more kids poking around in the now-famous store of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. They welcomed the business, especially from students who promised to use their products for mischievous purposes.
This particular day, the Weasley twins were having a large sale on all things that exploded. People came from all over for it.
"Oi, Fred" George said, nudging his other half. "Look at those kids. What're they, first years? Second years? Ambitious, they are, do they really think they'll be able to use that?"
"Oh, brother of mine" said Fred, wiping away imaginary tears, "kids have come so far since we were at school. Makes me proud."
The two continued to watch their customers, occasionally helping them out or telling them about new products. However, they somehow failed to notice the two girls with dangerous grins on their faces, who were stalking around to the back of the shop.
"Jane, are you positive we won't get in deep trouble for this?" asked the younger one nervously. The older girl laughed.
"Don't be silly. You know their reputation as well as I do; we'll be more than fine!"
"If you say so" said the younger girl.
They both crept behind a display of colour-changing owl treats (guaranteed to turn the feathers of even the darkest owl several brilliant hues, lasting up to five hours) and got out the supplies. At the front of the store, business was going beautifully, but Fred couldn't help but feel their usual daily disaster was bound to happen soon. You just couldn't get around that sort of thing when you ran a joke shop. He needn't haven't worried....
Pop! Pop! Pop pop pop pop pop pop POP!
A series of popping noises were coming from the back of the shop! George looked for the source. It appeared that many bubbles of every shape,size and color imaginable had come into existance on their own... Neither Weasley could figure it out. They didn't sell anything like what they were seeing, so the possibilty of a troublemaking, product-testing customer was out.
It had to be someone who wanted their attention for some reason or other. "D'you think it's Lee?" George asked Fred.
"Nah, I don't think so..." said Fred. "'Course, there's only one way to find out."
The boys looked at each other. "CHARGE!" they yelled together, plowing through the crowds of people to get to the back of the store. The customers were beginning to stare and point at the bubbles, which were now coming in the shapes of dragons and kneazles and bats and cauldrons and all sorts of things.
"Whoever this is, they seem to know what they're doing" said Fred, admiring a purple broomstick-bubble as they ran past it.
"No kidding" said George, letting out a low whistle. The boys skidded to a stop in front of the owl treat display. Giving each other a look that said "we'd better be quiet", the two young men crept carefully around the display and saw-nothing?
"George? I reckon we've been had" said Fred.
Before George could respond, though, there was a noise behind them.
"CIRCULUS ENORMOUS!" shouted two girls' voices. The twins whipped around, but all they could see was by far the largest bubble yet: a vast golden ship that took up several aisles' worth of space.
"OI, SOMEONE POP THAT THING BEFORE IT KNOCKS OVER ALL THE PRODUCTS!!!!" yelled Fred.
A feminine hand reached out and punctured the ship with its fingernail. The two brothers gaped. Two girls in their late teens, one with dark brown hair and twinkling blue eyes, and the other with chestnut-brown hair and soft green eyes, stepped out from behind a case of fireworks.
"Bloody hell" George cursed under his breath.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves." The dark-haired girl stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'm Jane Saunders, and this is my sister Lydia." She gestured to the girl with green eyes.
"P-pleased to meet you, I think" said Fred, shaking her hand. He was uncharacteristically intimidated by these odd, beautiful, daring strangers.
George shook Jane's hand as well. "I'm George Weasley, and this is my brother Fred. We own this shop." Lydia caught his eye, but he looked away, caught off guard.
"Oh, we know who you are all right" said Jane, grinning widely. "Isn't that right, sis?"
"Of course" said Lydia. "You two're the reason we're here. Do you think you could help us with something?"
Fred and George looked at each other. "Yeah we can!" they said. "What do you need?" asked a curious George. (A/N OMG I'm so sorry but I couldn't resist! XD)
Now it was the girls' turn to look at each other. "Guidance" said Lydia. "Inspiration" said Jane. "Tips and tricks!" they both said.
"We want to start our own joke line" Jane explained. "You two have made a ludicrous business of it, and we want in. We can do this two ways: we start our own shop and rival you, or you sell our products here."
"We'd much prefer the latter" said Lydia politely.
"What sort of products have you ladies got?" asked Fred, clearly pondering the situation.
"I expect you saw our Belligerent Bubbles?" Jane asked mischievously. The boys nodded. How could they have missed them?! "Well, they're sort of a specialty of ours," continued Jane, "like your infamous fireworks."
"And what else have you got?" said George, looking to Lydia for an anwser.
Lydia responded. "Oh, just your everyday party favours... that turn into various small animals when brought home. We have a potion we put into candy that'll leave your fingernails, toenails, and eyelashes snow-white for 24 hours. We have seemingly harmless socks that try to eat your feet when you put them on, along with matching gloves and a hat. We have plenty of products, misters Weasley and Weasley. Some in testing, too."
"Glad to hear it" said Fred. "Say, where are you girls from, anyway? Do I detect an American accent? You certainly weren't at Hogwarts with us."
"No, we weren't" said Jane. "We went to Salem Witches' Institute in the States. Lydia here has just graduated, and I the year before her. Our dad is from around here, he went to Hogwarts and everything. But we live with our mom in America most if the time, and she wanted us close to her for school. Our parents are separated, you see" she concluded sadly.
"Jane waited for me to graduate before moving out" added Lydia. "Now that we're both of age, and nobody has custody of us anymore, we decided to move near our dad. Mom's not the happiest, but we've promised to visit her often and send many an owl."
"But back to business" said Jane brusquely.
"Ah yes," said George, "we may be able to help you there. After all, we've had this shop over two years now. What d'you reckon, Fred?"
"Well George, I reckon we can get the new Saunders Sisters line up and running in no time."
Lydia beamed at the brothers. "Do we need to get the technicalities settled, then?" she asked.
"Yeah, but let's not do that in the middle of the store, huh?" said Fred "Our office is this way. Be one of the first times we actually used it for business!"
Once in the office, the two sets of siblings worked out all the details. Jane and Lydia's line was going to be offered as a limited-time-only special, and if it went well it would become permanant. Just as they were wrapping up, though, a great horned owl tapped insistantly on the window, clearly hooting a great deal.
Lydia gasped. "Jane, isn't that dad's owl, Odysseus? What does he need to tell us that's so urgent?"
"I dunno, but we'd better let him in" Jane said. She walked over and opened the window where sun was streaming in. Odysseus practically fell inside, he was so frantic to get his message delivered.
Jane untied the scroll from Odysseus' leg and began to read it.
"What's it say?" questioned Lydia.
"Yeah, if you don't mind my asking, what's so important as to ruin our meeting?" asked Fred, frowning slightly.
"Now Fred, don't be rude to our lady friends-slash-partners" George scolded lightly. "Wouldn't want to scare Jane off, eh, right Jane?" He looked over to the girl. Her face had gone strangely white and she was staring at the letter as though she'd never seen one before.
"Jane, don't just stand there! What is it?" Lydia cried.
Her sister took a shaky breath. "D-dad. Dad's gone missing. All the clues they found were his wand and his half-eaten breakfast. They've got nothing to go on, no leads. As soon they thoroughly examined his house, they sent Odysseus to tell us because we're his closest family and the closest in distance." Odysseus hooted to punctuate the point.
Lydia looked faint. Fred saw the state of the two girls and quickly jumped to his feet. "Look, I know we've only just met. But we're business partners now, and if there's anything we can do for you at all, please let me know."
"Thank you" said Lydia weakly. "But I don't think there's much you can do. Not unless you can find our father."
"I think we need to wrap up the meeting" said Jane, sounding a little stronger and more determined. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you today. We'll be sending along the samples as soon as we can. We won't let our situation get in the way of this."
"All right" said George, looking concerned. "We really mean it though. If you two need anything at all, please, do not hesitate to ask."
"Once again, thank you" Jane said. Turning to the waiting owl, she said "You'd better just fly to mine and Lydia's apartment. Dad won't be there to- to take care of you." Her voice broke a little on the last few words. She watched the owl blink at her comfortingly and fly out the open window.
"Come along, Lydia" said Jane.
"Goodbye, we'll be seeing you again" Lydia told Fred and George.
"'Bye" they said, giving sad little waves after the two girls. After they had gone, Fred turned to George.
"What just happened?" he asked.
"We had a supersale, got pranked, met two gorgeous girls, made a business deal with them, and found out their father has gone missing. At least we can't say today was boring."
"That's for sure" said Fred, perplexed. He had a feeling there would be more to Jane and Lydia than they'd seen, and he hoped what they would find would make sense.
(A/N: End chapter one! Please review and tell me what you think of it, I'd love to hear opinions. I'll update as soon as I can but please be understanding if it takes a while. I don't take too kindly to death threats.)