Dark, intimidating, rain filled clouds hovered over Diagon Ally drenching my black and green Slytherin sweater and black skirt, making them cling to my already sopping wet body. My black and blond hair hung in front of my eyes, drops of rain flickering down to my face as i ran through the flooded streets, splashing pools of water as i sought the dry safety of a store. I stood in the doorway of Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, wand in hand, waving it over my sodden robes with a spell to make them dry once more. I grasped firmly onto my nine and a half inch ash wand, powered by a dragon heartstring as i waved it over my hair, allowing my locks to become dry as well. I shook my head and entered the shop. I sauntered over to the counter, avoiding buckets of slime, over looking bins of glistening dragon scales and brushing past the hanging unicorn hairs. An older petite blonde woman with a large wrinkled forehead and a sharp nose peaked at me from behind the corner.
"May i help you?" Her voice sounded like old wind chimes.
"Yes," I replied, " I was hoping to get a new set of scales, preferably brass." I smiled at the clerk.
"Brass?" Her eyebrows raised, " Most Slytherin students i know require gold or silver scales when they come in here."
I sighed and shook my head. "Well let's just say that I'm not like most Slytherins."
The older woman shrank around the corner and retrieved the scales I was searching for. I reached across the counter for my scales, handed her 50 gallons and told her to keep the change. Money didn't mean much to me, I would much rather not have it. I shrank my scales on her counter and tucked them away into my pocket.
"Thank you." I smiled as i turned to leave the shop. I halted before I left the door way and turned to face the clerk.
"Pardon?" I called, "But would you mind if i borrowed one of your umbrellas? I would have it back before you closed." I pointed to the umbrella stand that held over a dozen umbrellas inside.
"Oh you can keep one. Its raining cats and dogs out there, I would hate for you to get a cold." She waved.
I thanked her again and grabbed a simple small,black umbrella and exited the store with it over my head. I strolled along the streets alone, surrounded by other shoppers who were getting their last minute shopping in before they were sent or had to send their children off to Hogwarts.
People had a tendency to stare at me wrongfully. They looked at me as though i was scum of the earth because i did not look like your average witch or wizard. I incessantly felt the need to stare at the ground so i did not have to see the hateful glares of others. I was doing just that when i stumbled over my own feet and cascaded down upon the ground submerging myself partially into dirty gutter water. I coughed and spat as i staggered, trying to pick myself up off the ground. I noticed that my scale had flown out of my pocket and had broken into a few fragments. I crawled over to what was left of my shrunken brass scales and scooped them up into my cold, shivering hands. As i placed them back into the safety of my pocket, a hand reached out to help me up off the ground.
I looked up at the hand and then past to the maroon clad arm, and then up to the shoulder length bright red hair. I blinked and then all of a sudden there was two hands in front of me, the other extended from an identical person.
"Thank you," I stammered as i blinked up at them and took both their hands. They both helped me up off the ground.
"Are you alright?" They both said at the same time.
"I suppose so, but I believe I'm seeing double." I shook my head and tried to focus on the both of them.
They laughed at my silly joke and smiled brightly at me.
"Seeing double aye?" One of them said
"You should try living with us-" The other spoke
"Then you'd see double all the time."
I laughed and then blushed a bit, embarrassed by my newly soaked appearance but not bothered enough by it to let it truly bug me.
"I'm George," The first one said, ejecting his hand.
"And I'm Fred." the other one said, copying the other.
I took both of their hands and shook, "Its a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Emma." I smiled at them, "Thank you both for helping me up."
"It was George's idea" Fred said, taking his hand back and shoving it into his pocket, "First I thought it was funny, seeing how you was a Slytherin and all."
"But you don't really seem like your typical snake." George said, "For instance you had something brass in your pockets instead of gold like the rest of your house would have."
"Oh!" I said remembering, "That was my scales...they kind of broke in the fall..."
"Those were some tiny scales." Fred remarked, pushing his hand into my pocket and pulling them out. I stood there with a shocked expression as he examined the shards of my scales.
"I used a strong shrinking spell on them before i put them in my pocket." I explained, quickly casting a spell over the shards so they flew back together, repairing itself. I grabbed it out of Fred's hand and pushed it back into my pocket.
"So you're a smart one?" George remarked
"Wonder why they didn't stick you in Ravenclaw then." Fred scoffed as he waved my wand over me, making me instantly dry.
"Thank you." I gave him a shy smile.
"FRED! GEORGE!" I heard a motherly voice yell from down the alley.
"Uh-oh" Fred said
"Time to find our next escape route" George finished, smirking with his brown eyes sparkling.
"Bye Slytherin girl." They both said as they leaned in and pressed their lips softly against both sides of my cheeks, causing my face to turn bright red. They pulled back, looked at how madly i was blushing, smirked, and then ran off.
I stood there in the street for a minute, barley holding onto my umbrella overhead as i put one of my hands on my face where they had both just kissed me. I blushed again, ran my teeth over over lip and walked down the street. My face was still red as i managed my way through the rain struck streets all the way back to the entrance from The Leaky Cauldron. I shook the rain out of my umbrella as i entered the warmth of the back room of the pub. I entered the smoke filled room, bustling with wizards and witches escaping the frigid weather outside and slid up to the bar.
"Hello Tom," I smiled, setting down myself on a spinning stool, throwing my umbrella onto the bar.
"Emery." He smiled at me and opened a butterbear for me before i could even ask.
"Its Emma, Tom." I cringed at my full first name.
"Tsk tsk, Emery, your father loved that name."
I shook my head again, sighed, and took a drink of butterbear.
"I think i made friends today." I said, a smile on my face.
Tom paused, picked up a rag and began wiping mugs and glasses.
"Oh?" He said, "Now who's this?"
"Fred and George. I didn't catch their last name but they we're obviously Gryffindor."
"Weaslys?" Tom yelled, slamming the glass he was handling onto the bar.
"Uhm, maybe. Like I said, I didn't catch their names."
"Red hair? Freckles? Tall? Mischievous? TWINS?"
I nodded my head.
"GOD BLAST IT! Emery, if you know what's good for you, you will stay away from those to deviant pranksters. They're rotten, irresponsible, dis-"
"What's that you saying about my son's Tom?" A gentle but firm voice interrupted Tom's ranting. A man with red hair the same shade as Fred and George emerged from the crowded bar and took a stool next to me.
"Nothing Arthur," Tom mumbled as he handed what must have been a common drink for Mr. Weasly. I turned towards the man.
"Fred and George are you'r sons?"
"Yes indeed they are." Mr. Weasly smiled and stuck out his hand, "Arthur Weasly." I shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss-"
"Emma, Emma Craigle."
"Craigle eh? You wouldn't happen to be related to Winston Craigle of the ministry, would you?"
"That is my father." I gave him a sad smile, he gave me a pat on the shoulder.
"Sorry to hear about your dad."
"So, Tell me about your sons!" I said, desperatly trying to get off the topic of my father.
"Well, Fred is a bit more harsh than George who's more of a softie. Other than that, they're pretty similar."
"Arthur!" The loud booming voice of the Hogwarts grounds keeper, Hagrid, yelled from across the pub.
Mr. Weasly waved at the drunken half giant.
"Well it was a pleasure talking to you Miss Craigle. Again you have my condolences about your father."
I thanked Mr. Weasly and he went on his way to drink with Hagrid. I fished in my pockets for a galleon and threw it on the bar to pay for my butterbear. I waved to Tom and hopped off the bar stool, grabbing my umbrella as i exited the pub.