"Mr. Weasley, the new shipment of Wonky Wands arrived earlier. Should we go ahead and put them out on the floor or wait until morning?"
George Weasley smiled kindly at Teddy Lupin. The boy's tired eyes matched the blue of his hair today. So much like his mother, he looks, George thought, and a real asset to the shop, too. Shame I only have him for the summer.
"For about the quadrubillionth time, Teddy, you may call me George," he responded good-naturedly. "And let's not worry about the wands tonight. We've been here working non-stop for over 14 hours, I'm more than ready to call it a day."
Teddy smiled, clearly grateful to have permission to leave, and after cashing out his till, he did just that, and George was alone inside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It was hard to admit out loud, but this was his favourite time of day: surrounded by products bearing his name, with just his own thoughts beating in his ear.
"Beating in your ear? Ha! How IS your ear, Georgie, by the way?"
George turned unshaken towards the voice, as though expecting the new arrival. He then walked towards a gilded mirror sat primly up against an empty wall in the store's storage room and smiled widely at its reflection.
"Loads better than you, you specky, gawky git!"
Fred Weasley smiled out at his twin brother. "You're one to talk, you thumpin' ginger!"
And thus began George's nightly ritual of sitting in front of the mirror with Fred, rehashing one another's day, poking fun at the other's robe colour (Fred was sporting a shocking chartreuse today, and George a bright teal), and George filling Fred in about Mum, Dad, Ginny, and their brothers.
"Good to hear everyone's doing well. So, Teddy said a new shipment of Wonky Wands had arrived, yeah?" asked Fred. George grinned.
"Yeah but if you think I'm opening a case for you, you're out of your mind."
"Out of YOUR mind, more like," Fred quipped. "Go on, don't be stubborn. It's been ages since I've seen one those in action."
George made a show of rolling his eyes but he knew he wasn't going to disappoint Fred. He stood to leave and returned a few moments later carrying two very convincing replicas of a mahogany wand, 12 inches and quite springy.
"Niiice, " Fred drawled. "They've certainly picked up in quality since they were first put out. Remember our first batch of fake ones and mum confiscated them all after she kept accidentally picking them up instead of her own?"
George laughed heartily at the memory. "The squeaky rubber mouse effect was a flawless idea, ol' chap! Mum's face was almost in danger of permanently turning Gryffindor red!"
The Twins' laughs rang throughout the shop for a while and then silence befell them once more until Fred spoke, rather seriously.
"Say Georgie, you don't…I mean, do you think we could have a go with the wands? For old time's sake?"
"You mean you feel confident enough to challenge me in a duel?"
"Why wouldn't I? You've only got one good ear, your perception is utter crap, and I know for a fact that your aim isn't what it used to be."
George's eyes darkened mischievously. So Fred thought he could best him in a battle of Wonky Wands? He'd see about that. "Challenge accepted, prat!"
And within seconds they were both on their feet, the Wizard Wheezes storage room alight with spells and funny squeaks, and not so funny smells.
"A fart charm, Fred, honestly?" George yelled above the chaos, still dashing about with his toy wand aimed at his brother.
"A stinker for a stinker!"
"You'll pay, just watch!"
But Fred couldn't watch, because just then the bell above the shop's door rang, and Teddy Lupin came through and into the storage room, apologizing for having to double back, but he had forgotten his book.
George tried to hide the wands in his hand, he didn't have an explanation prepared as to why they were unpacked, but it was too late.
"Did you decide to go ahead and put them out tonight?" Teddy asked. "Because I can stay and-"
"No, was just testing them out, is all. It's…it's been awhile." George forced himself to smile at Teddy, who seemed to accept George's answer.
"Okay then. Well, I'll see you Saturday. Have a good night Mr. Weasl-George."
And he was gone again, and George was alone in front of the mirror, its reflection empty of the only person in the world he wanted to speak with. He wondered when he'd stop imagining these silly conversations with Fred. He wondered when his life would piece itself back together and he'd be able to move on. But mostly he wondered why he couldn't be with Fred all the time.
And the weight of his loss fell on George, as it so often did, and his knees buckled onto the shop floor and he wept for his twin, whose idea it had been to create Wonky Wands in the first place.