Finding Love After the Fact
It's the summer after Voldemort's demise. Everyday seems more beautiful than the previous and the wizarding world continues to keep getting better after it all. The Ministry of Magic is still being reorganized with the help of Kingsley Shacklebolt (Minister of Magic to you) and Arthur Weasley. All of the shops in Diagon Alley have reopened, plus some. Business is booming for a young George Weasley, still grieving his twin brother's death, who has hired on some much needed help to the shop. A long time friend of George, Lee Jordan, is now assistant manager to the bustling business. Verity is the only other full-time staff member, is left solely in charge of the cash register. And as of right now, there are several other part-time workers looking for a summer job, one of which is a young Hufflepuff boy named Andrew Solis.
Andrew had always been a huge fan of the Weasley's even though he never went to school with them. It's his dream as well to work at a joke shop, providing laughter for all who seek it. However, this boy is supposed to be staying at Herbert Clark's house (another Hufflepuff, year higher than him) he evaded his mother and sister, ran off to Diagon Alley and somehow got hired! Granted, he's a thirteen year old, lying and saying he's sixteen but it was throughly convincing. At least until...
"Andrew Mychal Solis!!!" boomed in the joke shop, a petite girl was standing in the doorway where the shout came from. "How dare you lie to us about your whereabouts! And picking Herb as a coverup, you should know he was going to spill the beans." Her curly brown ponytail bounced at every word that whipped out of her mouth, storming towards the boy, who was a little taller than her, restocking the empty shelves. "Meru..." he stared to say, looking down to the ground, his sandy brown hair covering his eyes, "...you know how much..." "I know everything I'm your sister but this is completely irresponsible! We got special permission to return to Hogwarts this year and you're just going to throw that away! What's more is that you LIED TO US. Mom's been worried sick! Thinks you were picked off or something!!" the girl bellowed, customers started to stare at the scene, some even left the store all together. Despite her size, she was incredibly intimating. George Weasley came down from his top office and loft to, hopefully, break up the scene. After hearing the last bit, he was not excited to hear the news of possibly losing his favorite employee. Lee Jordan tried to keep the calm by distracting customers with some of their newer products and looked up to George for help, "I don't know what's going on but I think we have a huge problem on our hands...if we lose an employee at this time of year..." Lee trailed off, George was heading right towards the problem. Fred would be able to handle this so much easier, really make them laugh and make the problem go away, thought George.
Andrew noticed that his older sister was really letting him have it. He knew his plan would work as long as she didn't come. She was the one that was sixteen. He whispered to her in Spanish, the that way no one would understand the argument further. "Por favor, por favor no dice nadie." he pleaded with his sister. Usually he would kid his way or black mail his way out of this one. But this time he didn't have anything on his sister. Both began to have a heated argument, in Spanish, with each other while George stepped right up to them. "I don't really know what you're saying but you can't take Andrew, he's the best I've got right now!"
Meru stopped and glared at the tall red-headed boy. "I will do what I damn well please to my own brother! He's only thirteen in case you didn't know! Lied about everything I suppose. He is to come back home until school starts and that is final! If neither of you won't listen to me that's fine, I'll just bring our mother down here and then..." George cut her off right there, he knew how scary moms could be when they were mad. "Fine fine, let me talk it over with your brother and you can go." Meru pouted but stepped aside and waited quietly. Of all the things her brother could do this summer, he used her and ran off to get a job!
"Andrew, if you leave I can't guarantee you a job next summer. I need someone to work right now. That and well you did lie to us. I'm assuming that your sister is the sixteen year old and you somehow swapped well whatever good job with your magic I suppose tricking us." George laughed, he was slightly amused at the boy's determination and cunning to get here. It reminded him a lot of the things Fred and he would do. "I really need those supplies for the new products though, you still won't tell me how you've been getting them either!" Andrew came in with a box of ingredients from Spain and other places and things he had never seen before. Using them, they were able to create new joke products which lasted way longer than anything Zonkos had. "See that's the thing George, my sister got all that stuff. I guess you could say it's a hobby of hers. I think that's why she's so mad ya know." Andrew said with a smirk, hoping George would understand his plight. "I see, no wonder you didn't argue with her as much. But I think we can come up with a solution that will work for all of us." George assured the boy, and smirked as well. His business had to come first of course.
"Meru, you can't have your brother back." George said point blank. "Listen Mr. Weasley he's coming. End of discussion." Meru turned a violent shade of red and pulled her brother so hard he almost fell out the store window. "Fine fine but you will work here in his place instead. You see, as soon as he gets close to being of age, I would like him to work here full-time. During the summer of course. Once he finishes Hogwarts he can work here as much as he wants! Hows that sound?" "Brillant!" Andrew replied, ecstatic at the thought. "Mr. Weasley, he's only in his fourth year. You'll be waiting a while." Meru said, rolling her eyes. "We lived abroad for two years, and came back after Harry Potter's defeat of Voldemort. Luckily they made an exception for us, per Dumbledore, that we return." She glared at her brother, hoping he would remember all the trouble Professor Dumbledore went through to let them leave and come back. "Interesting story my dear, but I still need someone to work here. I hear you're the one that's been suppling the enchanted shells and wimbly reeds to us so I need you here! Either that or your brother."
Meru glared more intensely at her brother now, hoping he would shrink in size so she could squash him. "Andrew is to go straight back to Solis Manor and stay there until school starts. NOW." she yelled, making him jump and run out of the shop, back to the inn and straight into the fireplace with floo powder. "Mr. Weasley..." she started out. "Please please call me George." he laughed and waved his hands around. "I'll see you bright and early in the morning then. I'm sure Tom will let you have your brother's old room in the Leaky Cauldron." And with that, Meru somehow managed to get a part-time summer job. Mainly she was doing it for her brother's sake. As crazy as he was, she loved him and did want him to achieve his goals. The other reason was to, well find out other uses for the magical plants she had been finding and maybe even hear some more tales about the Battle for Hogwarts. From the looks of it, George had been in it, what with missing an ear and all. She was lost in her thoughts all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron. "Ms. Solis, room two is ready for you. Your brother's stuff is gone. I'm terribly sorry for the mix up." Tom gave a little bow to her and pointed up the stairs. She sighed and waved back, annoyed at all the trouble her brother caused her. Her life would be so much quieter without all this. Even her perfect duties would be easier without her brother storming the castle, helping Peeves pick on first years. She slumped onto the bed and fell asleep fast. It had been a long day of traveling and harassing people, trying to find the whereabouts of her brother. After her owl came back with a reply from Clark's parents saying that hadn't seen Andrew in months, she knew he had gotten himself in trouble somewhere. But getting a job! This was insane. And how she had to do it for the summer and maybe even the next.