Chapter 2: Prize Winning Announcements

George Weasley was sitting in Rose's chair when she entered her office. He could tell that she was slightly flustered, as she looked like her mother in those moments; hair askew, her brow knitted and walking faster than usual.

"What's the matter, Rosie? Have a bit of a lie in this morning and decide to chuck it all here at this fine establishment before realizing that I'd be lost without you?" George took his feet off of her desk and in doing so noticed her glance at his feet. She didn't say anything, which was unusual.

As George got out of her chair Rosie moved around the desk and sat down. She placed her bag on the floor and then reached for something on her desk, but stopped with her hand still in the air.

"Uncle George, what did you do to my desk?"

George raised an eyebrow. "Didn't see that one coming did you?"

Rose took a deep breath and then began reorganizing her desk. All of the items that usually resided on the left side of the desk now sat on the right, and vice-versa. "You've swapped everything on my desk. Brilliant. Today is so not the day for this."

After taking a few steps closer to Rose George peered at her intently and then sat down in a chair in front of her desk. "I don't see dragon pox, you don't look green, so I'm not sure what's wrong with you. What happened, Walter and Nigel try to stick Graham up the chimney?"

Rose took a deep breath and then sat back quickly in her chair. "No. I just got back from St. Mungo's. I'm pregnant again."

"Well, bet you didn't see that one…I could say several other things, all of which would lead to you telling your Mum, Hermione Flooing Angelina and then I'd be sleeping in my office again, so I'll just say congratulations. I'd say this one has the slightest chance of being a girl and usually I'd ask you but since you can't predict things about yourself or your immediate family I'd say this is going to be a good one, no hints on this bet."

"I'm so glad I can give the family a good betting opportunity." Rose leaned forward and put her elbows on her desk and then dropped her forehead until it rested on the cool, cool wood of the desk.

"You know Mum will be ecstatic. I think she's counting on you to continue the Weasley tradition, a garden full of ginger boys beating each other up and setting things on fire. Don't go messing it up with a girl, then. Just think, if you can keep going maybe you can end up with seven boys. You'd win the Weasley prize from Mum! So when is the little bugger showing up?"

"The end of December." Rose lifted her head from the desk. "Right after the Christmas rush but before the end of the year books are due."

George got up and patted Rose on the top of her head. "Looks like it will be a Happy New Year, then. Ok, I'll leave you two alone. Tell Simon 'well done' again."

As soon as George left Rose checked her desk drawers to make sure George hadn't done anything to them; most importantly she needed to make sure he didn't find the Magical Match folders. Luckily her uncle had only messed with the top of her desk, so after breathing a big sigh of relief Rose took the next ten minutes returning things to their proper places. For the rest of the morning Rose threw herself into work; there was something comforting to her about wrangling numbers, finding the meanings in the sales metrics, reviewing the ticket sales at the WeasleyVision theaters and looking at the budget forecasts for the next year. For some reason numbers had always been easy for her, there was a logic to them but it was more than that, the numbers told stories if you knew how to look at them the right way.

As the mail was delivered by one of George's interns, some Gryffindor boy who'd been in detention most of the term last year, Rose was happy that her charm was still working. Whatever addresses the Magical Match respondents mailed their questionnaires they arrived at her office with unobtrusive address. This current week's address was, to any regular person, just another series of junk mail, adverts for things like a new quill storage system. Rose, however, knew better, as the mail was sent to Rose Q. Wood and her middle name most certainly did not begin with the letter Q. Rose took the Magical Match envelopes and separated them from the rest of her Wheezes mail and put them in the bottom drawer. There would be time for that later. Rose looked at her watch and decided that even though it was only eleven she was taking lunch, and after the morning she had Rose knew exactly where she was going.


Rose arrived in an alley close to her destination, and after crossing the appropriate street and finding the secret entrance the large deep blue awnings of Victus appeared. She and Simon had been talking about trying to have her Mum or his Mum watch the boys and actually go out and eat a grown-up meal at the restaurant, a meal without someone spilling their milk or throwing a fit or hitting one of their brothers, but somehow they just hadn't managed it. Rose thought that maybe she could convince Simon that tonight would be appropriate, as he was as shocked as she was about her St. Mungo's revelation. The guilt of making her go through birth for the fourth time should be good enough to convince him, and after she stopped in at the Ministry and told her mother it was easy to guess that she'd have a babysitter.

The sign on the door said "Closed" in a very elegant script, but Rose ignored the sign and knocked anyway. After waiting a few moments a familiar face appeared behind the curtain in the front window, and soon the Rose could hear the door being unlocked. Lily Boyd had her hair pulled back and wore a purple apron that was covered with flour.

"Rosie? What brings you by? The usual?"

"Oh Lily, you don't know how right you are."

After entering the dimly-lit restaurant Rose followed Lily towards the door to the kitchen, where the light was almost blinding in its contrast to the rest of Victus. Before Rose could say anything Lily held up a hand, took her wand and opened the large, industrial oven. Out of the door floated a tray of freshly baked croissants which landed on a metal counter to the side. Lily took a plate and some butter, sat them before Rose, and then prepared two very strong, small cups of coffee. "Ok, Rose, what's going on? The only time you stop over this early is if something is really bothering you, so spill."

"Um, do you have any decaffeinated coffee or tea, Lils?"

"Merlin's pants, Rosie? Are you? I mean, the only time you ever drink…"

Rose's shoulders sagged. "Yes, again." She reached out for the croissant, tore off a section and slathered it with butter. "I just found out. I'm going to look like Granny Molly, so much for every appearing fashionable in a swimsuit again. I know Simon doesn't care, but…and it's going to be a boy, I know it. Four boys, Lily? At least Granny Molly had Aunt Ginny."

Lily crossed her legs and took a sip of her coffee. "Congratulations, I guess. Come on, Rose. Just be glad you can have more."

Rose's face fell. "Oh, I'm so sorry Lily. I know how much you and HR…ok, I'm going to shut my mouth now." Rose popped the piece of croissant into her mouth and melted butter dribbled slightly on the side of her cheek. Lily handed her a kitchen towel and she wiped her face. "I guess one good thing is that I'll be able to see more. Always happens when I'm pregnant."

Lily clasped her hands together. "Oh mighty Rose of Wood, please tell me what lies in my future! Will I marry that dashing man, move to a fabulous house and have servants take care of my every need? Will my Quidditch team win the championship this year?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Shut it, you."

After her laugh subsided, Lily's face returned to a serious look. "I know this was unexpected for you, and you hadn't planned on it at all, but look at the good side of things, Rosie. You have a wonderful husband, your kids are, well, they're boys so they're fairly well behaved, you've got a good job…things could be much worse."

Rose nodded. "That is true. I can't imagine being with anyone except Simon."

"Plus HR says you were made for each other, literally."

"Yes, I know, Lily. Wandmaker humor, very funny. Besides, that little joke stopped being funny years ago." Rose stood up. "Thanks for listening, Lils. I need to get back to the office."

Lily watched Rose's eyes stray to the sheet of freshly baked croissants. "Why don't I box a few of these up for you, a little congratulatory snack?"


Back at her office, nibbling on a croissant and drinking that horrible tasting tea her mum insisted upon when she was pregnant, Rose was restless. Another baby? Yes, she and Simon were doing well; her job at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes corporate office paid well, not to mention Simon's Keeper position with the Chudley Cannons. The house would be able to accommodate another baby, but just barely. If this was the last baby then they would be all right, but if there was another one? Another one? Rose fell back into her chair at the thought. When she reached forward for her tea she saw the picture on her desk, and as usual settled on Simon looking at her hopelessly. His smile took her back in her memories to when she and Simon first started dating.

It was James' first year as a reserve Beater on the Puddlemere United team. She had gone with Albus, Lily, Hugo and HR to the match against the Wimbourne Wasps, sitting for the first time in one of the special sections for family members. Her father had gone to the game with her Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, along with Professor Muggle and Melody, but as always her Dad was loyal to only one team, the Chudley Cannons, and wore his favorite bright orange Cannons scarf. The game had been interesting only due to the hope that Puddlemere might put in James, but it wasn't to be; he didn't play one second. Besides that the only thing that had happened was that Rose got a small vision of HR and Lily together, something that surprised her, as HR was usually so quiet and Lily was, well, Lily.

It was after the match when Oliver Wood came into the skybox to talk to her Dad and Uncle Harry that something happened between her and Simon. She knew him from school, obviously, but she noticed how he kept looking at her and then would glance away quickly. Almost all of regular crowd had left the stadium and as usual the adults were sitting around talking about completely boring things, leaving all of the Hogwarts students in a group, waiting for James to come out of the locker room. When they gathered together over the remaining butterbeers in the cooler it turned out that there weren't enough butterbeers for everybody, someone would have to go without. Before anyone could say anything Simon opened a butterbeer and passed it to Rose.

That last year at Hogwarts was wonderful. Rose and Simon began talking to each other between classes and it didn't matter that Rose was in Ravenclaw and Simon was a year younger than her in Gryffindor, they spent more and more time together. It was right before the Christmas holiday, right after Transfiguration when they found themselves walking along a deserted corridor and stopped to look out the window. That was the spot of their first kiss.

When it was official that they were dating they were at a Quidditch match, sitting together when Albus and HR stopped by to sit with them. HR was talking about wands as usual, and asked to see Simon's. When he began laughing Rose couldn't figure out why until he said they were destined to be together, Simon's wand was made of rosewood, which would be her name if they got married.

After leaving Hogwarts Rose worked at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, and she thought of that first little office with her picture of Simon. Then the offices and pictures changed, Simon in his reserve Keeper uniform for the Chudley Cannons, standing next to her completely over-the-moon father. Together at HR & Lily's second, Ginny-requested wedding. Simon at a War Bond drive with the rest of the Cannons. Their wedding day, both of them looking so happy.

"Rose!" George stood at the doorway with his hand on his hip. "Good Godric, girl, I've been saying your name for the last few minutes. What'd you see this time, me winning the Best Businessman in the World award? That'd do nicely."

Rose shook her head and came back to the present. "No, I saw Aunt Angelina yelling at you for being an idiot."

George shrugged. "That's just a replay of this morning. I though seers were supposed to see the future?

"What do you need, George?"

"Just thought I might end up getting some more yarn for Mum and thought you might need some for a baby blanket or something like that. What kind should I get, pink or blue?"

"Goodbye, George."


After completing all of her work on the research forecast Rose was mentally exhausted. The actual numbers for the research forecast were easy; what was draining her was trying to think about the new baby, all the changes at the house, wondering how the boys would take the news…too many things. A quick look at her watch made Rose realize that she had an hour or so to do a little Magical Match so she took out her wand, closed and locked her office door. After taking the questionnaires out of the folder she placed them all face down on her desk and shuffled them around. Rose pulled out one of the questionnaires the stack and placed it aside, and then felt an urge to open some mail that had arrived but she hadn't had time to open yet. Rose took an envelope, opened it and pulled the questionnaire out. Once that questionnaire and the one that had been separated from the stack were placed together she felt the familiar fog take over.

The interior of a large storeroom appeared, cleanly lit and bright. A woman walked into the room, looked around as if to make sure nobody was there, and strode purposely towards a shelf. After taking out a clipboard she began counting, making notes. As the woman moved her hair back from her head her face became clear…"

Rose dropped the parchments. She knew the woman in the vision and wasn't sure if she wanted to continue. Poesy Phillips-Jones was one of George's division leaders at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, happily married for years. Why would Poesy send in a questionnaire to Magical Match? Rose shook her head, remembering the first time she'd seen a vision that involved two unhappily married people. Luckily she hadn't known them, but this was different; she attended meetings with Poesy all the time at the corporate office. Not only that, but Poesy's husband Basil was one of the nicest men she'd ever met; she always looked forward to speaking with him at the company Christmas party. He would be heartbroken!

Rose took a deep breath and picked up the questionnaires again, and it was almost as if she stepped back into the vision at exactly the moment she left off.

Poesy continued marking things off on a clipboard when a red-headed man walked in, his face obscured from her vision. Poesy greeted him kindly, her face showing evidence of a broad smile. They talked for a moment and Poesy began crying. She hugged the man tightly and then another voice was heard, that of a younger woman. When the woman walked into the line of sight the red-headed man turned to talk to the newcomer, and Poesy left the storeroom, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. The couple talked for a bit, and then suddenly the man got down on one knee, holding up a box that contained a diamond engagement ring. The young woman shifted her weight, her hips changing slightly and then she took the ring, put it on and nodded.

Rose blinked rapidly as the vision ended. After placing the questionnaires back on the desk she rubbed her temples hard with her fingers. At least she wasn't privy to an affair by Poesy; that would have been too much to bear. Slowly Rose turned over the questionnaires and gasped. The first questionnaire, the one that had been in the file and was flattened was from Elise Phillips-Jones, Poesy's daughter, but the second one, the newly arrived one, that was the one that had taken her by surprise. The distinctly sloppy handwriting of her cousin Freddie Weasley covered the questionnaire.

"Merlin's socks!" Rose chuckled as she realized she'd said it out loud. The match certainly would be interesting, especially as Freddie and Elise had dated at Hogwarts and then broken up spectacularly at a Muggle Club party that Professor Muggle threw every year. Melody, Professor Muggle's wife even had to step in between them, threatening to bodybind the two of them. Nobody every knew exactly what had caused the fight, but at every event that put the two of them together in the same room, whether a Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes event or a party, both Freddie and Elise went out of their way to avoid the other one. Rose shook her head, as not only was it Freddie and Elise, but she was shocked that Freddie had sent in a questionnaire; usually her family members tried to bribe her or do other things to try and find out their futures. At least she usually couldn't see anything about her immediate family except for things that were especially strong. The day she got the vision of her father as Minister of Magic it gave her a headache that lasted the rest of the week.

Not even bothering to look at what Elise or Freddie wrote on their questionnaires Rose took out her wand and sealed the parchment. Instead of using the standard letter to inform the other person of their match, Rose knew something different was needed in this case. After unlocking her office Rose jotted down a note and had one of the assistants sent it by owl. It didn't take long to get a reply, and Rose didn't take long reading the letter, simply scanning it for the date confirmation. She knew Lily wouldn't have any trouble making sure one of her reservation requests would work in her restaurant, but this was going to be interesting. Perhaps she and Simon should have her Mum watch the boys that night, she thought, and then nodded. Yes, Saturday night at Victus instead of tonight; this was going to be interesting. She started writing the letter, stopped once, and then continued, smiling the entire time. After finishing it she proof-read it.

You have a match! The staff of Magical Match is happy to announce that, using our group of trained seers, we have located the perfect person for you. Standard Magical Match process is to inform each party of the match and let nature take its course, but you are the winner of a special prize! As the one thousandth couple you have won an all expense paid dinner at Victus, one of magical London's hottest restaurants. The reservation is for this Saturday at 8pm, the corner table. Tell the hostess at Victus that you are the winner of a contest and you'll be shown to the table where you will meet the person you've been searching for your entire life!

We at Magical Match congratulate you on your prizes, the fabulous dinner reservation AND meeting the right person for you!

Rose smiled, thinking of how she'd managed the little bit of trickery with Lily, telling her that there was a sales contest at the shop and to send her the bill for the winners. The only thing that concerned her was that Lily gave her an odd look every now and then; maybe she'd have to tell Lily; if anybody would understand and could keep a secret, it was her. After using an enchantment to change the handwriting and duplicating the letter Rose slid the "prize winning announcements" into envelopes. As the assistant took the letters away to send them by owl Rose smiled; it was going to be a very, very interesting dinner at Victus on Saturday.