This chapter is much shorter, mostly setting up for the next. I was going to upload them together, but still want to change the end of the second half so I split it in too. The next one will be up as soon as possible!
Chapter 9
Fred and Caleb landed with a 'POP!' in the Weasley's shared apartment and stepped apart before looking at each other slightly awkwardly.
Fred scratched the back of his neck and looked at his feet. "I'm sorry, Cal. That was presumptuous. And too fast. I do like you a lot, but we're not our brothers. You're free to go and I…"
"Fred. Stop talking. It's fine, really. And I like you too… that said, I don't want to rush into things and ruin this… Whatever 'this' is. I'm gunna go home for tonight, but how about a date? Tomorrow night?"
Fred looked up at Caleb, standing a few feet away from him. Caleb had a soft smile, and Fred returned the expression, relaxing with relief he hadn't fucked this up completely just yet.
"How about I come round and pick you up about 7 tomorrow night?"
Caleb nodded, "Sounds good. I look forward to it."
That said, he walked up to Fred and kissed him softly on the lips before stepping away and apparating back to where he came from.
George and Liam didn't even notice when Caleb apparated practically on top of them, seeing more than he ever wanted, before quickly apparated out again.
He landed in an empty park, scaring away only some pigeons who'd been roosting a foot away.
Caleb wandered down the path a bit until he found a bench, and then plonked himself down and let his thoughts over the last few hours catch up to him.
Three hours later, Caleb realised just how late it was, shook off his dead legs and headed home, apparating some bits and walking some bits. Eventually, he reached his front door, but remembering when he'd tried that a few hours earlier and been blinded, he cast a charm.
Coming up two life-forms, but asleep ones, Caleb crept in, casting a charm to muffle the noise of his shoes, before he collapsed down in bed and fell asleep in the time it took to fall back onto his pillow.
Fred woke up with a start, jolting up before his head fell back with a crash.
"Freddie! Top o' the mornin' to ya!"
Fred crushed his eyes together, "Piss off."
"What, Fred? I just had the urge to get the Irish out."
"That's funny, 'cause you had the urge to get the Irish in last night."
Fred groaned, "You guys are just hilarious."
"Aww, thanks, bro. Now get up, we've got work today. He just called."
Fred opened his eyes and sat up straight, "Ok, I'm up."
George and Liam were standing together, George's arm around Liam's neck and Liam's around George's waist. Fred had to admit they made a cute picture. And when he realised that's what he and Caleb much look like, he smiled, before scowling remembering at how he'd almost fucked them up last night.
"Hey, George, I think your bro's thinking about my bro. They have the exact same face. It's like 'aww' following by 'oh crap'. Don't worry Freddie, Caleb was fine when we saw him twenty minutes ago."
Fred rolled his eyes at the pair of them. "I refuse to talk about Cal anywhere near you guys. Now get out so I can put some clothes on."
George turned to Liam and stage-whispered, "He called him 'Cal'!"
Then a pillow hit him in the face.
Fifteen minutes later, Fred stuck his head out of his room and called to George.
"Liam still here?"
"No, it's all clear."
Fred shuffled out, hair still wet from the shower, jeans on, but his jacket, shoes and shirt all bundled up in his arms.
"Why'd Harry call?" Fred questioned, dropping his bundle and shrugging his shirt on, hiding think bands of muscles obvious when he was shirtless, but most people didn't notice once they were covered.
George tossed him a piece of toast, "Here, eat this. Harry's apparently known about this for months and just forgot to tell us. He rang and begged, so I agreed. On the condition he knows he owes us," George grinned, before he continued.
"There's a company launch today, one that Harry donated to months ago and promised an appearance. He assumed he'd let us know we'd have to work today. Remember the new brooms we got? They're from this company. The owners were in the DA back in school. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan? I'm sure I remember them."
Fred sighed. "Yeah, I do… think they were together back then. All right, well let's head off?"
George grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and stood up, noticing his brother's jeans were a different colour to his own. George slipped his wand into his hand and waved it, changing Fred's pants so they were the same as his.
Then the two, with the ease of practice, glamoured their faces and grasped arms, apparating to Harry's.
Dean Thomas paced back at forth beside the stage, flicking his dark hair back from his face. Maybe I should cut it back shorter, he briefly thought. Then he paced some more. Then he stopped to check his watch. Then he resumed pacing. Where was Harry?
"Relax, he'll be here," a calm, accented voice told him.
Dean spun round on the spot, a soft smile on his face as he exhaled slowly. "Ok, I know. Thanks, Seamus."
"No probs. Oh, look. Told you so," he said pointing.
Dean followed his view and saw Harry and his bodyguards coming towards them.
He let Harry hug Seamus first, before he stepped forward and embraced Harry himself.
"Thanks for coming, mate," he said with a grateful smile.
"My pleasure, sorry we're late. What is it you want me to do today anyway?"
Dean motioned towards the stage, "Your normal stuff? Short speech and a few autographs. Maybe a demonstration? Your bodyguards are getting pretty popular themselves, if they can do the signing too I'd be forever thankful. I hate to ask this shit of you, but we've spent years trying to get this company off the ground."
Harry nodded, "That's fine. Those brooms you sent me a few months ago were amazing."
Dean and Seamus were suddenly sporting identical grins. "Thanks! Glad you liked them. If you want, you could do a demonstration. They'd love that."
Harry winced, "The last time I did one of those someone shot at me. But you know what? I'm tempted… And Jasper and Jacob may look like thugs, but they can actually fly really well. And well… we did choreograph that thing that one time?" Harry questioned, turning to his guards.
Dean and Seamus looked over at the twins as Harry did, but the Protectors' faces were still blank masks.
"Guys," Harry said, wacking one of them in the chest, "Remember?"
The two gave identical curt nods.
Harry turned back to his Hogwarts friends with a grin, "We could definitely do a demonstration. Can we borrow robes though?"
Twenty-five minutes later, the crowd cheered and the press jumped to life as a figure apparated suddenly into the middle of the big, empty stage. He wore dark riding robes over tight-fitting, leggings that were the newest, fattest thing in the industry. All his equipment was stamped with the logo of his friends' company, a blue 'F' shape, the bottom horizontal dash forming the top of a 'T'.
The figure raised his head dramatically, and the crowd gasped as those distinctive green eyes stared straight ahead. When the unheard of company had claimed Harry Potter endorsed them, no one had believed. Well, they did now.
Cameras flashed brightly as Potter raised his broom, mounting it quickly before he hovered up into the air.
Suddenly, two other wizards rode in from either side, pulling up within only a fraction of a second to close ranks next to Harry. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Protector Twins had never been seen on brooms before; front-page news was being made.
The three riders pulled forward at break-neck pace, travelling up towards the roof in a big backwards loop before corkscrewing towards the ground away. The crowd cheered and from then on, only cheered louder and louder as the stunts got more and more dangerous.
After about an eight minute set of some of the most challenging stunts known to the Wizarding World, the three climbed once again to the roof, turning suddenly and tunnelling towards the ground.
The crowd held it's breath, until, as one, the three riders pulled off the most spectacularly timed triplet Wronski Feint ever seen. They landed on the stage together, all dismounting, stepping forward and bowing, before they took seats at the back of the stage.
"Well, wasn't that something?" Two new men jumped onto the stage, "I'm Dean Thomas, here is Seamus Finnegan, and this is our launch! Are we having fun?"
