Fred- April 2004 (Present, April 17th)
The Weasley twins thrived on attention.
It was the crux of what made their shop so successful, the fact that they were willing to seek out attention.
The day after the article came out was a day where Fred, for the first time in his life, wished he could become invisible.
Because, reporters flooded the alleyway, making it difficult for a normal patron to stop on in. And the reporters were so intrusive that George made the executive decision to close the shop for that day, with a goal for them to spend time on the dreaded task of inventory.
It made sense that the reporters would be demanding a moment with him because when you looked over and read the article, Fred was the only person mentioned besides the "9-ers." And it was a mere honorable mention about how Fred almost died.
His mind focused a lot on the girl, Sophie, that was her name.
And while he had a hard time focusing, it was Ron of all people who first approached him. Well, besides George.
Ron, the brother that subtly stepped up when Fred and George needed assistance with re-opening their shop and simultaneously pursued his dream of becoming an Auror. Fred could admit to himself that his little brother made him proud, though he never would say it outloud. He has an image to maintain. If Ron's bravery didn't outweigh his loyalty to those he loved, he would have been the epitome of a Hufflepuff.
Like Sophie.
"So, how are you holding up? Can you even believe it? I thought Hermione was going to blow the roof off yesterday." Ron questioned while helping the twins with the inventory.
"It just," he sighed, "it just is a lot. Like I owe my life to this person and she didn't say anything. What am I supposed to do with that?"
"Well," Ron started, "I know two of them, they're a couple classes below me and I heard that the boss made them take today off. It's only been a day but yesterday they looked like their world was crumbling when they came into work."
As George entered the room he clapped Fred on the back, "Well, at least you know she is pretty!"
"Why does that matter?" Fred scowled.
"He didn't even try to deny it!" roared Ron.
"Well, Freddie," teased George, "You did offer to marry the poor girl in the paper, no wonder why she stayed away so long! If it were me, she would have come running to the better looking twin's arms!"
And, in their shop with dreaded inventory, Fred felt normal for the first time since he laid his eyes on that article. Fred, Ron and George all dissolved into laughs.
OOO
Sophie- April 2004 (Present, April 17th)
For the most part, Sophie did not mind being invisible. She established herself as an "above average" healer with long term residents in her short time at St. Mungos. She lacked the flare for the "emergency" cases. Most days, you could find Sophie on the 4th floor of St. Mungos, the Janus Thickey Ward for permanent spell damage, working the overnight or day shift. And that is just the way she liked it.
While some people might think the 4th floor was boring, she found that each day kept you on your toes. One day, your resident may be docile and kind and the next they might be trying to strangle you due to their hallucinations. There was nothing boring about the 4th floor (if you wanted boring or typical, you would have to go to the 3rd floor-plant poisoning was boring).
It took a special kind of healer to not burn out on the 4th floor. For Sophie, it was a subtle reminder that she was most likely one "crucio" away from being a resident here and not a healer.
But, that damn Creevy article, ruined all semblance of normalcy Sophie built for herself.
"Why did you wait so long to say something?!" "What advantages did the minister give you to work here?" "Are you even a qualified healer?" "Are you after the Weasley fortune?!"
Questions were thrown and cameras flashed as she quickly made her way into the building, tripping on the last step as she made her way through the threshold.
"Well damn, there goes my coffee" she thought as she regained her balance, her shoulder's already aching.
And on her way to her floor, people stared. And it was bloody annoying too. So, she opted to take the stairs, rather than the lift today.
"What a beautiful day at the office" a silky but quiet voice sounded that caught her attention. A voice Sophie knew too well.
"Well, Jan, you know there is nothing I love more than spilling my coffee on my robes. And I am delighted to announce my face is going to grace every magazine by tomorrow morning." Sophie quipped back sarcastically as she turned to smile at the witch who called her, rubbing her shoulders as she did.
January Pogs, who turned out to be an excellent healer, One the "9-ers" " that Sophie had come to see like family. January was quick with her wand and also excellent at everything she attempted. An excellent healer, friend, sister, and fiancé to Derrick Sanders.
Sophie saw as January bit her lip. "I'm scared to go out there, I just did a 24-hour shift and haven't even stepped foot out of the hospital yet" she replied quietly.
"Leave out the cafeteria and apparated in back, the reporters are ruthless out front" Sophie replied gently. "I bet 5 gallons that Derrick is waiting at home for you."
Derrick, follow "9-er'' and Auror in training, as well as Sophie's former boyfriend, will most definitely be waiting for January. Of the nine, the three of them and Cassie Jacks were most comfortable with the silence they were expected to hold for 5-years and beyond. The repercussions of a secret that was supposed to quietly be exposed might have the most impact on their careers.
And the questions that were just thrown at Sophie at 6:45 in the morning highlighted this.
Sophie and January worked hard for their healer positions, but the promise of prestigious clinicals from the ministry helped catapult their way into their respective fields. Cassie, a fellow Auror in training, and Derrick knew that the ministry helped along their auror training, getting them into training classes on their first time applying. No additional experience necessary. Though each of them felt they earned their positions, the ministry perk was not an advantage lost on them.
Fellow "9-er" Jeremy Yang decided to enter the field of magical creatures, and left Britain for Australia. Armed with a letter of recommendation from his professors and the British minister himself, he found himself settling nicely at a magical creature sanctuary. And if you thought muggle creatures of Australia were wild, you should see the ones that Yang cares for at the Australian Magical Creature Sanctuary.
June Pogs-Yang, January's twin sister, entered the field of herbology. No one really knows what she does, but herself and Jer sure won't be facing the backlash that is imploding in Britain.
Lucky Bastards.
Raven Rogers, who casted a powerful shield charm in the battle protecting house-elfs, ended up pursuing a career that ended up being a surprise to many except the "9-ers." Her title as a "Muggle Expert" allowed her to spend limited time in the Wizarding World, while still connecting with her roots. The trauma that Raven experienced shaped her young adult life. And it made for interesting conversations when the "9-ers" met up for pizza, because who wouldn't be fascinated and want to hear more about the life of American muggle Britney Spears.
Doug Jones ran straight into the wizarding world, while Raven tried to separate herself. What they couldn't do was separate themselves from each other. Doug, a mediwizard, works with the most prestigious Quidditch English teams as a head medic. He's partial to Puddlemere, he's a true Englishman, after all.
Sophie knew that Raven, who would rarely incorporate herself into the wizarding world, would be able to miss the press. Mainly, because the press is too scared to venture into the muggle world. Doug, on the other hand, would encounter the press, but likely the press that is only around to interview the Quidditch players.
The silence forced on Raven and Doug had been difficult for both. Raven, because she needed to talk about her trauma or she would isolate. Doug, because if he did not talk, he would explode. So, the two turned to be each other's unofficial therapist, resulting in a world-wind romance that only life-altering experiences can bring out in two vastly different people.
Lastly, Matilda Fletcher, progressed through her field as a junior wandmaker with an apprenticeship from Olivander. Olivander was impressed that the minister felt she could be a great addition to the wand-making world, and she quietly fell into her role. She was the most skittish of them all, and her career with limited social interaction allowed her to flourish. And dating Cassie Jacks helped as well. Because again, tragedy will build you up or tear you apart. And the "9-ers'' could not risk the latter.
The "9-ers" were young, successful and traumatized. Something that damn Creevey boy highlighted multiple times in his article.
The advantages that the ministry offered in terms of progressing their careers did little for the chronic pain that plagued Sophie, or the nightmares that captured Raven's, June's and January's dreams. It did little to help Doug manage his quick to nature rage, Matilda's life crippling fears that someone she loved would die cruelly and slowly, Cassie's impulse control leading to a suspension at one point in her auror training, or Derrick and Jeremy's closed off nature and upfront mistrust to anyone who was not the "9ers."
And Sophie knew that her life was over as she knew it the minute she came to work today. Invisible no more. Because those reporters wanted something from her, her work would likely want her to prove herself even more, bloody Fred Weasley would likely want to talk to her-and all she wanted was to get lost in work.
The latter, Fred Weasley, wanting to talk to her, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world (except it would if their first post-war interaction indicated anything). Because she would be faced to acknowledge all the times she wished she could take it back. Typically, these thoughts only rose when her crippling pain prevented her from moving out of bed, a nasty side effect of exerting herself while being tortured.
As a healer, it is not natural to wish you would have just let someone die. And she thought that particular thought too many times over the past 5 and a half years, she would feel too uncomfortable accepting a "thank you" from the man. Invisibility was easier.
As she waved a friendly goodbye to January, and offered her reassurance that everything was going to be okay even though it felt like a lie as she said it.
She quickened her pace up the stairs. "This is going to be the longest day" she thought as she finally reached her destination and entered the familiar surroundings of her favorite ward.