A/N:
Hogwarts Auction
Day 19, Auction 4: Fred/Verity
Warning: war
Word count: 645
Verity gasped when she opened the door and found Fred on the other side.
"Uh, hi," she said. She wasn't sure what else to do. It wasn't every day that you found your boss on your doorstep, and it wasn't any easier said boss has been your crush since your Hogwarts days. After a year of working together, she still didn't know if Fred or George remembered that she'd been in the same year as them at school.
"Hi," Fred returned, but he didn't sound friendly. He sounded anxious, which was entirely unlike him. "Can I come in?"
Verity's brain continued to play catch up as she stepped to the side and waved him in. She was thankful that her flatmate was out because she would never be able to live this down otherwise. She watched Fred pace around her living room as she grew increasingly worried. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was her first job out of Hogwarts, and she had the sudden realization that maybe this was what it was like to get fired.
"We're closing down the shop," Fred told her abruptly. "Immediately. Have you heard about the Ministry?"
Verity shook her head. She was bad at keeping up with the news, and that had become even more true since things began going downhill. The last thing she wanted was to open the newspaper in the morning and promptly ruin her day.
"Has something happened?"
Fred laughed darkly and ran a hand over his face. "You-Know-Who has taken over the Ministry," he explained. "And if you haven't caught on, my little brother is best friends with the Chosen One. We're a target. It's not safe to keep the shop open. Even now they might be ransacking it under the guise of an inspection."
Verity struggled to control her breathing. She'd known things were getting bad, of course, but losing her job had never occurred to her. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, worried that she was about to be sick.
"I understand," she said. And she did, even if she had no idea what she should do going forward.
Fred nodded. "It's not just that," he said with a sigh. "George and I need to disappear with our family. It's the only way to stay safe, but you've been working with us for a year. There's a strong possibility that they'll come after you too."
Verity's arms tightened around her middle.
"The Order wants to offer you protection."
Verity frowned. "The Order?"
Fred kept pacing. "The Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore started it to fight You-Know-Who. They can help hide you from the Death Eaters and keep you safe."
Verity's heart pounded. "But I have a flatmate—"
"They'll protect her too," Fred promised. "If she wants it."
He held out a piece of parchment with a name written on it. "Write a letter to him once you make your decision. He'll get you somewhere safe."
Verity nodded and took the paper. There were so many questions running through her head, many of which were about her family and if she could see them, but her anxiety was too overwhelming to ask any of them. Fred moved towards the door, and she suddenly found her voice.
"Will I see you again?"
Fred turned to her with a smile, but it wasn't like the ones she'd grown to love. There was something dark in his eyes.
"Of course! As soon as this war's over, George and I will have that shop back up and running in no time. And you're welcome to have your job back. I promise."
Verity nodded absentmindedly. There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Seconds before he left to go into hiding wasn't the right time to confess your love to your boss.
"Goodbye," she said instead, her heart tightening as Fred saluted her and then vanished.