Author's Note: Thanks to 2-time reviewers Max LoneWolf and Occamy, and first-timers Amerz and sew2100. And don't let the initial gloom get you down. Not unlike John Cleese in Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("She turned me into a newt!"), it "gets better." I promise.
***
The bell tinkled musically at the front door. Like a Jack-in-the-box, Fred Weasley's face popped up from behind the counter, the corners of a solicitous grin nearly touching his ears.
"Welcome to Weasley's -- oh, hi, Ron --
"Ron?"
Ron quickly closed the door, shutting out the noises of Diagon Alley.
"What are you doing here?" Fred said suspiciously. "This is a school day. How did -- "
"We need to talk," Ron said without preamble, his voice low, his bearing solemn. "I waited until the shop was empty. It's important."
Fred studied his brother's face carefully, then drew his wand and pointed it at the door. The lock clicked, and an Out To Lunch sign appeared in the window.
Fred led Ron into the back room, where they found George sitting on a box with an inventory parchment across his knees and a quill in his hand. The twin looked up, surprise spreading across his broad face. He watched wordlessly as Ron closed the door, shutting out the light by which George had been working. Fred produced candles with his wand and lighted them.
"What's going on?" George asked Fred, setting aside parchment and quill. Fred's only answer was a shrug and a nod toward Ron.
Ron stood with his back against the door, the gesture seeming to convey weariness -- of spirit more than of body, the twins thought.
"What I'm going to tell you can't leave this room," Ron said flatly. "No one can know, even Mum and Dad. Swear. I mean it! Swear!"
"We promise," Fred said as George nodded.
Ron began to pace the small storeroom. When he spoke, his eyes darted about restlessly, either unwilling or unable to meet his brothers'.
"Hermione was Cursed in Hogsmeade two days ago. Her parents are abroad and haven't been told, so no one can know yet."
"Is she alright?" George asked.
Ron halted his pacing, setting his face.
"For now," he lied. "But I can help her."
"You?" said Fred in amazement. "What can you do that Dumbledore and his lot can't?"
"Something they won't do," Ron said. "Something illegal. Naturally, I thought of you two straight off. And, truthfully, I can't do it without your help."
George looked up at Fred. "I dunno..."
Ron rounded on them, his eyes blue flame.
"Look, I'm not fooling around! Hermione's life is at stake! You know how Harry feels about her! ("Not to say you, mate," Fred and George thought together.) He's in more pain now than ever before in his life -- and given what he's been through already, that's saying something! And it'll be a hundred times worse if Hermione dies! I need to do this! He's my best friend -- he -- he's as much a brother to me as you are! So I'm asking you -- I'm begging you -- between brothers -- help me -- to help him!"
The twins stared at each other, then at Ron.
"This is dangerous, then?" George said.
"Yes," Ron said plainly. "But would either of you do less if it were for me? Or for Ginny?"
The twins exchanged the briefest of glances before turning back to Ron.
"What do you need?" Fred said an instant before George.
"Two things," Ron said. He pulled some rolled parchment from his robes. "First, this list of potion ingredients." He handed the crackling parchment to Fred, who unrolled it as George craned his neck upwards. "Some of the ingredients can't be sold to underage wizards," Ron explained.
The twins scanned the list, but to little benefit; neither had excelled in Potions at school.
"What does this potion do?" asked Fred.
"It doesn't kill," Ron said evasively, hoping this would suffice. "And the potion itself isn't illegal."
"But the other thing..."
Ron now had the twins' full attention. He drew a small piece of parchment from his robes and held it almost carelessly between thumb and forefinger.
"What I need," he said in a somewhat fumbling tone, "is someone who deals in controlled and prohibited artifacts. I figured you must know someone..."
The twins exchanged a thoughtful look, then turned to Ron and nodded.
Ron proffered the parchment, which George took. His eyes widened as he saw that it was folded in half and sealed with wax.
"Better you don't know," Ron smiled wanly. "Less to deny later, if it comes to that.
"I -- I need it as soon as possible -- tomorrow, if you can manage it.
"And, well -- it'll probably be expensive. Do you have any gold on hand?"
"How much?" the twins said almost with one voice.
"I really don't know," Ron said almost guiltily. "I never bought one before."
He ran his hand over his face.
"Look, I know I'm asking a lot -- working blind, spending your own gold -- risking bloody Azkaban for all I know -- "
"It's for Harry," George declared, slipping the folded parchment into his robes. "We wouldn't have this shop if not for him."
Ron gave George a puzzled look.
"Never mind," George smiled. "We have our secrets, too. Consider it done."
"Tomorrow?" Ron said hopefully.
"Guarantee it," George said.
He stood up, turning to Fred.
"Right, you fetch that lot from the Potions Shop. I'll owl our friend..." He patted the pocket containng the folded parchment.
"Owl?" Ron said in alarm. "You're not Apparating -- ?"
Fred and George both laughed.
"And a fine dealer in contraband he'd be," George said, "if anyone could Apparate right to his doorstep! The Ministry'd love that, wouldn't they? No worries, Ron. Once the owl reaches him, he'll be on our doorstep quicker than you can say, 'Ton-Tongue Toffee'!
"Which reminds me, Fred. Orders up twelve per cent last month."
"Smashing!" Fred grinned.
"L-look," Ron stammered, "I -- I c-can't thank you -- "
"Thank us later," Fred said, checking his watch in the flickering candlelight. "You'd best be off, then."
"You came by Floo powder?" George said.
"Used the fire at the Three Broomsticks," Ron said.
Fred was tugging his chin in thought.
"Okay, here it is: Quick as we get the goods, we'll Apparate to Hogsmeade and owl you. Reckon if you sneaked out today, you can do the same tomorrow with no trouble. We'll meet...let's see, where to meet? The caves outside of town. Sound good?"
"Yes," Ron said faintly. "Fine."
The brothers exchanged a quick handshake; then, with a tinkle of the doorbell, Ron was gone.
The bell tinkled musically at the front door. Like a Jack-in-the-box, Fred Weasley's face popped up from behind the counter, the corners of a solicitous grin nearly touching his ears.
"Welcome to Weasley's -- oh, hi, Ron --
"Ron?"
Ron quickly closed the door, shutting out the noises of Diagon Alley.
"What are you doing here?" Fred said suspiciously. "This is a school day. How did -- "
"We need to talk," Ron said without preamble, his voice low, his bearing solemn. "I waited until the shop was empty. It's important."
Fred studied his brother's face carefully, then drew his wand and pointed it at the door. The lock clicked, and an Out To Lunch sign appeared in the window.
Fred led Ron into the back room, where they found George sitting on a box with an inventory parchment across his knees and a quill in his hand. The twin looked up, surprise spreading across his broad face. He watched wordlessly as Ron closed the door, shutting out the light by which George had been working. Fred produced candles with his wand and lighted them.
"What's going on?" George asked Fred, setting aside parchment and quill. Fred's only answer was a shrug and a nod toward Ron.
Ron stood with his back against the door, the gesture seeming to convey weariness -- of spirit more than of body, the twins thought.
"What I'm going to tell you can't leave this room," Ron said flatly. "No one can know, even Mum and Dad. Swear. I mean it! Swear!"
"We promise," Fred said as George nodded.
Ron began to pace the small storeroom. When he spoke, his eyes darted about restlessly, either unwilling or unable to meet his brothers'.
"Hermione was Cursed in Hogsmeade two days ago. Her parents are abroad and haven't been told, so no one can know yet."
"Is she alright?" George asked.
Ron halted his pacing, setting his face.
"For now," he lied. "But I can help her."
"You?" said Fred in amazement. "What can you do that Dumbledore and his lot can't?"
"Something they won't do," Ron said. "Something illegal. Naturally, I thought of you two straight off. And, truthfully, I can't do it without your help."
George looked up at Fred. "I dunno..."
Ron rounded on them, his eyes blue flame.
"Look, I'm not fooling around! Hermione's life is at stake! You know how Harry feels about her! ("Not to say you, mate," Fred and George thought together.) He's in more pain now than ever before in his life -- and given what he's been through already, that's saying something! And it'll be a hundred times worse if Hermione dies! I need to do this! He's my best friend -- he -- he's as much a brother to me as you are! So I'm asking you -- I'm begging you -- between brothers -- help me -- to help him!"
The twins stared at each other, then at Ron.
"This is dangerous, then?" George said.
"Yes," Ron said plainly. "But would either of you do less if it were for me? Or for Ginny?"
The twins exchanged the briefest of glances before turning back to Ron.
"What do you need?" Fred said an instant before George.
"Two things," Ron said. He pulled some rolled parchment from his robes. "First, this list of potion ingredients." He handed the crackling parchment to Fred, who unrolled it as George craned his neck upwards. "Some of the ingredients can't be sold to underage wizards," Ron explained.
The twins scanned the list, but to little benefit; neither had excelled in Potions at school.
"What does this potion do?" asked Fred.
"It doesn't kill," Ron said evasively, hoping this would suffice. "And the potion itself isn't illegal."
"But the other thing..."
Ron now had the twins' full attention. He drew a small piece of parchment from his robes and held it almost carelessly between thumb and forefinger.
"What I need," he said in a somewhat fumbling tone, "is someone who deals in controlled and prohibited artifacts. I figured you must know someone..."
The twins exchanged a thoughtful look, then turned to Ron and nodded.
Ron proffered the parchment, which George took. His eyes widened as he saw that it was folded in half and sealed with wax.
"Better you don't know," Ron smiled wanly. "Less to deny later, if it comes to that.
"I -- I need it as soon as possible -- tomorrow, if you can manage it.
"And, well -- it'll probably be expensive. Do you have any gold on hand?"
"How much?" the twins said almost with one voice.
"I really don't know," Ron said almost guiltily. "I never bought one before."
He ran his hand over his face.
"Look, I know I'm asking a lot -- working blind, spending your own gold -- risking bloody Azkaban for all I know -- "
"It's for Harry," George declared, slipping the folded parchment into his robes. "We wouldn't have this shop if not for him."
Ron gave George a puzzled look.
"Never mind," George smiled. "We have our secrets, too. Consider it done."
"Tomorrow?" Ron said hopefully.
"Guarantee it," George said.
He stood up, turning to Fred.
"Right, you fetch that lot from the Potions Shop. I'll owl our friend..." He patted the pocket containng the folded parchment.
"Owl?" Ron said in alarm. "You're not Apparating -- ?"
Fred and George both laughed.
"And a fine dealer in contraband he'd be," George said, "if anyone could Apparate right to his doorstep! The Ministry'd love that, wouldn't they? No worries, Ron. Once the owl reaches him, he'll be on our doorstep quicker than you can say, 'Ton-Tongue Toffee'!
"Which reminds me, Fred. Orders up twelve per cent last month."
"Smashing!" Fred grinned.
"L-look," Ron stammered, "I -- I c-can't thank you -- "
"Thank us later," Fred said, checking his watch in the flickering candlelight. "You'd best be off, then."
"You came by Floo powder?" George said.
"Used the fire at the Three Broomsticks," Ron said.
Fred was tugging his chin in thought.
"Okay, here it is: Quick as we get the goods, we'll Apparate to Hogsmeade and owl you. Reckon if you sneaked out today, you can do the same tomorrow with no trouble. We'll meet...let's see, where to meet? The caves outside of town. Sound good?"
"Yes," Ron said faintly. "Fine."
The brothers exchanged a quick handshake; then, with a tinkle of the doorbell, Ron was gone.