Chapter 4
Fred awoke to the sound of a crash in his sitting room. He jumped out of bed and ran to see what is was. There standing in his sitting room was his father. He always was a bit on the clumsy side with aparating. Arthur brushed off his clothes, and turned to see his son watching him. Arthur blushed.
Fred grinned and gave his father a hug. "Hello father. What brings you here?" Arthur looked at his son. George had been over to the burrow, last night and had told them what they had done. From what he had said it sounded like Fred was interested in a girl. He wanted to hear it from Fred's own mouth.
"I heard you cast a little spell on a certain ladies establishment last night. Would you care to elaborate?" Fred blushed. "A friend of mine had her establishment broken into yesterday while I was out having lunch with her. I didn't want to see her get hurt, so after I found out about it, George and I went over there and cast a protection spell on it. It's just a diversion one. It will only work on people who wish her ill."
Arthur studied his sons face. According to George, Fred was acting all dreamy over this girl. It didn't bother him that she was a muggle, but Molly was concerned. There were other wizarding families who did not like the mixing of muggle blood into wizard blood. Even their own family had their own biases. Look at how his cousin who was an accountant was treated. And all those attacks that had been made in the past, on mixed marriages.
Arthur sat down in the sitting room while Fred made tea. Fred suspected he was in for a long lecture so he may as well make breakfast while he was at it. That way at least he would get to eat hopefully before he had to leave to go to work.
After every thing was made, he and his father sat down to a breakfast of sausages eggs, toast and tea. Fred noticed how similar he and his father were. They were both almost perpetually hungry, and no matter how much they ate they remained thin.
His father finished eating and put his fork back on the plate. "Fred I have to ask you this question before I go. Are you genuinely interested in this girl?" Fred thought for a while. 'Was he? He didn't know yet him self.' "I can't truthfully answer that question for you father. I don't know myself yet. And she's a grown up woman father. Not some silly girl like I usually date." Arthur nodded. He had a pretty good idea of just how serious things were now. George was rite. He was enamored with this muggle.
Arthur stood up from the table. "Well son. You know that what ever you choose to do we will stand behind you. Just be careful. There are those out there who are not so understanding, and they are more likely to take it out on her than on you." Arthur gave his son a hug and left the way he came.
Fred stood staring at where his father had last been. He knew his father was rite. He would have to make up his mind as to how far he wanted to go with this friendship with Christine. The problem was, he wanted more than just a friend, and he didn't think Christine would go for anything that lacked commitment. His father was rite. He was treading on dangerous ground.
Fred quickly cleaned up the kitchen, and washed and dressed for work. He would have to have a serious conversation with his brother. He did not blame him for going to their father, but it should have been up to him. Fred loved his brother dearly and vice versa, but they had an unwritten rule that they each stayed out of the others love lives. Fred dressed in a green and white shirt with gray slacks and socks. He put on his shoes, gave his hair a quick comb and was off to work.
Unlike his brother George, Fred liked to walk to work. He only lived about five blocks from the store, and it gave him time to think of new innovative joke items to expand their business with. Fred arrived just as George was unlocking the door. He gave George a bit of a scowl, and George looked sheepish. He knew what was coming.
"Listen Fred! I had to tell him! The ministry would have eventually wondered why a protection spell had been put on a muggle establishment. Can you imagine what kind of trouble that could have caused father? You know his ties to the muggle division in the ministry are always' under scrutiny. Especially with his love of muggle artifacts. What if they forced him to resign? And he only has five more years till he can retire."
Fred's jaw dropped. George was rite of coarse. Still he was upset that he had interfered. He should have discussed it with him and let him deal with Father. Still he could understand why he did it, so instead of arguing with him, Fred just gave him a frustrated look. "Well I understand why you did it. But you should have discussed it with me and let me handle it." Fred gave George a shot on the shoulder. "Just you wait till you get a girl friend. I'll get you back." Fred winked at George. George feigned terror. He knew he was only joking. Now that they had cleared the air, they would return to their agreement of not interfering with each other's girl friends. God it would be a nightmare if they didn't. They just looked too much alike.
Fred went behind the counter. "O.k. So what have we for today?" George pointed at a pile of forms. "We have some orders to fill for the store in Canada. It seems our first big invention canary creams is a big hit down there." Fred laughed. He still remembered the first time he had fed one to his brother Percy. Thinking of Percy, he must have heard about what he'd done. He wondered how he was reacting rite now. If he could only be a fly on the wall of Percys'office.
Fred awoke to the sound of a crash in his sitting room. He jumped out of bed and ran to see what is was. There standing in his sitting room was his father. He always was a bit on the clumsy side with aparating. Arthur brushed off his clothes, and turned to see his son watching him. Arthur blushed.
Fred grinned and gave his father a hug. "Hello father. What brings you here?" Arthur looked at his son. George had been over to the burrow, last night and had told them what they had done. From what he had said it sounded like Fred was interested in a girl. He wanted to hear it from Fred's own mouth.
"I heard you cast a little spell on a certain ladies establishment last night. Would you care to elaborate?" Fred blushed. "A friend of mine had her establishment broken into yesterday while I was out having lunch with her. I didn't want to see her get hurt, so after I found out about it, George and I went over there and cast a protection spell on it. It's just a diversion one. It will only work on people who wish her ill."
Arthur studied his sons face. According to George, Fred was acting all dreamy over this girl. It didn't bother him that she was a muggle, but Molly was concerned. There were other wizarding families who did not like the mixing of muggle blood into wizard blood. Even their own family had their own biases. Look at how his cousin who was an accountant was treated. And all those attacks that had been made in the past, on mixed marriages.
Arthur sat down in the sitting room while Fred made tea. Fred suspected he was in for a long lecture so he may as well make breakfast while he was at it. That way at least he would get to eat hopefully before he had to leave to go to work.
After every thing was made, he and his father sat down to a breakfast of sausages eggs, toast and tea. Fred noticed how similar he and his father were. They were both almost perpetually hungry, and no matter how much they ate they remained thin.
His father finished eating and put his fork back on the plate. "Fred I have to ask you this question before I go. Are you genuinely interested in this girl?" Fred thought for a while. 'Was he? He didn't know yet him self.' "I can't truthfully answer that question for you father. I don't know myself yet. And she's a grown up woman father. Not some silly girl like I usually date." Arthur nodded. He had a pretty good idea of just how serious things were now. George was rite. He was enamored with this muggle.
Arthur stood up from the table. "Well son. You know that what ever you choose to do we will stand behind you. Just be careful. There are those out there who are not so understanding, and they are more likely to take it out on her than on you." Arthur gave his son a hug and left the way he came.
Fred stood staring at where his father had last been. He knew his father was rite. He would have to make up his mind as to how far he wanted to go with this friendship with Christine. The problem was, he wanted more than just a friend, and he didn't think Christine would go for anything that lacked commitment. His father was rite. He was treading on dangerous ground.
Fred quickly cleaned up the kitchen, and washed and dressed for work. He would have to have a serious conversation with his brother. He did not blame him for going to their father, but it should have been up to him. Fred loved his brother dearly and vice versa, but they had an unwritten rule that they each stayed out of the others love lives. Fred dressed in a green and white shirt with gray slacks and socks. He put on his shoes, gave his hair a quick comb and was off to work.
Unlike his brother George, Fred liked to walk to work. He only lived about five blocks from the store, and it gave him time to think of new innovative joke items to expand their business with. Fred arrived just as George was unlocking the door. He gave George a bit of a scowl, and George looked sheepish. He knew what was coming.
"Listen Fred! I had to tell him! The ministry would have eventually wondered why a protection spell had been put on a muggle establishment. Can you imagine what kind of trouble that could have caused father? You know his ties to the muggle division in the ministry are always' under scrutiny. Especially with his love of muggle artifacts. What if they forced him to resign? And he only has five more years till he can retire."
Fred's jaw dropped. George was rite of coarse. Still he was upset that he had interfered. He should have discussed it with him and let him deal with Father. Still he could understand why he did it, so instead of arguing with him, Fred just gave him a frustrated look. "Well I understand why you did it. But you should have discussed it with me and let me handle it." Fred gave George a shot on the shoulder. "Just you wait till you get a girl friend. I'll get you back." Fred winked at George. George feigned terror. He knew he was only joking. Now that they had cleared the air, they would return to their agreement of not interfering with each other's girl friends. God it would be a nightmare if they didn't. They just looked too much alike.
Fred went behind the counter. "O.k. So what have we for today?" George pointed at a pile of forms. "We have some orders to fill for the store in Canada. It seems our first big invention canary creams is a big hit down there." Fred laughed. He still remembered the first time he had fed one to his brother Percy. Thinking of Percy, he must have heard about what he'd done. He wondered how he was reacting rite now. If he could only be a fly on the wall of Percys'office.
