"Check these out." Fred shoved a yellow candy in George's face. "I just developed them yesterday," he whispered. "They make your eyes bulge out half an inch for up to three hours. I'm trying to get it to go for longer but Ginny was complaining her eyes were starting to hurt. Side effects," he grunted. "There's always an X-factor."
George nodded understandingly. "Look, I was thinking about the joke shop." He glanced around for his mother, but she was nowhere in sight. "I reckon if I work a few more weeks and add that to the gold Harry gave us, we'll have enough for the shop."
"We already have enough," Fred said, prodding the candy with his wand. Green sparks shot out and the eye-shaped candy became larger. "That'll do." He looked up at George, who had a rather befuddled look on his face. "Didn't I tell you? In Diagon Alley that morning we ran into each other, I bought it."
"How could you--?"
"Shh!" Fred hissed. "Not so loud!"
George lowered his voice. "How could you not tell me about that?! I'm your partner!"
Fred shrugged. "Must've slipped my mind." He leaned in closer over the table. "Look, tomorrow we go check out the place. I couldn't go before then, anyway, because some old guy's been using it for storage. He should be cleared out by now, though."
George nodded. "All right." He bit his lip, then turned to Fred. "Do you think we've got enough supplies?"
Fred eyed his brother. "What, are you scared?"
"Have you ever known me to be scared of anything?" George retorted. He exhaled. "It's just...what'll Mum think of all this, us not telling her and all?"
"Look," Fred began, a smile creeping onto his lips, "Mum's just glad we haven't died yet. Don't worry about it."
"I COULD KILL YOU BOTH RIGHT NOW!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked. "OPENING THAT JOKE SHOP WITHOUT MY OR YOUR FATHER'S CONSENT--WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
Fred ducked as a pan came flying toward him. "Mum, we were going to tell you about it, honest!"
"And besides--" George fell to the ground to avoid another pan, "--we haven't even opened it yet!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, AFTER ALL WE'VE TAUGHT YOU, YOU GO OFF AND DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THIS! I HATE TO THINK WHAT YOU'LL DO NEXT!" She took a moment to breathe. "IT'S HARD ENOUGH FOR YOUR FATHER AND I WITH THE ORDER, AND NOW WE'VE GOT TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU TWO ARE DOING ALONE IN DIAGON ALLEY!" She was fuming, her face bright red--the way all the Weasleys looked when they were angry. "Accio pans!" she shouted and the two pots she had thrown flew into her open hands.
George peeked out from under the table. "We're sorry, Mum," he said weakly. "We should have told you."
"Yeah, sorry, Mum," Fred tried.
Mrs. Weasley didn't look at either of them, but went back to her cooking.
Fred gave George a worried look and they both went up to their room. Once safely inside, Fred said quietly, "Maybe we should ask her the secrets to bulging your eyes for that long."
George didn't want to laugh, he didn't think it right, somehow, but he could hardly control himself. The way his mother had looked: her hair frizzed like she had been electrocuted, her face red, and her eyes bugged out a good three inches from her skull--it had been quite a sight. "She's really something..." George said, shaking his head, still giggling to himself.
"So, how was your date?" Fred asked nonchalantly.
"Fine," George answered before he realized what his brother had just asked. "Wait--what? What did you say?" he asked quickly, trying to cover it up.
"You heard me." He crossed his arms. "How long did you think you could keep something like that from me? We twins have a bond, you know."
"Look, please don't tell anyone, especially Ron." George shuddered. "How did you find out, anyway?"
"I read your letter," Fred replied.
"But I was writing to Mildred--she's just my friend," George said, still trying to keep his secret.
Fred raised an eyebrow. "Mildred Danger--Hermione Granger, how thick do you think I am?" He stared at George skeptically. "Well?"
"Well what?" George asked, staring back. "If you think I'm telling you anything that went on, you're nutters."
Fred clapped a hand to his mouth. "Oh, god. You didn't get her pregnant, did you?" He shook his head, laughing.
"No, no I didn't get her pregnant--don't even say that." George tried not to imagine Hermione with an overly large belly sticking out of her Hogwarts robes. When Fred continued to watch him, George asked, "What now?"
"I'm still waiting for details," Fred answered directly.
"What details?" George asked exasperated. "There are no details!" He sighed and said, "All right. But it wasn't that exciting. All that happened was we met at a street corner and went to the Leaky Cauldron for a butterbeer. Really, nothing happened. We didn't even kiss each other good-bye."
"What a boring date," Fred commented. "I suppose it was a good thing that it was only five minutes long."
George rolled his eyes. "It was more than five minutes," he said defensively. "Hermione wasn't exactly feeling her best. She's always worried about what everyone will think about us, how wrong it is. Besides that, I can't stand doing everything in secret. I wish she'd just tell Ron and get it over with."
At that moment, Ron barged into the room. "Tell me what?"
"Do you ever knock?" George sneered, slightly taken aback.
Ron looked a bit confused, but questioned again, "What were you going to tell me?"
"Nothing," George replied savagely.
"And he was eavesdropping too," Fred added.
"Get out, Ron," George said.
"Sorry," Ron said angrily, slamming the door.
Fred shrugged and looked at George. "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be." He locked the door and muttered something, tapping his wand to it. "Let's see Alohomora get through this lock."
George laughed. "Hermione's gonna break the news to him in three weeks, when she 'gets back' from China. Remember, Fred, she's in China." He glanced out the window. "Dad's home."
Fred looked to the window. His father was just walking to the door. "I hope nothing happened at work. All Mum needs is another comment from Percy."
"That git," George muttered angrily. "I can't believe him."
"Me either," Fred said. "Even if it has been a year."
"BOYS!" Mr. Weasley yelled. "COME DOWN HERE! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU TWO!"
Fred and George shared a distressed glance, then walked down to the kitchen, where George assumed his mother still was fuming. "Hi, Dad," they both said simultaneously.
Mr. Weasley stood in front of them, arms akimbo, peering down at them. "Now, what's all this about a joke shop?"
George was about to reply, but Fred stepped in first. "You knew we were going to do it sometime, why wait 'till we're older? We have the money now!"
"Where did you get all that money, boys?" Mr. Weasley questioned, taking off his hat and setting it on the coat rack. He stared at each twin in turn, concern in his eyes. "You haven't been stealing, have you?"
"No!" George said quickly. There was an uneasy silence and George finally turned to Fred and stated, "This is as good a time as any, Fred. We have to tell them."
Mrs. Weasley finally tore herself away from her cooking and approached the table. "Tell us what, George?"
"Harry gave us the gold," George replied. "We weren't supposed to tell anyone, but seeing as you're accusing us of stealing, I thought I'd say something."
"You took Harry's money?!" Mrs. Weasley cried. "How could you take that poor boy's money?"
"Mum, we didn't take it," Fred began hastily, before she could make any more accusations, "he gave it to us!"
"But where did Harry get all that gold?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"The Triwizard Tournament," George answered. "After we got off the train, he told us he didn't need the money."
"We tried not to take it," Fred said swiftly at his mother's angry look. "But he practically made us."
Mr. Weasley nodded in understanding. "So, you've already found a premises?" he asked suddenly. "Well, boys, I'm not going to tell you what I would have liked you to do--in matters of careers, that is," he added quickly. "If this is what you've chosen to do with your lives, then you have my blessing."
Mrs. Weasley stared at her husband, dumbstruck. "What?! Arthur! They should be disciplined--this is insane--I don't want our boys throwing away their lives like this!"
"We're not throwing away our lives, Mum," Fred protested quietly. "This is what we want to do. You know that. It's been our dream since before I can remember."
"It's their dream, Molly," Mr. Weasley said meekly. "Let them have it."
She slumped down in a ratty old armchair and put her face in her hands. "I just wish you could be more like--"
"What, more like Percy?" George interrupted fiercely. "Who abandoned his entire family when we really needed him? You want us to be more like that?"
"We won't abandon you, Mum," Fred said sincerely. "We're just a quick Apparation away, you know."
Mrs. Weasley slowly lowered her hands. "Oh, you're right. I'm sorry, Fred, George." She stood up and hugged them each in turn. "You...you have my permission to do whatever it is that your heart desires."
George smiled weakly, as she crushed the air out of him. "Thanks, Mum."