Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/n: I have decided to put this story on hiatus. The reason for this is that I have lost my inspiration for it, and I don't want to keep giving you short, bad chapters like this one. However, I hope that given some space, I'll be able to continue it. For now, enjoy this chapter, and feel free to check out my new one-shot "Freckles", the prequel to "You Make Me Beautiful".

This chapter is dedicated to slytherinphoenix7 for pushing me well over 100 reviews on "You Make Me Beautiful", and to livetoeat06 for leaving me the most wonderful review ever.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!" Fred shouted out as he and George sped out of the main door of Hogwarts and left school forever. The last sound they heard was the tumultuous applause from the other students resounding after them.

For a while they flew in silence, both of them too occupied with their own thoughts to say anything.

At last, George spoke. "We really did it, didn´t we?" He was feeling slightly shocked by the fact that they had actually gone through with it.

"Yeah, we did it." Fred seemed to be equally surprised. "We´ve left school, before we have even taken our NEWTs. Who´d have thought that? I bet no one´s ever done that before."

"I think you might just be right." George paused for a minute. "Boy, is mum going to be mad." From Fred´s pained expression he guessed that he wasn´t the only one thinking about their mother´s probable reaction to the news. It wasn´t a pleasant thought.

"George?" his brother said suddenly, ripping him out of the imaginary scolding. "D´you reckon we have to grow up now? I mean, we have our own business and all, perhaps we ought to act a bit more mature?"

George shuddered at the thought. "Nah," he said after considering it for a moment. "I mean, it´s a joke shop. People obviously can´t expect us to be serious when we run a joke shop. They´d be stupid if they did."

"Well, that´s a relief." He grinned. "I don't think I´m ready to grow up just yet." George nodded. He knew what that felt like.

Alicia had wanted him to grow up. She hadn´t exactly said it, but it had been obvious how she felt. It wasn´t fair, really. Just because she was Head Girl and a responsible person it didn´t mean she had to try making him responsible too.

xxxxx

George looked around at platform 9 ¾ and grinned to himself. Another year at Hogwarts was waiting, and he chuckled inside as he imagined all the pranks he and Fred would play on people. They had some pretty brilliant stuff ready that he was longing to test out. Preferably on a Slytherin.

"George!" Suddenly he was wrapped in Alicia's arms and she was hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, throwing a quick glance at Fred and seeing that he too was being welcomed by his girlfriend. Grinning, he turned his full attention back to Alicia, kissing her deeply.

At last they had to come up for air. "Hello there, gorgeous," George murmured softly, looking down at her. "Haven't seen you in ages."

"Oh, you're the one to talk," Alicia said. "I'm not the one who didn't reply to a single one of the owls they got this summer, remember?"

He frowned, surprised at the sudden sharpness in her voice. "Is something wrong, Leesh?"

She looked down. "Well… It's just that I've worried about you. And I really wish that you could've bothered to owl me at least once."

"Oh." What could he say to that? He made a feeble attempt to explain. "Look, Leesh, I'm sorry about that. But I have a good reason, I promise."

"And what's that good reason?"

"Er… I can't tell you that. But believe me, it's good." He gave her a hopeful look, willing her to say that she understood. But she didn't.

"What's your problem, George? I'm your girlfriend. You should be able to tell me things."

xxxxx

"Hey, George?" Fred said suddenly. "I was just wondering about something… What´d Leesh say when you told her you were leaving? I don´t wanna be nosy or anything, but Angie was pretty upset when I told her, so…" His voice trailed off.

George nodded. "I get it," he assured his brother.

"So what´d she say?"

"Well…" He hesitated. "I guess you could say that she didn´t take it too well. But I think that´s mostly because I broke up with her."

"What? You dumped her?" The expression on Fred´s face was unmistakeably one of pure shock.

George ducked his head before answering the question. "Yeah, I did. You got a problem with that?" he said aggressively.

"No… Well, just a little one. You spent so much time and effort getting that girl, and now you´re suddenly tired of her? That, my brother, is insane."

"It´s not!"

"Yes, it is."

"Is not!" He glared at Fred, then gave in. "All right. Maybe I am a little insane. The thing is… This is going to sound stupid, but I don´t think I ever really expected us to get together." He glanced quickly over at his brother to see if he was going to make fun of him, but found that he was listening attentively. Reassured, George continued. "So, when we actually got together, I wasn´t ready for a real relationship."

Fred snorted. "That´s crap, and you know it. If I am ready for a real relationship, you are too!"

George shook his head. "No, I don´t think so. You and Angie are different. Everyone has always known that you´re meant to be together. Me and Leesh, we… We just weren´t meant to be."

Having said that, he suddenly sped up the broom and flew a little distance up ahead, making it clear that he was finished with discussing the theme.

Alicia lay behind him now, in the past. In front of him lay the joke shop and the future.

xxxxx

"Well, it's certainly dusty in here," George said and sneezed as if to emphasize his point. Fred laughed.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to clean it up a bit," he agreed. "But isn't it brilliant?"

George looked around at the dusty shelves in the empty store and nodded. It was brilliant. It was theirs.

"How soon d'you reckon we can open it?" he asked, already going over all the things that needed to be done in his mind.

"There's a fair bit of work that needs to be done. But we can work quickly, can't we? I say two weeks."

"Isn't that a bit optimistic? Remember, we have to actually make the products before we can start selling them."

"We can do it. I'm sure. We can give up sleeping if we have to, can't we?" Fred was a picture of confidence, and George found himself grinning.

"Sure we can. Let's get started!" He grabbed the nearest shelf and started dusting it furiously, resulting in another violent sneeze. His brother laughed behind him. "Oh, shut up. It'll happen to you too."

"No, I don't think so," Fred said and grinned. "But let's work now, okay? You can marvel at my good luck later."

George scowled at him.

"Just wait till you sneeze," he muttered to himself. "Then we'll see who has the last laugh."