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"You're awfully quiet today." Neville said softly.
Jade looked up from counting the money in front of her and blinked at him.
"Just feeling a little under the weather today." She said, going back to the accounting.
"Well, I've finished potting the Flitterblooms for St. Mungo's and I've washed out the bubotuber storage room. I smell horrible! I also washed and cleaned the display windows and-"
"You've done more than enough for today Neville. Go home." Jade said, handing him his weekly check.
"Thanks. What about you? When are you going?" Neville asked.
"I'm waiting for my father to come and close up the shop before I leave. That might take a while and you can't keep Hannah waiting." Jade said seeing Neville blush. Jade smiled and drummed the counter with her fingers.
"I have to go back and finish counting. Rush hour is over anyways so I'll probably get a few easy customers. Hopefully!" Jade said. Neville took his cloak from the rack.
"All right then! I'm off to…off to see Hannah!" Neville said.
"Enjoy! Tell her I said hello." Jade said seeing Neville leave.
After an hour, Jade finished counting the money and recording the accounts in her father's book. She tucked the money and book away in a safe and started to clean up the store. Wondering why her father didn't come in yet, Jade scribbled a note to her father and sent it off with the store owl. She locked the front door and flipped the 'closed' sign before leaving into the backroom to tidy things up. As she was stocking the fertilizer into the shelves for tomorrow morning, she heard someone pulling at the front door and knocking.
"Does anyone read signs at all?" Jade asked to herself. She left the backroom and walked back to the registers to see someone standing in front of the door, still knocking.
"Sorry sir-" Jade stopped, seeing Fred smiling slightly as he gently waved.
"Store's closed." Jade said.
"Yeah, I know, I can read the sign." Fred said.
"You can come back tomorrow. Now, go away." She said, turning around.
Fred immediately pressed his hands against the glass and started tapping.
"I really need to speak to you! Please, just give me two minutes!" Fred said, seeing Jade shake her head and pick up a broom. She started sweeping and ignored him completely.
"It's really cold outside. I think I'm developing a fever." Fred coughed.
Jade walked past him, throwing away the dirt and started polishing the counter. Every few minutes, Jade would glance at the door to see Fred knock his forehead against the glass in boredom. He pressed his nose against it and started to entertain himself at the various ways he could transform his face against the glass. Sometimes he would chuckle to himself, impressing himself which made Jade suppress her urge to giggle.
"Jade?" a voice called from the fireplace. Jade set away the cleaning products and jogged over to the fireplace.
"Dad? Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" she said. Algie looked troubled and scratched his head.
"I could have sworn today was Sunday! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Algie asked.
"Yesterday was Sunday. I was busy handling the customers and counting the money. It's all been put away and the store is ready to open for tomorrow." Jade said.
"You shouldn't be closing up yourself! Give me a few minutes and-"
"Don't worry Dad. Everything's taken care of. I'll just come home by myself. Don't worry." Jade said. "But you'll be alone! Where's Neville?" Algie asked.
"Neville went home early. I have a friend to walk me home anyways." Jade said, looking at Fred who sat with his back against the door, gargling with a bottle of water in his hand.
"Oh…well. I don't know-"
"I'm 17, Dad. I need to grow up one of these days." Jade said.
"As long as you're home safe and sound. Don't be late, dear." Algie said seeing Jade nod.
"Bye Dad." Jade said, watching her father walk away from the fireplace.
"GARRRRRGGGHHHHHH-"Fred flew backwards when the door opened. Water flew from his mouth on his face, into his nasal cavity and down his air pipe. Jade walked past him and locked up as he coughed and hit his chest.
"You might need this." Jade said, handing him a wad of tissue. Fred still coughed, taking the tissue from her and pressing it against his face. He coughed a 'thank you', following her as she started walking through Diagon Alley.
"Jade, I really needed to talk to you." Fred said, seeing her look forward.
"Did you forget to yell a few more things at me during the wedding?" she asked.
"I wanted to apologize for that." Fred said.
"Why would you ever do such a horrible thing like that to yourself? If you apologize, you'll make yourself smaller in your own eyes! I thought Fred Weasley had an obese pride!" Jade mocked.
"I deserve an execution style punishment. Probably even worse! Just hear me out." Fred asked.
"No! Just leave me alone Fred! If I say anything to you or in last week's case, nothing at all, you would twist the shit out of it and end up turning into a furious git." Jade said, stopping in front of him.
"And I was wrong! I was wrong about last week and with the entire thing with McLaggen. Trust me Jade, I've been mad at you and treated you unfairly. Can you at least let me apologize for everything that's happened?" Fred asked.
"We can't make it long. I have to go home." Jade said seeing him nod.
"Okay…I won't." He said seeing her trying to hold back her tears. Her lower lip quivered and Jade shuddered as she breathed in.
"I didn't even say anything yet!" Fred said.
"I know! I just can't believe you're apologizing. I've been waiting ever since I was in South Africa for that letter Fred." She said. Fred swallowed, slowly and nodded.
"I know you did." He said softly.
"For months, I was mentally and emotionally tortured because of something I thought I did. The guilt was so heavy Fred and losing you to that really broke me. Then, when Ass and Ginny told me the truth, the guilt didn't move from its place. In fact, it just lifted off of me because you decided to apologize now." Jade cried.
Fred could only look down in shame, unwilling to look at her.
"I never slept with McLaggen. So why did you make excuses to stay mad at me?" Jade asked.
"You mentioned that my pride was obese and it's exactly that. I didn't warm up to the idea of my girlfriend even kissing McLaggen and I didn't want to forgive you so easily because I couldn't get over it. I still loved you. And I still do. I'm so sorry for never responding back to you. It was me being incredibly selfish and never considering how you must have felt during it all. I probably don't deserve it Jade but I love you and I want you to forgive me and take me back." He said, taking her hand.
"Oh…I don't know Fred." Jade said. Fred stopped, still holding her hand.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Jade tried to think of a way to explain.
"Oh my god. You're seeing Krum." Fred said, seeing Jade's eyes go wide.
"What?! No! I'm not seeing Krum." She said.
"Then someone else?" Fred asked.
"No one for now." Jade said.
"But you were so…compatible at the wedding with him." Fred spat.
"He's funny and sweet but I told him that I just came out of a relationship and he…yeah, that's about it." Jade said.
"And he what? He already asked you to go out with him?" Fred asked seeing Jade nod slowly.
"What did he say after you said no?" Fred asked.
"That's none of your business." Jade said. Fred went to argue but stopped himself.
"All right. You're right. Does this mean you'll take me back?" Fred asked.
"Fred, I'm so exhausted." Jade sighed.
"Yeah I know. It's okay; don't think about it right now. Just go home, sleep on it and get back to me tomorrow-"
"I meant I'm emotionally exhausted. I can't deal with being with you because…don't take this the wrong way but you're kind of a handful." Jade said.
"I can be manageable. I'll never speak out of line. I'll tone down the jokes and pranks. I'll start going to anger management classes!" Fred said. Jade smiled softly.
"I wouldn't want you to change yourself for me. It's like being with George and I do not want that." Jade said seeing him grin.
"So you want Fred but not right now? How long do I have to wait? How do I know when the time is right? Do you send me an owl or something?" Fred asked.
The way he made Jade laugh after a long time, finally set things right after a very long and dry period. The weight in his chest and the anger he fanned inside against her started to evaporate when he saw her happy because of him.
"Let's keep things friendly for now. I definitely cannot handle a relationship at the moment." Jade said. Fred nodded.
"I don't blame you. Is it all right for me to walk you home?" Fred asked.
"Sure." Jade smiled, slowly walking next to him.
"And the whole 'friendly' bit, how should we do that?" Fred asked, smiling when he saw Jade chuckle.
